In Paris for talks, King Abdullah pessimistic on Iraqi elections PARIS : King Abdullah of Jordan held talks on the Middle East with President Jacques Chirac after warning in a newspaper interview that elections in Iraq are impossible in the current state of insecurity.


Microsoft To Sell Win XP Starter Edition In Russia Garabito writes  quot;Cnet reports that Microsoft plans to distribute in Russia the low-cost, stripped-down version of Windows XP, called  #39;Starter Edition.


Reg Readers hail NTL abusive message Letters Not so keen on 'spam-free' email plans


Learn how to Integrate Cisco and UNIX Network Architectures Site offer Save 30 on thousands of other great titles


Chain Store Sales Mixed in Latest Week (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. chain store retail sales saw a\slight decline of 0.3 percent on a week-over-week basis. \However, on a year-over-year basis, the sales momentum remained\strong at 3.5 percent, a report said on Tuesday.


Before the Bell: Atherogenics Up 82 Pct.  NEW YORK (Reuters) -  Shares of AtheroGenics Inc. AGIX.O  soared 82 percent before the bell on Tuesday, a day after the  pharmaceutical company announced positive interim results from  a study on an anti-inflammatory agent.


Lawmakers Want Paper Records of E-Ballots Just five weeks before election day, federal legislators are increasingly casting doubt on electronic voting terminals and demanding that touchscreen computers produce paper records.


Anti-Spam Effort Killed Amid Patent Row A row over intellectual property claims from Microsoft Corp. has dealt a fatal blow to an ambitious effort by Internet engineers to create a technical standard for curbing junk e-mail.


Dreamworks Files for IPO with SEC

 NEW YORK (Reuters) - Computer animation company DreamworksSKG has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissionfor a \$650 million initial public offering, applying to list onthe New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "DWA."


RFID confab draws big names in retail, high tech Powerhouses such as Wal-Mart will be in Baltimore this week to influence the development of radio frequency identification.


USB--short for 'ultimate security breakdown'? SecureWave exec Dennis Szerszen warns that the convenient port is also a vulnerability that could cost your company dearly.


Now boarding! NY, London, space? Virgin Atlantic honcho Richard Branson yesterday announced plans to boldly go where no airline company has gone before - outer space.


FlexWiki: Microsoft #39;s Third Open Software Project Earlier than scheduled, Microsoft Corp. has gone public with its announcement of its third open-source code contribution to SourceForge.


Olympics: Inspectors Announce Program for 2012 Bid Visits Olympic inspectors will visit Madrid first in their whistle-stop tour next year of bid cities hoping to stage the 2012 Games. The Spanish capital will be followed by London, New York, Paris


Microsoft, Amazon.com file phishing, spamming lawsuits Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.com Inc. filed one joint and several separate lawsuits on Monday against companies and individuals accusing them variously of trying to defraud consumers by imitating Amazon and Microsoft, the companies said Tuesday.


IDC Forum: Why IT matters PARIS -- IT commoditization? Asian threat? Crippling viruses? Speakers at IDC's European IT Forum 2004 in Paris didn't have to look far for contentious issues.


Toshiba has big plans for a small drive Toshiba Corp. plans to begin commercial production of its 0.85-inch hard disk drive before the end of this year, the company said on Tuesday.


Oil hits high on Nigeria threat LONDON, England -- Oil prices have surged to historic levels as a threat of civil war in Nigeria adds to concerns over tight global supplies.


Airline industry seen losing up to \$US4b in 2004 MONTREAL: The global airline industry stands to incur losses of between \$US3 billion (\$NZ4.6 billion) and \$US4 billion this year as surging oil prices wipe out any hope of profit created by rising passenger traffic, the International Air Transport


Ex-exec: Fastow knew of sham Former Enron Corp. executive Michael Kopper said his ex-boss, Andrew Fastow, promised to buy back Merrill Lynch  amp; Co. #39;s interest in Nigerian barges as part of a plan to falsely boost Enron #39;s revenue by \$12 million.


Zidane set to face Roma Real Madrid playmaker Zinedine Zidane will return to the side for the UEFA Champions League Group B clash with Roma on Tuesday night.


Punch Drunk By now, reality should have set in for Roy Jones Jr. and his brain cleared enough to realize his sometimes brilliant career is over.


Campbell Ready For Sustained Action Arsenals England defender Sol Campbell is relishing the prospect of facing Rosenborg tonight in the Champions League after playing his first match of an injury-delayed season at Manchester City last Saturday.


Gill wants Champions League change Manchester United chief executive David Gill has called for the Champions League second group stage to be restored. Old Trafford boss Alex Ferguson and Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger were among the major


Hectic parleys on for crucial BCCI elections KOLKATA: With only two days to go for the crucial elections to the coveted post of the president of the cash-rich BCCI here, hectic parleys are on by the lead players including Union Food and Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar to drum up the requisite


Egyptian holding company says it has heard four Egyptian hostages <b>...</b> Egypt said Tuesday that Iraqi kidnappers had freed one Egyptian hostage and were expected to release three others shortly. The holding company that employed the four hostages confirmed that


Foundation Awards Annual 'Genius Grants' (AP) AP - When Rueben Martinez became a barber in the Los Angeles area, his love of literature inspired him to lend out books for customers. He noticed that few books made their way back to him.


Russia Delays Launch of Space Station Crew (AP) AP - Russian space officials said Tuesday technical glitches would further delay the launch of a spacecraft to carry a replacement crew to the international space station.


List of 2004 MacArthur Foundation Fellows (AP) AP - The list of 23 fellows announced by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Each will receive  #36;500,000 over five years:


Thousands Gather as Afghan Campaigning Picks Up (Reuters) Reuters - Tens of thousands of\people gathered in a northern Afghan town on Tuesday to hear\General Abdul Rashid Dostum launch his bid for the presidency,\as a slow election campaign began to gather pace.


Palestinian PM Urges Tactical Rethink in Conflict (Reuters) Reuters - Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie\marked the anniversary of a Palestinian uprising against Israel\on Tuesday by calling on both sides to rethink tactics that\have brought four years of bloodshed.


Blair to Urge Party Unity Under Iraq Cloud (Reuters) Reuters - Tony Blair will urge his\party on Tuesday to reunite for an election fight, seeking to\heal rifts over Iraq even as two more British soldiers die in\Basra and a hostage remains under threat of death.


No Sign of Nuke Work at Suspect Iran Site-Diplomats (Reuters) Reuters - The analysis of soil samples taken by\U.N. inspectors at Lavizan, a site in Tehran that U.S.\officials suspect may be linked to an atomic weapons program,\shows no sign of nuclear activity, Western diplomats said.


Nigerian Insurgents Declare Armed Struggle (AP) AP - Insurgents in Nigeria's southern Niger Delta will begin an armed struggle to wrest control of the region's oil riches from the federal government starting Oct. 1, a rebel spokesman said Tuesday.


Thousands Gather as Afghan Campaigning Picks Up  SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of  people gathered in a northern Afghan town on Tuesday to hear  General Abdul Rashid Dostum launch his bid for the presidency,  as a slow election campaign began to gather pace.


U.S. Forces Bomb Iraqi Rebels; Jordan Has Poll Doubts  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. warplanes bombed a suspected  insurgent hideout in rebel-held Falluja on Tuesday and U.S.  tanks and aircraft bombarded areas of northeastern Baghdad,  stepping up operations against guerrilla strongholds.


No Sign of Nuke Work at Suspect Iran Site-Diplomats  VIENNA (Reuters) - The analysis of soil samples taken by  U.N. inspectors at Lavizan, a site in Tehran that U.S.  officials suspect may be linked to an atomic weapons program,  shows no sign of nuclear activity, Western diplomats said.


Disabled man dies in Israeli raid Israeli troops shoot dead a mentally ill Palestinian during a raid in Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank.


Indian author Mulk Raj Anand dies One of India's best known novelists and short-story writers, Mulk Raj Anand,  dies at the age of 99.


SMART-1 Celebrates its First Year in Space European Space Agency -- One year after its launch on 27 September 2003, the SMART-1 spacecraft is in excellent health and preparing for the manoeuvres that will bring it into orbit around the Moon mid-November.     The first mission phase, the aim of which was to test several innovative technologies, has been successfully completed...


U.S. Forces Capture Head of Suspected Iraq Militant Cell U.S. forces have captured the leader of a suspected militant cell during a raid in the northern Iraqi town of Kirkuk, the U.S. military said on Tuesday.


Crude Oil Prices Top \$50 Per Barrel Crude oil futures contracts topped the psychological milestone of \$50 per barrel for the first time Tuesday, surging to new record levels that could unsettle oil importing nations.


Citigroup, Goldman Market \$5.8 Bln Cemex Loan, Mexico #39;s Biggest Citigroup Inc. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. will market a \$5.8 billion loan for Cemex SA to other lenders over coming days, bankers involved in the deal said, in what #39;s the largest-ever credit for a Mexican company.


LA Firm agrees to buy Harrah #39;s, Caesars properties LOS ANGELES A Los Angeles-based investment firm has agreed to buy four properties from Las Vegas-based Caesars and Harrah #39;s Entertainment for a total of 1-point-24 (b) billion dollars.


Oil price surge  #39;threatens global growth #39; The German finance minister, Hans Eichel, today warned that global growth would be at risk if oil prices remained at their current levels.


Red Sox Clinch 2nd Straight Playoff Berth (AP) AP - The Boston Red Sox clinched a playoff berth on Monday by beating the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 7-3.


A's Maintain One-Game Lead Over Angels (AP) AP - After Barry Zito gave up a tying three-run homer to Willie Bloomquist, the Oakland Athletics bounced back and maintained their one-game lead over Anaheim in the AL West.


Reds eager to avoid another crash in Vans GLENCOFFE Johnson sent world boxing into shock as he demolished superstar ring master Roy Jones but one fighter who hardly registered surprise was Sheffield #39;s Clinton Woods.


American Football: Anderson #39;s TD toss helps Cowboys shade Redskins LANDOVER, United States : Running back Richie Anderson tossed a 26-yard touchdown pass to Terry Glenn in the fourth quarter as Dallas beat the Washington Redskins 21-18 in a National Football League matchup.


Hamm Argues to Keep Gymnastics Gold (AP) AP - The future of Paul Hamm's gold medal has nothing to do with tumbles and flips, and everything to do with the judgment of three arbitrators. The Court of Arbitration for Sport held an 11 1/2-hour hearing Monday to determine whether Hamm should again be declared the winner of the Olympic gymnastics all-around competition, or the victory should go to Yang Tae-young of South Korea.


No clue on CNN producer #39;s fate Palestinian security men Tuesday sought CNN producer Riad Ali who was kidnapped in Gaza by gunmen Monday evening on a busy street.


