ECI Conferencing Services Renews WebEx Contract; Adds Enterprise <b>...</b> WAYNE, NJ --(Business Wire)-- Nov. 10, 2004 -- ECI Conferencing Services, the largest, privately-held full-service audio and web conferencing provider, today announced it has renewed its partnership contract


Gmail Users Soon Able to Check E-Mail Via Outlook  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Web search leader Google Inc.  said on Wednesday it will soon make it possible for users of  its Gmail service to check their e-mail via Microsoft Outlook  or on certain handheld devices such as mobile phones.


U.S. Links Peru Airline to Trafficking The Treasury Department added a Peruvian airline Wednesday to the U.S. government's list of entities suspected of links to drug trafficking.


Oil Rebounds \$1 as Heating Supplies Fall  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rebounded from seven-week  lows Wednesday, jumping \$1 as a drawdown in U.S. heating fuel  stocks rekindled worries about thin supply levels ahead of the  northern winter.


US interest rates to rise to 2 The US Federal Reserve, headed by Alan Greenspan, raises interest rates by 0.25 in a widely anticipated move.


Clemens talks retirement after 7th Cy Young win But after saying the same thing this time last year, the pitcher known as  quot;The Rocket quot; acknowledges the other one-tenth keeps the door open for a possible return.


NASCAR to give hard-liquor ads green flag NASCAR officials e-mailed a bulletin to team executives Tuesday afternoon advising them that a longstanding ban on hard-liquor advertising will be lifted for next season.


Anwar chides Thailand over deaths Ex-Malaysian deputy PM Anwar Ibrahim attacks Bangkok's handling of Muslim unrest in southern Thailand.


Cox, Showalter Honored Bobby Cox is voted NL Manager of the Year for leading the Braves to a 13th straight division title, and Buck Showalter wins the AL honor  after his Rangers became a contender.


Liquor Ads Allowed NASCAR returns to its roots by lifting a ban on liquor ads on cars, opening the door for teams to be sponsored by distilled spirits.


Some Canadian citizens trapped in Ivory Coast to be evacuated ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (CP) - Two planes chartered by Canada were on standby Wednesday to evacuate citizens who have been trapped, along with thousands of French and other foreigners, for days by violent attacks targeting French civilians and troops in this


Arafats Demise  a Never-Ending Story Wednesday saw another twist in the drawn-out cliffhanger on Yasser Arafats demise which started 13 days ago. The senior Palestinian Muslim cleric Sheikh Taissir Tamimi who was dispatched to the Percy hospital


EDITORIAL  Get the kidnappers There was relief all around after an Italian volunteer aid worker was freed unharmed yesterday in Lanao del Norte. Andrea Cianferoni was lucky to be kept in captivity for only a day, but the swiftness of his


Union  #39;Cautiously Optimistic #39; About Landing World #39;s First Fusion <b>...</b> A consortium of major industrial nations has not been able to agree on where to build the world #39;s first nuclear fusion reactor, but the European Union is making it clear that one will be built in France, in any case.


US faces criticism in British government human rights report LONDON : The United States faced rare criticism over human rights from close ally Britain, with an official British government report taking Washington to task over concerns about Iraq and the Guantanamo Bay jail.


Russian hostel fire kills at least 14 A fire in a Russian workers #39; hostel killed at least 14 people and may have injured many more, the Emergencies Ministry said on Wednesday.


U.S. Pressed Halliburton in Kuwaiti Deal  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador to Kuwait and  other senior U.S. officials put pressure on Halliburton HAL.N  to award a contract to a Kuwaiti company suspected of  overcharging to bring fuel into Iraq, according to State  Department documents released on Wednesday.


Two Held in Dutch Anti-Terror Raid, Police Hurt  THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Dutch police stormed an apartment and  arrested two people on Wednesday, ending a 14-hour stand-off  that began when suspects sought in an anti-terrorism probe  wounded three officers with a hand grenade.


Measured Fed Rate Hike Sends Stocks Up  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday after  the Federal Reserve reassured by indicating that further  interest-rate rises were likely to remain at a "measured" pace,  as it increased rates by a quarter point.


Russian Hostel Fire Kills at Least 19  MOSCOW (Reuters) - A fire in a Russian workers' hostel  killed at least 19 people and may have injured many more, the  Emergencies Ministry said on Wednesday.


This Winter to Be Colder Than Last Year's  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Private weather forecaster EarthSat  updated its winter weather outlook on Wednesday to slightly  milder than its forecast three weeks ago, but it is still  calling for this winter to be colder than last year's.


ITER parties fail to agree on reactor construction site MOSCOW. Nov 10 (Interfax) - Parties to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project (ITER) failed to agree on the site of building the first reactor at their meeting in Vienna this week.


Harvick, Kahne Fined Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne were put on probation through the end of NASCAR's season and fined \$10,000 each Wednesday for deliberately crashing into each other after a race at Phoenix International Raceway.


Clarett causes controversy for Ohio State again Unless you #39;ve spent the last 24 hours on Neptune, or if you read something besides the sports section, you #39;ve heard all about former Ohio State star running back Maurice Clarett #39;s recent allegations to an ESPN The Magazine reporter of loaned cars, cash


Federal Reserve Raises Key Interest Rate The Federal Reserve boosted a key short-term interest rate by one-quarter percentage point Wednesday, the fourth increase this year.


FLYi Says Bankruptcy Possible; Airline Shares Lose Altitude Shares of FLYi Inc., operator of fledgling low-cost carrier Independence Air, dove as much as 36 percent in Wednesday trading after the company confirmed it may file for bankruptcy if it is unable to make \$83 million aircraft lease payments in January.


Intel Doubles Dividend, Expands Buyback Chip giant Intel Corp. reported Wednesday that its board doubled the company's quarterly dividend and authorized an expansion of its ongoing stock repurchase program.


WTO Eyes U.S. Offshore Web Gambling Ban In a ruling that could open the United States to offshore Internet gambling, a World Trade Organization panel Wednesday said Washington should drop prohibitions on Americans placing bets in online casinos.


Nanotech's new definition Everyone seems to have a different definition of nanotechnology, each one deficient in its own way. Missing Links


Man accused of shooting at France's Chirac faces trial (AFP) AFP - A right-wing militant accused of shooting at French President Jacques Chirac during the Bastille Day parade in 2002 is to go on trial for attempted murder in Paris on Monday.


Linux Networx signs pact with Novell Company plans to help software companies certify products for SuSE Linux operating system.


ADV: Free Insurance Quotes and Help Free quotes on mortgages, annuities, life and auto insurance, and all your financial and insurance needs. A local MostChoice expert helps you at no cost or obligation. Quick and easy form.


Microsoft skips Itanium with new Windows In yet another blow to Intel's Itanium ambitions, Microsoft says its big-server version of Windows won't run on the new chip.


La. Reports First Case of Soybean Rust BATON ROUGE, La. Nov 10, 2004 - The first US cases of the fungus soybean rust, which hinders plant growth and drastically cuts crop production, were found at two research sites in Louisiana, officials said Wednesday.


Update 1: Sarkozy Partially Privatizes Areva Nicolas Sarkozy lifted the veil Wednesday on what is likely to be his last major sell-off as France #39;s finance minister - the partial privatization of the state-owned nuclear group Areva SA.


UPDATE 3-Delhaize Q3 net profit jumps 33 pct, ups outlook Belgian-based supermarket group Delhaize (DELBt.BR: Quote, Profile, Research) raised its outlook for the year after beating expectations with a 33-percent third


Firefox launch roundup USA Today:  quot;Firefox proponents acknowledge it will have to do a lot more than swipe a few percentage points of market share to pose a significant threat to Explorer.


Robinson  #39;blessed #39; by captaincy Jason Robinson has said that he turned to his faith after he was asked to be England captain by coach Andy Robinson. Robinson, who is a devout Christian, will lead England against Canada at Twickenham on Saturday.


Israeli forces kill two Palestinians in Gaza gunfight JERUSALEM - Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinian gunmen Wednesday during a firefight in the northern Gaza Strip, Israeli military sources said.


About-face for Heels Rashad McCants wasn #39;t thinking about last year at Kentucky. Jawad Williams said last year was last year. And Sean May was thinking more about his last game than North Carolina #39;s Jan. 3 defeat at Rupp Arena.


New wireless reseller to aim at 'urban ethnic' market Launching in 2005, Uphonia is the latest of the "just add water" virtual cell phone networks.\


Fed Raises Rates Again, to 2, and Sees No Reason to Stop The Fed repeated its assertion of the past several months that it would raise short-term rates at a "measured pace."


=== Castillo split-decisions Casamayor === Las Vegas, NV (Sports Network) - Jose Luis Castillo successfully defended his World Boxing Council lightweight championship with a split decision over Joel Casamayor at Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas.


Google laces Gmail with POP3 support Google Inc. will roll out POP3 (Post Office Protocol) support gradually over the coming weeks to Gmail users, who will be able to use the feature to download e-mail messages from Gmail servers to e-mail applications on devices such as PCs and wireless devices.


IBM readying tools for SMB IBM on Wednesday announced the pre-release of several tools for SMBs (small and midsize businesses) designed to speed development of solutions built on IBM middleware.


BCS Maintains Its Imperfect World Shakedown Saturday came and went. Nothing changed. So the Bowl Championship Series has its annual nightmare. When the final BCS standings are released today, the USC Trojans (12-0) and Oklahoma Sooners (12-0) are expected to be matched in the Jan.


Photos: Gateway's wind-tunnel designs Gateway's new motherboard design helps machines run cooler and more quietly than other Gateway desktops.


CSC lands \$52 million biometrics deal Contract with Department of Defense is part of homeland security boom.


American giant: Schlopy snares sixth BEAVER CREEK - Ski racing requires a rare blend of fearlessness, stellar reactions and bionic will - the latter being vital to longevity.


Ford May Again Help Parts Maker Visteon  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co. may again help its  former unit Visteon Corp., but the struggling parts maker has  some hard decisions to make first, Ford Chairman and Chief  Executive Bill Ford Jr. said Wednesday.


EU-Iranian nuclear talks hit snag - diplomats EU-Iranian talks to get Iran to suspend uranium enrichment in order to avoid possible UN sanctions have hit a snag, even as deadlines are beginning to fall towards resolving the crisis, diplomats told AFP Wednesday.


Cat Stevens gets peace prize ROME - Cat Stevens, the singer known for hits like Peace Train, has been honoured with a peace prize from former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.


Burundi President Fires VP for Blocking Peace Process Burundi #39;s President Domitien Ndayizeye has fired his vice president, Alphonse Kadege, for allegedly undermining a peace process aimed at ending the nation #39;s civil war.


Philip Morris Challenges  \$10.1 Billion Consumer Fraud Ruling Philip Morris USA challenged a \$10.1 billion consumer fraud ruling Wednesday, telling the Illinois Supreme Court that its "light" cigarettes performed as advertised.


Delta gets share incentive boost Delta Air Lines is to issue millions of new shares without shareholder consent as part of moves to ensure its survival.


