Scientists Recover Critical Genesis Parts NASA scientists said they have recovered some critical pieces of the Genesis space capsule intact and are optimistic the wreckage will yield valuable


Cisco joins WiMax Forum com September 15, 2004, 12:36 PM PT. Most IT Managers won #39;t question the importance of security, but this priority has been sliding between the third and fourth most important focus for companies.


NHL Owners Will Lock Out Players in Contract Dispute (Update1) National Hockey League owners authorized a lockout of players after the sides failed to agree on a new labor contract, resulting in the league #39;s first work stoppage in 10 years.


Sauber confirm Villeneuve Villeneuve has been looking to find a way back since he lost his drive at BAR, and after Renault confirmed he would be testing for them at Silverstone this week with a possibility of completing the season following Jarno Trullis releases, Sauber have


Ricky slams Kiwi  #39;myth #39; RICKY PONTING believes cricket watchers have fallen for the  quot;myth quot; that New Zealand know the secret to rattling Australia ahead of tonight #39;s sudden-death Champions Trophy clash at The Oval.


Phillies 9, Reds 1 Brett Myers pitched six solid innings and drove in the go-ahead run as the Philadelphia Phillies salvaged the final game of their three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds with a 9-1 win Wednesday afternoon.


Rebuilding plan taking hold at IU In recent years, Big Ten football teams such as Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin have trekked to the University of Oregon #39;s Autzen Stadium.


Iranian Freeze on Uranium About to End A senior Iranian envoy suggested Wednesday that Tehran #39;s partial yearlong freeze on uranium enrichment is about to end, shrugging off US and European pressure to renounce


REWARD OFFERED FOR JI SUSPECTS The Indonesian government has posted cash rewards for information leading to the arrests of two top Malaysian suspects and others responsible for last weeks Australian embassy bombing in Jakarta.


Stewart Says She Wants to Begin Her Prison Term Soon (Update7) Martha Stewart, saying she wanted to put this nightmare behind me, #39; #39; will begin serving a five-month prison term while she appeals her conviction for obstructing justice.


Oil stocks slide as Ivan approaches DALLAS (CBS.MW) -- Oil stocks continued to sink in Wednesday afternoon trading as Hurricane Ivan forced widespread production shutdowns in the Gulf of Mexico, but service shares rallied after reports of significant declines in crude supplies.


Genesis wreck still promises data Genesis Principal Investigator and Lead Scientist Dr. Don Burnett examines material recovered from the Genesis impact site. Inset: Shattered contents of the craft #39;s science canister.


Ignored endangered species THE GLOBAL extinction crisis ignores thousands of affiliated species that are also at risk of being wiped out, making the list of endangered species much larger and more serious than originally thought, says a study produced in part at the University of


McKenzie reports for duty The holdout cornerback met with Packers coach/general manager Mike Sherman on Wednesday morning and reported for duty after missing the off-season minicamps, training camp and the first regular-season game.


China Threatens to Veto UN Darfur Draft -Diplomats (Reuters) Reuters - China is threatening to veto a\revised U.S. draft resolution that would consider U.N.\sanctions against Sudan's oil industry if Khartoum does not\rein in marauding militia fighters in its Darfur region,\diplomats reported on Wednesday.


Pakistan President to stay as army chief - minister (Reuters) Reuters - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will stay on as chief of the army staff beyond the date he promised to give up the post, the information minister said on Wednesday.


Coca-Cola Warns on Profit, Shares Fall  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co. KO.N, amid signs that  is it losing market share to arch rival Pepsi, on Wednesday  warned that profit would lag Wall Street expectations for the  rest of the year because of weakness in key markets and said  there was no quick fix for its problems.


House Drops Debate on Cuba Travel Ban (Reuters) Reuters - A measure that would end the U.S.\ban on travel to Cuba was dropped on Wednesday by its chief\House of Representatives sponsor, who said he could not get\"meaningful debate" in an election year on legislation that has\attracted bipartisan support for several years.


Inventor Develops Nose-Steered Web Surfing System (Reuters) Reuters - Has the era of hands-free Web surfing\arrived?


China Threatens to Veto UN Darfur Draft -Diplomats  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - China is threatening to veto a  revised U.S. draft resolution that would consider U.N.  sanctions against Sudan's oil industry if Khartoum does not  rein in marauding militia fighters in its Darfur region,  diplomats reported on Wednesday.


Mexicans Lukewarm on Fox Call for Nationalist Show  MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A government call for Mexicans to  show unity by singing the national anthem en masse met a tepid  response on Wednesday in another embarrassment for President  Vicente Fox.


Stocks Slump on Gloomy Economic Forecasts NEW YORK - Stocks sagged Wednesday after Coca-Cola Co. and several other companies issued gloomy forecasts, and a lower-than-expected reading on industrial production for August threw the nation's broader economic outlook into question...


Firm, founder agree to pay more than \$5 mln BOSTON (CBS.MW) -- Bridgeway Capital Management and its president, lauded for practices that benefit mutual fund shareholders, have agreed to pay more than \$5 million to settle Securities and Exchange Commission charges that the firm overcharged investors


Wikipedia's Emergent People fail to impress readers Letters No sympathy for the fiddlers


Egyptian Animals Were Mummified Same Way as Humans The team examined samples from four animal mummiestwo hawks, a cat, and an ibisdating from 818 BC to 343 BC The mummies are housed in the collection of the Liverpool Museum in Liverpool, England.


SI.com CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Brett Myers continued his recent surge to help the Philadelphia Phillies avoid a rare sweep by the Cincinnati Reds .


Peace Talks for Sudan #39;s Darfur Collapse Sudan #39;s rebels and government broke off internationally brokered peace talks for the bloodied Darfur region Wednesday after three weeks with little progress and no deal.


Close US-Australia Ties Could Be In for a Jolt After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Australia #39;s Prime Minister John Howard told the US Congress,  quot;America has no better friend anywhere in the world than Australia.


Some People Manage to Stay Thin in a Fat World In most of western Europe, easily more than half the adults are overweight, and in the United States two-thirds are fat. Why, then, are some able to stay thin in such an environment? The answer is complex and not the same for everyone.


India Leads World in HIV Cases By RAJESH MAHAPATRA    NEW DELHI (AP) -- India has the world's largest number of HIV-infected people, the head of a top international AIDS-fighting fund said Wednesday, dismissing official figures.    "I don't believe in the official statistics...


Microsoft exec takes aim at open source New platform chief, Ashim Pal, says software giant has been on the defensive against Linux and other rivals.


SAP sets up support center in China The enterprise-software company looks to better serve its 4,200 Asia-Pacific customers, as well as customers worldwide.


Infineon to admit DRAM price fixing U.S. government announces company's agreement to plead guilty, pay \$160 million fine.


Regulators Debate Broadband by Power Lines Light regulation will encourage this alternative form of high-speed Net access.


American Medical to be purchased for \$502 million PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. has agreed to pay \$502 million to buy all outstanding shares of common stock of Green Bay-based American Medical Security Group Inc.


Infineon to admit DRAM price fixing update Infineon Technologies will plead guilty to taking part in an international DRAM price-fixing conspiracy, which affected such companies as Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Apple, the US Department of Justice announced Wednesday.


First impressions of Firefox 1.0 preview release Firefox is my second choice for a web browser. Opera comes first. No doubts about that. But Firefox in itself is a pretty decent browser.


New GNOME Released The GNOME Foundation today released the latest evolution of its widely used Linux desktop GNOME version 2.8. The new release adds some significant new features and further expands the usability of the Linux desktop.


Pakistan beat Kenya, set up exciting clash with India: Sports India, Cricket Birmingham, Sep 15 : Pakistan Wednesday steamrolled minnows Kenya by seven wickets in a Pool C match of the Champions Trophy at Edgbaston to set up an exciting and decisive clash with India Sunday.


Iraqi police make gruesome discovery in Baiji BBaiji - Three decapitated bodies were found north of Baghdad on Wednesday and are believed to be the corpses of foreigners, Iraqi security forces said.


Hunt supporters storm British parliament, but ban moves closer (AFP) AFP - Supporters of fox hunting stormed Britain's parliament and scuffled with police at a mass rally, but failed to prevent lawmakers from moving closer to a ban of the blood sport.


Carnie Wilson Says She's Pregnant (AP) AP - Carnie Wilson, whose gastric bypass surgery five years ago was broadcast on the Internet, is expecting her first child.


Taiwan launches another bid to join UN (AFP) AFP - Taiwan launched its latest bid to join the United Nations in dramatic fashion -- not with a knock on UN doors but in a message beamed through outer space.


AT T Wireless to Offer Phoneless Messaging (AP) AP - In a detour from the cellular industry's rush toward tricked out smart phones, AT amp;T Wireless Services Inc. may introduce a device that can't be used for voice calls. Instead, it's designed specifically for e-mail, short text messages and other forms of wireless chat.


Howe Done with Mets, Effective at Season's End  New York, NY (Sports Network) - The New York Mets have  reportedly told Art Howe he will be fired, but he has agreed to  remain as the team's manager until the end of this season.


Lawmaker Introduces Presidential Proposal (AP) AP - Schwarzenegger for president in 2008? No, he's not eligible.


Size Matters When It Comes to Nostrils (Reuters) Reuters - Large nostrils count more than a big\nose when it come to smelling power, said German scientists on\Wednesday after completing a three-year-long study aimed at\treating smelling disorders.


US suspends Peace Corps in Nepal, ask embassy families to leave (AFP) AFP - The US State Department announced it has authorized the departure of non-emergency personnel and family members of the US Embassy in Nepal's capital and suspended Peace Corps aid work in the country due to security concerns.


USC fires basketball coach Henry Bibby Henry Bibby was fired as Southern California #39;s basketball coach Monday, just four games into his ninth season. The Trojans, beset by some player dissension, are 2-2.


Antarctic Living: A Space House for an Icy Land (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - A new research station at the bottom of the world may give future Antarctica researchers some special treats, like the ability to live above ground and look out a window.


NASA Transfers X-37 Project to DARPA (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - WASHINGTON  #x2014; NASA has transferred its X-37 technology demonstration program \  to the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which plans \  to go ahead with atmospheric drop tests of the prototype space plane next year.


VW and unions are "miles apart" Workers and management at German car giant Volkswagen make little headway in initial negotiations over a new pay deal.


Airespace Wins IBM Partnership for WiFi Service  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Airespace, a Silicon Valley telecom  services start-up, won a partnership with International  Business Machines Corp. IBM.N that will help Airespace grab a  piece of the growing market for WiFi services, the two  companies told Reuters on Wednesday.


Tough Times Ahead for Chip Makers? The number of companies building processors is likely to shrink, researcher says.


China to Build 3,000 New Internet Cafes SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- China's second-largest mobile phone company plans to open 3,000 Internet cafes by the end of the year, exerting stronger state control over a sector once dominated by private enterprise, state-run radio reported Tuesday.    China Unicom already operates 400 Internet cafes in China and plans to start up as many as 200 more by year's end, China Radio International reported...


