Space telescope spots new supernova The latest image from NASA #39;s Hubble Space Telescope highlights a stellar blast that was first discovered by an amateur astronomer a little more than a month ago.


Non-Olympian Shaheen sets a world record Saif Saaeed Shaheen of Qatar set a world record in the steeplechase at the Van Damme Memorial meet on Friday. The Kenyan-born runner, kept out of the Athens Olympics by the Kenyan


High noon decision for Gerrard Sven-Goran Eriksson will delay any decision about Steven Gerrard #39;s involvement in tomorrow night #39;s World Cup qualifier against Austria until a few hours before the match.


Bonds hits No. 697, Giants rout Diamondbacks Barry Bonds is three home runs away from joining Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth in baseball #39;s 700 club. Bonds hit his 697th homer in the San Francisco Giants #39; 18-7 home victory over Arizona on Friday night, a two


Wilkinson Backs Woodward to Succeed World Cup-winning fly-half Jonny Wilkinson has no doubt former England coach Sir Clive Woodward will succeed in pursuing a new challenge in football.


Yankees: Giambi mum on Pituitary tumor report Jason Giambi declined comment on a report in yesterday #39;s New York Daily News that indicated the Yankees first baseman has been receiving treatment for a benign tumor on his pituitary gland.


Russian massacre Commandos stormed a school yesterday in southern Russia and battled separatist rebels holding hundreds of hostages, as crying children, some naked and covered in blood, fled through explosions and gunfire.


German literary treasures lost in fire Up to 30,000 irreplaceable books were destroyed in a fire Thursday night at one of Germany #39;s most historic libraries, although thousands more were spirited to safety by a chain of people.


Iranian hard-liners praise Palestinian bombers About 50 hard-line Iranians on Thursday placed a gravestone at a Tehran cemetery to commemorate the deaths of two Palestinians who carried out twin suicide bombings that killed 16 Israelis this week, witnesses said.


Saudi Militant Killed in Clash Saudi security forces have killed a wanted militant near the scene of a deadly shootout Thursday. Officials say the militant was killed in a gunbattle Friday in the northern town of Buraida, hours after one


Musharraf and Aziz finalise strategy for New Delhi talks Ahead of the crucial talks between the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan, President Pervez Musharraf and new Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday jointly finalised the strategy to be adopted at the New Delhi talks, emphasising that progress on all


Nepal relaxes unrest curfew Nepal has eased a curfew imposed on the capital to contain widespread rioting sparked by the slaying of 12 Nepalese captives in Iraq.


August shows a pickup in hiring US job growth revived last month, the government reported yesterday, as employers added 144,000 jobs to their nonfarm payrolls in August, seasonally adjusted -arely enough


ASEAN ministers to talk free trade Southeast Asian economic ministers meet this weekend with counterparts from regional powerhouses China, Japan and South Korea in an effort to liberalize trade and boost business.


EU, Japan win WTO approval to impose duties on US The European Union, Japan, Brazil and five other countries won World Trade Organization approval to impose tariffs worth more than \$150 million a year on imports from the United


Court denies Tribune media-merger request A federal appeals court on Friday denied a request from Tribune Co., publisher of the Chicago Tribune, to allow mergers between newspapers and broadcast stations in markets with at least nine television stations.


Nation/world briefs NEW YORK - The US service sector accelerated its hiring in August, but its growth rate slowed markedly compared with July, according to a report released Friday.


When parents are too hands-on The most common back-to-school message from educators and parenting experts is: Get involved with your children, their school, their activities.


Vaughan lauds mighty Flintoff Michael Vaughan refused to let his own dismal run with the bat take the sheen off England #39;s emphatic victories in the NatWest Challenge against India.


Tennis: Roddick sinks Nadal Defending champion Andy Roddick eases into the third round of the US Open in straight sets.


Karzai sworn in as Afghan president (AFP) AFP - Hamid Karzai was sworn in as Afghanistan's first democratically elected president at a ceremony in the capital Kabul, witnesses said.


Frances Poised to Slog Ashore in Florida STUART, Fla. - Hurricane Frances lost some steam and hesitated off the Florida coast Friday, prolonging the anxiety among the millions evacuated and raising fears of a slow, ruinous drenching over the Labor Day weekend...


Clinton a Little Scared of Bypass Surgery NEW YORK - Bill Clinton said he was "a little scared, but not much" of undergoing heart bypass surgery, but was looking forward to a swift recovery and resuming normal activities such as jogging.    The former president was hospitalized Friday with chest pains and shortness of breath...


Bonds Hits No. 697, Giants Rout D'backs (AP) AP - Barry Bonds is three home runs away from joining Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth in baseball's 700 club. Bonds hit his 697th homer in the San Francisco Giants' 18-7 home victory over Arizona on Friday night, a two-run shot off Edgardo Gonzalez (0-8) in the second inning.


IDC: External disk storage up Worldwide sales of external disk storage systems hit \$3.5 billion in the second quarter, up 8 percent from the same period a year ago, according to research firm IDC.


World horrified at bloody end to Russian hostage crisis (AFP) AFP - World leaders expressed horror at the bloody end to the Russian hostage crisis, calling it a tragedy which resulted from a  quot;nauseating quot; and  quot;barbaric quot; terrorist attack.


Hestrie out of Golden contention For Hestrie Cloete, the season is all but over, as South Africa #39;s high jump world champion failed to continue her winning streak in the Golden League on Friday night in Brussels.


BASEBALL: RED-HOT SOX CLIP THE ANGELS #39; WINGS BOSTON RED SOX fans are enjoying their best week of the season. While their beloved team swept wild-card rivals Anaheim in a three-game series to establish a nine-game winning streak, the hated New York Yankees endured the heaviest loss in their history.


Lucky escape for Schuey MILAN: Michael Schumacher escaped unhurt after a heavy crash in testing at Monza on Thursday, days after the Ferrari driver won an unprecedented seventh Formula One title.


Stunned rookie lands pole FONTANA ---- Brian Vickers #39; qualifying lap for Sunday #39;s Nextel Cup Pop Secret 500 felt almost too good to the rookie.  quot;When you cross the line after a lap like that and everything feels awesome, you #39;re waiting


Tiger in unfamiliar spot NORTON -- The most famous last name in golf history is locked in a tie for first place with the most recognized figure in the game after the first round of the second annual Deutsche Bank Championship.


South Korea to explain uranium experiments at IAEA meetings this month (AFP) AFP - South Korean officials will meet with the UN nuclear watchdog this month to explain about controversial uranium enrichment tests conducted four years ago, Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon said.


G Log Readies Launch Of Logistics Software Upgrade (TechWeb) TechWeb - Global Logistics Technologies Inc. plans to launch next week an upgrade of its logistics and transportation system.


India, Pakistan in Talks to Nudge Peace Process  NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India and Pakistan began talks on  Saturday looking for ways to nudge forward a peace process that  appears to be running into problems over their half-century  dispute over the Kashmir region.


Saints' Gleason apologizes for low blow Saints special teams captain Steve Gleason expects to be fined by the league after being ejected from Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers for throwing a punch.


Intel stock tumbles 7 after lowered outlook SAN FRANCISCO - Intel Corp. #39;s shares fell more than 7 percent yesterday, a day after the computer chip giant #39;s management lowered the company #39;s financial projections after concluding businesses and consumers aren #39;t in a spending mood.


Bye Bye Byrd With the WTO giving India and seven other complainants the right to slap American imports with tariffs of their own, the US has ended up scoring an own goal.


Ont. judge agrees to appoint Hollinger Inc. inspector An Ontario court judge has made the rare move of agreeing to appoint an inspector to probe related-party deals at Conrad Black #39;s Canadian holding company Hollinger Inc


Distant planets, smaller than gas giants, found BOSTON American scientists say they have discovered two of the smallest planets ever detected outside our solar system - a sign, they said, that they are on the right track in the quest to find Earth-like planets that could potentially support life.


SETIhome Signal Story Sees Much More Than Meets the Eye A recent article in New Scientist magazine, entitled  Mysterious signals from 1000 light years away, implies that the UC Berkeley SETIhome project has uncovered a very convincing candidate


Solberg takes early lead Solberg got off to an astonishing start, winning three of the opening four stages to charge into a 20-second lead before losing a handful of seconds to Loeb on stages five and six.


US tops Slovakia, 3-1 It #39;s pretty rare that a first-ballot Hall of Famer, the third-leading goal-scorer in NHL history, gets benched. But the United States had opened the World Cup of


RUGBY UNION: I WAS IN TOTAL CONTROL AT THE WORLD CUP.. NOW I #39;VE <b>...</b> SIR CLIVE WOODWARD left office yesterday still furious at the failure to build on England #39;s World Cup triumph. The biggest voice in the sport was never likely to go quietly but Woodward did not pull any punches


Libya to pay victims of Berlin disco attack Libya has signed an agreement to pay \$35-million (US) in compensation for non-American victims in the 1986 bombing of a discotheque in West Berlin, the latest step in the country #39;s


on the record: ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said that the development of the social sector of the country was the priority of the government.


Police Raid Nuclear Plant Offices Dozens of police officers on today raided the offices of Kansai Electric at the site of Japans worst nuclear plant accident as part of a criminal investigation into the tragedy that killed five people last month, an official said.


EU proposes changes to Stability Pact The European Commission yesterday presented a proposed revision of the Stability and Growth Pact, the rules that underpin the euro.


Hoosiers decode messages from Mars be the first on your block to decode a secret message to Mars and win a toy Lego model! But this was NASA speaking, in conjunction


Kahne qualifies in 5th for Nextel Cup event The Evernham Motorsports driver was fifth in qualifying for tomorrow #39;s Pop Secret 500, a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race. Kahne was third in qualifying for today #39;s Target House 300, a Busch Series race.


QRS Spurns JDA, Chooses Inovis QRS received five unsolicited offers throughout the summer, one from a shareholder of the company. But Inovis won the deal with a \$7-per-share offer.


Bosox pull within 21/2 It took the Red Sox 19 days to slash eight games off New York #39;s AL East lead. And they #39;re not done yet.  quot;We #39;re just going to take care of what we can take care of, quot; reliever Mike


South Korea to explain uranium experiments at IAEA meetings this <b>...</b> SEOUL - South Korean officials will meet with the UN nuclear watchdog this month to explain about controversial uranium enrichment tests conducted four years ago, Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon said on Saturday.


India, Pakistan prepare for talks NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan on Saturday began talks to prepare the ground for two days of ministerial dialogue from Sunday aimed at normalising ties between the two nuclear-armed rivals.


India, Pakistan Leaders Begin Peace Talks (AP) AP - Foreign secretaries from nuclear rivals India and Pakistan began a new round of peace talks Saturday on a series of festering issues, including their decades-old dispute over the Himalayan region of Kashmir.


Football: England start campaign England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson says a decent start to the World Cup qualifying campaign is vital.


Putin Orders Crackdown After School Siege President Vladimir Putin ordered a crackdown in southern Russia after a school siege killed at least 250, and warned Chechen sympathisers on Saturday they would be seen as "accomplices of terrorism."


