Death toll from storm in Philippines rises to at least 527, 352 <b>...</b> The Philippine military said Friday rescuers have recovered 484 bodies from landslides and flash floods in an eastern province, bringing the toll from this week #39;s powerful rainstorm to 527 people.


Tennis: Roddick makes semis Andy Roddick beats Marat Safin in two tie-breaks to reach the Masters Cup semis.


Golf: Woods upset at Ryder post Tiger Woods says Mark O'Meara should have been named US Ryder Cup captain for 2006.


Belgium death threat suspect held Belgian police arrest a man suspected of threatening to kill a senator who criticised fundamentalist Muslims.


Egypt wants Guantanamo releases Egypt asks the US to hand over five of its citizens detained at the American military base at Guantanamo Bay.


Agreement May Be Near on 9/11 Bill House and Senate negotiators were close to a deal to enact the major recommendations of the Sept. 11 commission.


Official Allegedly Hinted At Saudi Torture of Man A federal prosecutor made a comment suggesting that a Virginia man held in a Saudi Arabian prison had been tortured.


Venezuela Govt. Believes Car Blast Kills Prosecutor

 CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Two blasts destroyed a carin a Caracas suburb Thursday and killed its driver, whoVenezuelan authorities believed was a key state prosecutorleading a probe into opponents of President Hugo Chavez.


UK looks at 'integrating' ID card with health care To 'maximise benefits for patients', of course...


Digital music download coin-op to offer 'all formats, all DRMs' Analysis Inspired thinks big but lacks the content


The Register is band full of s**t FoTW AV specialist throws wobbler


From Indymedia to the Moon: your musings in full Letters An eclectic postbag


Renewed violence shatters lull in Baghdad A suicide car bomber plowed into a Shiite mosque in Baghdad after dawn prayers on Friday, killing 14 people and stoking fears that sectarian divisions over when to hold elections could bring further bloodshed.


EMI looks to digital as download sales quadruple But look to lawsuit stick rather than iTunes carrot for the cause


Home working trial proves popular Experiment confines workers to their homes for two days to try teleworking.


Car bombers strike near green zone, 7 dead BAGHDAD - A double suicide car bomb attack has devastated a police station just outside Baghdads fortified Green Zone, killing seven people and wounding 57 in the latest strike against Iraqs beleaguered security forces.


Dollar Slips After Greenspan Remarks (Reuters) Reuters - The dollar slipped  on Friday, after\Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan's remarks on the U.S.\trade gap and on foreign demand for dollar-denominated  assets.


Dollar Slips After Greenspan Remarks  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar slipped  on Friday, after  Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan's remarks on the U.S.  trade gap and on foreign demand for dollar-denominated  assets.


Stocks Seen Flat, Drug Makers Pressured  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock futures pointed to a flat market  open on Friday, with higher oil prices and weakness in drug  maker stocks offsetting better-than-expected earnings from  entertainment company Walt Disney Co. DIS.N.


Oil Prices Rise Ahead of Northern Winter  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices climbed on Friday as tight  supplies of distillate fuels ahead of the northern hemisphere  winter spurred buying.


Ton-up Vik wows Zim VIKRAM SOLANKI smashed an 89-ball hundred to keep England on course for a series whitewash. The Worcestershire captain hit exactly 100 in the third one-dayer at the Queens Club in Bulawayo


Oracle to Issue Tender Results Saturday  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oracle Corp. ORCL.O said it would  report preliminary results of its \$8.8 billion hostile tender  offer for PeopleSoft PSFT.O as soon as practicable after 1  a.m. EST Saturday.


J.M. Smucker Quarterly Profit Rises  CHICAGO (Reuters) - J.M. Smucker Co. SJM.N on Friday  posted higher quarterly profit as improved sales at its Jif  peanut butter and Smucker's jelly business helped offset higher  raw material costs and a loss on the sale of its Brazilian  unit.


Advancis: Funds Through Early 2006  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Advancis Pharmaceutical Corp.  AVNC.O, which recently saw a large contract end with  GlaxoSmithKline Plc GSK.L, said Friday it has enough funds to  operate though at least early 2006, and outlined a plan to cut  costs.


Time To Applaud Chelsea #39;s Football Chelsea are bad for football, it #39;s true; but they are also very good at it. Not something you could say about Titus Bramble, say.


Companies Forced to Fight Phishing Phishing is a growing form of online fraud that blends old-fashioned confidence scams with innovations in technological trickery. In the second part of our two-part series, washingtonpost.com explores how banks, Internet service providers and other online businesses are trying to make e-commerce safe for their customers.
-washingtonpost.com


High-Tech City to Go Up in Southern India Southern India's Kerala state plans to create a 1,000-acre (400-hectare) zone called "Smart City," where technology companies from around the world will be invited to set up operations, an official said Friday.


Nintendo DS a Sleek Powerhouse The last time Nintendo Co. tried two screens, the result was a head-splitting virtual reality goggle called Virtual Boy that quickly flopped in the mid-1990s.


Hartson double puts Celtic top Celtic have moved top of the Scottish Premier League, for 24 hours at least, after John Hartson #39;s double gave them a 2-1 victory over Hibernian.


Arsenal gets back to winning ways Arsenal won for the first time in five games Saturday, getting two goals from Thierry Henry to beat Birmingham 3-0 in the Premier League.


Verdict Due for Afghan in Killing of Journalists  KABUL (Reuters) - An Afghan court is expected to announce a  verdict on Saturday in a closed-door trial of a man accused of  killing four foreign journalists, including two from Reuters,  just after the fall of the Taliban three years ago.


At Unusual U.N. Session, Sudanese Factions Vow to End War The Sudanese government and southern rebels vowed today to end Sudan's long civil war by the end of this year.


Nike #39;s father to step down Nike co-founder Phil Knight has announced that he will step down as chief executive and president of the company. The 66-year-old notified the company #39;s board of directors at


Russia set to auction oil giants prize asset MOSCOW The government on Friday set the stage for the resolution of the  quot;Yukos affair, quot; setting an auction date for the prize asset of Yukos, the country #39;s No.


EMI stock surges 10 on robust 2H outlook LONDON, November 19 (newratings.com) The share price of the global music company, EMI (EMI.ETR), appreciated nearly 10 to 228.5p on the London Stock Exchange today, after the company guided to improved full year results, despite posting ay/y decline


Waterford Wedgwood Posts Heavy Losses Waterford Wedgwood PLC, the debt-laden maker of luxury homewares, reported a slight half-year profit but heavy operating losses Friday as it continued to suffer from the weak US dollar.


Telcos forge 3G link THE race to get a widespread third generation mobile phone network in Australia started in earnest yesterday with Optus and Vodafone agreeing to a joint venture network.


Intel to Invest \$40 Million in Bangalore Intel Corp., the world #39;s largest computer chip maker, said it would spend \$40 million to expand in the southern Indian city of Bangalore over the next two years, maintaining its spending rate since the start of 2003.


A dash of holiday giving The 12th annual Kettle Kick-off Holiday Luncheon on Thursday raised \$150,305 for Christmas food baskets, meals, toys and other services for needy people during the holidays and throughout the year.


Cherkasky: Marsh Clears Its Board Of Insiders Another new policy at Marsh  amp; McLennan Cos. (nyse: MMC - news - people ): The insurer said yesterday that five directors--all company executives--are leaving its board.


Iraqi Forces, U.S. Troops Storm Baghdad Mosque Iraqi forces, backed by U.S. soldiers, stormed one of the major Sunni Muslim mosques in Baghdad after Friday prayers, opening fire and killing at least three people, witnesses said. Another raid overnight at a hospital allegedly used by insurgents in Mosul led to three arrests, the military said.


FDA Says Stands by Safety of Approved Drugs The US Food and Drug Administration said on Friday that Senate testimony by a veteran FDA researcher regarding safety risks for five drugs does not reflect the views of the agency.


Acquisition helps Smucker reports 18 percent earnings increase ORRVILLE, Ohio - JM Smucker Co. said on Friday that earnings for its second quarter were up 18 percent, helped by a 57 percent increase in sales stemming from its acquisition of International Multifoods Corp.


Former Viacom president Karmazin returns to radio roots with <b>...</b> NEW YORK_Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. is bringing in another big gun from the media world, tapping Mel Karmazin, the former president of media giant Viacom Inc.


RIAA launches P2P file sharing legal blitz The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) continued its hard line approach to music sharing across P2P networks with a round of copyright infringement lawsuits targeting 761 alleged illegal file sharers.


Sun #39;s New No. 1 Threat Is an older Sun a mellower Sun? Scott McNealy, Sun Microsystems chairman and CEO, said at a press conference this week to introduce the companys Solaris 10 operating system that hed just turned 50 over the weekend.


First Apple Retail Store in Europe on its marks and set to ... On Saturday, November 20th 2004, Apple will open its first European Retail Store on Regent Street in the West End of London. There those with an interest to do so will be able in a kind of adventure shop to


Explorer Again In The News For Wrong Reasons Microsoft #39;s flagship Internet Explorer has once again come under the spotlight, albeit for all the wrong reasons. Two more vulnerabilities were uncovered in the widely used Web browser version 6, according to security firm Secunia.


Science: Europe Probe Lands on Mars The Smart 1 lunar probe has entered into orbit around the Moon, the first European mission to do so. On Monday, Smart 1 began firing its ion engine to bring it into lunar orbit.


Coe outlines London bid for 2012 Olympics London revealed its detailed plans for hosting the 2012 Olympic Games today with bid chief Sebastian Coe promising they would be a  quot;games for the next generation quot;.


US Airways Mechanics Not Hopeful The head of the mechanics union at US Airways said yesterday the group is not optimistic about reaching an agreement with the airline before a critical hearing Thursday and raised the prospect that the unit could walk off the job if a court allows the current labor contract to be voided.


Prem Preview : Man United-Charlton Club football returns and the weekend begins at Old Trafford as Charlton make the trip north to Manchester. Following a week of recriminations and fallout from the international friendlies and World


Hokies Keep ACC Title Hopes Alive With Win The win moves the Hokies to 8-2 overall and to 5-1 in the ACC while the Terps fall to 4-6 overall and to 2-5 in the league. Virginia Tech controls its own destiny in the ACC race.


Chase comes to Florida with trio in hot pursuit A: One race to go, and the tension is so thick, noted outdoorsman Ward Burton could barely slice it with a big, scary hunting knife.


Holiday Air Travel Post reporters Sara Goo and Keith Alexander share holiday travel stories and discuss how the airlines handled what was one of the biggest holiday travel fiascos in years.


Ministers lash Charles LONDON - Uproar between government and royalty broke out throughout the corridors of power yesterday in reaction to Prince Charles #39; apparent belief that people should not rise above their station.


Rivals ready themselves for Palestinian poll WITH the reality of democratic elections across the West Bank and Gaza now sinking in, Palestinian political leaders yesterday began jockeying in earnest for position and advantage, as new coalitions and obscure candidates emerged.