UK Complains of Higher iTunes Cost LONDON (AP) -- A consumer's group said Wednesday it has complained to government regulators about the cost of downloading music from Apple's iTunes system.    British buyers are charged 79 pence, or \$1.41, for one track, while customers in France and Germany pay euro0.99, or \$1.21...


MSO Shares Still Confined by Martha #39;s Woes Martha Stewart may soon head to prison, but that likely won #39;t free her namesake company of its troubles, investors and analysts say.


Oil, Coke cap European stocks Major regional indexes close in the red on early hike in crude prices and Coca-Cola profit warning. PARIS (Reuters) - European shares fell on Wednesday as an early session rise in oil prices stoked concern


The 1994 NHL lockout provided no permanent solutions for major <b>...</b> (CP) - The 103-day NHL labour disruption of 1994 flushed tens of millions of dollars down the toilet and resulted in no permanent solution.


Judge waives arraignment for Heatley ATLANTA - A judge has waived the arraignment for Atlanta Thrashers forward Dany Heatley, who has been charged with vehicular homicide and five other counts in the 2003 wreck that killed a teammate.


5/11 Afridi towers over the Kenyans LONDON, September 15: Pakistan sent out a warning to India before their Champions Trophy Group C showdown with a seven-wicket demolition of Kenya at Edgbaston on Wednesday.


Van Nistelrooy double saves United from defeat at Lyon Ruud van Nistelrooy struck twice in six minutes to salvage a 2-2 draw for Manchester United against Olympique Lyon in the Champions League on Wednesday and set a 30-goal European scoring record for his club.


Airespace Wins IBM Partnership for WiFi Service (Reuters) Reuters - Airespace, a Silicon Valley telecom\services start-up, won a partnership with International\Business Machines Corp.  that will help Airespace grab a\piece of the growing market for WiFi services, the two\companies told Reuters on Wednesday.


Taiwan, China Artists Breach Political Divide (Reuters) Reuters - In an abandoned Cold War bomb\shelter on Taiwan's frontline island of Quemoy, the music of\Bach and Beethoven jars with the boom and screech of a piano\being smashed to bits.


Stocks Fall on Coke, Tech Downgrade  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday after a  profit warning from Coca-Cola Co. KO.N stoked fears about  corporate profits and a downgrade of the technology sector by  investment bank Goldman Sachs weighed on markets.


GOLF: FANNY #39;S TIRED OF CARRYING TEE BAG NICK FALDO #39;S caddie Fanny Sunesson has announced she has carried her last golf bag - - but only after falling victim to the rules of the Hong Kong club.


Job Market Shifting by Degrees Research by professors at Northeastern University shows that a college student's major is more important than what college they attend in determining their starting salary upon graduation.


Gazprom Restrictions May Stay Just hours after President Vladimir Putin sent Gazprom shares soaring by indicating he backed ending the long-derided dual trading system for the gas giant #39;s shares


Infineon to pay \$160 million fine for DRAM price-fixing Infineon Technologies AG, a German manufacturer of DRAM (dynamic RAM) has agreed to plead guilty and pay a US\$160 million fine for attempting to fix prices in the DRAM market, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wednesday.


Judge Rules State #39;s School Finance System Unconstitutional State District Judge John Dietz ruled Wednesday that the states so-called Robin Hood school finance system is unconstitutional.


Amazon Unit Challenges Google, Other Search Sites A9.com is walking a fine line between working with Google and competing against it. By Thomas Claburn. Following an April test, A9.


Pimco adviser, affiliates to pay \$11.6M SEC settlement The Securities and Exchange Commission said Wednesday Pimco mutual fund group #39;s adviser and two affiliates will pay more than \$11.


Industrial Production Inches Up in August Industrial activity edged up by 0.1 percent in August as declines in utility and mining output tempered a gain in factory production.


Update 1: Cyberonics Rejects Advanced Neuro #39;s Bid Cyberonics Inc. rejected a takeover bid from fellow medical-device maker Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc. on Wednesday, saying it continues to focus on strengthening its epilepsy business and is still not interested in any combination or merger.


EU clears Banco Santander #39;s takeover bid for Abbey National The European Commission, executive arm of the European Union, on Wednesday cleared acquisition of Britain #39;s sixth largest bank Abbey National by Spain #39;s largest bank Banco Santander Central Hispano.


Martha Stewart asks judge for jail right away Martha Stewart wants to serve her five months prison sentence  quot;as soon as possible quot; and has sent a request to do so to the judge in charge of her legal case, the queen of domestic life said in a news conference in New York Wednesday.


New Firm Launches Web Services-Based Collaborative Platform Cordys Inc. announced a new Web services-based platform designed to create more efficient and collaborative business environments.


HP #39;s StorageWorks Grid Approach Makes Data Dynamic Hewlett-Packard has unveiled its storage grid architecture strategyan approach that company executives claim is faster and more efficient than comparable products and systems on the market today.


Hughes new man at Blackburn Former Manchester United striker Mark Hughes has been appointed the new manager of Blackburn Rovers. The Wales boss had been the favourite to take over the Lancashire club after former manager Graeme Souness


Royals extend Stairs Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - The Kansas City Royals have extended the contract of outfielder Matt Stairs through the 2005 season.


Edmonton Oilers captain Jason Smith resigns with team on the eve <b>...</b> EDMONTON (CP) - Edmonton Oilers captain Jason Smith signed a four-year deal with the team Wednesday, on the eve of an NHL lockout.


Presidential tickets make no difference in dialog The General Election Commission (KPU)-sponsored dialog has failed to live up to expectations that it would be a forum for presidential candidates to convince the public of their platforms and programs, mass communication experts said on Wednesday.


British  quot;Batman quot; on the Buckingham Palace walls On Tuesday three police officers were seen standing at the spot where a ladder was used for Mr Hatch #39;s ascent. His fellow campaigner Mr Pyke, who dressed as Batman #39;s sidekick Robin, was stopped by armed police at the scene.


XM Satellite Radio to Broadcast on Web (AP) AP - XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. will soon begin broadcasting some of its stations to subscribers over the Internet, fresh on the heels of the company's discontinuation of a receiver for PCs that some users used to circumvent the music industry's crackdown on illegal file sharing.


Souness wary of a giantkilling Newcastle boss Graeme Souness has warned his players not to underestimate non-league Yeading when they clash next month. The Magpies were paired with the Ryman League outfit in yesterday #39;s draw for the FA


Saskatchewan high court rejects appeal of 2 men in murder of  Regina seniors (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - REGINA (CP) - Saskatchewan's highest court has rejected an appeal by two men convicted in a bloody home invasion that killed an senior Regina couple.


Factories Bright Spot Amid Output Growth  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. industrial production growth  nearly stalled last month as cool weather led to a drop in  electrical output, which obscured a strong performance at  factories, a Federal Reserve report showed on Wednesday.


Bush Gains, but Not With Swing Voters (AP) AP - President Bush has been gaining ground among overall voters as a leader and the man to fight terrorism, but swing voters have been less impressed, a tracking poll suggests.


Earthquake Rocks Indonesia's Bali, One Dead (Reuters) Reuters - A powerful earthquake rocked\Indonesia's premier tourist island of Bali Wednesday, killing\one person, injuring at least two and triggering some panic,\officials said.


Milosevic Trial Halts; Witnesses Refuse to Testify (Reuters) Reuters - Former Yugoslav President Slobodan\Milosevic's war crimes trial was suspended for a month\Wednesday to give court-appointed lawyers more time to prepare\the defense case after witnesses refused to testify.


Delta Auditor Concerned About Airline  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines DAL.N said on  Wednesday its auditors had expressed concern about the  airline's financial viability.


OPEC Raises Output by 1 Million bpd.; Tries to Gain Consumer <b>...</b> A meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has resulted in an increase of the cartels official oil production ceiling by one million barrels per day (bpd).


Martha Stewart abandons fight to stay out of prison Martha Stewart, the lifestyle icon convicted of lying and obstructing justice in an insider trading trial earlier this year, said yesterday she was dropping her fight to stay out of jail and


Tech company to plead guilty to price fixing A German manufacturer of technology commonly used in personal computers has agreed to plead guilty and pay a \$160 million fine for engaging in an international price-fixing conspiracy that drove up computer prices, the Justice


Stocks sag on corporate forecasts and worse-than-expected economic <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - Earnings warnings from Celestica and Coca-Cola along with a slowdown in US industrial production sent stock markets lower Wednesday.


UPDATE 5-PacifiCare to buy American Medical for \$502 mln PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. (PHS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Wednesday it agreed to buy American Medical Security Group Inc.


Ruud to the rescue for Man. U The high-scoring Dutchman scored twice in the second half of a Champions League match Wednesday to help the English powers rally back from a two-goal deficit and earn a 2-2 draw with French champions Olympique Lyon at Stade Municipal Gerland.


Ajax Amsterdam 0-1 Juventus: FT Report AMSTERDAM, September 15 (Champions League) - A moment of brilliance from Pavel Nedved was enough to give Juventus three points from their Champions League Group C opener against Ajax.


UPDATE 1-Leverkusen serve up 3-0 thrashing for Real Bayer Leverkusen started their Champions League campaign with a shock 3-0 win over a sluggish Real Madrid in a Group B game on Wednesday.


Tennessee has an edge on Florida Lee, what #39;s your take on the Florida-Tennesse game this weekend? Will the quarterbacks for both teams - Chris Leak of Florida, Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer of Tennessee -ave the same success that they had in their first games?


Infineon to pay \$160M fine for DRAM price-fixing The Department of Justice charged Infineon with violating the Sherman Antitrust Act by conspiring with unnamed DRAM manufacturers between July 1999 and June 2002 to fix prices on memory sold to computer and server vendors.


DHS moves ahead with cybersecurity R D efforts The Department of Homeland Security has launched several new cybersecurity initiatives that it hopes to add to pilot projects and operational systems and that can be deployed throughout the government and the private sector.


Ex-Teledata employee pleads guilty in massive ID theft case Prosecutors said the Georgia man, a former help desk employee at Teledata Communications, was involved in a scheme to steal the identities of up to 30,000 people.


Patching still a sore spot for some Oracle users Members of the Oracle Applications User Group at this week's Connection Point 2004 said Oracle has made strides by rolling out new support tools and processes, but has more work to do to make their jobs easier.


Borland looks to take on Visual Studio with Diamondback The product combines development on the Win32, Delphi and .Net platforms, accommodating legacy Windows and new application development.


Mozilla fixes browser bugs Mozilla Foundation releases new versions of two browsers and an e-mail reader, addressing vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to run malicious code on a user's PC.


J.P. Morgan cancels \$5B IBM outsourcing deal J.P. Morgan, the No. 2 U.S. bank, said that after its recent merger with Bank One, it could better manage its own technology and infrastructure.