Pay music services have limits Consumers may not be getting what they think when they pay to download music. After years of resisting the inevitable, the music industry has responded to the music download phenomenon by offering music in digital formats through online stores.


Russian, US astronauts leave ISS on maintenance mission The Russian-US crew of the International Space Station (ISS) went on a five-hour space walk overnight to carry out maintenance work, Russian space officials said on Saturday, quoted by ITAR-TASS news agency.


Astronomers discover first Neptune-sized planets outside our solar <b>...</b> A team of astronomers announced last week the discovery of some of the smallest planets yet detected beyond our solar system. The two newly discovered planets represent a new class of extrasolar planets, and


Popular spam fighter #39;s effectiveness questioned A technological weapon against unwanted  #39; #39;spam quot; e-mails that has been embraced by leading Internet companies doesn #39;t work as well as its developers had hoped, according to a new study.


Tech: Back to Earth with a Thud In the middle of the Sept. 3 tech wreck on Wall Street, there was at least one upside to chip giant Intel #39;s (INTC ) lowering of expectations for the current quarter: It made it easier for other tech companies


Chip Maker SMIC Boosts Capacity and Profits Chip maker SMIC experienced healthy growth  quot;primarily due to our increase in capacity and increased demands of our customers for wafers, quot; said company chairman Richard Chang.


Roddick, Hewitt through to US Open third round Defending champion Andy Roddick of the United States stormed into the third round of the 17.8 million US dollars US Open Friday. The American big-server blasted 10 aces enroute


Kim increases lead at State Farm Classic Springfield, Illinois - Christina Kim followed up her career best round with a six-under 66 here on Friday to increase her lead to four strokes in the \$1,2-million (about R8-million) State Farm Classic.


Solberg quickest at Rally of Japan TOKYO, Japan -- World champion Petter Solberg dominated the second day of the Rally of Japan, winning six of Saturday #39;s nine special stages and opening up a one minute and eight second lead.


Pedro powers by Rangers They #39;re in the midst of one of the most relentless marches in their modern history, a 10-game winning streak that has them climbing up the backs of the New York Yankees and leaving their wild card rivals behind.


Brown loses by TKO In the course of his first year in pinstripes, Kevin Brown has endured a two-month bout with an intestinal parasite and had two cortisone shots for lower back pain.


Giambi, Yanks won #39;t discuss published report Jason Giambi stepped out of his black convertible with the California plates outside Yankee Stadium on Friday evening and was met by a Yankees security official.


Lebanon Moves to Extend President #39;s Term BEIRUT, Lebanon Sept. 4, 2004 - Lebanese lawmakers amended their constitution to keep pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud in office, boldly reaffirming their loyalty to Damascus and defying a UN resolution calling for presidential elections.


E Guinea investigators to arrive soon On the eve of the arrival of Equatorial Guinea investigators in South Africa, authorities in Malabo have said that the trial of eight South African alleged mercenaries could drag on for a considerable time.


Schroeder meeting with Gaddafi announced after deal German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will travel to Tripoli on October 15 for a meeting with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, government sources said on Saturday.


US, Iraqi forces clash with militants BAGHDAD, Iraq - American and Iraqi troops clashed with insurgents north of Baghdad on Saturday, killing two militants and injuring three Iraqi National Guards, the US military said.


Suicide Car Bomb in Iraq #39;s Kirkuk Kills 9 - Police A suicide car bomber detonated his vehicle near a police academy in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Saturday, killing at least nine people and wounding 20, police said.


US, Iraqi Forces Launch Major Offensive in Northern Iraq, 8 People <b>...</b> US and Iraqi forces have launched a major offensive against a town suspected of harboring insurgents in northern Iraq. At least eight people have been killed and dozens injured in the fighting in Tal Afar Saturday.


ET Might Prefer a Letter Description: We check in with the progress of search for extraterrestrial intelligence. A paper published this week in the journal Nature argues that for sending lots of data over long distances, it #39;s hard


Briefs Woods shares 1st-round lead at Deutsche Bank NORTON, Mass. - Tiger Woods shot a 6-under 65 at the Deutsch Bank Championship to tie for the lead with Ryan Palmer, one stroke ahead of Mark OMeara and two others.


Progress With Pakistan  #39;not Insignificant #39;: Indian PM NEW DELHI, Sept 4 (AFP) - Progress in ongoing peace talks with Pakistan has been  quot;not insignificant quot; and the process can be sustained, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Saturday.


PluggedIn: HDTV 'Starter' Kit for PC Comes with Some Kinks (Reuters) Reuters - High-definition television can\show the sweat beading on an athlete's brow, but the cost of\all the necessary electronic equipment can get a shopper's own\pulse racing.


Blazing U.S. Profit Growth to Cool (Reuters) Reuters - Wall Street investors will get their\first glimpses in September of how companies performed in the\third quarter, and financial experts say don't look for too\many positive earnings surprises.


France Hopes Iraq Hostages Will Be Freed Soon (Reuters) Reuters - France said on Saturday it hoped Islamic\militants were about to free two French hostages, but urged\caution as fresh violence erupted in Iraq.


Cryonics Facility Must Show Willams Note (AP) AP - An Arizona cryonics facility must show a document to the nephews of the late Ted Williams that could prove the baseball Hall of Famer wanted to be frozen after his death, a judge has ruled.


Roddick Keeps Home Flag Flying in New York  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Defending champion Andy Roddick kept  the home flag flying at the U.S. Open Friday, but it was a bad  day for his compatriots as only two American men reached the  third round, their worst showing in tournament history.


Spacewalking Astronauts Install Antennas (AP) AP - Leaving their orbiting outpost unmanned, the international space station's two astronauts floated outside on a spacewalk Friday and plugged in new antennas and replaced a worn-out piece of cooling equipment.


Company Making Fake Urine for Researchers (AP) AP - In Kevin Dyches' mind, the future is yellow. Dyna-Tek Industries, a company Kevin and his wife, Sandra, bought five years ago, has developed synthetic urine for the research industry.


L.A. Development Unearths Indian Cemetery (AP) AP - It was inevitable that crews building a massive housing development near west Los Angeles wetlands would unearth American Indian remains.


Tech, Oil and Frances to Rule Markets  NEW YORK (Reuters) - As if Intel's profit bomb didn't put  enough of a damper on the summer-ending long weekend, investors  returning next week after Labor Day will be wary of a market  offering as much pitfall as promise.


Biophysicist William Siri Dies at 85 (AP) AP - William Siri, a biophysicist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who helped lead the first American expedition to reach Mount Everest's summit, has died at age 85.


Russia School Death Toll Includes 155 Children  BESLAN, Russia (Reuters) - At least 322 people, almost half  of them children, died in the bloodbath that ended a school  siege by Chechen separatists in southern Russia, a senior  justice official said on Saturday.


Employees Face More Benefit Choices  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Within the next few weeks, workers  are likely to find a little something extra in their paychecks.  No, sorry ... it's not money. Those fat envelopes will be  stuffed with the paperwork that goes with new benefit plans.


India, Pakistan Agree to Deepen Peace Process  NEW DELHI (Reuters) -  India and Pakistan agreed on  Saturday to "deepen and broaden" a peace process that in recent  months has appeared to stall over their half-century dispute  over the Kashmir region.


Suicide Car Bomb in Iraq's Kirkuk Kills 17 - Police  KIRKUK, Iraq (Reuters) - A suicide car bomber detonated his  vehicle near a police academy in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk on  Saturday, killing at least 17 people and wounding 32, police  said.


Away on Business: Islands of Refuge  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Today's highly stressed business  travelers may need islands of respite to restore the spirit and  calm the tensions that build with security checks, crowded  flights and navigating a car in unfamiliar territory.


Clashes Kill 11 in Iraq, U.S. Copter Forced to Land  MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S.-led forces backed by warplanes  battled insurgents in northern Iraq on Saturday, killing at  least 11 people and wounding 52 others, the U.S. military and  Iraqi doctors said.


France Hopes Iraq Hostages Will Be Freed Soon  PARIS (Reuters) - France said on Saturday it hoped Islamic  militants were about to free two French hostages, but urged  caution as fresh violence erupted in Iraq.


Japan Princess Breaks Seclusion, Visits Emperor  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Crown Princess Masako emerged  briefly on Saturday from months of seclusion to visit the  emperor, but officials said it might be difficult for her to  resume her official duties this year.


Woods right on course There have been signs of danger he has read about, warnings of trouble told to him.


Falling out of range While the Red Sox celebrated their 10th straight victory and picked up another game on that team from New York, the Texas Rangers, following last night's 2-0 loss at Fenway Park, were left to wonder where their season is going.


System proving a hit The purists went berserk back in 1993. They hated the idea. The wild card was bad for baseball. Just wait and see.


Is Giambi tumor in pituitary? Yankees slugger Jason Giambi still wants to keep his medical situation private, even though a newspaper report yesterday detailed the location and treatment of his benign tumor.


Decision appealing for Kapler and Nixon Beware, titans of the legal world. There may be a new force in town.  quot;I'm going to hire the law firm of Kapler and Nixon, quot; Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said after outfielders Gabe Kapler and Trot Nixon yesterday won the appeals of their three-game suspensions and \$1,000 fines for their roles in the July 24 bench-clearing incident with ...


Rangers steering through recent skid With a little under three hours to go before the first pitch of a crucial series with the Red Sox, the Texas Rangers -- losers of four straight games -- looked anything but concerned about their immediate fate on the diamond.


Dolphins weren't all game The Miami Dolphins arrived for their final exhibition game last night in New Orleans short nine players.


Bush leads way on campaign trail President  Bush says better job figures show his policies are working, as a new opinion poll puts him in the lead.


Teams looking for an edge The United States Soccer Federation has struck a profitable vein since it began sending its national teams to the Boston area in 1991. The US men's team has an 11-1-3 record in Norfolk County and even the defeat -- 2-0 to the Netherlands -- prepared the Americans for their greatest series of conquests several days later in the 2002 World ...


Bryant case seen as plagued from start EAGLE, Colo. -- The rape case against Kobe Bryant finally fell to pieces shortly after 11 a.m. Wednesday, when his accuser called District Attorney Mark Hurlbert to say she had had enough and would no longer cooperate. The call set in motion a series of events that ended with the charges being thrown out little more than eight hours later.


Russian press review Saturday's Russian press is dominated by the bloody hostage drama in North Ossetia .


Fitzpatrick, Harvard are thinking big Recently named one of 16  quot;players to watch quot; for the 2004 Walter Payton Award, senior quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick looks to lead the Harvard football team to its first Ivy League title since 2001.


US plans new resolution on Darfur The US says it is preparing a new UN resolution to deal with the crisis in the troubled Darfur region of Sudan.


Brown forced to play spectator Since taking over as football coach at the University of Massachusetts in the spring, Don Brown has placed his mark on the team he helped lead to the 1998 Division 1-AA national championship as defensive coordinator. Imagine how difficult it will be for the Minutemen to play today's season opener at Delaware State as if their charismatic mentor doesn't exist.