PeopleSoft board rejects Oracle bid PeopleSoft's board turns down Oracle's "best and final" offer. But the database software giant is still on the prowl.


Mandrakesoft on the fiscal mend Nearly two years after filing for bankruptcy protection, the Linux vendor is making a profit.


Stocks mixed as Fed raises rates; Cisco pressures tech shares Lower-than-expected sales at Cisco Systems Inc. sent tech stocks tumbling Wednesday while the overall market was little changed after the Federal Reserve announced a widely expected interest rate hike.


Oil Rebounds \$1 as Heating Supplies Fall Oil prices rebounded from seven-week lows Wednesday, jumping \$1 as a drawdown in US heating fuel stocks rekindled worries about thin supply levels ahead of the northern winter.


Barrett: Intel Doubles Dividend, Will Buy Back 500M Shares Intel (nasdaq: INTC - news - people ) on Wednesday said that it doubled its quarterly dividend, to 8 cents from 4 cents. Led by Chief Executive Craig Barrett, the firm said it expects to pay out about \$2 billion in dividends next year.


Is Inept Competition Reason To Punish Microsoft? No doubt you saw that Microsoft is coughing up \$536 million to pay off an antitrust claim brought by Novell on behalf of its NetWare operating system.


Delta to cut up to 6,900 jobs CHICAGO - Delta Air Lines (DAL) said Wednesday it plans to eliminate between 6,000 and 6,900 jobs during the next 18 months, implement a 10 across-the-board pay reduction and reduce employee benefits.


Pfizer defends Bextra after new report on risks NEW YORK (AFP) - Pfizer dismissed a report on the safety of its pain reliever Bextra, but the new controversy weighed on the stock price of the US pharmaceutical giant.


MGM Mirage #39;s Next Big Thing This morning, MGM Mirage (NYSE: MGG) announced its latest plan for the Las Vegas Strip: a multibillion-dollar  quot;urban metropolis quot; spanning 66 acres between Bellagio and the Monte Carlo on the Strip.


Fletcher Building Considering Bid for Parts of Amatek Group Fletcher Building Ltd., New Zealand #39;s largest building products maker, said it is considering buying parts of Australian construction group Amatek Holdings Ltd.


Stewart: Martha Seeks \$3.7M In Legal Fees From Namesake Firm I know why the caged mogul sings. Celebrity jailbird Martha Stewart has asked the eponymous firm she founded to reimburse her for \$3.


Kinder Morgan to Close Pipeline for While Pipeline operator Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP reported Wednesday that a fatal accident involving one of its pipelines in San Jose, Calif.


Microsoft Joins Search Party Never shy about arriving late, Microsoft (MSFT:Nasdaq - news - research) is expected to launch a new version of its search service Thursday as the software titan seeks a stronger spot in that lucrative corner of Internet advertising.


Review: Firefox impresses as IE alternative Web surfing has belonged almost exclusively to Microsoft Corp. #39;s Internet Explorer ever since it buried Netscape #39;s pioneering browser.


Gmail Users Soon Able to Check E-Mail Via Outlook Web search leader Google Inc. said on Wednesday it will soon make it possible for users of its Gmail service to check their e-mail via Microsoft Outlook or on certain handheld devices such as mobile phones.


Fix Released for ISA Server Microsoft posted a patch on Tuesday afternoon for Internet Security  amp; Acceleration Server 2000 and Proxy Server 2.0. The patch fixed a spoofing vulnerability that Microsoft rated an  quot;important quot; problem.


Vodafone Targets iPod Vodafone is aiming for the iPod generation with its third-generation cell phones, putting music and video downloading at the heart of its sales push.


EPA Suspends Study on Kids And Pesticides The Environmental Protection Agency has suspended a controversial study aimed at exploring how infants and toddlers absorb pesticides and other household chemicals, officials said yesterday.


Top toys list released by testing council OTTAWA - The best new toys on Canadian store shelves as the shopping season approaches include a dancing robo t and an electronic guessing game, according to a new report.


Microsoft skips Itanium with new Windows Microsoft will come out with a special version of Windows next year for clusters, but it won #39;t run on Intel #39;s most powerful server chip, at least for now.


Russian Mobile Phone Users Say Hello to Trojan This summer mobile phone operators in Europe were warned that within a year the heavy reliance on Java-powered cell phones and handhelds would make the devices a likely target for attackers.


FBI Charges Hacker With Selling Stolen Windows Source Code A Connecticut man was arrested Tuesday by the FBI and charged with selling stolen source code of Windows NT and Windows 2000. William P. Genovese, 27, of Meriden, Conn.


French court won #39;t force Apple to open up iTunes The French Competition Council has dismissed a case brought by Virgin #39;s French arm against Apple Computer for alleged abuse of market dominance.


Gateway aims to reduce hot air The Irvine, Calif., PC maker on Thursday will revamp its E-Series line of desktop PCs for businesses with three new models, including a 6300 that sports a new motherboard design, dubbed Balanced Technology Extended (BTX), that helps machines run cooler


Two agencies may clash over rare bird Two US Interior Department agencies may clash over separate and apparently incompatible efforts to help the northern sage grouse. The Fish and Wildlife Service is trying to


Farewell, Crazy Horse EMLYN Hughes. Arguably the greatest player ever to wear a Liverpool shirt, died yesterday from a brain tumour. He had been battling the illness for the last 15 months.


Sprinter Young banned for life Sprinter Jerome Young was banned for life by the US Anti-Doping Agency on Wednesday following the former 400-metre world champion #39;s second positive test for an illegal steroid.


Cox, Showalter honored as top managers New York, NY (Sports Network) - Bobby Cox, who has guided the Atlanta Braves to a record 13 straight division titles, has been named the 2004 National League Manager of the Year.


That #39;s the Spirits - NASCAR Allows  #39;Spirits #39; Sponsors NASCAR announced Wednesday morning that it will now allow sponsorship from distilled spirits for teams in the sport.  quot;We felt the time was right to allow distilled spirits companies into NASCAR, quot; said Mike Helton, president of NASCAR.


Cornhuskers must stop Peterson As we head down the stretch of the season, the significance of each game will be amplified. While it is difficult to envision any team looking past an opponent at this juncture of the season


Ricky Ray to be Jets third QB HEMPSTEAD, NY (AP-CP) - Quarterback Ricky Ray, who guided the Edmonton Eskimos to a Grey Cup title last year, has been signed to the New York Jets active roster.


Murali on course to bowl doosra again London: Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralidharan will be able to bowl his controversial doosra if a recommendation from an ICC expert panel is ratified and accepted.


Lyx - WYSIWYM Document Processing   WYSIWYG is dead; long live WYSIWYM - What You See Is What You Mean!    Well, perhaps that's an exaggeration.  WYSIWYG seemed like a great idea last century ;-).  With all the latest display and print technology, one could craft a document on screen and see it how it would be printed.  The WYSIWYG paradigm has become so entrenched in UI design it's almost taken for granted by users and developers.


Valley erupts in rape rage Srinagar, Nov. 10: Srinagar erupted in widespread public anger on the fourth day of protests against an alleged double rape by an army major even as a separatist leader was detained.


Navy thwarts infiltrator #39;s landing Israeli soldiers shot and killed a man swimming towards the northern Gaza Strip settlement area and arms were found in the area, the army reported.


Car Bomb Targeting Iraqi Police Kills 10 A car bomb targeting police exploded on a crowded Baghdad street Wednesday, killing at least 10 people and wounding 15 others, police said.


Cox, Showalter Voted Managers of Year (AP) AP - Bobby Cox was voted NL Manager of the Year on Wednesday for leading the rebuilt Atlanta Braves to a record 13th straight division title, and Buck Showalter won the AL honor after his Texas Rangers went from also-ran to contender.


Photos: Gateway's wind-tunnel design Gateway's new motherboard design helps machines run cooler and more quietly than other Gateway desktops.


Gmail Users Soon Able to Check E-Mail Via Outlook  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Web search leader Google Inc.  said on Wednesday it will soon make it possible for users of  its free Gmail service to check their e-mail via Microsoft  Outlook or on certain handheld devices such as mobile phones.


Hairballs Haunt Cisco Rising sales and net income isn't always what it seems, especially when there's a big, fat inventory hairball in the way.


Opening the Lions' Floodgates Independent film producer and distributor Lions Gate has a roaring second quarter.


1  1 = Value at Blackboard Blackboard is turning in good growth and rising margins with two hot education software products.


Federated Leads Retail Upswing The department store chain is gaining momentum going into the holiday season.


New Dolphins Coach Inherits Troubled Team (AP) AP - The last time Jim Bates was head coach of a football team, it was with the San Antonio Gunslingers of the USFL. In 1985. The Miami Dolphins' new interim coach expects some things have changed.


Starbucks Profit Climbs, Extra Week Helps (Reuters) Reuters - Starbucks Corp. , the\world's largest coffee shop chain,  on Wednesday said quarterly\net profit rose 47 percent, helped by its aggressive store\expansion and an extra week in the period.


It's Official: No Moss Again for Vikings (AP) AP - As expected, the Minnesota Vikings will play another game this week without All-Pro wide receiver Randy Moss.


Intel Doubles Dividend, Expands Buyback (Reuters) Reuters - Intel Corp. , the world's\largest maker of computer chips, said on Wednesday it would\double its quarterly dividend to 8 cents a share, the second\time this year it has doubled its cash payout.


N.C. State Eyes Florida State Wins (AP) AP - North Carolina State has the most turnovers in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Florida State is among the conference leaders in takeaways.


Computer Sciences lands \$52 million biometrics deal Contract with Department of Defense is part of homeland security boom.


Serena Williams Keen on Fashion Career (AP) AP - Serena Williams still loves playing tennis, although her passion for fashion is undeniable.


Deal Said Struck Over Afghan Hostages (AP) AP - Taliban-linked militants holding three U.N. hostages claimed Wednesday the Afghan government has agreed to free some of their jailed comrades to prevent the killing of the foreign captives.


Fed Lifts Rates for Fourth Time This Year  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve on Wednesday  nudged U.S. interest rates up a quarter percentage point for  the fourth time this year, citing healthier job markets and  indicating it will press on with a rate-rise campaign.


Antigua beats odds: WTO confirms ruling against US on web gambling (AFP) AFP - Antigua and Barbuda beat long odds as the World Trade Organization confirmed a ruling that a ban in the United States on Internet gambling violates global trading rules.


Starbucks Profit Climbs, Extra Week Helps  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp. SBUX.O, the  world's largest coffee shop chain,  on Wednesday said quarterly  net profit rose 47 percent, helped by its aggressive store  expansion and an extra week in the period.


iPod Socks coming in Dec. (MacCentral) MacCentral - Some may have thought Apple's iPod Socks, first show at Apple's special event in San Jose, Calif. in October, were an elaborate joke. If so, the joke's on them, because iPod Socks are now available for pre-order from the Apple Store for US #36;29. Apple plans to ship the iPod holders in early December. iPod Socks ship six to a box, and come in hues including green, purple, grey, blue, orange and pink. The knit holders fit all iPod models, according to Apple.


