Euro continues surge against US dollar, hitting new high of <b>...</b> The dollar plunged to a new low against the euro Thursday, which hit \$1.3074 US in a rise that has been fuelled by nagging concerns about high oil prices and Washington #39;s trade and budget deficits.


UC Regents fail  quot;Multi-racial quot; action The University of California Board of Regents opted against Regent Ward Connerly #39;s proposal to adopt a multi-racial check box option on admissions applications at its Wednesday meeting at UCLA.


Chirac in London for Entente Cordiale talks Tony Blair is set to hold Entente Cordiale talks with Jacques Chirac, the French president, in London today. The talks, to mark 100 years of the relationship, are likely to be tense with regards to relations with America and the war in Iraq.


UN appeals for release of workers in Afghanistan The United Nations again appealed for the safe return of three of its workers held hostage in Afghanistan on Thursday, three weeks after they were snatched from their car on a busy street in central Kabul.


Rebels Attack Governor's Office in Iraqi City (Reuters) Reuters - Rebels attacked the provincial\governor's office in Iraq's third city of Mosul on Thursday,\killing one of his bodyguards and wounding four more, the U.S.\military said.


Nitties grabs one-stroke lead in Australian PGA Rookie professional James Nitties fired a two-under-par 70 on Saturday to snatch a one-stroke lead ahead of American Bob Estes after the third round of the Australian PGA Championship.


Specter of inflation, led by gasoline, rising again WASHINGTON - Consumer prices in October posted their biggest increase in five months, pinching people #39;s pocketbooks at the gasoline pump and at the grocery store.


Microsoft devotes entire department to filtering spam from Gates #39; <b>...</b> The Microsoft Corp. chairman receives four million e-mails a day, but practically an entire department at the company he founded is dedicated to ensuring that nothing unwanted gets into his inbox, the company #39;s chief executive said Thursday.


Barracuda 7200.8 has 400GB capacity Seagate has launched the highest capacity PC hard disk to date. Pitched at desktop computers, the new Barracuda 7200.8 hard disk is a 7200rpm model that #39;s available with either a fast SATA or Ultra ATA interface


Lippi Praises New Boys Italy coach Marcello Lippi was happy with the performances of the newcomers after the 1-0 friendly win over Finland.  quot;This builds morale for the lads who gradually relaxed into their stride and their confidence grew as time went on, quot; he said.


Sudan govt, southern rebels pledge peace accord Sudan #39;s government and southern rebels promised on Thursday to complete a peace accord as soon as possible to end a 21-year-old civil war and resolve reconciliation efforts dogged by innumerable delays.


Vote due on new Europe Commission The European Parliament was expected to endorse the 24-member European Union executive Thursday after new European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso moved to solve the legislature #39;s objections to his lineup.


Solanki innings a pure delight Only a demonstration which is violently dispersed and therefore provokes the abandonment of this tour, or rain, can prevent England wrapping up the one-day series 4-0 today.


Microsoft Warns Asian Governments of Linux Lawsuits  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. warned Asian  governments on Thursday they could face patent lawsuits for  using the Linux operating system instead of its Windows  software.


Reuters Up on Report Instinet Up for Sale  LONDON (Reuters) - Shares in global news and information  provider Reuters Group Plc rose to their highest level since  April after a report Thursday that the firm may sell its U.S.  electronic trading subsidiary, dealers said.


Soccer / English Premier League - No change as top four win Chelsea maintained its drive for the team #39;s first title in 50 years when it thrashed Newcastle United 4-0 at Stamford Bridge yesterday to stay five points ahead of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.


Sen. McCain calls on baseball to  #39;restore the integrity #39; Sen. John McCain demands that Major League Baseball #39;s players and owners tighten the sport #39;s drug-testing policy to  quot;restore the integrity quot; of the game.


Ofcom delivers ultimatum to BT Ofcom has challenged BT to come up with proposals for opening up its networks to competitors to help speed the growth of telecoms services including broadband - or face a possible Competition Commission investigation.