O'Meara back in mix with 66 There would be louder noise generated by his neighbor and friend later in the day, but Mark O'Meara wasn't complaining about his quiet stroll along the tree-lined fairways yesterday morning in the first round of the Deutsche Bank Championship.


Changes catch players' ayes It's hard to dispute that having Tiger Woods in the lead after yesterday's first round of the Deutsche Bank Championship was good news for tournament organizers. It just may not have been the best news of the day.


On pro side, amateur Vana had fun Debbie and Frank Vana Sr. have followed their son over countless fairways in numerous tournaments, but yesterday was something  quot;very special. quot;


End-of-summer gas prices fall For the hundreds of thousands of New Englanders who will fill up the tank and hit the road this Labor Day weekend, a trip to the gas station is turning out to be a few dollars cheaper than it was on Memorial Day -- even though world oil prices keep climbing.


Northeastern Conference BEVERLY Coach: Dan Bauer (second year). Last year's record: 4-7. Returning starters (7): Nate Boynton, OT/DT, 6-3, 290, Sr.; Armando Cuko, kicker/punter, 5-11, 180, Sr.; Justin Fisher, OL/DL, 5-9, 230, Sr.; Dan Abate, WR/DB, 5-8, 165, Sr.; Travis Anderson, WR/DB, 5-8, 175, Sr.; Chris Kruczynski, OL/DL, 6-1, 240, Sr.; Jason Comeau, C/DL, 6-0, 215, Sr. Returning lettermen: Nick Abraham, RB/LB, ...


Hockomock League  CANTON Coach: Tom Bresnahan (fourth year, 14-16). Last year's record: 7-3. Returning starters (5) : Chris Bell, OT/LB, 6-0, 250, Sr.; Mike Alberts, OL/DL, 5-10, 235, Sr.; Hashim Haneef, TE/DE, 6-2, 200, Sr.; Rob Powell, G/DT, 5-11, 235, Sr; Patrick Murphy, WR/DB, 6-1, 170, Sr. Returning lettermen: Mike Burlingame, QB/S, Sr.; Russell Burrows, G/LB, Jr.; Jacques Faubras, WR/DB, Sr.; Jason ...


August jobless rate dips The US unemployment rate fell slightly and 144,000 more people found work in August, providing both the Bush and Kerry campaigns ammunition in their battle for the presidency.


Atlantic Coast League  DENNIS-YARMOUTH Coach: Paul Funk (third year, 10-13). Last year's record: 5-5. Returning starters (8): Bobby Ewing, WR/S, 5-11, 170, So.; Eric Clifford, G/DE, 5-10, 215, Jr.; Adam Carreiro, T/DT, 6-4, 285, Jr.; Mark Lucier, HB/DB, 5-11, 175, Sr.; Trevor Rose, QB, 5-10, 165, Sr.; Jake St. Peter, FB/LB, 6-1, 215, Sr.; Joe Mochi, HB/LB, 5-10, 190, Sr.; Chris Marsh, G/LB, ...


Popular spam fighter's effectiveness questioned A technological weapon against unwanted ''spam quot; e-mails that has been embraced by leading Internet companies doesn't work as well as its developers had hoped, according to a new study.


Transactions BASEBALL Boston (AL): Purchased the contract of OF Adam Hyzdu from Pawtucket (IL); claimed INF Tim Hummel off waivers from Cincinnati (NL); designated P Brandon Puffer and INF Andy Dominique for assignment. Chicago (AL): Purchased the contract of P Jeff Bajenaru from Charlotte (IL). Cincinnati (NL): Activated Ps Danny Graves and Mike Matthews; claimed P Juan Padilla off waivers from ...


Contractor buys Md. firm Perini Corp. , a Framingham construction company that built one of the largest sections of the Big Dig, has agreed to purchase Cherry Hill Construction Co., a private firm in Jessup, Md., that does public works projects. Most of Perini's revenue comes from construction of gaming and themed-entertainment projects. The company has extensive work in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well. ...


NYC tops Boston in convention-related spending  NEW YORK -- The city and host committee wanted nothing more than to show they could put on a national political convention better than Boston, and by many measures they did.


Wal-Mart may settle immigration case  Wal-Mart Stores Inc. , the world's number one retailer, is in talks with the US Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania to settle an investigation into whether it knowingly hired contractors who used illegal immigrants to clean its stores.


Hewitt on auto pilot in sweeping past Arazi The planes from nearby LaGuardia have been flying unusually low over the National Tennis Center this week, but nothing has been cruising beneath the radar screen quite like Lleyton Hewitt.


These lefties were all right Francesca Schiavone, the daughter of a Milan bus driver, was traveling on foot in Flushing. Fast. Desperately. A yellow tennis ball had risen like the sun over her head -- deftly lobbed by lefthander Angela Haynes -- descending at the baseline, and bounding toward the backstop.


Today's schedule Pro baseball: Red Sox vs. Texas at Fenway Park, 1 p.m.; International League: Pawtucket vs. Rochester at McCoy Stadium, Pawtucket, R.I., 6 p.m.; Eastern League: Portland vs. New Hampshire at Hadlock Field, Portland, Maine, 6 p.m.; Atlantic League: Nashua vs. Newark at Holman Stadium, Nashua, 6:30 p.m.; Northeast League: Brockton at Bangor, 6:30 p.m.; Eastern League: Altoona at New Britain, ...


Two inmates found dead at prison Detectives are investigating the deaths of two inmates who were both found hanged at Manchester Prison.


Fans given Potter book 'preview' Author JK Rowling gives fans a brief preview of the next Harry Potter novel, it is reported.


Over 200 dead at Russia school  BESLAN, Russia -- The hostage standoff at a school near Chechnya ended tragically yesterday with more than 200 children and adults reported killed and hundreds injured in an afternoon of fighting.


2 shot fatally in Gaza GAZA CITY -- Israeli troops killed two Palestinians in separate clashes yesterday, and Israeli helicopters fired three missiles at a Gaza warehouse the army said was used for making weapons.


Key EU powers weigh bringing Iran nuclear issue to UN panel VALKENBURG, the Netherlands -- Major European powers were discussing yesterday whether to take Iran to the UN Security Council amid frustration at its failure to cooperate fully with UN efforts to make sure it is not secretly trying to develop atomic weapons.


Private earns division's first Iraq Silver Star BAGHDAD -- An 18-year-old private earned the first Silver Star medal awarded to a soldier from the First Cavalry Division serving in Iraq, after he helped fight off a deadly guerrilla ambush in May that killed two of his companions and wounded five.


Population parley told Bush policies hurt women LONDON -- Organizations concerned with reproductive health and sex education sharply criticized the Bush administration yesterday, saying that its policies are contributing to the worldwide AIDS pandemic and the deaths of women during childbirth and from unsafe abortions.


Death Toll Rises in Russia School Standoff BESLAN, Russia - More than 340 people, including 155 children, were killed in the violence that ended a hostage standoff with militants at a southern Russian school, a prosecutor said Saturday. President Vladimir Putin accused the attackers of trying to spark an ethnic conflict that would engulf Russia's troubled Caucasus Mountains region...


Borders Shut After Russia School Standoff BESLAN, Russia - President Vladimir Putin ordered the borders of North Ossetia closed Saturday as security forces searched the southern region for militants who escaped the Russian storming of a school where they had held hundreds of people hostage, many who fled the building under fire. A news agency reported 322 bodies were pulled from the rubble...


Frances Poised to Slog Ashore in Florida MELBOURNE, Fla. - Hurricane Frances crawled toward the Florida coast Saturday, bringing a potential for 20 inches of rain and heavy flooding and prompting millions of residents and tourists to evacuate during the Labor Day weekend...


Jackson Acknowledges Settling Past Claims LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson, facing child-molestation allegations, acknowledged he has reached financial settlements with people in the past to avoid the embarrassment of going to court, but added he would never harm a child.    The six-paragraph statement was released hours before "Dateline NBC" broadcast a lengthy report alleging that the entertainer paid \$2 million to the son of an employee at his Neverland Ranch in 1990 to avoid a child-molestation accusation...


Southeast Asia, China, Japan Work to Boost Trade Southeast Asian economic ministers met on Saturday with counterparts from powerhouses Japan and China, and made progress toward liberalizing trade and boosting business, officials said.


DAILY DIGEST Enron Corp. #39;s interim chief executive has asked a federal Bankruptcy Court judge to award his firm a \$25 million  quot;success fee #39; #39; for stabilizing the fallen Houston energy giant.


EU To Decide Soon on Sanctions Against US The European Union said Wednesday it will decide soon whether to impose trade sanctions on the United States after receiving authorization to do so from the World Trade Organization


Palestinians aiming for polls in spring next year: organisers RAMALLAH - The Palestinians are hoping to hold elections across the occupied territories in spring next year, the head of the central electoral commission Ali Jarbawi said Saturday.


Japanese Police Raid Kansai Nuclear Plant Japanese police have searched a nuclear plant owned by Kansai Electric Power for evidence of any negligence that may have led to a deadly accident there last month.


US troops clash with insurgents in Iraq US and Iraqi forces clashed with insurgents in northern Iraq on Saturday after launching an operation to destroy an alleged militant cell in the town of Tal Afar, the US military said.


Japan Princess Breaks Seclusion, Visits Emperor Japan #39;s Crown Princess Masako emerged briefly on Saturday from months of seclusion to visit the emperor, but officials said it might be difficult for her to resume her official duties this year.


PluggedIn: HDTV 'Starter' Kit for PC Comes with Some Kinks  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - High-definition television can  show the sweat beading on an athlete's brow, but the cost of  all the necessary electronic equipment can get a shopper's own  pulse racing.


Japan, ASEAN agree to start FTA negotiations next April JAKARTA - Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed Saturday to launch negotiations for a free trade agreement in April next year, Japanese officials said.


Taiwan #39;s Delta sees losses from IBM adapter recall Taiwan electronics components maker Delta Electronics Inc said on Friday a recall of power adapters for laptop computers would cost it less than T\$50 million (\$1.


Six dead in Iraq blasts Six people were killed and eight others wounded Saturday when a car bomb and remote bomb exploded simultaneously next to an Iraqi police academy in Kirkuk, an Iraqi National Guard official told CNN.


Japanese princess breaks seclusion but officials say it might be difficult for her to resume her official duties this year. Naruhito were driven from the palace where they live to the nearby residence of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.


Tunnel vision boost for British bats One of the world's largest bat species is said to be thriving in captivity in a purpose-built tunnel .


US adds 144,000 jobs Bee Washington Bureau. WASHINGTON - The economy added 144,000 jobs in August, the best performance since May, but 6,000 fewer than economists had forecast, the Labor Department reported Friday.


Boeing Urges Europe to End Airbus Aid Boeing does not want a trade war over subsidies, but Europe must stop giving state aid to rival Airbus, which is destroying competition in the aerospace industry, a senior Boeing official said on Friday.


Suicide Car Bomb in Iraq #39;s Kirkuk Kills 17 - Police A suicide car bomber detonated his vehicle near a police academy in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Saturday, killing at least 17 people and wounding 32, police said.


