Another step along the way The unofficial exhibition season disclaimer for defending champions and lottery teams alike reads as follows:


Hurricanes whip up a win The Louisville Cardinals drew a flag for excessive celebration in the second quarter, and another in the third. Against Miami, the displays of jubilation were premature.


Bentley comes home just ahead of NE-10 crowd The Northeast-10 Conference race is entering the final third of the season, and the four teams atop the standings are separated by just a half-game.


Key college games on TV NOTRE DAME (4-2) vs. NAVY (5-0) > When, where: Tomorrow, noon, at East Rutherford, N.J. TV, radio: Channels 4, 12; WJDA (1300). AP rankings: Neither team is ranked. Last season: Notre Dame won, 27-24. Comments: Notre Dame and Navy play for the 78th consecutive year, making it the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in the country. The Irish hold a 67-9-1 ...


Rain puts crimp on match play US Open champion Retief Goosen was the only winner on a rainy opening day of the World Match Play Championship at Virginia Water, England, yesterday, beating Jeff Maggert over 36 holes by a record 12 and 11.


Spotlight shines on quarterbacks They couldn't be more different. One is the prototype quarterback, seemingly built using the create-a-player function from a video game, standing tall in the pocket and firing laser beams across the field.


Today's schedule Pro baseball: AL Championship Series -- New York Yankees vs. Red Sox (Game 3) at Fenway Park, 8 p.m.


Split seasons a matter of making accommodation In a perfect racing world, Suffolk Downs management would like to see the return of a thoroughbred circuit between the East Boston oval and Rockingham Park in Salem, N.H., only on a smaller scale. However, current realities would appear to make that impossible.


Mild Seven Renault F1 Team Preview, Brazilian Grand Prix The official Mild Seven Renault F1 Team preview of the Brazilian GP, round 18 of the 2004 F1 season.


Bob Bell analyses a 'challenging but successful' season Ahead of the final race of the season, the Renault F1 Team Technical Director sat down to give his verdict on 2004 and the team's performance.


News: U.S. Air Traffic Control Found Vulnerable  In the wake of last month's air traffic communications failure, investigators report that computer security issues haunt the FAA's most critical systems.\


Faulty Sensors May Explain Capsule Crash The crash of a capsule last month was likely to have been caused by a design flaw that led to the sensors that were to deploy the capsule's parachutes being pointed in the wrong direction, a NASA investigatory panel reported.


Washington Considers Purchasing Flu Vaccine The government is considering making commitments to buy a certain number of flu shots each year to help bolster supplies and avoid severe shortages like the current one.


Ex-British Ambassador Plans Legal Action (AP) AP - A British ambassador removed from his post after he criticized Uzbekistan's human rights record said Friday he planned to take legal action against the government over damage to his health.


Bioshield Effort Is Inadequate, a Study Says Experts say the Bioshield program will not be adequate to create new vaccines and drugs to protect the nation against either a biological attack or a natural epidemic.


Thais look to sky for hope THE Thai military turned to the power of origami yesterday in its attempt to bring peace to the countrys restive south. Air force planes dropped 100 million paper birds over the area, where fighting between


Australian court convicts drug addict of murdering Stuttle (AFP) AFP - A drug addicted-drifter was found guilty by a Supreme Court jury of murdering a teenage English backpacker by throwing her from a bridge after robbing her of her handbag.


Egypt frees alleged spy in Israel deal Egypt yesterday freed an Israeli Arab businessman, convicted of spying, in exchange for Israel #39;s release of six Egyptian students.


A Tribute to Spam, the Meat A trip to Spamtown USA to check out a museum celebrating the canned pork product reminds us how Spam made an impact on world cuisine long before its name became synonymous with unwanted e-mail. Michelle Delio reports from Austin, Minnesota.


Expo Tries to Whet Geek Appetites New laptops, games and even Google applications share the spotlight at DigitalLife2004, a show designed to tempt consumers to pry open their wallets. Michael Myser reports from New York.


It's Time for Reality Porn Gina Lynn wonders why cosmetic surgery has become so commonplace and suggests that it's time for a change.


Broadband: More Power to You Federal regulators adopt rules aimed at enticing utilities to offer internet service over power lines. But experts say it'll be several years before many people will get broadband from their electrical outlets. Michael Grebb reports from Washington.


Our Kids Are in Big Trouble Government is using technology to burden their future -- and it's all our fault. By Lawrence Lessig from Wired magazine.


E-Vote Snafu in Florida A server crashes, disrupting the pre-election test of electronic voting machines in West Palm Beach. Critics say this underscores the unreliability of e-voting, while election officials say all glitches will be fixed.


German Stocks Decline; Munich Re, Allianz Pace Drop by Insurers New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer yesterday sued Marsh  amp; McLennan Cos., alleging the world #39;s largest insurance broker took payoffs to steer clients to some insurers.


Be open to reform, business groups told Too many business interests are clinging to a failed status quo and resisting necessary governance reforms, the government #39;s top securities regulator said yesterday.


iTunes sales reach 150 million Apple has sold over 150 million songs through its iTunes Music Store, the company announced last night. iTunes users are now downloading more than 4 million songs per week, a rate of over 200 million songs per year.


New bug in open source database MySQL Users of the open-source MySQL database could be at risk from remote attacks from a bug in phpMyAdmin, the web-based MySQL administration tool.


Manchester United Shares Drop Amid Report That Talks Have Ended Shares of Manchester United Plc, the world #39;s most profitable sports franchise, dropped as much as 6.8 percent after newspaper reports said takeover talks collapsed between US billionaire


US Raids Hit Iraq #39;s Falluja at Start of Ramadan US warplanes bombed targets in Iraq #39;s rebel-held city of Falluja Friday, marking a violent start to the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.


US launches Fallujah offensive US forces haved launched air and ground attacks against insurgents in Fallujah, about 40 miles west of Baghdad. The military says  quot;precision strikes quot; are being used.


Pakistan hunts kidnappers #39; leader Pakistan has vowed to track down the leader of a kidnap group in South Waziristan after one of two Chinese hostages died in a rescue attempt.


Israel: no limits on Al Aqsa Mosque Jerusalem (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Israel will set no limit to the number of Muslim worshippers entering the Al Aqsa Mosque during Ramadam, which begins today.


Sportsview: NFL Plays Bad Cop Vs. Plummer (AP) AP - The National Football League wanted to package its tribute to Pat Tillman much the same way it's planning the next halftime show at the Super Bowl. Nice, neat and orderly, with no surprises.


Shaq Should Help Heat Perimeter Players (AP) AP - Shaquille O'Neal will never be mistaken for a great shooter. His percentage annually ranks among the NBA's leaders, but only because his success rate is fueled by a steady stream of dunks.


LPGA: Park Feels at Home in the Desert (AP) AP - Although the Southern California desert is a long way  #151; and drastically different  #151; from her native South Korea, Grace Park feels at home among the sand and the cacti.


NFL Game Summary - Carolina at New Orleans Goings caught six passes for 46 yards for Carolina, which leads the all-time series 10-9...Darren Howard finished with two sacks for the Saints, who have failed to hold any opponent to under 20 points this season...Mike Rucker added a sack and Will


Intel shelves plans for 4GHz Pentium 4 Intel has confirmed it will not release a 4GHz version of its flagship Pentium 4 product. Instead it will transfer its engineers to the company #39;s new design priorities.


Coventry will buy First Health for \$1.8 billion First Health Group, which manages health-care benefits for employers and unions and which has struggled lately, will be acquired by Coventry Health Care in a \$1.


Peregrine ex-auditor enters plea Daniel F. Stulac, the former outside auditor for San Diego #39;s Peregrine Systems, has pleaded innocent to fraud charges detailed in a federal indictment issued last week.


Spawn of X Prize on Horizon So Burt Rutan #39;s SpaceShipOne has grabbed the \$10 million Ansari X Prize. What #39;s next for Peter Diamandis and the organization he started in the mid- #39;90s to promote development of private spaceships?


Cards #39; power leaves Astros all wet ST. LOUIS -- The battle between the Houston Astros #39; unheralded Pete Munro and the St. Louis Cardinals #39; Matt Morris was a surprising push.


Determined Davenport reclaims world number one spot American second seed Lindsay Davenport became the WTA #39;s new world No. 1 following her 6-4, 6-2 win over Dinara Safina of Russia in the second round of the \$2.


Strong temblor sways buildings in Taiwan capital TAIPEI, Taiwan - A strong earthquake rocked Taiwan #39;s capital during the lunch rush today, shaking tall buildings for about a minute.


Karzai leads but 99 of votes to be counted With 99 percent of the votes still to be counted in Afghanistan #39;s presidential election, incumbent Hamid Karzai had taken a lead that many observers expect him to retain right to the end of a marathon count.


U.S. Economy Questions Paralyze Dollar (Reuters) Reuters - The dollar steadied broadly on Friday\after a swelling U.S. trade deficit and steep oil prices pushed\it lower in the previous session, as investors awaited new data\about the U.S. economy.


Polish PM Pledges Iraq Troop Cuts, Strong Economy (Reuters) Reuters - Prime Minister Marek Belka promised to\reduce Poland's military presence in Iraq from early 2005 and\maintain buoyant economic growth if he wins a confidence vote\in his minority cabinet Friday.


U.S. Economy Questions Paralyze Dollar  LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar steadied broadly on Friday  after a swelling U.S. trade deficit and steep oil prices pushed  it lower in the previous session, as investors awaited new data  about the U.S. economy.


Oil, Economic Growth Worry Investors  LONDON (Reuters) - Questions about the sustainability of  global economic growth held many markets hostage Friday as  crude oil prices bumped close to \$55 a barrel and investors  awaited a raft of U.S. data.


Oil Dips But Near \$55 on Winter Anxiety  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices eased on Friday, but still  within sight of the \$55-mark as traders feared time was running  out to top up low heating oil supplies before winter.


UK Judge: Enron Bankers Can Face U.S. Trial  LONDON (Reuters) - A British judge said Friday that he saw  no reason why three former British bankers could not face trial  in the United States over alleged fraud charges involving Enron  executives.


Zimbabwe Court Acquits Tsvangirai of Treason  HARARE, Zimbabwe (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's High Court Friday  acquitted opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on charges of  plotting to assassinate President Robert Mugabe, saying the  state had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.


Bankers facing Enron extradition A judge rules that three UK bankers can be extradited to the US to face fraud charges related to a deal with Enron.


'Militant' killed in Gaza strike Israel carries out an air raid on the northern part of the Gaza Strip, killing a Palestinian near the Jabaliya refugee camp.