Wireless technology aids post-hurricane claims processing Property and casualty insurers such as State Farm and The Hartford have invested in wireless and other technologies to streamline claims processing for policyholders affected by recent hurricanes.


IDC: Storage resource management software sales soar EMC led the overall storage software market in the second quarter, with a 32.5 revenue share, up 3.4 percentage points over the same quarter of 2003, according to IDC. Veritas held on to its second-place position in the market.


Identity Theft Suspect Pleads Guilty Man had been charged with one of the largest such scams in U.S. history.


Microsoft Announces Another Windows Security Flaw SEATTLE (AP) -- Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) announced Tuesday it has found a new security flaw with its Windows XP operating system and warned that an attacker could infiltrate other computers by persuading their owners to open a specialized graphics file...


Moy #39;s moment as Spain celebrate Four years ago in Barcelona, when Spain won the Davis Cup for the first time, Carlos Moy cut a rather sad and slightly dejected figure, an outsider who was forced to watch from the periphery because of an injured back.


Nestle Considering Perrier Sale (AP) AP - Nestle SA said Wednesday it is considering selling French mineral water brand Perrier after a trade union blocked a plan to cut almost 800 jobs.


Carolina Defensive Line Reeling After Loss (AP) AP - Their pride has clearly been wounded. For a defensive line that makes its mission stopping the run, Ahman Green's 119 rushing yards definitely stung the Carolina Panthers.


Take Kerry's Swift Boat for a Nonpolitical Spin Kuma Reality Games, which specializes in recreating military encounters, is making one of Mr. Kerry's Swift boat missions the situation for a game.


Heatley's Arraignment Waived  ATLANTA (Sports Network) - Atlanta Thrashers right wing  Dany Heatley, who is charged with vehicular homicide and five  other counts in the 2003 car crash that killed teammate Dan  Snyder, had his Wednesday arraignment waived by a judge.


N.H.L. to Lock Out Players on Thursday The National Hockey League will lock out its players Thursday, threatening to keep the sport off the ice for the entire 2004-05 season.


U.S. Rebukes Saudis Over Religious Rights  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday  accused Saudi Arabia of severe violations of religious freedom  in a rare official rebuke of a close ally and key oil supplier  that potentially could lead to sanctions.


Suspended Hokies Tailback Enters Plea Suspended Virginia Tech tailback Mike Imoh on Wednesday accepted the same agreement as quarterback Marcus Vick and pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge stemming from a night of drinking with underage girls.


Jeter Leads Yankees Past Royals 3-0 Javier Vazquez pitched the New York Yankees to their second consecutive shutout, and Derek Jeter homered and doubled twice Wednesday in a 3-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals.


NFL Fines Broncos' Lynch for Hit on Hall The NFL fined Broncos safety John Lynch \$7,500 on Wednesday for a hit he made against Chiefs receiver Dante Hall in the season opener.


Marlins' Burnett to Miss Next Start Florida Marlins right-hander A.J. Burnett will miss his next scheduled start because of elbow inflammation, an ailment that could hurt the team's chances in the NL wild-card race.


Stewart Asks to Serve Sentence Soon NEW YORK - Even at a wrenching moment of surrender, Martha Stewart was - as always - under impeccable control. Her announcement Wednesday that she would report to prison as soon as possible came in a light-bathed studio, before a brilliant backdrop of color swatches, perfectly choreographed for television...


New Orleans Urges People to Take Shelter NEW ORLEANS - With 135-mph Hurricane Ivan closing in with frightening intensity, this flood-prone city scrambled Wednesday to get people out of harm's way, putting the frail and elderly in the cavernous Louisiana Superdome and urging others to move to higher floors in tall buildings.    Along some 300 miles of threatened coastline from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, the churning surf, ominous clouds, swaying traffic lights and escalating winds were all the reminders some people needed to take cover from a storm that made a slight turn north on a path that could bring it ashore early Thursday at the Alabama-Mississippi line, near Mobile, Ala...


OPEC moves to reassure markets VIENNA In a largely symbolic decision, OPEC agreed on Wednesday to increase its formal production ceiling by 1 million barrels a day, underlining the group #39;s resolve to bring down high oil prices.


HBOS opts not to bid for Abbey National LONDON Santander Central Hispano of Spain looked certain to clinch its bid for the British mortgage lender Abbey National, after HBOS, Britain #39;s biggest home-loan company, said Wednesday it would not counterbid, and after the European Commission cleared


Martha Stewart says she #39;s heading to prison NEW YORK Saying she wanted to  quot;put this nightmare behind me, quot; Martha Stewart said Wednesday that she would enter a US prison to begin serving her five-month sentence without waiting to see whether an appeals court will overturn the guilty verdict a jury


At VW, threat of job losses hits nerves FRANKFURT Representatives of Volkswagen and its labor union faced off across a table Wednesday, opening a round of negotiations that will be closely watched here as a test of how long German workers can preserve their privileged place in the global auto


XM to Launch Online Radio Service XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. said Wednesday it is launching a commercial-free online music service in early October called XM Radio Online.


Alitalia nears more union deals MILAN A day after getting its pilots to agree to pay cuts and longer hours, Alitalia took another step on Wednesday toward avoiding bankruptcy as the Italian state-run airline neared an accord with its flight attendants and ground workers.


Mondavi to move on Robert Mondavi Corp. said it would sell not only the Napa Valley facility, perhaps America #39;s most famous winery, but all of its high-end wine ventures in California and around the world, to concentrate on


UK group accuses Apple of unfair download pricing LONDON A British consumers #39; lobbying group has complained to the Office of Fair Trading about prices on Apple #39;s iTunes online music download service.


CNN.com Romancing the phone For men seeking true romance there is now a new mating game with an unusual twist -- it is virtual and mobile. A fantasy world in which lovesick men can wine and dine a virtual girlfriend


Sun #39;s OpenSolaris Plans Start to Emerge Sun Microsystems on Friday will unveil more of its plans for OpenSolaris, the open-source project for the Solaris operating system.


Where #39;s Phil? US captain says decision to sit out not selfish Phil Mickelson is a changed man. He #39;s altered the long-standing perception he couldn #39;t win a major, and his latest deviation finds him switching equipment just before golf #39;s pre-eminent team event.


Blackburn names Hughes new coach London, England (Sports Network) - Blackburn named Welsh national team coach Mark Hughes its new boss Wednesday, effective immediately.


Roundup: Road to splitsville? No way, Tiger says Tiger Woods has denied a gossip item that he and his fiance, Elin Nordegren, have broken up.  quot;That #39;s completely false, quot; Woods said on Tuesday of a Boston Herald columnist #39;s report.


Checkpoint Hebrew Finds Way Into Palestinian Lexicon As Palestinians trudge across a barbed-wire passage leading to Jerusalem from the West Bank city of Ramallah, hawkers and taxi drivers greet them with a din of multilingual chants.


China #39;s Hu calls democracy  #39;blind alley #39; BEIJING China #39;s Communist Party chief, Hu Jintao, said Wednesday that Western-style democracy was a  quot;blind alley quot; for China and that the one-party state would fight power abuse and corruption by policing itself better.


Bribes Helped Bombers to Russian Planes -Prosecutor (Reuters) Reuters - Bribery and negligence by officials\helped Chechen suicide bombers get on board two passenger\planes last month and blow them up, Russia's chief prosecutor\said in an interview published on Wednesday.


Brady Not Satisfied Despite Strong Start (AP) AP - Going 17-1 in games decided by fewer than seven points isn't enough for Tom Brady. Neither is throwing for 335 yards and three touchdowns in his season opener.


Bush Reaches Out to Hispanics at Event (AP) AP - Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, President Bush on Wednesday reached out to an important election-year constituency by talking up the benefits to minorities of his education and homeownership agenda.


Bribes Helped Bombers to Russian Planes -Prosecutor  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Bribery and negligence by officials  helped Chechen suicide bombers get on board two passenger  planes last month and blow them up, Russia's chief prosecutor  said in an interview published on Wednesday.


Protesters Breach British Parliament in New Scare  LONDON (Reuters) - Pro-hunting demonstrators burst onto the  floor of Britain's parliament on Wednesday in the week's second  audacious breach of security at a landmark site.


Expert: India Leads World in HIV Cases NEW DELHI - India has the world's largest number of HIV-infected people, the head of a top international AIDS-fighting fund said Wednesday, dismissing official figures.   "I don't believe in the official statistics...


New Orleans Urges People to Take Shelter NEW ORLEANS - With 135-mph Hurricane Ivan closing in with frightening intensity, this flood-prone city scrambled Wednesday to get people out of harm's way, putting the frail and elderly in the cavernous Louisiana Superdome and urging others to move to higher floors in tall buildings.    Along some 300 miles of threatened coastline from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, the churning surf, ominous clouds, swaying traffic lights and escalating winds were all the reminders some people needed to take cover from the storm...


Risk group sees up to \$10 billion US Ivan damage Insured losses in the United States from Hurricane Ivan, which was roaring toward the US Gulf coast on Wednesday, could run between \$4 billion and \$10 billion, a risk assessment company said.


Group Takes Issue with iTunes #39; Pricing A London-based consumer group says Apple #39;s iTunes music download-service is overcharging customers in the United Kingdom by 17 percent compared to those in France and Germany.


FROM THE DESK OF DAVID POGUE Considering Microsoft #39;s ITunes Store n Sept. 2, Microsoft unveiled its iTunes Music Store. That sentence may sound a little strange, but that is, in fact, what happened.


Software Tutors Offer Help and Customized Hints OURTEEN-year-old Rochelle Brown was close to solving an algebra problem. Yet she stumbled repeatedly on one calculation: -2.3  .5.


First snapshot of a distant planet? In what could be a breakthrough in the search for worlds, an international team of astronomers claims to have made an image of a planetlike object beyond our solar system.


Sun, Microsoft Ready Single Sign-On It #39;s the first deliverable in a joint-development agreement reached last spring, with more interoperability planned. By Stephanie Stahl.


Owners Lock Out Players Over Contract Dispute National Hockey League owners carried out their threat to lock out players on Wednesday, shutting down the league after the two sides were unable to reach a new labor deal.


DA still determining charges, if any OAKLAND, Calif. -- Prosecutors are expected to ask for a continuance in the case of Rangers relief pitcher Frank Francisco at a preliminary court hearing scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.


Blackburn Appoints Wales Soccer Coach Mark Hughes as Manager Blackburn Rovers, which has yet to win a game in English soccer #39;s Premiership this season, said it appointed Wales coach Mark Hughes to replace Graeme Souness as team manager.


Champions: Liverpool defeats Monaco 2-0 Liverpool defeated last year #39;s finalist Monaco 2-0 Wednesday, with goals from Djibril Cisse and Milan Baros giving new Reds #39; coach Rafa Benitez a perfect start in his Champions League campaign.