UW search goes on as Tedford chooses to stay put Jeff Tedford would have been a slam dunk hire for Washington, but California made like Shaq yesterday and swatted away the Huskies #39; hopes.


Sony in talks to sell products at discounters TOKYO -- Electronics and entertainment giant Sony Corp. is talking with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corp. in an effort to boost sales by shipping to US discount chains with which it previously did little business.


X-Prize Long Shots Still in Play So far, one entrant, SpaceShipOne of California, seems likely to win the prize for a successful manned spacecraft launch. But three other teams say they're still in the running. By Dan Brekke.


Strange Bedfellows in E-Mail Case Civil liberties groups join the Department of Justice to protest a ruling that said ISPs can freely monitor e-mail. By Ryan Singel.


Los Angeles Clippers LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Clippers are picking up the victories you have to secure if you want to contend for a postseason berth in the Western Conference.


Malaysian PM expresses sadness over hostage tragedy in Russia Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Saturday expressed sadness over hostage-taking tragedy in Russia that killed hundreds of innocent people.


Hostage drama death toll rises MOSCOW - More than 320 bodies have been recovered from a school in Beslan, in southern Russia, after a three-day hostage-taking, officials said Saturday.


EU threatens sanctions against Sudan European Union foreign ministers reaffirmed Saturday that they would push for UN sanctions against Sudan, including a possible oil boycott, if the country does not move to end the fighting in its western Darfur region.


India, Pakistan Agree to Widen Peace Talks NEW DELHI Sept. 4, 2004 - Nuclear rivals India and Pakistan agreed Saturday to widen their peace dialogue in talks that focused on eight festering issues, including the decades-old dispute over the Himalayan region of Kashmir.


Despair and Anger in Small Russian Town After Siege (Reuters) Reuters - The killing of more than 320\children, parents and teachers during the bloody end to a\53-hour school siege left barely a family untouched in the\small Russian town of Beslan.


Pre-Human Walked Upright 6 Million Years Ago -Study (Reuters) Reuters - A chimp-sized human ancestor walked\upright 6 million years ago, far earlier than anyone had been\able to show before, researchers reported on Thursday.


Despair and Anger in Small Russian Town After Siege  BESLAN, Russia (Reuters) - The killing of more than 320  children, parents and teachers during the bloody end to a  53-hour school siege left barely a family untouched in the  small Russian town of Beslan.


Kidd returns for Nets, assists on game-winning basket Jason Kidd played only 21 minutes in his season debut. That was just enough to lift the New Jersey Nets. Making his return from knee surgery, Kidd assisted on Richard Jefferson #39;s jumper from the lane with


Expedition proves China #39;s Qinghai-Tibet Plateau glaciers shrinking Glaciers in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in west China have been shrinking at an unprecedented fast speed, said Yao Tandong, head of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Research Institute under


Golf: Kim Leads State Farm Classic American Christina Kim has a four stroke lead mid-way through the Ladies Professional Golf Association State Farm Classic in Springfield, Illinois.


Gerrard fit for England Steven Gerrard has been passed fit and plays for England in tonights 2006 World Cup qualifier against Austria, according to Sky Sports.


England in confident mood England will be seeking their third clean sweep of the summer when the NatWest Challenge against India concludes at Lord #39;s. After beating New Zealand and West Indies 3-0 and 4-0 in Tests, they have come alive


Putin says international terror at work in Russia (AFP) AFP - Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address that the hostage-taking at a school in southern Russia showed that international terrorism was at work in the country.


Pakistan calls for courage in India peace talks (Reuters) Reuters - Pakistan urged "boldness" on Saturday ahead of talks with India to advance a peace process that has faltered recently over Kashmir, while a more reserved India said progress must be measured "step-by-step".


Car Bomb Kills at Least 20 at Iraq Academy BAGHDAD, Iraq - A suicide attacker detonated a car bomb outside the police academy in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Saturday as hundreds of trainees and civilians were leaving for the day, killing at least 20 people and wounding 36, authorities said.    Ambulances raced to the scene, where seven cars were on fire...


Pope Denounces Gay Marriage in Canada VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II kept up his campaign against gay marriage Saturday, telling the ambassador from Canada - where some provinces allow same-sex couples to wed - that such unions create a "false understanding" of marriage.    In past months, the pope urged authorities to stop approving gay marriages, saying that they degrade the true sense of marriage...


Economy adds 114,000 jobs; four year job growth still negative On the campaign trail today, President Bush stressed that the economy  quot;is strong and getting stronger, quot; after the Labor Department released data showing that the economy gained 144,000 jobs in August.


Saudi Arabia Is Sued by Firm That Lost 658 in Twin Towers antor Fitzgerald, the brokerage firm that lost 658 employees in the Sept. 11 attack, has sued Saudi Arabia, charging that the kingdom  quot;provided funding and material support and substantial assistance quot; to Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.


British firm reconsiders Boeing #39;s Wichita plant LONDON - British engineering firm GKN will take another look at buying Boeing #39;s Wichita manufacturing plant, it said yesterday.


MGM shares drop 8 pct on potential for lower bids Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (MGM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) shares dropped 8 percent on Thursday after the film studio indicated a sale of its assets would likely be less than Wall Street has been expecting.


Daughter of slain woman arrives to bury her family Andrea Miles was supposed to arrive here from California to spend the holiday weekend with mother, stepfather and 13-year-old brother.


Bush Touts Unemployment Rate Drop President Bush says recent statistics showing a slight drop in the US unemployment rate show America #39;s economy is strong and growing stronger.


Specialty Retail Tales Two months ago I pitted a struggling Hot Topic (Nasdaq: HOTT) against a vibrant American Eagle Outfitters (Nasdaq: AEOS). With the former expanding despite a troubling dip in same-store sales while the latter


IBM opens design to its blade servers International Data Machines Corp. (IBM) reported that it will release the design of its blade servers openly to potentional consumers.


MIT Warns of Critical Vulnerabilities in Kerberos 5 kinrowan writes  quot;MIT, inventor of Kerberos, has announced a pair of vulnerabities in the software that will allow an attacker to either execute a DOS attack or execute code on the machine.


Maryland court rejects paper requirement for e-voting SEPTEMBER 03, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - A Maryland county court yesterday rejected a challenge to the use of electronic voting machines that sought to allow voters to opt out of using the technology.


UPDATE 1-Symonds, Kasprowicz clinch Australia victory Andrew Symonds crafted an unbeaten century and Michael Kasprowicz took five wickets to give Australia a 10-run win over Pakistan in a one-day international at Lord #39;s on Saturday.


Roles reverse as chase shifts gears You can see it in their eyes now, the same way you could see it so many times when they were the ones sliding helplessly back to the pack.


Jimenez regains lead in European Masters Spain #39;s Miguel Angel Jimenez was back on top in the European Masters in Switzerlnd Saturday after shooting a 5-under-par 66. Jimenez, at 15-under 198 for three rounds


US finally gets on the board ST. PAUL, Minnesota - By keeping it simple, Team USA made head coach Ron Wilson look like a hockey genius last night. Not only did the Americans earn their first victory in the World Cup of Hockey tournament


Kerr delighted with Irish win Republic of Ireland boss Brian Kerr was both a relieved and happy man after his side got their 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign off to a convincing 3-0 win over Cyprus.


France hopes for hostage release France has said it is confident that two journalists held hostage in Iraq will be released, despite continuing uncertainty about their fate.


Many Lebanese rue president #39;s term extension influential Beirut daily An-Nahar, which carried an  quot;honour roll quot; of the 29 deputies who voted against the extension. Ninety-six deputies voted in favour of the constitutional amendment, with three absent.


India, Pakistan approve key proposals ahead of ministers #39; meeting NEW DELHI : Top Indian and Pakistani officials approved proposals to break the impasse over Kashmir and strengthen ties on the eve of a meeting between the rival states #39; foreign ministers.


Japanese nuclear plant searched Kansai Electric Power #39;s nuclear power plant in Fukui, Japan, was searched by police Saturday during an investigation into an Aug. 9 mishap.


Turkey defends plans to outlaw adultery Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has defended plans to outlaw adultery that have outraged women #39;s groups and raised eyebrows in the European Union, which Turkey aspires to join.


Saboteurs attack Iraq #39;s northern oil pipeline Saboteurs on Saturday set fire arefined oil products pipeline in northern Iraq as they kept uprelentless attacks on Iraq #39;s oil production industry, Dubai-basedal-Arabiya TV reported.


Danny Williams: Self Help Contender Danny Williams, Mike Tyson sweepstakes victor and career underachiever, has been trying all week to look the part of the next big some-body, reformed heavyweight on a mission, destinys


Back to work Wall Street #39;s long vacation comes to an end, with a lot of old news to chew on. Oh, and the Fed. by Mark Gongloff, CNN/Money senior writer.


US job market brightens in Aug I Na report that the incumbent President, Mr George W Bush, is expected to go to town with, the Labour department said that the economy picked up in August adding 1,44,000 jobs only slightly less than the 1,50,000 figure forecast by economists.


Continental cuts 425 jobs Carrier says cuts in management, support positions are 1 of workforce; trying to avoid wage cuts. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Continental Airlines Inc.


UPDATE 1-Jimenez snatches back Masters lead Miguel Angel Jimenez snatched back the lead at the European Masters on Saturday with fellow Ryder Cup players Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald sharing second place.


Frances Postpones Third Cubs-Marlins Game (AP) AP - The Florida Marlins postponed Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs as Hurricane Frances crept ashore on the eastern coast of Florida.


Ravens' Ogden Hopes to Play in Opener (AP) AP - Ravens tackle Jonathan Ogden hopes to play in the season opener after spraining a knee ligament in Baltimore's final exhibition game.


Medieval castle for sale in Slovakia for less than a euro (AFP) AFP - If you've always wanted to own an authentic medieval castle, the country for you is Slovakia, in the heart of central Europe, where less than one euro may be enough to pay for the property of your dreams.


Frontier justice won #39;t stop the spam Sure, most of it reads like filthy gibberish. But the authors of this dreck are not semi-literate perverts. They #39;re cool, rational business folk who have found a sleazy but effective way to make a buck.


Senior Chinese Leader to Visit N.Korea Next Week (Reuters) Reuters - Senior Chinese leader Li Changchun is\to visit North Korea next week, the Xinhua news agency reported\on Saturday as China tries to coax Pyongyang into fresh talks\on the crisis over its nuclear ambitions.


Tenn. Coach Excited About Freshman QBs (AP) AP - Coach Phillip Fulmer can relate to Tennessee's fans. He, too, is eager to see how his two freshmen quarterbacks do in their college debuts.


19-year-old woman found dead in dorm room at McGill University (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - MONTREAL (CP) - A McGill University student has been found dead in her dormitory room and police are calling the death suspicious.


IBM inks 500M voice, data deal with Lloyds IBM said Monday that it won a 500 million (AUD\$1.25 billion), seven-year services contract to help move UK bank Lloyds TBS from its traditional voice infrastructure to a converged voice and data network.