Two killed in Baghdad mosque clash; Iraqi troops prepare assault <b>...</b> BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi national guardsmen raided a Sunni mosque in Baghdad after Friday prayers, sparking bloody clashes, an AFP correspondent reported, while in the northern city of Mosul US-backed Iraqi commandos were poised to storm rebel strongholds.


European Shares Hit New 2-1/2 Year Peak  LONDON (Reuters) - European stocks hit a new 2-1/2 year  high on Tuesday as a slide in oil prices and a rise in the  dollar fueled confidence in the global economy, but a glum  Christmas report from Woolworths weighed on UK retailers.


Speculation Surrounding IE Updates Continues Microsoft has cobbled together dozens of third-party software plug-ins and add-ons that enhance IE and provided links to them from its Windows Marketplace site.


Online Award to Times Writer The New York Times on the Web won an award from the Online News Association for commentary by Nicholas Kristof, an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times.


Update 4: Japan, China Leaders Agree to Meeting The leaders of Japan and China agreed to a one-on-one meeting on the sidelines of a summit, overcoming a diplomatic impasse between the Asian powers that have been increasingly at odds.


Supermarket chain Loblaw #39;s third-quarter profit rises 18 to \$258 <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - Loblaw Cos. Ltd., Canada #39;s biggest supermarket chain, says its third-quarter profit rose 18 per cent to \$258 million as sales increased six per cent.


Wholesale sales fell in September for the first time in 7 months <b>...</b> OTTAWA (CP) - Wholesale sales declined for the first time in seven months in September, Statistics Canada says. Sales fell by 1.9 per cent from August, to \$37.6 billion.


Karmazin named CEO at Sirius A month after signing Stern to a five-year deal, Manhattan-based Sirius said yesterday its new chief executive is Mel Karmazin, the former head of media conglomerate Viacom who was successful


Controversy over Christmas kettles One of the biggest fund-raising efforts of the year is about to begin for the Salvation Army: the Christmas kettle drive. In Flagstaff, the drive will kick off the day after Thanksgiving outside


Greenspan Sends Dollar to 4-Yr Low Vs Yen (Reuters) Reuters - The dollar fell under 103 yen on\Friday after Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said large\interventions in the currency market do not create protracted\changes in exchange rates but have some effect.


FDA Says Approved Drugs Are Safe (Reuters) Reuters - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration\said on Friday that Senate testimony by a veteran FDA\researcher regarding safety risks for five drugs does not\reflect the views of the agency.


11 local Net file sharers targeted  quot;You Got Served quot; is the title of one movie a New York-area person is accused of making available for download over the Internet.


In-Depth Review: What Makes Firefox 1.0 So Compelling Mozilla #39;s new Firefox Web browser can make believers even out of loyal Internet Explorer proponents. By Scot Finnie, Desktop Pipeline.


Oram puts Australian attack to the sword AUSTRALIAN crowds are familiar with the sight of a big-hitting left-hander wandering to the wicket at No.7 and turning a Test match on its head.


Greenspan: Appetite for Dollar to Dwindle  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The insatiable foreign demand for  dollar holdings would eventually fall as investors diversify,  U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Friday in  remarks that landed hard on the dollar.


End armed chaos - Palestinian leader PLO leader Mahmud Abbas stepped up calls Friday to end  quot;armed chaos quot; engulfing the occupied territories, as the new Palestinian leadership readied the ground for presidential elections in January.


Democratization of Europe Europe #39;s integration project is historically unprecedented. For the past millennium, Europe has lived in an uneasy equilibrium, giving birth to every great empire that dominated and pacified the world in the last 500 years.


Fit-again Kallis to play in first India test All-rounder Jacques Kallis will play in the first test against India starting on Saturday after recovering from a side strain, but is unlikely to bowl.


Russia Sets Auction for Oil Giant Yukos  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia pressed ahead on Friday with the  last step in the destruction of oil major YUKOS, saying it will  auction its main Siberian unit on Dec. 19 for \$8.65 billion and  hit it with a new tax claim.


Canadian Grocer Loblaw Sales Up 6 Pct.  TORONTO (Reuters) - Loblaw Cos Ltd. L.TO, Canada's  largest grocery store chain, reported a higher third-quarter  profit on Friday, as stronger sales in non-food categories  helped boost overall sales by 6 percent.


Disney's Not Goofy The entertainment giant wraps up a successful fiscal year and sets the course for consistent growth.


Wall St. Seen Flat as Drug Shares Weigh  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock futures pointed to a flat market  open on Friday, with higher oil prices and drug maker stocks  weighing on Wall Street after Thursday's late-session rally.


Dolby Labs Files for a \$460 Million IPO  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Audio technology company Dolby  Laboratories Inc. filed on Friday to raise as much as \$460  million in an initial public offering of Class A common stock.


Investors May Sue Russia as YUKOS Tanks  MOSCOW (Reuters) - YUKOS' foreign investors accused Russia  on Friday of attempting to steal the oil giant's key unit  Yugansk and threatened to sue after Moscow set a Dec. 19 fire  sale of its assets, sending the stock collapsing by 25 percent.


Euro steadies below 1.30 dollars ahead of G20 meeting LONDON (AFP) - The euro steadied just below the 1.30 dollar mark as the markets positioned themselves for this weekend #39;s G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bankers in Berlin.


Loblaw Profit Rises 19 as Lederer Fends Off Wal-Mart (Update1) Loblaw Cos. said third-quarter net income rose 19 percent as the company, Canada #39;s largest supermarket chain, cut distribution costs and sold more of its profitable nonfood goods.


NVIDIA and Intel Sign Broad Cross-License, Chipsets License <b>...</b> SANTA CLARA, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Nov. 19, 2004 -- NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq:NVDA) and Intel Corporation today announced the companies have signed a broad, multi-year patent cross-license agreement


Stocks Open Flat; Pressure on Drugmakers US stocks opened flat on Friday, with higher oil prices and shares of drugmakers weighing on Wall Street after Thursday #39;s late-session rally.


Microsoft warns of Linux dangers Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has told Asian government leaders at a forum in Singapore that they could face patent lawsuits for using the Linux operating system instead of Windows software.


Google engineers new scholarly search Google Inc., the leader in online search engines, is setting out to make better sense of all the scholarly work stored on the Web.


Oracle settles on quarterly patch regime Oracle Corp is following rival Microsoft Corp in making its security patching schedule more predictable for customers. Unlike Microsoft, which faces more scrutiny from security researchers and patches every month, Oracle will patch quarterly.


AOL adds anti-spam features to version 9.0 AOL will be adding a host of new features designed to combat spam, virii and spyware to version 9.0 of its browser. The package, known as  #39;AOL 9.0 Security Edition #39; is a free download which was available from Thursday.


Spanish leaders denounce racial taunts by soccer fans In a move to protect Spain #39;s image and bid for the 2012 Olympics, Spanish leaders stressed that its citizens and sports fans are not racist.


No mercy for England says Os London - A 70-0 beating of Canada was effectively a warmup for new England coach Andy Robinson. Now Clive Woodward #39;s successor has a real challenge when Tri-Nations champion South Africa returns to Twickenham to make up for a 53-3 loss two years ago.


WTO Rules Against EU Protection of Goods (AP) AP - The European Union said Friday its system of protecting names for regionally produced foods such as Champagne and Parma ham was strengthened by an initial ruling from the World Trade Organization.


Prince  #39;out of touch #39; with education, says Clarke A government minister today dismissed the Prince of Wales as  quot;old-fashioned and out of time quot; with  quot;patronising quot; views on the education system.


Palestinians fail first post-Arafat leadership test The Palestinian Authority Friday failed its first post-Arafat test to determine whether or not it was serious about making peace with Israel.


After Kashmir, PM bids to calm northeast fires (Reuters) Reuters - Having reached out to Kashmiris during a two-day visit to the region, the prime minister heads this weekend to the country's volatile northeast, where public anger is high over alleged abuses by Indian soldiers.


B.C. doesn't have to pay for special autism treatment: Supreme Court (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - The British Columbia government does not have to pay for a  costly early childhood treatment for autism, the Supreme Court of Canada said Friday.


Annan Sees Hope for Great Lakes Peace  DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - U.N Secretary General Kofi Annan  urged leaders of Africa's resource-rich but blood-soaked Great  Lakes region on Friday to implement a peace plan that could  herald a "new era" for millions of Africans.


Chirac on final day of UK visit The French president Jacques Chirac lays a wreath at the tomb of Edward VII on the final day of his visit to Britain.


Nvidia, Intel Sign Cross-License Deal Nvidia Corp., a maker of computer video cards, on Friday said it inked a multiyear patent cross-licensing agreement with Intel Corp.


Microsoft Tries To Steer Asian Government Away From Linux According to a recent report from a research group, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer at an Asian Government Leaders Forum in Singapore claimed that Linux violates more than 228 patents.


Raptors reportedly considering Carter trade The Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors are reportedly talking about a seven-player blockbuster trade involving Vince Carter that could amount to a wish granted for the disgruntled superstar, according to a broadcast report.


Organizers Say 2006 Olympics on Track (AP) AP - Organizers of the 2006 Winter Olympics insist the games are on track despite a  #36;242 million budget shortfall and a police investigation into possible fixing of construction contracts.


Greenspan Sends Dollar to Multiyear Lows  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar slumped across the board,  plunging to four-and-a-half-year lows against the yen on  Friday, after Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said  demand for U.S. assets could decline at some point given the  size of the current account deficit.


Official Insists FDA Acted Appropriately With Vioxx WASHINGTON -- A Food and Drug Administration official is defending the agency #39;s action with regards to Vioxx. The drug was taken off the market Sept.


Stocks Fall on Greenspan Deficit Warning Stocks fell modestly Friday as Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan sounded a warning over the nation #39;s spiraling trade deficit.


U.S. Firm Buys Stake in Jimmy Choo (AP) AP - Hicks Muse Tate  amp; Furst Inc. said Friday that it has bought a majority stake in Jimmy Choo, the British-based luxury shoe label, in a deal valued at 101 million pounds ( #36;187 million).


Karmazin Brings Sirius Starpower to Radio (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Sirius Satellite Radio's hiring of former Viacom President Mel Karmazin as its new chief executive is its most aggressive move yet to steal market share away from larger rival XM Satellite Radio. It's also the clearest signal so far that the satellite upstarts intend to be real competitors in the media world.


RIAA Files New Lawsuits The Recording Industry Association of America has filed new lawsuits against 761 people who allegedly use peer-to-peer software to trade music files without permission, the trade group announced this week.


Gateway Launches New Media Center PCs Irvine-based Gateway refreshed its lineup of personal computers yesterday, introducing two new Media Center PCs. The company #39;s 3250X Media Center PC and 7200S Media Center PC both use Microsoft #39;s new Windows


New York Knicks Team Report - November 19 (Sports Network) - The New York Knicks hope to get back to .500 this evening when they conclude a four-game road trip against the Dallas Mavericks at the AmericanAirlines Center.