What #39;s next in Iranian nuclear saga? US and European officials couldn #39;t agree on how to deal with Iran Wednesday at an IAEA meeting in Vienna. By Scott Peterson. MOSCOW - Divided US and European officials stalled a meeting of the UN #39;s atomic


Milosevic puts war court on trial Wednesday, judges adjourned the trial for one month to give Milosevic #39;s lawyers more time to call reluctant witnesses. By Peter Ford  Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor.


Top official backs Putin on changes for Russia MOSCOW Russia #39;s foreign minister on Wednesday defended sweeping political changes announced earlier this week by President Vladimir Putin, telling the United States and other critics that the plans were an internal matter.


Quake, gale kill two in Bali, N. Sumatra An earthquake killed one person and injured two others on Wednesday on the resort island of Bali, while a gale that swept through several parts of the country claimed one life and damaged hundreds of houses in North Sumatra.


Earnings alert: Lawson expects quarterly loss Plus: SCO to cap legal costs...Novell sees weakness in IT spending...Salesforce reports rise in profit...Nortel to lay off 3,500.


Delta says revising annual report Delta Air Lines (DAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Wednesday it was revising its last annual report to reflect its worsening financial condition and to include the possibility of filing for bankruptcy protection.


Apple criticised for download costs Apple computer is facing an inquiry by the Office of Fair Trading after it was criticised for selling music downloads to UK customers at higher prices than in other European countries.


Gnome Debuts 2.8 Desktop Sep. 15, 2004. Less than a month after its rival KDE rolled out its newest open-source desktop, the Gnome Project Wednesday debuted out Gnome 2.8, the latest iteration of its graphical interfaces for Linux.


Launch delay for new ISS crew MOSCOW: The launch of a Soyuz rocket due to carry the next Russian-US crew to the International Space Station (ISS) on October 9 is set to be delayed for technical reasons, Russian space officials said on Wednesday.


MOM farms out all IT-related functions THE Ministry of Manpower has taken the unprecedented step of outsourcing its entire IT applications, hardware, software and services.


Game off, NHL votes to lock out players saying economics have to <b>...</b> (CP) - The NHL pulled the plug on hockey Wednesday, with an emotional Gary Bettman painting a bleak picture of a Grand Canyon-sized divide between owners and the Players #39; Association.


Villeneuve gets back on track with Sauber Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve will drive for Switzerlands Sauber motor racing team in next season #39;s Formula One championship.


Soccer: Big teams off to winning start in Champions League Coach Jose Mourinho began his quest for a second successive title in the best way possible when his Chelsea side beat Paris St Germain 3-0 in their opening group H match yesterday.


Police reveal prime suspects POLICE last night released the names and mugshots of the bombers and terror masterminds believed responsible for the Australian Embassy attack in Jakarta.


Hu warns against aping Western politics BEIJING - China would come to a  #39;dead end #39; if it copied blindly from Western political systems, President Hu Jintao said yesterday on the eve of a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) meeting focused on shoring up its own waning image and legitimacy.


Latest Mozilla releases fix 10 security flaws At least three critical vulnerabilities are among those fixed by the most recent versions of Mozilla, Firefox and Thunderbird.


New Satellite Photos May Show New Iran Nuclear Site  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New satellite images show Iran's  Parchin military complex, southeast of Tehran, may be a site  for research, testing and production of nuclear weapons, a  nuclear expert said on Wednesday.


U.S. Joins New Drive for Northern Ireland Deal  LEEDS CASTLE, England (Reuters) - U.S. special envoy  Mitchell Reiss will join British and Irish leaders at a  1,000-year-old castle on Thursday for talks billed as a final  chance to save Northern Ireland's 1998 Good Friday peace  accord.


Iraq war illegal, says Annan The UN's Kofi Annan tells the BBC the US-led invasion of Iraq was illegal and contravened the UN charter.


OPEC aims for four percent increase in oil quotas VIENNA: OPECs core Gulf producers on Wednesday recommended the cartel raise supply quotas by one million barrels a day, four percent, Kuwaiti Oil Minister Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahd al-Sabah said.


JPMorgan Chase Cancels \$5-Billion Outsourcing Deal With IBM The inexorable march of outsourcing took an abrupt about face Wednesday, when JPMorgan Chase bank canceled its \$5-billion outsourcing deal with IBM and said it would take back the 4,000 employees working at IBM on the bank #39;s IT programs.


Airbus #39;s launch aid #39; has to be grounded This week, trade officials from the US and the European Union are due to discuss subsidies in the commercial aircraft market. The talks must focus on the subsidy that distorts the market the most - launch


Firearms police get stun guns Police firearms officers will be allowed to use electronic stun guns as a safer alternative, the government said yesterday. The hand-held Taser device fires twin needle-tipped darts up to 21ft; they deliver


NCR Recalls Inkjet Refill Kits NCR Corp. on Wednesday recalled 78,000 printer cartridge refill kits because they do not have child-proof packaging, posing a health risk to young children who may ingest the ink sold in the product.


Candidates battle for hearts and minds in the science journals The battle for the US presidency enters new territory today with both candidates turning to scientific journals to set out their election promises.


MS Releases Fix For Graphics Flaw Microsoft (Quote, Chart) officials have announced two patches as part of its monthly releases for September -- one rated critical, one important.


Will the iPod Become the Next Pet Rock? Lately, I #39;ve written extensively about Apple Computer #39;s moves in the connected home, and certainly some of the company #39;s well-designed productsespecially its best-selling iPodare hits with users.


Petulance, style, Drogba has both LONDON - Arsenal bored their way to a 1-0 Champions League win over PSV Eindhoven thanks to a piece of Thierry Henry brilliance, and Henrik Larsson returned to Celtic as a Barcelona player to hand his former team their first European defeat in three years


More than just a game As Newcastle United #39;s new boss Graeme Souness sets out to bring harmony to a troubled St James Park, where factionalism and conflict have been the order of the day in recent times, he could do worse than look to tomorrow night #39;s Uefa Cup opponents for a


British National Shot Dead in Riyadh RIYADH, 16 September 2004 - Suspected terrorists gunned down a Briton near a major supermarket in the eastern part of Riyadh yesterday.


Jordanian employer of hostage agrees to pull out of Iraq AMMAN, Sept. 15. - The owner of a Jordanian truck company announced today that he had ordered its Iraq operations stopped in a bid to save the life of a driver held hostage by a militant group.


More Violence Across Iraq Kills 12 Insurgent attacks against US and Iraqi troops continued Wednesday west of Baghdad in the rebel stronghold known as the Sunni Triangle.


New Orleans Urges People to Take Shelter NEW ORLEANS - With 135-mph Hurricane Ivan closing in with frightening intensity, this flood-prone city scrambled Wednesday to get people out of harm's way, putting the frail and elderly in the cavernous Louisiana Superdome and urging others to move to higher floors in tall buildings.    Ivan made a slight turn north on a path that could bring it ashore early Thursday at the Alabama-Mississippi line, near Mobile, Ala., but forecasters said everyone from New Orleans to the Panhandle should be worried...


Beer in Moderation Could Be Good for You TORONTO - Beer, a health food? That's what some Canadian researchers report. A study from the University of Western Ontario finds a brew could be good for you...


SEC Probes WorldCom Creditor Actions  WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal regulators have  launched an investigation into creditor actions in the WorldCom  bankruptcy, demanding thousands of documents from bondholders  related to the largest U.S. bankruptcy, according to court  documents.


Endangered tiger earns its stripes as the world #39;s most popular <b>...</b> The dog might be man #39;s best friend, but the world #39;s favourite animal is the tiger, according to an international survey published today.


Sun's OpenSolaris Plans Start to Emerge (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - The company will launch an OpenSolaris site on Friday, but an open-source version of Sun's operating system is still a long way off.


Japan Volcano Erupts for Second Straight Day (Reuters) Reuters - A volcano in central Japan spewed smoke\into the sky as it erupted for a second straight day on\Wednesday, but there were no immediate signs to suggest a major\eruption was coming.


OPEC to hike crude oil output quota by 1 mil barrels VIENNA - The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed Wednesday to boost its current daily crude oil production quota by 1 million barrels to 27 million barrels from Nov 1 to try to stabilize recently high-flying crude oil prices.


Labor dispute puts hockey on ice The message board in Canada #39;s dressing room spoke volumes: Practice canceled tomorrow. No one else to beat. The next fight for these stars is with NHL owners, who are set to lock them out Wednesday night.


Rivals end phoney contest A cricket match is expected to break out this morning at the Oval, ending a week of tediously phoney contests and sparking the ICC Champions Trophy into belated life.


Steelers #39; Roethlisberger injures knee PITTSBURGH (Sept. 15, 2004) -- Ben Roethlisberger injured his right knee during a passing drill at the Pittsburgh Steelers #39; practice field.


Pre-emption not on cards: Sharon JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Iran and its nuclear ambitions represent a very great danger to the Jewish state but played down the prospect of a pre-emptive strike on its atomic facilities.


Heat Sign Laettner to Help Shaq (AP) AP - Christian Laettner wanted to play close to his home and for a winning team. The Miami Heat was an obvious choice, even before they traded for Shaquille O'Neal.


Wired Introduces MediaPress LE realtime MPEG Encoder for \$2199 BIRCHWOOD, Minn. --(Business Wire)-- Dec. 6, 2004 -- Wired today announced the immediate availability of its new MediaPress LE(TM) realtime MPEG encoding card for Macintosh.


Microsoft Extends Olive Branch to Corporate NT 4 Users Though the oft-delayed end of support for Windows NT 4.0 will arrive December 31, Microsoft this week detailed the steps its corporate customers can take to continue receiving support for the OS.


Briefly: Microsoft connects with SAP roundup Plus: Autodesk updates hobbyist tool...LogicLibrary buys bug catcher...Think local, act Google.


Microsoft connects with SAP A new add-on for Office Project Server 2003 includes tools for connecting to HR software from SAP.


Autodesk updates hobbyist tool The software maker has released AutoSketch 9, an update of its drafting application.


Infineon to pay \$160 million fine for DRAM price-fixing WASHINGTON - Infineon Technologies AG, a German manufacturer of DRAM (dynamic RAM) has agreed to plead guilty and pay a \$160 million fine for attempting to fix prices in the DRAM market, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wednesday.


Columnists: Academia Headaches Academic institutions who have to add, manage, and secure thousands of new users within a period of just a few days face political and social issues on top of the immense technical ones.


They're Robots? Those Beasts! Researchers developing robotic lobsters, flies, dogs cockroaches believe that machines inspired by biology will be able to operate in places where today's robots cannot go.


Software Tutors Offer Help and Customized Hints Broadly defined, an intelligent tutoring system is educational software containing an artificial intelligence component.


It's Available in Sleek, but It's Going to Cost You An \$1,100 cordless phone is just one sign that fashion has gained a toehold in the digital realm.