Third Seed Moya Stunned by Belgian Rochus  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Third seed Carlos Moya became the  highest seed to exit the U.S. Open when he was dumped out 4-6,  6-4, 6-3, 6-7, 7-5 by unseeded Belgian Olivier Rochus in the  third round Saturday.


Bush Leads in Race to 270 Electoral Votes (AP) AP - In a seesaw campaign, President Bush has opened a lead over John Kerry in their drive to White House victory by making gains in the Midwest and solidifying his Southern base.


War crimes prosecutor Del Ponte says Saddam should be tried outside Iraq (AFP) AFP - Chief UN war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte said that ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein should be tried for crimes against humanity outside Iraq.


Jimenez aims for two in a row SPAIN #39;S Miguel Angel Jimenez leads the European Masters by one shot from overnight leader Sergio Garcia and Ryder Cup pick Luke Donald after a third round 66 today.


Federer races to US Open last 16 NEW YORK, USA -- World number one and top seed Roger Federer stayed on course for his third grand slam title of the year with a straight sets victory over Fabrice Santoro of France in the US Open at Flushing Meadows on Saturday.


Australia sets tough total for Pakistan Andrew Symonds #39; unbeaten 104 anchored Australia to a challenging total of 269 for six off 50 overs on Saturday in the NatWest one-day cricket international against Pakistan at Lord #39;s.


Martinez sizzles as Sox stop Texas The brains behind the Red Sox spent long winter nights calculating what it might take to end the franchise #39;s 86-year championship famine.


Jimenez Snatches Back Masters Lead  CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, Switzerland (Reuters) - Miguel Angel  Jimenez snatched back the lead at the European Masters on  Saturday with fellow Ryder Cup players Sergio Garcia and Luke  Donald sharing second place.


PM preferred leader THE Coalition remains in a strong position to retain the nation #39;s key marginal seats - including Adelaide and Hindmarsh - Newspoll has found.


Schroeder May Lose Elections in Four German States (Update2) German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder #39;s Social Democratic Party is likely to lose elections in four of Germany #39;s 16 states this month as voters protest welfare cuts and rising unemployment, according to opinion polls.


Contrasting Fortunes for Irish in World Cup Openers  LONDON (Reuters) - There was contrasting starts for the two  Irelands when their World Cup campaigns kicked off on Saturday  with Northern Ireland crashing to a 3-0 defeat in Belfast and  the Republic winning by the same scoreline in Dublin.


EU to Draft Sanctions Against Sudan  VALKENBURG, Netherlands (Reuters) - The European Union will  draw up sanctions against Sudan, with a view to implementing  them if the United Nations calls for such measures, the Dutch  foreign minister said on Saturday.


Many Lebanese Rue Extension of President's Term  BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese editorials on Saturday rued  parliament's decision to amend the constitution to extend  Syrian-backed President Emile Lahoud's term despite strong  objections from Washington and the United Nations.


Senior Chinese Leader to Visit N.Korea Next Week  BEIJING (Reuters) - Senior Chinese leader Li Changchun is  to visit North Korea next week, the Xinhua news agency reported  on Saturday as China tries to coax Pyongyang into fresh talks  on the crisis over its nuclear ambitions.


Disco stars to enter Hall of Fame Donna Summer, the Bee Gees and Giorgio Moroder will be inducted into the first Dance Music Hall of Fame.


Hypertasking and Attention Deficit Disorder \\"Labor Day is meant to be a day of rest for workers, but hypertaskers will\spend it bent over their laptops at Starbucks, waiting for their non-fat venti\vanilla lattes while checking e-mail, reading newspapers and preparing for\Tuesday morning meetings."\\"The burgeoning number of WiFi hotspots and popularity of handheld electronics\that allow us to stay connected on the go may give us more freedom - but\there's a cost. Research shows that our brains aren't equipped for this much\activity. When we try to do more than even one simple task at a time, quality\of work diminishes and tasks take longer to complete. When we try to do this\for long periods, the result can be forgetfulness, sleeples ...\\


Fierce Storm Wreaks Havoc Along Florida The hurricane appeared to be strengthening and forecasters warned of an increased threat of serious flooding and wind damage.


Putin Says Russia Faces Full 'War' to Divide Nation President Vladimir V. Putin acknowledged failures of leadership today as the toll from the end of a school siege rose to 322.


Twins Edge Royals 4-3 MINNEAPOLIS - Terry Tiffee led off the bottom of the ninth with his first major league home run to lift the Minnesota Twins past Kansas City 4-3 on Saturday.    Tiffee, who joined the Twins when rosters expanded on Sept...


Federer One Step Closer to Third Title NEW YORK - For most tennis players, having about the same number of clean winners as unforced errors translates into a pretty good performance.    Roger Federer is not like most tennis players...


Clinton in Good Spirits Before Surgery NEW YORK - As he prepared for heart bypass surgery early next week, Bill Clinton was in good spirits, dressed in street clothes and walking around his hospital room Saturday morning, people close to the Clinton family said.    The former president said he was "a little scared, but not much" of the surgery, but was looking forward to a swift recovery and resuming normal activities such as jogging...


Car Bomb Kills at Least 20 at Iraq Academy KIRKUK, Iraq - A suicide attacker detonated a car bomb Saturday outside a police academy in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk as hundreds of trainees and civilians were leaving for the day, killing at least 20 people and wounding 36, authorities said.    Separately, U.S and Iraqi forces clashed with insurgents in another part of northern Iraq after launching an operation to destroy an alleged militant cell in the town of Tal Afar, the U.S...


Senior Chinese Leader to Visit N.Korea Next Week Senior Chinese leader Li Changchun is to visit North Korea next week, the Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday as China tries to coax Pyongyang into fresh talks on the crisis over its nuclear ambitions.


Cisco, Fujitsu Team Up for High-End Internet Gear Cisco today outlined a strategy for its new Internet protocol (IP) networks and gained technical and Japanese market support by striking a deal with Fujitsu.


Hurricane Frances Tears Through Bahamas FREEPORT, Bahamas - Hurricane Frances ripped apart roofs, shattered windows and flooded neighborhoods as it raged through the Bahamas on Saturday, driving thousands from their homes before beginning a slow march toward the east coast of Florida. At least one man was electrocuted in the storm...


Roddick, Serena Advance at U.S. Open NEW YORK - Andy Roddick scuffed his hand, scuffled with the chair umpire and barely shook hands with Rafael Nadal when the match was over. A tough night for the defending U.S...


Bush and Kerry Differ on State of Economy BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio - Good news, or bad? President Bush and Democrat John Kerry had differing takes Saturday about the vitality of the nation's jobs market - a question that's heating up this year's race for the White House.    Bush, campaigning in Ohio - a pivotal state that has lost tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs, says a new U.S...


Frances Hits Fla. Coast With 90 Mph Winds MELBOURNE, Fla. - The outer bands of Hurricane Frances whipped Florida's Atlantic coast with 90 mph wind Saturday as the storm crawled toward the state, bringing a potential for more than a foot of rain, tornadoes and heavy flooding as tens of thousands fled the area...


Russian School Toll Rises to More Than 300 Russian officials today gave the new figure for casualties in the violent ending of the school standoff. There are fears it could go even higher.


Suicide Bombing At Iraqi Police Station Kills 20, Injures 36 A car bomb detonated Saturday outside a police academy in the Kirkuk as hundreds of trainees and civilians were leaving for the day, killing at least 20 people and wounding 36, authorities said.


HOUSTON: Enron CEO #39;s company submits bill for \$25 million bonus The price of success is \$25 million, according to a filing Friday by the corporate rescue company of Enron Corp. #39;s interim chief executive.


"Gentlemen, Start Your Gyros" It's "all systems go" for one of the most ambitious physics experiments ever attempted. After more than 40 years of methodical planning and four months of intense troubleshooting, NASA's Gravity Probe B spacecraft has begun its search for a bizarre prediction of Einstein's relativity.


Medicare Premiums to Rise Record 17 By MARK SHERMAN    WASHINGTON (AP) -- Medicare premiums for doctor visits are going up a record \$11.60 a month next year. The Bush administration says the increase reflects a strengthened Medicare, while Democrats complain that seniors are being unfairly socked...


Age and Eating Habits Catch Up With President Clinton Bill Clinton is a man close to 60, with a little pudge and a longtime love of junk food. That fits the stereotype for heart disease. Needing bypass surgery, however, suggests that the former president's disease is relatively extensive, and that's surprising for an active dignitary who presumably has top-notch and timely physical checkups.


Few Electronic Disruptions Hit Republican Convention The electronic disruptions threatened during the Republican National Convention were minimal at most, the convention's infotech head said Friday. Max Everett, the convention's director of information technology, said he took the threats seriously and responded by increasing the site's capacity and security.


Kim on fire at State Farm Classic Springfield, IL (Sports Network) - Christina Kim posted a six-under 66 on Friday to cruise to a four-shot lead midway through the State Farm Classic at The Rail Golf Course.


Kobe case full of errors The rape case against Kobe Bryant finally fell to pieces shortly after 11 am Wednesday, when his accuser called District Attorney Mark Hurlbert to say she #39;d had enough and would no longer co-operate.


No. 16 Virginia Blows Out Temple 44-14 (AP) AP - Wali Lundy ran for 104 yards and three touchdowns, and Alvin Pearman returned a punt 70 yards for a score to lead No. 16 Virginia to a 44-14 win over Temple on Saturday.


U.S. Postal Upsets Favorites in Tour of Spain  LEON, Spain (Reuters) - U.S. Postal upset favorites Liberty  Seguros to win the 17.2-mile opening team time trial stage of  the Tour of Spain Saturday.


The City of Brotherly Love loves Wi-Fi It #39;s already well known for its cheesesteak sandwiches, the Liberty Bell - and for sports fans who once booed Santa Claus. Now, the city of Philadelphia is trying to forge a new reputation - by way of the Internet.


Ponting Hails  #39;Gladiator #39; Symonds Andrew Symonds second one-day international hundred was the lynchpin of Australias 10-run NatWest International win over Pakistan - and the source of great personal satisfaction


Town #39;s relief tempered by unanswered questions in wake of Bryant <b>...</b> It was the surest sign that the Kobe Bryant case was leaving town for good after a 14-month occupation: A rancher obtained permission to tear down CNN #39;s 15-by-20-foot camera platform near the courthouse.


Kazmir looking forward to pitching in New York It was always just a matter of time before Scott Kazmir pitched in New York. Of course, it was assumed that he would be pitching for the New York Mets in Shea Stadium, not in the Bronx against the New York Yankees.


Thousands turn out in big send-off for Malaysia #39;s Anwar KUALA LUMPUR : Thousands of supporters turned out at the airport to give Malaysia #39;s ex-deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim a rousing send-off as he headed for surgery in Germany on his second full day of freedom after six years in jail.


Pakistan swears in 27 more ministers for new cabinet ISLAMABAD (AFP) -- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday swore in another 27 ministers, three days after inducting a 32-member cabinet headed by newly elected Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, officials said.


EGuinea officials to question Thatcher, probe Armenian company over coup (AFP) AFP - A team of state prosecutors from Equatorial Guinea was set to leave Malabo for South Africa to question Mark Thatcher over his alleged involvement in a complex bid to oust President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, a government source said.


