Ruling Is Awaited on Death Penalty for Young Killers A Texas high school student convicted of a double murder waits on death row as the Supreme Court weighs the constitutionality of the juvenile death penalty.


UFJ Holdings bank reports large half-year loss TOKYO UFJ Holdings, Japan #39;s fourth-largest bank, reported a large net loss of 674.3 billion for the first half of its fiscal year on Wednesday as it scrambled to reduce its bad loans before a takeover by Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group.


American Express to Replace Auditor (Reuters) Reuters - American Express Co.  said on\Wednesday that it will replace Ernst   Young LLP with\PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as its independent registered public\accountant.


US jobless claims fall again Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell unexpectedly to 323,000 last week, down 12,000 from a week earlier, the US Labour Department said today.


Microsoft called back to court over Novell settlement The judge overseeing the software giant #39;s appeal of a European Commission ruling has summoned both parties to appear at an  quot;informal hearing quot; on Thursday.


Taking Inventory Of Analog Devices Credit Suisse First Boston lowered estimates for Analog Devices (nyse: ADI - news - people ) after the maker of integrated circuits provided disappointing guidance.


Video recreation of JFK assassination marks a new low A spokesman for Sen. Edward Ken- nedy had an apt description of a video game that shamefully exploits the assassination of John F. Kennedy: The release of  quot;JFK: Reloaded quot; on Monday -- the 41st anniversary


Groups protest sex, violence in video games Video games that have players shoot rival gang members, watch bare-breasted women and recreate the assassination of President Kennedy were criticized Tuesday by advocacy


Google sued by Perfect 10 Google has been sued by adult site Perfect 10 for alleged copyright infringement. Perfect 10 #39;s suit says that Google #39;s Web search engine allows people to see copyrighted images owned by the company (access


Turinui leaps over Rogers MORGAN Turinui has leapfrogged over the troubled Mat Rogers to take over at outside centre for Australia in Saturday #39;s rugby Test against England at Twickenham.


College Basketball: Iowa Upsets No. 15 Texas MAUI, Hawaii (Sports Network) - Jeff Horner posted 27 points while Pierre Pierce added 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, as the Iowa Hawkeyes defeated a ranked team for the second night in a row with an 82-80 victory over No.


Hot demand for travel packages to Capital One Bowl The Hawkeyes are headed to Florida for the Capital One Bowl in Orlando on New Year #39;s Day. Travel agencies say travel packages are selling fast.


France Leads Spain 2-0 in Fed Cup Semis (AP) AP - Defending champion France took a 2-0 lead over Spain in the Fed Cup semifinals Wednesday behind singles victories by Nathalie Dechy and Tatiana Golovin.


Pakistan links Kashmir to granting India MFN status Pakistans Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Wednesday that granting the Most Favored Nation (MFN) status to India was closely related to the solution of the Kashmir dispute.


Queen outlines crackdown on terror LONDON: The British Government has detailed a range of new measures to fight global terrorism and organised crime, as the Queen set out its new law-making agenda ahead of expected elections next year.


Russia sends scientist to jail for spying A Russian court has sentenced a physicist Valentin Danilov to 14 years in a Siberian prison for passing space secrets to China. Danilov, 53, a professor at Krasnoyarsk


Indonesian police confirm four arrested over Australian embassy bombing (AFP) AFP - Indonesian police said they have arrested four key Muslim extremists for the deadly bombing of Australia's Jakarta embassy in what was hailed as a breakthrough in the hunt for militants behind a series of attacks in the country.


Nortel to Maintain Certain Accounting Nortel Networks Corp. on Wednesday said it will not be required to change its accounting treatment of optical products sales, and it received verbal confirmation that two stock exchanges do not plan to begin any suspension or delisting procedures.


Holiday travel may exceed record If so, leave early. Travel experts predict traffic congestion, poor weather and possible job actions by Pennsylvania Turnpike toll takers and US Airways workers at Philadelphia International


Weak Demand for Delta Debt Swap Delta Air Lines (DAL:NYSE - news - research) said Wednesday its debt exchange has ended, with the intermediate and long-term portions receiving insufficient interest from bondholders.


Virgin Mary On Grilled Cheese Sandwich Sells on eBay The online casino, GoldenPalace.com, bid \$28,000 to purchase a 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich that supposedly bears the image of the Virgin Mary.


IBM introduces Workplace Resource Center IBM has unveiled, under its Workplace platform strategy, an online developer resource centre that will give corporate and third-party developers access to tools to help develop products and services for the platform.


Former star bowler Lillee ends coaching role at Australian academy Fast bowling great Dennis Lillee has cut ties with Australia #39;s Cricket Academy after failing to come to terms on a new coaching contract.


Spurrier named football coach at South Carolina One day after his good friend Lou Holtz announced his retirement, Spurrier on Tuesday was named the Gamecocks #39; new football coach.


BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Diogu lifts ASU to victory over Delaware TEMPE - Double- and triple-teaming don #39;t bother Ike Diogu. He gets his points from the line. Arizona State #39;s junior center had 32 points and nine rebounds, almost singlehandedly lifting the Sun Devils (2-0


It #39;s official: Bowl bids accepted by trio of Big Ten teams Iowa, Purdue and Wisconsin accepted bowl bids on Tuesday, and the news didn #39;t stop there for the Hawkeyes and Boilermakers. *Iowa will head back to Florida for the holidays, this time to the Capital One Bowl in Orlando.


UMich Finds Consumer Sentiment Up a Bit (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. consumer sentiment brightened\slightly in November, helped by cheaper gasoline and a better\jobs outlook, a survey released on Wednesday showed.


GE unit plans \$1.1 billion purchase of Mass.-based water treatment <b>...</b> WATERTOWN, Mass. -- A unit of General Electric Co. said Wednesday it will buy Ionics Inc. for \$1.1 billion in cash, not counting about \$200 million in debt GE will assume in its purchase of of the water treatment company.


NETHERLANDS: Ahold says Q3 loss highlights  #39;year of transition #39; Dutch retail giant Ahold has reported a third-quarter net loss, as its results were impacted by exceptional costs and asset impairment charges.


Iran 'Atomic Bomb' Militia Stage Show of Strength (Reuters) Reuters - To shouts of "No compromise" tens of\thousands of Iran's Basij militia staged a show of strength on\Wednesday, a day before the U.N. nuclear watchdog meets to\discuss Iran's disputed nuclear program.


Pakistan's PM says peace with India hinges on Kashmir (Reuters) Reuters - Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Wednesday he remained hopeful that sustainable peace could be achieved with India after a friendly meeting with his counterpart Manmohan Singh.


Game should be pulled I was just shy of a year and a half old when John F. Kennedy was killed by an assassin #39;s bullet 41 years ago this week. But like so many of my generation - the so-called baby boomers - I believe


Redknapp quits as Portsmouth manager Two weeks after Portsmouth appointed Croatian unknown Velimir Zajec as executive director, Harry Redknapp quit as manager on Wednesday, citing the need to take  quot;a complete break from the game quot;.


Freed UN electoral workers in Afghanistan look forward to resuming <b>...</b> 24 November 2004 - Three United Nations election workers freed yesterday nearly a month after being abducted in Afghanistan today thanked the Afghan people for the support shown during their ordeal and said they were looking forward to getting back to


Syria ready to resume Israeli talks  #39;without conditions #39;: UN envoy DAMASCUS (AFP) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said he is ready to reopen negotiations with Israel  quot;without conditions, quot; visiting UN Middle East envoy Terje Roed-Larsen revealed.


Russian Scientist Jailed for Spying for China A Russian scientist convicted of spying for China was sentenced to 14 years in a high security jail Wednesday. Physicist Valentin Danilov was initially acquitted of selling


Afghan bomb kills two US soldiers Two American soldiers are killed by a homemade bomb in central Afghanistan, the US military says.


Jobless Claims Down; Goods Orders Slip Orders for long-lasting US-made goods unexpectedly slipped 0.4 percent in October, hinting at manufacturing softness, but new claims for jobless aid shrank last week, government reports showed on Wednesday.


US October New Home Sales Rise 0.2 to 1.226 Million Rate US new home sales unexpectedly rose 0.2 percent in October to 1.226 million at an annual rate, the third highest ever, as hiring improved and borrowing costs fell.


Delta exchange offer expires, volume lower than goal Delta Air Lines Inc. announced Wednesday that its offer to exchange unsecured notes for secured bonds fell short of a company goal, but that enough investors had tendered their short-term securities for a debt exchange to occur.


Hard Rock to display Virgin Mary sandwich The handover for the infamous Virgin Mary grilled cheese sandwich is to take place at 1 pm, Wednesday, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel  amp; Casino in Hollywood.


The Portsmouth fiasco: a fan #39;s view One of the good things about supporting Portsmouth is that no one has ever had any expectations. A life of mid-table mediocrity - as the unlamented former manager Graham Rix promised the


#39;Honda out to stop Ant #39;s Williams test #39; Honda still appear to be smarting from Williams #39; attempt to sign Jenson Button and in an apparent case of tit-for-tat they #39;re reportedly trying to stop Anthony Davidson #39;s Williams test.


We gave a good fight: Ganguly India  quot;gained a lot quot; from the drawn cricket Test against South Africa and would now carry the confidence into the deciding second match in Kolkata, skipper Sourav Ganguly said in Kanpur on Wednesday.


Flatley returns to Wallaby team for England match Morgan Turinui will start as centre and Elton Flatley returns as fly half for Australia #39;s rugby match against England at Twickenham on Saturday as coach Eddie Jones rearranges his side to deal with injuries.


New Homes Sales Rise 0.2 Pct. in October (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. new home sales rose 0.2 percent\in October to the third-highest level on record following an\upwardly revised gain in September, a government report showed\on Wednesday.


The Fool's Look Ahead Think you can make it through the week ahead? Here is some financial news to look out for, plus crafty tips to make the leftovers go down smoothly.


A Fool Looks Back Doughnuts, macadamia nuts, and toy nuts were in play in a short yet lively week in the market.


Biogen, Elan up on MS drug approval SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Shares of Elan Corp. and Biogen Idec rose in premarket trade Wednesday after the US Food and Drug Administration approved the companies #39; multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri.


Update 1: GE Unit to Buy Ionics for \$1.1 Billion A unit of the industrial, financial and media conglomerate General Electric Co. said Wednesday it will buy the water treatment company Ionics Inc.


UMich Finds Consumer Sentiment Up a Bit US consumer sentiment brightened slightly in November, helped by cheaper gasoline and a better jobs outlook, a survey released on Wednesday showed.


The \$28K Sandwich That Grew No Mold With a winning bid of \$28,000, the online casino GoldenPalace.com won the auction for one of eBay #39;s most coveted oddities: a 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich, one side of which bears the Virgin Mary #39;s image.


Answers.com: Get to know more than one browser In the past, I have taken great pride in informing you, my readers, about new and cutting-edge technology. Sometimes it is also necessary to re-examine existing or older technologies.