HBOS walks away from Abbey HBOS walked away from a possible bid for Abbey National yesterday, shortening the odds sharply on a 8.7 billion recommended offer from Spanish bank Santander Central Hispano being successful.


Sony #39;s no blockbuster EVERYONE from Rupert Murdoch to Christopher Skase kicked the tires at MGM at some point during the 30 years the fabled studio was on and off the block.


Just let me go to jail now, says Martha Martha Stewart yesterday gave up the battle to stay out of prison, asking instead to begin her sentence as soon as possible so she could put  quot;this nightmare quot; behind her.


Update 2: JP Morgan Chase Plans to Rehire 4,000 JP Morgan Chase  amp; Co. says it will rehire 4,000 workers whose jobs it had outsourced to IBM, bucking a corporate trend in information technology.


AOL Dumps Sender ID AOL (Quote, Chart) has withdrawn its support for Microsoft #39;s controversial Sender ID technology and falling back on Sender Policy Framework (SPF), internetnews.


Focused Tiger has fireworks up his sleeve HAL Sutton was hardly rationing compliments yesterday when he identified Tiger Woods as one of the greatest putters who ever lived.


Blackburn get their man as Hughes agrees Ewood deal WALES coach Mark Hughes was last night installed as the new manager of Blackburn, filling the gap left by the departure of Graeme Souness to Newcastle.


Kenyan collapse frustrates Moles Pakistan #39;s seven-wicket win left Kenya #39;s coach Andy Moles feeling crushed and disappointed on his return to Edgbaston yesterday.


Briton is shot dead in Saudi Arabia A Briton was shot dead by suspected Muslim militants in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, yesterday in what appears to be the latest anti-Western killing by supporters of al-Qa #39;ida.


Dozens Slain During Bloody Day In Iraq RAMADI, Iraq -- Medical officials say fighting between US troops and Iraqi insurgents in the western city of Ramadi has killed at least eight civilians and wounded nearly 20 others.


Alou Hopes 700th Can Change Bonds' Image (AP) AP - San Francisco Giants manager Felipe Alou hopes Barry Bonds' 700th home run  #151; whenever it comes  #151; will change the public's perception of the surly slugger.


USS Cole Prosecution Seeks Death Penalty (AP) AP - A trial into the almost four-year-old bombing of a U.S. warship in Aden Harbor that killed 17 Navy sailors concluded Wednesday with prosecutors seeking the death penalty for six defendants.


Ryder Cup Will Be All Over Television (AP) AP - TV viewers who became accustomed to the around-the-clock coverage of the Olympics should like this starting Friday: All Ryder Cup, all the time.


Gayle scatters flock of seagulls Another day, another duff game. At least it had a semblance of meaning, featuring a once mighty side lurching from one nightmare to another against an embryonic team who are marginally improving.


OPEC pushes up oil output OPEC responded to recent high oil prices yesterday by raising its output quotas by 1 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude, effective from 1 November, a move analysts said was largely cosmetic in light of its current overproduction.


Is Search About To Be Amazoned? Amazon.com has entered the search-engine wars with the debut of A9.com. The site, which relies on Google search technology, includes personalization features like a running log of sites visited


Alitalia Gets Crucial Deal With Pilots Alitalia reached a vital deal with its pilots on productivity improvements on Tuesday, a day ahead of a deadline to seal a rescue plan or face bankruptcy, union sources said.


XM Radio Plans Online Music Service Grump writes  quot;Diving into the already crowded online music business, XM Radio Online, will launch sometime in early October and operate commercial-free, just as its satellite programming does.


Gates spreads wealth to CMU The Bill  amp; Melinda Gates Foundation has given Carnegie Mellon University \$20 million toward construction of a new computer science building.


Darfur peace talks struggle for survival Peace talks between Sudan #39;s government and Darfur rebels struggled for survival after one of the two rebel groups said on Wednesday the negotiations had collapsed but left open the chance of resumption.


New Satellite Photos May Show New Iran Nuclear Site (Reuters) Reuters - New satellite images show Iran's\Parchin military complex, southeast of Tehran, may be a site\for research, testing and production of nuclear weapons, a\nuclear expert said on Wednesday.


Blessing or Curse? Top Newspaper Editors Examine Blogs' Role in the '60 Minutes' Uproar (Editor and Publisher) Editor and Publisher - NEW YORK The current controversy over the validity of documents pushed in large part by bloggers and purporting to prove that President Bush received special treatment in the National Guard shows that partisan Internet pundits are having a growing impact on mainstream press, for better or worse, according to several newspaper editors.


Current Woes Aside, Cisco Getting Ready For New Growth Run (Investor's Business Daily) Investor's Business Daily - Networking giant Cisco Systems may be in short-term pain. But it's looking past that to long-term gain.


Dolphins Have Minor Injury Problems  DAVIE, Fla., (Sports Network) - The Miami Dolphins will be  without running back Travis Minor for Sunday's game against  Cincinnati because of an ankle injury.


Japan Stocks Open Lower, Tech Shares Fall  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei share average opened down  0.59 percent on Thursday with technology shares leading the way  following a drop in their U.S. peers after Goldman Sachs  downgraded its view on the sector.


OPEC nations agree to boost daily oil quota OPEC nations agreed to revise their oil production quota, boosting it by 1 million barrels per day in an effort to talk down crude oil prices.


Rupert buys back the farm, the art and harbourside house RUPERT Murdoch is literally buying back the farm - and the art and other myriad investments worth more than \$50 million. As part of the proposed move of The News Corporation Ltd to the US, Mr Murdoch and his


Infineon Reaches Settlement with DoJ on Industry Wide DRAM <b>...</b> Infineon Technologies AG (FSE/NYSE: IFX) announced today that it has reached an agreement with the United States Department of Justice - Antitrust Division - (DoJ) to plead guilty to a single and limited charge related to the violation of US antitrust


Alitalia Talks Stretch Past Deadline Racing to avoid bankruptcy, Alitalia (AZPIa.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) struggled into the early hours of Thursday for a last-minute deal with its powerful unions to roll


British consumer group: iTunes UK overpriced British consumer group Consumers #39; Association has raised its voice over the iTunes #39; pricing in the United Kingdom. Most notably, its anger is aimed towards the different pricing model Apple uses for its online music store in European countries.


Microsoft Releases Systems Management Server 2003 SP1 Microsoft released its first service pack for Systems Management Server 2003 with support for Windows XP SP2 and Virtual Server 2005.


Adobe Announces Photoshop Elements 3.0 Adobe #39;s update of Photoshop Elements adds several new features and enhancements that allow users to edit photos with a few mouse clicks.


Sun, Microsoft to detail interoperability next month SEPTEMBER 14, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Sun Microsystems Inc. and Microsoft Corp. next month plan to provide more details on the work they are doing to make their products interoperable, a Sun executive said yesterday.


Fresh sign of the times THE Manpower Ministry (MOM) has scored a first among government agencies by awarding an outsourcing contract to a private firm that includes the transfer of staff.


Labor pains April 1980 -- Players strike the last eight days of spring training. Ninety-two exhibition games are canceled. June 1981 -- Players stage first midseason strike in history.


Ponting says Kiwis aren #39;ta bogy side RICKY Ponting says cricket watchers have fallen for the  quot;myth quot; that New Zealand knows the secret to rattling Australia. Speaking before tonight #39;s Champions Trophy clash at The Oval, Ponting insisted the world


Howe to be dismissed, but stays with team New York Mets Manager Art Howe has been told he will be dismissed at the end of the season, but he has agreed to remain with the team until then.


Police issue sketches of top 10 suspects in Jakarta blast JAKARTA - Police yesterday issued sketches of the 10 most-wanted suspects linked to last week #39;s Australian Embassy bombing. The sketches, issued by Inspector-General Paiman, included those of Malaysian bomb


Oracle hire signals focus on subscription services Software maker snags Hewlett-Packard veteran to lead fast-growing division, report to CEO Larry Ellison.\


Mac-to-BlackBerry synchronization app launched In what may someday may be nicknamed the MacBerry, Information Appliance Associates (IAA) announced this week a product called PocketMac BlackBerry, a synchronization application that will give RIM BlackBerry users the ability to do two-way synching of Mac and RIM data.


News Corp shareholders to vote on move SYDNEY: News Corp Ltd said it plans to hold a shareholder vote on its proposed reincorporation to the US at its annual general meeting in Adelaide on Oct 26, after obtaining approval from Australia #39;s Federal Court earlier yesterday.


Martha to judge: Send me to jail ASAP Speaking in a light-bathed room where her media company holds meetings and photo shoots, Martha Stewart announced Wednesday she would voluntarily begin serving her five-month prison term


Infineon Admits to Price Fixing Infineon Technologies AG has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a \$160 million fine for participating in an international conspiracy to fix prices in the DRAM market, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said today.


Delta Auditor Concerned About Airline Delta Air Lines (DAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Wednesday its auditors have expressed doubt about the airline #39;s financial viability.


Soyuz Damage May Delay Space Station Trip SeaDour writes  quot;As if the failed oxygen generator on the International Space Station wasn #39;t bad enough, rumor has it that the planned launch of a Russian Soyuz capsule to change crews onboard the station may be delayed due to a mishap during ground testing


Adobe enters home video editing fray Adding to its offerings for digital imaging and video hobbyists, Adobe Systems on Wednesday announced a new video-editing package and an update to its Photoshop Elements image-editing product.


With new OS, Microsoft seeks couch potatoes #39; eyes com September 15, 2004, 5:40 PM PT. This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been improving or obtaining CRM and ERP software for the past year and a half.


Sutton Cares About Winning, Not Appearances Hal Sutton has added spice to the 35th Ryder Cup by daring to be different. The leadership style of Sutton, the American captain, has been a focal point


Chelsea off to a flyer LONDON: Coach Jose Mourinho began his quest for a second successive Champions League title in the best way possible when his Chelsea side beat Paris St Germain 3-0 in their opening Group H match on Tuesday.


Suyigama, Rubin, Jankovic upset in first round It was a day of upsets at the Wismilak International yesterday as Ai Sugiyama, Chanda Rubin, and Jelena Jankovic all fell in the first round to unheralded opponents.


Football: Real Madrid Beaten by Germany, 3-0 Four-time Champions League football winner Real Madrid of Spain was shocked by Bayer Leverkusen of Germany, 3-0, in Group-B of the tournament Wednesday.


Protesters storm British parliament, but fox hunt ban proceeds (AFP) AFP - Supporters of fox hunting stormed Britain's parliament and clashed with police in the streets, but failed to stop lawmakers from voting by an overwhelming margin to ban the blood sport.


Delta Auditor Concerned About Airline  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines DAL.N said on  Wednesday its auditors have expressed doubt about the airline's  financial viability.