Sharapova Humbled by Resurgent Pierce  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Maria Sharapova bandwagon came to  a grinding halt on Saturday when Mary Pierce rolled back the  years with a sensational 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win in the third round  of the U.S. Open.


Lundy Carries Cavs Wali Lundy runs for 104 yards and three touchdowns and Alvin Pearman returns a punt 70 yards for a score to lead No. 16 Virginia to a 44-14 win over Temple on Saturday.


Roddick Through To Third Round Of US Open Andy Roddick the defending US Open tennis champion has moved on to the third round by defeating Rafael Nadal 6-0 6-3 6-4 on Friday.


Detroit Tigers Team Report - September 4 (Sports Network) - Detroit registered a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Friday night at Tropicana Field. After the game, the Tigers left the state as Hurricane Frances was set to affect the area in the next few days.


France hopeful that journalists will be released Signs suggest hope for a possible release of the two French journalists held hostage in Iraq, Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin said Saturday.


Three Palestinians die in Gaza Strip Palestinian sources reported early Saturday that a civilian died of wounds he sustained earlier when Israeli forces raided Khan Younis city a week ago.


Life flickered in captors clutch It was around 10 am on July 21 that their convoy, carrying steel and cement reached Faluja.  quot;We stopped to find out where we were to unload the consignment when all of a sudden, about 40 masked men, armed to their teeth, pounced on us, quot; recalls Tilak Raj.


Tennis: Federer rolls into fourth round at US Open NEW YORK : Top seed Roger Federer, who is trying to become the first man since Mats Wilander to capture three majors in the same year, took another step in that direction by overpowering Fabrice Santoro at the US Open.


WASPS HIT BACK AT WOODWARD Lawrence Dallaglio and Wasps rugby chief Warren Gatland tonight defended the double champions from criticism by Sir Clive Woodward.


Putin Says Russia Faces Full  #39;War #39; to Divide Nation In a rare address to his nation at a time of grave crisis, President Vladimir V. Putin said Saturday that the school siege the southern city of Beslan was an attack on


Iraq extends Al-Jazeera ban THE Iraqi Government shut down Al-Jazeera #39;s Baghdad operations indefinitely today, extending a one-month closure order imposed after the pan-Arab channel was accused of inciting violence.


Hurricane Throws Curveball to Baseball Schedule  MIAMI (Sports Network) - Hurricane Frances has already  affected Major League Baseball this weekend as five games have  been postponed.


Hostage families return to school Relatives return to the scene of Russia's bloody three-day school siege, as the number killed reaches 330.


Michigan Ends Miami of Ohio's Win Streak ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Freshman Chad Henne threw two touchdowns in a surprising start for Michigan, helping the eighth-ranked Wolverines to a 43-10 victory over Miami of Ohio on Saturday that ended the nation's longest winning streak...


L.A. Airport Reopens After Security Scare LOS ANGELES - Four terminals at Los Angeles International Airport were shut down for about three hours Saturday after a passenger bypassed security at one terminal and a flashlight battery exploded during screening at another, authorities said.    The two incidents a half-hour apart on the busy Labor Day weekend appeared to be unrelated, said FBI spokeswoman Cathy Viray...


General Blames Prison Abuse on Commanders BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Army general who once ran detention operations in Iraq said a "conspiracy" among top U.S. commanders has left her to blame for the abuses of Iraqi inmates at Abu Ghraib prison...


Clinton in Good Spirits Before Surgery NEW YORK - Former President Bill Clinton was in good spirits Saturday, walking around his hospital room in street clothes and buoyed by thousands of get-well messages as he awaited heart bypass surgery early this coming week, people close to the family said.    Clinton's wife and daughter visited him in the hospital Saturday and he had received 15,000 get-well messages relayed from the Web site of his foundation, a spokeswoman said...


France and Britain remember WWII special forces (AFP) AFP - French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie and Britain's Princess Anne presided over a ceremony commemorating the members of the SAS who lost their lives during World War II.


Redskins Show Some Regular-Season Plays (AP) AP - In a way, the Washington Redskins didn't fight fair in their final exhibition game. They blitzed both cornerbacks on the first play and showed other blitzes and formations usually reserved for the regular season.


Yankees' Brown Could Be Lost for Season  NEW YORK (Sports Network) - New York Yankees pitcher Kevin  Brown, who suffered a broken left hand Friday night when he  punched a wall after his start against the Baltimore Orioles,  could be lost for the remainder of the 2004 season.


Austria Hits Back to Tie Scrappy England  VIENNNA (Reuters) - England's World Cup qualifying campaign  got off to a miserable start Saturday when they squandered a  two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Austria in Group Six.


Finland and Sweden Draw 4-4 in Thriller in World Cup Hockey  HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finland and Sweden drew 4-4 draw in a  pulsating World Cup ice hockey match on Saturday that put the  Finns one step closer to a semi-final berth.


In Foxboro, Starting at the Bottom for the Team at the Top For a team that enters this season with a 15-game winning streak, the New England Patriots' rookies present an interesting juxtaposition.


Militants Threaten to Behead Turkish Man (AP) AP - Iraqi militants threatened to behead a Turkish truck driver if his company and the Kuwaiti contractor it works for don't stop their operations in Iraq within 48 hours, according to a videotape aired on Arab television Saturday.


Campaigning Bush cites "horror" of Russian crisis (AFP) AFP - US President George W. Bush told voters in the crucial state of Ohio that Russia's bloody hostage crisis was  quot;a grim reminder quot; of the stakes in his global war on terrorism.


U.S. Near Seizing bin Laden, Official Says ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The United States and its allies have moved closer to capturing Osama bin Laden in the last two months, a top U.S. counterterrorism official said in a television interview broadcast Saturday...


Bush, Kerry Clash on State of Economy AKRON, Ohio - President Bush and John Kerry battled over the economy and jobs in a small corner of the campaign's most fiercely contested state Saturday as polls showed a post-convention surge for the Republican in the White House.    With little more than eight weeks remaining to Election Day, a Newsweek survey gave the president a lead of 52-41 over Kerry, with independent Ralph Nader at 3 percent...


Investment offers for PSUs, banks NEW DELHI: PM Manmohan Singh said on Saturday public sector companies and nationalised banks would be encouraged to enter the capital market to raise resources and offer new investment avenues to retail investors.


Microsoft Warns Spyware Could Foul Up System Microsoft said some spyware could cause computers to freeze up upon installation of the SP2 update. Microsoft recommends that users clean their PCs of spyware and back up their data before


England midfielder Gerrard says he shouldn #39;t have been taken off England goalscoring hero Steven Gerrard said he was taken off the field by mistake in Saturday #39;s World Cup qualifying 2-2 tie with Austria.


Fed Express makes steady progress NEW YORK, Sept. 4. - Top-seed Roger Federer moved a step closer to becoming the first man in 16 years to win three Grand Slams in a season when he reached the US Open fourth round with a straight-sets win here today.


Palermo #39;s Toni leads Italy past Norway 2-1 in World Cup qualifying <b>...</b> Second-half substitute Luca Toni scored in the 80th minute to lift Italy over Norway 2-1 on Saturday in their first qualifying match for the World Cup.


Gatland hits back at Woodward Wasps coach Warren Gatland has taken a swipe at Sir Clive Woodward #39;s criticism of top flight domestic clubs. Woodward blamed lack of co-operation from Premiership bosses for his decision to quit and singled out Gatland and Bath #39;s John Connolly.


* Foreign secretaries finalise agenda for FMs meeting today NEW DELHI: Pakistani and Indian foreign secretaries Riaz Khokhar and Shyam Saran on Saturday approved proposals to break the logjam over Kashmir and strengthen bilateral relations.


CANTOR SUES SAUDIS IN 9/11 PLOT September 4, 2004 -- The firm that lost the most employees in the Sept. 11 attacks yesterday slapped the Saudi government and royal family - as well as al Qaeda -ith a \$600 million federal lawsuit.


Pfizer to Pay \$430 Million to Settle Asbestos Claims (Update3) Pfizer Inc., the world #39;s largest drugmaker, agreed to pay \$430 million to resolve personal-injury claims against a subsidiary that sold products containing asbestos in the 1970s.


Philadelphia Plan Would Give WiFi Access to the Whole City Forget finding an Internet cafe. For less than what it costs to build a small library, city officials believe they can turn all 135 square miles of Philadelphia into the world #39;s largest wireless Internet hot spot.


Pierce, Rochus post wins Maria Sharapova #39;s drive to win another grand slam tennis title was dashed when the Wimbledon champion lost to Mary Pierce 4-6 6-2 6-3 in the third round of the US Open on Saturday.


Local hero Toni gets Italy off to winning start An 80th minute goal from substitute Luca Toni gave Italy a 2-1 comeback win over Norway in their World Cup European zone Group Five match on Saturday.


United States 2, El Salvador 0 Brian Ching did it again, putting the United States in good position to advance to the regional finals of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup.


Local Russians shocked by tragedy Seattle #39;s Russian community reacted with a mixture of sorrow, anger and frustration yesterday: sorrow for the children who died in the hostage crisis at a school in Beslan, Russia; anger


25 die drinking moonshine LAHORE: At least 25 men have died of drinking homemade liquor in Multan and Muzaffargarh districts, a news channel reported on Saturday.


Court reins in Aussie unions #39; right to strike SYDNEY - Australia #39;s High Court has ruled that trade unions cannot take industrial action over political, social or environmental issues.


Tendulkar out of Champions Trophy NEW DELHI: All-rounder Rohan Gavaskar will replace an injured Sachin Tendulkar in Indias squad for next weeks Champions Trophy in England, an Indian cricket board official announced on Saturday.


Invest in Housing Without Buying a Home (Reuters) Reuters - Playing the U.S. housing market may no\longer require actually buying a home.


Iraq Closes Al-Jazeera Office Indefinitely (AP) AP - The Iraqi government shut down Al-Jazeera's Baghdad operations indefinitely on Saturday, extending a one-month closure order imposed after the pan-Arab channel was accused of inciting violence.


CEO Pay in U.S. Crimped as Oversight Grows (Reuters) Reuters - Increased oversight of chief executive\compensation has placed a lid on big salary jumps for CEOs in\very large U.S. organizations, according to a survey.


Finland Wins European Pool in Hockey (AP) AP - Finland didn't get its long-awaited revenge on Sweden, but a 4-4 tie was good enough to win the European Pool at the World Cup of Hockey on Saturday.


No. 17 Auburn Routs La.-Monroe, 31-0 (AP) AP - Jason Campbell passed for two touchdowns and Carnell Williams ran for 103 yards as No. 17 Auburn unveiled a new offense in a 31-0 victory over Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday.


Hurricane Center Director Is Calm Force (AP) AP - In the midst of a crisis, Max Mayfield sets his schedule in four-minute increments. That's the amount of time the director of the National Hurricane Center allots each media crew camped out in the bunker-like building where forecasts are drawn up. He sets aside an hour to help assemble regularly scheduled advisories, and pauses to take calls from higher-ups, including U.S. Commerce Secretary Don Evans.