Intel Doubles Dividend, Expands Buyback  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp. INTC.O, the world's  largest maker of computer chips, said on Wednesday it would  double its quarterly dividend to 8 cents a share, the second  time this year it has doubled its cash payout.


Gmail Users Soon Able to Check E-Mail Via Outlook (Reuters) Reuters - Web search leader Google Inc.\said on Wednesday it will soon make it possible for users of\its free Gmail service to check their e-mail via Microsoft\Outlook or on certain handheld devices such as mobile phones.


Young Given Lifetime Ban for Second Offense  COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (Reuters) - World 400 meters  champion Jerome Young has been given a lifetime ban from  athletics for a second doping offense, the U.S. Anti-Doping  Agency (USADA) said Wednesday.


New open-source browser from Mozilla aims to challenge Microsoft (AFP) AFP - A new front has been opened in the long-dormant browser war, with an open-source program called Firefox aiming to challenge Microsoft's dominant Internet Explorer.


Oracle: PeopleSoft Board to Reject Bid  PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Software maker Oracle Corp.  ORCL.O on Wednesday said it will let PeopleSoft Inc. PSFT.O  shareholders decide for themselves whether to accept Oracle's  \$8.8 billion hostile takeover bid after learning that  PeopleSoft's board of directors will reject it.


Dole May Lead GOP Senate Campaign Panel (AP) AP - Sen. Elizabeth Dole has secured more than half of the votes she needs to become the first woman to lead the GOP campaign committee that works to help elect Republicans to the Senate.


Eagles' Rayburn, Akers Nursing Injuries  PHILADELPHIA (Sports Network) - Philadelphia Eagles  defensive tackle Sam Rayburn is listed as questionable for  Monday's game against the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium,  while kicker David Akers is probable. Neither player practiced  on Wednesday.


Oracle ready to walk away from PeopleSoft, sees offer rejected (AFP) AFP - Oracle Corp. said it was prepared to walk away from its bid for rival business software maker PeopleSoft, saying it had learned that its  quot;final quot; offer was on the verge of being rejected.


Stocks Close Flat After the Fed Rate Hike  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks finished little changed on  Wednesday after comments from the U.S. Federal Reserve left  investors expecting a rate increase in December, while  technology stocks slid following disappointing earnings from  bellwether Cisco Systems Inc. CSCO.O.


Treasuries Fall on Prospect of More Hikes  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury prices fell on Wednesday  after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates and suggested  in its post-meeting statement that further tightening was  likely.


Court Considers When Cops Can Use Canines (AP) AP - Driving 6 mph over the speed limit got Roy Caballes pulled over. But what happened next landed him at the Supreme Court, which considered Wednesday when police can use drug-sniffing dogs.


Whole Foods Quarterly Profit Rises 27 Pct  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Grocery retail chain Whole Foods  Market Inc. WFMI.O on Wednesday reported a 27 percent rise in  quarterly profit as demand for organic and natural food  outstripped rising expenses.


Defense Lawyers Say Rapport with Milosevic Ruined (Reuters) Reuters - The lawyers appointed to defend\Slobodan Milosevic in his war crimes trial said on Tuesday\their relationship with the defendant had been irreparably\damaged and renewed their plea to be allowed to withdraw from\the case.


Medical supply firm to sell patient RFID chips Henry Schein will distribute Applied Digital's implantable VeriChips to doctors' offices across the country.


Standards for Anthrax Tests Developed (AP) AP - Scientists working for the government have developed standards to measure the accuracy of anthrax detection tests, hoping to steer first responders away from tests that have delivered too many false readings.


Chile's Lagos Receives Torture Commission Report  SANTIAGO, Chile (Reuters) - Chilean President Ricardo Lagos  received a chilling report on Wednesday from a government  commission that interviewed more than 30,000 victims to  chronicle for the first time the systematic use of torture  during Augusto Pinochet's 1973-1990 dictatorship.


i2 looks to technology rollout for a rebound i2 Technologies is hoping to continue its rebound by rolling out new technology aimed at retailers and manufacturers and forming partnerships that will help make its applications easier to integrate.


Brief: PeopleSoft revises Q3 earnings up PeopleSoft has increased its earnings results for the third quarter after recalculating the income tax benefit related to the severance package for its former CEO, Craig Conway.


Pakistani PM to meet with Blair Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was preparing Saturday to meet in London with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the BBC reported.


Panel: Government backing for supercomputers can benefit business Corporate America needs to find ways to leverage government investments in powerful supercomputers to make sure the technology finds its way into the private sector, according to a panel at this week's SC2004 Supercomputing Conference.


Mozilla mulls desktop search integration for Firefox The Mozilla Foundation is busy planning enhancements to its new open-source Firefox Web browser, including the possibility of integrating it with a variety of desktop search tools.


Microsoft to indemnify most customers from legal threats Microsoft yesterday said it will expand its indemnification program to cover the vast majority of its customers in a move to set itself apart from open-source rivals.


Cisco Q1 revenue up slightly Cisco yesterday reported net revenue of \$6 billion for its first quarter, a slight uptick compared with the previous quarter but 17.1 more than in the year-ago quarter.


Eudora adds ScamWatch URL protection The update for the e-mail program focuses mainly on security enhancements and adds a feature dubbed ScamWatch, which aims to combat "phishing" on the Internet.


PeopleSoft board rejects Oracle bid PeopleSoft board members on Wednesday rejected Oracle #39;s  quot;best and final quot; offer in the often contentious 17-month hostile takeover battle--but the database software giant remains on the hunt.


South Korean airliner avoided mid-air collision by 12 seconds <b>...</b> LOS ANGELES : A South Korean Boeing 747 carrying hundreds of passengers came within 12 second of hitting another jet at Los Angeles airport after a ground traffic control mix-up, a report showed.


The iMac G5: A PC user migrates to a Mac Computerworld columnist Yuval Kossovsky touts the new iMac G5 to his wife and she makes the switch from her PC -- with the help of a few migration tools.


Robinson  quot;blessed quot; to lead England Jason Robinson, who will lead world champions England for the first time against Canada on Saturday, says he feels blessed to have been appointed captain.


ESPN: Fiesta Bowl turning point for freshman Clarett In the week leading up to the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, Maurice Clarett was denied the chance to attend a friends funeral in Youngstown.


Dollar dodging at the Fed Sure the currency is tumbling, but don #39;t expect the FOMC to do much out of the ordinary today. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - It #39;s pretty clear that another interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve today will not be much of a headline maker.


Oil: Price surges 3 per cent as US heating stocks fall NEW YORK - Oil prices recovered from seven-week lows on Wednesday, surging more than 3 per cent as a drawdown in US heating fuel stocks rekindled worries about thin supplies ahead of the northern winter.


Firefox renews browser war A new front has been opened in the long-dormant browser war, with an open-source program called Firefox aiming to challenge Microsoft #39;s dominant Internet Explorer.


Cox, La Russa up for NL manager of year NEW YORK - Atlantas Bobby Cox and St. Louis Tony La Russa, among the top nine winningest skippers of all-time, are the leading contenders for the National League Manager of the Year honors, which will be announced Wednesday.


Stottlemyre, Mattingly back in Bronx; Girardi bench coach Bronx, NY (Sports Network) - Contrary to previous reports, Mel Stottlemyre will return to the New York Yankees as their pitching coach for the 2005 season.


Opera Browser - Firefox Not the Only IE Alternative Opera Browser - Firefox Not the Only IE Alternative\\Security flaws have long plagued Internet Explorer (IE), the market-dominating web browser from Microsoft. IE won the early browser wars, not only because it was free and bundled with Windows, but because it had some features and capabilities that its only real ...


Interest Rates Expected To Rise The Federal Reserve is likely to announce a quarter-point rise in the federal funds target rate from 1.75 percent to 2.0 percent, economists and traders agree.


Skype, Siemens To Hook Up Cordless VoIP The Siemens USB adaptor is loaded with Skype software that enables users of Siemens phones to access Skype #39;s free Internet calling service as well as other features, such as buddy lists and conference calling.


Hoping for a new kind of Mukata Muhammad Bardawi, 77, has witnessed Ramallah #39;s Mukata compound in all its incarnations: as a British Mandate police station, a Jordanian army post, an Israeli civil administration camp, the seat of the Palestinian Authority government, and now a shrine to


Davis Getting Frustrated With Knee Injury (AP) AP - Carolina running back Stephen Davis said Wednesday he expects to play again this season. He didn't sound very convincing.


Injured Tracy McGrady Likely to Miss Game (AP) AP - Tracy McGrady missed most of the Houston Rockets' practice Wednesday because of nagging hip and groin injuries, though the two-time NBA scoring champ could still play Thursday against Minnesota.


Sri Lanka Tigers take flack over enlisting child soldiers (AFP) AFP - Sri Lanka's truce with Tiger rebels has brought fear instead of the expected peace dividend because of the continued forced recruitment of thousands of child soldiers, a rights group said.


PeopleSoft Rejects Oracle Bid  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - PeopleSoft Inc. PSFT.O on  Wednesday said its board had again unanimously rejected Oracle  Corp.'s ORCL.O \$8.8 billion hostile tender offer, and Oracle  immediately appealed to PeopleSoft's shareholders, saying it  would leave the decision up to them.


Stocks End Flat After Rates Go Up US stocks finished flat on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for a fourth time this year and indicated it would keep its moderate campaign of tightening


Delta Says 185 Workers Take Pay Cut Delta Air Lines (DAL:NYSE - news - research) said Wednesday its 185 flight superintendents have approved a new contract including 10 wage cuts.


EU To Persist in Case Against Microsoft The European Commission says it will go forward with its antitrust case against Microsoft, despite the software giant #39;s recent settlements, which led to Novell and the Computer and Communications


US should drop ban on offshore Internet gambling, world trade <b>...</b> A World Trade Organization panel on Wednesday ruled that the United States should drop its ban on Americans wagering with offshore Internet casinos.


Steak N Shake Doubles 4th-Qtr. Earnings Casual dining chain Steak n Shake Co. reported Wednesday that fourth-quarter earnings doubled while same-store sales of company-owned restaurants increased for the period.


USDA Confirms Coybean Rust in United States The US Department of Agriculture #39;s Animal and Plant Inspection Service on Wednesday confirmed the presence of soybean rust on a soybean leaf samples taken from two plots associated with a Louisiana State University research farm Nov. 6.


Microsofts search-and-destroy mission Look out, Google: the Redmond giant will make its long-awaited big splash into the search engine market tomorrow. The moment of truth has arrived.


Siemens and Skype Combine to Offer Internet Telephony Skype #39;s free Internet telephony software works with Siemens phones via the Gigaset M34 USB adapter, an open interface adapter that is plugged into the USB connection point of a users #39; PC.


Trojan spams Russian mobile phones NOVEMBER 10, 2004 (TECHWORLD.COM) - LONDON - A new Trojan horse is circulating that hijacks PCs and uses them to send SMS-based spam to mobile phones.