The Sims 2 - First Expansion Announced The first expansion for the Sims 2 game will be The Sims 2 University. With the University expansion, your Sims will be able to enroll in college, attend classes and of course, party.


DS Dead Pixels Issue If you got a Nintendo DS, you may have been one of the unlucky few to have gotten systems with a  quot;dead pixel. quot; This dead pixel is a tiny dot on the screen that is stuck on one color and never changes.


Researchers Develop 3-D Phone Technology (AP) AP - It's an idea that was popularized by Princess Leia's plea for help in Star Wars: sending a 3-D hologram. Now, two Japanese scientists have developed technology they hope will one day turn the humble telephone booth into a high-tech chamber for beaming holographic images.


Liverpool Football Club eye Italian The Reds are in desperate need for a striker following the injuries to Djibril Cisse and Milan Baros, whilst Luis Garcias hamstring problem has hardly helped matters.


BAR Dashes Davidson #39;s Williams Hopes BAR dashed Briton Anthony Davidson #39;s hopes of racing for Formula One rivals Williams on Wednesday. A month after they fended off the BMW-powered team #39;s bid for highly-rated


UK #39;s Straw Gets Israeli Pledge on Palestinian Vote Israeli leaders told Britain #39;s foreign secretary on Wednesday they would do their utmost to let Palestinians hold elections but criticized the top presidential candidate


US Troops End Nine Years in Bosnia Peace Force The US military on Wednesday ended a 9-year peacekeeping role in Bosnia but kept on a small contingent to hunt down top war crimes suspects Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic.


Saved from the jaws of death DOLPHINS saved a former St Ives man and his daughter from a shark attack as they swam off the northern New Zealand coast. The bottlenose dolphins surrounded Rob Howes, 47, his daughter Niccy, 15, Helen Slade


Chirac arrives in Libya for first ever visit by French head of state (AFP) AFP - President Jacques Chirac arrived in Libya in the first ever visit by a French head of state, confirming maverick leader Moamer Kadhafi's gradual return to international respectability.


GAME OFF' URGED (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - An assortment of politicians, religious leaders and social advocacy groups lashed out Tuesday at the video-game industry and retailers, saying they make violent and racy games too accessible to children.


Foreign troop withdrawal only when Iraq stable: Mubarak (AFP) AFP - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said he was not disappointed that a two-day conference on the future of Iraq, hosted by his country earlier this week, failed to set a date for the withdrawal of foreign troops.


Linux Server Sales Hit a New High (PC World) PC World - For the first time, sales top  #36;1 billion in one quarter, researcher says.


Hearing Set After Microsoft Rivals Quit (Reuters) Reuters - The judge considering Microsoft\Corp.'s appeal against European Union sanctions has called a\closed meeting for Thursday to decide what action to take after\two more major opponents of the U.S. software giant withdrew\from the case.


IPod creates its own economy (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Investors usually get nervous when a company relies on the sales of one product. The exception is when that product is an Apple iPod. Just as consumers can't seem to get enough of the iPod, investors are foaming over companies having anything to do with the digital music player.


Arctic States Agree to a Vague Plan to Slow Thaw (Reuters) Reuters - Eight Arctic countries agreed to a\vague plan to counter a rapid melt of the region on Wednesday\with indigenous peoples accusing the United States of blocking\stronger action aimed at slowing global warming.


New World Conservation Boss Eyes Climate, Oceans (Reuters) Reuters - The newly elected president of the\World Conservation Union (IUCN) said Wednesday that global\warming and the lack of protected marine zones were key\challenges that needed to be hoisted high on the green agenda.


Archaeologists Discover Bronze Age Site (AP) AP - Archaeologists said Wednesday they have comprehensively dated the contents of a Bronze Age site in Scotland, probably the first time such a site has been dated in its entirety.


US sweeps Iraqi Sunni 'hotspots' Thousands of US-led troops target lawless areas south of Baghdad known as Iraq's "triangle of death".


Math Whiz Breaks Calculation Record (AP) AP - A 38-year-old with degrees in psychology, education and computer science needed only 11.8 seconds to calculate the 13th root of a 100-digit number in his head, setting a new record, organizers said.


Utility Will Pay \$7.2 Million in Electrocution Consolidated Edison has agreed to pay the family of a woman who was electrocuted on a city street more than \$6.2 million and to set up a \$1 million scholarship fund in her name.


Dutch actress to authenticate breasts online No implants up top, insists <cite>Playboy</cite> model


Urgent meeting in Microsoft case A judge in a major EU anti-trust case against Microsoft calls a sudden meeting after high-profile departures.


New browser wins over net surfers \The proportion of surfers using Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) has dropped to below 90, say web analysts.


"2046" makers deny "Oscars" snub over Wong exclusion from gong list (AFP) AFP - Stars of Wong Kar-wai's acclaimed movie "2046" may skip Asia's glittering version of the Oscars next week, aides said, while denying the cast was snubbing the event in protest at Wong's absence from the best director nominees' list.


GAO to Investigate Voting Irregularies (AP) AP - The Government Accountability Office, responding to a request from Democratic lawmakers, will investigate the way votes were counted in the Nov. 2 election.


AMD Says Demand Rebounded After Election Hiccup  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Computer chip demand turned  positive after a "hiccup" around the time of the U.S.  presidential elections, an Advanced Micro Devices Inc.  executive said on Tuesday.


Finland Says Could Cancel Tele2's 3G License  HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finland may withdraw a third  generation mobile network license from Suomen 3G, an operator  owned by Sweden's Tele2 TEL2b.ST, due to delays in building  the high-speed network, it said on Tuesday.


Linux Ready for Prime Time, Intel Says Despite all the Linux hype, the open-source movement has yet to make a huge splash in the desktop market.  That may be about to change, thanks to chipmaking giant Intel Corp. -washingtonpost.com


MedImmune Forms Research Partnership MedImmune Inc. will pay a New Jersey biotech company \$15 million to collaborate with it on potential new treatments for autoimmune diseases, starting with lupus. - The Washington Post


Hearing Set After Microsoft Rivals Quit
\

 By David Lawsky

 BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The judge considering Microsoft\Corp.'s appeal against European Union sanctions has called a\closed meeting for Thursday to decide what action to take after\two more major opponents of the U.S. software giant withdrew\from the case.


FCC: 8M Wireless Users Keep Cell Numbers Nearly 8 million mobile phone users have switched carriers and kept their cell numbers since a new rule allowing that flexibility went into effect one year ago, the Federal Communications Commission disclosed Tuesday.


Online Movie Pirate Ordered to Pay \$23.8M A Malaysian man must pay film studios \$23.8 million for running a Web site that allowed paying members to watch pirated movies, the Motion Picture Association said.


Group Cites Video Games for Violence, Sex Video games that have players shoot rival gang members, watch bare-breasted women and recreate the assassination of President Kennedy were criticized Tuesday by advocacy groups that said, at the least, they should be kept away from children.


'Half-Life 2' a Tech Masterpiece It's been six years since Valve Corp. perfected the first-person shooter with "Half-Life." Video games have come a long way since, with better graphics and more options than ever. Still, relatively few games have mustered this one's memorable characters and original science fiction story.


Genes to blame for restless sleep \If you can't get a good night's sleep it's likely that your parents are at least partly to blame.


Barrow Placed on IR The Redskins have placed linebacker Mike Barrow on the injured reserve list, which means he will not play a down for them this season.


Authorities Seize Tape Federal authorities have seized a videotape believed to be at the center of an alleged blackmail attempt against Yankees slugger Gary Sheffield and his wife, a prosecutor said.


Biogen gets the first in 8 years FDA approval for a multiple <b>...</b> Today was a day of good news for multiple sclerosis patients: FDA granted approval to a new anti-multiple sclerosis drug Antegren developed by Biogen Idec Inc.


After AT amp;T merger, Cingular Wireless expects to cut 6,800 jobs NOVEMBER 24, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - With its acquisition of AT amp;T Wireless Services Inc. complete (see story), Cingular Wireless LLC is preparing to lay off about 10 of its 68,000 workers over a 12- to 18-month period starting next year.


Time Warner Nears Settlement on AOL Charges Under a deal with the Securities and Exchange Commission that is still under discussion, Time Warner would not admit any wrongdoing but would pay \$750 million to settle the case.


Malaysia #39;s Genting in JV with UK casino operator KUALA LUMPUR - Genting International Plc, a subsidiary of Malaysia #39;s Genting Berhad, has agreed to set up a 50:50 joint venture with the United Kingdom #39;s largest casino operator, Stanley Leisure.


Judge Blocks RIAA Mass Suits Last week, members of the Motion Picture Association of America filed 11 lawsuits against hundreds of people they accused of using file-sharing networks to share copies of movies.


UPDATE 2-GE to buy water treatment company for \$1.1 billion General Electric Co. (GE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) will buy Ionics Inc. (ION.N: Quote, Profile, Research) for \$1.1 billion to build out its water treatment and services business


If Turnpike Strike Hits, No Tolls On First Day HARRISBURG, Pa. -- The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has decided that drivers will get a free ride Wednesday if toll collectors and other unionized employees go on strike.


Mixed Economic Data Fog US Outlook Orders for long-lasting US goods slipped unexpectedly in October, but new home sales rose, consumer sentiment brightened a bit this month and claims for jobless aid fell, a mixed bag of reports showed on Wednesday.


US consumer sentiment rises slightly NEW YORK - US consumer sentiment brightened slightly in November, helped by cheaper gasoline and a better jobs outlook, but came in below market expectations, a survey released Wednesday showed.


#39;Virgin Mary #39; toast sold on net A piece of toast said to bear a picture of the Virgin Mary has sold on the internet for a whopping \$28,000. It #39;s actually a toasted cheese sandwich that was made 10 years ago, and the burn marks on it look like the Biblical figure.


Three major music labels tie up with P2P service Three major music labels have signed up to allow their music to be used by the Peer Impact peer-to-peer (P2P) service, according to a report from the Reuters news agency.


AMD Shows Off 2005 Mobile Line Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has expanded its increasingly popular mobile line of chips, named Sempron. The new processor has higher performance and integrated EVP anti-virus technology.


With budget set, NASA plans next move Flush with a newly approved \$16.2 billion budget, NASA will be able to flesh out a way to save the Hubble Space Telescope, choose a new spacecraft and develop new ways to get back to the moon, Administrator Sean O #39;Keefe said Tuesday.


Citrix buys hybrid VPN vendor Editor #39;s Summary: Citrix is acquiring VPN provider Net6 for \$50 million in a move to expand its presence in the security space.


Report On Video Games Parents heading out to buy holiday gifts, listen up. There #39;s a warning out Wednesday about extremely violent and explicit video games.


The News and Observer MSN Search has a few features that go beyond Google, but it #39;s generally disappointing. Granted, the new MSN search is still in the  quot;beta quot; phase, and Microsoft is expected to make the technology part of its main MSN site early next year.