Putin: No authoritarian rule in Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin said there could be no authoritarian rule in the Russian Federation. Commenting on statements by some Western political analysts that totalitarian rule could be established


Pitt Locks Up BCS Bid Tyler Palko tosses a career-high 411 yards and five touchdowns to push No. 19 Pittsburgh over South Florida, 43-14, on Satudray.


Are You A Comfort Addict? Do you find yourself unsatisfied, but unable to work out why?  Do you find yourself nodding during Fight Club when Tyler Durden tells his recruits that their struggle is a philosophical one... only to be dismayed with his idea of a solution?  Is everything okay, but nothing great?    You could well be a comfort addict.


Sigourney Weaver books flight with Virgin Galactica Alien star turns space tourist


Operators wake up to mobile enterprise needs Analysis Starmap points the way forward


EMI's download music sales soar EMI sees download music sales rise by nearly 600 in the six months to the end of September and says they are becoming a major part of its business.


Microsoft Launches Regional Versions of Hotmail  LONDON (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp., the world's largest  software maker, has expanded its flagship MSN Hotmail internet  email service to include European and Japanese domain names, it  said on Friday.


Phishing Schemes Fraudulent phishing e-mail is forcing businesses to reconsider how they communicate with their customers online. Join Dave Jevans, chairman of the Anti-Phishing Working Group, as he discusses this growing form of online fraud with washingtonpost.com reporter Brian Krebs.


Karmazin Brings Sirius Starpower to Radio You might have thought that Sirius got serious when it hired Howard, but the second-place satellite radio company is upping some serious ante now by enlisting former Viacom President Mel Karmazin. -washingtonpost.com


Earnings alert: Linux OS sales boost Novell Plus: Salesforce quarterly revenue rises...Write-downs widen DirecTV's loss...Time Warner net income slips...Cell phone unit shores up Verizon.


TV technology enters a new generation The big, bulky tube television is ready to get a leaner look--and to challenge flat panels at their own game. Meanwhile, TV tuners are headed to new PCs.


Coulthard Hints at Red Bull Move  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's David Coulthard says he will  be back in Formula One next year and hinted Saturday that a  move to the Red Bull Racing Formula One team was imminent.


Euro Reaches New High against Dollar The US dollar fell yesterday against all the major currencies on international exchange markets except the Canada dollar. The Euro climbed to \$1.3074 against US dollar, breaking a new record.


Stocks End High on Jobless Claims Report Stocks rose modestly in uninspired trading Thursday as investors looked past a mix of economic data and falling profit forecasts from from Google Inc.


Movie Gallery Bids on Hollywood Chain DOTHAN, Ala. - Video rental chain Movie Gallery Inc. on Friday said it has made an offer to acquire Hollywood Entertainment Corp., countering a \$700 million takeover proposed last week by Blockbuster Inc.


NY pension fund says to tender PeopleSoft stock New York state #39;s pension fund, the nation #39;s second largest, said on Friday it plans on tendering its 2.2 million shares of PeopleSoft Inc.


EMI looks to digital future as download sales quadruple The world #39;s third largest music label, EMI, saw its revenues from digital music increase by more than 300 per cent in the six months to 30 September, the company said today.


SAN LORENZO Sports card auctions lead to indictment A San Lorenzo man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that he defrauded EBay users in online auction for rare Mickey Mantle and Michael Jordan sports cards.


AOL launches 9.0 Security Edition After much publicity and anticipation, America Online launched AOL 9.0 Security Edition. America Online made news when it announced that AOL 9.0 Security Edition would include McAfee VirusScan Online for free as part of basic membership.


Fifa to probe Spain #39;s race abuse shame Football #39;s world governing body, Fifa, has said that it will launch a full investigation into the racist abuse meted out by Spanish spectators at England #39;s recent friendly international.


No. 15 Va. Tech Drubs Maryland 55-6 Virginia Tech quarterback Bryan Randall (3) twarts the tackle of Maryland #39;s Dominique Foxworth (6) during first half action of the Maryland-Va Tech Atlantic Coast Conference college football game at Lane stadium in Blacksburg, Va.


Report: NHL agent loses certification According to a report in the Ottawa Sun, an NHL agent has lost his certification for leaking information about a players #39; association website to a reporter from a Minnesota newspaper.


Jacquess Cracks We are approaching Thanksgiving. For an American, no matter where you are on the planet, that means it #39;s time to stop and take stock of all we have for which we should all be grateful.


Sharon drops key demand for peace talks Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon signaled that he is dropping what was once his key demand for resuming peace talks - a Palestinian crackdown on militant groups.


Vodafone tests Chinese mobile phone equipment Vodafone Group, Europe's largest mobile phone operator, is testing several network systems from Chinese manufacturers with the intention of purchasing equipment within the next few years.


DoCoMo develops Linux, Symbian common software platform NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest mobile operator, has developed a common software platform that can run on both the Linux and Symbian operating systems used in its 3G (third generation) mobile phones, the company said Thursday.


Calpers tenders PeopleSoft shares to Oracle The California Employees' Retirement System (Calpers) is tendering its 1.5 million PeopleSoft shares to Oracle, giving the hostile suitor a boost in the final days of its takeover bid.


Update: Yahoo, SBC extend partnership, plan new services Yahoo and SBC Communications will collaborate to extend to cell phones and home entertainment devices some of the online services and content they currently provide to PC users.


Dollar Drops After Greenspan Warning on Current-Account Deficit The dollar fell to its lowest in more than four years against the yen and dropped versus the euro after Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said foreign investors will tire of financing the record current-account deficit.


ECB delays task of choosing architect FRANKFURT Choosing this German city to be the home of the European Central Bank and its new currency, the euro, was a diplomatic challenge worthy of Talleyrand.


WTO panel rules in favor of S. Korea #39;s Hynix in dispute with 0U.S. SEOUL, Nov 19, 2004 (Kyodo via COMTEX) -- A World Trade Organization panel has ruled in favor of South Korea #39;s Hynix Semiconductor Inc.


Bill Gates Inundated with Spam Steve Ballmer said he, too, is among the most spammed people in the world because he gives out his e-mail address in nearly every speech he makes.


SMART-1 #39;s Ion Drive: From Fiction to Fact SMART-1, the European Space Agency craft currently in orbit around the moon, makes use of a technology that was pure science fiction until the 1960s - the ion drive.


Let the handheld games begin It #39;s the fight computer gamers have been waiting for. But the latest duel between wise old master Nintendo and challenger Sony is not taking place on a TV screen.


At Unusual UN Session, Sudanese Factions Vow to End War The Sudanese government and southern rebels vowed today to end Sudan #39;s long civil war by the end of this year, putting their pledge on paper in


US, Iraqi Troops Storm Baghdad Mosque Iraqi forces arrest people during a raid on one of the major Sunni Muslim mosques in Baghdad, the Abu Hanifa mosque, Friday Nov. 19 2004.


Does Your Site Need a Custom Search Engine Toolbar? Does Your Site Need a Custom Search Engine Toolbar?\\Today's surfers aren't always too comfortable installing software on their computers. Especially free software that they don't necessarily understand. With all the horror stories of viruses, spyware, and adware that make the front page these days, it's no wonder. So is there ...


Search Engine Marketing: Internet Gardening Tips For 2005 Search Engine Marketing: Internet Gardening Tips For 2005\\With the major elections now behind us, we can once again concentrate on getting back to business. In Canada, we don't even have Hockey to distract us this year. Here are a few gardening tips to help you prepare for marketing your business ...


Babelplex Multilingual Search Engine - the C3PO of Search Babelplex Multilingual Search Engine - the C3PO of Search\\I live in a bilingual household, well, make that trilingual. I'm an English speaker from the US and my wife is a dual Brazilian/Japanese citizen. I lived in Japan for 18 months and then spent about the same amount of time in ...


Trouble for California Cloning? The United Nations considers a ban on all forms of cloning, a move that could eventually lead to problems for California's 10-year, \$3 billion stem-cell initiative. By Kristen Philipkoski.


Gamers Rewarded With Another Life It doesn't break new ground, and the plot is a little sparse, but thanks to its visual quality and ability to suck you into its world, Half Life 2 is probably the best game of 2004. By Suneel Ratan.


Please, More Steam-Powered Games Perhaps just as good as the release of Half-Life 2 this week is the introduction of Steam, a service that lets gamers buy and download sophisticated PC games. It's the way game retailing ought to be. Commentary by Suneel Ratan.


Pushing the Male Envelope Though it seems most sex toys are designed for women, it's the male-oriented ones that nudge the technology to new levels. Commentary by Regina Lynn.


Don't Touch That Dial Plextor's new ConvertX PVR turns a Mac or PC into a digital video recorder. It's a slick product that's easy to set up and use. But inexplicably, the PVR is crippled in a fundamental way. By Leander Kahney.


Researchers: Florida Vote Fishy President Bush may have received up to 260,000 more votes than he should have in Florida counties that used touch-screen voting machines, according to an academic analysis. Researchers call on Florida to examine the results. By Kim Zetter.


Treasuries Down, Greenspan Warns on Rates  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury prices turned abruptly  lower on Friday after Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan,  in a highly unusual move, said those unprepared for higher  interest rates stood to lose money.


FDA scientist details problems of five drugs During a Senate hearing Thursday regarding Vioxx, the arthritis blockbuster pulled off the market in September over concerns about increased risk of heart attacks and


Nike #39;s Knight Resigns As CEO The co-founder of the athletic shoe and clothing company is stepping down as president and CEO, with his resignation taking effect Dec. 28.


Dollar sinks after Greenspan remarks, gold up in Europe LONDON - The US dollar sank Friday in European trading after US Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan warned of the dangers of America #39;s growing trade deficit and the chance the imbalance could eventually depress foreign demand for the greenback.


Intel, Nvidia Sign Cross-Licensing Pact Chip giant Intel and graphics processor vendor Nvidia said Friday they have inked a wide-ranging technology sharing pact that, among other things, will let Nvidia use Intel #39;s front-side bus technology.


Intel to invest \$40 million in India Organizations are replacing aging servers with newer more-powerful boxes, often Linux--based, and theyre also investing in storage.


Dolby Labs files for IPO worth up to \$460 million WASHINGTON (Dow Jones/AP) -- Dolby Laboratories Inc., the developer of noise reduction systems for audio equipment, filed Friday to sell up to \$460 million in stock in an initial public offering.


Genentech #39;s new lung cancer drug gets FDA approval NEW YORK, November 19 (newratings.com) - Tarceva, an experimental lung cancer drug, has been approved by the Food  amp; Drug Administration, Genentech (DNA.


Loblaws Q3 profit up 18 TORONTO - Grocery retailer Loblaw Companies Ltd. said Friday its third-quarter earnings grew by more than 18 per cent over the previous year.


Germany calls for measures to halt dollar decline German Finance Minister Hans Eichelon Friday called on the world #39;s three main trading blocks to find a way of halting the dollar #39;s slide against the euro and the yen.