Pick a Number, It #39;s Sequel Season THE sequel is king, and games with titles like The Sims 2, Burnout 3 and Myst IV receive far more attention than those increasingly rare games with no pedigree.


Pesticide study using children as test subjects postponed WASHINGTON Ethical concerns have prompted the government to postpone a study of how children #39;s bodies absorb pesticides and other chemicals.


Hacker Arrested for Selling Microsoft Code Federal prosecutors are charging a Connecticut man with illegally selling source code for the Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 operating systems.


Rangers beat Celtic for first time in seven matches Rangers rallied to beat crosstown rival Celtic for the first time in seven matches Wednesday, with Shota Arveladze scoring in extra time for a 2-1 win in the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals.


Liverpool, Man United reach League Cup quarter-finals Big guns Liverpool and Manchester United reached the League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday with 2-0 wins over holders Middlesbrough and an under-strength Crystal Palace


Dolphins Terminate Edwards #39; Contract DAVIE, Fla. Nov 10, 2004 - The Miami Dolphins terminated the contract of starting free safety Antuan Edwards on Wednesday, citing his subpar play and the emergence of his backups as reasons for the surprising move.


NASCAR lifts ban on liquor sponsorship NASCAR lifted a decades-old ban on liquor ads on cars Wednesday, opening the door for teams to be sponsored next season by distilled spirits.


UEFA approves use of artificial turf The governing body of European soccer has approved artificial turf for its competitions at the club and national team level beginning next season, UEFA #39;s chief executive said Wednesday.


Lyon suffer first defeat of season PARIS, France -- Lille handed Lyon their first defeat of the season on Wednesday, beating the champions 3-2 after extra time in a League Cup first round match.


MLS to start reserve league in new Adidas deal Major League Soccer plans to start a reserve league for developmental players, part of its 10-year sponsorship deal with Adidas that is the latest battleground between the Germany-based sportswear manufacturer and its US rival Nike Inc.


Young Banned for Life for Second Offence  SALVO, North Carolina (Reuters) - Controversial U.S.  sprinter Jerome Young has been banned for life after failing a  second doping test, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said on  Wednesday.


Japan on alert after intrusion by suspected Chinese nuclear sub TENSION between Japan and China grew yesterday when an unidentified nuclear submarine sailed into Japanese waters. The submarine, which had been tracked since Monday and whose nationality remains unknown, was


Black Watch pilot shot by rebels AN ARMY pilot attached to The Black Watch battle group was critically injured last night after being shot while at the controls of his helicopter.


Stocks End Flat After Rates Go Up  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks finished flat on Wednesday  after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for a fourth  time this year and indicated it would keep its moderate  campaign of tightening credit instead of shifting to a more  aggressive gear.


Financing Plan Backed Mayor Anthony A. Williams backs the idea of considering private investors to reduce the city's cost of building a ballpark for the Expos.


Spanish PM Having Trouble Congratulating Bush  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - World leaders have been flooding  President Bush with congratulatory calls since his reelection  victory, but at least one -- Spain's Jose Luis Rodriguez  Zapatero -- appears to be having trouble getting through.


Rodman Heads to Minors Ex-NBA forward Dennis Rodman attempts a comeback with the Orange County Crush of the American Basketball Association on Wednesday.


Cyber Crime Tools Could Serve Terrorists -FBI  MIAMI (Reuters) - The hacking and identity theft tools now  earning big money for mainly eastern European organized crime  could be used by terrorists to attack the United States, an FBI  official said on Wednesday.


Ecuador impeachment drive dropped Ecuador's opposition parties fail in efforts to begin impeachment proceedings against President Lucio Gutierrez.


The phone-y music business Vodaphone, the biggest cell phone company in the world, has launched a music download service for mobile phones. Broadband Blog


Chart: Cable-DSL growth over past 12 months Price cuts and bundles have helped drive steady broadband growth.


'Halo 2' clears record \$125 million in first day Lofty figure backs up predictions that game would eclipse even the biggest Hollywood openings.


E-mail authentication: Cost, standards remain problems WASHINGTON - E-mail authentication can help fight the growing spam e-mail problem, but vendors need to come up with a single, open standard to avoid confusion and crippling costs for small ISPs (Internet service providers), participants in a U.S. government summit said Wednesday.


PeopleSoft Rejects Oracle Bid PeopleSoft (PSFT:Nasdaq - news - research) Wednesday publicly rejected Oracle #39;s (ORCL:Nasdaq - news - research) \$24-a-share takeover offer, saying the \$8.


Apple details plans to Spotlight desktop search Recently posted document throws a little light on a key feature of the next edition of Mac OS X.


Towerstream beams into Los Angeles Broadband-for-business provider goes Hollywood, with the City by the Bay next in line.


Samsung raises flash memory bar Company says it will come out with 1-gigabit chip for mobile devices next year.


PeopleSoft Rejects Oracle Bid PeopleSoft Inc. (PSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday said its board had again unanimously rejected Oracle Corp. #39;s (ORCL.


US blue chips gain on rate rise US blue-chip stocks rallied to the day #39;s high, after initially trimming earlier gains, overnight as the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter percentage point.


Stocks Flat, Investors See Dec. Rate Hike US stocks ended flat on Wednesday, as tech stocks came under pressure from disappointing earnings from technology bellwether Cisco Systems Inc.


Ford CEO asks for government help on health costs Bill Ford, Ford Motor Co. #39;s chairman and chief executive officer, called Wednesday for federal help with health-care costs and the development of hydrogen-powered vehicles.


Paris plans partial sale of Areva in early 2005 PARIS The French government forged ahead on Wednesday with a plan to sell a one-third stake in the nuclear power group Areva on the Paris stock exchange early next year, a transaction that could raise more than 3.


Vodafone unveils advanced service LONDON Vodafone, the world #39;s biggest mobile phone operator, introduced long-delayed services like video calling across much of Europe on Wednesday, showing its cards four years after it got caught up in a \$100 billion-plus bidding frenzy that gripped the


Intel Doubles Cash Dividend and Authorizes Repurchase of 500 <b>...</b> SANTA CLARA, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Nov. 10, 2004 -- Intel Corporation today announced that its board of directors has approved a doubling of the quarterly cash dividend to 8 cents per share beginning


Microsoft Extends Legal Protection To All Customers The company will shield all customers from legal costs and damages involving patent, copyright, trademark, or trade-secret disputes.


Sequel to Video Game  #39;Halo #39; Debuts Description: Game reviewer Robert Holt explains the new Xbox game Halo 2, released Tuesday. It #39;s expected to bring in an estimated \$80 million; the original Halo lured many gamers into buying Microsoft #39;s Xbox in the first place.


Trojan horse targets mobile phones A new Trojan horse that sends unauthorized spam to mobile phones via sms has been detected by anti-virus authority Sophos, marking a new trend in the convergence of viruses and mass-mail attacks.


Microsoft Nixes Intel #39;s Itanium An upcoming Microsoft (MSFT:Nasdaq - news - research) software product for clustered servers won #39;t run on Intel #39;s (INTC:Nasdaq - news - research) high-end Itanium 2 chip, according to a report first published on News.


Charles Arthur On Technology Three years ago, the first people to order an Apple iPod - announced as a  quot;breakthrough digital device quot; on 23 October 2001 - started receiving boxes in the post.


Ht Rangers 0 Celtic 0 Prso, whose forehead was swathed in a white bandage, was ready to come on to replace Thompson in the 27th minute after the striker had gritted his teeth to head a cross over.


Italy: Juventus win, AC Milan held by Brescia ROME, Nov 10 (SW) - Juventus increased the gap with Milan to six points, beating Fiorentina while the Rossoneri were held to a scoreless draw by Brescia.


Carling Cup: United and Liverpool through as Newcastle are out United who fielded effectively a reserve side, overcame Crystal Palace with first half goals from Louis Saha and Kieran Richardson.


FANS WANT MORE PLASTIC - LEISHMAN He has urged UEFA to give the go-ahead for major competition matches to be played on artificial surfaces. The European governing body #39;s executive committee convenes for its latest gathering in Vienna on Wednesday.


MLS finalizes landmark deal with Adidas New York, NY (Sports Network) - Major League Soccer, Soccer United Marketing and Adidas agreed to a 10-year partnership that makes Adidas the official sponsor and licensed product supplier for the United States #39; top soccer league.


Dolphins release safety Edwards The Dolphins have released free safety Antuan Edwards, who has started eight of nine games this season. Agent Brian Levy said Wednesday the Dolphins told him the franchise wanted to take a look at younger players at the position.


Soccer: Bayern beat Stuttgart 3-0 to reach last eight of German <b>...</b> BERLIN : Bayern Munich manager Felix Magath showed no sentiment towards his former club VfB Stuttgart with his new side triumphing 3-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the German Cup.


Sudanese government and rebels to sign security protocol ABUJA (AFP) - Sudanese government and rebel leaders from the war-torn region of Darfur agreed to sign two accords on the humanitarian and security crises in the western area, delegates said.


Iran official warns of nuclear pact pullout if pressurised TEHERAN - Iran will pull out of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and develop its atomic programme in secret if Western countries threaten or put pressure on Tehran, a senior Iran diplomat was quoted as saying on Wednesday.


Burundi: President Ndayizeye Sacks His Deputy Burundian President Domitien Ndayizeye dismissed Vice-President Alphonse Marie Kadege on Wednesday for failing in his main mission of assisting the head of state.


Israeli troops kill two Hamas gunmen GAZA: Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinian gunmen belonging to Hamas on Wednesday, Israeli and Palestinian sources said. An Israeli military spokeswoman said that the two gunmen had fired homemade rockets


Arabic TV shows tape of captured Iraqi guardsmen BAGHDAD, Iraq Al-Jazeera has aired a videotape from a militant group that claims it #39;s captured 20 Iraqi soldiers in Fallujah. The tape shows the men in Iraqi National Guard uniforms, with their backs to the camera.


Wanted by the Police: A Good Interface How the flawed interface design of a police dispatch system became a municipal issue in San Jose.


Pick a Number, It's Sequel Season Halo 2 and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, two hit video game sequels, have had tremendous advance sales. What's all the fuss about?


Keeping Better Track From Factory to Checkout Using radio scanners to wirelessly identify consumer products is simple in concept but dauntingly complex in reality.


Does Grandma Need a Hug? A Robotic Pillow Can Help A new robot is intended to serve the elderly by dispensing affection in the form of long-distance hugs.


A Sailor Man, 75, Gets a Digital Nip and Tuck This week, Popeye made his debut as a computer-generated 3-D character in a 44-minute movie called "Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy," available on DVD.


Nikkei Opens Firmer on Exporters  TOKYO (Reuters) - The Nikkei average rose 0.24 percent at  the open on Thursday as a recovery in the dollar helped  exporters, though trade was slow as investors awaited key  domestic economic data and earnings reports from companies such  as Rohm Co.


Carling Cup Wednesday Wrap: Big Guns Progress Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea all made it through to the quarter finals of the Carling Cup on Wednesday night. First-half goals from Louis Saha and Kieron Richardson saw Manchester United to a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.