Decision due on 500,000 new homes A decision is due to be taken on whether 500,000 new home should be built in eastern England.


Israel Winds Down Gaza Military Operation Several thousand Israeli settlers and supporters demonstrate, during a rally against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon #39;s planned pullout and evacuation of Gaza Strip Jewish settlements, near Sharon #39;s residence, in Jerusalem, Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004.


Google Desktop Search Has Arrived Google has finally announced Google Desktop Search, a search application that enables users to search their email, files, web history, and chats.


Broadband: More Power to You WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators on Thursday adopted rules aimed at tempting electric utilities to offer broadband services -- a move officials hope will someday enable US consumers to jack in to the web from virtually any power outlet.


Corel Corporation acquires Jasc Software Corel Corporation has expanded its software portfolio with the acquisition of Jasc Software, which produces the Paint Shop family of image editing and digital photography programs.


Dell targets iPod mini Dell introduced two new music players yesterday, aiming to take a chunk from Apple #39;s iPod market share. Marketed under the Dell DJ (Digital Jukebox) line of digital music players, one - the


The future face of identity checking After signatures, fingerprints and iris recognition, 3-D face maps encoded onto ID cards and passports are unveiled today. The ground-breaking system of recording biometric information could be the key to our security.


Reports say talks with Irish duo have collapsed LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Manchester United, the most well-known soccer club in the world, is expected Friday to make a statement on the status of its takeover approach, the BBC reported, as speculation grows that Malcolm Glazer #39;s talks with its largest


Rossi takes provisional pole in Australia PHILLIP ISLAND - Italian Valentino Rossi, closing in on a fourth consecutive premier race world title, grabbed provisional pole after initial qualifying at the Australian MotoGP earlier today.


Al Fayed asking 110M for Fulham Turkish-Cypriot brothers Halil and Husnu Falyali insist their bid to takeover Fulham is still on. The deal could be worth 100 million and the Falyalis insist negotiations are continuing, despite denials from the London club.


Man City v Chelsea Chelsea full-back Wayne Bridge could return to the team after being out with a calf injury since 19 September. Celestine Babayaro (hamstring) could also feature in the squad along with Mateja Kezman (groin).


Martin will cut schedule Mark Martin joined the growing list of longtime drivers easing their way out of NASCAR, announcing Thursday that the 2005 season will be his last as a full-time racer.


Greenpeace Calls For Stepped Up Action to Protect Iraqis from <b>...</b> WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (OneWorld) The environmental group Greenpeace has echoed a call by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to permit the UN watchdog to return in force to Iraq to track nuclear-related materials looted after the 2003 US-led


Defence ; NATO, Russia Vow To Boost Anti-Terror Cooperation The talks, on the second day of informal ministerial talks in a Romanian ski resort, were given focus by the school massacre in Beslan in September, which left as many as 350 people, most of them children, dead.


Saturn probe may reveal key to life A space probe headed for Saturn #39;s largest moon, Titan, is nearing the end of its two billion mile journey, reports Nic Fleming.


Searching files on PC easier The Mountain View company unveiled the free technology Thursday that allows users to simultaneously scan the Web and their computer hard drives for documents, e-mail, instant messages and the sites they #39;ve visited in the past.


Delta sees wider third-quarter loss Delta Air Lines Inc. expects to report a much wider loss for the third quarter due to one-time charges, higher oil prices and a decline in its domestic passenger-mile yield, the airline said Friday.


Wachovia Profit Rises 14 Percent Wachovia Corp. (WB.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the No. 5 US bank, on Friday said third-quarter profit rose 14 percent, helped by increased lending to consumers and a decline in bad loans.


UK bankers may face US trial over Enron Three British ex-bankers are to appeal a decision by a judge that they could be extradited to the United States to face trial over alleged fraud charges relating to disgraced energy group Enron.


Govt may slash duty on petrol, diesel New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) may consider slashing customs duty on petrol and diesel from 15 per cent to 10 per cent besides exempting kerosene and LPG from excise levy as part of efforts to spare consumers from the impact


S amp;P 500 Futures Rise on Stronger-Than-Expected Retail Sales Futures on the Standard  amp; Poor #39;s 500 Index rose after a government report showed retail sales rose more than forecast last month.


Airbus to seek one billion euros in state loans PARIS : European aircraft maker Airbus aims to apply for loans worth up to one billion euros (1.24 billion dollars) from European states for its new A350 airplane program, chief executive Noel Forgeard was quoted as saying in the Financial Times.


Intel not to make 4-Gigahertz version of Pentium 4 PC processor The world #39;s No. 1 chipmaker Intel says that it will not make the 4-gigahertz version of its Pentium 4 PC processor. Intel will release another chip that has fewer gigahertz.


FCC approves broadband over power line rules The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has cleared the way for power companies to roll out broadband over power line service by approving a set of rules designed to limit interference to other radio frequency devices.


IPods an eye-opener for industry Apple Computer #39;s iTunes Music Store sold its 150 millionth song on Thursday, another key milestone in the Cupertino firm #39;s push to stay ahead of digital music rivals like Microsoft and Dell.


Microsoft investigates game code theft Microsoft is investigating the recent on-line release of a pirated copy of the forthcoming Xbox Halo 2 game, warning that downloading the code, or making it available for download, will be treated as theft.


Online music pirates will be collared within days Trade association The British Phonographic Association (BPI) which last week vowed to bring 28 illegal music uploaders to justice, has secured a High Court action to force the internet service providers to come up with the identities of the alleged


IBM Fleshes Out Power5 Line IBM (Quote, Chart) upped the ante against rivals HP (Quote, Chart) and Sun Microsystems (Quote, Chart) in the server market by adding three new machines based on its Power5 processor, two of which can run 254 virtual servers on a single machine.


Microsoft gets a fashion makeover com October 15, 2004, 5:11 AM PT. Wood paneling and chrome made your dad #39;s station wagon look like a million bucks, and they might also be just the ticket for Microsoft #39;s fledgling


UK scientists bring hydrogen cars closer British scientists have used nanotechnology to trap and store hydrogen gas for a new generation of fuel cell car engines, they report today.


A da Vinci Project Update for Canadian Town Canadian rocketeers hoping to launch a privately built spacecraft from the small Saskatchewan town of Kindersley met with community officials Thursday, updating residents on the missions progress and reaffirming their intent to fly.


Drummond enjoys Wentworth Els test Shropshire #39;s Scott Drummond believes he will learn from the experience of going head-to-head with world number two Ernie Els, despite seeing his HSBC World Matchplay dreams end this morning.


Sunny weather, a Sunny-like Sehwag, shining Shane And Virender Sehwag too was expected to pour runs, that is. But he too was unusually Sunny, er, Sunil Gavaskar-like as the Indians quite methodically moved up to 197 for 3 with Sehwag carving out a fine century


Kobe #39;s New Role: Villain Now he is the Big Victim. For so long, we thought of Shaquille O #39;Neal as the Big Monster. But it turns out the monster was his former sidekick, Kobe Bryant, according to Phil Jackson #39;s new book.


Saha back for Man United Striker Louis Saha returns to the Manchester United squad for Saturday #39;s game at Birmingham City to give manager Alex Ferguson the choice of four front-line strikers for the first time this season.


England sticks with Beckham as captain David Beckham lurches from one crisis to another. Michael Owen projects a squeaky clean image. The country which invented soccer should have no problem deciding who #39;s the best choice to captain England #39;s national team.


Fulham Football Club star ban reduced Fulham Football Club striker Andy Cole has had his six-match suspension reduced to four games. The former Manchester United man was handed a three-match ban and a 10,000 fine on top of his original three


York site has several advantages It should come as no surprise that York University picked up the stadium project ball after the University of Toronto dropped it. It has been apparent the Argos and the Canadian Soccer Association would be


Brazil Making Progress on Software Export Drive (Reuters) Reuters - Brazil's drive to increase\computer software exports is beginning to show results and the\government expects the sector to sell about  #36;400 million abroad\this year, four times what it exported in 2001.


Oil import prices fuel 7 jump in US trade deficit THE US trade deficit widened in August to its second-highest level on record, fuelled by the highest oil import prices in 23 years and record imports from China.


Update 7: Crude Oil Hugs Milestone \$55 Mark Crude oil futures stayed within range of the \$55 milestone Friday, a day after a decline in the US inventory of heating oil roiled a market already on edge over tight supplies, high demand and unrest among key producers.


UK Enron Bankers Can Be Extradited to the US, Court Rules Three British bankers can be extradited to the US to face fraud charges related to former energy trader Enron Corp., a London court ruled.


Govt decides not to raise oil prices New Delhi: The Indian government decided on Friday not to increase retail prices of petroleum products despite global crude oil prices reaching record highs, Petroleum and natural Gas Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar said.


Netflix stock drops on anticipation of Amazon competition Shares of mail-order DVD rental company Netflix plunged Thursday after it warned that it was slashing its subscription price in anticipation of Amazon.


Health Management Cuts 4Q Outlook Health Management Associates Inc., which operates acute care hospitals in rural areas, lowered profit guidance Friday for the fourth-quarter and fiscal year, citing outages and service disruptions related to Hurricanes Ivan and Jeanne.


UCLA Wins Men's Water Polo Championship (AP) AP - Logan Powell scored with 13 seconds remaining in the second overtime Sunday to lift UCLA to the NCAA championship with a 10-9 victory over Stanford.


Web coming to electrical outlets NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Electric companies may soon join the fray of providing Internet services after regulators cleared the way for utility companies to offer broadband services through electrical outlets, according to a report published Friday.


United fans seek safety net Manchester United fans have called on the club #39;s major sponsors to help ring-fence shares to stave off further takeover threats.


Bundesliga matches, Oct 16-17 VfB Stuttgart coach Matthias Sammer hosts his former charges Borussia Dortmund on Saturday and believes Kevin Kuranyi will be back to inflict further pain on the visitors.


Wachovia reports boost in 3rd-quarter profits CHARLOTTE, NC - Financial services firm Wachovia Corp. said Friday that third-quarter earnings increased as declining retail brokerage activity was offset by higher revenue in wealth management and investment banking segments.


Intel puts brakes on plan for faster chip San Jose - In the latest change to its product lineup, Intel Corporation on Thursday shelved its plans to release a 4-Gigahertz (Ghz) computer microprocessor, saying it would rely on approaches other than faster clock speed to improve the performance of


Langer ousts Singh in World Match Play Bernhard Langer beat Vijay Singh on the first extra hole Friday to knock the world #39;s top-ranked player out of the World Match Play Championship in the first round.