Update 7: Sagging Dollar Hits New Low Against Euro The sagging US dollar plunged to a new low Thursday against the euro, which hit US\$1.3074 in a surge that has been fueled by nagging concerns about high oil prices and the US trade and budget deficits.


Royal Mail posts daily 1m profit The Royal Mail today said it was on course for recovery, revealing it was making 1m a day after having lost 1m a day two years ago.


Crematory operator to get 12 years Ray Brent Marsh, who is to enter the plea Friday, had faced up to 8,000 years in a case that shocked the nation two years ago when investigators found hundreds of rotting corpses stacked in storage sheds and scattered in woods outside his rural northwest


Dexia Says It #39;s in Talks With Italy #39;s Sanpaolo IMI (Update3) Dexia SA, Belgium #39;s second-largest financial-services company, is in discussions about a potential partnership with Sanpaolo IMI SpA, Italy #39;s No.


Ads to pop up when TiVo users scan past commercials (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Beginning in March, a static pop-up ad, or "billboard," will spring up as TiVo users skip through an ad - perhaps a logo for an advertiser, plus a message encouraging viewers to check out a new car or enter a contest.


Unlike apes, humans were born to run, study says There #39;s a new storm in the ranks of anthropologists who try to understand the long and puzzling history of human evolution by studying fossil evidence from millions of years ago.


Google for the scholarly community The Internet search giant Google Inc. on late Wednesday unveiled Google Scholar, its next service aimed at listing scholarly literature such as theses, books and technical reports that appears to be most relevant to a search request.


Seagate ships 400Gb drive Hard drive manufacturer Seagate Technology is now shipping what it claims is the world #39;s largest capacity hard drive holding a whopping 400Gb.


New Mexico gov. urges UC to bid on Los Alamos If University of California regents listen to a former energy secretary and top Democratic politician, they will fight hard to keep running the birthplace of the bomb -- and leave to others


Microsoft issues warning about Linux lawsuits Microsoft has warned Asian governments they could face patent lawsuits for using the Linux operating system instead of its Windows software.


UC regents vote down plan for  #39;multiracial #39; category day shot down a proposal to create a  quot;multiracial quot; box on freshman application forms -- a plan suggested by Regent Ward Connerly that quickly became a flashpoint in lingering debates over affirmative action.


Cisco Pays \$16M To Acquire Network Management Firm RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK - Cisco Systems is acquiring a California-based network management appliance developer for approximately \$16 million in cash.


Kasprowicz shines as Aussies dominate first day At stumps on Day One of the first Test match at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia are poised to bowl their Kiwi counterparts out for a mediocre score with New Zealand at 7/250.


Brown returns to steer Pistons past Timberwolves There was an elevated chair in front of the Detroit Pistons bench for head coach Larry Brown and his still-on-the-mend left hip. It was there to provide him with added


NHL Lockout May Not Be Ending Any Time Soon Chicago An NHL lockout that #39;s already nine weeks old won #39;t end anytime soon unless owners show some willingness to negotiate, agents said after a meeting with the players #39; union.


Israel Army Mistakenly Kills Three Egyptian Soldiers Israeli troops killed three Egyptian soldiers along the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. Israel has apologized for what it says was an  quot;operational mistake quot; and has begun an investigation into the incident.


EU set to end limbo as lawmakers vote European Union (EU) lawmakers gathered Thursday for a vote widely expected to appove the bloc #39;s new executive arm, ending three weeks of institutional limbo for the expanding bloc.


Westwood takes lead in South Africa Lee Westwood led the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa Saturday with a score of 5-under-par 211 for three rounds. The British player shot a 1-under 71 for a one-shot lead over Retief Goosen of South Africa.


Overseas executives flock to UK The number of overseas executives moving to the UK has more than doubled over the past 10 years, a survey says.


Ministers promise annuity review The issue of compulsory annuities will be reviewed, the government pledges, after another defeat in the Lords over the rule.


Karachi bomb 'mastermind' quizzed Pakistani police question the alleged mastermind of a deadly bomb attack on the US consulate in Karachi in 2002.


SBC, Microsoft team up on TV over broadband (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - For SBC Communications, Wednesday's deal with Microsoft for software to deliver television programming to homes over high-speed lines is the latest broadside in the company's battle to compete with cable companies.