Pakistan gets its man ... sort of Two days after Pakistani officials announced the death of Amjad Farooqi, the circumstances surrounding the killing of the person who is being billed as the country #39;s most wanted


Egyptian company says one Egyptian hostage in Iraq is free CAIRO, Egypt An Egyptian company says one of its four workers who had been kidnapped in Iraq has been freed. It says it can #39;t give the status of the others being held hostage but says it is  quot;doing its best to secure quot; their release.


Baseball Today (AP) AP - San Francisco at San Diego (10:05 p.m. EDT). Jason Schmidt goes for his 17th win against Brian Lawrence and the Padres.


Soccer: U.S. Captain Reyna Injured (AP) AP - United States team captain Claudio Reyna will probably miss the next two World Cup qualifiers because of an injured left quadriceps.


Seville to Host U.S.-Spain Davis Cup Final (AP) AP - Seville will host the Davis Cup final between Spain and the United States in December, with the matches played on a clay court.


Nabi Says Vaccine Helped Smokers Quit  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Nabi Biopharmaceuticals NABI.O on  Tuesday said its NicVAX nicotine vaccine showed promising  results in helping smokers quit smoking in a small clinical  trial, sending its shares up 23 percent in premarket activity.


Oil Prices Break \$50 Milestone Crude oil prices surged past the \$50 per barrel milestone in overnight trading in response to the triple threat of turmoil in the oil-rich countries of Nigeria and Iraq and a decline in production in the hurricane-battered Gulf of Mexico.


Branson Announces Start of New Airline Virgin Group boss Richard Branson said Tuesday he has signed an agreement with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to launch a new airline out of the west African nation that will be majority owned by Nigerian investors.


Space flight  #39;extremely difficult #39; London - Space tourism, the business of rocketing civilians into orbit as British tycoon Richard Branson vowed on Monday to do, is technically feasible within a few years but fraught with perils, a space expert said.


Microsoft, Amazon.com file phishing, spamming lawsuits Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.com Inc. filed one joint and several separate lawsuits on Monday against companies and individuals accusing them variously of trying to defraud


Two Orascom hostages released A spokesman for the Egyptian Telecommunications company, Orascom, said that the kidnappers of the two Egyptian hostages had released them on Monday evening after it was announced in Cairo that only one hostage was released.


World airlines #39; loss estimate: \$4 billion MONTREAL - Despite a jump of 19 percent in world air traffic this year, airlines are expected to lose as much as \$4 billion in 2004 because of high fuel costs, the International Air Transport Association said Monday.


Microsoft says media player market more  #39;vibrant #39; than EC believes <b>...</b> HONG KONG (AFX) - Microsoft Corp said the European Commission #39;s view of the media player market is  quot;incorrect, quot; and will argue in Brussels later this week that competition is more  quot;vibrant quot; than the EC believes, the Financial Times reported on its website


Pepsi Bottling 3rd-Qtr Profit Rises 4.4 on Juices (Update2) Pepsi Bottling Group Inc., the world #39;s largest distributor of PepsiCo Inc. beverages, said third- quarter earnings rose 4.4 percent on new Tropicana juice drinks and sales in Europe.


P amp;O cuts to hit 1200 staff and ferry fleet PORTS and shipping company P amp;O is to lay off up to 1200 staff and slash services as part of a 240 million review to reduce costs at its loss-making ferries business.


Court overturns EU decision to block WorldCom-Sprint merger LONDON, September 28 (newratings.com) - An EU appeals court has overturned the European Commission #39;s four-year old decision to block a proposed merger deal between the US-based telecom companies, WorldCom and Sprint, which was subsequently abandoned.


Virgin to launch Nigerian airline Richard Branson #39;s Virgin Atlantic Airways has announced an agreement with Nigeria to set up a new airline following the collapse of the African nation #39;s flagship carrier last year.


Boffins boost DVD capacity tenfold Scientists working at London #39;s Imperial College have come up with a way of radically increasing the storage capacity of optical discs.


Cisco dumbs down switch management Two new switches from Cisco demonstrate a sweeping change in the company #39;s assumptions about the technical knowledge of network managers.


Amendment 37 puts energy bills at risk We look forward to the day when renewable energy accounts for a quarter, half or even three-fourths of Colorado #39;s electricity supplies.


Rover Report Card: Prospect of Mars Life More Likely Rolling, rolling, rolling. Keep those Mars rovers rolling. You can almost hear the crack of a Martian whip. Since January, NASAs Spirit and Opportunity robots have been wheeling and dealing with the red planet.


Britain #39;s first pet professor Professor Danny Mills of Lincoln University will predominantly study the behaviour of dogs, cats and horses and see how their anxieties can be solved.


New Palm system targets smart phones The maker of Palm operating systems for handheld computers plans to introduce Tuesday its first version designed specifically for so-called smart phones.


Hotmail fees for Outlook access Millions of Hotmail users face having to pay to access their messages using the Outlook e-mail program. Microsoft says it decided to start charging for the service as it was being abused by senders of spam.


Haiti in  #39;Total Desperation #39; After Storm Louisen Louis, 30, walked Monday in the middle of a street that resembled a small river with brown rivulets and waves. He wore sandals and had a cut on one of his big toes.


Stocks Seen Higher; Oil Steady at \$50 Bbl  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks looked to open higher on  Tuesday, with beaten down shares tempting investors and oil  producer stocks bolstered by crude oil prices breaking through  the \$50 a barrel mark.


Yen Weighed Down by Rising Cost of Oil  LONDON (Reuters) - The yen sank to a four-month low against  the euro and a six-week low versus the dollar on Tuesday as  investors fretted that soaring oil prices could jeopardize  Japan's economic recovery.


Treasury Yields Near Lows, Oil Hugs Highs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasury yields hovered near six-month  lows on Tuesday as investors bet rising energy costs would  handicap the economy and perhaps sway the Federal Reserve to  slow the pace of rate hikes.


Bayer, Lanxess Spin-Off Ratio Is Set  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Investors in Germany's Bayer will get  one share in chemicals and polymers spin-off Lanxess for every  10 Bayer shares held, a German newspaper said, valuing Lanxess  at nearly 1.6 billion euros (\$1.97 billion).


Before the Bell- Calpine Drops 6 Percent  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Calpine Corp. CPN.N fell 6  percent before the bell on Tuesday following reports that one  of its joint ventures received a default notice.


Saudi Arabia to hike oil production capacity Saudi Arabia will increase oil production capacity to 11 million barrels per day (bpd) in a bid to curb soaring prices, Oil Minister Ali al-Nuaimi has said.


The ore will be produced by the Area C mine which opened last <b>...</b>  quot;It is extremely pleasing to see that additional benefits have already started flowing to both BHP Billiton and its Chinese partners as a result of the Wheelarra joint venture, quot; BHP Billiton Iron Ore president Graeme Hunt said in a statement.


Fannie Mae May Buy Fewer Mortgages to Meet Capital Requirement Fannie Mae, the largest US mortgage buyer, may slow purchases of home loans to meet its regulator #39;s demand to boost capital, hurting earnings prospects.


A Million in Florida Still Powerless After Jeanne About one million customers remained without power in Florida early Tuesday after Hurricane Jeanne tore through the state over the weekend, according to two of Florida #39;s largest utilities.


Toyota hopes to continue  #39;Moving Forward #39; Toyota Motor Corp., which has been telling consumers to  quot;Get the Feeling quot; in its advertising since 2001, will begin urging them to keep  quot;Moving Forward quot; on Tuesday, part of the


New Palm operating system targets smart phones SUNNYVALE, Calif. PalmSource -- the maker of Palm operating systems for handheld computers -- plans to introduce new software tomorrow to serve as the brains for so-called smart phones.


Virgin launches into online music SIR Richard Branson has become the latest big name to move into the online music world. The British entrepreneur has launched a Virgin Digital music service in America, joining a long list of mainly technology companies in the crowded download market.


Genetic map pinpoints elephant poachers DNA from seized ivory could help conservationists and police identify hotspots where elephants are in particular danger from poachers.


Adobe pushing for DNG photo standard Adobe is currently trying to push a new image format standard to solve many of the problems associated with the plethora of camera hardware and the differing formats they use for storing images.


Cisco targets SMBs with new switches, software Cisco has released a new line of switches and services for small and medium sized businesses aimed at helping companies with 100 to 1000 employees deploy converged voice


Davis Cup semifinals men #39;s tennis update - September 26 Fish was leading Karatchenia, 3-0, when play was stopped due to rain...The United States will meet Spain in the Davis Cup final from December 3-5.


Pakistan holds al-Qaeda suspects Pakistan says 11 alleged militants have been arrested since security forces killed leading al-Qaeda suspect Amjad Farooqi on Sunday.


Spain #39;s Roman Catholic Church slams plans for gay marriage MADRID, Spain The Catholic Church is slamming the Spanish government #39;s plan to legalize gay marriage. The church is furious with the changes planned by the Socialist government, saying legalizing gay marriage


Blair to shift focus from Iraq BRITAIN #39;S Prime Minister Tony Blair hoped to switch attention from the unrelenting bloodshed in Iraq to his campaign for a third term in office with his address today to the Labour Party #39;s annual conference.


Lebanese prisoner accused of being al-Qaida member died in prison <b>...</b> Hundreds of demonstrators attacked the building of the Lebanese general security at the border with Syria doubting the credibility of the report by the Lebanese authorities on the death of Ismail Muhammad al-Khatib suspected to be a member in al-Qaida


Japan Schools Tracking Students by Radio (AP) AP - Cutting class just got harder but schools are safer thanks to computer chips that help track students, Japanese officials say.


Half of Internet Viagra Could Be Fake - Study (Reuters) Reuters - As many as half of the Viagra\anti-impotence pills sold on the Internet could be counterfeit,\British scientists said on Tuesday.


First Look: Intuit's QuickBooks for Newbies (PC World) PC World - New Simple Start Edition accounting software targets small businesses still using pencil and paper.


Germany: A Brighter Sun In The East (BusinessWeek Online) BusinessWeek Online - The jubilation that swept East Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 long ago gave way to the sober reality of globalization and market forces. Now a decade of resentment seems to be boiling over. In Eastern cities such as Leipzig or Chemnitz, thousands have taken to the streets since July to protest cuts in unemployment benefits, the main source of livelihood for 1.6 million East Germans. Discontent among reunification's losers fueled big gains by the far left and far right in Brandenburg and Saxony state elections Sept. 19. ...


'Greenhouse' Gas Rising Over Antarctica (AP) AP - A group of Japanese researchers has found that carbon dioxide levels over the Antarctica rose by over 2.6 percent from six years ago  #151; the first such detection of an increase in a "greenhouse" gas above the southern continent, group members said Tuesday.


Urchin Industry a Skeleton of Former Self (AP) AP - Maine's urchin season has barely begun  #151; and it's already almost over.


Mars Orbiter Photographs Rover From Space (AP) AP - A spacecraft orbiting Mars photographed one of NASA's rovers and its tracks on the surface, the space agency said Monday.