Duval Makes First Cut in 15 Months (AP) AP - David Duval sank a three-foot putt for birdie on the 18th hole Saturday to make the cut at the Deutsche Bank Championship  #151; the first time the 2001 British Open winner has made the cut in over a year.


Agassi Rolls Into Last 16  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Andre Agassi kept the ball rolling for  the older generation at the U.S. Open on Saturday by  demolishing Czech Jiri Novak 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 to reach the fourth  round.


Judge Won't Delay Tobacco Trial  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge on Saturday denied a  tobacco industry request to delay the government's \$280 billion  racketeering case against the industry which is scheduled to go  to trial on Sept. 21.


Ravens LB Boulware to Miss at Least First Six Games  BALTIMORE, Maryland (Sports Network) - The Baltimore Ravens  Saturday placed linebacker Peter Boulware on the physically  unable to perform list and the veteran will miss at least the  first six games of the upcoming season.


Report: Citigroup to Bid for Cazenove  LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. investment bank Citigroup is set to  bid for UK stockbroker Cazenove CAZ.UL, challenging rivals JP  Morgan JPM.L and Lehman Brothers LEH.N for the City's most  venerable institution, the Observer reported.


Astros Find New Meaning in Their Once-Lost Season The Houston Astros are rising from the dead and playing the way their hierarchy and others thought they would play all season.


Gambro Agrees to Sell US Dialysis Unit to DaVita (Correct) Gambro AB, the world #39;s No. 2 operator of dialysis centers, agreed to sell its US clinics to DaVita Inc., for \$3.1 billion in cash.


Update 1: Virgin in Talks With Chinese Telecom Firm British conglomerate Virgin Group Ltd. announced Tuesday that it is in talks with a mainland Chinese telecommunications company to set up a joint venture to provide mobile services in China.


There may be life out there after all ASTRONOMERS manning a radio telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, believe they may have found proof that extra-terrestrials exist. The astronomers reported in the New Scientist magazine this week that they have


Biffle beat Mears in Busch battle Greg Biffle won a nearly race-long duel with Casey Mears, pulling away over the last two laps to capture the NASCAR Busch Series race Saturday at California Speedway.


Hollinger Chronicles: tale of corporate plunder A new expression has entered the Scandal lexicon in the last week. The hard-hitting internal report from Hollinger International referring to the way that Conrad Black allegedly ran the company described it as being a corporate kleptocracy.


Pierce Beats Wimbledon Champ Sharapova (AP) AP - Maria Sharapova's drive to win another Grand Slam title got dashed Saturday when tennis' newest "It" girl lost to Mary Pierce 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the third round of the U.S. Open.


After the lurid stories, Black still faces judgment day The story could hardly be more dramatic. Over 513 pages, former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Richard Breeden accuses former Telegraph owner Lord Black and his fellow executives of systematically


Gadget 'restored my independence' A remote control device which can operate household appliances has given a disabled man back his independence.


Buying organic 'gives you boost' Simply making the choice to buy organic food can induce a sense of well-being, according to research.


Spyware / SP2 hazard warning p2pnet.net News:- Windows XP users should check for spyware before installing SP2, says Microsoft. Some spyware could cause computers to freeze if the update is loaded, warns Barry Goff, a group product manager quoted by Associated Press here.


Apple #39;s iMac G5 debuts as world #39;s thinnest desktop Software giant Apple Computer has unveiled its new iMac desktop computer, which integrates all disk drives and processors into a flat display.


Singh storms into lead Vijay Singh shot an eight-under-par 63 to take a two-shot lead over Tiger Woods after the second round of the Deutsche Bank Championship.


Youhana #39;s efforts in vain It was a fine occasion, but it could have been a grand one without a touch of avarice. There were plenty of empty seats here despite the presence of two of the most charismatic sides in the world.


AL Capsules The Boston Red Sox lost for the first time in 11 games, falling to the Texas Rangers 8-6 Saturday and missing a chance to pull within 11/2 games of the New York Yankees in the AL East.


GAME DAY PREVIEW Game time: 6:00 PM CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) -- The Detroit Shock face a critical road test Saturday when they take on the Charlotte Sting at Charlotte Coliseum.


Frances takes out sports events MIAMI - The Florida Marlins postponed Sunday #39;s game against the Chicago Cubs as Hurricane Frances crept ashore on the eastern coast of Florida.


Siege bodes ill for Putin Rescue a catastrophe for leader and <b>...</b> WHEN it came, the end of the siege at School No1 in the small north Ossetian town of Beslan was the worst possible outcome. It was protracted, chaotic and bloody and a catastrophe not just for the families


Suicide bomber kills 17 in northern Iraq A suicide bomber blew up his vehicle outside a police academy in the northern oil city of Kirkuk yesterday, killing 17 people, including 14 policemen.


India, Pakistan Foreign Ministers to Start Talks on Kashmir Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers today begin two days of talks in New Delhi on divisive issues including Kashmir, as the South Asian neighbors seek to end five decades of hostility that has led to three wars.


Mystery of Archer link to oil coup Investigators probing the backers of the alleged coup in Equatorial Guinea will discover this week what role - if any - disgraced Tory peer Lord Archer played in financing the plot that led to the arrest of Sir Mark Thatcher 11 days ago.


Biffo and the Battler slug it out Down Under Australian markets are relaxed despite the bitter political campaign ahead of a general election. Duncan Hughes reports from Melbourne.


Iraq renews closure of al-Jazeera offices The Iraqi interim governmentSaturday renewed closure of offices of the Arabic-languagesatellite television network Al-Jazeera over incitement toviolence.


MLB: San Francisco 9, Arizona 7 Deivi Cruz capped a four-run eighth-inning rally with a two-run single Saturday to give the San Francisco Giants a 9-7 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.


UPDATE 1-Insurers bracing for severe Frances losses - S amp;P Hurricane Frances threatens to deliver a powerful blow to private insurers and reinsurers and could cause severe challenges for some companies, Standard  amp; Poor #39;s said on Friday.


IDF shoots dead three Palestinians, destroys arms warehouse in <b>...</b> Israel Defense Forces troops shot and killed three Palestinians in two separate incidents in the Gaza Strip on Friday, the army and Palestinian doctors said.


Report: Citigroup to Bid for Cazenove (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. investment bank Citigroup is set to\bid for UK stockbroker Cazenove , challenging rivals JP\Morgan  and Lehman Brothers  for the City's most\venerable institution, the Observer reported.


Putin Blames Corruption for Terrorism (AP) AP - Russian newspapers carried harrowing photos Saturday of the bloody climax of the school hostage-taking by militants demanding independence for Chechnya, but carefully avoided assigning blame.


Jury finds Sept. 11 attacks are separate acts A jury #39;s finding yesterday that the Sept. 11 attack by two hijacked planes on the World Trade Center was two occurrences for insurance purposes provides an


British businessman selling arms to Sudan: report (AFP) AFP - A millionaire British arms dealer is reportedly fuelling a bloody civil war in Sudan by arranging to supply its government with tanks, rocket launchers and a cruise missile.


Agassi: Let's Give Replay a Try (AP) AP - At 34, Andre Agassi has seen a lot of things in tennis. And here's one more that he'd like to add: instant replay.


Stocks fall as brokers downgrade blue chips Oil supply concerns and broker downgrades of blue-chip companies left stocks mixed yesterday, raising doubts Wall Street #39;s year- end rally would continue.


AL Wrap: Punchless Yankees Continue to Struggle  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sidney Ponson pitched a complete-game  two-hitter as the Baltimore Orioles stunned the New York  Yankees 7-0 in American League play at Yankee Stadium on  Saturday.


NL Wrap: Bonds Kept in Park But Giants Rally for Big Win  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Marquis Grissom hit a grand slam  homer and the San Francisco Giants rallied from a six run  deficit to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-7 in National  League play on Saturday.


Bush backers like converted Democrat's zeal (AFP) AFP - US President George W. Bush found strong support among voters in key states for Democratic Senator Zell Miller, who has broken with his party and raised eyebrows with attacks on Democratic White House hopeful John Kerry.


Agassi Sends Out Warning with Novak Win  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Twice champion Andre Agassi sent out  an ominous warning to his rivals for the U.S. Open title on  Saturday with a ruthless 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 third-round demolition  of Czech Jiri Novak.


Soccer: U.S. Overcomes El Salvador After Bad-Tempered Battle  FOXBORO, Massachusetts (Reuters) - Brian Ching and Landon  Donovan scored well-taken goals as the United States beat  10-man El Salvador 2-0 in an ill-tempered CONCACAF zone Group A  World Cup qualifier on Saturday.


With Pitching in Shambles, Yankees Hitters Prove Punchless Baltimore's Sidney Ponson held the Yankees to two hits in his fourth career shutout. The Yankees have not scored a run in the last 17 innings.


Victory Brings Hope, and Worry The optimists among Rutgers fans were delighted, but the Scarlet Knights still gave the pessimists something to worry about.


Interest rates on short-term T-bills mixed Interest rates on short-term Treasury securities were mixed in yesterday's auction. The Treasury Department sold \$19 billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 2.210 percent, up from 2.195 percent last week. An additional \$17 billion was sold in six-month bills at a rate of 2.380 percent, down from 2.395 percent.


Gibbs Is All Business Joe Gibbs is shrewdly merging sports enterprises as coach of the Redskins and patriarch of a now family-owned NASCAR team to form one of sports' most lucrative brands.


Democrats Urge Kerry to Turn Up Intensity of Campaign Leading Democrats have urged John Kerry's aides to concentrate on challenging President Bush on domestic issues.


Surprise Starter Stars Freshman Chad Henne, not Matt Gutierrez, leads No. 8-ranked Michigan to a 43-10 triumph over Miami (Ohio) with two touchdowns passes on Saturday.


Rangers Derail Red Sox The Red Sox lose for the first time in 11 games, falling to the Rangers 8-6 Saturday and missing a chance to pull within 1 1/2 games of the Yankees in the AL East.


Tapit Heads Field Maryland-based Tapit, the Wood Memorial winner in April, is the 2-1 morning line favorite for Monday's \$750,000 Pennsylvania Derby.


Jury finds Sept. 11 attacks are separate acts A jury's finding yesterday that the Sept. 11 attack by two hijacked planes on the World Trade Center was two occurrences for insurance purposes provides an extra \$1.1 billion, ensuring  quot;a timely and complete rebuild quot; of the destroyed complex, its leaseholder says.


Clinton in Good Spirits Before Surgery NEW YORK - Former President Bill Clinton was in good spirits Saturday, walking around his hospital room in street clothes and buoyed by thousands of get-well messages as he awaited heart bypass surgery early this coming week, people close to the family said.    Clinton was expected to undergo surgery as early as Monday but probably Tuesday, said Democratic Party Chairman Terry McAuliffe, who said the former president was "upbeat" when he spoke to him by phone Friday...