Reuters Up on Report Instinet Up for Sale (Reuters) Reuters - Shares in global news and information\provider Reuters Group Plc rose to their highest level since\April after a report Thursday that the firm may sell its U.S.\electronic trading subsidiary, dealers said.


SAP sets back medium-term profitability targets (AFP) AFP - SAP, the world's leading maker of business software, may need an extra year to achieve its medium-term profit target of an operating margin of 30 percent, its chief financial officer said.


Israel Releases Senior Hamas Leader (AP) AP - Israel released the top Hamas leader in the West Bank from prison on Thursday after he finished a 28-month sentence for being a member of an outlawed organization.


European Shares Flat as Euro Keeps Up Run  LONDON (Reuters) - European stock markets held near  28-month highs Thursday as investors stayed confident in the  ability of firms to continue boosting profits in the face of  the euro's extended push past \$1.30 to all-time highs.


UN warns of Afghan 'drug state' Afghanistan could become a "narco-state" after opium cultivation rose by two-thirds this year, the UN warns.


Microsoft 'warns of Linux claims' Microsoft tells Asian leaders that they could face intellectual property rights claims if they use free Linux software, a report says.


BT Group PLC Escapes Breakup Britain #39;s telecommunications regulator backed away from breaking up BT Group PLC on Thursday and instead ordered the industry giant to improve competitor access to its networks.


Attention shoppers: Kmart to buy Sears Will Martha Stewart appear in Sears? Will Craftsman tools show up at Kmart? And will Sears move out of the malls and into the home of the flashing blue light?


Bolingbrook call center to create hundreds of jobs US Cellular vows to create hundreds of jobs when it opens a new Bolingbrook call center next year in a facility vacated by a competitor.


Microsoft #39;s Gates Is World #39;s Most  #39;Spammed #39; Person E-mail users inundated with unsolicited  quot;spam quot; messages have reason to hope Microsoft Corp. will develop better tools for tackling the problem: Bill Gates is suffering more than anyone.


Linux keeper, SpikeSource CEO talk up open source Accommodating large patch sets in Linux is expected to mean forking off of the 2.7 version of the platform to accommodate these changes, according to Andrew Morton, lead maintainer of the Linux kernel for Open Source Development Labs (OSDL).


Racist taunts at England-Spain Fans taunted black players on England #39;s team Wednesday night during Spain #39;s 1-0 victory in an exhibition game. Fans at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium made monkey sounds whenever Shaun Wright-Phillips and Ashley Cole had the ball.


Russia Working on New Generation Atomic Bomb Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that they are working on a new generation of atomic bomb, which no other country has or can get.


Barroso Commission approved The European Parliament has approved Jose Manuel Barroso #39;s revamped executive European Commission by a wide margin, ending a three-week political standoff that boosted the assembly #39;s power.


Karachi bomb  #39;mastermind #39; quizzed The alleged mastermind of a deadly bomb attack outside the US consulate in Karachi two years ago has been arrested near the Pakistani city of Lahore.


Afghan Kidnappers Set Final Deadline KABUL, 16 November 2004 - Afghan captors holding three UN workers hostage in Afghanistan extended a deadline yesterday for their demands to be met, blaming the US for disrupting negotiations aimed at securing the captives release.


Israel Apologizes After Tank Kills 3 Egyptian Police  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An Israeli tank killed three Egyptian  policemen on the Gaza-Egypt border Thursday, prompting an  Israeli apology for what the army said was a tragic error when  it mistook them for Palestinian militants.


Lycos Europe removes anti-spam screensaver from website Lycos Europe, founders of the  quot;Make Love Not Spam quot; initiative, has pulled their bandwidth-targeting screensaver from the site.


MPAA files first suits against movie file-swappers The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) announced on Tuesday that it has begun filing lawsuits against people who use peer-to-peer (P2P) software to trade movie files without permission over the internet.


#39;Appalled #39; Caborn to launch protest The sports minister Richard Caborn joined Sven-Goran Eriksson and the Football Association in condemning the racist chanting that marred the friendly between Spain and England last night.