Australian Warne Sets Cricket Mark; India Leads by 56 (Update4) Australia spinner Shane Warne became the top wicket-taker in Test cricket on day two of the second match against India, as Virender Sehwag #39;s seventh Test century helped the home side reach 291-6 to take a 56-run lead.


Silence is best, Eriksson tells sorry Beckham England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson says captain David Beckham should have kept quiet about his decision to deliberately pick up a yellow card against Wales.


Gregan agrees Wallabies contract Australia captain George Gregan is set to sign a new three-year contract to take him through to the 2007 World Cup. Sydney #39;s Daily Telegraph newspaper claimed the 31-year-old scrum-half is ready to put pen to paper on the deal.


Christopher Lee Becoming a Video Game Wizard (Reuters) Reuters - Christopher Lee says he\does not own a computer or a mobile phone. But that hasn't\prevented the veteran British actor from starring in some of\the most successful and accomplished marriages of narrative and\computer-generated artistry that ever entertained an audience.


2nd UPDATE: Hutchison Telecom Debut Pales Vs China Power HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--Hutchison Telecommunications International Ltd. #39;s (2332.HK) debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Friday paled in comparison to China Power International


A step towards pollution-free cars Scientists have made a world-first discovery which is a step towards using environmentally-friendly hydrogen to power our cars. A team from the Universities of Newcastle upon Tyne and Liverpool in the UK, who


Murray State favorite to win OVC Losing ten players usually means a rebuilding year. Not at Murray State. Despite the loss, the Racers were picked as the pre-season favorite to win the Ohio Valley Conference.


Strong quake rocks north-east Taiwan A strong earthquake in the Pacific Ocean off Taiwan has rocked the island #39;s north-east, damaging buildings and injuring several people, according to officials.


Sharon Orders Redeployment of Israeli Troops In Gaza Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has ordered a redeployment of Israeli troops, away from densely populated areas of the northern Gaza Strip.


Indonesia Files Terrorism Charges Against Cleric Bashir Indonesian prosecutors filed terrorism charges on Friday against cleric Abu Bakar Bashir that could bring to trial within two weeks the accused leader


Outspoken UK ambassador to Uzbekistan sacked ISN SECURITY WATCH (15/10/04) - The former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, has been sacked in what he says is the governments response to his open criticism of the use of British intelligence gained by the torture of prisoners by Uzbek


Sarah reveals tape of Prince Harry #39;s cheating  #39;confession #39;: World News: London, Oct 15 : Sarah Forsyth, the sacked Eton teacher who alleged that she had helped Prince Harry cheat while he was taking his A-Levels, has now produced a tape of Prince Harry, which she says will substantiate her charge.


Another Turkish Driver Beheaded in Iraq Turkish driver Ramazan Elbu was decapitated in recent incidents in Iraq yesterday that led to over 30 deaths. In a video cassette issued on a website belonging to an illegal organization called the Ansar Al


Australian man jailed for UK backpacker murder An Australian drifter was today jailed for life for murdering the British backpacker Caroline Stuttle in 2002 by throwing her off a bridge after stealing her handbag.


UK chemists seek hydrogen store Hydrogen has zero greenhouse emissions when  quot;burned quot; in the novel car engines now under development - but being a gas it is expensive to compress or liquefy.


Net File-Sharing Doesn't Hurt Most Artists - Survey (Reuters) Reuters - Most musicians and artists say the\Internet has helped them make more money from their work\despite online file-trading services that allow users to copy\songs and other material for free, according to a study\released on Sunday.


Exabyte slashes media costs Storage Expo Hopes to cut losses through cheaper tapes


Intel shift over need for speed Intel has dropped plans for 4GHz version of its flagship Pentium 4 chip, making a shift in approach.


Spooky psychic thriller spot on Psi-Ops' mix of futuristic military adventure and spooky psychic undertones has much to offer.


Digital Home to Set Off Next Big Electronics Wave  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Mention "home networking" to most  people and few would imagine the routers, access points and  wireless connections that in a few years could become an  indispensable part of millions of home entertainment systems.


Redskins Top Giants, Break Losing Streak (AP) AP - Stop the game and have a parade  #151; the Washington Redskins finally scored 20 points. The historic moment occurred with 41 seconds left in the first half of Sunday's rout of the New York Giants, when tight end Robert Royal went to the ground to cradle Patrick Ramsey's 9-yard pass. Royal's first career touchdown gave the Redskins a 21-0 lead on the way to a 31-7 victory.


Border Security Measures to Tighten Tighter security measures designed to stop suspected terrorists, sexual predators and other types of criminals at the nation's borders will begin next month, federal officials announced Thursday.


Netflix Anticipates Amazon DVD-Rental Service Shares of mail-order DVD rental company Netflix Inc. plunged Thursday after it warned that it was slashing its subscription price in anticipation of Amazon.com Inc. entering an already crowded market.


New Propulsion System Could Make Trip to Mars in 90 Days A new means of propelling spacecraft being developed at the University of Washington could dramatically cut the time needed for astronauts to travel to and from Mars and could make humans a permanent fixture in space.


Google expands search to desktop (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - In a move that beats competitors Yahoo, Microsoft, America Online and AskJeeves to the starting gate, Internet search giant Google on Thursday unveiled a program enhancement that searches Web pages plus e-mails, pictures, music and other documents on your hard drive.


Sprint to Cut 700 Jobs (Reuters) Reuters - Sprint Corp. , said on Friday\it plans to reduce by up to 700 jobs in its business solutions\unit as it realigns its business to focus on wireless and\Internet-based telecommunications offerings.


IBM tops off Power 5-based server line (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - Targeting Unix archrivals Hewlett-Packard and Sun Microsystems, IBM on Friday topped off the high end of its Power 5-based line of iSeries and pSeries servers, rolling out three systems all capable of hosting as many as 250 virtual servers on a single machine.


THE SWAGGER IS BACK (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - "I'm back," declared Apple Computer's Steve Jobs on Thursday morning in his first public appearance before reporters since cancer surgery in late July.


Retail Sales Up 1.5 Pct., Fueled by Autos (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. retail sales rose by an\unexpectedly large 1.5 percent in September, propelled by the\sharpest jump in auto sales in nearly three years, according to\a government report on Friday that bodes well for economic\growth in the third quarter.


Producer Prices Up 0.1 Pct, Energy Drops (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. producer prices edged up just\0.1 percent in September, held back by a big energy-price drop,\but the cost of non-energy items picked up steam, a government\report showed on Friday.


Delta Air Lines Sees Loss Mushrooming (Reuters) Reuters - Delta Air Lines Inc.  on Friday\forecast a much wider third-quarter loss than Wall Street had\estimated because of weak domestic fares and a spike in fuel\costs, driven by record-high oil prices.


German Court Frees Nazi War Crimes Suspect (AP) AP - A court ordered an 86-year-old man accused of Nazi war crimes in Slovakia freed from custody Friday after a key witness said he could no longer clearly remember what happened.


Gangsters Torch Cars in Haiti Capital (AP) AP - Young gangsters rampaged through the heart of the Haitian capital, torching cars and firing in the air in what many people feared was a prelude to more violence.


Wachovia Plans Technology Park in Alabama (AP) AP - Wachovia Corp. is planning a  #36;400 million data center in Birmingham that will anchor a 337-acre technology park.


Head of Troubled Japanese Retailer Resigns (AP) AP - The president of troubled retailer Daiei announced his resignation Friday, two days after he was forced by lenders to seek a government bailout.


Blue Chips Seen Higher After Retail Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures jumped on Friday,  pointing to a firm market open, after a government report  showed U.S. September retail sales rose higher-than-expected.


Woman believed to be 1st to walk around Australia strides back to hometown (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - A 36-year-old businesswoman was believed to be the first woman to walk around Australia on Friday after striding into her hometown of Melbourne to complete her 16,700-kilometre trek in 365 days.


Producer Prices Up 0.1 Pct, Energy Drops  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. producer prices edged up just  0.1 percent in September, held back by a big energy-price drop,  but the cost of non-energy items picked up steam, a government  report showed on Friday.


Delta Air Lines Sees Loss Mushrooming  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc. DAL.N on Friday  forecast a much wider third-quarter loss than Wall Street had  estimated because of weak domestic fares and a spike in fuel  costs, driven by record-high oil prices.


Oil Holds Near \$55 on Winter Fuel Anxiety  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices held strong on Friday not far  below the \$55-a-barrel mark as traders worried time is running  out to top up low heating oil inventories before winter.


'Ranked-Choice Voting' Debuts in Calif. (AP) AP - In a change that could give new meaning to direct democracy, San Franciscans will soon cast ballots listing their first, second and third-place choices for municipal offices under a new "ranked-choice voting" system that would eliminate separate run-off elections.


Chargers Edge Broncos, 20-17 (AP) AP - The Chargers  #151; yes, the Chargers  #151; took firm control of the AFC West by hanging on to beat the Denver Broncos 20-17 in a wild one on Sunday. LaDainian Tomlinson ran for two touchdowns and San Diego's defense saved the day by intercepting Jake Plummer four times, including in the end zone in the closing minutes.


Before-the-Bell: Multimedia Games Drops  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Multimedia Games Inc.  MGAM.O fell 19.5 percent before the bell Friday a day after  the developer of games for casinos said it will post  unexpectedly weak fourth-quarter and full-year results.


Airbus Raises Delivery Target for 2004  PARIS (Reuters) - Planemaker Airbus said on Friday it had  raised its expected deliveries target for 2004 to as many as  320 planes and might tap up to 1 billion euros (\$1.24 billion)  in controversial government loans to build a new model.


Arch Coal Profit Off, But Coal Sales Up  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Arch Coal Inc. ACI.N, the  second-largest U.S. coal producer, said on Friday that  third-quarter profit fell slightly as rail disruptions and  hurricane-related work delays affected mining operations.


Shoppers Spring Back to Life in September Shoppers rediscovered their buying groove last month, propelling sales at the nation's retailers by a strong 1.5 percent. It was the best showing since March.


Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Acquitted of Treason  HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan  Tsvangirai was acquitted on Friday of plotting to assassinate  President Robert Mugabe and seize power, in a verdict that  provides a major boost for the opposition.


UK bankers face Enron extradition A judge rules that three UK bankers can be extradited to the US to face fraud charges related to a deal with Enron.


India's Wipro sees profits surge Wipro, one of India's leading software exporters, reports a 65 jump in profits, driven by European demand and a rise in outsourcing.


Landslide win for Cameroon leader Cameroon's President Paul Biya is re-elected with 75 of the vote, say officials, with just a results to come.