Rumbling at Mount St. Helens Triggers Alert (Reuters) Reuters - Government scientists have warned\hikers and researchers not to go near the crater of the Mount\St. Helens volcano because there is an "increased likelihood"\an explosion could occur, sending rocks and debris down the\side of the mountain.


Jeanne Costs Money, Time at Florida Spaceport (Reuters) Reuters - Jeanne was the third\hurricane in six weeks to damage Florida's Kennedy Space Center\but NASA would not say on Monday whether the damage will set\back plans to resume space shuttle flights next March.


Kenya Wants Most-Protected Status for Lions (Reuters) Reuters - Even the King of Beasts needs a hand\staying alive in his own domain.


Branson Launches Virgin  #39;Digital Megastore #39; Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, today announced the launch of Virgin Digital, which will enter an increasingly competitive market for digital downloads.


Hotmail fees for Outlook access Millions of Hotmail users face having to pay to access their messages using the Outlook e-mail program.


Insurgents Surface in Streets of Samarra (AP) AP - Gunmen carrying flags of Iraq's most feared terror group surfaced in force in the central Iraqi city of Samarra on Tuesday for the first time since U.S. troops briefly entered it in a deal with tribal leaders that the Americans had portrayed as a success story in battling the insurgency.


WHO probes "probable" human-to-human bird flu amid fears of mutation (AFP) AFP - The World Health Organisation confirmed that it was examining a  quot;probable quot; first full case of human-to-human transmission of bird flu in Thailand, raising fears of a deadly global flu pandemic.


Pepsi Bottling Group beats by a penny Pepsi Bottling Group Inc., the world #39;s largest maker and distributor of PepsiCo #39;s beverages, edged past analysts #39; estimates by a penny in its third-quarter results released Tuesday.


On brink of \$10 million year, ho-hum Singh talk, toast of golf No cheering in the press box. This is the first, second and third commandment of sports journalism, at least until Vijay Singh #39;s approach shot on a Sunday back nine appears to be sailing a tad too long.


Bush sharpens jabs against Kerry ahead of debates (AFP) AFP - President George W. Bush sharpened his jabs against Democratic challenger John Kerry, who has called for an end to the nasty advertising war that he said was scaring off voters only days before the rivals' first televised debate.


Football: Man U Rooney dilemma Man Utd boss Sir Alex Ferguson is debating whether to start with Wayne Rooney against Fenerbahce.


Drugstores May Start Charging for Consultations Pharmacists have long been called on by customers to do more than just fill prescriptions. But drugstores, from giants like Rite Aid to smaller regional chains, are looking to expand their counseling programs and boost revenue - a trend that could be bolstered by the prescription-drug benefit that will become available to Medicare enrollees in 2006.


Study Links Suburban Sprawl to Various Ailments LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Warning: Suburban sprawl may be hazardous to your health. A report released Monday found that people who live in sprawling metropolitan areas are more likely to report chronic health problems such as high blood pressure, arthritis, headaches and breathing difficulties than residents of more compact cities...


Group Targets Medical Industry's Influence By DIEDTRA HENDERSON    WASHINGTON (AP) -- Doctors who receive drug company funding would be limited in what they could teach other physicians under new rules being proposed by accreditors.    The Chicago-based Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, which gives its stamp of approval for such classes, was to announce sweeping changes Tuesday to limit the influence of doctors with financial connections to the pharmaceutical industry...


Saudi boosts oil output to rein in prices Saudi Arabia, the world #39;s largest oil exporter, is to raise production from 9.5 million barrels a day to 11 million barrels in an attempt to rein in prices that have topped US\$50 a barrel.


Drug: Test results excite Alpharetta maker Alpharetta-based AtheroGenics announced positive interim results Monday from a clinical trial of its drug to treat atherosclerosis, which leads to coronary heart disease.


Malfunctioning oxygen generator may force space station to be <b>...</b> HOUSTON - International space station crew members may have to abandon the outpost later this year if astronauts can #39;t fix oxygen supply problems, a NASA official said.


Soccer: US Captain Reyna Injured MANCHESTER, England - United States team captain Claudio Reyna will probably miss the next two World Cup qualifiers because of an injured left quadriceps.


Sharapova Wins in 1st Round of Korea Open (AP) AP - Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova beat Emmanuelle Gagliardi of Switzerland 6-1, 6-3 Tuesday in the first round of the Korea Open.


Arafat offers support to Bigley Yasser Arafat has promised to intercede on behalf of British hostage Ken Bigley, a senior Irish politician says. Michael Higgins, foreign affairs spokesman for the Labour Party in Dublin, said the Palestinian leader made his pledge in a letter to him.


Another Chapter in the Extermination Policy When Israel sends its agents to commit a crime in Syria, would it be implementing an American policy? The course of American pressure, which is now focused on Syria, supposes this; this is what might happen


Cisco notches new Net phone deal Bank of America signs a deal to deploy 180,000 Cisco IP telephones nationwide over the next three years.


Dell introduces new compact desktop PC Dell Inc. updated its line of slim consumer Dimension desktop PCs Tuesday with a multiformat expansion card reader, the first time such a feature has appeared in a Dell PC, a company spokesman said.


Bank of America to deploy 180,000 IP phones Bank of America Corp. this week announced plans for a corporate-wide IP telephony rollout that will eventually put an IP phone on every BoA employees desktop -- about 180,000 phones total.


Microsoft's Anti-Spam Effort Killed Amid Patent Row A row over intellectual property claims from Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) has dealt a fatal blow to an ambitious effort by Internet engineers to create a technical standard for curbing junk e-mail.


Japanese Schools Tracking Students by Radio TOKYO (AP) -- Cutting class just got harder but schools are safer thanks to computer chips that help track students, Japanese officials say.    Some schools here this month began trial runs in which students carry chips that have tiny antennae and can be traced by radio, with some of the kids attaching the tags to their backpacks...


Lowe's Sees Profit Rising in 2005, 2006 (Reuters) Reuters - Home improvement retailer Lowe's Cos.\ on Tuesday said it expects diluted earnings per share\rising in both 2005 and 2006 as it benefits from increased\remodeling activity and a rise in home ownership.


Lowe's Sees Profit Rising in 2005, 2006  ATLANTA (Reuters) - Home improvement retailer Lowe's Cos.  LOW.N on Tuesday said it expects diluted earnings per share  rising in both 2005 and 2006 as it benefits from increased  remodeling activity and a rise in home ownership.


Snap-On Sees Profit Below Estimates  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Snap-on Inc. SNA.N, which makes  vehicle-repair tools, on Tuesday said third-quarter and  full-year earnings would fall short of Wall Street estimates  due to high steel prices and weak business in Europe.


Starbucks to boost coffee prices in US You #39;ll soon be forking over an extra 11 cents for a gentrified java. Starbucks (SBUX) says it will raise the average price of its beverages by 11 cents at 4,500 stores in North America Oct.


Atherogenics stock leaps on heart trial data Shares of Atherogenics Inc. (AGIX.O: Quote, Profile, Research) leaped 82 percent in electronic trading before the market opened on Tuesday following the release of data showing


BHP Billiton wins 3.2 billion dollar iron ore deal with Chinese <b>...</b> SYDNEY : BHP Billiton said it had struck a 3.2 billion US dollar deal to supply four Chinese steel companies with iron ore over the next decade.


Opponents of proposed coal-fired power plant line up to sound off DENVER - A plan by Colorado #39;s largest utility to build a \$1.3 billion coal-fired power plant in Pueblo is facing strong opposition from people who say both environmental and financial concerns make the facility a bad idea.


Renewable energy may be offered by Empire Empire Electric #39;s 15,000 member-owners may be able to get all or part of their electricity from renewable sources starting in January.


Wenger happy to avoid penguins Trondheim - Arsenal go into their Champions League clash with Norwegian champions Rosenborg on Wednesday looking to melt away the memories of their last visits to chilly climes.


SI.com OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- After playing spoiler in the American League West Division for a week, the Seattle Mariners finally looked like a last-place team.


First probable case of bird flu transmission between humans Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The first case of transmission of the H5N1 virus between humans could have taken place in Thailand, this according to Kumara Rai, acting Thailand representative for the World Health Organisation (WHO).


Blair:  #39;Doing everything #39; London - Prime Minister Tony Blair is doing  quot;everything he possibly can quot; to save the British engineer kidnapped in Iraq, Blair #39;s deputy said on Tuesday as the hostage #39;s family took encouragement from an offer of help by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.


Oil Charges Over \$50 on Nigeria Threat Oil prices raced to new record highs above \$50 on Tuesday as rebel threats against Nigerian oil facilities threatened to inflict further strain on global supplies.


Microsoft to comply with EC orders on Windows The world #39;s software giant Microsoft Corp. said it would comply with the European Commission (EC)  #39;s orders if it fails this week to persuade the European Court of Justice to suspend the EC #39;s decision.


Pepsi Bottling Profit Up, Hikes Outlook Pepsi Bottling Group Inc. (PBG.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the largest bottler of Pepsi drinks, on Tuesday said quarterly profit rose on volume growth in the United States and Europe


Technical Problems Delay Russian Space Launch Again Technical problems have prompted a further delay to the blast-off of a Russian spacecraft to the International Space Station, space officials said on Tuesday.


Red Sox clinch playoff berth with win over Devil Rays The Red Sox clinch their second straight trip to the playoffs with a 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Boston was led by Manny Ramirez #39;s American League-leading 43rd home run.


Two Soldiers Attached To 1st Cav Charged With Murder Staff Sgt. Johnny Horne, Jr., and Staff Sgt. Cardenas Alban have been charged with murder in the death of an Iraqi, the 1st Cavalry Division announced Monday.


FlexWiki: Microsoft's Third Open Software Project (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Could problems with Microsoft's GotDotNet Workspaces be prompting Microsoft to release more code to SourceForge?


Consumer Confidence Falls in September (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. consumer confidence edged lower\in September for a second straight month as persistent worries\about the job market weighed on sentiment, a report on Tuesday\said.


GULP! Higher Coffee Prices Brewing (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. consumers may soon have to\swallow more expensive coffee as soaring futures and rising\costs from milk to fuel induce roasters to charge more for the\steamy brew, industry participants said.


Stocks Open Higher, Shrug Off Oil Spike (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. stocks opened higher on Tuesday,\with beaten down shares offering bargains to investors and oil\producer stocks bolstered by crude oil prices breaking through\the  #36;50 a barrel mark.


Nabi Says Vaccine Helped Smokers Quit (Reuters) Reuters - Nabi Biopharmaceuticals  on\Tuesday said its NicVAX nicotine vaccine showed promising\results in helping smokers quit smoking in a small clinical\trial, sending its shares up 23 percent in premarket activity.


GULP! Higher Coffee Prices Brewing  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. consumers may soon have to  swallow more expensive coffee as soaring futures and rising  costs from milk to fuel induce roasters to charge more for the  steamy brew, industry participants said.