Think your spam is a problem? Think again. According to Microsoft #39;s Chief Executive, Steve Ballmer, Bill Gates is number one in the amount of spam a person gets. According to the Microsoft CEO, Gates gets over four million messages a day, most of which are junk.


Minneapolis PR Upstart Joins Web-Browser War The New York Times ad for Firefox has become a cause celebre sight unseen. It #39;s part pat-on-the-back souvenir for Firefox fans, part anti-Microsoft clarion call and part reality check


Zoo nixes request to send aging elephants to sanctuary The American Zoo and Aquarium Association on Thursday denied Detroit Zoo director Ron Kagan #39;s final appeal to send the two aging, arthritic elephants to one of two US sanctuaries where they could roam hundreds of acres.


Bomber Targets Baghdad Police, Troops Raid Mosque (Reuters) Reuters - A suicide car bomber attacked a police\convoy in Baghdad on Friday as guerrillas kept pressure on\Iraq's U.S.-backed security forces despite a bloody rout of\insurgents in the Sunni Muslim bastion of Falluja.


Trevor and Rory fight back Seville, Spain - England #39;s Ryder Cup stars Paul Casey and Luke Donald produced a classic display of team golf over the Royal Seville Golf Course on Friday to forge a five-stroke lead in the World Cup at the halfway stage.


Tiger Takes A Stand On Ryder Cup Politics Tiger is upset that his buddy Mark O #39;Meara got passed over as 2006 Ryder Cup captain. Instead, PGA America picked Tom Lehman. Woods says that Lehman is a good choice but would be a good choice four years from


England-South Africa pits World Cup winner versus Tri-Nations <b>...</b> The last time England faced South Africa at Twickenham, the English were on the climb and the Springboks were on a steep slide. The result two years ago was a 53-3 thrashing for the South Africans.


Will SEC tee off on Spurrier? Ah, the life of Steve Spurrier. From all indications, he #39;s headed to the University of South Carolina, which will allow him to pursue victories and birdies, not necessarily in that order.


Comeback not enough To say the Sixers had trouble scoring in the first quarter Thursday is like saying a fish has trouble surviving out of water. Of their first 16 shots, the Sixers missed exactly 16.


Sharon eases conditions to restart peace talks JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has indicated he is dropping a demand that Palestinians crack down on militant groups before he will resume peace talks.


Bush to press APEC leaders on N. Korea North Korea #39;s nuclear aspirations, allies #39; worries about the US budget deficit and hopes for global trade deals will be on the agenda this weekend as President Bush attends


Arsenal Gets Back to Winning Ways (AP) AP - Arsenal won for the first time in five games Saturday, getting two goals from Thierry Henry to beat Birmingham 3-0 in the Premier League.


Mel #39;s Sirius Decision Former Viacom (NYSE: VIA) Chief Operating Officer Mel Karmazin being named CEO at Sirius Satellite Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) shouldn #39;t have come as much of a surprise.


Hollinger International gets cash from CanWest deal Hollinger International Inc. (HLR.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Friday that it received cash proceeds of about \$49.1 million on a transaction with CanWest Global Communications Corp.


Electronic Eye Devised to Help Blind Cross Roads An  quot;electronic eye quot; that can be fitted to a pair of glasses could help the blind cross roads more safely, scientists said on Friday.


Rooney apologises for Madrid display MADRID, Nov19 (SW) - A display categorised as Thuggish by some pundits led to England star Wayne Rooney apologising to head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson after Wednesdays 1-0 defeat in Madrid.


Novo wins appeal of red card Glasgow, Scotland (Sports Network) - Rangers striker Nacho Novo won his appeal against a red card Friday and will be eligible to play in the Old Firm derby on Saturday.


Afghan opium cultivation area increased by 64 percent: UN : New York, Nov 19 : In a highly disturbing development, the area under opium cultivation in Afghanistan increased by 64 percent this year, giving the country the dubious distinction of establishing a new record in its cultivation and becoming the largest


Greenspan Rate Warning Spooks Treasuries (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. Treasuries prices skidded lower\on Friday after Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said\investors should be hedged for higher interest rates.


Japanese Officials Assure Recovery (AP) AP - Japanese financial officials tried to play down worries Friday that a planned revision in calculating growth may show the economy shrank instead of grew slightly in the quarter ended Sept. 30.


Dow, S P 500, Nasdaq All Drop 1 Percent  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell on Friday, led by  pharmaceutical shares after a U.S. health official raised  concerns about drug safety and a drop in chip-equipment makers  following a ratings downgrade by Goldman Sachs.


Greenspan Rate Warning Spooks Treasuries  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasuries prices skidded lower  on Friday after Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said  investors should be hedged for higher interest rates.


Sri Lankan budget eyes brothel gains Sri Lanka's 2005 budget measures include a massive increase in the fine for running a brothel.


Phil Knight to resign as CEO of Nike Worldwide athletic-goods giant Nike, Inc. announced Thursday that University alumnus and current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Philip H. Knight will step down as CEO, effective Dec. 28.


Greenspan sceptical about central bank intervention, warns on US <b>...</b> FRANKFURT, Nov 19 (AFP) - US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan deflated European hopes Friday for coordinated central bank intervention to check the record-setting pace of the euro.


Nvidia Cross-Licensing Deal Positive For Intel Standard and Poor #39;s Equity Research reiterated a  quot;hold quot; rating and \$27 target price on Intel (nasdaq: INTC - news - people ). The research firm said the chipmaker #39;s deal with Nvidia (nasdaq: NVDA - news - people


Pay-Per-Channel TV Would Cost Viewers More -- FCC Most US households would face higher television bills if they only paid for the channels they wanted to watch, US regulators told Congress in a report released on Friday.


Tennis star Andre Agassi wins appeal, will avoid British taxman Andre Agassi won #39;t have to pay British taxes on endorsement money earned while playing in England. A three-judge panel upheld the American tennis star #39;s appeal Friday, overturning a High Court ruling in March.


JM Smucker Disappoints, Sales Flat JM Smucker Co. (SJM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Friday posted an 18.5 percent rise in quarterly profit, but its shares fell as much as 5 percent as sales were nearly flat excluding an acquisition.


Spamming the Big Fish Bill Gates may be the most-spammed person in the world. The Microsoft chairman receives about four million e-mails a day, most of them spam, according to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.


Microsoft raises FUD over patents Microsoft has responded to our story yesterday about it threatening Asian governments that, if they choose Linux, they may get sued - possibly by one of the holders of the  quot;more


Bones of Possible Missing Link Unearthed in Spain Scientists believe they may have found the remains of an extinct species of ape that would be the last common ancestor humans shared with chimpanzees, gorillas and other primates during a dig in Spain.


#39;Electronic eye #39; helps blind across the road An electronic  quot;artificial eye quot;, developed for people with impaired vision, has been shown to reliably identify pedestrian crossings, determine when it is safe to walk across and even measure the width of a road.


State news of national interest GERMANTOWN, Md. - An analyst at Cellmark #39;s DNA testing laboratory was fired for allegedly falsifying data. Cellmark, the world #39;s largest private DNA testing firm, says the falsification occurred in only


Apple To Open London Store its 99th retail outlet and the first in Europe -- to sell Macintosh computers and the popular iPod music players. The opening follows close on the


Honda to take stake in BAR-Honda F1 team Honda Motor Co. will own a stake in BAR-Honda for the first time since the Japanese automaker rejoined Formula One racing in 2000.


Favre, Tice can #39;t help but admire their NFC North enemies His teammates charged onto the Lambeau Field grass like high school kids who #39;d just captured a state championship, basking in the glory of Ryan Longwell #39;s game-ending 33-yard field goal.


Around the CFL: The Argos are all business Head coach Mike  quot;Pinball quot; Clemons and the Toronto Argonauts are all business this week heading into Sunday #39;s Grey Cup matchup against British Columbia at Frank Clair Stadium.


Winky:  #39;I #39;m going to dominate Shane #39; At this time last year, Winky Wright was just another anonymous belt-holder. Despite having the IBF junior middleweight trinket, he was on the outside looking in at all the other big fights taking place around him.


2004 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit - Chile In this edition of Perspective, we #39;ll take a look at some of the issues at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC Summit in Chile.


FCC Updates Congress on Cable TV Prices Letting cable TV subscribers pay for only the channels they want won't reduce the cost for most, federal regulators told Congress in a report released Friday. Consumer groups immediately attacked the study as flawed.


Battered Wife Wins Suit Against Md. Matchmaker Bethesda-based company didn't screen clients properly or help when she reported abuse, Ukrainian woman alleged.


The Fool's Look Ahead It will be a short trading week, but that is probably the best reason to take a long, hard look at some of the companies that will be in the news.


Greenspan sceptical about central bank intervention on forex markets (AFP) AFP - US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan appeared to be sceptical about the efficacy of any central bank intervention to prop up the dollar.


Movie Gallery Bids for Hollywood Video (Reuters) Reuters - Movie Gallery Inc.  on Friday\offered to buy rival movie rental chain Hollywood Entertainment\Corp.  for an undisclosed sum, one week after industry\leader Blockbuster Inc.  bid about  #36;700 million for\Hollywood.


Worm salutes Microsoft After a relatively quiet fall, mass-mailing worm begins to spread on Windows PCs. Meanwhile, the Air Force turns to Microsoft for security help.


Sober worm variant shimmies New version of mass-mailing worm promises German speakers pictures of a naked go-go dancer seeking employment.


AstraZeneca Shares Fall on Crestor Worry  LONDON (Reuters) - Shares in AstraZeneca Plc fell as much  as 10 percent on Friday after regulators in the United States  and Europe raised safety concerns about the Anglo-Swedish drug  maker's anti-cholesterol treatment Crestor.


Movie Gallery Bids for Hollywood Video  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Movie Gallery Inc. MOVI.O on Friday  offered to buy rival movie rental chain Hollywood Entertainment  Corp. HLYW.O for an undisclosed sum, one week after industry  leader Blockbuster Inc. BBI.N bid about \$700 million for  Hollywood.


J.M. Smucker Disappoints, Sales Flat  CHICAGO (Reuters) - J.M. Smucker Co. SJM.N on Friday  posted an 18.5 percent rise in quarterly profit, but its shares  fell as much as 5 percent as sales were nearly flat excluding  an acquisition.


Pressure mounts on EDS over U.K. government IT system grows LONDON -- After continuous computer failures forced the top civil servant of the U.K.'s Department of Work and Pensions' Child Support Agency (CSA) to step down from his job this week, the government is considering scrapping a welfare case management and telephony system developed in large part by Electronic Data Systems (EDS).


CORRECTED - UPDATE 2-Greenspan warns appetite for dollar to <b>...</b> In FRANKFURT story headlined  quot;UPDATE 2-Greenspan warns appetite for dollar to dwindle quot; please read in paragraph 13 ... said Jason Bonanca ... instead of ... said Jason Bonaca ... (adds dropped letter). FRANKFURT


Oil soars back near \$48 NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Oil prices soared Friday as worries about heating fuel supplies and technical trading factors pushed prices sharply higher.