Israel offers burial place for Arafat RAMALLAH, West Bank Yasser Arafat can be buried at his battered headquarters here as the Palestinians requested, the Israeli government decided Wednesday in a gesture to his likely successor, Mahmoud Abbas.


Inflation remains well contained: US Fed US Federal Reserve said Wednesday that rate hikes can continue at a  quot;measured pace quot; as  quot;inflation and longer-term inflation expectations remain well contained quot;.


PeopleSoft board rejects Oracle #39;s best and last offer Defining the word unsurprising, PeopleSoft #39;s board of directors unanimously rejected Oracle #39;s  quot;best and final quot; \$24 per share offer for the company.


Oil fades to \$47, awaits US stock data LONDON: Oil prices fell to seven-week lows below \$47 a barrel on Wednesday as traders braced for another increase in US oil and natural gas inventories.


Vodafone enters 3G battle against Hutchison Vodafone finally launched its long awaited third-generation (3G) mobile phone services yesterday, prompting rival 3 to immediately dismiss them as a threat.


Stewart Seeks Reimbursement From Own Co. Imprisoned homemaking mogul Martha Stewart has asked the company she founded, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc., to reimburse her for \$3.


Intel Doubles Cash Dividend Intel Corp. has taken some lumps this year due to weakening market conditions and several strategic errors, but the semiconductor supplier remains loyal to its shareholders.


Cyberonics Post 2nd-Quarter Loss of \$2M Cyberonics Inc., a maker of medical devices to treat neurological disorders, said Wednesday that it swung to a loss in the fiscal second quarter as it struggled to regroup following regulators #39; rejection of a depression treatment.


Proprietary MSN Search Beta launches tomorrow Tomorrow, Microsoft finally releases the beta version of its proprietary search engine. For over a year, webmasters and SEOs have seen evidence of MSNbot spidering their sites as MSN-Search gathered information and compiled its database.


Report: Tobacco Industry Hid Smoking Dangers NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The tobacco industry for many years claimed that it was unaware of biological evidence that smoking is harmful to health, but that was untrue according to a medical journal report.


Skype Launches Free Wireless VoIP  quot;Skype is expanding the range of complementary platforms to provide consumers with choice and flexibility alongside the quality gains and cost-savings of modern calling, quot; says Skype CEO Niklas Zennstrm.


Google to support POP connection Looks like Gmail is about to officially offer POP access, according to this message in their support database. This function has already been enabled by lots of third party tools, but has been expected from Google themselves for quite a while.


There seems no end to Arsenal #39;s reserves of vivid youthful talent Two Premiership managers have now felt the full force. Kevin Keegan was left totally embarrassed and David Moyes, judging by the shouts coming from the away team dressing room on Tuesday night, was just plain livid.


Injured Sainz forced out of swansong The Rally Australia should have been the grand finale of Carlos Sainz #39;s career, a respectful send-off to one of the sport #39;s greatest drivers.


Plastic pitches ready to bounce back into fashion UEFA is contemplating dragging its European competitions down to the level of the average local five-a-side league by paving the way for the return of plastic pitches.


Stottlemyre returns for one more Mel Stottlemyre announced his retirement on Wednesday, but that retirement won #39;t begin for another 11 or 12 months. The long-time Yankees pitching coach will return for


Ray activated by Jets CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Former Edmonton Eskimos quarterback Ricky Ray is a step closer to throwing his first pass in the NFL. Ray, 24, was activated Wednesday by the New York Jets and will serve as third-string


Girl, 5, saves baby sister from dingo in island hotel horror WHEN Belinda Corke heard her five-year-old daughter, Georgia, shout  quot;Dingo, dingo quot;, she thought the child had spotted one of the wild dogs near their hotel.


Military operation in Pakistan #39;s tribal area only against foreign <b>...</b> Pakistani Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has said that the ongoing military operation in the country #39;s tribal area is being carried out only against foreign terrorists.


Pakistan urges India to avoid disrupting arms balance Pakistan Wednesday urged India to avoid disrupting conventional arms balance as it was against the quest for peace and security, being pursued by both the countries, the official Associated Press of Pakistan reported.


Seven Held in Dutch Anti-Terror Raids, Police Hurt  THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Dutch police stormed a flat after a  14-hour stand-off in which four officers were wounded,  arresting two people, and detained five more elsewhere -- all  suspected of links with a network of radical Muslims.


Microsoft, Google Square Off in Search Arena  SEATTLE/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - As Microsoft Corp.  MSFT.O prepares to launch its own Web search engine to take  on Google Inc. GOOG.O, industry watchers are already  speculating over which rival will be left standing in the  high-stakes competition.


UN in 'forgotten crises' appeal Kofi Annan willl seek \$1.5bn to deal with what the UN calls the world's forgotten emergencies, many in Africa.


Oracle: PeopleSoft #39;s Board to Reject  #39;Final #39; Buyout Offer PeopleSoft #39;s board of directors is refusing yet again to entertain Oracle #39;s all-cash tender offer, according to a news release issued by Oracle on Wednesday afternoon.


Cable  amp; Wireless slashes jobs but rewards investors Cable  amp; Wireless drew a line under 50 years of corporate history yesterday by announcing it was relocating its London head office to Bracknell while unveiling a new organisational


Wineke: Global warming is a moral issue For years, we #39;ve been subjected to warnings that  quot;global warming quot; might one day change the way we live our lives. That day, pretty much, is today.


Rangers 2 Celtic 1 (aet) Rangers came from behind to defeat Celtic 2-1 in extra time of an epic CIS Insurance Cup quarter-final at Ibrox. Shota Arveladze was the man who fired the home side ahead after fellow substitute Dado Prso


Cat Stevens wins peace prize The singer once known as Cat Stevens -- branded by the United States as a potential terrorist risk -- has been awarded a peace prize in Rome for his humanitarian work.


Racist graffiti painted on homes in Belfast Several non-national families in a loyalist area of north Belfast are considering whether to relocate today following overnight racist attacks on their homes.


PeopleSoft Rejects Oracle Bid  PHILADELPHIA/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - PeopleSoft Inc.'s  PSFT.O board  on Wednesday again unanimously rejected Oracle  Corp.'s ORCL.O \$8.8-billion hostile tender offer, leaving  Oracle to appeal directly to PeopleSoft shareholders to decide  on the bid for themselves.


Dollar Recovers from Lows After Fed, Data  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar recovered from record lows  against the euro and clung near two-week highs versus the yen  on Thursday after the Federal Reserve indicated it would press  on with its tightening campaign.


Microsoft, Google Square Off in Search Arena As Microsoft Corp. MSFT.O prepares to launch its own Web search engine to take on Google Inc. GOOG.O , industry watchers are already speculating


Sudanese police raid Darfur camp: UN The United Nations says Sudanese police have raided a camp in Darfur and destroyed makeshift homes, fired into the air and shouted at terrified villagers.


Evidence of hostage murders discovered Iraqi forces fighting alongside US troops in Fallujah yesterday claimed to have found the houses in which civilian hostages were held by militants and beheaded in front of a camera.


Spanish PM Having Trouble Congratulating Bush World leaders have been flooding President Bush with congratulatory calls since his reelection victory, but at least one -- Spain #39;s Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero -- appears to be having trouble getting through.


Peoplesoft turns down Oracle bid The directors of software firm Peoplesoft reject a fifth takeover offer from rival Oracle, decribing the \$8.8bn bid as inadequate.


Apple no longer reviewing itself Apple Computer is still the apple of its own eye, but the company is trying to take a more modest tack with the public. Missing Links


HP opens bidding on computing power New program called Tycoon lets groups jockeying for needed computing power bid for the resources.


Sun talks up Java advances SANTA CLARA, CALIF. -- Simplifying Java programming is on the minds of Java development executives at Sun, but making the language available via an open source format remains off the table, according to executives at a Sun Chalk Talk session here on Wednesday.


PeopleSoft board gives thumbs down to Oracle's offer PeopleSoft's Board of Directors voted Wednesday to recommend that its stockholders reject Oracle's takeover offer of \$24 per share. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison quickly responded, saying the offer is final and that it is now up to PeopleSoft's shareholders to make a determination.


Bank warns of fall in house prices as economy slows House prices will suffer a  quot;modest quot; fall over the next couple of years, the Bank of England warned yesterday as it cut its forecast for economic growth.


Martha Stewart pleads for legal aid Martha Stewart, the jailed celebrity homemaker, has filed a claim with her company for \$3.7m (2.85m) for help with her legal bills.


Meltdown: Arctic wildlife is on the brink of catastrophe Polar bears could be decades from extinction, a survey into global warming has found. Steve Connor reports on the crisis that threatens the polar ice-cap.


Canada slides past Sweden at Four Nations Cup CBC SPORTS ONLINE - It was sloppy game for Team Canada at the Four Nations Tournament, but Danielle Goyette saved the day. The 38-year-old veteran scored with just 1:16 left in the third period to lift her


Afghan deal to free UN hostages NEGOTIATORS claim to have secured a deal to free Annetta Flanigan, the kidnapped United Nations official, and her two colleagues in Afghanistan.


Stabbing and petrol bombs highlight rise of racism in Ulster Extra police are patrolling in Northern Ireland in an attempt to stem a tide of racist attacks on immigrants after more violence on Latvians and Filipinos.


Superfast Notebook Graphics: NVidia's GeForce Go 6800 PC World's initial test results for this gaming chip are impressive.


Baseball GMs Weigh in on Instant Replay (AP) AP - After a pennant race and postseason dotted with reversed rulings, baseball will get another chance to see who else wants to give replay a look. The topic is on the agenda for Thursday at the GM meetings. And there seems to be growing support among teams to join the NFL, NBA and NHL in using instant replay on calls such as fair or foul and homer or not, but definitely not balls and strikes.


Wake Forest rebounds from Illinois loss WINSTON-SALEM - To shake its latest ailment, the Wake Forest men #39;s basketball team fed Eric Williams. He was eating it up in the second half, propelling the top-ranked (not-for-long) Demon Deacons to a 90-73


Red Sox Induct Alumni Into Team Shrine (AP) AP - Pedro Martinez, Jason Varitek and more than a dozen other Red Sox free agents might want to take advice from some people who know: Stay in Boston, or you'll regret it.


Starbucks Profit Meets Estimates (Reuters) Reuters - Starbucks Corp.  on\Wednesday said quarterly net profit rose 47 percent, helped by\sales of new products like Frappuccino Light, aggressive store\expansion, and an extra week.


NASCAR Lifts Ban on Liquor Ads on Cars (AP) AP - NASCAR lifted its ban on hard-liquor ads on cars Wednesday, easing restrictions aimed at cleaning up the image of a sport that traces its roots to good ol' boys running moonshine through the hills of Georgia and the Carolinas.


Dollar Recovers from Lows After Fed, Data (Reuters) Reuters - The dollar recovered from record lows\against the euro and clung near two-week highs versus the yen\on Thursday after the Federal Reserve indicated it would press\on with its tightening campaign.