Wachovia Profit Rises 14 Percent The No. 5 U.S. bank said third-quarter profit rose 14 percent, helped by increased lending to consumers and a decline in bad loans.


Muslim world celebrates Ramadan Millions of Muslims across the world begin observing the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.


Muslim suspects in Gujarat freed Two Muslims charged over the 2002 train attack on Hindu pilgrims that sparked religious riots in Gujarat are freed.


Early Forecast: Flu Season Could be Harsh By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter    HealthDayNews -- While U.S. health officials say it's too soon to predict the severity of the coming flu season, unofficial accounts indicate it could be relatively harsh...


Cards Top Astros 6-4 to Take 2-0 NLCS Lead ST. LOUIS - Scott Rolen hit two home runs, combining with Albert Pujols for back-to-back shots in the eighth inning that sent the St...


New Technology Clears Clogged Arteries Might reduce number of bypass surgeries, study says    HealthDayNews -- A new technique that uses infrared light and radiofrequency energy to clear blocked arteries may reduce the number of patients who need bypass surgery, says a Dutch study in the October issue of the journal Cardiovascular Interventions.    The study found this guidewire system can navigate blocked coronary arteries, burn through dense scar tissue and reestablish blood flow through severely obstructed arteries...


Polls Show Worsening of U.S. Reputation LONDON - America's reputation around the world is hurting, according to a series of coordinated polls published Friday from 10 countries, including many of the United States' closest allies.    In eight of the countries where the surveys commissioned by major newspapers were conducted, more people said their view of America had worsened in the past two to three years than improved...


Karzai Takes Early Lead in Afghan Count KABUL, Afghanistan - Interim leader Hamid Karzai took an early lead as vote counting began in Afghanistan's landmark presidential election, after allegations of ballot-box stuffing, voter intimidation and multiple voting forced five days of delay.    The tally was halted Friday so the 1,000 Afghans on the counting staff could have the day off to celebrate the start of Ramadan, the Islamic fasting month...


Sinus Infections Crop Up in Autumn Fall marks start of more than cold and flu season    HealthDayNews -- Not only is fall the start of the cold and flu season, it's also the time of year when sinus infections become more common.    "The cooler, dry weather associated with the fall allergy season will cause an increase in the frequency and severity of sinus infections and sinus headaches, especially in seasonal allergy sufferers...


Americans Able to Buy Cheaper Medicines in Canada The U.S. Food and Drug Administration opposes commercial prescription imports, arguing that it can't vouch for their safety. But individuals can buy a three month supply of medicine if they have a U.S. prescription.


Cheneys Mad After Kerry Mentions Daughter WASHINGTON - Mary Cheney typically works quietly behind the scenes on her father's vice presidential campaign, but she was dragged front-and-center after John Kerry noted that she is a lesbian during his debate with President Bush.    Her parents were furious at Kerry...


AP: Memo Warned About Medicare Cards WASHINGTON - A day before the first presidential debate, the government's health policy watchdog raised concerns that early mailings to seniors about the new Medicare prescription discount cards championed by President Bush were confusing or inadequate.   "We found that these beneficiaries received very little mail from drug card sponsors that would enable them to make an informed choice among cards," the Health and Human Services Department inspector general wrote in the Sept...


New Vaginal Gel May Protect Women From HIV By LAURAN NEERGAARD    WASHINGTON (AP) -- A chemical specially designed to thwart how the AIDS virus invades during sex offers scientists a new lead in the long quest for a vaginal gel that women could apply to protect themselves when men don't use a condom.    The experimental drug isn't ready for human testing yet, but it provided potent protection to female monkeys exposed to large amounts of an AIDS virus, researchers reported Thursday in the journal Science...


Stocks Are Set to Open Slightly Higher NEW YORK - U.S. stocks are seen slightly higher at the open but a swathe of economic data is likely to influence overall sentiment and direction...


Microsoft: The reality behind the image CNET News.com's Charles Cooper explains why the company remains wildly successful despite a string of mediocre product launches.


How it works California - Currently compatible only with the Windows operating system, Google #39;s new 400-kilobyte desktop program requires about 10 minutes to download on a dial-up connection and takes some five or six hours to index a computer #39;s hard drive.


September Retail Sales Up by 1.5 Percent Shoppers got their buying groove back last month, propelling sales at the nation #39;s retailers by a strong 1.5 percent. It was the best showing since March.


Chip sales boost Samsung by 46 SAMSUNG Electronicss quarterly profit jumped 46 per cent from a year ago on strong memory chip sales, but fell 14 per cent from the previous quarter as prices of flat screens for TV and computers fell.


Morning Briefing Automakers #39; rich incentives last month might have helped retail sales rebound from a disappointing August. A Commerce Department report out this morning is expected to show that sales at US retailers rose


Before the Bell--Marsh and La Jolla drop, Delta gains Shares of Marsh  amp; McLennan Cos. Inc. (MMC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) fell 6 percent before the bell Friday, extending their slide a day after the insurance broker was targeted in a fraud suit by New York #39;s attorney general.


Govt not to raise fuel prices  quot;The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has decided today that prices of all petroleum products will be held at the same level, quot; said Mani Shankar Aiyar, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister.


Soyuz in orbit bound for ISS BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan: A Russian-US crew blasted off from here Thursday bound for the International Space Station where they will spend six months conducting experiments including work on the search for an AIDS vaccine.


FCC Approves BPL Despite Interference Concerns goosman writes  quot;The ARRL is reporting that the FCC has approved revised Part 15 (unlicensed services) rules to specifically regulate the deployment of broadband over power line (BPL) technology.


IBM launches 64-way Power5 Unix servers Without a question, the  quot;Regatta quot; family of Power4 and Power4 servers put IBM Corp #39;s Unix business in high gear. Just as Unix leaders Sun Microsystems Inc and Hewlett-Packard Co were struggling with product


Archos unveils 20GB iPod Mini-sized player French media player maker Archos has launched what may the world #39;s smallest 20GB hard drive-based music player. The Gmini XS200 measures just 7.6 x 5.9 x 1.9cm and weighs 120g.


The Home PC, Perfected Three times is a charm, and never is this truer than with Microsoft products. With its brand new Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 operating system, Microsoft may have unleashed the perfect OS for a home PC.


Els trails Cabrera at Wentworth Ernie Els went into lunch one-down against Angel Cabrera in the quarter-finals of the World Match Play at Wentworth on Friday. The world number two went as much as three-up by the sixth but was hauled back


MOTOGP NEWS Rossi feels pressure to clinch crown. Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau will go head to head in the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, and they began the battle by dominating the first qualifying session at Phillip Island this afternoon.


Judgement day looms for Button Jenson Button #39;s Formula One future should be decided on Saturday at a hearing that will also determine several other drivers #39; hopes of racing next year.


Cardinals make it two straight without an ace Sure, the Cardinals had hoped erstwhile right-hander Matt Morris would be all that he could be on Thursday night at Busch Stadium.


England sitting pretty England ended the latest round of World Cup qualfiers sitting pretty and well on course for Germany in 2006 - sadly not the same can be said for Wales and Scotland, two countries in turmoil.


OCTOBER DEADLINE FOR BRITISH GP The British Racing Drivers Club have set a deadline of the end of October to save the British Grand Prix. The Silverstone race is on the provisional calendar but the BRDC are still to agree staging rights with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.


BUTTON TO DISCOVER FUTURE Jenson Button will tomorrow discover whether he is allowed to quit BAR and move to Williams for 2005. The Englishman has signed contracts with both teams but prefers a switch to Williams, where he began his Formula One career in 2000.


Three Americans killed, one missing and presumed dead in Green <b>...</b> (Baghdad, Iraq-AP) Oct. 15, 2004 - The US military now says three Americans were killed and a fourth is missing and presumed dead from an attack on Baghdad #39;s heavily-fortified Green Zone.


Karzai Takes Early Lead in Afghan Count Interim leader Hamid Karzai took an early lead as vote counting began in Afghanistan #39;s landmark presidential election, after allegations of ballot-box stuffing, voter


New Cambodian King Asks for Guidance Cambodia #39;s new king, Norodom Sihamoni, said in his first message to his kingdom Friday that he would stay out of politics, and asked for guidance and understanding while he learns his new role.


Aristide supporters rampage in Haiti YOUNG gangsters torched cars, fired in the air and terrorised people not far from the presidential palace as violence flared in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.


Photo 2 of 2: Microsoft's fashion makeover Wood paneling and chrome dominate one of two sample designs for a new style of Media Center PC, commissioned by Microsoft's eHome division from One   Co.


Photo 1 of 2: Microsoft's fashion makeover Wood paneling and chrome dominate one of two sample designs for a new style of Media Center PC, commissioned by Microsoft's eHome division from One   Co.


Microsoft gets a fashion makeover Design specialists dream up Media Center PCs that look more like furniture.


Forensic experts track printer fingerprints Counterfeiters who make \$10 bills on printers could find the cops on their trail if tracking techniques pan out.


Sharp adds hard disk to its Linux PDA Sharp Corp. has added a hard-disk drive to its latest Zaurus PDA (personal digital assistant), and is considering selling the Linux operating system-based device abroad, the company said Friday.


China Pledges Stable Economic, Yuan Policies (Update1) China #39;s government said it would continue measures to slow economic growth and reaffirmed its commitment to a stable yuan policy as the nation #39;s leaders wrapped up their annual meeting in Beijing.


HP could make more of Compaq acquisition, CEO says TAIPEI, TAIWAN -- More than two years after completing its buyout of rival Compaq Computer Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) has not done enough to take full advantage of the acquisition, according to HP's chairman and chief executive officer (CEO).


IBM tops off Power 5-based server line Targeting Unix archrivals Hewlett-Packard and Sun Microsystems, IBM on Friday topped off the high end of its Power 5-based line of iSeries and pSeries servers, rolling out three systems all capable of hosting as many as 250 virtual servers on a single machine.


Potential downside of the US dollar One often wonders what makes the US dollar a dominant currency in the world economy. The general perception is that the strength of a currency in the market place is a reflection of the inherent strength of the economy it represents.


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


Intel Scratches Plans for 4-Gigahertz Pentium By MATTHEW FORDAHL    SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- In the latest change to its product lineup, Intel Corp...


Air Canada forecasts Q3 operating income of \$235M, up from \$17M MONTREAL (CP) - Air Canada #39;s parent company is forecasting third-quarter operating income of \$235 million, up from \$17 million a year ago, for the formerly insolvent airline.