Sluggish Frances Cuts Power to 2M in Fla. FORT PIERCE, Fla. - Potent but slow-moving Hurricane Frances snapped power lines and whipped the Atlantic coast with winds over 90 mph Saturday, knocking out electricity for about 2 million people and forcing Floridians to endure another day of waiting and worrying...


L.A. Airport Terminals Open After Scares LOS ANGELES - Four terminals at Los Angeles International Airport were shut down for more than three hours Saturday after a passenger bypassed security at one terminal and two flashlight batteries exploded during screening at another, authorities said.    The incidents, about a half-hour apart, were apparently unrelated and there was no link to terrorism, according to the federal Transportation Security Administration...


Finland Wins European Pool Finland didn't get its long-awaited revenge on Sweden, but a 4-4 tie was good enough to win the European Pool at the World Cup of Hockey on Saturday in Helsinki.


Dolphins File Grievance The Miami Dolphins have filed a grievance against Ricky Williams, asking an arbitrator to uphold their contractual right to recover \$8.6 million paid in signing bonus and incentives.


Pierce Beats Wimbledon Champ Sharapova NEW YORK - Maria Sharapova's drive to win another Grand Slam title got dashed Saturday when tennis' newest "It" girl lost to Mary Pierce 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the third round of the U.S. Open...


Sluggish Frances Cuts Power to 2M in Fla. FORT PIERCE, Fla. - Potent but slow-moving Hurricane Frances snapped power lines and whipped the Atlantic coast with winds over 90 mph Saturday, knocking out electricity for about two million people and forcing Floridians to endure another day of waiting and worrying...


Sony In Talks To Sell Products At Wal-Mart Sony Corp. is talking with Wal-Mart and Costco in an effort to boost sales by shipping to US discount chains with which it previously did little business.


Gerrard reveals England change howler England boss Sven Goran Eriksson has defended goalkeeper David James after last night #39;s 2-2 draw in Austria. James allowed Andreas Ivanschitz #39;s shot to slip through his fingers to complete Austria comeback from two goals down.


United States 2, El Salvador 0 Brian Ching got another big goal, and the United States received the gift of jewelry. Ching scored just five minutes in on the Americans #39; first shot, and El Salvador was forced to play a man short after a


Sheriff Defends Handling of Bryant Case EAGLE, Colo. Sept. 3, 2004 - The sheriff and prosecutor in the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case defended how the case was handled, and said they were disappointed it never went to trial.


TiVo, Cable or Satellite? Choose That Smart TV Wisely Though technophiles are the one who usually like to brag about their electronic toys, recently, even tech novices have started crowing about their digital video recorders.


Citing Threats, Entrepreneur Wants to Quit Caller ID Venture After receiving harassing messages and even a death threat, the founder of a service that fools caller ID systems has decided to sell the business.


Stadler Leads First Tee Open (AP) AP - Craig Stadler moved into position for his second straight victory Saturday, shooting a 9-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead over Jay Haas after the second round of the inaugural First Tee Open.


Schlepping to Moguldom Haim Saban, one of the nation's richest and most improbable media magnates, may be one of the most politically connected moguls in Hollywood, trying to influence all things Israeli.


Does RAND Walk the Talk on Labor Policy? RAND is not unique among government contractors in continuing to do business with the government after being found in violation of labor law.


Good Deals for Banks, Both Coming and Going With so few mergers and acquisitions these days and with fees for them shrinking, bankers have found a new way to milk more cash out of deals: working with both buyer and seller.


To Get Out of a Stall, Apply Lift. An Election May Work. While the stock market close to stumbling through its fifth-longest stall since 1983, there could be a little election-year boost for equities.


Microsoft Steps Into the Ring  quot;Compared to iTunes, Microsoft #39;s music store currently offers only half the songs and is missing many features, but its biggest problem may be that its downloaded songs do not play on iPod, iPod


Ireland boss happy with comfortable victory Clinton Morrison, Robbie Keane and Andy Reid struck for Ireland and Kerr said:  quot;We made a lot of chances for 3-0, but I would have settled for that before the game and in the circumstances after losing a lot of players through injuries I am very happy


Australia #39;s Costello Says Surplus Will Help on Interest Rates Australia #39;s Treasurer Peter Costello said his forecast in May for aA\$2.4 billion (\$1.7 billion) budget surplus will help keep interest rates from rising.


Microsoft Steps Into the Ring For subscription services such as Napster and RealRhapsody, the entrance of Microsoft into its business space might have the same  quot;Oh no!


IBM Agrees to Share Blade Server Know-How The IBM announcement is being made in collaboration with Intel. Under an agreement reached two years ago, the companies have worked together to design and manufacture blade servers.


Wal-Mart Launches Windows Media Song Downloads Wal-Mart Stores Inc. launched an online music store that works with Microsoft Corp. #39;s Windows Media Player, the world #39;s largest retailer said on Thursday.


Australia beat Pakistan LONDON, Sept 4: Andrew Symonds crafted an unbeaten century and Michael Kasprowicz took five wickets to give Australia a 10-run win over Pakistan in a one-day international at Lord #39;s on Saturday.


Boy wonders arrival leaves Fergie with tricky balancing act Within 24 hours of capturing Wayne Rooney, Manchester United swelled with the kind of pride and proclamations of impending success not seen since that night at the Camp Nou.


UPDATE 1-Albania double stuns European champions Greece Albania stunned Euro 2004 winners Greece with two goals in the first 10 minutes of their World Cup qualifier on Saturday and then hung on to win 2-1 and send their fans into a frenzy as they celebrated with fireworks.


A loss for every rape victim M ost people are relieved to stop hearing the ugly story about the alleged rape of a 19-year-old hotel worker by a popular NBA star.


Lemieux set to face Russia once again It was Sept. 15, 1987, and Mario Lemieux scored the winning goal against Russia at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton to capture the Canada Cup.


Its time for the men in white coats, Sir Clive According to those who were there, an almost palpable tension hung in the air at that Twickenham press conference on Friday, as Sir Clive Woodward delivered his withering denunciation of English rugby by way of a parting speech from his job as national


Utility discounts planned for poor As many as 225,000 low-income Massachusetts families may become automatically eligible for discounts of 20 percent and more on gas and electric service next month under a new policy adopted yesterday by state regulators.


Hostage crisis unites French communities The Muslim community in France has supported the government ban on headscarfs, but, asks Hugh Schofield in Paris, was that unity based on fear of a backlash?


#39;We guarantee we won #39;t apply death penalty - so let us extradite <b>...</b> Equatorial Guinea is willing to guarantee that it would not use the death penalty if it were allowed to extradite Sir Mark Thatcher and other British citizens


No. 10 W.Virginia Tops E.Carolina, 56-23 (AP) AP - Kay-Jay Harris rushed for a school-record 337 yards and four touchdowns to lead No. 10 West Virginia to a 56-23 victory over East Carolina on Saturday night.


Canadian Golf Star Moe Norman, 75, Dies (AP) AP - Moe Norman, the eccentric Canadian golf star whose amazingly accurate swing dazzled tour stars for many years, died Saturday. He was 75.


South Korean Lab Says Uranium Test Repeated 3 Times (Reuters) Reuters - South Korean government scientists\conducted unsanctioned uranium enrichment tests three times in\2000 but they were repeated procedures of a single experiment,\a spokesman at the state-run atomic research center said on\Sunday.


Kerry's Wife Treated, Released from Iowa Hospital (Reuters) Reuters - Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of\Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, was taken to\hospital in Iowa on Saturday complaining of an upset stomach\and was released after routine tests, a spokeswoman said.


South Korean Lab Says Uranium Test Repeated 3 Times  SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean government scientists  conducted unsanctioned uranium enrichment tests three times in  2000 but they were repeated procedures of a single experiment,  a spokesman at the state-run atomic research center said on  Sunday.


Catch-up babies have weak chests Babies slow to grow in the womb who play catch-up in their first weeks of life after birth risk chest illnesses, research shows.


Bad night, Vienna: England suffer from James calamity Flattery and deception are becoming England #39;s stock-in-trade. They managed to open a two-goal lead over Austria despite lacking inspiration but then conceded two goals in two minutes midway through the second


Clemson Wins in 2OT Charlie Whitehurst threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Browning in the second overtime that lifted No. 15 Clemson to a 37-30 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday.


Drug-ordering systems get a boost Nearly 70 percent of Massachusetts hospitals have failed to install special computer systems for ordering drugs for patients, mostly because they carry big price tags. But a new report from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative says the state's hospitals would end up saving money if they install these sophisticated systems to reduce medical errors.


Rutgers Shocks Mich. St. Freshman Jeremy Ito kicked four field goals and Ryan Neill scored on a 31-yard interception return to lead improving Rutgers to a 19-14 victory on Saturday over visiting Michigan State.


Ireton Gets Historic Win The Rodriguez brothers help Bishop Ireton beat Bishop O'Connell for the first time in 32 years on Saturday.


It Takes Time to Judge the True Impact of New Technology About this time last year, I wrote a column following up on some pieces I #39;d written earlier to see what if anything new had happened to those topics.


The Week Ahead Commerce Undersecretary Grant D. Aldonas arrives in Beijing for talks on textiles and other trade issues. US Chamber of Commerce opens small-business summit.


Markets Quiet With GOP in New York The GOP convention came to New York last week and Wall Street did . . . well, not much. Many traders and money managers fled the city to avoid convention-related headaches.


Mobile Mappers Stop Short of Ideal Thanks to such free mapping sites as MapQuest and Yahoo Maps, it #39;s been a while since road warriors have had to sketch out a route with a yellow highlighter, guessing which shortcuts to take or avoid.


With Charley on Their Minds, Floridians Brace for Round 2 Al Cialella is from Philadelphia, where he always thought of  quot;sturdy quot; oak trees as symbols of strength. He never knew that in central Florida, the water table


Ichiro goes 5-for-5, needs 35 hits to break record Ichiro leads the majors with 223 hits, 34 short of the all-time single-season record. He has 27 games remaining to reach the record of 257 hits, set by George Sisler in 1920 with the St.


Death threat to Turkish driver CAIRO: Iraqi militants threatened to behead a Turkish truck driver if his employers and the Kuwaiti contractor it works for don #39;t cease their operations in Iraq within 48 hours, according to a video tape aired on Al Arabiya yesterday.


Putin Urges Strength; School Toll Tops 340 (AP) AP - A shaken President Vladimir Putin made a rare and candid admission of Russian weakness Saturday in the face of an "all-out war" by terrorists after more than 340 people  #151; nearly half of them children  #151; were killed in a hostage-taking at a southern school.


Jobs Data Hold Promise of Stronger Growth (AP) AP - Employers stepped up hiring in August, expanding payrolls by 144,000 and lowering the unemployment rate marginally to 5.4 percent. While the figures didn't amount to a national job fair, analysts said, they did hold out the promise of stronger growth following the summer lull.


Brewers Best Slumping Reds, 7-3 (AP) AP - Russell Branyan and Keith Ginter each hit three-run homers, rookie Ben Hendrickson earned his first major league victory, and the Milwaukee Brewers sent the Cincinnati Reds to their fifth straight loss with a 7-3 victory Saturday night.