Silicon Still Rocks the House Online music downloading might be the new wave in the music business, but it won't crest for at least another five years, according to a new report. -washingtonpost.com


Chevron denies Kazakh tax claim ChevronTexaco says its Tengizchevroil venture has not been sent a \$2.5bn back-tax bill from the Kazakh government.


Saudi Arabia to Boost Oil Production as Price Hits \$50 The price of oil finally broke through the \$50-a-barrel mark today, a milestone never seen before.


A major player at Enron testifies HOUSTON A former executive who participated in the wrongdoing that helped cripple Enron has testified, providing the first glimpse through the eyes of a principal of the deals orchestrated by Andrew Fastow when he was the company #39;s chief financial officer


NFL: Parcells bests Gibbs LANDOVER, Maryland The coaches are older and grayer, and Lawrence Taylor and Mark Rypien are long retired. But on the football field little else has changed in the rivalry between Bill Parcells and Joe Gibbs.


Soccer: United keeps agents rich LONDON As Wayne Rooney, the world #39;s most expensive teenage soccer player, prepared for his debut in the Champions League on Tuesday night, his new club Manchester United disclosed the true cost of paying middlemen to smooth the path between clubs who buy


CNN employee abducted as violence waxes in Gaza JERUSALEM Palestinian gunmen in Gaza City abducted an Israeli Arab working for CNN, according to the network, stopping a taxi carrying a news crew and seizing the man, Riad Ali, a producer.


Diamonds robbed from Louvre Two diamonds worth over \$14 million were robbed mid-afternoon from an antique dealers #39; show at the Paris Louvre museum yesterday.


Pepsi Bottling Profit Rises Pepsi Bottling Group Inc. (PBG.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the largest bottler of Pepsi drinks, on Tuesday said quarterly profit rose on volume growth in the United States and Europe.


Nation/world briefs NEW YORK - Time Warner Inc. and Comcast Corp. said they are exploring a potential joint bid for Adelphia Communications Corp., the troubled cable company that put itself on the block as part of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding.


Rogers learns lesson NSW Rugby CEO Fraser Neill believes Waratah star Mat Rogers has learned his lesson after he was fined and ordered to do community service following his controversial comments about the club rugby competition.


Consumer Confidence Dips in September NEW YORK Sept. 28, 2004 - Consumer confidence declined in September for the second consecutive month, a New York-based private research group said Tuesday.


Mexican mixer sets sights on RMC concrete Mexico #39;s Cemex has helped RMC Group #39;s shareholders to salsa their way out of debt that weighed like concrete boots. Photo: Rick Stevens.


Door open for Hardie boss JAMES Hardie #39;s two most senior executives have agreed to stand aside after damning findings by a special inquiry into its asbestos liabilities, but chief executive Peter Macdonald


Starbucks Confirms Price Increase Starbucks had indicated in July it would likely raise drink prices for the first time in nearly four years to keep up with costs, although the coffee retailer did not say how much or when.


Colonial to buy Union Bank Montgomery, Ala.-based Colonial BancGroup (NYSE: CNB) said it has agreed to buy Sunrise-based Union Bank of Florida for a total of about \$233 million.


Motorola to Cut 1,000 Jobs, Take Charge Motorola Inc. will cut 1,000 jobs worldwide and take a charge of \$50 million for severance benefits, officials said Tuesday. Motorola is completing a spinoff of its chip operations, now operating independently


Hollinger Adds 2 Independent Directors Hollinger Inc., the scandal-plagued parent of newspaper publisher Hollinger International Inc., Tuesday said it increased the number of independent directors on its board to five from three.


California Pizza Boosts 3Q Outlook Casual restaurant chain California Pizza Kitchen Inc. said Tuesday that 12-month same-store sales rose 7.5 percent for the third quarter, and the company raised its earnings per share guidance excluding several charges.


Virgin Digital Online Music Store Is Open For Business! Virgin is all over the map. Yesterday morning, Sir Richard Branson introduced to the world that he was ready to make astronauts of us all by 2007.


Silicon Still Rocks the House The Internet may have forever changed the music business, but online downloads will keep playing second fiddle to compact discs for at least the next five years.


AT amp;T Wireless sells dedicated messaging device AT amp;T Wireless Services launched a mobile e-mail and messaging device without voice service on Monday, aiming to use a low price to tempt young consumers.


Cybertrust Launches in Latest Merger in Security Market On 21 September 2004, Betrusted and TruSecure announced that they will merge, creating a privately held IT security company called Cybertrust.


Anaheim Angels Team Report - September 28 (Sports Network) - The Anaheim Angels and Texas Rangers will continue their battle for the division crown this evening, as they continue a four-game series at Ameriquest Field.


Lee on his last chance for Test Brett Lee will have one last chance to convince selectors he is worth a place in Australia #39;s first Test side against India as the tourists take on Mumbai in their only warm-up match here, starting tomorrow.


Okocha set to return vs Baggies Bolton playmaker Jay-Jay Okocha insists he will be fit to face West Brom on Saturday. Okocha was forced to sit out the draw against Birmingham at the weekend after suffering a groin injury in training on Friday.


CORRECTED-Lyle in race for Ryder Cup captaincy Please read second paragraph as  quot;Lyle, 46, told television programme Scotland Today quot; instead of  quot;daily newspaper Scotland Today quot;.


Spanish Catholics attack plans for same-sex marriage The Catholic church in Spain yesterday attacked government plans to legalise gay marriage, saying it would be like releasing a  quot;virus quot; into Spanish society.


Riots in Lebanon after al Qaeda suspect dies in custody After overnight riots, thousands of people in Lebanon staged a protest following the death in custody of a suspected Al-Qaeda activist arrested for alleged bomb plots against Western embassies.


Jobs Picture Weighs on Consumer Confidence Consumer confidence dipped for the second straight month in September, as Americans remained concerned about the employment situation, according to a survey by the Conference Board.


Price hike set Citing higher prices of coffee and sugar, Starbucks says it will raise the average price of its drinks by eleven cents at all 45-hundred stores in North America.


Centene buys Medicaid plan, stock rises 10 pct Centene Corp. (CNC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , which sells Medicaid government health insurance plans, said it bought new plans totaling 136,000 new members, pushing its shares


Colonial BancGroup to Buy Union Bank Colonial BancGroup Inc. on Tuesday said it agreed to acquire Union Bank of Florida in a cash and stock transaction, adding Union #39;s 18 branches to its network of nearly 300 locations.


Study: Compact Disc Rocks On LONDON -- The compact disc has at least another five years as the most popular music format before online downloads chip away at its dominance, a new study said on Tuesday.


Hamm, Yang Testify Before Sports Court American Paul Hamm and South Korea #39;s Yang Tae-young have testified before the sports world #39;s highest court in a hearing to determine who should win the Olympic men #39;s all-around gymnastics gold medal.


Bolton skipper Okocha fit for West Brom Nigeria skipper Austin Jay Jay Okocha has declared he will be fit for Bolton Wanderers #39; Premiership match at West Brom on Saturday after missing last weekend #39;s 1-1 home draw with Birmingham with a groin strain.


Americans forces bomb Fallujah, battle insurgents in Baghdad American forces unleashed an air strike against a suspected insurgent hideout in Fallujah on Tuesday, the latest in a string of attacks aimed at associates of guerrilla leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.


CDs to dominate for years over net downloads, study shows LONDON - The compact disc has at least another five years as the most popular music format before online downloads chip away at its dominance, a new study said on Tuesday.


Saudis to Raise Oil Production in Bid to Bring Down Record Prices Saudi Arabia says it will raise oil production in an effort to bring down prices that have soared to more than \$50 a barrel. Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said Tuesday that the kingdom will step up its daily


Consumer Confidence Falls Again US consumer confidence edged lower again in September after falling in August, as persistent worries about the job market weighed on sentiment, a report on Tuesday said.


Stocks Climb Despite Rising Oil Prices Stocks turned higher Tuesday, sending the Dow Jones industrial average back above the 10,000 mark, as investors shrugged off rising energy prices and focused instead on good corporate news.


P and O cuts back Channel ferries in switch from shipping to ports LONDON : Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co (P and O) -- the ports, shipping and logistics group -- announced sweeping cuts to its ferry operations to refocus the business in the face of competition from low-cost airlines.


S amp;P cuts debt ratings for SBC, BellSouth, Cingular Standard  amp; Poor #39;s on Tuesday lowered the long-term debt ratings on BellSouth Corp. (BLS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , SBC Communications (SBC.


Consumer Confidence Dips in September (AP) AP - Consumer confidence declined in September for the second consecutive month, a New York-based private research group said Tuesday.


Nabi Says Vaccine Helped Smokers Quit  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Nabi Biopharmaceuticals NABI.O on  Tuesday said its NicVAX nicotine vaccine showed promise in  helping smokers quit smoking in a small clinical trial, sending  its shares up 17 percent.


Any Fannie Mae Restatement Up to SEC--COO  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Whether mortgage finance giant  Fannie Mae FNM.N will have to restate its earnings as a  result of accounting problems cited by regulators will be up to  the Securities and Exchange Commission to consider, a company  executive said on Tuesday.


Oil Knocks Yen, Dents Dollar  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The yen fell to a six-week low against  the dollar on Tuesday as investors worried that soaring oil  prices could jeopardize Japan's economic recovery.


Treasury Yields Dip on Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasury yields retested recent lows  on Tuesday after a soft reading on U.S. consumer sentiment  encouraged those who hope the Federal Reserve will have to slow  the pace of interest rates increases.


Consumer Confidence Slips Again Consumer confidence declined in September for the second consecutive month, a New York-based private research group said Tuesday.


Stocks Open Higher as Investors Shrug Off Oil Spike Stocks opened higher today, with beaten down shares offering bargains to investors and oil producer stocks bolstered by higher crude oil prices.


Motorola to cut 1,000 jobs Telecommunications equipment maker Motorola Inc. said Tuesday that it would cut 1,000 jobs and take charges of about \$50 million for severance benefits as part of a drive to increase productivity.


Cable Titans Team for Adelphia Comcast and Time Warner yesterday announced they will make a joint bid for Adelphia Communications, jumping to the front of the pack in the widely watched auction for the No.


Boeing 7E7 Faces Trouble from Talk of Airbus Rival As Boeing Co gears up for its all-new 7E7 airliner, arch rival Airbus may already be putting 7E7 orders and supplier cost-sharing


Amaker gains another recruit A day after returning from his visit to the University of Michigan, Price gave a verbal commitment to play basketball for the Wolverines on Monday afternoon.


US planes hit Zarqawi insurgents in Falluja BAGHDAD US forces struck by air Tuesday at what they called a hideout for associates of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Falluja, and troops battled insurgents on a main thoroughfare in Baghdad, the authorities said.


Pakistan Arrests Over a Dozen Suspected Militants Security forces have detained more than a dozen suspected militants, including some linked to al Qaeda, after killing Pakistan #39;s most wanted man in a weekend shootout, intelligence sources said on Tuesday.