Goosen sets record at rainy Match Play US Open champion Retief Goosen was the only winner on a rainy opening day of the World Match Play Championship at Wentworth on Thursday, beating Jeff Maggert by a record 12 and 11.


Bashir faces new terrorism indictment The Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir will be indicted on charges of terrorism after Indonesian prosecutors today passed their file on the extremist leader to a Jakarta court.


FCC Ruling Brings Broadband to the Power Lines FCC Ruling Brings Broadband to the Power Lines\\The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)  has given the OK for US based utilities to provide broadband over power lines in a move which the FCC hopes will increase the availability of high-speed broadband access and increase competition. This will add electric companies ...


Biologists Worried Over Alien Fish in U.S. (AP) AP - A fish known for its voracious appetite and ability to wreak havoc on freshwater ecosystems was found in Chicago's Burnham Harbor, alarming state biologists.


A da Vinci Project Update for Canadian Town (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - Canadian rocketeers hoping\to launch a privately built spacecraft from the small Saskatchewan town of\Kindersley met with community officials Thursday, updating residents on the\mission's progress and reaffirming their intent to fly.


Mars Reconsidered: New Data Raises Fresh Questions (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming -- There is mounting evidence of the role of water \in Mars' evolution. That fact appears to have been favorable to the \development of life -- and the leftover calling card of past biology may be \preserved in that world's geologic record.


U.K. Judge: Bankers May Be Extradited (AP) AP - A judge ruled Friday that three British bankers indicted in the United States on Enron-linked fraud charges could be extradited to stand trial in Texas.


Pratt Union to vote on contract proposal (WTNH, Dec. 4, 2004 10:40 PM) _ The Machinists Union at Pratt and Whitney is set to vote on whether to accept the latest contract proposal and whether to strike.


Heating oil report jolts prices A decline in the nation #39;s inventory of heating oil catapulted crude futures prices toward \$55 a barrel yesterday, providing the latest jolt to a market already


Shoppers Spring Back to Life in September Shoppers got their buying groove back last month, propelling sales at the nation #39;s retailers by a strong 1.5 percent. It was the best showing since March.


Samsung Electric Quarterly Profit Up Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. #39;s (005930.KS: Quote, Profile, Research) quarterly profit jumped 46 percent from a year ago on strong memory chip earnings, but fell


Britons Face US Trial over Enron Fraud Three British bankers accused of a multi-million pound fraud involving Enron officials should be tried in the United States, a court ruled today.


Court yet to rule on US Airways pay cut Bankrupt US Airways received approval yesterday to use \$745 million in cash over the next three months, but a US Bankruptcy Court judge gave lawyers


Jasc acquisitionm - Corel #39;s come-back sign Corel has acquired Jasc Software, developer of the Windows-only Paint Shop family of products. Discussing the move, Corel calls the acquisition:  quot;A crucial part of its ongoing growth strategy.


Before-The-Bell: Netflix, Delta Drop Shares of Netflix Inc. (NFLX) plunged 40.2 percent before the bell Friday, the morning after the online DVD rental company said it would charge a lower subscription fee as of Nov. 1. On


Expedition 10 Rockets to Station Astronaut Leroy Chiao and Cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 11:06 pm EDT Wednesday, right on time.


Intel shift over need for speed The world #39;s largest chip maker, Intel, is changing its approach to making faster computer microprocessors. It has dropped plans to release a four gigahertz version of its flagship Pentium 4 chip.


Microsoft loses its Halo 2 Microsoft has confirmed that a pirated copy of Halo 2 for Xbox in the PAL video format and French language started circulating on the Internet late Wednesday night.


Report: Four sentenced to jail in China for porn Four Chinese men have been sentenced to up to two and a half years in jail as punishment for operating a pornographic Web site, the country #39;s official English-language newspaper reported Friday.


Langer Holds Off Singh to Advance in World Match Play Golf Bernhard Langer, who captained Europe #39;s Ryder Cup team to last month #39;s surprise victory against the US, eliminated world No.


Report: Argos settle on York U site The Toronto Argonauts are set to announce York University as the location of their new stadium, according to several published reports.


Bryant accuser publicly identifies herself in civil lawsuit Under orders from a federal judge, the woman accusing Kobe Bryant of rape identified herself by name Thursday in a revised version of the lawsuit she filed against the NBA star two months ago.


Bryant accuser publicly identifies herself in civil lawsuit The woman accusing Kobe Bryant of rape -- whose name has been widely published on the Internet despite her efforts to remain anonymous -- identified herself by name in a revised version of the lawsuit she filed against the NBA star


Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Found Innocent of Treason (Update5) Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of Zimbabwe #39;s opposition and the strongest ever challenger to the 24-year rule of President Robert Mugabe, was found not guilty of treason by the country #39;s High Court.


#39;Militant #39; killed in Gaza strike Israel has carried out an air raid on the northern part of the Gaza Strip, killing a Palestinian near the Jabaliya refugee camp. The Israeli army said the dead man was one of a group of militants who tried to approach its positions.


#39;Foreign Office Trumped Up False Claims #39; - Dropped Ambassador Britains former ambassador to Uzbekistan has accused the Foreign Office of trumping up false allegations in an attempt to force him from his post.


National Foods Valuation A\$6.11-A\$6.65/Share -2- MELBOURNE (Dow Jones)--Stepping up its takeover defense from predator New Zealand Fonterra Cooperative Group Ltd. (FCO.YY), Australian dairy target National Foods Ltd.


Is that a Media Center PC--or an end table? Design specialists dream up the unexpected to help Microsoft get a foothold in the living room.


Industrial Production Inches Up in Sept. (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. industrial output inched up a\less-than-expected 0.1 percent in September, suppressed in part\by hurricanes that hit the United States that month, the\Federal Reserve said on Friday.


Dollar Falls Broadly vs. Major Currencies  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar fell broadly against major  currencies on Friday in a technically-driven session, as  traders ignored a generally positive batch of U.S. economic  data and sold the greenback.


Goldcorp Agrees to Buy Wheaton River Canadian mining company Goldcorp Inc. (G.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) (GG.N: Quote, Profile, Research) plans to buy competitor Wheaton River Minerals Ltd (WRM.


Pfizer Hikes Warning on Bextra Skin Risk  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc. PFE.N on Friday said two  clinical trials showed patients taking its anti-inflammatory  drug Bextra had a higher risk of cardiovascular events during  high-risk coronary bypass surgery.


Global Markets: Worries Grip Investors  LONDON (Reuters) - New U.S. economic data on Friday did  little to answer questions about the sustainability of global  economic growth, offering a mixed picture that left markets in  a generally bearish pattern.


US agrees to Halliburton inquiry The US government will set up an inquiry into Iraq contracts given to Halliburton, the former firm of Vice President Dick Cheney.


China pressures Putin on pipeline The Russian president continues his visit to China, amid frustration over failure to agree a new oil pipeline.


September Retail Sales Up by 1.5 Percent The rise in retail sales was the best showing since March. Also, producer prices rose 0.1 percent in September.


Using Keyword Selection Guidelines To Improve Website Conversion Rates Using Keyword Selection Guidelines To Improve Website Conversion Rates\\I've been under pressure lately to come up with more articles on organic search engine optimization with regards to how an effective keyword strategy can improve website conversion rates. Well, here is my take on it, based on the Web analytics evidence ...


Free Google search for PC desktops Google has released a free search tool which sits on the PC desktop and can search its host computer for virtually anything. Launched on Thursday, it blends a search of hard-drive files, emails, recently visited


Is Sirius a Rule Breaker? It #39;s like nails on a chalkboard. It #39;s like housing a headache before jumping on a jackhammer. Wondering if lowly Sirius Satellite Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) is about to change the world hurts.


Eyetech To Get Modest Lift From Macugen Credit Suisse First Boston maintained a  quot;neutral quot; rating and \$43 target price on Eyetech (nasdaq: EYET - news - people ). News that the Retaane product from competitor Alcon (nyse: ACL - news - people ) missed


Rules OK #39;d for broadband on power lines The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday approved rules for transmitting broadband communications signals over electric power lines, clearing the way for the expansion of high-speed Internet access through home electrical outlets.


Cards reel  #39;em in When Saul Bellow wrote More Die Of Heartbreak, he wasn #39;t thinking of the Houston Astros and their fans. For the second consecutive game, the St.


'e-Junk' Recycling Still in Its Infancy (AP) AP - When Office Depot, Inc. stores ran an electronics recycling drive last summer that accepted everything from cell phones to televisions, some stores were overwhelmed by the amount of e-trash they received.


Els Pegged Back by Cabrera, Harrington Sparkles  VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Defending champion  Ernie Els trailed Argentina's Angel Cabrera by one hole at the  halfway point of their quarter-final match in the World Match  Play Championship at Wentworth Friday.


Eagles Pummel Packers, 47-17 (AP) AP - Donovan McNabb threw a career-high five touchdown passes in the first half and finished with a team-record 464 yards passing, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a 47-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.


US Sept. PPI up 0.1, core rate up 0.3 WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Prices of US wholesale goods and services rose 0.1 percent in September, the Labor Department said Friday. The core producer price index, which excludes volatile food and energy goods, rose 0.3 percent.


Pfizer Increases Warning on Bextra Skin Risk Pfizer Inc. on Friday said two clinical trials showed patients taking its anti-inflammatory drug Bextra had a higher risk of cardiovascular events during high-risk coronary bypass surgery.


Bankers lose US extradition fight A TEAM of NatWest investment bankers, the  #39;Enron Three #39;, today lost their fight to avoid extradition to the United States to stand trial on fraud charges.


Sprint to Cut Jobs, Sees Non-Cash Charge Sprint Corp. (FON.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Friday said it plans to cut up to 700 jobs as it realigns its business to focus on wireless and Internet services and takes a non-cash network impairment charge.


Arch Coal 3Q Profit Falls Slightly Coal producer Arch Coal Inc. on Friday posted a slightly lower third-quarter profit that missed Wall Street targets, hurt by rail transportation problems exacerbated by the recent hurricanes.


Big Blue launches little storage box The comments, from IBM Ireland pSeries  amp; Storage products manager Michael Coyle, came after the global launch of the firm #39;s new TotalStorage DS6000 and DS8000 series this week.


Vince ready to play ball and be happy #39; It #39;s been quiet around Vince Carter for the last two weeks: He #39;s been going about his business of getting into shape, learning a new coach, a new system and a couple of new teammates.


Baasyir to face formal terror trial Indonesian prosecutors on Friday formally charged Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba #39;asyir with ordering his followers to launch a suicide attack on the JW Marriott hotel in Jakarta in August last year.