Kazaa to dial up a respectable living Kazaa, the internet site which attracted the fury of the music industry by allowing users to download tunes for free, has ventured into the telecoms sector.


New software detects fake art p2pnet.net News:- Software to help authenticate paintings, prints and drawings has been developed by researchers at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire in the US.


Huygens probe gets clean bill of health The European Space Agency #39;s Huygens probe, carried millions of miles to Saturn on board the NASA Cassini space craft, has completed its final series of checks before separation.


WRAPUP 1-Russia, France close in on Fed Cup final Fed Cup favourites Russia and France are firmly on course to meet in the final after taking commanding 2-0 leads in their semi-finals on Wednesday.


Luis Garcia becomes latest Liverpool casualty Liverpool, England (Sports Network) - Liverpool midfielder Luis Garcia pulled his hamstring during Tuesday #39;s 1-0 loss to Monaco in Champions League action and will be out of action for about a month.


Bayern keen to restore European reputation MUNICH, Germany (AFP) - Having qualified for the last sixteen of the Champions League German powerhouse Bayern Munich are determined to repeat their 2001 success to prove they are back as a force in European football.


BAR block Davidsons Williams test According to BAR, the team had originally consented to the test as part of an agreement whereby Davidson could drive for Williams in 2005, with BAR keeping a conditional option on his services for the following season.


JPM FASTEST ON MCLAREN DEBUT Juan Pablo Montoya ended his first day as a McLaren driver at the top of the Barcelona timesheets. The Colombian was half a second faster than former Williams team-mate Ralf Schumacher, who was making his Toyota debut.


INDIANAPOLIS (7-3) At DETROIT (4-6) KEY MATCHUP - Colts QB Peyton Manning vs. Detroit secondary. No one has stopped Manning this season. The Lions #39; defense hasn #39;t stopped much at all.


After making nuke deal, Iran reportedly wants exception Iran is demanding that it be allowed to make an exception in its commitment to freeze all uranium enrichment activities so it can operate about about two dozen centrifuges, diplomats said Wednesday.


Israel  #39;Calls for UK to Be Peace Mediator #39; Israel today appealed to Britain to act as a bridge between them and the Palestinians in an effort to restart the Middle East peace process.


PeopleSoft  #39;Poison Pill #39; Hearing on Ice A federal judge has postponed his decision on PeopleSoft #39;s last hostile takeover defense against Oracle until next month. Delaware Chancery Court Judge Leo Strine said he would need more information from both


Cingular Confirms Job Cuts Layoffs at Cingular Wireless were inevitable after it acquired AT amp;T Wireless, but what #39;s with the timing? A Cingular spokesman yesterday confirmed an Associated Press report that Cingular


Judge to rule on MyTravel By Alistair Osborne, Associate City Editor (Filed: 23/11/2004). A high court judge will rule tomorrow whether MyTravel, the troubled package holiday group, can force through an 800m debt-for-equity swap without the consent of its bondholders.


Pennsylvania Turnpike Workers Go on Strike Motorists coasted through Pennsylvania Turnpike toll plazas for free on Wednesday morning after roughly 1,300 unionized toll collectors and maintenance workers went on


U.S. May Add Advisers to Aid Iraq's Military The top commander in Iraq is reviewing a proposal to add hundreds of U.S. military advisers to work directly with Iraqi units.


Corporate p2p network? p2pnet.net News:- Wurld Media, which, among other things, boasts its,  quot;partnered with the USArmy, quot; says it #39;s struck a deal with three of the Big Four record label cartel members to peddle their  #39;product #39; through what it calls a peer-to-peer service


AMD Mobilizes Against Centrino AMD (Quote, Chart) took the wraps off a batch of new mobile processors it hopes will steal market share away from Intel #39;s Centrino empire.


BT, Blueprint develop digital music service British telco BT and media technologies company Blueprint have announced plans to jointly develop a digital music service using Blueprints Open Royalty Gateway and Song Centre software.


Finally, a way to Google your hard drive You can usually find information more easily on the vast Internet than you can on your own computer #39;s hard drive. The reason, of course, is that the search tools designed to index the Internet are much better developed than those for personal computers.


Sports need to regain control of fans, players From time to time, basketball players are referred to as  quot;cagers. quot; The term dates back to the early years of basketball when courts were surrounded by chicken wire to separate players from unruly fans.


Juan Pablo Montoya makes West McLaren Mercedes debut Juan Pablo Montoya made his debut for the West McLaren Mercedes Formula One team as preparations for the 2005 season commenced at the Circuit de Catalunya


R. Williams Could Be Eligible to Start Next Season Ricky Williams #39;s representatives apparently are close to completing an agreement with the NFL that could make the retired Miami Dolphins tailback eligible to play at the outset of the 2005 season.


Former Gamecocks ready for Spurrier era  quot;I #39;m excited as I can be, quot; said legendary Bradwell Institute football player Candler Boyd.  quot;I hated to see anybody go out like coach Holtz did.


Afghan hostages grateful, eager to work Three UN election workers freed nearly a month after being abducted in Afghanistan thanked the nation #39;s people for the support shown during their ordeal.


AIG settles over accounting probe The  world's largest insurance group pays \$126m in fines as part of a settlement with US regulators over its dealings with two firms.


Oil prices hold as US stocks rise Oil prices remain steady in New York trade as official data showed the first rise in US crude stocks in 10 weeks.


Judge Approves MyTravel Survival Plan A High Court judge on Wednesday approved a debt-for-equity survival plan developed by MyTravel, clearing the way for the troubled travel company to present the proposal to shareholders and creditors next month.


UBS Raises Its Rating on Delta; Shares Up Shares of US airlines took off in Wednesday trading after UBS Investment Bank raised its rating on Delta Air Lines Inc., saying the cash-strapped carrier #39;s latest survival moves are lessening prospects of bankruptcy.


P2P start-up gets record label deals A small peer-to-peer start-up has won rights from three of the four major record labels to distribute their music online. The deals with Peer Impact , a new division of online marketing company Wurld Media


Select Comfort Monthly Recap We keep up with what's important about Select Comfort, in case you don't have time.


Auditor to Army: Dock Halliburton Pay (Reuters) Reuters - The U.S. Army should withhold some\future payments to Halliburton  for work in Iraq due to\billing disputes, a government auditor said on Wednesday, a\move that could cost the contractor tens of millions of\dollars.


The Tiny Next Big Thing As nanotechnology evolves, the smart investor will keep an eye on the players most likely to be left standing -- and making money.


30-Year Mortgage Rates Inch Down in Week (Reuters) Reuters - Interest rates on U.S. 30-year\mortgages edged slightly lower in the latest week, continuing\to offer an enticing rate to prospective home owners, mortgage\finance company Freddie Mac said on Wednesday.


Target Is the Target Eddie Lampert is looking for Target-type valuations in the merger of Kmart and Sears.


Time to Hang Up the Boots? WWE's revenue rundowns no longer shock investors. But the drop in earnings and free cash flow should.


United Re-Signs Namoff D.C. United inks defender Bryan Namoff to a multiyear contract extension on Monday afternoon.


Good Ol' Gottschalks The regional department store company is gearing up for the all-important holidays.


GE to Buy Water Treatment Co for \$1.1 Bln
\

 BOSTON (Reuters) - General Electric Co. <GE.N> will buy\Ionics Inc. <ION.N> for \$1.1 billion to build out its water\treatment and services business, one of its major growth\initiatives, the companies said on Wednesday.


Browns Start Searches The Cleveland Browns have a few names in mind for both head coach and general manager with coordinators from Philadelphia and New England on the list.


House G.O.P. Voids Rule It Adopted Shielding Leader After fierce criticism, House Republicans reversed a rule change that would have allowed a party leader to retain his position even if indicted.


Judge Blocks RIAA Mass Suits The music industry's tactic of mass file-sharing lawsuits is improper, a California judge rules. Also: Japanese scientists work on holographic phones....  Microsoft's antitrust case delayed but not over   hellip;. and more.


Police Seek Chair Thrower in NBA Brawl (AP) AP - Police said Wednesday they have received some tips in their effort to determine who threw a chair during the brawl that broke out during last week's Pistons-Pacers game.


Indians Sign Closer Wickman for One Year (AP) AP - Free agent closer Bob Wickman agreed to a  #36;2.75 million, one-year deal Wednesday and returned to the Cleveland Indians, whose shaky bullpen without him early last season cost them any chance of winning the AL Central.


Analysts See More U.S. Newspaper Consolidation Ahead (Reuters) Reuters - A wave of consolidation in the U.S.\newspaper industry could be on the way as publishers grapple\with a maturing industry that faces stiff competition from\television and the Internet, publishing experts say.


Report: Pinochet's Assets Frozen (AP) AP - A judge investigating Gen. Augusto Pinochet's secret multi-million dollar bank accounts in the United States has ordered the assets of the former dictator frozen, a local newspaper reported Wednesday.


PCCW delays UK broadband roll-out (FT.com) FT.com - PCCW, the Hong Kong telecoms group, has ruled out a nationwide roll-out of its UK wireless broadband service in the near term in a move that will reduce competition in the market for fast internet access.


Police arrest activists protesting against Shell in Nigerian oil city (AFP) AFP - Police in southern Nigeria arrested three activists of a minority rights group who were protesting against the activities of the Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell, the group's spokesman said.


Deadly Afghan Blast Follows Hostage Drama (AP) AP - A bomb ripped through a U.S. patrol in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing two American soldiers and wounding another, a reminder of the country's insecurity after a newly resolved hostage drama.


Linux Ready for Prime Time, Intel Says (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Despite all the hype about Linux and other open-source operating systems, the fact remains that Microsoft Corp. continues to dominate the desktop universe, with 90 percent or so of the world's personal computers powered by one version of Windows or another.


Cincinnati QB Might Miss Louisville Game (AP) AP - Cincinnati star quarterback Gino Guidugli broke a bone in his throwing hand when he slipped outside his home, and he might miss Saturday's game at No. 7 Louisville.


Dec. Hearing Set for Oracle-PeopleSoft (AP) AP - The trial of Oracle Corp.'s attempt to upset PeopleSoft Inc.'s antitakeover measures will continue in December, the judge overseeing the case said Wednesday.


Top-Giving PACs Favor GOP Candidates 10-1 (AP) AP - The top-giving corporate political action committees didn't hedge their bets in the fall elections despite the narrow division between the GOP and Democrats in Congress. They favored Republican candidates 10-to-1.


Genetic Factors Influence Female Infidelity -Study (Reuters) Reuters - Genetic factors influence female\infidelity and the number of sexual partners women have,\British scientists said on Wednesday.


US Military Taps Bugs and Weeds in War on Terror (Reuters) Reuters - Don't squash that bug! Cockroaches,\beetles, spiders and worms may be the U.S. government's next\line of defense in the war on terror.