Turner to Provide Content for Net TV Co. (AP) AP - Akimbo Systems Inc., a startup that plans to deliver video over the Internet to television sets, has signed a deal for mainstream content from Time Warner Inc.'s Turner Broadcasting System.


Hackers Attack Web Site of Qaeda-Linked Iraq Group (Reuters) Reuters - Hackers on Tuesday attacked a Web site of\an al Qaeda-linked group that beheaded two U.S. hostages in\Iraq, rerouting visitors to a page showing a penguin toting a\machine-gun and warning against hosting such sites.


Alpine ships car stereo iPod interface (MacCentral) MacCentral - Alpine Electronics of America Inc. on Tuesday announced it is shipping its Interface Adapter for iPod, model KCA-420i. The  #36;100 product enables Alpine's 2004 Ai-NET in-dash head units to interface with Apple's iPod and iPod mini. First announced in January, the Alpine Interface Adapter for iPod enables Alpine users to navigate their iPod's playlists, search for songs and more using the front panel buttons or remote on compatible Alpine head units. The interface kit can be installed anywhere in the car and charges the iPod's battery when it's connected. ...


Motorola to Cut 1,000 Jobs (Reuters) Reuters - Telecommunications equipment maker\Motorola Inc.  said on Tuesday that it would cut 1,000\jobs and take related charges of about  #36;50 million to focus on\its wireless business.


Hackers Target Microsoft JPEG Hole (PC World) PC World - Images posted in news groups may install remote control software on vulnerable PCs.


Scientist Vies for Human Cloning License (AP) AP - One of the creators of Dolly the sheep, the world's first mammal cloned from an adult, said Tuesday he was seeking permission to create cloned human embryos for medical research.


Asteroid Toutatis Makes Closest Pass in 651 Years (Reuters) Reuters - An asteroid named for a Celtic god\of war will come as close to Earth this week as it has since\1353.


Gambro Halted After Dialysis Sale Report The Stockholm stock exchange halted trade in kidney-care company Gambro on Monday after a report that the Swedish firm might be on the verge of selling its main dialysis operation in a \$3 billion deal.


Kenya Pushes for Ban on Hunting Lions (AP) AP - Kenya is pushing for an international ban on trade in lion trophies and skins, arguing that the number of the animals has declined sharply over the years as a result of hunting, loss of habitat and lack of prey.


Nfld woman buys  #36;17M lotto ticket after telling husband he got the wrong one (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - MONCTON, N.B. (CP) - A woman from Newfoundland purchased a lottery ticket worth  #36;17.7 million Saturday, after scolding her husband for buying the wrong ticket.


Bush's lead gets smaller in poll (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - President Bush leads Sen. John Kerry by 8 percentage points among likely voters, the latest USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll shows. That is a smaller advantage than the president held in mid-September but shows him maintaining a durable edge in a race that was essentially tied for months.


AdWatch: New Bush Ad (AP) AP - Details of a new television ad from President Bush to begin airing Tuesday:


Court Takes on Question of Seizing Land (AP) AP - The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to decide when governments may seize people's homes and businesses for economic development projects, a key question as cash-strapped cities seek ways to generate tax revenue.


CNN Producer to Be Released in Gaza Soon-Officials  GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian police have tracked down the  Gaza kidnappers of a CNN television producer and expect him to  be freed soon, an Israeli Arab legislator close to the  Palestinian leadership said on Tuesday.


Alvarion to Expand Wireless Broadband in China  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli wireless broadband systems  provider Alvarion Ltd. ALVR.O ALVR.TA said on Tuesday that  China Netcom expanded its deployment of Alvarion's systems to  four more Chinese provinces.


Argentine Teen Kills Four in School Shooting  BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) - A 15-year-old Argentine  killed four fellow students and wounded six on Tuesday in a  school shooting that shocked Argentines unaccustomed to such  violence.


Tata signs Ferrari Formula One deal Ferrari has signed Tata Consultancy Services, India #39;s largest software company, to provide technology and engineering services for the Italian team #39;s vehicle in next year #39;s Formula One season.


Cricket: England name squad Andrew Flintoff and Marcus Trescothick will miss England's controversial tour of Zimbabwe.


Crude Oil Prices Top \$50 Per Barrel LONDON - Crude oil topped the psychological milestone of \$50 per barrel Tuesday for the first time, and a Saudi Arabian oil official said the world's largest petroleum exporter would raise its production capacity by nearly 5 percent in a bid to calm prices.    Analysts said instability in the Middle East, political unrest in Nigeria, Africa's top oil exporter, and damage to U.S...


New \$50 Bill Begins Circulating WASHINGTON - Coming to cash registers near you: Colorful new \$50 bills sporting splashes of red, blue and yellow. Next up for a makeover, the government said Tuesday: \$10 bills...


Consumer Confidence Dips in September NEW YORK - Consumer confidence declined in September for the second consecutive month, a New York-based private research group said Tuesday.    The Consumer Confidence Index fell 1.9 points to 96.8 from a revised reading of 98.7 in August, according to The Conference Board...


Crude Oil Prices Top \$50 Per Barrel LONDON - Crude oil topped the psychological milestone of \$50 per barrel Tuesday for the first time, and a Saudi Arabian oil official said the world's largest petroleum exporter would raise its production capacity by 15 percent in a bid to calm prices.    Analysts said instability in the Middle East, political unrest in Nigeria, Africa's top oil exporter, and damage to U.S...


U.S. Says More Iraqi Police Are Needed as Attacks Continue At a time when Iraqi insurgents are targeting local police officers and recruits for attack, the United States has raised by one-third -- to 135,000 -- the size of the Iraqi police force it says will be needed to help secure the country, according to information the administration has provided to Congress.


Iraqi Judge Dismisses Chalabi Case The chief investigating judge of Iraq's Central Criminal Court said Monday that he had "temporarily dismissed" a counterfeiting case against Ahmed Chalabi, the exile leader who was supported by the Pentagon before the war but became a leading critic of the U.S. occupation.


Briton Jailed for Arms Dealings  HARARE, Zimbabwe, Sept. 10 -- A Zimbabwean court jailed a former British special services officer for seven years Friday in a case prosecutors linked to a foiled coup attempt in the oil-rich country of Equatorial Guinea.


S. Africans Venture to Black Township Monica Collins briefed her family, made a list of emergency phone numbers and, after consulting her fellow adventurers, selected a vehicle they figured would be safest for the journey, a rugged SUV.


North Korea Resists Talks on Nuclear Arms North Korea said Monday that it will not resume talks on its nuclear weapons program until the Bush administration ends its "hostile policy" against Pyongyang and South Korea publishes complete details of its secret efforts to produce nuclear-weapons-grade fuel.


Peru Ex-President Rejects Extradition Call Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori on Thursday rejected his successor's call, made at the United Nations, for world leaders to press Japan to extradite him to face corruption charges and allegations of involvement in death squad massacres, according to a statement broadcast by news media here.


Former Drug Lord Gunned Down in Brazil Jose Carlos dos Reis Encina, once Brazil's most notorious drug lords, was gunned down on a major avenue Thursday, police said.


News Corp Buys Stake in Sky Italia Australia-based News Corp. has bought Telecom Italia SpA #39;s 19.9 percent stake in satellite television company Sky Italia for euro88 million (US\$108.


Update 5: KarstadtQuell to Sell Nearly Half Stores Struggling German retailer KarstadtQuelle said Tuesday it plans to sell nearly half of its department stores and issue euro500 million (US\$615 million) in shares as it restructures in response to Germany #39;s persistent retail slump.


Canadian spammer hunted by Amazon and Microsoft Online retailer Amazon and Microsoft have teamed up to sue a Canadian spamming operation the companies allege is responsible for sending millions of forged e-mails claiming to have come from Amazon.


PalmSource Takes the Wraps Off Palm OS Cobalt 6.1 PalmSource #39;s European developer conference is going on now in Germany, and this company is using this opportunity to show off Palm OS Cobalt 6.1, the latest version of its operating system.


Hackers Target Microsoft JPEG Hole Malicious hackers are seeding Internet news groups that traffic in pornography with JPEG images that take advantage of a recently disclosed security hole in Microsoft #39;s software, according to warnings from antivirus software companies and Internet


PalmSource unveils  #39;smart phone #39; operating system In an effort to ring up more sales, PalmSource Inc., of Sunnyvale, known for making the operating system for the Palm handheld computer, on Tuesday introduced a new operating system for so-called  quot;smart phones.


No Wi-Fi for Grantsdale Intel has dropped plans to include integrated Wi-Fi in its 915G/P and 925X chipsets. The chipsets - formerly codenamed Grantsdale - were due to have Wi-Fi access points built in at launch.


Weiner Tops Philippoussis at Shanghai Open (AP) AP - Defending champion Mark Philippoussis lost in the first round of the Shanghai Open on Tuesday, beaten by little-known American Glenn Weiner 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.


Madrid #39;s Olympic bid wins Real support for 2012 Summer Games Madrid has enlisted the support of Real Madrid in an attempt to boost its hopes of staging the 2012 Olympic Games. Madrid #39;s mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardon described the famous soccer team as  quot;the


UPDATE 1-Rangnick appointed Schalke coach Bundesliga club Schalke 04 named former Stuttgart and Hanover coach Ralf Rangnick as their new trainer on Tuesday in succession to Jupp Heynckes.


Kewell, Viduka in Australian squad for Oceania soccer final Australian coach Frank Farina has named English Premier League players Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka in his final 20-man soccer squad to play the Solomon Islands in the home-and-away Oceania Nations Cup final series.


China on way to top Athens Paralympics gold table Four gold medals and three world records in the swimming pool featured a weekend of China while three golds from track and field events brought the country to an insurmountable lead at the 12th Paralympic Games Saturday in Athens.


No timetable for Expos move com. Despite reports to the contrary, Major League Baseball has yet to set up a timetable for a decision on the future of the Montreal Expos and a possible move to Washington, DC, baseball #39;s No.


Former NFL Player Bob Mitinger Dies at 64 (AP) AP - Bob Mitinger, a linebacker for the San Diego Chargers in the 1960s, died at 64.


Blair comes out fighting Tony Blair today urged Labour to unite behind a radical third-term agenda as he sought to heal party wounds over Iraq. The Prime Minister said that he realized the war in Iraq had divided


Enemies unite in plea for CNN man #39;s release IN a rare display of common interest, Palestinian and Israeli officials called yesterday for the freeing of a CNN producer seized by armed men in the Gaza Strip.


Jordan #39;s Abdullah: Iraq not ready for Jan. election King Abdullah of Jordan, one of the United States key allies in the Middle East, has come out strongly against holding elections in Iraq in January.


Bigley forced to watch beheading BRITISH hostage Kenneth Bigley was made to watch a video showing the beheading of one of his American friends before he begged Tony Blair to save his life.


Blair pledges to  #39;end digital divide #39; if re-elected Prime Minister Tony Blair has committed a future Labour government to providing broadband access for all during a next term of office.