UN Security Council to Discuss Sudan UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urged the Security Council on Thursday to issue  quot;the strongest warning quot; to the forces fighting in Sudan to bring an end to the civil wars there.


Phishing Feeds Internet Black Markets (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - William Jackson never thought he would be grateful for going bankrupt.


British retailers see subdued start to Christmas period (AFP) AFP - British retail sales fell in October for the first time for three months, official figures showed, raising worries about a subdued start to the crucial Christmas trading period.


Right-Winger Fini Is New Italy Official (AP) AP - Gianfranco Fini, a right-wing leader who has turned his party from Neo-Fascist to mainstream conservative, was appointed Thursday as Italy's new foreign minister, a Cabinet minister said.


Iraq Assessments: Insurgents Not Giving Up (AP) AP - The recapture of Fallujah has not broken the insurgents' will to fight and may not pay the big dividend U.S. planners had hoped  #151; to improve security enough to hold national elections in Sunni Muslim areas of central Iraq, according to U.S. and Iraqi assessments.


Limited Brands Posts Lower Earnings (Reuters) Reuters - Limited Brands Inc.   on\Thursday posted lower third-quarter earnings, and left its\outlook for the fourth quarter and full year unchanged.


NASA's Eyes in the Sky to Help Global Conservation (Reuters) Reuters - Space agency NASA, which first put man\on the moon, will now help to map the Earth in the name of\conservation, the agency announced on Thursday.


800 cheque in post for every mail worker EVERY postal worker in the country is in line for a windfall of at least 800 after the Royal Mail announced today it was making profits of 1 million a day.


IRS looks for Arkansans due checks The Internal Revenue Service is looking for more than 600 Arkansans whose federal income tax refund checks totaling almost \$424,000 were returned to the IRS as undeliverable by the Postal Service.


One in four Californians consider moving A fourth of all Californians are thinking about moving - either out of state or just to another town - to bring down their housing costs, a new survey shows.


Greek sprinters charged over missed drugs test Disgraced Greek sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou have been charged with obstructing a dope test on the eve of August #39;s Athens Olympics and providing authorities


Israel Releases Top Hamas Member from Jail Israel freed Hamas #39;s top West Bank leader Thursday after two years in jail and he swiftly called on the Jewish state to release all Palestinian inmates as a condition for any truce.


British minister slams  #39;old-fashioned #39; Prince Charles over <b>...</b> Prince Charles is  quot;old-fashioned quot; and out of touch with Britain #39;s education system, a cabinet minister said Thursday.


Phishing Feeds Internet Black Markets Phishing is a growing form of online fraud that blends old-fashioned confidence scams with innovations in technological trickery. Today and Friday, washingtonpost.com explores the methods phishers use, how e-businesses are dealing with the problem and what phishing has done to its thousands of victims. -washingtonpost.com


Incentives Attract Jobs to Northern Virginia More than two-thirds of 11,000 new technology jobs to be created in Virginia will be in the Washington suburbs, mostly in Fairfax County, Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) said yesterday.


Running 'key to human evolution' US researchers say humans began endurance running about 2 million years ago to help hunt for prey.


Kmart to buy Sears in \$11B deal The fate of two local retail stores may not be known for months in the wake of the announcement Wednesday of the \$11 billion merger of Kmart and Sears.


Royal Mail meets some targets Royal Mail says it returned to profit at the underlying level during its first half and that it beat 7 of its 15 performance targets in the latest quarter.


Sears, Kmart Want To Call Layoffs  #39;Head Count Changes #39; NEW YORK -- Sears and K-mart say they will save \$500 million a year if their merger goes through. Some of that will be in job cuts, though the companies aren #39;t saying how many.


Enron case focuses on Lay stock sale HOUSTON, Texas - Federal authorities are investigating whether former Enron Chairman Ken Lay #39;s wife acted improperly when she had their family foundation sell large quantities of Enron stock just days before the company #39;s bankruptcy.