U.S. Consumer Sentiment in Surprise Fall (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. consumer sentiment fell more\sharply in early October than analysts had expected, according\to a survey released on Friday.


Bush, Kerry skirt thorny Taiwan question in polls run-up (AFP) AFP - President George W. Bush and rival John Kerry have conveniently avoided public debate on Taiwan ahead of the November 2 presidential vote but analysts expect differences on the core issue in difficult US-China relations.


Playing the Float (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Houseboats(the Dutch word is woonboot) are a tradition in Amsterdam. The canals that ring the city in tight concentric circles are lined with 3,000 of them, moored to centuries-old stone quays. The vast majority never leave their moorings. Locals live on them. But 35 of them are rented out, overnight or by the week, through small rental agencies or via the Internet.


The Fool's Look Ahead It's going to be a value meal of earnings with the burger and soda giants posting quarterly results.


Eminem Satellite Radio Debut Controversial hip-hop rapper Eminem will launch his widely expected satellite music radio channel called Shade 45 on Oct. 28 with a live broadcast of a concert from New York, the Sirius network said on Thursday.


Government not to raise fuel prices New Delhi, October 15 :The Government on Friday decided not to increase petrol and diesel prices this fortnight.  quot;The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has decided that prices of all petroleum products will be held at the same level.


#39;Black Tuesday #39; leaves Windows admins blue Forget the Monday morning blues. For Windows administrators, the second Tuesday of the month has become the day to dread. That #39;s the day when Microsoft releases its monthly package of patches.


Man Utd deny receiving firm takeover bid MANCHESTER, Oct 15 (SW) - Following the recent speculation over a potential takeover bid issued by US tycoon Malcolm Glazer, Manchester United have announced they have yet to receive a firm offer.


#39;Warne #39;s glory short-lived #39; Colombo - Sri Lanka #39;s World Cup-winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga on Friday congratulated his old foe Shane Warne on becoming the world #39;s highest Test wicket-taker, but predicted his glory will be short-lived.


Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Found Innocent Zimbabwe #39;s Movement For Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai enters the High Court for his treason trial in Harare, Friday, Oct. 15, 2004.


Israel launches air strike on Jabaliya Early Friday, Israels air forces launched a deadly air strike at four Palestinian fighters in Jabaliya, killing two and critically wounding a third, witnesses said.


Polish vote of confidence looms WARSAW Struggling with high unemployment and opposition here to the war in Iraq, Poland #39;s minority leftist government, led by Marek Belka, on Thursday was trying to head off defeat in a vote of confidence by making last- minute deals to stay in power


Pakistan Parliament Allows President Musharraf to Remain Army <b>...</b> Pakistan #39;s lawmaking National Assembly has passed a bill to allow dictator Pervez Musharraf to stay on as chief of the military.


Marsh  amp; McLennan suspends  #39;market services agreements #39; NEW YORK -- Marsh  amp; McLennan Companies Inc. announced Friday that it was suspending its practice of using  quot;market services agreements quot; with insurance carriers.


Oil Holds Near \$55 on Winter Fuel Anxiety Oil prices held strong on Friday not far below the \$55-a-barrel mark as traders worried time is running out to top up low heating oil inventories before winter.


Malignant Tax-Payers Almost a year has passed since the then-Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky was jailed. Meanwhile, the oil giant he founded is about to lose its core asset, Yuganskneftegaz, that produces 60 per cent of all its oil.


Greenspan: US Can Weather Oil Cost Rise Record oil prices are unlikely to inflict the economic pain they did in the 1970s, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Friday, adding that he thought the world could adjust to higher-priced oil.


Apple Stock on Upward Momentum; Analysts Positive Much of the rise in the company #39;s stock yesterday was due to Apple #39;s outlook for the current holiday quarter. Apple said it expects to post a first-quarter profit of between 39 cents and 42


Samsung enjoys strong profit despite flat phone growth In spite of a slowdown in cell-phone sales, Samsung Electronics Co. still roared to a 46-percent profit compared with the same period last year.


Nokia: profits slump despite market share recovery October 15, 2004 4:59 PM GMT (Datamonitor) - Nokia NOK.HE has used the formidable financial muscle it has built up as mobile handset market leader to engage in a vicious price war to build its market share.


Losses at Delta Renew Bankruptcy Speculation Delta Air Lines, which is struggling to avoid a bankruptcy filing, said today that it expected to lose as much as \$675 million for the third quarter, and that it was burning cash at a steep rate.


Pfizer #39;s Vioxx Problem NEW YORK - The withdrawal of the arthritis drug Vioxx two weeks ago was a disaster for Merck. But it also put rival Pfizer in a fix.


La Jolla Pharmaceutical Shares Plunge Shares of La Jolla Pharmaceutical Co. plunged more than 50 percent Friday after the Food and Drug Administration told the drug developer it needs to conduct another study of its lead drug candidate, a lupus treatment called Riquent, prior to approval.


Update 1: Sprint to Cut 700 Jobs, Expects Charge Sprint Corp., the telecommunications giant, said Friday it will cut 700 jobs in its business solutions division as it stops selling business long distance services outside of package deals.


United to seek more cuts from labor, elsewhere CHICAGO United Airlines says it will need even more labor cuts than anticipated to get out of bankruptcy. United told a bankruptcy court judge in Chicago today that it intends to start talks with unions next month on a new round of cost savings.


Judge approves US Airways financing deal, delays ruling on pay <b>...</b> A federal judge is expected to rule today whether US Airways Group Inc. will be permitted to impose a far-reaching 23 percent employee pay cut.


Intel Pulls Plug on 4-Gigahertz Chip In recent months, Intel delayed several chips and recalled other, defective ones. It overestimated demand, thereby causing an inventory glut.


Week in review: All eyes on iPod Apple Computer is the undisputed champion of the hard-drive music market, but competitors are gearing up for a shot at the title. The various versions of the iPod account for 92.


Conservationists Claim Victory at CITES Oct. 15, 2004 - Conservationists claimed victory at a global wildlife trade meeting on Thursday despite warnings that a cash crisis could hamper new hard-won measures to protect endangered species.


Broadband by Power Lines Moves Forward FCC clears the way for more companies to offer the alternative form of Net access. The US Federal Communications Commission this week cleared the way for power companies to roll out broadband over power line


New IBM servers tout increased performance for enterprise needs OCTOBER 15, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - IBM today unveiled two high-performance p5 servers in its eServer line. The new servers run Unix or Linux and are aimed at medium to large businesses.


NASA Says Switches May Have Caused Genesis Crash Problems with switches aboard NASA #39;s Genesis solar probe may have kept its parachute from opening, which led to the craft #39;s crash-landing in the Utah desert, the US space agency said.


PeopleSoft executive Gupta departs A PeopleSoft executive who oversaw the company #39;s products and its integration with JD Edwards departed from the company this week, a company representative confirmed Friday.


British ISPs must unmask downloaders update A British court has ordered Internet service providers to identify 28 people who are allegedly downloading music illegally.


ViewPoints: A new reckoning? In  quot;The Reckoning, quot; his masterful 1986 book on the US auto industry, the journalist David Halberstam criticized the Big Three automakers - General Motors, Ford and Chrysler - and their unionized workers for complacency and shortsightedness that he said


Starbucks serves up CD-burning This priority retains its ranking at number five as more and more companies deploy Web Services to share business logic, data and processes with each other and with clients.


Muslims Log On to a Cyber Congregation As Muslims in many parts of the world mark the start of the holy month of Ramadan, streaming feed of the special evening prayers from the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, will be available on the Web in the next few weeks.


India outsourcing firms report surge in hiring OCTOBER 15, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - In quarterly reports released this week, three big India-based offshore outsourcing companies detailed sharp increases in employee head count, clear evidence of growing demand for offshore services.


New dinosaur fossil dug up to give view of bird-like sleep A fossil unearthed in China may provide a first look at dinosaurs #39; bird-like sleep. Xu Xing, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Mark Norell, of the American Museum of Natural History, said in a report


Motorola pilots  #39;digital wallet #39; phone trials Motorola has teamed up with Mastercard to conduct US trials of technology that allows mobile phones to act as  quot;digital wallets quot;.


Report: IT Salaries Show Upward Trend, Outsourcing Overblown The lid on IT salaries is beginning to lift, and IT specialists should see gains of as much as 10 to 15 percent over the next three years, according to a new IT staff salaries study by the META Group.


NBA title is T-Macs next target Thats Tracy McGradys answer to questions about whether or not he will look to keep his scoring up despite joining Houston and Yao Ming.


Jennings gets early approval With the appointment of Ray Jennings as coach, the United Cricket Board of South Africa is hoping to bring about a change in fortune for the national side.


Football takes on added meaning at Navy Forty years is a long time. It #39;s a long time if you #39;re in the desert with Moses -- by Biblical reckoning, the first man to fail to ask for directions -- and it #39;s a long time


Robinson named England boss Andy Robinson was handed the England head coach role for four years today and said he was looking forward to trying to retain the rugby World Cup won by predecessor Sir Clive Woodward.


Rossi all revved up DEJA vu at Phillip Island yesterday left Flying Doctor Valentino Rossi counting the hours to another world title and Australian star Troy Bayliss bouncing along the bitumen.


UPDATE 1-Loeb heading for title as Duval sets pace Citroen #39;s Sebastien Loeb remained on course to celebrate his first world title after the first leg of the French rally on Friday.


Renegades trying more conventional approach  quot;Well, quot; says Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson, laughing at the question before he even starts answering,  quot;you can #39;t stop people from talking.


Second seed Massu slumps to defeat VIENNA, Austria -- Olympic champion Nicolas Massu of Chile was beaten 6-4 6-3 by Italian Davide Sanguinetti in the quarter-finals of the CA Trophy.


Report: Israel set to collide with EU Confidential Israeli report also warns of country becoming a  #39;pariah state #39; like apartheid-era South Africa. Israel could one day become a  quot;pariah state quot; like apartheid-era South Africa.


Karzai leading in Afghanistan elections Early returns Friday from Afghanistan #39;s first presidential election put incumbent President Hamid Karzai in the lead, the Financial Times reported Friday.


Israel scales back Gaza offensive as Palestinians mark Ramadan JERUSALEM : Israel scaled back its vast operation in northern Gaza despite the deaths of four more Palestinians as tens of thousands of Muslims joined the first Friday prayers of Ramadan at Jerusalem #39;s Al Aqsa mosque.


Pakistanis Divided on President #39;s Failure to Give Up Military Post A new bill that would allow Pakistan #39;s president to continue serving as head of the military is generating controversy across the country.