CBS Insists Anti-Bush Memos Accurate (Reuters) Reuters - Slammed by all sides, from\high-ranking Republicans to rival networks, CBS News vowed on\Wednesday to answer questions about the authenticity of\documents it aired in a story challenging President Bush's\military service during the Vietnam War.


Senate Panel Votes to Raise AIDS Funding (AP) AP - A Senate committee voted Wednesday to boost funds for battling AIDS and other diseases in poor nations but provided less than half what President Bush wanted for prodding countries to adopt democratic reforms.


Dollar Firm After Upbeat U.S. Data  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar held firm against the yen and  the euro on Thursday on upbeat U.S. manufacturing data, but  many traders expected range-bound trading ahead of next week's  Federal Reserve meeting.


Tokyo Stocks Fall as Tech Issues Sold  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei share average fell 0.44  percent by mid-morning on Thursday as technology shares such as  Toshiba Corp. followed their U.S. peers lower after a major  U.S. investment bank downgraded its view on the sector.


Martha Stewart Asks to Begin Sentence as Soon as Possible Martha Stewart said that she has decided to surrender for prison as soon as possible, citing the need to "reclaim her life."


Coke Says 2nd-Half Profit Will Miss Target Coca-Cola warned that its earnings will fall short of forecasts, pointing to competition in North America and poor weather in Europe.


Carmakers Crank Up Their Image A product placement that cost General Motors more than \$7 million is indicative of new initiatives by agencies and automakers as competition intensifies.


Hurricane Ivan Takes Aim at Mobile, Ala. MOBILE, Ala. - Hurricane Ivan and its 135-mph winds churned toward the Gulf Coast with frightening intensity Wednesday, spawning monster waves that toppled beach houses and spinning off tornadoes that killed at least two people...


Dog Drives Off As Owner Watches Hockey WHITEHORSE, Yukon Territory - An exuberant dog left in a truck while the owner watched Canada win the World Cup of Hockey managed to throw the vehicle into gear and coast down a city hill.    A man out for a walk called police after seeing the vehicle coast by with a black Labrador retriever behind the wheel...


Martha Stewart asks for jail Domestic lifestyle guru Martha Stewart said yesterday she would go to jail as soon as possible following her recent conviction for lying about a share deal.


Global financial system is shock-proof The world #39;s financial system is in better shape than at any time since the pricking of the dotcom bubble and the September 11 terrorist attacks threw global markets into turmoil, the International Monetary Fund said yesterday.


Coca-Cola earnings dip 24 as sales lose fizz The Coca-Cola organisation yesterday blamed poor sales in the US and Europe, bad weather, new recycling laws and a lukewarm welcome for a new  quot;mid-calorie quot; Coke as it issued a profit warning.


Fight decline, don #39;t manage it, urges O #39;Reilly Jr The O #39;Reilly family, owners of the Independent and Independent on Sunday, rarely give press interviews. A solution to the sales decline at their UK newspapers has been equally elusive over the past decade, but


XM Satellite Unveils Online Music Service XM Satellite Radio Holding Inc. on Wednesday said it would launch a commercial-free, Internet music service in early October. With XM Radio Online, subscribers will be able to listen to the


Leverkusen hammer Real Madrid 3-0 Bayer Leverkusen, losing finalists to Real Madrid in 2002, hammered the Spaniards, 3-0, yesterday, the most stunning upset in the opening rotation of the Champions League.


Liverpool boss  quot;satisfied quot; after Monaco win Liverpool kicked off their Champions League campaign with an impressive 2-0 win over last season #39;s finalists, AS Monaco. Rafael Benitez #39;s side went ahead through a clever goal - Steven Gerrard and Luis Garcia


NK account of blast may be true The United States said on Tuesday that last week #39;s blast in North Korea that stirred fears of a nuclear explosion might have been demolition work for a power project, as Pyongyang has asserted.


Microsoft to take direct shots at Linux rivals Redmond won't just fight the "cooler" open-source operating system--it's looking at Red Hat, Novell and IBM.


With new OS, Microsoft seeks couch potatoes' eyes New version of Media Center and accompanying "extenders" will make TV shows recorded on a PC available all over the house.


Update 3: OPEC Boosts Production Target 1 Million In an attempt to prove it can still influence the global oil market, OPEC boosted its production target by 1 million barrels a day and began lobbying oil producers that aren #39;t part of the cartel to follow suit.


Lion Nathan pours off brewery biz Lion Nathan Ltd, Australasia #39;s second-largest brewer, is to sell its China beer business to China Resources Snow Breweries (CRSB) for US\$154 million, the two companies announced yesterday.


Coke Says 2nd-Half Profit Will Miss Target he Coca-Cola Company warned yesterday that its earnings for the second half of the year would fall short of forecasts, citing competitive pressures in North America and unseasonably cool and rainy weather in Europe.


The Grapevine Is Whispering; It Says Mondavi he Mondavi family, who just a year ago gave up control of the corporation that bears its name, could be a long-shot bidder for its most famous winery.


Mickelson Says Equipment Change Won #39;t Hurt Him Phil Mickelson reiterated Wednesday that his performance at the Ryder Cup would not suffer because of his recent switch to using some Callaway golf equipment.


Stoutmire Out For Season With Knee Injury _ New York Giants free safety Omar Stoutmire is going to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. Stoutmire, who started every game the last two years only to lose his job this


Malik and Afridi have Kenyans in a spin This was another depressingly unedifying mismatch. Kenya were abject, sometimes comically naive, in surrendering nine wickets for 27 runs in only 63 balls as they were dismissed for 94, their third-lowest one-day international score.


Sailors rescued after 8-day drift off England Five sailors, who were stranded in a life raft in the sea for 8 days after their yacht sank, were rescued off the coast of Cornwall in southwest England by British coast guards on Wednesday.


Protestors disrupt fox hunting debate in British Parliament TONY EASTLEY: Hot on the heels of having Batman break into Buckingham Palace, protesters have run onto the floor of the British Parliament yelling at politicians as they debated a ban on fox hunting.


Expos Beat Marlins 10-4 to Sweep Twinbill (AP) AP - Tony Batista and Val Pascucci hit three-run homers to lift the Montreal Expos to a 10-4 victory and a doubleheader sweep of the Florida Marlins on Wednesday.


Infineon to Pay a Fine in the Fixing Of Chip Prices Federal prosecutors cracked a global cartel that had illegally fixed prices of memory chips in personal computers and servers for three years.


Tokyo Stocks Open Lower (AP) AP - Tokyo stocks opened lower Thursday following Wall Street's weakness. The dollar was higher against the Japanese yen.


Muslim Player Who Sought Exemption Quits (AP) AP - A University of South Florida women's basketball player who wanted to wear Islamic clothing on the court quit the team on Wednesday.


Price Comparison for Drugs Is Put on Federal Web Site Over objections from some drug companies, the Bush administration unveiled a new feature on the Medicare Web site comparing prices for similar brand-name drugs.


Abandoning Computer Programs for Hands-On Rock In the studio, M83 relies largely on keyboards. But when M83 came to the Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday it looked more like a rock band.


Newmont scales back Peru operations Gold mining company Newmont Mining Corporation announced that operations at one of its mining projects were being scaled back due to safety concerns after a blockade of road access to the mine.


The Firefox Throwdown Firefox, the ass-kicking Mozilla Web browser, is just out of beta with a  quot;preview release. quot; It #39;s slim, it #39;s fast, and it #39;s feature-rich -- but can it possibly threaten the worldwide dominance of Microsoft #39;s Internet Explorer?


Lara pleased by easy Windies win When you have spent the last two months staring grimly at your own navel, the need for a victory - any victory - assumes desperate proportions.


Predators re-sign D Zidlicky ----- NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) - The Nashville Predators did not let the impending NHL lockout disrupt their future plans as they re-signed defenseman Marek Zidlicky to a new contract Wednesday.


YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS We asked those affected by Hurricane Ivan, or those in its path, to e-mail us with their thoughts and experiences. The following are a selection of your replies.


Linux Standard Base Is Exactly What Platform Needs (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Opinion: To keep Linux on the right path to the enterpise, the new standard base is essential.


Howe to Go Quietly, but Wilpon Speaks Up Less than 23 months after they said they found everything they needed in Art Howe, the Mets on Wednesday officially admitted they were wrong.


U.S. Web Shoppers' Holiday Spending Up (Reuters) Reuters - Online consumers in the United\States spent  #36;8.8 billion, excluding travel purchases, in


Says Fed has helped by speaking clearly about rate hikes WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Global financial markets are stronger than at any time since the US stock market bubble burst in early 2000, according to an IMF report released Wednesday.


lawyer argues Ford sold unsafe police cars Ford Motor Co. continued to sell Crown Victoria police cars even after the deaths of several officers in fiery rear-end crashes showed the vehicles were unsafe, a lawyer


Technical Problems Delay Russian Space Launch The launch of a Russian rocket to the International Space Station scheduled for October has been delayed because of problems with the docking system, the Russian Space Agency was quoted by Reuters as saying.


XM Satellite Radio to Broadcast on Web XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. will soon begin broadcasting some of its stations to subscribers over the Internet, fresh on the heels of the company #39;s discontinuation of a receiver for PCs that some users


Sugiyama crashes out Japan #39;s Ai Sugiyama suffered a shock first-round loss as the top seeds had a bad day at the Wismilak International. Third-seed Sugiyama was fuming after her 6-4 7-6 (7-1) loss in Bali to Aiko Nakamura, who is 151 places below her in the world rankings.


Cricket: Lara backs Bangladesh to make progress SOUTHAMPTON, England : West Indies captain Brian Lara believes Bangladesh are making improvements as a cricketing nation, despite another heavy defeat at the Rose Bowl in the ICC Champions Trophy.


Notes: Greene out a week The Padres were dealt a blow Tuesday when it was discovered that Khalil Greene will be out of the lineup for at least a week. Their rookie shortstop sensation took a


Judges Postpone Milosevic Trial for Month THE HAGUE, Netherlands Sept. 15, 2004 - Stalled by reluctant witnesses and an uncooperative defendant, judges in Slobodan Milosevic #39;s war crimes trial adjourned the proceedings for a month Wednesday to give


Car bomb kills 47 in Baghdad at least 47 people in the deadliest single attack in the Iraqi capital in six months. responsibility for Tuesday #39;s blast, which it said was carried out by a suicide attacker.


Giants Lose Stoutmire for Season With Injury It was hard to imagine the situation getting worse for the Giants defense in the aftermath of the Eagles torching it with 330 passing yards, but the news that


Greene expected to miss rest of season Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - San Diego Padres shortstop Khalil Greene is expected to miss the rest of the season with a broken bone in his right index finger.