Action Against Hunger expands operations in wake of devastation in <b>...</b> After the political crisis at the beginning of the year and the torrential rains last May, Haiti has been hit by tropical storm, Jeanne.


Software AG charts cautious course in China Why go slowly? "You can burn a lot of money in China very fast," a top executive says.


Hackers use porn to target Microsoft JPEG hole Malicious hackers are seeding Internet news groups that traffic in pornography with JPEG images that take advantage of a recently disclosed security hole in Microsoft Corp.'s software, according to warnings from antivirus software companies and Internet security groups.


Toshiba Has Big Plans for Small Drives Company will begin production on sub-1-inch hard drive later this year.


Hackers Target Microsoft JPEG Hole Images posted in news groups may install remote control software on vulnerable PCs.


New \$50 Bill Begins Circulating Coming to cash registers near you: Colorful new \$50 bills sporting splashes of red, blue and yellow. Next up for a makeover, the government said Tuesday: \$10 bills.


New Design for My Yahoo Adds Screen Real Estate New Design for My Yahoo Adds Screen Real Estate\\Yahoo is now allowing My Yahoo users to test out the new My Yahoo layout. Yahoo! lists the new features to be found at the new My Yahoo here. Jeremy Zawodny has some great information on this in his entry named New ...


MoreGoogle : Enhances your Google Experience MoreGoogle : Enhances your Google Experience\\Google seems to be the worlds favorite search engine. It is famous for its bare interface that focuses more on speed and accurate results than eye candy. And apparently some people find it to be too bare. That is why we have had tools like ...


Goldcorp and Wheaton River gold producers strike friendly merger <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - Wheaton River Minerals Ltd. - after failing to complete a friendly merger and then avoiding a hostile takeover so far this year - spent Monday promoting the virtues of an agreed merger with Goldcorp Inc.


Sony Vaio Pocket VGF-AP1L digital music player Reg review Does colour screen  touch-sensitive control pad = iPod killer?


Hardie board protecting chief exective, say unions TONY JONES: Unions and asbestos victims have accused the James Hardie Board of protecting the chief architects of its underfunded compensation trust.


Branson #39;s  #39;Enterprise #39; Brings Final Frontier Within Reach Richard Branson has announced plans for the VSS (Virgin Space Ship) Enterprise, the first of several planned  quot;space liners quot; to be built with a total investment of \$110 million.


Elephant DNA sheds light on ivory origin By analyzing elephant DNA, a research team led by Seattle scientists has discovered a way to trace the origins of ivory and help stem the poaching that still threatens the giant beasts across much of their habitat.


Microsoft ends free Outlook access for Hotmail One of the drawing points for Microsoft #39;s free Hotmail service has been its tight integration with its Outlook e-mail and PIM client.


Athens Paralympics ends with China on top China turned out a great surprise in the 12-day-long 12th Paralympic Games which closed here on Tuesday, topping the gold medal tally with 63.


India #39;s diplomatic gains in UN Manmohan Singh #39;s recent trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, his first as India #39;s prime minister, has been widely seen as a diplomatic triumph.


Dell Debuts Compact PC (PC World) PC World - Slim Dimension desktop features an 8-in-1 memory card reader.


Bubble in crude? A minority of analysts say oil is way too high and prices could tumble -- but will they? by Mark Gongloff, CNN/Money senior writer.


Consumer Confidence Falls Again in Sept. US consumer confidence edged lower again in September after falling in August, as persistent worries about the job market weighed on sentiment, a report on Tuesday said.


Microsoft #39;s European Catch-22 It #39;s a real pity that the classic American sitcom Diff #39;rent Strokes never got broadcast in Luxembourg. If it had, I could almost see the judges at Microsoft #39;s antitrust hearing


Amazon, Microsoft team for spam suits IT industry leaders Amazon.com and Microsoft said Tuesday that they have joined forces to file several lawsuits targeting individuals accused of carrying out Internet crimes such as spamming, phishing and e-mail address spoofing.


UPDATE 1-Steelworkers challenge Cooper Tire parts unit sale The union representing workers at four Cooper Tire and Rubber Co. (CTB.N: Quote, Profile, Research) plants said on Tuesday that it has sued to block the company #39;s proposed sale of its auto parts business to two buyout firms.


Comcast, Time Warner eye Adelphia Philadelphia #39;s Comcast and Time Warner are considering a bid to buy bankrupt Adelphia Communications, the New York Times reported Tuesday.


Rising Sun for Ingram Micro (The Motley Fool) The Motley Fool - Information technology spending is growing significantly -- that is, in other countries such as China and India. According to an IDC study, China's IT growth is expected to be 15 annually and India's about 20.


DNA testing to pinpoint origin of illegal ivory A new genetic technique to pinpoint where various ivory comes from could help to thwart ivory smugglers. By indicating the origin of a specific ivory shipment with an accuracy of 500 to 1000 kilometres, it


Trojan horse exploits image flaw Infected graphical images that can implant a backdoor into a Windows computer if they are viewed have been spotted on Usenet. EasyNews, a provider of Usenet newsgroups, said it has identified two JPEG images


Palm Produces Smartphone OS Palmsource has introduced a new version of Cobalt, its software platform for smartphones. The new smartphone OS includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support and an enhanced Web browser.


Budget Version of Windows Headed for Russia Priced at about US\$36, the Starter Edition gives users limited options and features, compared to the standard Windows version. Microsoft hopes the low price will help it compete in Russia


Toshiba trumps iPod with 60GB rival Toshiba is releasing four new portable digital music devices - one boasting a 60GB capacity - to rival Apple #39;s iPod and iPod mini.


Security firms merge to form Cybertrust A new managed security behemoth has been created by the merger of three security vendors. Betrusted Holdings, TruSecure and Ubizen (a subsidiary of Betrusted) will amalgamate and form a new company, known as Cybertrust.


Blackburn set to sign French World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff Blackburn Rovers are poised to sign French World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff, who was released by Bolton in the close-season, the English Premiership soccer club said.


Thurig wins world time trial title BARDOLINO, Italy -- Swiss racer Karin Thurig won the women #39;s world time trial title at the championships in Bardolino, to claim her first major international crown.


Protesters twice disrupt Blair #39;s speech at Labor #39;s conference Protesters have twice disrupted British Prime Minister Tony Blair #39;s speech at his ruling Labor #39;s annual conference in Brighton, southern England, as thousands of pro-hunt campaigners


Jordan #39;s King Worries About Iraq Elections PARIS Sept. 28, 2004 - Extremists will have the upper hand in Iraqi elections if voting is held amid the current violence, Jordan #39;s King Abdullah II said in an interview published Tuesday, voicing profound


Palestinian killed on intifada anniversary JENIN, West Bank : A Palestinian was killed by Israeli fire as the Palestinian uprising entered its fifth year. Saleh Bilalu, a 47-year-old mentally ill man, was killed in Jenin after he violated an Israeli


Shell Output Unchanged After Staff Evacuation Multinational oil giant, Royal Dutch/Shell has disclosed that its out put remains unchanged despite its evacuation of non-essential staff from two oil production plants in its eastern operations area in the Niger- Delta where Nigerian troops are engaged


Taiwan foreign minister criticises Singapore TAIPEI : Taiwan Foreign Minister Mark Chen has lashed out at Singapore over remarks by the Republic #39;s own Foreign Minister George Yeo at the United Nations.


Motorola to cut 1,000 jobs ZDNet #39;s survey of IT professionals in August kept Wired  amp; Wireless on top for the 18th month in a row. Telecommunications equipment maker Motorola said Tuesday that it would cut 1,000 jobs and take related


Baseball Announcement Could Come Thursday According to several baseball officials, District residents could learn on Thursday that Major League Baseball plans to return to the national capital next season.


Pakistani forces arrest several Al Qaeda suspects Pakistani security forces arrested several suspects on Monday, including some linked to Al Qaeda network. The arrests came one day after Pakistani security forces killed a senior Al Qaeda operative, Amjad Farooqi, in a raid in southern Pakistan.


Kidd to Make Season Debut Versus Raptors (Reuters) Reuters - New Jersey guard\Jason Kidd is expected to make his season debut Monday, when\the Nets host the Toronto Raptors at Continental Airlines\Arena.


Northern Afghan warlord gathers thousands for presidential rally (AFP) AFP - Northern Afghan warlord General Abdul Rashid Dostam held the biggest rally of Afghanistan's presidential campaign with a gathering of thousands in his northern home town.


Striking N.B. hospital workers protest at meeting of Atlantic premiers (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - MONCTON, N.B. (CP) - Hundreds of striking hospital workers demonstrated outside a Moncton hotel where Premier Bernard Lord and his Atlantic counterparts were meeting Tuesday.


Supreme Court Takes Up Okla. Voting Case (AP) AP - The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to decide if political parties can open their primaries to all voters, in a constitutional challenge to Oklahoma's voting system.


MMO2 defends cautious 3G approach MMO2 defends its decision not to join the current push to roll-out third generation (3G) mobile phone services, as it launches a PC plug-in card  for laptop users.


Defense, IT Companies Form Standards Group  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The five top U.S. defense  contractors, communications companies joined on Tuesday with  some European rivals to develop technology standards that will  allow better communication among future weapons systems.


Motorola to cut 1,000 jobs SEPTEMBER 28, 2004 (REUTERS) - Telecommunications equipment maker Motorola Inc. said today that it would cut 1,000 jobs and take related charges of about \$50 million to focus on its wireless business.


Snap-On plunges on Q3 warning SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Shares of Snap-On Inc. plunged 11 percent early Tuesday after the tool and equipment maker warned of lower third-quarter profits due to higher steel costs, weakness in Europe and disruptions from hurricanes in the US.


Harrah #39;s/Caesars Expects Payoff As I #39;ve said before, I don #39;t think Harrah #39;s Entertainment (NYSE: HET) could have hoped for much better. Late last month, casino operator Harrah #39;s and merger partner Caesars


British Scientists Invent One Terabyte Optical Disk The surface of CDs and DVDs are made up of microscopic grooves filled with areas known as pits and land regions, which carry the information.


VoIP tools firm ready to battle  quot;SPIT quot; With the increasing popularity of VoIP,  quot;SPIT quot; (SPam over Internet Telephony) has the potential to be an even bigger problem than its email counterpart.


America Online Courts Mobile Developers Hoping to accelerate AOL instant messaging (IM) on mobile devices, America Online has launched the Mobile Developer Program. OZ, LG Electronics, Motorola, Samsung Telecommunications America and Siemens have signed on as charter members.


Knight slams NCAA in Washington Texas Tech men #39;s coach Bob Knight was the guest speaker Monday at the National Press Club, offering his opinions on basketball topics and downplaying any ambitions to make the jump to politics from the world of sports.