On the horizon About 2 million years ago, humans began to jog - perhaps to hunt animals or scavenge carcasses on the vast savannahs of Africa. And the ability to run long distances shaped our anatomy, allowing us to evolve


Yahoo!, Microsoft extend deal Web portal signs extension to provide paid searches to Microsoft as it builds its own service. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Yahoo! Inc. said Thursday it agreed to provide paid search services to Microsoft Corp.


Remote control rifle range debuts A Texas company is considering letting web users use a remote-controlled rifle to shoot down deer, antelope and wild pigs. For a small fee users will take control of a camera and rifle that they can use to


Federer waits out rain, beats Hewitt HOUSTON Top-seeded Roger Federer beat Lleyton Hewitt in straight sets in a rain-soaked second round of the ATP Masters Cup tennis championships in Houston.


Bulls still lost on road Mike Montgomery didn #39;t know what city he was in or what day it was by the time the Warriors #39; five-game road trip ended in Cleveland.


Tsunami Warning System Could Be Created (AP) AP - A tsunami warning system could be built in the Indian Ocean in just a year and cost as little as  #36;20 million, a scientist said Tuesday.


Rebels Attack Governor #39;s Office in Iraqi City Rebels attacked the provincial governor #39;s office in Iraq #39;s third city of Mosul on Thursday, killing one of his bodyguards and wounding four more, the US military said.


Israeli Troops Mistakenly Kill Three Egyptians Israeli troops killed three Egyptian policemen mistaken for Palestinian militants along the Gaza-Egypt border early Thursday, in what the army called a "professional and operational" mishap.


Golf: Woods off to flying start in bid for first Japan tour win MIYAZAKI, Japan : American superstar Tiger Woods overcame rainy conditions to hit a five-under-par 65 for a three-stroke lead in the first round of the Dunlop Phoenix golf tournament.


GOP Backs Off on Ethics Changes (Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles Times - WASHINGTON  #8212; House Republicans on Monday reversed a decision, made less than two months ago, that would have allowed Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas to remain in his leadership post if he was indicted by a grand jury in his home state.


PM visited injured BSF cosntables in base hospital. Srinagar, Nov 18 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the country was proud of the Border Security Force #39;s (BSF) performance in the Kashmir valley.


Remote control rifle range debuts Soon you will be able to hunt and shoot wild pigs and sheep via the net.


Techs Seen Heading Lower; Data on Tap  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. technology shares were expected  to open lower on Thursday, weighed down by a sales warning from  Applied Materials Inc. AMAT.O, while S P and Dow stock  futures were flat before weekly jobless claims data.


Before the Bell: Altria Rises 1.5 Percent  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Altria Group Inc. MO.N  rose 1.5 percent before the bell on Thursday.


Oil Steady as Winter Worries Stem Decline Oil prices held steady on Thursday as concern over lean heating fuel supplies in the United States and Europe ahead of winter stemmed falls of nearly \$10 since late October.


Local shoppers see the logic of Kmart-Sears deal The Dallastown resident said he #39;d wager that the \$11 billion merger of Kmart Holding Corp. and Sears, Roebuck and Co. will create a stronger retailer that is better equipped to compete with discount chains such as Wal-Mart and Target.


Spanish Glass Manufacturer to Buy Plants Spanish glass manufacturer Vidrala SA said Thursday it will pay euro138.2 million (\$189 million) for two European production plants of Owens-Illinois Inc.


Putin Tells Businesses to Get Used to Paying Taxes President Vladimir V. Putin warned Russia #39;s business elite on Tuesday to  quot;get used to paying taxes and observing the law, #39; #39; but he also sought to allay investor fears


Sun Raising Curtain on New Solaris Sun Microsystems on Monday was to unveil the latest version of its flagship computer operating system, Solaris. It also intended to offer a free version of the program to make it more attractive to corporate and academic users.


Tennis: Only the elements slow Federer HOUSTON Roger Federer was at his best after midnight. Too bad hardly anyone was there to see it. With less than 500 fans remaining in the stands in the early Thursday morning after a deflating day of rain


Schaefer in the dark over dismissal LEIPZIG - Bewildered German coach Winfried Schaefer has revealed no-one has told him he has lost his job as Cameroon manager following yesterday #39;s 3-0 defeat by Germany.