Three UN hostages released unharmed and healthy in Afghanistan (AFP) AFP - Three United Nations hostages were freed in Afghanistan unharmed and healthy after almost four weeks in captivity amid conflicting claims over whether the government promised to free Taliban prisoners in exchange for their release.


Satellite TV Made Available From the Back Seat (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - With the advent of a new generation of relatively affordable mobile antennas, satellite television is about to jump from the living room to the back seats of vans, recreational vehicles and family cars.


NASA's Moon-Mars Initiative Harms Science: American Physical Society Report (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - A new report released by an American\Physical Society (APS) Special Committee on NASA Funding for Astrophysics has\questioned the space agency's Moon, Mars and Beyond initiative. The APS\assessment warns that t  he cost of overcoming technological\challenges to make real the plan could far exceed budgetary projections and that\numerous nbsp;approved science programs could be jeopardized.


Chile plans jail for Pinochet men Chile's government says it will build a  prison for officers convicted of human rights abuses in the Pinochet era.


Minors held in Spanish porn swoop Spanish police arrest 90 people, including 21 minors, in one of its largest ever operations on child pornography.


Barcelona Testing, Day 1, 24/11/04 Fisico's first run for Renault as Franck begins development work for 2005.


Pigeons 'sense magnetic field' Homing pigeons use the Earth's magnetic field to navigate their way home over long distances, scientists claim.


Offense to Begin Anew Ravens offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh will not return for the 2005 season after meeting with Coach Brian Billick on Monday.


Election Commission in Ukraine Affirms Early Results As opposition protests entered a third day, Prime Minister Viktor F. Yanukovich was declared the winner.


Isaac Newton in the Kitchen The revision of Harold McGee's 1984 book, "On Food and Cooking," answers eternal kitchen questions, including those related to Thanksgiving.


France's Chirac Makes Historic Libya Trip (AP) AP - French President Jacques Chirac, arriving Wednesday in Libya for the first visit there by a French head of state in more than half a century, said that turbulent times were over as the two countries embark on a "dynamic and positive phase."


Hormel Credits Atkins for Sales Up 15 Pct (Reuters) Reuters - Hormel Foods Corp.  on\Wednesday reported a quarterly profit that was little changed\from a year earlier, but topped Wall Street's estimates by a\penny as strong demand for pork and turkey offset higher\expenses.


US actor fined over Oscars piracy An Oscar voter is fined 300,000 after copies of movies he was sent ended up on the internet.


Minors held in Spain porn swoop Spanish police arrest 90 people, including 21 minors, in one of its largest ever operations on child pornography.


Md. Group Finds Problems With Voting Machines An organization that put more than 400 poll watchers in Maryland precincts on election day reported Tuesday that its volunteers found scattered problems with the state's electronic voting machines.


Sports Authority Getting in Shape The sporting goods retailer trims its quarterly loss and maintains its outlook.


Neandertals Beaten by Rivals' Word Skills, Study Says Neandertals may have died out like a bad movie #151;by word of mouth. Modern humans' complex use of language sounded the defeat of their big-browed cousins, a new study says.


Magnetic Beaks Help Birds Navigate, Study Says Homing pigeons may use a magnetic "map" inside their beaks to navigate, according to new research.


Lizards Help Explain Survival of the Not-So-Fittest Is it possible to outrun evolution? Two new lizard-behavior studies look at why it's not always just the fittest that survive.


Artful Software Spots Faked Masterpieces A new digital authentication technique supplies forensic art experts with a new tool to distinguish paintings by masters from those by imitators, scientists say.


Birding Column: Backyard Bathing Beauties Birder Mathew Tekulsky describes the bathing habits of birds, explaining the dependence of birds on water.


Comeback Beavers Butt Heads With Humans Once harvested almost to extinction in the northeastern U.S., beavers have returned in such huge numbers that they are becoming a nuisance in some areas.


Gartner: Offshore IT spending to hit \$50 billion Upcoming Gartner study on IT spending for offshoring.


Cingular works to certify Audiovox smart phone for its network Cingular Wireless LLC is testing Audiovox #39;s Windows Mobile smart phone for use on its network, a move indicative of the complications surrounding the carrier #39;s combination with AT amp;T Wireless Services Inc.


Time Warner Shares Rise on Settlement Talks Report Shares of Time Warner Inc rose 2 percent on Tuesday after a report that the world #39;s largest media company was near a settlement with regulators that could limit potential


Pennsylvania Turnpike Toll Free Due to Strike by Workers The busiest travel weekend of the year is upon us and there will be no tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It #39;s not some good will gesture on the part of the state, it #39;s due to a strike called by toll collectors.


Group finds 85 hazardous toys The New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) has published its annual list of toys that it claims can harm or kill children, particularly those with small parts.


US Postal Service wants price hike NEW YORK - The US Postal Service is set to ask early next year for a rise in postage stamp prices of at least 10 percent, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.


Orders for US durables retreat in October The US manufacturing sector continued to demonstrate that its road to recovery is anything but smooth in October as orders for big-ticket items unexpectedly fell.


Virgin Mary Cheese Sandwich I am surprised this is still making news after so many days. However, if someone pays 28000 dollars for a grilled sandwich it is something.


Linus Torvalds against EU patent directive They are asking the European Union Council to reject this proposal. They claim that software patent directive would be harmful to the European economy.


Now Cellphones Can Get Nasty Virus, Too If you #39;re a Nokia smart phone user, better pay attention...come to think of it, better pay attention even if you aren #39;t. The first malicious virus to attack cell phones seems to target Nokia smart phones.


5.6 Million Choose Firefox In First Two Weeks More than 5.6 million copies of the Firefox 1.0 stand-alone browser have been downloaded in the first two weeks of its release, the Mozilla Foundation said this week.


Anfield #39;s big three make Kop appeal Rafael Benitez, Steven Gerrard and Sami Hyypia have appealed to the Kop to inspire a reprisal of Liverpools great European performances when Olympiacos visit Anfield next month for a critical Champions League match.


Champions League: Group C - Bayern Munich join Juventus as <b>...</b> The big winners of the night in Group C were Bayern Munich, whose 5-1 drubbing of Maccabi Tel Aviv ensured their passage to the knockout stages.


Dodgers Ink Tracy For Two More Years Los Angeles, CA -- The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed manager Jim Tracy to a two-year contract extension, keeping him with the club through the 2006 season.


Celtic invited to make complaint Glasgow Celtic FC have been invited to make an official complaint after manager Martin O #39;Neill claimed one of his players was the victim of racism.


Guidugli might miss Louisville game Saturday CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati quarterback Gino Guidugli broke a bone in his throwing hand when he slipped outside his home and might miss Saturday #39;s game at Louisville (No.


Iran wants to exempt centrifuges from nuclear freeze It wants to be allowed to operate dozens of centrifuges  quot;for research purposes quot; -- an activity banned under a uranium enrichment freeze Iran just agreed to.


Kashmir is key to peace, says Pakistani PM NEW DELHI:  quot;Who could say some 20 years ago that the Berlin Wall would be a thing of the past, quot; Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had told his Pakistan counterpart Shaukat Aziz on his arrival on Tuesday.


Indonesian police to investigate bribery allegations Indonesia #39;s chief of police is to investigate allegations that the most wanted terrorist in the country, Dr Azahari Husin, escaped arrest by bribing a policeman.


Letter from Jerusalem THIS WEEK, we #39;ve had snow in the north and of locusts in the south, which seems like a pretty fitting illustration for the extremes that exist in this small sliver of the globe.


Bahrain offers to play host as Baghdad urged to expand dialogue Bahrain yesterday offered to host a national conference for Iraq as the interim Iraqi government came under international pressure to broaden dialogue


Mbeki Plans 3-Day Mission to Ivory Coast--Aide South African President Thabo Mbeki is determined to work hard to end the conflict in Ivory Coast and is likely to spend up to three days there next week, his spokesman said on Wednesday.


Desiring Stability Redskins coach Joe Gibbs expects few major personnel changes in the offseason and wants to instill a culture of stability in Washington.


Jerusalem Unimpressed with Assads Statements (IsraelNN.com) Officials in Jerusalem responding to statements quoting Syrian President Bashar el-Assad report there is nothing new in Syrias position.


Report: Microsoft paid CCIA official  The antitrust settlement between Microsoftand the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) announced earlier this month included a payment of \$9.75 million to the CCIA's president, according to a report published Wednesday.


Microsoft offers to replace fake copies of Windows XP Software pirates' increasing skill at creating counterfeit versions of Windows XP has prompted Microsoft to introduce a pilot program that offers to verify whether consumers' software is legitimate and replace fake versions with authentic goods.


Intel ramps up support for Linux in Asia Intelhas released its Quick Start Kit for Linux, stepping up support for Asian system integrators that offer Linux-based desktop PCs.


Linux Server Sales Hit a New High For the first time, sales top \$1 billion in one quarter, researcher says.


E-Voting Problems Found in Maryland Reported incidents were likely a small percentage of actual problems, group says.


Report Identifies Dangerous Toys There are still lots of dangerous toys lurking on store shelves across the United States, says a nationwide survey released Tuesday by the US Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG).


Call Service with a Sneer (Reuters) Reuters - Score one for the faceless functionary\on the other end of the telephone line.


BEST OF ECT NEWS Biometrics: ThinkPad and Beyond  quot;Everything is a trade-off, and the techniques used to find the bad guys will be balanced by our democracy and drive for rights of privacy, quot; said security expert Evan Scott.


France and Russia head for final MOSCOW, Russia -- France and Russia both secured two singles victories apiece in their Fed Cup semifinals against Spain and Austria on Wednesday to edge closer to a final showdown.


Dodgers ink Tracy for two more years Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed manager Jim Tracy to a two-year contract extension, keeping him with the club through the 2006 season.


Rangers #39; chief speaks in fans #39; defence Rangers chairman David Murray tonight hit back at Celtic manager Martin O #39;Neill #39;s claims that the Ibrox fans are racist and reminded officials at both clubs of their  #39;responsibility in ensuring safety and fair play #39;.


NFL THANKSGIVING DAY FIXED ODDS BETTING PREVIEW On Thursday evening, Sky Sports viewers can tuck into two Thanksgiving Day NFL games. First up is Indianapolis Colts at Detroit Lions, which is then followed by the slightly less appealing Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys.


Google and the History of Link Building Google and the History of Link Building\\I can't begin to tell you how sick I am of reading articles and posts that mention the two words "Google" and "penalty" in the same sentence!\\So many webmasters are walking on eggshells these days when it comes to Google, and it just doesn't ...


Ask Jeeves and Lycos Enter the Search Engine Optimization Field Ask Jeeves and Lycos Enter the Search Engine Optimization Field\\In a highly surprising move, two well known smaller search engines have entered the organic search engine optimization market!  Ask Jeeves and Lycos are both offering services in a sector has traditionally maintained a symbiotic but arm's-length relationship with search ...