From Spam to SPIT It doesn #39;t exist yet, but you know it #39;s coming. Spam on your cell phone is only a matter of time. What was once the province of small companies like Vonage and 8x8 (Nasdaq


Blair Makes Partial Iraq Apology to Win Back Party  BRIGHTON, England (Reuters) - Tony Blair offered his Labour  party on Tuesday a partial apology for waging war in Iraq,  striving to pull angry supporters behind him ahead of an  election next year.


Afghan Election Bandwagon Creaks Into Motion  SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Afghanistan's election  bandwagon creaked into motion on Tuesday with a leading  candidate drawing the biggest crowd of the campaign so far.


174 NHL Players in Europe During Lockout (AP) AP - Dmitri Afanasenkov of the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning became the latest NHL player to head to Europe, agreeing on Tuesday to return home to Russia during the lockout.


Motorola to Cut 1,000 Jobs, Take Charge Motorola Inc. will cut 1,000 jobs worldwide and take a charge of \$50 million for severance benefits, officials said Tuesday.


Consumer Confidence Falls Again in Sept.  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. consumer confidence edged lower  again in September after falling in August, as persistent  worries about the job market weighed on sentiment, a report on  Tuesday said.


All 50 States Post Personal Income Growth  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. personal incomes rose 1.5  percent in the second quarter of 2004, the fastest pace of  growth in more than three years as income gains sped up in 33  states, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday.


Blair Offers His Party a Qualified Apology for Iraq War Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain apologized for flawed intelligence but not for removing Saddam Hussein.


Fannie Mae Restatement Up to SEC - COO  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Whether mortgage finance giant  Fannie Mae FNM.N will have to restate its earnings as a  result of accounting problems cited by regulators will be up to  the Securities and Exchange Commission to consider, a company  executive said on Tuesday.


Titan Appoints Ethics-Compliance Officer  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Titan Corp. TTN.N, a defense  contractor that saw its proposed purchase by Lockheed Martin  Corp. LMT.N scuttled as a government bribery probe dragged  on, said on Tuesday it had appointed a compliance and ethics  officer.


Update 1: Zoellick, Mandelson in Airbus-Boeing Talks New EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson began talks Monday with his US counterpart Robert Zoellick, with the global trade negotiations and a dispute over aircraft subsidies high on their agenda, Mandelson #39;s spokeswoman said.


Telecom Italia Shares Suspended Shares in Telecom Italia SpA were suspended from trading for two days on Monday, ahead of an expected buyout attempt by the company of its mobile unit Telecom Italia Mobile SpA, or TIM.


Saudi Arabia To Boost Output as Oil Tops \$50 The Saudi announcement came after oil prices moved above the US\$50 per barrel mark. Oil analyst Deborah White at Societe General bank, said:  quot;The Saudi announcement is not a surprise.


Industry veterans bet on open-source model A team of computer industry veterans including a former Microsoft executive are launching an open-source company that aims to be the Dell of the software industry.


ConocoPhillips Favorites in Lukoil Auction When a 7.6 percent stake in Lukoil - the world #39;s No. 2 oil company by reserves - goes under the auction hammer Wednesday in Russia #39;s biggest privatization, industry watchers aren #39;t expecting any surprises.


Silicon Still Rocks the House (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - The Internet may have forever changed the music business, but online downloads will keep playing second fiddle to compact discs for at least the next five years.


Cisco Extends Catalyst Switching Products for SMBs Cisco Systems has released a suite of new Cisco Catalyst switching products and services specifically designed and priced for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).


Turner to provide content for Net TV co. SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Akimbo Systems Inc., a startup that plans to deliver video over the Internet to television sets, has signed a deal for mainstream content from Time Warner Inc.


Munich Set to Approve Linux Despite Patent Worries (Reuters) Reuters - More than a year after the German\city of Munich declared its landmark intention to abandon\Microsoft Windows in favor of upstart rival Linux, its\councillors are finally ready to go ahead with the plan.


Real Madrid host AS Roma in a game of survival The Santiago Bernabeu will be under the spotlights when Real host Roma in a clash the loser of which will be in dire straits. Both sides are enjoying poor league form and injury worries as their new coaches


US will battle host Spaniards in Seville Madrid, Spain (Sports Network) - The United States and Spain will play their 2004 Davis Cup final on a clay court at Olympic Stadium in Seville, from December 3-5.


Top Seed Federer Struggles Through in Thai Opener Top seed Roger Federer toiled to beat battling Frenchman Nicolas Thomann and reach the second round of the Thailand Open on Tuesday.


Angels try to keep pace with A #39;s The Anaheim Angels will again try to grab a share of the division lead and further hinder the Texas Rangers chances of winning the West when the teams continue their four-game series at Ameriquest Field in Arlington.


Dodgers hope to trim magic number to 2 The Los Angeles Dodgers hope to move a step closer to clinching the NL West when they continue their four-game series with the Colorado Rockies.


Abducted CNN Producer Released in Gaza GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Sept. 28, 2004 - An Israeli Arab who works as a producer for the TV network CNN was released Tuesday, a day after he was kidnapped at gunpoint, relatives and Palestinian police said.


More Arrested in Pakistan Following Killing of Al-Qaida Leader Pakistani security forces have arrested more suspected militants in a series of raids following Sunday #39;s killing of a top al-Qaida leader and the arrest of two of his aides.


Who Governs the West Bank? Who Governs the West Bank? Palestinian Administration under Israeli Occupation,* the latest report from the International Crisis Group, examines that system, which faces its most acute crisis since the Oslo process was launched in 1993.


Munich Set to Approve Linux Despite Patent Worries  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - More than a year after the German  city of Munich declared its landmark intention to abandon  Microsoft Windows in favor of upstart rival Linux, its  councillors are finally ready to go ahead with the plan.


Delta to Cut Execs, Workers Pay by 10 Pct  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines DAL.N on Tuesday said  it would reduce the pay of executives and frontline employees  by 10 percent as of Jan. 1 as part of its drive to slash costs  and avoid bankruptcy.


Mirant subsidiary settles CFTC pricing manipulation claims ATLANTA A Mirant Corporation subsidiary has agreed to pay 12-and-a-half (M) million dollars to settle government claims. The federal government accused the bankrupt Atlanta-based energy supplier of trying


Court Rules Against Europe's Antitrust Chief in MCI Case The European Commission was wrong to block the proposed \$120 billion merger four years ago between MCI WorldCom and Sprint, a European court ruled today.


Briefly: Ex-HP exec joins StreamServe board roundup Plus: Credit union beefs up database security...Computer scientists slam e-voting machines..."The Sims 2" hits 1 million sales.


Ex-HP exec joins StreamServe board Peter Blackmore, who lost his job at Hewlett-Packard in August, is now a director of the board for the Swedish software company.


Industry veterans bet on open-source model A former Microsoft executive and other tech bigwigs fund SourceLabs, an open-source start-up focused on maintenance and support.


Fuel price flying off the handle The airline industry is expected to lose as much as \$4-b in 2004 due to the high fuel costs, despite an increase of about 19 in international passenger traffic so far this year.


Amazon, Microsoft team for spam suits com September 28, 2004, 8:37 AM 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.


Lowe #39;s Builds High Expectations Either there is a reliable crystal ball somewhere in Lowe #39;s (NYSE: LOW) corporate boardroom, or management of the home improvement retailer feels quite confident about its prognostication skills.


S amp;P Lowers Ratings on BellSouth, SBC On September 28, 2004, Standard  amp; Poor #39;s Ratings Services lowered its ratings on regional Bell operating companies (RBOCs) BellSouth (BLS ) and SBC Communications (SBC ) and their jointly-owned affiliate, Cingular Wireless.


ConocoPhillips hands-down favorite in Lukoil auction MOSCOW Houston-based ConocoPhillips is seen as the front-runner in an auction for a stake in the Russian oil company Lukoil. A seven-point-six percent stake in the world #39;s Number Two oil company by reserves


Dawn of the Terabyte DVD Using a novel new approach, scientists at the Imperial College in London are on the path to optical storage that dwarfs the capacities of current DVD #39;s and even upcoming, blue laser-based discs.


FCC TO VOTE ON DIGITAL TV PLAN September 28, 2004 -- Michael Powell, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, plans to hold a vote this year on a proposal to require US television broadcasters such as Viacom Inc.


Arsenal midfielder Gilberto out with back injury LONDON, Sep 28 (SW) - Arsenal FCs Brazilian midfielder Gilberto has been ruled out of action for no less than a month with a back injury.


Djorkaeff in Blackburn Talks Youri Djorkaeff is in talks with Blackburn, according to the Frenchman #39;s agent. The 36-year-old has been at Ewood Park discussing a move, but nothing has yet been agreed and it is understood that no medical has taken place yet.


Italian Hostages Released in Iraq Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi confirmed on Tuesday that two female Italian aid workers who had been taken hostage in Iraq had been released and turned over to the Italian Red Cross.


Blair gives partial Iraq apology Tony Blair has offered his Labour party a partial apology for waging war in Iraq, striving to pull angry supporters behind him ahead of an election next year.


Jordan king: Iraq unsafe for poll Jordan #39;s King Abdullah says only extremists will gain if Iraqi elections go ahead as planned in January. In a text distributed in advance of an interview with the French daily newspaper


Trojan horse exploits image flaw Infected pictures that could implant a back door into a Windows computer have been spotted on Usenet.


Morgan Stanley Is Fined \$100,000 by NASD Morgan Stanley was slapped with a \$100,000 fine from regulators on Monday after the investment bank failed to tell municipal bond investors that their holdings could be redeemed before the maturity date.


Motorola to cut 1,000 jobs worldwide Motorola Inc. is laying off 1,000 employees in conjunction with its upcoming chip unit spinoff and ongoing efforts to reduce operating costs, the company said Tuesday in a regulatory filing.


Panasonic Readies Speedy SD Cards New line of flash memory cards will transfer data twice as fast as current cards.


News: Terrorists grow fat on email scams Organisations such as al-Qaeda, ETA en PKK are copying Nigerian scams to fund terrorism, two Dutch experts told Dutch daily De Telegraaf this week.\


Security firm hires writer of worms (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - Here's one way for a company to get noticed in the crowded world of Internet security: Hire someone whose r eacute;sum eacute; is topped off with a job title "virus author."


Nokia delivers 3G network expansion to MTC in Bahrain (AFP) AFP - Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone maker, said it would provide telecom network equipment to MTC in Bahrain with the aim of rolling out third generation 3G mobile services across the Gulf state by the end of 2004.


Start-up strives for open-source compatibility (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - A new Seattle start-up called SourceLabs seeks to solve a longstanding problem with the popular open-source software movement: Components often don't talk with each other.


Greek plane lands in Ireland in second bomb alert in three days (AFP) AFP - An Olympic Airlines plane bound for New York was diverted to Ireland following a bomb alert, just three days after the Greek carrier was rocked by a similar incident, airport officials said.


Tiny Crawford Newspaper Endorses Kerry (AP) AP - A weekly newspaper that bills itself as President Bush's hometown paper endorsed John Kerry for president, saying the Massachusetts senator will restore American dignity.