Cubs beat Pirates again CHICAGO -- Sammy Sosa appears to have found his swing, and the timing couldn #39;t be better for the Chicago Cubs. Sosa hit his first grand slam in more than two years, and also had a solo homer as the Cubs hit


Rising Population Growth Still an Issue, Says UNFPA UNITED NATIONS, Sep 15 (IPS) - The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) is dispelling a widespread notion -- prevalent mostly in Western countries -- that population growth has ceased to be a serious socio-economic problem primarily because of declining numbers.


Ivan May Delay or Move 49ers-Saints Game (AP) AP - The San Francisco 49ers' game Sunday in New Orleans could be moved or even postponed because of Hurricane Ivan, but the players and coaches are only worried about safety.


U.N. Reports Progress on Health, Poverty (AP) AP - Wealthy countries are falling billions of dollars short of their promises to help fund reproductive health care and improvements in the status of women around the world, the United Nations said Wednesday.


Blue Jays Beat Orioles 3-0 to End Skid (AP) AP - Ted Lilly pitched eight scoreless innings and the Toronto Blue Jays ended a four-game losing skid with a 3-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night.


Nikkei Dips Techs, Steel Makers Fall  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average fell 0.14 percent  by midday on Thursday with losses in shipping firms, steel  makers and several technology shares overshadowing gains in  selective small-cap stocks and firms with bright earnings  outlooks.


China Invites Moderate Democrats to Meetings -Paper  HONG KONG (Reuters) - China has invited four newly elected  pro-democracy lawmakers for talks in a conciliatory gesture  after weekend legislative elections, the South China Morning  Post reported on Thursday.


Blair sets asylum removal target Tony Blair says the government must do more to ensure failed asylum seekers are deported from the UK.


Nikkei Dips Techs, Steel Makers Fall (Reuters) Reuters - Tokyo's Nikkei average fell 0.14 percent\by midday on Thursday with losses in shipping firms, steel\makers and several technology shares overshadowing gains in\selective small-cap stocks and firms with bright earnings\outlooks.


Dollar Firm After Upbeat U.S. Data (Reuters) Reuters - The dollar held firm against the yen and\the euro on Thursday on upbeat U.S. manufacturing data, but\many traders expected range-bound trading ahead of next week's\Federal Reserve meeting.


Pakistani Leader to Remain As Army Chief (AP) AP - Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf backed out of a pledge to step down as army chief, slamming the door Wednesday on this key Washington ally's slow progress toward democracy five years after his bloodless coup.


Newmont Mining shuts down Peru mine after road blockade, protests DENVER Newmont Mining Corporation temporarily shut down a mine in Peru today after a two-week blockade of a road to the mine and thousands of workers protesting in the streets over concerns of the effects of new mining operations on water supplies.


Muscle wasting disease DNA mapped Genetics experts reported they have mapped chromosome 5 of the human genome, a coil of DNA linked to several rare but crippling disorders including spinal muscular atrophy.


Borland moving forward with SDO 15 Sep 2004, 16:01 GMT - Borland Software took a new direction this week, with the announcement of Software Delivery Optimization (SDO).


Canada claim world ice hockey title TORONTO: Canada squeezed past Finland 3-2 in the final of the World Cup of Hockey, sending a hockey-mad nation into raptures and defending its crown as undisputed champion of the international game.


Hughes named manager LONDON: Blackburn Rovers appointed Wales national coach Mark Hughes as their new manager last night, the Premiership club said.  quot;Blackburn announce tonight that Mark Hughes has been appointed manager with immediate effect, quot; Blackburn said in a statement.


PREVIEW- #39;Real #39; tournament begins at the Oval The Champions Trophy, despite still being at the pool stage, reaches its knockout phase when world champions Australia meet New Zealand at the Oval on Thursday.


With Hopkins fight ahead, De La Hoya takes look back Oscar De La Hoya #39;s fights have generated more than 8.5 million pay-per-view buys and nearly \$400 million, otherworldly figures for a non-heavyweight.


Final 10 tracks in title chase favor Gordon Four-time champion Jeff Gordon has the best chance of winning his fifth title at the end of NASCAR #39;s playoff-style 10-race Chase for the Nextel Cup based on past performances, USA TODAY database research shows.


China Invites Moderate Democrats to Meetings -Paper China has invited four newly elected pro-democracy lawmakers for talks in a conciliatory gesture after weekend legislative elections, the South China Morning Post reported on Thursday.


EDITORIAL:Nuke tests in S. Korea South Korea has admitted conducting experiments on nuclear materials in the past without the knowledge of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog.


Samuels Rebounds After suffering through the worst season of his career, Redskins left tackle Chris Samuels is dedicated to returning to Pro Bowl form.


WVU's Toughest Test As Saturday's kickoff nears, the message emerging from the West Virginia program is tempered with caution and is exceedingly respectful toward the Maryland Terrapins.


Riley, O's Take Loss Ted Lilly pitches eight scoreless innings and the Blue Jays end a four-game losing skid with a 3-0 victory over the Orioles on Wednesday.


Sanders at Receiver? With just four healthy wideouts heading into Sunday's home opener, the Ravens may give Deion Sanders a chance at wideout.


Faith First, Football Second Sean Johnson was at a Virginia football team meeting 2 1/2 years ago when he decided to embark on what he now calls the greatest experience of his life.


Wins Tough to Find The revamped ACC is one of the top football conferences in the country. But scheduling a non-BCS conference team at home doesn't guarantee a win any more.


New Clubs, Same Lefty? Five months after answering those who questioned his resolve with a one-shot victory at the Masters, Phil Mickelson is facing the critics once again this week at the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills.


chipmaker Infineon admits price fixing German computer chipmaker Infineon Technologies AG has agreed to plead guilty to price fixing and will pay a \$160 million fine, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.


Delta Revises 2003 Annual Report Delta Air Lines Inc. said Wednesday that it revised its 2003 annual report to disclose the possibility that the company will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the near term.


JP Morgan To Take Back Tech Work Outsourced to IBM Undoing a technology outsourcing deal set in late 2002, JP Morgan Chase on Wednesday said it would take back 4,000 of IBM #39;s employees who have been providing the Wall Street firm with an array of technology support services.


Red Sox Hold Off Devil Rays 8-6 (AP) AP - Manny Ramirez hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly, and Kevin Millar and Mark Bellhorn had two-run homers Wednesday night to lift the Boston Red Sox to an 8-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.


Cardinals Move Closer to Division Title (AP) AP - Jim Edmonds' sacrifice fly snapped an eighth-inning tie and Matt Morris bounced back from one of his worst starts of the season, bringing the St. Louis Cardinals one step closer to the NL Central championship with a 4-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night.


Shareholders Approve Aether Changeover (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Shareholders approved Aether Systems Inc.'s sale of one of its two remaining operating divisions yesterday, a deal that will take the Owings Mills company out of the wireless business and nearly complete its transformation into a mortgage investment fund.


Asian Stocks Head South on Wall Street  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian shares dipped on Thursday, as  tech shares followed U.S. counterparts lower after an  influential investment bank downgraded the sector.


Foreign Diplomats Visit Scene of N.Korean Blast  BEIJING (Reuters) - A group of foreign diplomats left  Pyongyang on Thursday to visit the scene of a mysterious  explosion in North Korea, an embassy official said.


Hotels, Union End Talks, Prepare for Strike Negotiators for 14 major District hotels walked out of contract talks with the union that represents 3,800 employees Wednesday afternoon, raising the prospect of a work stoppage at the city's largest hotels.


Airline Woes Reach Across The Atlantic ROME, Sept. 15 -- The airline industry shakeout that forced U.S. Airways Group Inc. into bankruptcy this week is rippling through Europe as well, with some forecasters predicting that only a handful of the continent's airlines can survive, and Italian authorities scrambling this week to keep national carrier Alitalia SpA aloft.


The Moment That Starts a Makeover? NEW YORK, Sept. 15 -- After her sentencing on July 16, Martha Stewart angrily denounced the case against her as a "circus event" and vowed, Terminator-style: "I'll be back."


Mortgage Regulator To Keep Agency Job Armando Falcon Jr., director of the agency that regulates mortgage funding giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, appears likely to stay on the job past the expiration of his five-year term next month, though he submitted his resignation more than a year and half ago under pressure from the White House.


Putin's Governors Plan Confirms His Control Long before President Vladimir Putin decided this week to eliminate the popular election of governors and appoint them himself, Putin effectively controlled who would lead Russia's diverse regions.


Between Old Allies, A Sweeping Divide The rebels from the village of Mona Quibundo fought on the same side with Marceal Miji Itengo during Angola's civil war. But their lives have gone in starkly different directions during the country's troubled peace.


ID Biomedical signs distribution agreements for flu vaccine <b>...</b> NEW YORK, December 6 (newratings.com) - ID Biomedical Corp (IDBE.NAS) announced today that it has signed a ten-year US distribution agreement for its Fluviral treatment, expected to generate \$2.5 billion in sales and offset the shortage of flu vaccines


For Mexicans, a Chorus of Patriotism Citizens of Mexico pause to celebrate 150th anniversary of the country's national anthem.


Law pays tribute to record-breaking Ruud Manchester United legend Denis Law led the tributes to Ruud van Nistelrooy after the Dutchman broke his club record for goals in European competition.


NHL season in jeopardy as players locked out The fears of many hockey fans came true on Wednesday, with the NHL board of governors giving unanimous support to a player lockout.


Milosevic trial suspended The trial of Slobodan Milosevic has been suspended in Hague to allow the defense lawyers assigned to the former Yugoslav president more time to prepare their case.


For Anwar, the top prize is still as elusive as ever Malaysia #39;s highest court yesterday declined to overturn a conviction for corruption against former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.


Crew of 5 rescued after week in life raft For almost seven days, they drifted off the Cornish coast in a tiny inflatable raft, at the mercy of rough seas, battered by huge waves and high winds.


CPC #39;s plenum to find ways to prolong  #39;moral right #39; to rule Beijing, Sept. 16. (PTI): Facing unprecedented challenges to its authority, China #39;s ruling Communist Party elites are meeting here from today to chalk out ways to prolong their one-party rule in the world #39;s most populous nation.


NHL to Lock Out Players on Thursday (AP) AP - The National Hockey League is locking out its players starting Thursday, threatening to keep the sport off the ice for the entire 2004-05 season and perhaps beyond in an effort by management to gain massive change in the sport's economic structure.


China Aviation Oil says chief will return to Singapore By Andrew Yeh and Francesco Guerrera in Hong Kong and Mure Dickie in Beijing. He has been in China on  quot;family matters quot; since late November but plans to return soon to answer investigators #39; inquiries, the Singapore


Asian Stocks Head South on Wall Street (Reuters) Reuters - Asian shares dipped on Thursday, as\tech shares followed U.S. counterparts lower after an\influential investment bank downgraded the sector.


Australian PM refutes Annan claims Iraq war 'illegal' (AFP) AFP - Australian Prime Minister John Howard refuted claims by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan that the Iraq war was  quot;illegal quot;, saying it had been justified by UN Security Council resolutions.