Stocks step back NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Stocks edged lower early Friday with some lingering weakness in the tech sector, weakness in the dollar and higher oil prices in the background.. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite (up


EMI upbeat on music business A WEAK dollar and a lack of major album releases saw music giant EMI #39;s sales slide again in the past six months. But chairman Eric Nicoli sang an uncharacteristically upbeat tune today when he said sales in


Morning business news TIMES STILL TOUGH FOR WATERFORD - Waterford Wedgwood has issued interim results for the six months to the end of September. Conditions remain tough for the group.


Bill Gates sees spam  quot;under control quot; in two years MADRID, Nov 19 (AFP) - Spam, the junk mail that clogs the in-box of hundreds of millions of e-mail users, could become a thing of the past in around two years time, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said on a visit to Madrid on Friday.


Recording Cos. Sue 761 for Music Swapping LOS ANGELES Nov 19, 2004 - The recording industry has filed copyright infringement lawsuits against 761 computer users, the latest round of litigation in the record companies #39; effort to stamp out unauthorized trading of music online.


Microsoft renews Yahoo! ad contract Microsoft Corp has renewed its deal with Overture Services Inc, owned by rival Yahoo! Inc for another year until June 2006, the companies have announced.


NASA sets Swift launch for Saturday Swift #39;s new launch date is Saturday, if NASA, Boeing and the Air Force can replace and test components of the rocket in time. The gamma-ray observatory #39;s


Md. DNA lab fires analyst GERMANTOWN, Md. -- The world #39;s largest private DNA testing firm has fired an analyst for allegedly falsifying test data. Officials with Orchid Cellmark - with labs in Maryland, Texas, Tennessee and Britain


DoCoMo taps up Linux and Symbian for common aim DoCoMo has tapped up handset vendors to create the platform, which works with both Linux and Symbian phones, working with NEC and Panasonic on the former and Fujitsu on the latter.


England leads at World Cup of Golf Englishmen Paul Casey and Luke Donald surged to a five-stroke lead in the second round of the team World Cup, shooting an 8-under-par 64 on Friday for a two-round total of 19-under 125.


UN adopts resolution on Sudan, slammed by aid agencies as 'weak' (AFP) AFP - The Khartoum government and rebels pledged to sign a final accord ending a two-decade war in southern Sudan by the end of the year, as the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution pushing for peace in the war-ravaged country.


U.S. Commander: N. Korea May Sell Nukes (AP) AP - Impoverished North Korea might resort to selling weapons-grade plutonium to terrorists for much-needed cash, and that would be "disastrous for the world," the top U.S. military commander in South Korea said Friday.


Stocks narrowly mixed.. The Dow Jones industrial average is up 32 points. Decliners on the New York Stock Exchange hold an eight-to-seven lead over advancers.


Palestinians cool to apparent softening by Sharon Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon apparently has softened his stance that Palestinians must crack down on militants before he will restart peace talks, but Palestinian leaders on Friday said Sharon should go further and drop all


AFGHAN OPIUM GROWING UP TWO THIRDS Opium cultivation in Afghanistan leapt by two-thirds this year, according to a new UN report that warns the countrys economy could be forced to rely on poppy growing largely wiped out under the hardline Taliban militia.


Sharon 'eases' talks conditions Israeli PM Ariel Sharon appears to have eased his preconditions for resuming talks with the Palestinians.


Voq Pro smart phone Reg review A great idea - just a year too late?


Casey, Donald Five Ahead at World Cup (AP) AP - Englishmen Paul Casey and Luke Donald surged to a five-stroke lead in the second round of the team World Cup on Friday after shooting an 8-under-par 64.


Serbia seeks support for budget Serbia's government seeks support from parliament for its 2005 budget, which includes tax breaks, more welfare benefits and a "modest" deficit.


Bush Signs Into Law Debt Ceiling Increase (Reuters) Reuters - President Bush on Friday signed into\law a measure authorizing an  #36;800 billion increase in the\credit limit of the United States, the White House said.


BT launches mobile phone service BT launches a new mobile phone service, three years after spinning-off its MM02 subsidiary.


The Perfect Business To determine how good a company is, it helps to consider the characteristics of the perfect business.


Russia Advances Plans to Break Up Yukos Russia moved ahead Friday with plans to break up the country #39;s largest oil producer over unpaid back tax bills, announcing it would auction off a majority stake in the main production unit of oil giant OAO Yukos next month.


Crematory to Draw Guilty Plea Nearly three years after grabbing international headlines, the grisly Tri-State Crematory case creeps closer to its end Friday morning.


Recording Cos. Sue 761 for Music Swapping (AP) AP - The recording industry has filed copyright infringement lawsuits against 761 computer users, the latest round of litigation in the record companies' effort to stamp out unauthorized trading of music online.


Chirac tries to ease Franco-British tensions over Iraq (AFP) AFP - Visiting French President Jacques Chirac hailed "a very strong historical link" between London and Paris, while arguing his case for a multipolar and interdependent world.


Bill Gates Gets 4 Million Spams A Day Junk e-mail, more commonly know as spam, clogs inboxes world wide, and wastes millions in thus far vain attempt to curb nuisance. It is likely that no one


Spanish FA sorry for racist taunts LONDON, England -- The English FA has received a letter of apology from the Spanish FA after fans racially abused England players during Wednesday #39;s match in Madrid.


It was a mutual decision insists Richards Talking in a teleconference this afternoon, David Richards insisted that the ending of the  quot;consultancy contract quot; between BAR and Prodive, and his subsequent departure from the team, was a mutual decision.


Quieroz defends under-fire Rooney REDS coach Carlos Quieroz believes Wayne Rooney has received an excessive amount of criticism due to being a Manchester United player.


Raptors shipping Carter to Blazers: report CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Talk of a trade between the Toronto Raptors and the Portland Trail Blazers involving marquee players Vince Carter and Shareef Abdur-Rahim is  quot;more than just a rumour, quot; says a source close to the Trail Blazers.


US team to search for remains of 2,000 soldiers in North Korea (AFP) AFP - North Korea has agreed to allow US investigators to search for the remains of more than 2,000 members of the US armed forces missing in action from the Korean War, US officials said.


No. 19 Pitt QB Palco Throws 5 TDs in Win (AP) AP - Tyler Palko threw for a career-high 411 yards and five touchdowns in three quarters Saturday, helping No. 19 Pittsburgh rout South Florida 43-14 and virtually assure the Panthers the Big East spot in the Bowl Championship Series.


Agency: Less Than 30 Chinese Tigers Left in Wild (Reuters) Reuters - South China tigers, among the rarest of\the five remaining tiger subspecies, are on the verge of\extinction in the wild with less than 30 remaining, Xinhua news\agency said on Friday, citing a recent survey.


US envoy tells Ukraine leaders to hold fair vote (AFP) AFP - A top US senator met outgoing Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma to urge him to ensure a fair presidential election at the weekend, amid opposition warnings of massive vote-rigging to ensure victory for Kuchma's protege.


Imagine That! Star Patterns to Ponder (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - In our current evening sky \  we have one of the earliest soap-operalike stories, with two independent plots \  becoming intertwined into one. Perhaps we could call it the celestial version \  of  quot;All My Children. quot;


Quantum Astronomy: The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - This is the second article in a series of four articles each with a separate explanation of different quantum phenomena. Each article is a piece of a mosaic, so every one is needed to understand the final explanation of the quantum astronomy experiment we propose, possibly using the Allen Array Telescope and the narrow-band radio-wave detectors being build by the SETI Institute and the University of California, Berkeley.


Bomb Kills Veneuelan Prosecutor A car bomb killed a top Venezuelan prosecutor investigating opponents of President Hugo Chavez who were accused of backing a 2002 coup attempt against the leftist leader, officials said Friday.


Bomb Kills Venezuela Prosecutor Leading Coup Probe

 By Patrick Markey

 CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - A car bomb killed a topVenezuelan prosecutor investigating opponents of President HugoChavez who were accused of backing a 2002 coup attempt againstthe leftist leader, officials said on Friday.


No. 9 N.C. Holds Off No. 8 Kentucky 91-78 (AP) AP - North Carolina finally beat Kentucky again, thanks to Rashad McCants and Sean May. Jawad Williams helped a bunch, too.


Putting Linux on notice roundup Large-scale Linux users could find themselves in a costly patent pickle, warns Steve Ballmer.


Sober worm causes headaches After a fairly quiet fall, mass-mailing worm starts to spread on Windows PCs. Plus: Air Force turns to Microsoft for security help.


Nintendo aims for older crowd with DS Video game giant will be moving past Pokemon pack when it launches the DS on Sunday. \


Dollar Plunges on Greenspan Comments The dollar sank across the board, dropping to multiyear lows against the yen and the euro on Friday, after Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said demand for US


KMG Chemicals Stock Soars on 1Q Earnings KMG Chemicals Inc. ended the week on a strong note as its stock surged some 130 percent after the pesticide maker handed Wall Street fiscal first-quarter profit that more than doubled from last year.


Novell Shares Slide on Missed Estimates Novell Inc. shares slid Friday after the Linux software vendor swung to a fourth-quarter profit but still didn #39;t meet analyst expectations during a period one Wall Street bank called disappointing.


Asia-Pac a key software market: Ballmer MICROSOFT chief executive officer Steve Ballmer on Thursday stressed the importance of the Asia-Pacific region to the world #39;s top software maker when he was addressing


Nintendo aims for older crowd with DS Nintendo is after a new kind of customer, and this time the Japanese game giant doesn #39;t have Pokemon to back it up. The company #39;s new DS, an advanced handheld player meant to expand a market Nintendo already


Peruse most any cookbook, I suppose, and eventually you #39;ll stumble <b>...</b> Make sandwich out of ingredients. Heat in skillet until browned image of Virgin Mary mysteriously appears. Let cool in clear plastic box with cotton balls for a decade, or until desired cheese consistency.


Wolverines should ride Hart and hope to establish early lead It was tailback Chris Perry #39;s 15-yard touchdown run in the final quarter last year that clinched Michigan #39;s victory over Ohio State and helped send the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl.


Nephew leaves Gaza for France to receive Arafat #39;s death report Nasser al-Qedwa, Palestinian delegate to the United Nations and a nephew of late leader Yasser Arafat,left here for France on Friday to receive Arafat #39;s death report,the Arabic-language Radio Sawa reported.


Troops storm Baghdad mosque storm the Hanifa mosque. Witnesses said worshippers threw shoes at the troops -- a grave insult in Islam -- and soldiers. forces despite a bloody rout of insurgents in the Sunni Muslim bastion of Falluja.


Oracle, PeopleSoft prepared for midnight offer deadline The Friday midnight expiration for Oracle's tender offer to PeopleSoft's shareholders for control of the company will either end the software rivals' bitter, 17-month battle or increase its ferocity.