Road weary-ers Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony beat a marijuana rap yesterday and then smoked the Raptors. Pot possession charges filed earlier this year against the sophomore were dismissed prior to last night #39;s game


Confidence crisis as McMillan caught in two minds Craig McMillan was an after-thought for the Australia tour and bolted into the Test team. Today he charged down the pitch and was betrayed by a cluttered mind - unsure whether to run or wait.


Sudanese refugees demonstrate outside UN meeting in Nairobi NAIROBI, Nov 18 (AFP) -- A few dozen southern Sudanese refugees demonstrated outside the United Nations offices in Nairobi on Thursday as the Security Council held a rare meeting to deliberate on peace in the vast African country.


Arafat #39;s nephew can likely get access to Palestinian leader #39;s <b>...</b> PARIS French officials may have found a way to both abide by their own privacy laws and still respond to demands by Palestinian leaders to answer questions about Yasser Arafat #39;s death.


Memo lands prince in trouble London - Prince Charles #39;s penchant for memo-writing caught up with him on Thursday when his uncompromising opinions about the state of education in Britain found their way onto the front pages.


HTC 'Blue Angel' Wi-Fi PocketPC phone Reg review Aka i-mate PDA 2k, O2 XDA IIs, Orange M2000, Vodafone VPA III, T-Mobile MDA III etc, etc


Sales drop sparks spending fears Figures showing a drop in retail sales spark fears that the recent consumer spending rebound could be coming to an end.


Seagate ships 'world first' 400GB PC HDDs A 7200rpm unit that's as fast as a 10,000rpm job, apparently


Oil prices stronger in London trading after supply worries <b>...</b> LONDON : Oil prices rose slightly a day after renewed concerns over heating oil stocks in the United States brought a halt, even if temporary, to a sharp slide in prices in recent weeks.


Ofcom Unveils UK Sector Proposals LONDON -- Ofcom today published its proposals to support the growth of greater competition, innovation and investment certainty in the UK telecommunications sector.


Kettle Campaign Kicks Off Tonight The Salvation Army holds its annual Kettle Kick-Off this evening in downtown St. Paul with the lighting of a giant kettle. The Salvation Army plans to announce a \$7 million Christmas fund-raising goal.


Gates. The grass isn #39;t so green on the other side With spam amounting to about 80 of total email traffic, you think that Bill Gates would have thought up some fantastic way of filtering it.


Java #39;s  #39;Mustang #39; Out of the Gate Sun Microsystems (Quote, Chart) got the jump on the next generation of Java with an early release of its next Java 2 Standard Edition (J2SE).


PeopleSoft Investors Urged to Tender Shares (Reuters) Reuters - Oracle Corp. on Thursday said in a\letter to PeopleSoft Inc. stockholders that it would withdraw\its hostile takeover bid if less than half of PeopleSoft shares\were tendered by the offer's deadline.


Before the Bell: Altria Rises 1.5 Percent (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of Altria Group Inc. \rose 1.5 percent before the bell on Thursday.


Egypt protest over Israel killing Egypt condemns the "irresponsible" shooting of three police officers by an Israeli tank on the Gaza border.


Sun plans patent protection for open-source Solaris Plans to provide umbrella from patent-infringement suits to outsiders using or developing the OS--a move to counter Linux.\


Photo: Family time for former EA worker Joe Straitiff, recently fired from the game company after struggling with overtime issues, now spends more time with his daughter.


Google Says Growth Is Slowing Down (AP) AP - Google Inc. Thursday warned that the growth it has showed so far this year may not be sustainable.


Annan urges swift end to Sudan war, Darfur crisis (AFP) AFP - UN chief Kofi Annan called for talks on ending Sudan's civil war to be concluded swiftly, telling a special session of the Security Council that it would help reverse the worsening crisis in the western region of Darfur.


Kmart - Sears Merger May Bring More Shopping Options to Region Kmart is acquiring Sears, Roebuck  amp; Company for \$11 billion with the combined estimated earnings of the two making it the third-largest retailer in the United States.