Chargers Sign TE Baber to One-Year Deal (AP) AP - Tight end Billy Baber signed a one-year contract with the San Diego Chargers on Wednesday, taking the roster spot of suspended backup fullback Andrew Pinnock.


Wizards Hold Singles Night at Magic Game (AP) AP - The Washington Wizards unveiled a singles night promotion Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.


Nuggets too quick for Heat Denver  This was Western Conference basketball, running, soaring and scoring, and the Denver Nuggets were the latest team from the West to remind the Heat it really isn #39;t suited for that kind of game.


Red Sox Claim Lefty Traber Off Waivers (AP) AP - The Boston Red Sox claimed left-handed pitcher Billy Traber off waivers from the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday.


Spurrier Wants to Return to College Ranks (AP) AP - Steve Spurrier wants to return to college coaching.


Hopes thin for future of Astra #39;s blood drug THE future of AstraZenecas blood-thinning medicine, Exanta, was thrown into fresh doubt last night after Frances leading drugs regulator confirmed that it was reviewing the medicines approval status.


Exporters Lead Nikkei Up, Trade Slow The Nikkei average was up 0.37 percent in mid-morning trade on Thursday as a recovery in the dollar helped auto makers among other exporters, but trade was slow as investors waited for important Japanese economic data.


French Citizens Flee Ivory Coast Violence (Reuters) Reuters - Hundreds of French citizens fled their\former colony Ivory Coast on Wednesday after days of\anti-French riots and looting in a country once seen as a model\for Africa of post-independence prosperity.


Bush Administration Divide Re-Emerges Over N. Korea (Reuters) Reuters - As President Bush prepares for a\second term, hard-liners are pressing once again for a more\coercive approach if six-party talks make no progress on\resolving the North Korea nuclear issue.


Vodafone Unveils High-Speed Net Services (AP) AP - Vodafone Group PLC launched high-speed Internet services for mobile phones across much of Europe on Wednesday, ending a wait of several years since the world's biggest cell phone company spent billions for new wireless licenses at the height of the technology bubble.


Federer Drawn with Hewitt, Roddick Up Against Safin World number one and defending champion Roger Federer of Switzerland was grouped with Australia #39;s Lleyton Hewitt in the draw on Wednesday for the season-ending ATP Tennis Masters Cup.


Medvedenko returns for Lakers CBC SPORTS ONLINE - The Los Angeles Lakers activated fifth-year veteran Slava Medvedenko from the injured list for Wednesday #39;s game at Memphis.


Motorola to Introduce 20 New Cell Phones (AP) AP - Motorola Inc., which is introducing 20 new cell phones as it tries to avoid slipping to No. 3 in the market, signaled its confidence Wednesday for strong holiday sales and said there are no further product delays in sight.


Burial preparations in Ramallah underway Yasser Arafat, who suffered a brain haemorrhage at a Paris hospital, was in a deep coma, when a top Muslim cleric has rushed to his bedside.


UN staff, foreigners to be evacuated from Ivory Coast France will begin evacuating its nationals and other Europeans from Ivory Coast starting Wednesday, the spokesman of French forces in the troubled west African country said.


Reebok Unveils High-Tech Sneaker Pump 2.0 (AP) AP - Hoping to build on the success of a shoe that generated big sales but also was ridiculed when it was introduced 15 years ago, Reebok Inc. on Wednesday rolled out a next- generation high-tech sneaker with a name that takes a cue from computer software launches: the Pump 2.0.


Dutch Forces Nab 2 Suspects in Standoff (AP) AP - Special forces overpowered two suspected Islamic extremists Wednesday after a 15-hour armed standoff, adding to Dutch concerns that global terrorism has spread into their corner of Europe.


Stage set for Miss World showdown The 2004 Miss World is about to be chosen - and for the first time TV audiences will be taking part. They can vote for their favourite beauties by phone, SMS text messaging, TV remote control and online.


Judge Reduces Jail Time for Calderon (AP) AP - A judge on Wednesday reduced the time former President Rafael Angel Calderon must spend in jail while being investigated on corruption charges.


Fox to Offer Cell Phone Version of '24' TV Show (Reuters) Reuters - Fox Entertainment Group Inc. will\bring a spinoff of its hit television series "24" to cell\phones next year in a tie-up with mobile phone carrier Vodafone\Group Plc, Fox said on Wednesday.


Fox to Create Series for Wireless Phones (AP) AP - The Twentieth Century Fox studio, a veteran of the big screen and the TV screen, is about to break into an entirely new realm: the really little screen, the kind that comes on a cell phone.


Annan: East Timor Mission Should Continue (AP) AP - Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Wednesday recommended against reducing the U.N. mission in East Timor in its final six months, saying the new nation hasn't reached "the critical threshold of self-sufficiency."


Sun talks up Java advances (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - SANTA CLARA, CALIF. -- Simplifying Java programming is on the minds of Java development executives at Sun, but making the language available via an open source format remains off the table, according to executives at a Sun  #8220;Chalk Talk #8221; session here on Wednesday.


PeopleSoft Board KOs Oracle Takeover Bid (AP) AP - PeopleSoft Inc.'s board of directors rejected Oracle Corp.'s  #36;9.2 billion takeover bid Wednesday and vowed to continue its staunch resistance even if a majority of the business software maker's shareholders decide to accept the offer.


PeopleSoft board gives thumbs down to Oracle's offer (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - PeopleSoft's Board of Directors voted Wednesday to recommend that its stockholders reject Oracle's takeover offer of  #36;24 per share. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison quickly responded, saying the offer is final and that it is now up to PeopleSoft's shareholders to make a determination.


Bush Names Gonzales to Succeed Ashcroft (AP) AP - President Bush on Wednesday nominated White House counsel Alberto Gonzales, who helped shape the administration's controversial legal strategy in the war on terror, to be attorney general. He would be the first Hispanic to serve as the nation's top law enforcement officer.


Bush Moves to Privatize Social Security (AP) AP - Fresh from re-election, President Bush is dusting off an ambitious proposal to overhaul Social Security, a controversial idea that had been shelved because of politics and the administration's focus on tax cuts and terrorism.


Woes of Warming Arctic to Echo Worldwide Via Birds (Reuters) Reuters - The decline of migratory birds due to\an accelerating Arctic thaw may also disrupt the delicate\ecosystems of their far-flung winter homes from Africa to South\America, experts said on Wednesday.


FEC Union Election Spending Probe Sought (AP) AP - An anti-union group is urging the Federal Election Commission to investigate one of the largest unions in the country, claiming the Service Employees International Union unlawfully spent workers' dues to elect Democrats in last week's election.


Rare Okapi Calf Doing Well at Mo. Zoo (AP) AP - A rare okapi  #151; something of a cross between a giraffe and a zebra  #151; born at the St. Louis Zoo this summer is doing well despite a shaky relationship with its mother, zoo officials said Wednesday.


La. Reports First Cases of Soybean Rust (AP) AP - The first U.S. cases of the fungus soybean rust, which hinders plant growth and drastically cuts crop production, were found at two research sites in Louisiana, officials said Wednesday.


Bush Nominates His Top Counsel for Justice Post President Bush said that Alberto R.Gonzales had been "a calm and steady voice at times of crisis" as his White House counsel.


Assault Slows, but G.I.'s Take Half of Falluja Also, insurgents kidnapped three relatives of the Iraqi prime minister, Ayad Allawi, from their home in Baghdad.


Foreign-student enrollment declines Engineering is among graduate fields with decline in new enrollment, a trend raising questions about U.S. tech leadership.


Nikkei Edges Up Before Machinery Data  TOKYO (Reuters) - The Nikkei average was up 0.34 percent by  midsession on Thursday as buyers went after companies with  solid earnings prospects such as Furukawa Electric Co. and  Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd., while the dollar's recovery helped  auto makers.


Vodafone calling - with fun and games Vodafone finally took the wraps off its 3G services yesterday, just in time for Christmas. It vowed to attract 10 million customers across 12 European countries and Japan to the new technology with a mixture


NAB turnaround to take time National Australia Bank, despite reporting a healthy operating profit for its wealth management business, has ended an otherwise tough year on a bad note after today reporting a significant fall in cash earnings for 2004.


Stewart bills her company for \$3.7m of defence costs Shareholders in Martha Stewart #39;s company have already paid heavily for the businesswoman #39;s personal woes. Now she is coming back for more.


US online gambling ban is unfair The US government #39;s ban on cross-border gambling is an unfair trade barrier against the island nation of Antigua, the World Trade Organization said.


Delta to cut 7,000 jobs by 2006 Delta Air Lines yesterday announced plans to cut up to 6,900 jobs over the next 18 months as it struggles to avoid bankruptcy. The airline is in the midst of a restructuring designed to cut \$5bn (2.


New Zealand Unemployment Rate Declines New Zealand #39;s unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent in the three months to Sept. 30, the second lowest rate in the industrialized world and the country #39;s lowest level in at least 18 years.


OFT says MasterCard overcharges retailers Retailers and their customers face unduly high fees when using MasterCards, the Office of Fair Trading said yesterday in its latest provisional findings into the way card charges are set.


New legume disease discovered in the US United States authorities have confirmed they #39;ve found a new legume disease for the first time. Asian soybean rust has been confirmed in two plots at a research station in Louisiana.


Coca-Cola Amatil Shares Halted Amid Transaction Talks (Update2) Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd., Australia #39;s biggest soft drink maker, had its stock halted from trading, after the Australian Financial Review reported it may bid A\$480 million (\$365 million) for fruit canner SPC Ardmona Ltd.


More Skype add-ons showing up on the Internet Siemens has announced a USB dongle that connects Skype users to a cordless phone. But it only works with Siemens #39; own handsets.


Google Gives Gmail POP3 Support, Plans Antivirus Google will gradually roll out POP3 (Post Office Protocol) support over the coming weeks to users of its Gmail service, allowing them to use the feature to download e-mail messages from Gmail servers to e-mail applications on devices such as PCs and


Athletics: Young handed life ban The US anti-doping agency banned the sprinter Jerome Young for life yesterday after the world 400-metre champion #39;s second positive test for an illegal steroid.


Battle of Old Trafford resumed Premiership adversaries Manchester United and Arsenal will have another chance to do battle at Old Trafford after last night #39;s League Cup quarter-final draw brought the teams together again.


Magical Evening For the Wizards and that was before Larry Hughes gave an announced crowd of 15,042 at MCI Center good reason to go crazy.


A land brought low Cold-blooded murder in broad daylight, exchanges of fire with terrorists, tit-for-tat attacks on mosques and churches - hardly the sort of news associated with the tolerant, civic-minded Dutch, happy people of a wealthy, stable country.


Yusuf Islam awarded peace prize The singer formerly known as Cat Stevens, branded by the US as a potential terrorist risk, was awarded a peace prize in Rome yesterday for his humanitarian work.


Search underway for resort dingo Queensland Parks and Wildlife officers have begun searching for the dingo that entered a resort room on Fraser Island in the state #39;s south-east and approached a baby lying on a bed.