Suicide Bomber Kills 8 Iraqi Police Officers A suicide bomber rammed a minibus packed with explosives into a police station near Baghdad's protected Green Zone on Saturday morning.


Takers Line Up To Buy Hollywood Video Stores FORT WORTH, Texas -- The Movie Gallery video rental chain said Friday it #39;s offered to acquire video rental rival Hollywood Entertainment.


Apollo to buy Goodman Global for \$1.43B HOUSTON -- Investment firm Apollo Management LP said it agreed to acquire Goodman Global Holdings Inc., a maker of air conditioners and heating equipment, for \$1.43 billion.


Stocks Open Higher After CPI, HP Earnings US stocks opened higher on Wednesday after news that core inflation rose only slightly more than expected last month. Strong earnings from computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co.


Cable television a la carte S outheast Portland resident Jerry Lindquist enjoys watching automotive programs, educational channels and TV shows on popular science.


Hibbett 3Q Profit Rises to \$6.3 Million Athletic retailer Hibbett Sporting Goods Inc. said Thursday that profit rose 17 percent in the fiscal third quarter on high sales of footwear and team equipment.


Intel lays deeper Indian foundations Chipmaker Intel will spend \$40m to expand in the southern Indian city of Bangalore over the next two years. Intel Chief Executive Craig Barrett on Friday laid the foundation of a new Intel building in Bangalore


Humans Ran Into Evolution Walking upright has long been accepted as one of the fundamental abilities that separated early human ancestors apart from their ape cousins.


Ballmer Warns Asian Officials of Linux Suits Microsoft has warned Asian governments that they may face lawsuits for using the Linux operating system instead of Windows. Speaking to government officials in Singapore Thursday as part of a five-day visit


Alert: New Sober Variant A new variant of the Sober worm is rapidly spreading via e-mail. Visit the Virus Threat Center for breaking news and the latest alerts.


DoCoMo standardizes on Symbian OS, and on Linux The Japanese carrier will be standardizing on Symbian for their 3G mobile phone platform, and they will ship 3G phones based on Linux.


Half-Life 2 users bitten by bugs Several Half-Life 2 users who finally got the long-delayed game into their hands yesterday got exactly what they didn #39;t want--more delays.


Man indicted in eBay fraud A San Lorenzo man defrauded eBay users of thousands of dollars in auctions for rare Mickey Mantle and Michael Jordan sports cards, according to a federal grand jury indictment handed up Wednesday in San Jose.


Duo boost England hopes Luke Donald and Paul Casey took a giant stride towards what would be only the second-ever victory for England in golf #39;s World Cup.


Iordanescu resigns as Romania coach Romania, depleted by injuries and suspensions, lost top spot in Group One after a 1-1 draw in Yerevan which handed Armenia their first point in five matches.


Racism on trial in La Liga The behaviour of Barcelona fans at Saturday #39;s game against archrivals Real Madrid will be in sharp focus after Spanish football fans covered themselves in shame with their racist chanting against the black England players on Wednesday.


Bush to name choice to lead Education Dept. WASHINGTON -- President Bush today will nominate Margaret Spellings, his chief domestic policy adviser, as secretary of education -- making her the third senior White House staff member selected to lead a key agency in his second term -- senior


Prince Charles right or wrong? The Education Secretary Charles Clarke criticised Prince Charles as  quot;old-fashioned quot; after he said the  quot;learning culture quot; gave people hope beyond their capabilities.


Powell States Preference for Diplomacy (AP) AP - In a candid interview with his time in office running out, Secretary of State Colin Powell is acknowledging differences with others in the Bush administration and suggesting that the disputes centered on his preference for diplomacy over force to resolve problems.


Israel probes body abuse claims The Israeli army says it is investigating newspaper claims of the abuse of dead Palestinians by its soldiers.


Revelations Only Confirm Suspicions About Drugs Only the nave or willfully ignorant seem not to understand that drug use has been widespread for many years in elite sport. The


Dow, S P, Nasdaq All Down  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell on Friday, led by  pharmaceutical shares after a U.S. health official raised  concerns about drug safety and a drop in chip-equipment makers  following a ratings downgrade by Goldman Sachs.


Bush Signs Into Law Debt Ceiling Increase  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush on Friday signed into  law a measure authorizing an \$800 billion increase in the  credit limit of the United States, the White House said.


Judge Will Mull Voiding UAL Union Deals  CHICAGO (Reuters) - A federal bankruptcy judge agreed on  Friday to consider a motion by United Airlines UALAQ.OB to  cancel its union contracts to save \$725 million annually.


A Hot Prospect for Hidden Gems Though I #39;ve spent a good portion of my life living in the Southeast, I didn #39;t stumble upon Hibbett Sporting Goods (Nasdaq: HIBB) in real life.


FDA Clears Genentech #39;s Tarceva For Lung Cancer On Thursday, biotechnology companies Genentech Inc. and OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. said US regulators have approved their drug Tarceva for treating the most common form of lung cancer.


Rocket Maker, Rule Breaker? SpaceDev does things that the big boys can't afford to do. Unfortunately, that includes losing money for a long time.


Casual Male's Uphill Climb Casual Male caters to a big clientele but has to overcome a hefty debt load.


Electronics Boutique Quintuples Earnings Video game retailer posts strong results leading into holiday quarter.


"Brain" in Dish Flies Simulated Fighter Jet Scientists have grown a "brain" in a petri dish that can fly a simulated F-22 fighter airplane. It's all part of a quest to build "living" computers.


"National Treasure": Freemasons, Fact, and Fiction <I>National Treasure,</I> the new Nicolas Cage movie, plays to the public's fascination with conspiracy theories and secret societies like the Freemasons. So how true is it?


Luxury and Conservation at Dubai's Desert Haven A new nature preserve and resort in Dubai has set aside 4.8 percent of the desert emirate's total landmass for conservation.


Ancient Ape Discovered: Last Ape-Human Ancestor? In Spain scientists have discovered 13-million-year-old fossils of a new species of ape. The species may have been the last common ancestor of humans and all great apes living today. <b>Includes photo gallery.</b>


FDA expert accuses agency over Vioxx The US is virtually defenceless against another scandal such as Vioxx, senators investigating Mercks withdrawal of its popular painkiller were told yesterday.


Russia set to auction off oil giant to recoup unpaid taxes Russian oil giant OAO NK Yukos has finally run out of options after a prolonged attempt to stave off bankruptcy that culminated earlier this week in a government raid on its offices.


Nvidia to put more force behind Intel processors Graphics chip maker Nvidia on Friday made public plans to create a version of its nForce chipset for Intel processor PCs. That #39;s something Nvidia couldn #39;t legally do in the past, but can now, thanks to a broad patent swap with Intel.


Web shoppers open their wallets wider Web sites racked up \$17.6 billion in retail sales in the third quarter, according to estimates released Friday by the US Commerce Department.


Judge to Mull UAL Bid to Void Labor Pacts A federal bankruptcy judge on Friday agreed to consider a motion by United Airlines to cancel its union contracts to save \$725 million annually.


Flights Grounded During Italian Controller Strike Hundreds of flights were canceled and many others delayed on Friday due to a four-hour air traffic controllers #39; strike in Italy, when unions protested against plans to centralize control of central Europe #39;s upper-airspace.


Congress Reapproves Internet Access Tax Ban The US Congress on Friday reinstated a ban on Internet access taxes after the House of Representatives agreed to extend it for another three years rather than make it permanent.


Electronics Boutique Quintuples Earnings No, that #39;s not a typo. After the bell yesterday, Electronics Boutique (Nasdaq: ELBO) reported that earnings had increased fivefold to \$7.3 million, or \$0.30 per share, beating analysts #39; estimates by a penny.


GM hasn #39;t yet ruled out using Stelco steel in  #39;05 General Motors Corp. (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Friday it may not dump Stelco Inc. (STEa.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) as a supplier even though Canada #39;s


Supermarket chain Loblaw #39;s profit up 18 at \$258M with merchandise <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - Cost-cutting and a further shift toward higher-margin general merchandise in new stores helped Loblaw Cos. Ltd. grow its quarterly profit by 18 per cent, executives at Canada #39;s biggest supermarket chain said Friday.


Novell revenue up as SUSE investment shows promise Networking and Linux vendor Novell reported a profit of \$57.1 million for fiscal 2004 and said its Linux offerings are allowing the company to reach new customers.


Chicago Bears Winning With Defense (AP) AP - Messages and cards came from all over, congratulating defensive end Michael Haynes on his rare touchdown. When Haynes stuck up his hand and deflected a pass to himself before rumbling 45 yards for a Chicago Bears score last week, he did more than point his team to victory at Tennessee.


al-Qaida Hunt Achieved Limited Success (AP) AP - The two suspected masterminds of the Istanbul suicide bombings are at large a year after the blasts in a scenario that's being played out around the world: police quickly make arrests, but often struggle for years to catch the organizers of terror attacks.


Ballmer on Linux, part II Initial coverage of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer #39;s comments during an event in Singapore yesterday left the folks back at headquarters in Redmond trying to clarify things and put them in context.


Hotmail Upgrade Finally Starts As the mailbox storage space rivalry continues, Hotmail has now begun upgrading the email account of its users. According to reports the upgrade will be in a phased manner, beginning from the United States and Europe, and later moving on to other regions.


Fast-Spreading Sober Worm Up In Europe, Heading To US A new Sober worm began spreading early Friday morning in Europe and quickly gained enough traction worldwide that security companies scrambled to warn users and produce new signatures to deflect the attack.


Google sees benefits in corporate blogging Google has seen many benefits from its internal Web log system and may consider providing blogging tools and expertise to corporate clients, a company executive said.


Agassi Wins Appeal Against British Tax Ruling Former world number one tennis player Andre Agassi has won his appeal against a High Court ruling that athletes and other professional entertainers are liable to tax on sponsors #39; payments while working in Britain.


SI.com #39;s BJ Schecter breaks down a key Mountain West showdown Utes coach Urban Meyer is one of the hottest offensive minds in the nation and Utah will run wild formations with misdirection and trick plays.


Iordanescu steps down as Romania coach Bucharest, Romania (Sports Network) - Anghel Iordanescu resigned as coach of Romania Friday following Wednesday #39;s disappointing 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw with Armenia.


IBM, Fla. university look to autonomic computing research IBM will supply Florida International University with hardware and software so the university can do research on how technology can be used to better protect patient privacy and reduce waiting room time.


California employee pension fund tenders PeopleSoft shares to Oracle The California Employees' Retirement System voted Wednesday to tender its 1.5 million PeopleSoft shares to Oracle, giving the hostile suitor a boost in the final days of its takeover bid.


Source of Powell #39;s Iran intelligence under scrutiny The source of intelligence used this week by US Secretary of State Colin Powell to suggest Iran is working on a nuclear weapons program may not be reliable, knowledgeable sources told CNN Friday.