Delta Announces Details of Wage Cuts ATLANTA Sept. 28, 2004 - Delta Air Lines Inc. is cutting the pay of executives, administrative staff and some other employees by 10 percent, increasing the shared cost of health care coverage and making


Centene will buy FirstGuard for \$93M Centene Corp. has agreed to buy FirstGuard Inc. from Swope Community Enterprises for about \$93 million in cash and enter the Missouri and Kansas markets.


A bowling alley for Christmas? If that doesn #39;t make your gift fantasy come true, you could also hope for a \$20,000 custom-fitted suit of armor. The two items are just a sampling of the ultimate fantasy gifts featured in luxury retailer


Delta Air to Cut Pay 10 Percent for Most Workers (Update1) Delta Air Lines Inc. said it will cut pay 10 percent for executives and most other employees to help reduce costs as the company tries to avoid filing for bankruptcy protection.


An optical disk that could store the whole Simpson saga! LONDON: This one is surely good news for Simpsons #39; fans. Physicists at Imperial College London are developing a new optical disk that could store all 350 scheduled episodes of The Simpsons , totalling 8,080 minutes of film.


Defense, IT Companies Form Standards Group The five top US defense contractors, communications companies joined on Tuesday with some European rivals to develop technology standards that will allow better communication among future weapons systems.


CDs to Dominate for Years Over Net Downloads-Study The compact disc has at least another five years as the most popular music format before online downloads chip away at its dominance, a new study said on Tuesday.


New OSes, applications from PalmSource PalmSource has been busy lately, and has now announced updates to both of its OS lines as well as a new web browser and OTA installer.


Gilberto out at least one month London, England (Sports Network) - Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva will be shut down for at least one month as he attempts to recover from a back injury.


Expos  #39;set for DC switch #39; Major League Baseball is set to confirm that the Montreal Expos will move to Washington for the 2005 season, according to reports.


Colorado Rockies Team Report - September 28 (Sports Network) - The Colorado Rockies continue a four-game series versus the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers tonight at Dodger Stadium.


NBA Ratifies Referees Five-Year Contract (AP) AP - NBA referees have entered into a five-year collective bargaining agreement with the league, removing the possibility of having replacement officials work the upcoming season.


FIFA to Discipline for Doping Sanctions (AP) AP - The soccer federations of France, Italy and the Netherlands will be disciplined by FIFA, which cited them for being lax on drug infractions.


Italian Hostages in Iraq Released DOHA, September 28 (IslamOnline.net  amp; News Agencies) - The hostage crisis in Iraq saw a breakthrough Tuesday, September 28, as the two Italian female hostages in Iraq have been released, hours after three others, including an Egyptian, were also freed.


Mush says situation with India encouraging #39;, Manmohan sincere : India News  gt; Paris, Sept 28 : Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said that the ongoing peace process with India was encouraging.


Turin Unveils Mascots as Countdown Begins  ROME (Reuters) - Italy revved its marketing engine on  Tuesday with the unveiling of two frosty-faced mascots for the  2006 Winter Olympics.


Index Funds Can Be a Great Tool (AP) AP - If you've got better things to do than pour over the finer points of your stock portfolio, and you don't care to study the performance records and investing styles of mutual fund managers, chances are you've invested in an equity index fund.


Nigeria Threat Pushes Oil Over \$50 Bbl  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices raced to new record highs  above \$50 on Tuesday as rebel threats against Nigerian oil  facilities threatened to inflict further strain on global  supplies.


All 50 States Post Personal Income Growth  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. personal incomes rose 1.5  percent in the second quarter of 2004, the fastest pace of  growth in more than three years, as income gains sped up in 33  states, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday.


Stocks Rise, Led by Oil, Metal Companies  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks gained on Tuesday as  rising oil and other commodity prices drove up shares of major  energy and metal producers.


Delta to Cut Employee Pay 10 Percent  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc. DAL.N on Tuesday  said it will reduce executive and employee pay by 10 percent  starting in January and its CEO will go unpaid for the rest of  the year as it tries to cut costs to avert bankruptcy.


Stocks Rise, Led by Oil, Metal Companies  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks edged higher on Tuesday as  rising oil and other commodity prices drove up shares of major  energy and metal producers.


Confidence Index Drops, So Do Treasuries  CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury prices fell on Tuesday in  profit-taking after a weaker-than-expected consumer confidence  index failed to punch key yields below recent lows.


Delta cuts executive, staff pay by 10 Cost cuts are part of its effort to avoid bankruptcy; CEO will skip salary for the remainder of  #39;04. CHICAGO (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines said Tuesday it would reduce the pay of executives and frontline employees by 10 percent as of Jan.


AtheroGenics Shares Jump on Early Data Shares of drug company AtheroGenics Inc. opened up 81 percent Tuesday morning and remained at high levels after the company revealed promising clinical data late Monday for a drug to treat hardening arteries.


Local Bank Buys Florida Banks Montgomery-based Colonial BancGroup Incorporated has agreed to buy Union Bank of Florida for about 233 million dollars. In a statement Tuesday, Colonial says Union Bank operates 18 branches and holds 687 million in total deposits.


UPDATE 1-Nextel to sell half of its 18 percent stake in NII Nextel Communications Inc. (NXTL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) plans a public offering of 6.2 million shares of mobile phone service provider NII Holdings Inc.


Wachovia faces possible SEC action SEC may take civil action against the bank #39;s brokerage unit on improper mutual fund trading charges. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wachovia Corp.


Genetic Analysis Could Reveal Origin Of Ivory Scientists led by Samuel Wasser of the University of Washington collected manure samples in areas inhabited by African elephants. The geneticists isolated DNA from the manure and transferred it into the database.


Amazon, Microsoft Sue Spammers, Phishers Amazon.com and Microsoft Tuesday announced that they had joined forces to put spammers and phishing scammers in new legal crosshairs.


CDs  #39;will dominate music market #39; The CD will stay the most popular music format until at least the end of the decade when digital music will begin to challenge its crown, says a new survey.


PalmSource #39;s BlackBerry effort bears fruit This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been improving or obtaining CRM and ERP software for the past year and a half. PalmSource said on Tuesday that it is releasing the e-mail application interface needed


Dolly creator seeks human cloning One of the creators of Dolly the sheep, the world #39;s first mammal cloned from an adult, said Tuesday he was seeking permission to create cloned human embryos for medical research.


Officials open training camp Sunday NEW YORK -- NBA referees have entered into a five-year collective bargaining agreement with the league, removing the possibility of having replacement officials work the upcoming season.


Snow and ice: Olympic mascot for Turin Olympics Two cartoon characters named Neve and Gliz, representing a ball of snow and block of ice, are the mascot for the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics.


San Francisco #39;s  #39;Candlestick #39; Now  #39;Monster Park #39; San Francisco renamed its most storied sports stadium  quot;Monster Park quot; on Tuesday, in a deal that trades \$6 million from an electronics cable company for the name to Candlestick Park.


Canadians Fret as Americans Forget About Lockout When NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced on September 15 that the league had failed to reach a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and would lock out the players it drove an icy spike through the hearts of hockey-mad Canadians.


Arafat steps in to help hostage as Brown calls Blair to order LONDON - Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has pledged to help efforts for the release of Kenneth Bigley, the British hostage held captive in Iraq, the civil engineer #39;s brother says.


Stocks show early strength Bargain hunting is sending stock prices higher even as oil futures top 50 dollars per barrel. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 29 points in today #39;s early going.


Consumer confidence declines for second straight month in <b>...</b> NEW YORK, September 28 (newratings.com) - The US Consumer Confidence Index declined for the second consecutive month in September this year, primarily driven by the persisting deterioration in the consumers #39; outlook for the job market trends.


The CD is king Sales of downloaded digital music in Europe will continue to grow steadily in the next five years, but will not replace the CD anytime soon.


New Network Consortium Cites Power Of Shared Systems A group of 28 IT, defense and integration companies formed a new consortium to develop technology standards and guidelines that will aid collaboration among military, intelligence, homeland security and law enforcement agencies.


Russia is Fourth Country for Windows XP Starter Edition Microsoft this week announced that it #39;s expanding its Windows XP Starter Edition into Russia. The company said that it hopes to get the software to PC OEMs in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States by early 2005.


AOL Targets Mobile IM America Online is building alliances with mobile phone manufacturers and wireless carriers in an effort to build its share of the emerging mobile instant-messaging market.


Freescale Unveils Dual Core Processor Architecture How about an embedded processor that #39;s designed to deliver a quantum leap in performance and system bandwidth while keeping power in check?


Beckham and Owen fit the bill for Real David Beckham has recovered from a virus and is expected to take his place in the Real Madrid starting line-up for tonight #39;s Champions League Group B clash with AS Roma.


Mascots for Turin Winter Olympics unveiled Two cartoon characters named Neve and Gliz, representing a ball of snow and block of ice, are the mascot for the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics.


Snow and ice: Olympic mascot for Turin Olympics ROME - Two cartoon characters named Neve and Gliz, representing a ball of snow and block of ice, are the mascot for the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics.


Ralf Rangnick hired as Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick was named head coach of Schalke on Tuesday, taking over the German Bundesliga team from Jupp Heynkes, who was sacked two weeks ago.


Motorola trimming 1,000 jobs Motorola Inc. says it #39;s cutting about 1,000 jobs, or about 1 percent of its workforce, as it winds up its spinoff of Austin-based chip company Freescale Semiconductor Inc.


Israeli Troops Kill Unarmed Palestinian The violence in the occupied territories continued Tuesday as Israeli troops shot dead an unarmed Palestinian described by witnesses as mentally handicapped.


Delta to Cut Executive Pay by 10 Percent The airline also announced today that it was increasing the shared cost of health care coverage and as part of its plan to avoid bankruptcy.


Crude futures rise above \$43 a barrel as markets look to OPEC <b>...</b> Crude oil futures prices rose above \$43 a barrel Monday after an attack at the US consulate in Saudi Arabia and amid growing concerns that OPEC may try to firm-up oil prices after last week #39;s sharp sell-off.


Nutraceutical Is Still Very Healthy The company's stock has had a rough few months, but the business still looks strong.


The Power of Pensions A guaranteed check for life is a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, that beauty is fading.


Organizers Call Off Blue-Gray Classic (AP) AP - The Blue-Gray All-Star Classic has been called off for the second time in three years because officials couldn't find a corporate sponsor for the Christmas Day showcase for aspiring NFL players.


Study: CDs Still Overshadow Digital-Music Downloads The CD will remain the dominant format for music distribution in Europe at least until the end of the decade, according to a new study.


Dolly #39;s Creator Applies for Human Cloning License Scientists who created Dolly the sheep, the world #39;s first cloned mammal, applied for a license on Tuesday to clone human embryos to obtain stem cells for research into Motor Neurone Disease.