20 terrorist gangs busted: Sherpao ISLAMABAD, Nov 10: Law-enforcement agencies of the country in their war on terror have busted 20 gangs of terrorists and arrested 200 terrorists who were operating countrywide, said Federal Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao.


Finally, the Knicks Waive Anderson Shandon Anderson got his freedom yesterday, and the Knicks got some roster flexibility.


Chile Issues Report on Pinochet Torture Chile took a key step Wednesday toward confronting the grim legacy of abuses under the 1973-90 dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, completing a lengthy report on torture and political imprisonment with testimonies from some 35,000 victims.


Colombian Government Removes Army Chief The head of the Colombian army was dismissed Wednesday with no explanation just short of a year in the post.


Tupa Is a Key Cog Punter Tom Tupa has emerged as one of Washington's most valuable players, and has played well enough for Pro Bowl consideration.


Bowden Begins Work Jim Bowden, general manager of the franchise scheduled to move to Washington next spring, said he is exploring trades for players.


Cavs Big Men Move The manner in which the Cavaliers pull their offensive linemen has been a key to their ground attack's success this season.


No Free Passes With three teams in the preseason top four and six in the top 25, the ACC is loaded this year. However, it is the preseason, and nothing is certain in college basketball.


Dolphins Dump Edwards The Dolphins terminated the contract of starting safety Antuan Edwards on Wednesday.


Sixers Outgun Nets in Overtime, 108-100 (AP) AP - Allen Iverson hit the tying jumper with 7.2 seconds left in regulation and Corliss Williamson scored seven of his 15 points in overtime to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 108-100 win over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night.


Replay in Play Baseball will put instant replay on the agenda for Thursday at the GM meetings and there seems to be growing support among teams.


UCLA Guard Bozeman Undergoes Knee Surgery (AP) AP - UCLA guard Cedric Bozeman underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Wednesday and will miss the season.


'Final hours' for Yasser Arafat Palestinians prepare for the funeral and burial of their veteran leader as officials warn of his imminent death.


Ireland Suffers Case of Mad Cow Disease (AP) AP - Ireland has suffered its first homegrown case of the human form of mad cow disease, the government said Wednesday.


Chile Issues Report on Pinochet Torture (AP) AP - Chile took a key step Wednesday toward confronting the grim legacy of abuses under the 1973-90 dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, completing a lengthy report on torture and political imprisonment with testimonies from some 35,000 victims.


Nigerian Stoning Death Sentence Quashed (AP) AP - An Islamic court in northern Nigeria on Wednesday threw out a death by stoning sentence against a pregnant 18-year-old girl who had been condemned for adultery.


Ohio Still Counting Provisional Ballots (AP) AP - Thanks to John Kerry's concession speech, Ohio's election workers don't exactly have the eyes of the nation on them, but their job of checking and counting the state's provisional ballots is as difficult and time-consuming as ever.


Officials Blame Contractors in Tunnel Leak The tunnel containing this city #39;s sunken highway - the crown jewel of the Big Dig, Boston #39;s mammoth \$14.6 billion highway project - is leaking because of improper construction


CNET News.com Coverage of Mozilla Firefox 1.0 CNET News.com has a special section about the launch of Mozilla Firefox 1.0. First up is a two-page article about the release, which includes some factual errors (for example, the article says the success


Gmail Users Soon Able to Check E-Mail Via Outlook SAN FRANCISCO -- Web search leader Google Inc. said on Wednesday it will soon make it possible for users of its Gmail service to check their e-mail via Microsoft Outlook or on certain handheld devices such as mobile phones.


Enter a Category Regardless of what he may have told Carlos Beltran when their paths crossed last May, Bernie Williams made it clear yesterday that he won #39;t be conceding centerfield until the Yankees tell him to do so.


Pedro should take Boston #39;s best pitch Pedro Martinez is one of the top free agents this offseason, but his scenario is one where the veteran right-hander #39;s value to the Red Sox is higher than it is to any other team, and in turn


Chile #39;s Lagos receives torture commission report Chilean President Ricardo Lagos received a chilling report on Wednesday from a government commission that interviewed more than 30,000 victims to chronicle


PeopleSoft Rejects Latest Oracle Bid as Inadequate PeopleSoft's rejection puts the company's fate in the hands of its shareholders and shows that its new management team intends to continue to fight the merger with Oracle.


Rise and Fall of Oil Prices Result in a Mixed Forecast Is the recent fall in oil prices a turning point or merely a lull before demand picks up in the winter months?


Microsoft Unveils Its Internet Search Engine, Quietly Microsoft rolled out its long-planned response to Google and Yahoo in the Internet search industry on Wednesday.


Oil boom over, says think-tank A LEADING international energy think-tank said the oil boom on world markets is over and predicted that prices are likely to fall over the coming months.


Shell And GM In Hydrogen With the opening of the first hydrogen dispenser at a conventional filling station in Washington, DC, Shell has increased the number of these joint facilities in North America and the UK from zero to one.


Watchdog threatens credit card industry over charges THE Office of Fair Trading yesterday threatened to crack down on the credit card industry over its charging policy. It announced it was issuing the MasterCard network with a final warning to justify the fees


NVIDIA launches GeForce Go 6800 GPU NVIDIA today announced the GeForce Go 6800 graphics processing unit (GPU). The next generation architecture and support for Microsoft DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0, allows the GeForce Go 6800 to deliver the


Italian Roundup AC Milan failed to take full advantage of Juventus #39; slip-up on Saturday, as Roma came away from San Siro with a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw on Sunday night.


Sainz to sit out his farewell rally Motorsport.com. One the eve of the start of the World Rally Championship season finale and what would have been the final WRC competition for Carlos Sainz, the Spaniard and co-driver


Carter and Jets Ready to Step Into the Unknown He was the walking insurance policy the Jets did not want to cash and perhaps the one player his teammates hoped would never see extended time on the field.


Arafat Officially Announced Dead -Al Jazeera  PARIS (Reuters) - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has  been officially announced dead in a Paris military hospital,  Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera said on Thursday.


Bloodlines bites Half-Life 2 #39;s release date The second game to use the Source engine will be released on the same day as the first one--November 16. Since last fall, the release date of Half-Life 2 was put on hold because its Source engine had been compromised by hackers.


Sainz To Miss Rally Australia Carlos Sainz and co-driver Marc Marti have pulled out of this weekend #39;s Rally Australia, the final event in the World Rally Championship - and what was intended to be Carlos #39;s last WRC drive before he retires.


Cardinals Keep Rolling Stefan LeFors throws three touchdown passes and No. 12 Louisville waltzes to a 55-28 victory over TCU on Wednesday night.


Clippers Crush Pacers With Ron Artest asking for days off, the Pacers play like they took the day off themselves as the visiting Clippers hammer Indiana, 102-68.


Microsoft seeks top search spot Microsoft claims its new MSN search engine indexes more web pages than any of its rivals.


Oil Below \$49, Fears of U.S. Cold Snap  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices stayed close to \$49 a  barrel on Thursday, supported by a forecast for an early cold  snap in the United States that could put a strain on a thin  supply cushion of winter heating fuel.


Political Debate at Minn. School Gets Ugly (AP) AP - Three high school students, one allegedly armed with a bat, were charged with attacking a pro-President Bush classmate after he reportedly said only gays would support Sen. John Kerry.


Arafat to Be Flown to Cairo on Friday - Aide  RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Dead Palestinian leader  Yasser Arafat's body will be flown to Cairo for a ceremony  Friday and then to the West Bank city of Ramallah for burial  the same day, a former aide said Thursday.


Mets Ready to Deal; All They Need Is a Trade Partner Mets General Manager Omar Minahas has met with most of the teams that may be willing to trade big-money marquee players in blockbuster deals.


Freeing the Grapes? It bothers Juanita Swedenburg that many of her customers are criminals in the eyes of the law. Swedenburg sells premium handmade wines from grapes that she grows on her 130-acre farm in northern Virginia, and


Arafat Forced His People's Plight Into the World Spotlight The Palestinian leader spent his final days in a coma at a French military hospital outside Paris.


Jones Is Said to Be Near a Deal for Barneys The Jones Apparel Group, a \$4.3 billion clothing company with a middle-brow reputation, is close to making a deal to buying the Barneys chain.


PeopleSoft Directors Reject Oracle #39;s Offer The board of PeopleSoft Inc. yesterday rejected Oracle Corp. #39;s \$24-a-share hostile takeover bid as too cheap, but said it was open to a deal at a higher price.


Washington Station Offers Gas, Snacks and Hydrogen At an ordinary filling station about a mile east of the Capitol that has the usual selection of regular, premium and diesel at the pumps and chewing gum and soda next


Australian jobless rate hits 27-year low CANBERRA, Australia -- Australia #39;s jobless rate fell to 5.3 percent last month, the lowest level for 27 years, the government said Thursday.


Record Exports Help Bring US Trade Deficit Down a Bit The United States trade deficit shrank to \$51.6 billion in September, as exports posted their best month on record. In another report, new claims for jobless


Merck Chief Is Asked to Testify A top Republican lawmaker called Wednesday for Merck  amp; Company to answer questions about its withdrawn drug Vioxx on Nov. 18 at the first Congressional hearing to address the drug #39;s safety problems.


Ex-Disney Director Says He Was Briefed on Ovitz #39;s Pay By Bloomberg News. Michael D. Eisner, the chief executive of Walt Disney, kept board members abreast of the negotiations to hire the talent agent Michael S. Ovitz as the company #39;s president


Profit Rises 27 at Whole Foods By Bloomberg News. Whole Foods Market Inc., the largest natural-foods grocer in the United States, said yesterday that fourth-quarter profit rose 27 percent as sales increased.


MGM Mirage hotel-condo complex would be Vegas  #39;hub #39; Gaming giant MGM Mirage (MGM) announced plans Wednesday for a \$4.7 billion luxury complex of hotels, condominiums and shopping centers on the Las Vegas Strip.


After Accord, Sudan Camp Raided Just hours after the government agreed to a peace deal Tuesday aimed at ending violence in Darfur, Sudanese police arrived at this battered camp in the middle of the night, beating residents with wooden poles, bulldozing and burning shelters and firing tear gas into a health clinic, residents and aid workers reported.


Seeking Salvation in the City of Insurgents FALLUJAH, Iraq -- He first tried to get to Iraq in April 2003, when U.S. troops established control over the country and jihad became a place on a map.


3 Abu Ghraib Trials Moved to U.S. The U.S. military announced Thursday that the courts-martial of three Army reservists charged with abusing Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison would be transferred from Baghdad to Fort Hood, Tex.


G.M. Enlists Orman to Pitch Financing Promotion Suze Orman, a financial planner and CNBC talk show host, wants to tell you about a can't-miss car deal.


Young banned for life after 2nd doping violation United States sprinter Jerome Young was banned for life by the US Anti-Doping Agency yesterday following his second positive test for an illegal steroid in a case that could affect a US relay team #39;s gold medal from Sydney.