Bonds Stays at 699 Homers As Giants Win MILWAUKEE - Barry Bonds barely missed his 700th homer, but J.T. Snow connected following yet another walk to the San Francisco slugger and the Giants beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-1 behind Brett Tomko's four-hitter Wednesday night...


For Martha, It #39;s Time to Do Time By serving her sentence now, the domestic diva gives her company a better shot at reviving its badly damaged fortunes. Although more famous for her artistic instincts around the home, Martha Stewart knows her math, too.


Update 3: Tokyo Stocks Fall; Dollar Up Against Yen Tokyo stocks fell Thursday morning following Wall Street #39;s weakness. The dollar was higher against the Japanese yen. The benchmark Nikkei Stock Average of 225 issues was down 15.


Wall Street stocks shed on downbeat Coca-Cola outlook <b>...</b> Wall Street stocks fell Wednesday as a gloomy outlook from Coca-Cola Co. and a weaker reading on industrial production for August pressured on the market.


Coke goes flat as poor sales prompt warning Wall Street went sour on Coca-Cola yesterday after the soft drinks giant unnerved investors with a profit warning that sent the shares tumbling.


Egyptians treated animals like kings Ancient Egyptians revered cats and other animals and took as much care in preparing them for their passage to the next life as they did with humans, scientists said Wednesday.


Giants 8, Brewers 1 Barry Bonds barely missed his 700th homer, but JT Snow connected following yet another walk to the San Francisco slugger and the Giants beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-1 behind Brett Tomko #39;s four-hitter Wednesday night.


China threatens to veto UN Darfur draft UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) <b>...</b> China has threatened to veto a revised US draft resolution that would consider UN sanctions against Sudans oil industry if Khartoum does not stop atrocities in its Darfur region, diplomats reported on Wednesday.


Iraq war illegal: Annan United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has told the BBC that the US-led invasion of Iraq was an illegal act that contravened the UN Charter.


Court crushes Anwar #39;s comeback bid Former deputy leader Anwar Ibrahim claimed yesterday that Malaysia #39;s highest court bent to government pressure in a ruling that bars his return to elected office before 2008, despite his recent release from prison.


No decision taken by Musharraf on army chief post: Pakistani <b>...</b> ISLAMABAD: Pakistan #39;s information minister retracted his statement that President Pervez Musharraf would retain his position as head of the powerful army.


Employers Begin to Get The Message Jonathan Anderson and Varghese George take opposite approaches to workplace use of instant messaging, an electronic method for exchanging quick text messages between colleagues.
-The Washington Post


IBM to sell computer unit, in talks with China #39;s Lenovo NEW YORK, New York, United States of America -- International Business Machines (IBM) Corp has put its computer business up for sale, the New York Times said Friday, quoting people close to negotiations.


Throw the book at ... everybody No doubt that Frank Francisco should have the book thrown at him for what he did in Oakland Monday night. But for that matter, so should the rest of us, for condoning the type of behavior that preceded the Texas Rangers relief pitcher #39;s errant toss.


Putin #39;s  #39;New Deal #39; for Russia Is Russia giving up on democracy? Russian President Vladimir Putin certainly seems to be suggesting that possibility. He introduced a plan that would restrict elections in Russia and would  quot;radically restructure


Three headless corpses found north of Baghdad The decapitated bodies of three men, their heads strapped to their backs, were found dumped in nylon bags by a roadside north of Baghdad on Wednesday, Iraqi police and US officials said.


China party chief rules out full democracy Chinese Communist Party chief Hu Jintao called for parliament to take a stronger watchdog role on the eve of a key leadership meeting but ruled out Western-style democracy


Johnson Breaks Strikeout Record by Lefties (AP) AP - Randy Johnson got his 4,137th strikeout Wednesday night, breaking Steve Carlton's major league record for left-handers and moving into third place overall on the career list.


OPEC likely to keep output high The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is likely to keep production close to a 25-year high to prevent shortages during the US winter, OPEC officials said.


Mello Upsets Fish at Delray Beach (AP) AP - Ricardo Mello upset second-seeded Mardy Fish 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 Wednesday and advanced to the third round of the Millennium International Tennis Championships.


NL Wrap: Sosa Belts Two Homers as Cubs Pound Pirates  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sammy Sosa belted a pair of home runs,  including his first grand slam in more than two years, as the  Chicago Cubs pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates 13-5 in National  League at Wrigley Field on Wednesday.


Dollar Near 1-Week High Vs Euro  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar held near one-week highs  against the euro and the Swiss franc on Thursday after U.S.  manufacturing figures came in much stronger than expected.


Tokyo Stocks Lower  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average fell 0.14 percent  by midday on Thursday with losses in shippers, steel makers and  several technology shares overshadowing gains in select  small-cap stocks and firms with bright earnings outlooks.


Seahawks RB Alexander Listed as Questionable  KIRKLAND, Wash., (Sports Network) - Seattle Seahawks  running back Shaun Alexander was listed as questionable  Wednesday after missing practice due to a bruised right knee.


Adams backs power-sharing plan Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has put the pressure for the success or failure of the Northern Ireland assembly talks firmly on the shoulders of Ian Paisley.


Alitalia agrees to new contracts Alitalia took a step on Tuesday toward resolving the labor disputes that have threatened to push it into bankruptcy, agreeing to new contracts with its 2,300 pilots.


FCC Chief Pushes TV Via High-Speed Internet Lines US Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell on Wednesday said technology and telecommunications companies are racing to develop ways to pipe television


Kofi Annan: Globally Popular Mainstay of the UN Having dedicated more than 40 years to the United Nations, the seventh Secretary General Kofi Annan is a well-liked and admired global figure.


China Communists Meet as Succession Rumors Swirl China #39;s Communist Party opened a four-day, closed-door meeting on Thursday that will decide whether military chief Jiang Zemin completes a leadership succession by passing on his last post to party chief Hu Jintao.


Under-fire UN chief deserves fair treatment: newspaper United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan has become the target of escalating attacks in the United States over suspected corruption in the body #39;s now-defunct oil-for-food humanitarian programme for Iraq.


Germany's neo-Nazis change look to attract disgruntled voters (AFP) AFP - Holger Apfel cuts a clean look in his Miami Vice-style white suit and black T-shirt and is the new image of a German far-right that is likely to cause an upset in Sunday's state elections.


Expos' Former Limited Partners Seek Block (AP) AP - Lawyers for the former limited partners of the Montreal Expos plan to ask a federal judge to block major league baseball from moving the team.


Turncoats Becoming a Problem in Russia (AP) AP - Russian police investigating the deadly Beslan school siege are looking inside their own squad house: One of the attack organizers was allegedly a former cop who disappeared six years ago.


Australia to test unmanned aircraft for protecting its oilfields (AFP) AFP - Australia is to test unmanned surveillance aircraft as a means of protecting vital offshore oil and gas installations against terrorist attacks, the government said.


AL Wrap: Silva Stifles White Sox as Twins Win Again  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Carlos Silva tossed a one-hitter  before leaving the game with a bruised ankle as the Minnesota  Twins won their eighth straight game, downing the Chicago White  Sox 6-1 on Wednesday.


Jeter Is Having Fun When the Games Mean the Most Javier Vazquez reversed his free fall with seven three-hit innings and Derek Jeter went 3 for 4 in the Yankees' second straight shutout victory.


With Bonds Swinging for History, Cheap Seats Become Priceless By Monday, the right-field bleachers at Miller Park were sold out in anticipation of Barry Bonds's 700th homer while many of the best field-level seats remained.


Markets punish Martha further Martha Stewart just can #39;t catch a break. Shares in her former company rose another 12 cents yesterday, to \$11.26, continuing a recovery that began soon after her conviction.


Coke #39;s flat earnings pop Wall Street rally, expectations US stocks fizzed downward yesterday after Coca-Cola Co. and other firms reported disappointing sales and earnings projections - giving Wall Street a case of indigestion amid concern that the days of fat corporate profits may be over.


Tokyo Stocks Lower Tokyo #39;s Nikkei average fell 0.14 percent by midday on Thursday with losses in shippers, steel makers and several technology shares overshadowing gains in select small-cap


FCC chief considers wireless merger Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell said yesterday he #39;ll probably issue a recommendation this month on whether to approve Cingular Wireless LLC #39;s \$41 billion purchase of AT amp;T Wireless Services Inc.


Bill Gates e-mail ID plan rejected SEATTLE: Microsoft Corp was dealt a setback on Tuesday after the Internet Engineering Task Force decided not to adopt Microsoft #39;s e-mail sender ID standard that would make it easier for Internet providers to block unwanted junk e-mail.


Starry nights clearest in Antarctica A high, almost windless spot in the central region of the Antarctic plateau is the best place on Earth to view the stars, according to the first results from a small, automated telescope.


Fish falls early again The second-seeded Fish gave away a lead in a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 loss to Ricardo Mello of Brazil on Wednesday night in a second-round match at the \$380,000 Millennium International tennis tournament.


Bonds fails to hit No. 700; Giants maintain wild card lead Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Barry Bonds did not homer, but JT Snow and Deivi Cruz did, and Brett Tomko threw a complete game to lead the San Francisco Giants to an 8-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.


AL Wrap: Silva Stifles White Sox as Twins Win Again Carlos Silva tossed a one-hitter before leaving the game with a bruised ankle as the Minnesota Twins won their eighth straight game, downing the Chicago White Sox 6-1 on Wednesday.


NL Wrap: Sosa Belts Two Homers as Cubs Pound Pirates Sammy Sosa belted a pair of home runs, including his first grand slam in more than two years, as the Chicago Cubs pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates 13-5 in National League at Wrigley Field on Wednesday.


Iraq war was illegal, claims Annan United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has revealed that he believes the war on Iraq was  quot;illegal quot;. Mr Annan said the war was  quot;not in conformity quot; with the UN Security Council or with the UN Charter.


Judge Dismisses Charges Vs. Bush Protester (AP) AP - A judge has dismissed charges against a war protester who was arrested during a visit by President Bush last spring.


Senate Panel Votes to Derail New OT Rules (AP) AP - A Senate committee voted Wednesday to scuttle new rules that critics say would deny overtime pay to millions of workers, as Democrats won the latest round in their election-year bout with President Bush over the issue.


Carmakers Face Huge Retiree Health Care Costs For older domestic manufacturers like General Motors, health care represents a severe financial burden.


Alzheimer's in the Living Room: How One Family Rallies to Cope For the caregivers of patients, life is an act of stoic devotion that most families embrace as the antithesis of a nursing home.


OPEC to boost production target OPEC will increase its oil production target by 1 million barrels a day later this year in a move widely viewed as more symbolic than significant, given


NHTSA plan calls for monitors in wheels Federal officials Wednesday proposed requiring automakers to install monitors in each wheel on a car to warn drivers when pressure falls more than 25 in any of the tires.