Ask Jeeves Asks Googles AdWords Ask Jeeves Asks Google's AdWords\\Have you ever spoke with an expert in a field and asked them a question about a topic they should have the answer to, but they respond that they need to ask someone else? Well, what about Ask Jeeves? You do a search at Ask Jeeves, ...


MSN Search Beta Not Ranking MSN Search Blog MSN Search Beta Not Ranking MSN Search Blog\\Ok, I lied in the title of the thread (original title was "penalizing MSN Search Blog"), but it did get you to click over from your RSS feed aggregator, didn't it? ;) But there is some truth to this title, MSN Search Beta ...


Mozilla Firefox Internet Browser Market Share Gains to 7.4 Mozilla Firefox Internet Browser Market Share Gains to 7.4\\The latest survey from OneStat.com shows what was expected. Firefox is gaining on Internet Explorer and pretty rapidly. As per the reports, Mozilla Foundation has taken a 7.4 market share gaining more than 5 since May. Microsoft rsquo;s Internet Explorer has dropped down ...


Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese Sells on eBay for \$28,000 Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese Sells on eBay for \$28,000\\Remember the Virgin Mary grilled cheese sandwich that was put up on eBay and hit bids up to \$16,000 last week. Well, the bidding in finally done on the miracle hot lunch and the final bid on the blessed sandwich came in ...


News: Poison applet peril affects IE, Opera and Firefox A vulnerability in a Java plug-in from Sun Microsystems used by most web browsers poses a risk for users of IE and alternative browsers alike.


News: Career database 'wide open' to hijacking An on-line database containing the career and contact details of over 22 million business people can be edited by anyone.


Airlines Cough Up Passenger Data After initial complaints about the government order, U.S. airlines finally comply, turning over a massive amount of information about travelers so the feds can test a screening system. By Ryan Singel.


Playing the Touching Game Its touch panel makes the Nintendo DS a unique and fun gadget, although the system and the current crop of games don't use it to its fullest. By Chris Kohler.


Newspapers Should Really Worry It's no secret that the internet threatens the newspaper business. But there's increasing evidence that young people are dumping print in favor of screens at a faster clip than anyone suspected. Commentary by Adam L. Penenberg.


Dive! Dive! Dive! Next fall, a team will venture to the Mariana Trench to drop a remotely operated camera system 7 miles down to the bottom of the deepest spot on Earth. Here are some milestones on the voyage to the bottom of the sea. By Michael Menduno from Wired magazine.


The Drive to Discover The need to push our boundaries is in our DNA. We can't afford not to go to Mars -- or anyplace else, for that matter. By James Cameron for Wired magazine.


Database Flawed, Not Malevolent Although Florida election officials are chastized for being lax in monitoring the company that built a lousy database for tracking felons and dead voters, an internal audit concludes that there was no intent to disenfranchise anyone.


Retailers Hope to Lure Shoppers Into Malls (AP) AP - The nation's retailers are hoping furry ponchos, fur-lined flip-flops, and sweater sets adorned with multiple broaches will excite shoppers this holiday season and lure them into stores and malls earlier than in previous years.


Falluja Rebels Had Enough Arms to Rule Iraq -U.S. (Reuters) Reuters - Arab militants and\insurgents who ruled the volatile city of Falluja before a\U.S.-led offensive this month had enough weapons to take over\all of Iraq, Marine officers said on Wednesday.


US consumer confidence falls short in November US consumer sentiment improved at a slower pace than expected in November despite an improving labour market and easing energy prices.


Cavaliers Activate Forward Luke Jackson (AP) AP - Cavaliers forward Luke Jackson was activated Wednesday after missing five games because of tendinitis in his right knee. Cleveland also placed forward Sasha Pavlovic on the injured list.


Cassini captures Tethys in all her glory In a portrait of perfect composition, Saturns moon Tethys has been captured hanging suspended in space just below the planets horizon.


AMD #39;s Mobile Sempron Takes On Intel AMD #39;s latest Mobile AMD Sempron 3000 is set to go head to head with Intel #39;s high-end Centrino CPUs. The AMD processor offers Enhanced Virus Protection designed to prevent the spread of malicious viruses when


Add-ons Extend Firefox Growth The recent success of the Firefox movement -- thousands of volunteers spreading the Gospel of Mozilla to every corner of the Internet -- is spawning a new kind of growth.


Rafter dies in Grand Canyon National Park GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. - A 62-year-old man from Phoenix died after his boat overturned on the Colorado River, a Grand Canyon spokeswoman said Wednesday.


The sun sets on the VCR The likely death of the video recorder - as reflected in the decision of Dixons not to stock them any more because of the popularity of DVDs - will come as a post-dated relief for millions of adults who claimed never to be able to programme them in the


Report Shows Uptick in Automated Phishing eBay, PayPal, Microsoft and others -- is increasing. The report gave greater focus to the server side of


Ryanair, easyJet expand flights to Italy after Volare bankruptcy (AFP) AFP - Ryanair and easyJet both announced plans to expand in the Italian market following the collapse of the low-cost airline Volare, which has declared insolvency and suspended flights and ticket sales.


Davidson #39;s F1 test with Williams in limbo According to some reports, Honda are prepared to put their foot down on Davidson #39;s planned outing with the rival F1 team next month in Jerez, Spain.


Freed UN hostages meet Karzai, prepare to head home (AFP) AFP - Three UN workers freed after almost four weeks in captivity in Afghanistan met President Hamid Karzai and said freedom felt "wonderful" as the first of them flew home for a reunion with his family.


Deputy Director: CIA Not 'Dysfunctional' (AP) AP - Countering severe criticism of the CIA, the agency's departing deputy director called for an end to the "tirades and hyperbole" that he said are hampering constructive debate about needed intelligence reform.


Israel offers UK key peace role The UK can play a "key role" in helping Israel and the Palestinians achieve peace, Israel's Foreign Minister says.


Roethlisberger, Vilma See Early Successes (AP) AP - Rookie quarterbacks don't have immediate success in the NFL. Neither do first-year middle linebackers. The positions simply are too complicated and too critical, and coaches won't trust them to the novice.


No cherries at Pak PMs breakfast The accent betrays his days as a banker in New York. The subject of his opening comments-the possibilities on trade, South Asias poor record on human development despite its rich human potential, etc sounds almost like Manmohan Singh.


US sweeps Iraqi Sunni  #39;hotspots #39; More than 5,000 US-led forces are sweeping through lawless hotspots in an area south of Baghdad known as Iraq #39;s  quot;triangle of death quot;.


Sirius Shares Fall on Analyst Downgrade Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. slipped more than 10 percent in Wednesday trading after a J.P. Morgan analyst downgraded the stock and told investors to take profits following a three-month run-up.


Update 1: Judge Won #39;t Approve PeopleSoft Settlement A proposal to settle a lawsuit brought last year by shareholders of PeopleSoft Inc. failed to clear court Wednesday after a judge found it unfairly cut off their right to sue over the company #39;s resistance to a takeover by Oracle Corp.


Cingular To Cut Jobs By 10 The CEO of Cingular acknowledged earlier this week that it expects to cut up to 10 percent of its 68,000-person workforce in the next year and a half.


Report: Time Warner Near Deal With SEC There #39;s a report that the Securities and Exchange Commission and Time Warner are close to a settlement over accounting questions at the media giant #39;s America Online unit.


Nortel attempts to calm fears of possible stock delisting Nortel Networks Ltd. said both the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange are not considering delisting the company as yet.


Ryanair, easyJet expand flights to Italy after Volare bankruptcy LONDON (AFP) - Ryanair and easyJet both announced plans to expand in the Italian market following the collapse of the low-cost airline Volare, which has declared insolvency and suspended flights and ticket sales.


Nets' Jefferson Helps Handicapped Girl (AP) AP - Richard Jefferson hasn't forgotten the lessons taught by his missionary parents. A couple of hours before a brawl between Indiana and Detroit gave the NBA a black eye last week, Jefferson quietly showed the charitable side of the league's players.


Casino pays \$28,000 for Holy toast An internet casino has purchased a grilled cheese sandwich on eBay that bears the image of the Virgin Mary. Despite being 10 years old and having one bite taken out of it, the slice of Heaven has, perhaps miraculously, stayed free of mould.


Microsoft Offers Olive Branch to XP Counterfeit Users Microsoft Corp. is offering an olive branch to users of pirated versions of the Windows XP operating system. The software giant on Wednesday unveiled the Windows XP Counterfeit Project in the UK, offering


Pockmarked face of Saturn #39;s icy moon The Cassini spacecraft has returned the best-ever view of the icy Tethys, one of the moons of Saturn, depicting its battered 1060km-diameter surface in this photograph released by Nasa.


IBM signs 100 software vendors to Workplace platform NOVEMBER 24, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - IBM yesterday announced that 100 independent software vendors have signed on to use software from its Workplace initiative, a new client computing model that gives employees a single way to access, share and manage


Magnetic Beaks Help Birds Navigate, Study Says The findings add to the debate over whether pigeons and other birds chart their flight paths by using a magnetic sense or by following scent clues in the atmosphere.


AMD #39;s Mobile Sempron Chips Away at Centrino The AMD processor, which is designed to compete with Intel #39;s high-end Centrino chips, offers extra protection against the spread of malicious viruses when enabled by Microsoft Windows XP SP2.


Mozilla Firefox Internet Browser Market Share Gains to 7.4 The latest survey from OneStat.com shows what was expected. Firefox is gaining on Internet Explorer and pretty rapidly. As per the reports, Mozilla Foundation has taken a 7.4 market share gaining more than 5 since May.


Arctic Council shies from warming recommendations Faced with fresh evidence of rapid warming at the top of the globe, members of the Arctic Council on Wednesday shied from making any commitments to combat the problem.


Grand Canyon torrent begins GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK - Scientists flooded the Grand Canyon yesterday to restore beaches and save fish and plants that have been disappearing since sediment-free water began flowing from a dam 40 years ago.


Many underage boys have little trouble buying M-rated games The Minneapolis-based National Institute on Media and the Family has just released its annual video game report card in Washington.


Jaguar workers to vote on strike action, stage protest (AFP) AFP - Thousands of Jaguar car workers will begin voting next week on strike action over plans to halt production at a British plant with the loss of over 1,000 jobs, union leaders said.


New Mexico State Fires Coach Tony Samuel (AP) AP - New Mexico State coach Tony Samuel was fired Wednesday after leading the Aggies to just two winning seasons in eight years.


New Computer Associates CEO to Get Bonus (AP) AP - Computer Associates International Inc., a business software company embroiled in an accounting scandal, is giving its new chief executive, John Swainson, a pay package that totals more than  #36;8.6 million in salary, signing bonuses and stock.