Clippers Thrash Artest-Less Pacers Clippers 102, Pacers 68 INDIANAPOLIS -- All the injuries and Ron Artest #39;s benching finally caught up with Indiana, in historic fashion. Elton Brand had 19 points and 16 rebounds and the Los Angeles Clippers took control of the lethargic


NC State seeks offensive turnaround The time for redemption is at hand for the North Carolina State football team, and if the Wolfpack don #39;t follow through, a once-promising season will end with the program #39;s first losing record since 1996.


No. 21 Wisconsin 81, Wis.-Parkside 42 Alando Tucker, who missed all but four games last season with a foot injury, scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead No. 21 Wisconsin to an 81-42 exhibition victory over Wisconsin-Parkside Wednesday night.


Fighters Look to Separate Themselves From Crowd Since Lennox Lewis #39;s retirement, the heavyweight division has been knocked for having more quantity than quality. Eight heavyweights on Saturday night #39;s card at Madison Square Garden hope to change that perception, at least for one night.


Cat Stevens gets peace prize Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev honored the singer formerly known as Cat Stevens with a peace prize. Yusuf Islam was awarded the  quot;Man for Peace quot; award in Rome at the opening of a meeting of Nobel Peace Prize laureates.


Police fire tear gas on rape claim protesters SRINAGAR: Police detained a separatist leader and fired tear gas shells to scatter protesters in Kashmir yesterday, the fourth straight day of protests against the alleged rape of a young girl and her mother by an Indian soldier.


For Arafat, His Life Personified His Dream For virtually his entire adult life, Yasser Arafat had one dream, and he pursued it with such energy and zeal -- some would say fanaticism -- that he came to personify the dream itself.


Falling dollar may raise problems The world used to be green with envy over the greenback, but now the stuff in your wallet can #39;t seem to shake the blues. It #39;s not that the United States is on the verge of singing  quot;Brother, Can You Spare a


Cavs Rally Past Suns 114-109 in Overtime (AP) AP - On his souvenir bobblehead night, Zydrunas Ilgauskas shook Gund Arena and the Phoenix Suns. Cleveland's 7-foot-3 center drained three long jumpers, including a tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation, and the Cavaliers rallied for a 114-109 overtime win against Phoenix on Wednesday night, the Suns' first loss this season.


Search Swagger That #39;s the game Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. are playing as the search-engine war heats up. Microsoft is rolling out a new search engine today, touting it as  quot;the largest index of information, quot; with more than 5 billion Web documents.


NASA Tries to Break Speed Record With Last Plane Test (Update1) NASA will test its latest jet-powered aircraft for the final time next week, aiming to set a world record by flying at 10 times the speed of sound.


LeFors, No. 12 Louisville Crush TCU 55-28 (AP) AP - Stefan LeFors threw three touchdown passes and No. 12 Louisville rolled to a 55-28 victory over TCU on Wednesday night.


Oil Below  #36;49, Fears of U.S. Cold Snap (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices stayed close to  #36;49 a\barrel on Thursday, supported by a forecast for an early cold\snap in the United States that could put a strain on a thin\supply cushion of winter heating fuel.


Oh Ho Ho, Those Holiday Sales! Gavin Reynolds (Rochester, NY) 12/03/04 - From dawn until dusk retailers are pulling out all the stops to make every weekend like the day after Thanksgiving.


Update: PeopleSoft rejects Oracle's 'final' offer PeopleSoft's board of directors today rejected Oracle's latest \$24-per-share "best and final offer" for the company, leaving the outcome in the hands of PeopleSoft shareholders.


Google gives Gmail POP3 support, plans antivirus features With POP3 support, Gmail users will be able to transfer their messages to a client-side e-mail application and store the messages on their local hard drives, making them accessible off-line.


Microsoft Unveils its New Search Engine - At Last After months of speculation and two 'preview' releases, Microsoft has taken the wraps off of its new MSN search engine, the first major competitor to join the big leagues of web search in nearly a year.


Lawmakers to Question FDA, Merck Over Vioxx Merck  amp; Co. Inc. Chief Executive Officer Raymond Gilmartin and FDA officials have been called to testify before Congress on Nov. 18 over safety problems with the company #39;s withdrawn


Microsoft: Firefox does not threaten IE #39;s market share Internet Explorer (IE) is no less secure than any other browser and does not lack any important features, according to Microsoft. But the managing director of Cisco admitted that he wouldnt use IE without additional protection.


Microsoft Expands Software Indemnification Program Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) is expanding its indemnification program for Windows and other software products in order to shield users from legal claims and patent


Reebok #39;s revives Pump shoe, marking industry shift to high-tech Hoping to build on the success of a shoe that generated big sales but also ridiculed when it was introduced 15 years ago, Reebok Inc.


NCAA Game Summary - TCU at Louisville Louisville, KY (Sports Network) - Stefan LeFors threw three touchdown passes to lead 12th-ranked Louisville to a 55-28 rout over TCU at Papa John #39;s Cardinal Stadium.


Arsenal youngsters punch above their weight again ARSENALS first team may not have won for five matches, the slump threatening their progress in the Premiership and Champions League, but their second-stringers, the young and inexperienced


UNDATED: seven assists. Pau Gasol scored 22 points and Shane Battier added 18, and Memphis won for the first time in five games this season. Kobe Bryant, guarded by a three-man rotation, had 20 points on 4-for-19 shooting for the Lakers.


Raptors look to cool off Jazz CBC SPORTS ONLINE - The Toronto Raptors will face yet another Western team that has manhandled them over the years. Fresh off a 108-92 drubbing at the hands of the Sacramento Kings, the Raptors head to Utah


Israeli Troops Kill 3 Palestinian Militants-Sources (Reuters) Reuters - Israeli soldiers shot dead\three Palestinian militants near the West Bank city of Nablus\on Thursday, Palestinian security sources said.


Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat Dies at 75 Yasser Arafat, the leader for decades of a fight for Palestinian independence from Israel, has died at a military hospital in Paris, according to news reports.


Blair heads to US under growing pressure to shed "poodle" image (AFP) AFP - British Prime Minister Tony Blair was due to fly to Washington for talks with President George W. Bush under more pressure than ever to reap rewards for his support of the unpopular US-led war in Iraq.


Microsoft Launches Its Own Web Search Tool (Reuters) Reuters - Microsoft Corp. unveiled a preliminary\version of its Web search engine late on Wednesday, in its\first attack on Google Inc. leading position in the market.


Intel Readies Centrino-Style Push for Desktops (Reuters) Reuters - Intel Corp.  will unveil\next year a bundle of chips designed for home entertainment\computers, and support the move with a branding campaign\modeled on the successful launch of its Centrino chips for\notebook computers, a person briefed on the matter said.


Palestinians Mourn Death of Yasser Arafat (AP) AP - Palestinians reacted with tears and tributes to the death of their leader Yasser Arafat on Thursday.


PeopleSoft's board recommends shareholders reject Oracle takeover bid (AFP) AFP - Senior executives at business software group PeopleSoft unanimously recommended that its shareholders reject a 8.8 billion dollar takeover bid from Oracle Corp, PeopleSoft said in a statement Wednesday.


SunTrust Fires 3 Executives Over Miscalculations SunTrust Banks said yesterday that it had fired its chief credit officer and two other executives after finding numerous errors in calculating how much to set aside for bad loans.


Alabama A amp;M coach is in game of his life In another time and place, a spot in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic would have been about an opportunity for Alabama A amp;M of the Southwestern Athletic Conference to gain exposure and build upon last season #39;s 13-17 record.


Jaish gives more time to Afghan govt PESHAWAR: The Jaishul Muslimeen on Wednesday said it had agreed to an Afghan government request to give it more time to locate the 26 prisoners whose release has been demanded in return for the freedom of the three UN hostages.


Annan Urges Greater Effort on Middle East Peace  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi  Annan was "deeply moved" by the death of Palestinian President  Yasser Arafat and urged renewed efforts by the Palestinians and  the Israelis to reach peace, a spokesman said late on  Wednesday.


Palestinian Leaders to Transfer Arafat Powers  RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian leaders  prepared on Thursday to transfer President Yasser Arafat's  powers to three key figures who will take on the most important  roles he held, officials said.


Norway to talk with Tamil Tigers Norway's foreign minister is due to meet  Tamil rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran  to revive the peace process in Sri Lanka.


Tributes to Arafat led by Blair Tony Blair pays tribute to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat after his death in a French hospital aged 75.


James Rallies Cavs LeBron James pulls the Cavaliers back with a 17-point fourth-quarter to eventually deal the Suns their first loss of the season, 114-109, on Wednesday.


State for Palestinians and Peace With Israel Left Unrealized Yasir Arafat, the Palestinian leader, died early Thursday morning in a Paris hospital, a French military spokesman announced.


Dollar Up After Fed, Tokyo Shares Slide  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The dollar rebounded on Thursday,  lifting shares of some Asian exporters, after the Federal  Reserve raised interest rates as expected and indicated it  would press ahead with further increases at a measured pace.


Some Fight Baseball Tax Various groups are lobbying efforts to shift the brunt of a \$26 million annual baseball stadium tax onto other companies.


Trade Deficit Falls, But Big Gap Persists September trade data prompted economists to warn anew that the dollar, which briefly hit a record low against the euro Wednesday morning, is likely to continue moving downward in the months ahead.


Fannie Regulator's Budget Loses Key Backer, for Now  A senior House Democrat said yesterday that he will not support a budget increase for the federal regulator of Fannie Mae until questions raised in a confidential report have been addressed.


Waxman Seeks New Halliburton Inquiry  Citing newly disclosed State Department documents, Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) called yesterday for further congressional hearings on Halliburton Co.'s contracts in Kuwait and Iraq.


N.Y. Mayor Has Plans To Import Flu Shots Scrambling to ease a vaccine crunch, New York City joined other jurisdictions ordering vaccine from Europe, putting pressure on the Bush administration to authorize the shipments.


Australia jobless at 26-year low Unemployment in Australia sinks to the lowest level since 1978, giving a further boost to the re-elected government of John Howard.


PeopleSoft Directors Reject Oracle's Offer The board of PeopleSoft Inc. Wednesday rejected Oracle Corp.'s \$24-a-share hostile takeover bid as too cheap, but said it was open to a deal at a higher price.
 -The Washington Post


Holiday Forecast: Online Sales to Grow When I ordered Christmas presents last week from L.L. Bean's 295-page holiday catalog, I visited the Web site because I thought it might offer bargains and be as quick as a phone call.-washingtonpost.com


E-Mail Authentication Will Not Stop Spammers For consumers and businesses increasingly shaken by the growing onslaught of unwanted e-mail and computer viruses, any hope for quick relief was dashed Wednesday during a government-hosted gathering of technology experts.
 -The Washington Post


Latest Conspiracy Theory Hits the Ether Even as Sen. John F. Kerry's campaign is steadfastly refusing to challenge the results of the presidential election, the bloggers and the mortally wounded party loyalists and the spreadsheet-wielding conspiracy theorists are filling the Internet with head-turning allegations.


Fed warns of growing budget gap Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan says the growing US budget deficit might destabilize the economy. Fed Governor Susan Bies says Congress spends like it #39;s dipping into a  quot;a cookie jar.