Schroeder to meet European Commission chief BERLIN - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will have talks next week with incoming European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, a government spokesman said Friday.


Feeling Their Pain The uphill battle the Red Sox face against the Yankees is nothing new to Boston fans.


Jackson Dunks Bryant Everybody is used to seeing Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal trade barbs, but Phil Jackson's indictment of Byrant is a stunner.


Greenspan says oil price agony milder than in 1970s WASHINGTON : Soaring oil prices should inflict less damage on US economic growth and inflation than the 1970s oil shock, Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan revealed.


United hopes debt plan will fly United Airlines reached an agreement with creditors that, if approved, could eliminate \$450 million of debt. The agreement concerns \$600 million in municipal bond debt


Aer Lingus redundancy deadline this evening Employees at Aer Lingus have until 5pm this afternoon to accept a voluntary redundancy package aimed at slashing the airline #39;s staff numbers by a third.


Intel Puts 4 GHz Processor on Back Burner Intel began to downplay so-called clock speed of processors within the past year, and other chipmakers followed suit, focusing on other advances such as dual-core, which essentially puts two


FCC Clears Broadband over Power Lines Barriers The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has cleared the way for Internet access over the same infrastructure that carries electricity to homes and businesses in America.


Investigators Find Preliminary Cause of Genesis Crash A design flaw in the reentry system of NASA #39;s Genesis space probe has been pinned as the most likely cause behind the spacecraft #39;s wild plunge into the Utah desert last month, investigators said Thursday.


Saudi to fight terrorists with prayers Saudi Arabia said Friday it has advised the nation #39;s imams they should condemn terrorism and terrorists in prayers during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.


Cards power way to victory First came the swing, then the launch and then the sound of 52,347 turning Busch Stadium into a deafening caldron. Then, having given the Cardinals an eighth-inning home run that


Racing: Duval in charge as Ford set a flying pace in Corsica AJACCIO, France : Ford got their Rally of Corsica campaign off to a flying start when Francois Duval and Markko Martin threw down the challenge to world championship leader Sebastien Loeb by leading the way after the day #39;s four specials.


Chelios wants Gretzky as commissioner A day after blasting NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to the Detroit Free Press, Red Wings #39; defenceman Chris Chelios has come up with who he thinks is an ideal replacement.


Confessions of a British diplomat Should an ambassador speak out over human rights even if this upsets his or her own government? The question has been posed by the dismissal from his post as British ambassador to Uzbekistan


8th-inning homers to Pujols, Rolen sink Astros The Astros hoped for a rainout Thursday night to better set up their aces Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt in the National League Championship Series.


The IPod In Perspective That #39;s the number of music players that Apple Computer (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) said it sold in its most recent quarter.


WR Grace asks to delay reorganization WR Grace  amp; Co. Inc. said Friday it has asked for a delay in filing a reorganization plan in its bankruptcy case so it can continue to negotiate with creditors.


CRICKET: South Africa sacks cricket coach South Africa #39;s United Cricket Board today sacked national coach Eric Simons, weeks ahead of the two-Test tour of India beginning November 10.


Samsung Q3 sales, profits show strong growth Its net income during the June to September period was 2.69tr won (1.2bn), 46 up on the same period a year earlier. During the period, which is Samsung Electronics #39; fiscal third quarter, the company said


FDA wants new study of lupus drug Federal regulators said yesterday that they won #39;t approve La Jolla Pharmaceutical #39;s experimental lupus drug without an additional human study to prove its benefits.


IBM #39;s Power5 beast takes on Sun, HP - and IBM Come November, customers will see the Power5-based p5-590 and p5-595 servers hit the market. The 32-way 590 is a direct replacement for the current Power4-based p690.


Genesis Crash Blamed on Installation Error NASA says the space capsule, built by Lockheed Martin, went down in the Utah desert because a crucial switch was put on backward. By John Johnson.


PeopleSoft executive departs com October 15, 2004, 8:48 AM PT. This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been enterprise directories as organizations spawn projects around identity infrastructure.


Opening an Age of Adventure? It has been more than three decades since that era of Hair-raising silliness has passed. The tie-dyes to die for (if they don #39;t kill you on first glance) have been exiled to episodes of


Editorial: Relief for gastronomes Pity the poor epicure paying record prices for imported caviar, thanks to export limits on the ever-scarcer Caspian Sea delicacy. But take heart: CITES - the Convention on International Trade in Endangered


India #39;s Wipro Rides on Outsourcing Wave Wipro Ltd., India #39;s third-largest software exporter, said Friday its net profit for the fiscal second quarter that ended September reached US\$84 million (euro 67.


Peacekeepers roll though Haitian capital amid fears of violence on <b>...</b> UN peacekeepers in armored vehicles rolled through nearly deserted streets Friday in Haiti #39;s capital, where shops were closed amid fears of violence on the 10th anniversary


Greenspan Says Oil Prices Not Problem for Economy Greenspan noted that even with the recent surge, energy prices are still only three-fifths as high, after adjusting for inflation, as they were at their all-time peak in February 1981.


Airbus to Deliver as Many as 320 Planes in 2004, Forgeard Says Airbus SAS, the world #39;s biggest planemaker, expects to deliver as many as 320 aircraft this year, or 5 percent more than it forecast earlier, as demand from airlines picks up, said Chief Executive Noel Forgeard.


STOCKS TO WATCH SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) --Among the companies whose shares are likely to see active trading in Friday #39;s session are Genuine Parts Co.


Sehwag #39;s century gives India advantage in second Test: Sports India, Cricket: Chennai, Oct 15 : Virender Sehwag scored a return-to-form seventh Test century Friday to give India the upper hand in the second cricket Test against Australia.


Ford duo keep leader Loeb at bay Ford duo Francois Duval and Markko Martin crept ahead of world championship leader Sebastien Loeb after day one of the Rally of Corsica.


Nokia #39;s fortunes improve in third quarter Nokia posted better-than-expected results for the third quarter yesterday, possibly marking a turnaround in the cellphone giant #39;s fortunes after it failed to pick up on the popularity of clamshell phones earlier.


UPDATE 2-Genuine Parts profit rises, shares up Genuine Parts Co. (GPC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , a distributor of auto replacement and industrial parts, on Friday said third-quarter earnings rose sharply, pushing its stock up 9 percent.


Sprint To Cut 700 Jobs, Devalue Assets Sprint plans to accelerate efforts to get business customers to move to wireless and Internet services.  quot;This strategy plays to our strengths by advancing our broad portfolio of wireline and


Backward chute switch probed NASA #39;s Genesis space capsule crashed in the Utah desert last month because a critical piece of equipment that was supposed to trigger the release of two parachutes was apparently installed backward, NASA officials said Thursday.


Court orders cos. to ID alleged pirates LONDON -- The High Court in London has ordered Internet service providers to hand over the names and addresses of 28 alleged music pirates to Britain #39;s trade body for the recording industry.


PeopleSoft sees the departure of another exec Within two weeks of the firing of chief executive officer Craig Conway, business applications supplier PeopleSoft has seen the departure of another top executive, Ram Gupta, senior vice-president of products and technology.


#39;No experiments #39; for SpaceShipOne The team has turned down offers, including from the US government, to do scientific experiments on flights. Rutan says SpaceShipOne #39;s task will be to focus on test flights for the commercial passenger craft


American #39;s victory will oust idle Mauresmo MOSCOW -- Lindsay Davenport will take over the No. 1 spot from Amelie Mauresmo when the rankings are released next week after reaching the Kremlin Cup quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Dinara Safina on Thursday.


FCC Approves Broadband Over Power Line Rules As part of its goal to promote access to broadband services for all Americans and to encourage new facilities based broadband platforms, the Federal Communications Commission today adopted changes to Part 15 of its rules to encourage the development of


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


Chancellor Schrder invites Qathafi to visit Germany Since dismantling its weapons programs, Libya has been embraced by the West. Thursday saw Germany #39;s chancellor begin a two-day visit intended to strengthen economic ties between the countries.


United Seeks Additional Labor Cost Saving Bankrupt United Airlines (UALAQ.OB: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Friday it needs labor cost cuts on top of any gains from terminating employee pensions and expects to move toward voiding its labor contracts in early November.


Muslims mark start of Ramadan Friday prayers marked the start of Ramadan in the Middle East as millions of Muslims around the world began observance of the holy month of fasting and prayer.


Auburn Misses Out on National Title Hopes (AP) AP - The third-ranked Auburn Tigers will face No. 9 Virginia Tech on Jan. 3 in the Sugar Bowl, a matchup of conference champions that greatly exceeded expectations.


Greenspan says oil price agony milder than in 1970s (AFP) AFP - Soaring oil prices should inflict less damage on US economic growth and inflation than the 1970s oil shock, Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan said.


Death Toll in Sudan's Darfur Reaches 70,000 - UN (Reuters) Reuters - A total of 70,000 people are estimated\to have died as a result of the conflict in Sudan's western\Darfur region, with hundreds still dying every day, a top U.N.\official said on Friday.


Greenspan: U.S. Can Weather Oil Cost Rise  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Record oil prices are unlikely to  inflict the economic pain they did in the 1970s, Federal  Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Friday, adding that he  thought the world could adjust to higher-priced oil.


Cheney: Jobs Best Solution for Povery (AP) AP - Vice President Dick Cheney, asked Friday what he and President Bush would do to help the working poor, said "the best solution for poverty is a job" and contended their tax policies would help small businesses create more of them.


Treasuries Slide on Greenspan Oil View  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasury debt prices eased on Friday  as a startling jump in U.S. retail sales sparked concerns the  Federal Reserve would continue to raise interest rates steadily  into next year.


Insurance Stocks Tumble on Fraud Case Woe  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of insurers and insurance  brokers fell sharply on Friday for a second straight day after  New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer leveled fraud charges  against major industry players.


Pfizer Says Bextra, Heart Problems Linked  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc. on Friday said two small  clinical trials showed heart bypass surgery patients taking  Bextra, an anti-inflammatory in the same class as the recently  withdrawn drug Vioxx, had a higher risk of stroke and heart  attack.


Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Acquitted of Treason  HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan  Tsvangirai was acquitted on Friday of plotting to assassinate  President Robert Mugabe and seize power, a verdict he said may  boost prospects for national reconciliation.


Greenspan Says U.S. Can Weather Oil Prices Record oil prices are unlikely to inflict the economic pain they did in the 1970s, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday, adding that he thought the world could adjust to higher-priced oil.