Santiago march turns violent Santiago - Chilean anti-riot police fired water-cannon and tear gas on Friday at bands of stone-throwing protesters in a massive rally against a major Asia-Pacific summit.


MS strategy pushes it to cross-platform support COPENHAGEN - Microsoft Corp. wrapped up its IT Forum in Copenhagen this week by singing the praises of new management tools that are part of a long-term vision for reducing IT complexity. But behind its more vocal announcements there emerged another significant tune, one that suggested that the software maker will have to be more willing to play with platforms from other companies in order to deliver its new strategy.


Yukos Unit To Be Auctioned Off Next Month The heart of the Yukos oil empire will be auctioned by the government next month for what could be a bargain price to pay back a mounting multibillion-dollar tax bill  --  a dramatic finale to a relentless 18-month official probe that could destroy Russia's largest oil producer. A top Yukos manager slammed the plans as "government-organized theft."


Ukraine's Face Is Mirrored in a Candidate Many Ukrainians believe that Viktor A. Yushchenko is their best hope for changing Soviet-style governance.


Icahn, Group Offers to Buy Mylan Labs Veteran financier Carl Icahn said he and a group of investors are willing to buy Mylan Laboratories Inc. for \$20 per share, according to a Friday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


New Orleans Lineman Has Unique Motivation (AP) AP - New Orleans Saints defensive end Charles Grant has a unique way of preparing for games. He imagines the players that line up across from him are the men who beat his mother over the years, the employers who took advantage of her or the people who ran out on her.


Greenspan: Appetite for Dollar Will Wane (Reuters) Reuters - Investors' appetite for U.S. assets\will eventually dwindle and the United States must reduce its\budget deficit to prevent major economic damage, Federal\Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Friday, in remarks that\hit the dollar hard.


Experts Fear Medicare Won't Work for Nursing Home Patients Many cannot easily shop around for the best bargains on their drugs, as other Medicare beneficiaries are supposed to do.


Greenspan: Appetite for Dollar Will Wane  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Investors' appetite for U.S. assets  will eventually dwindle and the United States must reduce its  budget deficit to prevent major economic damage, Federal  Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Friday, in remarks that  hit the dollar hard.


Stocks Tumble; Greenspan Jolts Investors  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell sharply on Friday as  investors were jolted by a \$2 jump in oil prices and a warning  from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan that the dollar  had further to fall.


Greenspan Warns, Treasuries Recoil  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury prices slid on Friday  after Fed chief Alan Greenspan spooked investors with an  unusually direct reminder that interest rates were bound to  move higher.


Judge to Mull UAL Bid to Void Labor Pacts  CHICAGO (Reuters) - A federal bankruptcy judge on Friday  agreed to consider a motion by United Airlines to cancel its  union contracts to save \$725 million annually.


Oracle's PeopleSoft Bid Deadline Nears  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Oracle Corp. ORCL.O on Friday  won the backing of another key public pension fund in its  \$8.8-billion hostile bid for PeopleSoft Inc. PSFT.O as the  17-month takeover battle between the two California-based  business software makers neared a key deadline.


Italian budget airline grounded Volare, Italy's first budget airline, cancels all flights and ticket sales indefinitely amid reports of a financial crisis.


Holiday travel may bring little cheer A POTENTIAL flight attendants #39; strike and record crowds at the nation #39;s airports could combine to make travel the most cheerless aspect of this holiday season.


3Q e-commerce sales rise 4.7 Retail sales over the Internet rose 4.7 percent in the third quarter and gained 21.5 percent compared with the same period last year as consumers continued to turn to e-commerce for shopping, a government report showed Friday.


CanWest debt shuffle provides US\$133.6M in cash to Hollinger <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - A debt refinancing by CanWest Global Communications Corp. has cut its future interest costs while paying \$133.6 million US to Hollinger International Inc.


Gators Try to Break Drought at FSU (AP) AP - Florida coach Ron Zook has one final chance to do something even Steve Spurrier couldn't do as Top Gator  #151; win at Florida State. When the Gators play No. 10 Florida State on Saturday, they will try to break an 18-year winless streak at Doak Campbell Stadium in Zook's final regular-season game.


Oklahoma Could Get Blowout It Needs (AP) AP - Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops could get the blowout victory his Sooners need Saturday without any regrettable decisions. No. 2 Oklahoma has never lost to Baylor, winning the last five years by an average margin of 38 points. They will need to do that  #151; and maybe more  #151; to make a good impression on the poll voters.


Apple to open first European retail store in London LONDON (AFP) - Apple is to open its first retail store in Europe on Saturday, a state-of-the-art boutique in central London selling the latest products from the US computer and technology group.


Solaris 10 Supports High-Volume 64-Bit Computing Santa Clara, CA; November 22, 2004 -- Sun Microsystems and AMD are celebrating the one-year anniversary of their strategic partnership.


Kim portraits still in place, North Korea says BEIJING - North Korea has denied reports that portraits of leader Kim Jong Il have been disappearing from public places in the capital, Pyongyang.


Chinese leader says economy to grow about 9.0 percent in 2004 (AFP) AFP - Chinese President Hu Jintao said the booming economy in China would grow by "around 9.0 percent" this year as controls implemented to slow overheated sectors of the economy took effect.


Street protests greet Apec summit Police and protesters clash in the Chilean capital, Santiago, ahead of a meeting of the Apec regional organisation.


House G.O.P. Leader Hails Ethics Panel's Rebuke of His Accuser Tom DeLay of Texas claimed vindication today after it was disclosed that one of his accusers had been found to have stretched the facts.


Judge could kill United union contract US bankruptcy judge agrees to consider airline #39;s motion to cancel pact, save \$725 million a year. CHICAGO (Reuters) - A federal bankruptcy judge agreed Friday to consider a motion by United Airlines to cancel


Howard Stern and Sirius Pull Off Major Publicity Stunt About 1,000 people and a media circus flocked to Manhattan #39;s Union Square Thursday where Howard Stern and Sirius Satellite Radio gave away 500 free satellite radios, one-year subscriptions and vouchers for a free radio with a \$142 subscription to Sirius.


House approves extension of ban on taxing the Internet The House has given final congressional approval to a bill that bans state and local governments from taxing Internet connections for the next three years.


FDA approves new lung cancer drug The US Food and Drug Administration Friday said it had approved Tarceva (erlotinib) tablets for patients with metastatic lung cancer.


Fed #39;s Stern sees solid growth, low inflation The US economy is resilient over time and growth is likely to remain in the 3-4 percent range, Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Gary Stern said on Friday.


College Students Feel Sting of RIAA Lawsuits The RIAA continued its hard-line approach to music sharing with a round of copyright infringement lawsuits targeting 761 alleged illegal file sharers.


US Plans Would Defer Roan Plateau Drilling The US Bureau of Land Management said on Friday its preferred plan for the rim of the Roan Plateau in western Colorado is to defer oil and natural gas drilling until 80 percent of anticipated wells are drilled below the rim.


MSN, Yahoo Deal Extended Microsoft #39;s MSN Web portal has extended its contract with Overture, a division of Yahoo that provides sponsored search results.


Microsoft Hotmail Ups Storage Space For New Users Microsoft finally made good on a five months #39;-old promise Thursday by upping the storage allowance for new members of its Hotmail e-mail service.


Oracle's PeopleSoft Bid Deadline Nears (Reuters) Reuters - Oracle Corp.  on Friday\won the backing of another key public pension fund in its\ #36;8.8-billion hostile bid for PeopleSoft Inc.  as the\17-month takeover battle between the two California-based\business software makers neared a key deadline.


FDA Official Defends Drug Safety Record A top official of the US Food and Drug Administration said Friday that he and his colleagues  quot;categorically reject quot; earlier Congressional testimony that the agency has failed to protect the public against dangerous drugs.


Icahn Offers to Buy Mylan Laboratories for \$5.38 Bln (Update2) Billionaire financier Carl Icahn offered to buy Mylan Laboratories Inc., the largest US maker of generic medicines, for about \$5.38 billion to block Mylan #39;s proposed purchase of King Pharmaceuticals Inc.


Georgia crematory operator pleads guilty to dumping more than 300 <b>...</b> Former crematory operator Ray Brent Marsh pleaded guilty Friday to dumping 334 bodies and giving the families of the deceased cement dust instead of ashes.


Let the Handheld Games Begin It #39;s the fight computer gamers have been waiting for. But the latest duel between wise old master Nintendo and challenger Sony is not taking place on a TV screen.


Play : Half-Life 2 will take over your life THANK God for Valve Softwares Kellie Cosner, who gave me a complimentary edition of one of the most anticipated games of all time, Half-Life 2. Kellie, whom I previously corresponded with


Steelers Surprising Everyone but Cowher (AP) AP - Days after the Steelers wrapped up a 6-10 season that matched the worst record in his 12 years on the job, coach Bill Cowher said in January his team wasn't that far from contending again.


Stars endorse London #39;s 2012 Olympic Games LONDON - From David Beckham to Roger Moore to Tony Blair, London is rolling out the big names to promote its campaign for the 2012 Olympics.


Rapids fire GM Denver, CO (Sports Network) - The Colorado Rapids have fired general manager Dan Counce after eight years with the club. The move comes as Colorado remains in search of a new head coach, who will take over


In-form Sochaux brush aside Monaco Sochaux extended their unbeaten run to eight Ligue 1 matches with a deserved 3-1 success at struggling Monaco on Friday. The result gave Sochaux 25 points and kept them in fourth


Second-ranked Tigers biggest challenge of the year for Tide Tuscaloosa, AL (U-WIRE) -- There #39;s good and bad news for Tide fans coming into this year #39;s Iron Bowl. The good news is that during the past three years, whenever the Auburn Tigers have defeated the Georgia


Figure Skating: American in Paris outshines France #39;s Joubert PARIS : US national champion Johnny Weir looks poised for his second win of the season when he lead the ISU Grand Prix figure skating event after the short program, as favourite Brian Joubert, the men #39;s world silver medallist from France, struggled in


British Hunters Seek to End Fox-Hunt Ban (AP) AP - Defeated in Parliament, supporters of fox hunting went to court Friday to try to overturn a legislative ban on their more than 300-year-old sport and vowed a campaign of civil disobedience in the run-up to next year's general election.


Iraqi Troops Raid Baghdad Mosque, 17 Detained Hundreds of Iraqi troops backed by US forces stormed a Sunni Muslim mosque in Baghdad after Friday prayers, killing four people and wounding at least nine, witnesses and an influential group of Sunni clerics said.


Sharon eases conditions for resuming peace talks with the <b>...</b> Israel signalled flexibility and openness toward the emerging new Palestinian leadership Friday, with a top adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon saying peace talks could resume if the Palestinians showed some goodwill.


Protests Target Bush at Summit in Chile (AP) AP - Riot police used water cannons and tear gas Friday to break up a demonstration by hundreds of rock-throwing protesters before more than 20,000 people marched to vent their anger at Pacific Rim leaders, particularly President Bush.