NBA #39;s Stern is self-serving  quot;It is too difficult to think nobly when one thinks only of earning a living. quot;. In the wake of one of the more violent incidents in National Basketball Association


Champions League: Bayern beats Maccabi Tel Aviv 5-1 to advance Bayern Munich booked a place in the second round of the Champions League by strolling past Maccabi Tel Aviv 5-1 on Tuesday. Claudio Pizarro, Hasan Salihamidzic and Torsten Frings scored in a first half dominated by Bayern.


ICC monitoring developments as England stay in SAfrica The International Cricket Council (ICC) is continuing to monitor developments over England #39;s tour of Zimbabwe after the players were told on Wednesday to stay in South Africa overnight.


Cricket: Black Caps offered help from Greg Chappell ADELAIDE - New Zealand cricket coach John Bracewell has not ruled out tapping the knowledge of former Australian captain Greg Chappell as the tourists plot to avoid a repeat of their first test humiliation.


Jim Tracy to Return As Dodgers Manager LOS ANGELES - Dodgers manager Jim Tracy agreed Wednesday to a two-year contract after leading Los Angeles to its first postseason appearance in eight years.


Rangers Fans Unhappy With O #39;Neill Rangers fans have reacted angrily to suggestions from the Celtic manager Martin ONeill that his midfielder Neil Lennon was the victim of sectarian and racial abuse during the Old Firm game at the weekend.


Air-India Plans to Buy 50 New Aircraft (AP) AP - The board of national carrier Air-India on Wednesday approved the purchase of 50 new aircraft as part of an ambitious expansion program, an airline spokesman said Wednesday.


Musharraf formula not for India: Aziz India News New Delhi, Nov 24 Giving a decent burial to Gen Pervez Musharraf #39;s controversial seven-region formula on Kashmir, India and Pakistan today decided to operationalise the much talked about Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service as early as possible and hold the


Blast kills two US soldiers in Afghanistan Two US soldiers were killed and one wounded on Wednesday in a blast caused by an improvised bomb while they were on patrol in central Afghanistan, the US military said.


Paisley Sincere About Deal with Republicans - Ahern Irish premier Bertie Ahern said tonight he was confident the Rev Ian Paisley was sincere about striking a deal with republicans. He said he could understand the rationale behind the Democratic


French action in Ivory Coast a mistake, says Kadhafi PARIS, Nov 24 (AFP) - France #39;s military intervention in Ivory Coast was a mistake, Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi said Wednesday in an interview published ahead of President Jacques Chirac #39;s visit to Tripoli.


Laser Technique Used to Treat Bad Breath (Reuters) Reuters - If brushing and mouthwash don't improve\bad breath, an Israeli scientist may have the solution -- laser\treatment.


Ukraine opposition calls strike Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko calls for a general strike as he rejects the presidential poll result.


Aziz Says Pakistan Wants Peace With India (AP) AP - Insisting it was time for peace between Pakistan and India, Pakistan's prime minister said Wednesday that the two nuclear-armed rivals had the chance to "prove the pundits of gloom and doom wrong."


Brazil Says Gets UN Go-Ahead for Uranium Enrichment

 BRASILIA, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil said on Wednesday itgot a go-ahead from the U.N. nuclear watchdog to crank up itsuranium enrichment plant this year after months of negotiationsover access for nonproliferation inspectors.


Brazil Says Gets UN Go-Ahead for Uranium Enrichment

 RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil's uraniumenrichment plant in Resende will start working before the endof the year after getting a go-ahead from the United Nations'nuclear watchdog, the country's Science and Technology Ministersaid on Wednesday.


Sirius Shares Fall on Analyst Downgrade Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. slipped more than 10 percent in Wednesday trading after a JP Morgan analyst downgraded the stock and told investors to take profits following a three-month run-up.


#39;Skulls #39; Virus Disables Smartphone Apps A malicious code dubbed  quot;Skulls quot; was launched from Web sites that offered phone users downloads of wallpaper, games and ring tones.


S.C. Assistants Asked to Stay on Staff (AP) AP - Three of Lou Holtz's assistant coaches will remain at South Carolina under new coach Steve Spurrier, though their assignments may change.


AN INDIAN JOURNEY Kanpur: Thankfully not a metropolis One thing you learn over the years is how Indian spectators love to get involved, even when the match is as dead as this one. It places them in a unique position and the pity is that a game that offered so much turned out the way it did.


Explosion kills 2 US soldiers in southern Afghanistan A bomb exploded near a US patrol in southern Afghanistan Wednesday, killing two American soldiers and wounding another, the military said.


Phishing on the increase, group says Online phishing schemes increased significantly in October as financial institutions struggled to combat attempts to steal private account information from online consumers, according to the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG).


SAP expands offshore to cater to growth markets BANGALORE, INDIA - SAPplans to more than double the number of staff at its software development centers in Bangalore, India, and Shanghai by 2006, and is also considering setting up a new development center in Eastern Europe, according to a company executive.


Judge backs PeopleSoft shareholders A PROPOSAL to settle a lawsuit brought last year by PeopleSoft shareholders has failed to clear court, after a judge found it unfairly cut off their right to sue over the company #39;s resistance to a takeover by Oracle.


Recording companies sign deal to sell songs over new file-sharing <b>...</b> Three major recording companies have agreed to make their music available to be shared and sold over a new online file-swapping service that aims to lure music fans away from rival


Sony TV, China Film Unveil Joint Venture The television unit of Japan #39;s Sony Corp and a division of China Film Group on Wednesday unveiled a joint venture to make Chinese language TV shows under a new Chinese law that allows such co-ventures.


Boyd Gaming Buys Land Next to Stardust Las Vegas Boyd Gaming has acquired 13 acres adjacent to the southwest side of its Stardust Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, the casino operator said in a regulatory filing.


ArvinMeritor Sells Coil Coating Unit Auto and Truck component supplier ArvinMeritor Inc. on Wednesday said it sold its Roll Coater Inc. coil coating unit for about \$162.5 million to an affiliate of private equity firm Willis Stein  amp; Partners.


US Travelers Face Weather Delays on Holiday Journey (Update3) Travelers faced weather delays across the US as they took to the highways and airways today to begin what industry experts say will be the biggest Thanksgiving travel weekend since 2000.


Toy Safety More than 200,000 children were injured by last year by their own toys according to Texas Public Interest Research Group. The group says there #39;s more to toys than meets the eye.


BoC says US dollar pulled down by deficits, rates The US fiscal and current account deficits, and low interest rates, are driving the greenback down against other currencies but it is difficult to predict how fast and far it will go, Bank of Canada Governor David Dodge said on


Judge Blocks MPAA #39;s Mass Suits A week after members of the Motion Picture Association of America filed 11 lawsuits against hundreds of people they accused of using file-sharing networks to share copies of movies, a US District Court judge found the process improper and ordered the


Huntsman Files for \$1.6 Billion IPO Huntsman Corp., one of the world #39;s largest chemical makers, on Wednesday said it plans to sell about \$1.6 billion of its common shares in an initial public offering, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


Online casino pays 28 grand for  #39;religious icon #39; grilled cheese Today, they forked over more than 28-thousand dollars for half a grilled cheese sandwich that #39;s more than ten years old. The seller claims it bears the image of the Virgin Mary.


JFK Reloaded Game Causes Controversy Game invites users to play the role of JFK #39;s assassin, causing some observers to wonder whether video games have gone too far.


Response to Arctic climate report a modest victory <b>...</b> In a move environmentalists call a modest victory, the world #39;s eight Arctic nations, including the United States, have agreed that climate change is threatening northern ecosystems and greenhouse gases must be limited.


Microsoft proposes piracy amnesty com November 24, 2004, 2:29 PM PT. This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been enterprise directories for several months, but for many IT managers, ERP (enterprise resource planning) and open source initiatives are on the horizon.


Intel Helps Asian PC Partners Ship With Linux Intel, seeing growing demand for Linux desktop systems in the Asia-Pacific region, is stepping up its outreach efforts to channel partners.


Mozilla #39;s share is rising The latest web browser usage survey shows Mozilla #39;s share is rising at the expense of Internet Explorer. The browser has increased its market share to 7.4 percent, from 2.1 percent in May.


Video Game Report Card Helps Parents Goal is to assist moms and dads in buying family-friendly entertainment for their kids. Video games are a popular item on the Christmas wish lists of kids, which


Apple Deepens Sony #39;s Woes as Cute #39; iPod Takes Off in Japan Juliana Sasaki didn #39;t bother checking out Sony Corp. #39;s digital music player in Tokyo before buying her green iPod mini. I knew Sony and other companies had MP3 players, but they can


Phishing on the increase Online phishing schemes increased significantly in October as financial institutions struggled to combat attempts to steal private account information from online consumers, according to the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG).


Milan, Barcelona, PSV reach last 16 while Gunners have two sent <b>...</b> AC Milan, Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven advanced Wednesday night to the second round of the European Champions League, but Arsenal had two players ejected and played its fourth straight tie.


Smith Denies Quitting Pompey It had been thought the clubs assistant manager had handed in his resignation earlier today when boss Harry Redknapp announced he was quitting the south coast club.


Russia, France 2-0 up Russia and France are on track for a meeting in the Fed Cup final in Moscow after both teams took 2-0 leads following the first day of their respective semi-finals.


Redmond joins Twins Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - The Minnesota Twins announced Wednesday that the club has reached an agreement with free-agent catcher Mike Redmond on a two-year contract.


Dean Scores 30 Points to Lead Louisville Over Stanford MAUI, Hawaii (Sports Network) - Taquan Dean poured in a game-high 30 points and Francisco Garcia added 16 points to lead 12th-ranked Louisville over Stanford, 82-67, in the fifth place game of the Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center.


SC Assistants Asked to Stay on Staff South Carolina #39;s new football coach Steve Spurrier gestures during a news conference Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2004, at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain).


Rematch Doesn't Necessarily Mean Repeat Like the Jets-Chargers matchup, all of the weekend's N.F.L. wild-card playoff games feature one intriguing theme: You again?


US, Iraqi forces press raids south of Baghdad BAGHDAD - Thousands of US troops and Iraqi forces pursued a campaign of raids on suspected guerrilla bases in Sunni Muslim towns and villages south of Baghdad on Wednesday, the US military said.


Dolphins save schoolgirls The bottlenose dolphins formed a protective shield around Niccy Howes, 15, and her friends, reports the Sun. The girls thought the dolphins were playing as they swam round them in tight circles, thrashing their tails near a New Zealand beach.


UN Mission Warns Rwanda On Its Threat to Strike Rebels in DR of <b>...</b> The United Nations today called on Rwanda to respect international law following its threat to strike against rebels based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), warning that the UN mission #39;s mandate in the DRC includes preventing the peace


Unlocking Value at Altria Plus, talking turkey with Hormel, a peek into toyland, and Sirius demonic possession.


Maytag Stuck in Spin Cycle The appliance maker freezes pay and asks workers to quit, but rewards its executives with stock options.