United to Seek More Concessions United Airlines said Friday it needs even more labor cuts than anticipated to get out of bankruptcy, raising the likelihood of a new round of wage and benefit reductions.


EU to appeal WTO sugar ruling  The EU is to appeal against a World Trade Organisation ruling that its sugar subsidies breach world trade rules.


Mugabe rival urges reconciliation Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says his treason acquittal could help heal deep political divisions.


Hamza to face UK terror charges Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri is to face terrorism charges in the UK , which will take precedence over US extradition requests.


Burundi peace poll postponed Elections in Burundi, scheduled under a peace accord to take place by 1 November, are postponed.


Blair to talk terror with Musharraf Prime Minister Tony Blair will discuss the fight against terrorism and Middle East peace with Pakistan #39;s President Pervez Musharraf when they meet tomorrow, officials say.


US outlaws Zarqawi group The US imposes sanctions against the  militant group  in Iraq by terror suspect Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.


Citigroup's Diversification Is an Asset Unlike more focused companies, Citigroup finds success by diversifying its business.


Fastenal Quick to Please Investors The earnings information the company offers ranges as wide as its product line.


Get a Whiff of Inter Parfums Despite reporting record quarterly sales, growth rates still spell trouble.


Stocks Climb on Positive Retail Sales NEW YORK - Stocks moved mostly higher Friday as a stronger than expected retail sales report showed that higher oil prices aren't scaring consumers away from spending. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan's positive comments on oil prices also encouraged investors...


Dali-Disney Collaboration Premieres NEW YORK - A narrow waisted, emerald-eyed brunette flits through a desert full of melting clocks and wacky perspectives, looking for her lover. Giant telephones levitate...


Germany Nabs Suspected al-Qaida Financier BERLIN - Authorites on Friday arrested a Syrian-German businessman who is wanted by Spain on charges he helped fund the al-Qaida terrorist network for years and who appeared in a wedding video at a mosque with some of the Sept. 11 hijackers, German officials said...


U.S. Pounds Fallujah As Ramadan Begins BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. warplanes pounded the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah, where residents were marking the first day of the holy month of Ramadan on Friday, a day after city leaders suspended peace talks and rejected the Iraqi government's demands to turn over terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi...


FDA Orders Strong Antidepressant Warnings WASHINGTON - All antidepressants must carry a "black box" warning, the government's strongest safety alert, linking the drugs to increased suicidal thoughts and behavior among children and teens taking them, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.    Because the warnings are primarily seen by doctors, the agency also is creating a medication guide for patients to advise them of the risk...


Stocks Climb on Positive Retail Sales NEW YORK - Stocks moved higher Friday as a stronger than expected retail sales report showed that higher oil prices aren't scaring consumers away from spending.    Wall Street had worried that soaring oil and gasoline prices would prompt consumers to spend less...


Kerry, Bush Both Headed to Midwest John Kerry on Friday prepared to deliver the first in a series of speeches that aides describe as his "closing arguments" in Milwaukee, the first stop of a daylong drive through Wisconsin. President Bush was also campaigning in the Midwest on Friday, heading to Iowa and Wisconsin after more than a weeklong swing that included stops in Missouri and Arizona for the last two debates...


Greenspan: Oil Price Surge Not Big Issue WASHINGTON - This year's surge in energy prices is likely to have far less of an impact on the economy than the oil shocks of the 1970s, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday.    Greenspan predicted that the global economy will adjust to the recent surge in prices, which has seen oil topping \$50 per barrel, by boosting energy exploration and production and by increasing fuel efficiency...


FDA Orders Strong Antidepressant Warnings WASHINGTON - All antidepressants must carry a "black box" warning, the government's strongest safety alert, linking the drugs to increased suicidal thoughts and behavior among children and teens taking them, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.    Because the warnings are primarily seen by doctors, the agency also is creating an information guide for patients to advise them of the risk...


Egyptian students could face charges Hours after a high-profile prisoner swap Sunday, the families of six Egyptian students released from an Israeli prison waited anxiously for their return, denying that their children had done anything illegal.


Spitzer Goes After Insurance Industry Eliot Spitzer #39;s filed a complaint against Marsh  amp; McLennan in State Supreme Court in Manhattan Thursday, alleging that the insurance broker received payments from companies to reward it for steering business their way.


Sprint will 700 Stellen im Verkauf und Support streichen Overland Park, 15.10.04 - Sprint Corporation announced it will record in its third quarter financial results a pre-tax non-cash impairment charge reducing the value of its long-distance network assets.


McManus, Magnier turn down Glazer approach Irish billionaire businessmen JP McManus and John Magnier, who own almost 29 per cent of Manchester United, have turned down an approach from American sports franchise tycoon Malcolm Glazer to take over the club.


Penny for Your Thoughts A  tiny 100 electrode chip was implanted in a 24-year-old quadriplegic's brain in June of this year. He's now able to send email and play videogames using only his thoughts. The whole package is dubbed BrainGate.


Wobbly footballs and electronic pants Letters A typical haul from the postbag...


Policewoman sued over film piracy A policewoman in Los Angeles is being sued by the US film industry after allegedly selling pirate DVDs.


Worries Persist Over U.S. Electronic Voting  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Florida officials will not worry  about hanging chads when voters make their choice in November's  presidential election but they'll be on the lookout for  software glitches, hackers and other less visible plagues.


Microsoft's Halo 2 Video Game Leaked on Internet  SEATTLE (Reuters) - Halo 2, the sequel to Microsoft Corp.'s  MSFT.O best-selling game for its Xbox video console, has  leaked onto the Internet nearly four weeks before its planned  sale, the world's largest software maker said on Friday.


Web Safety Group Launches Anti-Spyware Campaign A prominent Internet safety organization and leading computer-maker Dell Inc. launched a campaign Friday to help consumers fend off "spyware," software that can cause sluggish computer performance or popup ads and secretly monitor the activities of Internet users.


British Court Orders ISP to Identify Alleged Pirates The High Court in London has ordered Internet service providers to hand over the names and addresses of 28 alleged music pirates to Britain's trade body for the recording industry.


Bioterror Defense Strategy Frustrates Industry When President Bush signed Project BioShield into law in July, he said he was immediately making \$5.6 billion available to counter such anticipated threats as smallpox genetically engineered to render current vaccines useless.


Sprint to Record 3Q Charge, Cut Jobs Telecommunications company Sprint Corp. on Friday said it will record an unspecified third-quarter impairment charge that will reduce the value of its long-distance network assets, and will realign its sales efforts in a plan that will cut up to 700 jobs in its Sprint Business Solutions division.


Advice to Microsoft: Learn to love Linux Business guru tells Microsoft to invest in Linux for handhelds or risk missing out on the next big thing in software sales.\


Courtroom courtship for Oracle and PeopleSoft? news analysis Delaware trial turns into a mating ritual of sorts, as the companies quibble over money.


PeopleSoft executive Gupta departs Ram Gupta, who was an executive vice president, leaves the company after a four-year stint. PeopleSoft is mum on the details.


PalmSource settles Digeo patent suit The software developer will become a licensee of the Digeo technology in the case.


Olympus flashes music player-camera combo The Japanese giant unveils a portable music player that can function as a camera as well as a tiny device similar to the iPod Mini.


Photo 2 of 2: End (table) game for Microsoft Wood paneling and chrome dominate one of two sample designs for a new style of Media Center PC, commissioned by Microsoft's eHome division from One   Co.


Photo 1 of 2: End (table) game for Microsoft Wood paneling and chrome dominate one of two sample designs for a new style of Media Center PC, commissioned by Microsoft's eHome division from One   Co.


Tasman adds new router to lineup Tasman Networks has introduced a new entry-level WAN access router and security device. The Tasman 1001 also includes new features added to a new version of the company's operating system, including multicast routing, IPSec VPN, firewall, and an integrated Web-based GUI.


IM boosts health care company Because of its geographically dispersed staff and high percentage of telecommuting employees, Intellicare Inc., which operates health-related call centers, has drawn big benefits from implementing an instant messaging platform.


Phishing attacks may be coming from your computer Most phishing attempts come from about 1,000 compromised "zombie" computers owned by broadband customers, and the phishing attacks are likely generated by less than five phishing operations, according to a survey by CipherTrust Inc.


Oracle warns of exploits for latest DB flaws Oracle Corp. is warning customers to apply software patches it released in August, citing the availability of malicious code that can exploit unpatched vulnerabilities in its software.


Broadband by Power Lines Moves Forward FCC clears the way for more companies to offer the alternative form of Net access.


Phone company to cut 700 jobs OVERLAND PARK, Kan. Sprint plans to cut 700 jobs in its business solutions division. It will also take a charge against earnings in its third quarter to reflect a decline in value of its long-distance assets.


Netflix shares dive on strategy shift Shares of Netflix Inc. plunged 40.2 percent before the bell Friday, the morning after the online DVD rental company said it would charge a lower subscription fee as of Nov. 1. On Thursday, Netflix cut its


Dell Pocket DJ and DJ 20 GB Released Dell yesterday unveiled their new portable Mp3 players, the Dell DJ 20GB for \$249 and the Pocket DJ 5GB for \$199. Both units will be available beginning November in the USA.


IBM unveils high-end Power5 i5 server IBM on Friday unveiled the latest in its line of next-generation iSeries servers, the most powerful one to date, in its i5 line of systems based on the Power5 chip.


Microsoft #39;s Halo 2 Video Game Leaked on Internet Halo 2, the sequel to Microsoft Corp. #39;s MSFT.O best-selling game for its Xbox video console, has leaked onto the Internet nearly four weeks before its planned sale, the world #39;s largest software maker said on Friday.


Olympus flashes music player-camera combo com October 15, 2004, 10:55 AM PT. Japanese camera giant Olympus this week unveiled a portable hard drive music player that can also function as a camera.


Glazer increases stake in United to 25 percent Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer increased his stake in Manchester United to 25.5 percent Friday as he pursues a possible takeover of the world #39;s richest soccer club.


Sports Briefs : Sports Briefs TENNIS Lindsay Davenport regained the No. 1 ranking for the first time since 2002 by defeating Dinara Safina, 6-4, 6-2, in the second round of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow.


Yao: China not ready to learn from NBA Houston Rockets #39; center Yao Ming gave no push to the development of the Chinese basketball though the NBA could be one of the best textbooks for China.


Sammer returns to Dortmund with an in-form Stuttgart squad Stuttgart, Germany (Sports Network) - Matthias Sammer brings a resurgent Stuttgart club against Dortmund this weekend. Sammer has helped Stuttgart to second in the Bundesliga table with 17 points and no losses after seven matches.