House GOP Leader DeLay Delights in Rebuke of Accuser (Reuters) Reuters - A Texas congressman who brought a\successful ethics complaint against House Majority Leader Tom\Delay was himself rebuked by the ethics panel for violating the\rules in the way he brought the complaint.


UN reiterates plea for hostages release in Afghanistan (AFP) AFP - The United Nations renewed an appeal for the safe release of three UN workers taken hostage in Afghanistan by a shadowy group of Islamic militants.


Iraqi Troops Raid Baghdad Mosque, 17 Detained  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Hundreds of Iraqi troops backed by U.S.  forces stormed a Sunni Muslim mosque in Baghdad after Friday  prayers, killing four people and wounding at least nine,  witnesses and an influential group of Sunni clerics said.


Myanmar Frees Prominent Political Prisoners  YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's junta freed at least two dozen  members of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi's political party on  Friday during a mass release of 4,000 people detained  "inappropriately" by the intelligence machine purged last  month.


After Iraq, Spain Turns Again Toward Latin America  SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Reuters) - After spending several  years distracted by Iraq and the war on terror, Spain under its  new socialist government is turning again toward Latin America  where its historical and business links give it an unrivaled  edge.


Ukraine Liberal Vows Demonstrations if Cheated  KIEV (Reuters) - The liberal challenger in a closely fought  presidential election in Ukraine raised the stakes on Friday,  threatening to bring his supporters onto the streets if the  authorities tried to deny him victory by cheating.


Protests Target Bush at Summit in Chile Riot police used water cannons and tear gas Friday to break up a demonstration by hundreds of rock-throwing protesters before more than 20,000 people marched to vent their anger at Pacific Rim leaders, particularly President Bush.


Bomb Kills Venezuela Prosecutor, Gov't Swipes at US

 By Patrick Markey

 CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - A Venezuelan prosecutorprobing a 2002 coup against President Hugo Chavez was killed bya car bomb that the government blamed Friday on radicalopponents it said were training in the United States.


Stocks Tumble, Greenspan Jolts Investors  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell sharply on Friday as  investors were jolted by a more than \$2 increase in oil prices,  while Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan gave a stark  reminder that interest rates were bound to go higher and warned  the appetite for the dollar would dwindle.


Movie Gallery Offers to Buy Hollywood Video Chain  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Movie Gallery Inc. on Friday offered  to buy rival movie rental chain Hollywood Entertainment Corp.  for an undisclosed sum, one week after industry leader  Blockbuster Inc. bid about \$700 million for Hollywood.


Scientist: FDA Incapable of Protecting Safety Nov. 18, 2004 - An FDA scientist says the FDA, which is charged with protecting America #39;s prescription drug supply, is incapable of doing so.


New Drug for Advanced Lung Cancer The US Food and Drug Administration has granted fast-trackapproval to Tarceva (erlotinib) to treat advanced non-small cell lungcancer that has failed to respond to other therapy.


Congress Blocks Net Connection Taxation (AP) AP - Congress acted Friday to block state and local governments from taxing connections that link consumers to the Internet for the next three years.


New Sober Worm on the Loose (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - A new version of the Sober worm is having quite a bit of success infecting users in Europe through the use of social engineering.


Angels Ship Guillen to Expos (Reuters) Reuters - The Anaheim Angels have\reportedly traded outfielder Jose Guillen to the\Washington-bound Expos in exchange for outfielder Juan Rivera\and a prospect.


Smith steps closer to Scotland manager's job (AFP) AFP - Scottish Football Association (SFA) officials confirmed they interviewed Walter Smith for the vacant national managerial job.


Red Hat More Competition For Sun Than Microsoft Sun who resells Red Hat #39;s software, is competing for the same customers as Red Hat with their upcoming release of Solaris 10 in January.


NTT DoCoMo chooses Linux for next-gen phones MANHASSET, NY - MontaVista Software Inc. has announced that its MontaVista Linux has been chosen as the operating system for three new Foma third-generation (3G) mobile phones from NTT DoCoMo.


Novell Rebounds In Fiscal 2004 On Linux Revenue Novell reports a \$31 million profit for the year, crediting the turnaround to its expanded Linux strategy. By Larry Greenemeier. Novell #39;s move into the Linux market is paying off as the company Thursday reported


Univ. of D.C. Cancels Basketball (AP) AP - The University of the District of Columbia canceled its men's and women's basketball seasons Thursday, citing problems with recruitment, academic eligibility and financial aid.


Insurgency a Problem for Iraq Rebuilding (AP) AP - Security risks to reconstruction workers in Sunni-dominated parts of Iraq have grown worse over the past six weeks, the U.S. coordinator said Friday.


MSN, Yahoo Deal Extended (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Yahoo's Overture (Nasdaq: OVER) Services division announced that it extended its deal to provide Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Web portal, MSN, with sponsored search results.


TO solution: Don #39;t show TD antics No, I #39;m not referring to the uproar over ABC #39;s  quot;Desperate Housewives quot; promo that included Owens and aired before Monday Night Football this week.


AP NewsBreak: Angels trade Guillen to Expos for Juan Rivera and a <b>...</b> The Anaheim Angels agreed to trade troubled outfielder Jose Guillen to the Washington-bound Expos for outfielder Juan Rivera and a prospect, The Associated Press learned Friday.


After toiling in boxing #39;s minor leagues, Wright ready to make his <b>...</b> Winky Wright toiled for years in boxing #39;s minor leagues, patiently waiting for his big chance. Even when he won a piece of the 154-pound title, not many in the sport paid much attention.


Ivory Coast crisis brightens coffee traders #39; prospects BANGALORE: As a fallout of the turmoil in the Ivory Coast, a French coffee roasters team will be visiting India soon. The 13-member delegation, led by French Roasters Association general secretary Florence


Remote Access Gets Safer, Easier (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Opinion: As competition heats up, iPass is the latest remote-access provider to announce favorable Wi-Fi pricing for enterprise customers.


Angels Ship Guillen to Expos  ANAHEIM, Calif. (Sports Network) - The Anaheim Angels have  reportedly traded outfielder Jose Guillen to the  Washington-bound Expos in exchange for outfielder Juan Rivera  and a prospect.


Hewitt Crushes Gaudio to Reach Masters Semifinals  HOUSTON (Reuters) - Australia's Lleyton Hewitt dispatched  Argentine Gaston Gaudio 6-2, 6-1 Friday to clinch his place in  the Masters Cup semifinals.


Microsoft's Ownership of Trademark in Doubt (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - First "Windows," now "Excel." New York City-based software company Savvysoft says Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) has demanded that it drop the name Excel from its TurboExcel product, which makes Microsoft's Excel portable to other systems like Linux. Trouble is, Microsoft does not yet own the trademark to the name "Excel."


Software as a Service Feels Price Pinch (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - The worldwide services industry is undergoing a shift similar to what happened in manufacturing a generation ago, according to IDC analyst Marianne Hedin.


Oracle Bid Expected to Get Rival Support (AP) AP - Investors continued to bet Friday that most PeopleSoft Inc. shareholders will back Oracle Corp.'s  #36;9.2 billion takeover bid for its bitter rival, further extending a bruising battle that already has dragged on for more than 17 months.


BALCO Head Says Feds Wanted Him to Record Athletes  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Victor Conte, head of the BALCO  lab at the center of a global steroid scandal, says in court  papers to be filed Friday that a federal agent last year asked  him if he would secretly record athletes suspected of doping.


Cy Coleman, Broadway Composer, Dies at 75 The debonair jazz pianist and composer of such legendary Broadway tunes as "Witchcraft," "Big Spender," and "The Best is Yet to Come," died on Thursday night.


WTO Negotiators Finish Week of Farm Talks Negotiators at the World Trade Organization completed weeklong farm talks Friday, part of discussions on ways to reach a wider-ranging liberalization accord by the end of 2005.


Powell States Preference for Diplomacy With his time in office running out, Secretary of State Colin Powell is acknowledging differences with others in the Bush administration and suggesting the disputes centered on his preference for diplomacy over force to resolve problems.


Introducing the big, bad BOFH polo shirt Cash'n'Carrion Essential kit for the marauding sysdamin


Harper says Conservatives will settle for nothing less than forming next government (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - FREDERICTON (CP) - Almost a year after the merger of the Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parties, the reconstituted Tories are still working to portray themselves as a united, credible alternative.


Icahn Offers Nearly  #36;5 Bln for Mylan Labs (Reuters) Reuters - Financier Carl Icahn on Friday\offered to buy the shares of generic drugmaker Mylan\Laboratories  that he does not already own for  #36;4.9\billion, or  #36;20 a share, according to a government filing.


Germany Arrests 4th Suspect in Allawi Plot (AP) AP - German authorities Saturday arrested a fourth man on suspicion of involvement in an al-Qaida-linked group's alleged plot to attack Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi during his visit to Berlin this week.


Stocks Fall, Jolted by Oil and Greenspan  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks dropped on Friday as  investors were jolted by a jump in oil prices and comments by  U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who gave a blunt  reminder that interest rates were bound to go up and warned the  appetite for U.S. assets would eventually dwindle.


Congress Reinstates Internet Tax Ban  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress on Friday  reinstated a ban on Internet access taxes after the House of  Representatives agreed to extend it for another three years  rather than make it permanent.


Is Disney a Growth Stock? Plus, Mel's Sirius decision, Phil hangs up his Nikes, and Mattel's "free plus" dividend.


A New Drug for Lung Cancer Genentech and OSI's launch of Tarceva brings a new choice in the treatment of lung cancer.


Spurrier Not Guaranteed Augusta Membership Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson said Friday that Steve Spurrier is not guaranteed a membership at the home of the Masters if he becomes the head football coach at South Carolina.


Marino, Young Considered for Hall of Fame Dan Marino and Steve Young highlighted a list Friday of 25 candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.


US FDA official defends agency #39;s handling of drug safety issues A US Food and Drug Administration official said Friday  quot;we categorically reject quot; accusations the agency has failed to protect the public against dangerous drugs.


Greenspan Warns That US Deficits Pose Risk to Dollar Alan Greenspan came to the home of the euro today and warned anxious Europeans to expect little relief from the relentless decline of the dollar against their currency.


Congress blocks taxation of Internet connections Congress acted Friday to block state and local governments from taxing connections that link consumers to the Internet for the next three years.


Icahn Offers Nearly \$5 Billion for Mylan Financier Carl Icahn on Friday offered to buy the shares of generic drugmaker Mylan Laboratories that he does not already own for \$4.9 billion, or \$20 a share, according to a government filing.


Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign begins The Salvation Army is still hoping this season will be merry, even though it has fewer places to ring bells and fewer volunteers. The Salvation Army kicked off its red kettle campaign at Fourth Street Live today.


Several area taxpayers due refunds By the Telegram Staff. An annual IRS review shows 329 federal tax refunds totaling more than \$174,000 belonging to Nebraska taxpayers were returned to the IRS as undeliverable.