An Entertaining Holiday Pick Hastings, a multimedia retailer, trims losses and raises full-year guidance.


Investor, Check Your Sources Robust research doesn't guarantee success, but Pedro Zuloaga insists it stacks your odds.


Congress Passes Stop-Gap Measure to Fund Government (Reuters) Reuters - The U.S. Congress was forced to pass\a temporary measure keeping the government open on Wednesday\after one embarrassing clause allowing lawmakers to see\individual tax returns held up a crucial  #36;388 billion spending\bill.


FDA Whistleblower Earns Kudos, Criticism (AP) AP - David Graham says he was surprised by the reception he got back at his Food and Drug Administration office after telling Congress the government had allowed unsafe drugs to remain on the market.


In pockets of Fallujah, US troops still face harsh battles Just four insurgents tied down a Marine company for hours in a nighttime battle.


Sex charges haunt UN forces In places like Congo and Kosovo, peacekeepers have been accused of abusing the people they're protecting.


Israeli army under fire after killing girl A video aired on Israeli TV, with the audio portion revealing defense forces shooting a 13-year-old girl in Gaza.


UK honour for director Zeffirelli Film-maker Franco Zeffirelli is the first Italian citizen to receive an honorary knighthood from Britain.


Football: Nine-man Arsenal draw Lauren and Patrick Vieira are sent off as Arsenal draw against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.


Microsoft, Sun to talk about cooperation Microsoft and Sun Microsystems on December 1 will deliver a joint update on their collaborations pursuant to an April 2004 technology-sharing agreement to boost interoperability between the two vendors products, according to a Microsoft representative on Wednesday.


A's Want Kendall Three-time All-Star catcher Jason Kendall has waved a no-trade that could send him from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Oakland Athletics.


JFK Reloaded Game Causes Controversy Game invites users to play the role of JFK's assassin, causing some observers to wonder whether video games have gone too far.


U.S. and 7 Countries Weigh New Findings on Arctic Climate The nations expressed concern about climate change but did not agree on a common strategy for curbing emissions.


Pacers Holding Tough After Suspensions (AP) AP - Immediately after Jamaal Tinsley made a layup in the third quarter that got the Indiana Pacers rolling to an improbable win over Boston, he raised his hand and extended three fingers.


No. 12 Louisville Drops Stanford 82-67 (AP) AP - Taquan Dean scored 30 points and No. 12 Louisville beat Stanford 82-67 Wednesday in the fifth-place game of the Maui Invitational, the Cardinals' first win this season over a Division I team.


NHLPA to Begin Lockout Pay to Players (AP) AP - The NHL players' association will begin issuing lockout pay to more than 730 players. Payments will start this month, and players will get  #36;10,000 each for November and another  #36;10,000 for December, with subsequent monthly payments varying between  #36;5,000 or  #36;10,000, The Canadian Press reported.


Pitt Looks to Upset No. 21 West Virginia (AP) AP - Maybe Pittsburgh has finally discovered how to wear down playmaking West Virginia quarterback Rasheed Marshall: Tire him out before the game.


Fenerbahce to the UEFA cup, Manchester and Lyon to 2nd Round The yellow Canaries rose to six points by defeating the Czech champions for the second time by the same score as they had defeated them in the first leg in Istanbul.


Federer Names Roche as Part-Time Coach  DOHA (Reuters) - World number one Roger Federer made a  surprise announcement Tuesday when he revealed that Australian  Tony Roche will be his new coach on a part-time basis.


Regulators Seek Information From 2 Firms (AP) AP - American Funds and Edward Jones  amp; Co. are among the financial firms that regulators are requesting information from in a sweeping examination into sales and disclosure of 529 college-savings plans.


Toys R Us Wants to Prevent Piecemeal Sale (Reuters) Reuters - Toys R Us Inc. , which is\selling its toy business, will "strongly discourage" suitors\from trying to buy only the choicest parts of the company when\they submit a second round of bids after the holidays, sources\familiar with the situation said on Wednesday.


U.S. Dollar Dips to New Low Against Euro The U.S. dollar slid to a new low Wednesday against the euro, which rose to an all-time high of \$1.3179 in late New York trading, breaking a day-old record as jittery markets kept up pressure on the U.S. currency.


Oil Prices Slip After Weekly U.S. Energy Report Crude oil futures rose Wednesday ahead of an extended weekend for traders, even though weekly government data showed rising domestic inventories of crude and distillate fuel, which includes heating oil.


Judge: MCI May Have Violated Court Order on Certain Fees A federal judge in Manhattan said Wednesday that MCI Inc., formerly known as WorldCom, may have violated a court order by paying more than \$25 million in professional services fees as part of its bankruptcy proceedings.


Mixed signals from Dodge on interest rates OTTAWA - David Dodge said he remained  quot;broadly comfortable quot; with the key economic assumptions underlying the current monetary policy of the Bank of Canada, which forecasts further interest rate cuts are likely over time.


Casino Forks Over \$28K for Cheese Sandwich HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - An online casino forked over \$28,000 Wednesday to the owner of a 10-year-old, partially eaten cheese sandwich thought to be embedded with the image of the Virgin Mary - and then sent the  quot;religious icon quot; on a world tour.


Civilization sold off to mystery buyer Struggling publisher Infogrames nets \$22.3 million by hocking its powerhouse strategy franchise to an as-yet unidentified company.


No discipline worries at Arsenal, says Wenger Manager Arsene Wenger denied Arsenal have a disciplinary problem after his team finished with only nine men in Wednesday #39;s 1-1 Champions League draw at PSV Eindhoven.


Fergie #39;s 1000 reasons to smile MANCHESTER United gave manager Sir Alex Ferguson the perfect gift to mark his 1000th game with the club yesterday, a 2-1 win against Lyon that sends the Red Devils into the second round of the Champions League.


Holyfield appeals medical suspension NEW YORK (AFP) - Former world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield is appealing a medical suspension imposed upon him by the New York State Athletic Commission following his loss to fellow American Larry Donald.


Annan Starts Reshuffling UN Staff for Reform Push  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi  Annan on Monday chose the high-profile British head of a key  agency as his new chief of staff, the start of a reshuffle  aimed at instituting U.N. reforms and combating scandals.


Peru Lawmakers Urge Court: Don't Free Berenson (Reuters) Reuters - The head of Peru's Congress on\Wednesday urged the region's top rights court not to order the\freedom of a New Yorker jailed for collaboration with leftist\rebels, saying it had to realize "this lady is a terrorist."


Ex-premier Bouchard still being treated for peritonitis in Montreal hospital (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - MONTREAL (CP) - Ex-premier Lucien Bouchard, recently hospitalized for peritonitis, hasn't been responding to antibiotic treatment but his life is not in danger, a hospital said Wednesday.


Iran Seeks to Loosen Some Restrictions Tehran is now demanding the right to run some key equipment for research purposes, European and Iranian officials said.


Sony Pictures TV Forms Venture With Hua Long in China (Update1) Sony Corp. #39;s Sony Pictures Television International unit says it formed a joint venture with China #39;s Hua Long Film Digital Production Co.


US and 7 Countries Weigh New Findings on Arctic Climate The United States and the seven other countries with Arctic territory today expressed concern about profound changes in the Arctic climate and said they would consider new scientific findings


Pigeons Use Magnetic Particles To Navigate Homing pigeons suddenly lost their navigational ability when magnets were attached to their beaks or if their beaks were anaesthetized, University of North Carolina researcher Cordula Mora found.


Firefox Reviewed - a browser for Microsoft haters Written by Net 4 Nowt Anyone reading technology news articles can not have failed to have read something about a new web browser currently doing the rounds.


Parents of Wal-Mart heiress give up rights to name arena after her JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. The University of Missouri #39;s new sports arena is looking for a new name. The Paige Sports Arena opened three weeks ago, named in honor of Wal-Mart heiress Elizabeth Paige Laurie and a gift to the school from her parents.


A's, Pirates Close to Trade for Kendall (AP) AP - Three-time All-Star catcher Jason Kendall was close to being traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Oakland Athletics for a pair of pitchers, a baseball official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.


US to Urge EU to Get Tough on Iran Nuclear Aims The United States will press the EU to get tough with Iran at a meeting of the UN #39;s nuclear watchdog on Thursday, urging a trigger for UN Security Council action if Tehran resumes any uranium enrichment work.


UN says Sudanese rebel leaders violating ceasefire agreement KHARTOUM - The United Nations has condemned the takeover of a town in Darfur by rebels. The UN #39;s envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk, says the assault leading to the capture violates a ceasefire agreement signed by rebel leaders.


Briton to hunt Bosnia war criminals A BRITISH general is taking over in Bosnia, where the worlds two most-wanted indicted war criminals have evaded capture for nearly a decade.


Ruling delayed in Peoplesoft case A crucial legal ruling in Oracle #39;s takeover bid for Peoplesoft has been delayed after a judge said he needs to hear further evidence in the case.


Weak US dollar could hurt growth, slow rate increases by central <b>...</b> OTTAWA (CP) - Sustained weakness in the US dollar will dampen American demand for Canadian products at the same time the global economy also appears to be slowing, Bank of Canada Governor David Dodge warned Wednesday.


United asks court to void contracts Says it needs to save an additional \$725M and also asks for pension relief; strikes loom. NEW YORK (Reuters) - The parent of United Airlines Inc.


Study Confirms Pigeon Navigation Theory Nov. 24, 2004 - Scientists believe they have confirmed theories that homing pigeons are able to carry out their long-range navigational feat thanks to tiny magnetic particles in their upper beaks.


Chimes up for Redknapp Harry Redknapp quit Portsmouth after the relationship with chairman Milan Mandaric became untenable, though the manager diplomatically said he simply felt it was time for a break.


Ruthless Bayern BAYERN Munich eased into the last 16 with a resounding 5-1 win over Maccabi Tel-Aviv this morning, as Ajax #39;s 1-0 loss to Juventus means Bayern finish runners-up in the group.


ICC would back England in vote England will avoid financial sanctions if they pull out of their tour to Zimbabwe. According to sources, the majority of Test-playing countries would back the England and Wales Cricket Board


Brewers' Deal for Damian Miller on Hold (AP) AP - Damian Miller headed home Wednesday, still waiting for the Brewers to finalize his contract. The 35-year-old Wisconsin native was in Milwaukee, hoping to be introduced as the Brewers' new starting catcher. But the club canceled its news conference after it couldn't complete its medical evaluation, the final step needed to finalize his  #36;8.75 million, three-year deal.


Earthquake shakes northern Italy An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.2 is felt across large areas of north Italy.


America Online Reports Drop in Spam America Online said that spammers were starting to give up - at least when it came to sending junk to its subscribers.


Toy Safety: Common Sense and Consumer Protection If toys are on your holiday gift list, it #39;s always great to be the one who gives the best toy. Don #39;t forget about safety. Just because a toy is on the store shelf doesn #39;t mean it #39;s safe.


Linux Server Sales Hit a New High Quarterly sales of servers running the Linux operating system topped \$1 billion for the first time during the third quarter of 2004, analyst company IDC reported Wednesday.


Auburn's Defense Might Be Tops, at Least (AP) AP - Auburn's defense, at least, made a decent case for No. 1.


Chiefs Insist They've Plenty to Play For (AP) AP - When Tony Gonzalez heard somebody on the radio say the Kansas City Chiefs had nothing left to play for, it almost made his blood boil.


Apple Sues to Halt OS X Release on Net Apple Computer has sued three software developers, contending they distributed versions of its OS X computer operating system on the Internet.


Leading Chinese TV Exporter Has Huge Loss China's biggest television exporter announced losses stemming in part from declining sales and a scandal involving its biggest U.S. customer.


Wenger Hits Out at Ref Arsene Wenger accused referee Herbert Fandel of double-standards after Arsenal battled to keep their Champions League hopes alive with nine men in Eindhoven.


Larry Brown returns to coach Pistons Pistons coach Larry Brown came back to the defending NBA champions on crutches Wednesday, returning to Detroit #39;s bench after being told by doctors it was OK to travel.


Battling Celtic bow out but Uefa Cup spot beckons CELTIC silenced their critics last night, and a fair chunk of the Nou Camp, by producing a remarkable display of defiance to dent Barcelonas omnipotence in their own backyard.


Apologies placate chairman on racism penalty DAVID GOLD, the Birmingham City chairman, initially felt that the punishment given yesterday to a Blackburn Rovers supporter who racially abused Dwight Yorke last Sunday was too lenient.


Sponsorship dispute depletes Windies line-up Brian Lara and other West Indies cricket stars are unlikely to travel to Australia for a one-day international series as a result of a controversy surrounding rival sponsors.


AS Monaco 1 - 0 Liverpool LIVERPOOL #39;S chances of reaching the next stage of the Champions League took a dent here last night when a goal from Javier Saviola just after the interval was enough to give Monaco all three points.


Holyfield bids to keep fighting Evander Holyfield is appealing against a medical suspension imposed upon him following his defeat by Larry Donald. The former world heavyweight champion was suspended by the New York State Athletic Commission


Kaizai hails UN hostages #39; release Afghan President Hamid Karzai (1st R) meets with three United Nations workers Philippine diplomat Angelito Nayan (1st L), Kosovan Shqipe Hebibi (2nd L) and Annetta Flanigan from Northern Ireland (3rd L) at the Afghan presidential palace in Kabul, Nov 24


Syria May Be Ready to Resume Peace Talks with Israel According to United Nations envoy Terje Roed-Larsen, Syrian President Bashar Assad is now willing to restart peace negotiations with Israel  #39;without pre-conditions.


Awash in Coverage, and in the Spin Cycle By now, bits and pieces of the Pacers-Pistons brawl have joined O. J.'s Bronco ride and the Zapruder film in the pantheon of numbingly overviewed news events.


Knicks Make a So-So Climb Into First Place The Atlantic Division may be mediocre, but the Knicks can claim a modest achievement early in their season - they are in first place.


EU, Japan on Hold, Awaiting WTO Green Light to Hit Back at US US questions about how Japan and the European Union would retaliate against a law that has handed more than \$750 million in customs duties to US companies stalled World Trade Organization approval of the sanctions today.


Travelers face record crowds at airports Long lines and traffic delays greeted travelers in the Washington region who were headed out of town Wednesday for Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel times of the year.


RMI Tentative Agreement Reached The thought of spending a second year in a lockout was one of the reasons why a tentative agreement was reached between RMI union officials and the companys management.


Blogs Provide Raw Details From Scene of the Disaster For vivid reporting from the enormous zone of tsunami disaster, it was hard to beat the blogs.


Retail in Review: More Bah Than Sis-Boom Analysts have offered their latest judgment of the Christmas shopping season: good, but not great, although online sales set records.


Cos. to Sell Songs on File-Share Service (AP) AP - Three major recording companies have agreed to make their music available to be shared and sold over a new online file-swapping service that aims to lure music fans away from rival services where trading of music and movies remains unfettered.


Opposition Calls for Strike in Ukraine (AP) AP - Opposition leaders called Wednesday for a nationwide strike to shut down factories, schools and transportation after officials declared Ukraine's pro-Kremlin prime minister the winner of a presidential runoff election that many countries denounced as rigged.


Iconic grilled cheese whips us Net frenzy  2004-11-24  Diana Duyser will soon become \$28,000 richer, courtesy her 10-year-old sandwich. It #39;s no ordinary sandwitch, though.


Microsoft Will Replace Fake Copies of XP UK users will be able to replace pirated versions of Windows that they have purchased. Software pirates #39; increasing skill at creating counterfeit versions of Windows XP has prompted Microsoft to introduce


IBM Signs Up 100 Vendors for  #39;Workplace #39; IBM said the strategy is to enable companies to centrally manage business applications and tools across employee devices. That should help companies cut IT support costs as well as build work


Ch. League: Milan, Barca, power through AC Milan and Barcelona joined the other powerhouses in the second round of the Champions League on Wednesday while Arsenal had two players sent off in a fourth tie in a row and still isn #39;t there yet.


Roundup: It #39;s consolation time on Maui Freshman guard Daniel Gibson scored 19 points and started Texas #39; run of second-half 3-pointers Wednesday, leading the Longhorns to a 95-70 victory over Tennessee in the third-place game of the Maui Invitational.


Miller acquisition put on hold Damian Miller #39;s first chance to don a Brewers cap was put indefinitely on hold late Wednesday, when the team announced it could not complete the 35-year-old #39;s physical before the Thanksgiving holiday.


Cyber Cops Say 'Tis the Season to Be Wary (Reuters) Reuters - As the holiday shopping season\ramps up, cyber cops warned on Wednesday that online fraudsters\are working over time.


Iran seeks to exclude uranium enrichment Iran has been seeking to exclude some uranium enrichment experiments from a nuclear freeze it agreed with three European governments this month, western diplomats said on Wednesday.


Intel Touts Linux over Windows in Asia (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Intel has launched an effort to make it easier for the company's Chinese and Indian customers to build and buy desktop computers that run Linux rather than Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Windows software.


Paisley hints at movement on IRA The hardline Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley yesterday suggested that if the IRA decommissioned its weapons and wound up its criminal activity, it could be allowed to continue as  quot;an old boys #39; association quot;.


Dolphins Shield Swimmers From Shark A pod of dolphins saved a group of swimmers from a predatory 10-foot great white shark off the northern New Zealand coast, a newspaper reported Tuesday.


Cingular To Cut 10 Percent of Workforce (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Cingular Wireless has said it plans to cut at least 10 percent of its workforce -- some 7,000 jobs -- over the next year and a half.


Firefox Erodes IE Market Share (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) domination of the Web browser market is falling as consumers opt for open-source software from the Mozilla Foundation, according to a survey.


Report: Dell Passes Sun in Server Sales (AP) AP - Computer giant Dell Inc.'s server sales rose in the third quarter, overtaking Sun Microsystems Inc. for the No. 3 position, according to a Gartner Inc. research report released Wednesday.


Stocks Close Higher Before Holiday (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. stocks closed higher on\Wednesday, with technology stocks Google Inc.  and\Apple Computer Inc.  leading the way in quiet trading\as Wall Street wound down for Thanksgiving.


Global Warming Fight to Get Harder from 2012 -U.N (Reuters) Reuters - Fighting global warming will get\tougher once the Kyoto protocol ends in 2012 and the world must\try to get Washington involved in the long term, the head of\the U.N. Environment Program said on Wednesday.


Ancel Keys, Who Found Source of Heart Disease, Dies (Reuters) Reuters - Ancel Keys, a pioneer in public health\best known for identifying the connection between a\cholesterol-rich diet and heart disease, has died.


Group Passes on Addressing Global Warming (AP) AP - Although faced with fresh evidence of global warming, the United States and other members the Arctic Council on Wednesday failed to make any recommendations to combat a problem most scientists say is causing sea ice to melt and temperatures to rise.


Paul Martin Pushes For New World Forum Canada's Prime Minister Paul Martin, while attending the APEC Summit in Santiago, Chile, tried to garner support among world leaders for his idea of instantiating a new world forum, a so-called L-20 group of leaders, consisting of the G-8 countries and the leaders of about 12 other emerging economic powers like India, China, Brazil and South Korea.  As The Toronto Star reported, the animated Prime Minister Martin literally had to be yanked away by his own handlers after describing in urgent tones the need for United Nations reform and for a new forum of world leaders that he wants to create. He bemoaned Sudanese being slaughtered while the UN dithers, he interrupted several questions from reporters to elaborate further, and Saturday he waved off an aide who tried cutting off a press conference.


Reciprocal Links Are Not Evil Reciprocal Links Are Not Evil\\I will repeat, reciprocal links are not evil. All this discussion in the forums about how people only want one-way links because they heard reciprocal links are bad and can get you kicked out of the search engines is taken way out of proportion. One example ...


Creative Commons Search Engine Integrated into Firefox 1.0 Creative Commons Search Engine Integrated into Firefox 1.0\\Creative Commons today unveiled an updated beta version of its search engine, which scours the web for text, images, audio, and video free to re-use on certain terms a search refinement offered by no other company or organization today. Creative Commons rsquo; announcement coincides ...


ADV: BLT Roll-Out Garage Flooring Better Life Technology has created unique garage flooring which beautifies in minutes and protects floors for years. Sizes 10 #39; wide are available. Prevents concrete stains and deterioration.


News: DIY fingerprint idea thwarts ID thieves The Home Office is touting ID cards as a solution to ID theft in today's Queen's Speech but a Yorkshire man has taken matters into his own hands.


Waving Hello, From a Distance Videoconferencing tools are increasingly making their way not just into the office but into the home, adding a dimension to long-distance visits with relatives and friends.


Camcorders Finally Find Hard Drives JVC is introducing two camcorders that abandon tape and discs altogether, recording onto removable hard drives.


The Cordless Phone Tries to Catch Up to Its Cool Cousin A cordless phone borrows a trick from its cellular cousins, shrinking toward the vanishing point.


Blow a Fuse, Computer Chip, and Heal Thyself Semiconductor chips that can manage a good bit of their own upkeep are moving closer to reality.


Our Smiles Are in the Mail If the holiday cards you send include a family photo, a growing number of sites can help design and produce them.


P2P Music Upstart Signs On the Big Boys A new online music service, Peer Impact, has signed deals with three major music labels -- Sony BMG, Universal and Warner. What sets Peer Impact apart is its use of a peer-to-peer distribution


MTFG, UFJ post declines in first half Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group Inc. announced Wednesday its group net profit fell 43.1 percent in the fiscal first half from a year earlier to 171.7 billion yen, while merger partner UFJ