Limited Brands Operating Earnings Rise Retailer Limited Brands Inc. (LTD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday posted higher quarterly earnings before special items as clearance sales at its Express apparel stores and cost-cutting boosted results.


Google Says Growth is Slowing The AP article: Google Says Growth Is Slowing Down, that the search leader says that the growth that the company has seen so far this year, might not be sustainable.


Intel eyes India for chip plant Global chip manufacturing major Intel today said it was evaluating India as one of the possible destinations for manufacturing chips.


Ofcom ultimatum to BT: Open up network access or face competition <b>...</b> BT must work harder to open up its network to rivals in order to aid uptake of broadband internet access or risk a possible investigation by the UK Competition Commission, the UK communications regulator has warned.


Target disallows holiday bell ringers CHARLOTTE, NC -- The Salvation Army #39;s annual bell-ringing campaign gets under way this week, but the charitable organization is concerned that it might not be able to raise enough money this holiday season.


Home sweet home -- impossible? More than 50 percent of California residents said in a survey being released today that they are very concerned that fast-rising home prices will lock out younger generations from the housing market.


Virgin Mobile Reports Revenue Growth Virgin Mobile Holdings PLC reported an 18 percent surge in revenue but lower net profits for the half year Thursday as the costs of its listing on the London Stock Exchange this summer hurt the bottom line.


Two DC airports mull private security Managers of Dulles International and Baltimore-Washington International airports reportedly are considering using private contracted screeners.


Running Revolution Started as Evolution Millions of years before headphone-wearing joggers clotted the streets of America, the development of the ability to run played a crucial role in the evolution of early humans, according to new research.


eBay #39;s Grilled Cheese Diet You can #39;t blame eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY). It has to deal with folks trying to sell everything from body parts to fake props of historical notoriety to Milli Vanilli CDs.


Bill Gates Gets 4 Million E-Mails a Day Microsoft chairman Bill Gates speaks at a meeting part of the  quot;Futurshow 3004 quot; technology fair, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Nov. 18, 2004.


MSN signs up Overture for another year Overture, the paid-for search broker, has retained MSN, its second biggest client after its parent company, Yahoo!, for another year.


Seagate ships  #39;world first #39; 400GB PC HDDs Hard drive maker Seagate has begun shipping what it claims is the world #39;s highest capacity PC hard drive: a 400GB beast that #39;s also the first drive of its class to hold up to 133GB on a single platter.


Product lifecycles get the Windows treatment Windows shops that want to build a product lifecycle management strategy now have the assurance that Microsoft will be more closely aligned with one of the PLM industry #39;s largest manufacturing application vendors.


Tiger puts rising suns in shade Tiger Woods was three shots clear and five under par today after the first round of the Japan Golf Tour #39;s Dunlop Phoenix Tournament.


Honda set to buy BAR? Honda look set to become further involved with BAR, with them either buying the team outright, or becoming a co-owner. According to reports on BBC Sport Online a deal is all but agreed.


Shock loss dethrones Brazil WORLD Cup champion Brazil lost its unbeaten record in South American World Cup qualifying yesterday, while Argentina held off Venezuela 3-2 to take over first place in the 10-team group.


Spain must pay heavy price Spain #39;s sporting community must pay a heavy price for the sickening racist abuse aimed at England #39;s Ashley Cole and Shaun-Wright Phillips - a punishment so harsh it eradicates this shameful behaviour once and for all.


Thanou missed rendezvous with destiny But instead of replacing Marion Jones as Olympic 100 metres gold medallist, Thanou did not even take part in the Athens Games after missing two pre-Games drugs tests.


JR shoots down NHL -- again The Flyers star told Fox Sports #39; Best Damn Sports Show Period last night that there #39;s not going to be a season and demanded union head Bob Goodenow and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to negotiate.


Ireland set the early pace at World Cup England young guns Paul Casey and Luke Donald made a storming start to the World Cup on Thursday with four birdies in the first five holes.


Power romps over rival So much for the intense match between long-time rivals that was supposed to go down last night at the 2004 PACE Canadian Squash Classic.


Russia hands ratification documents of Kyoto Protocol to UN chief Russia has formally ratified the Kyoto Protocol on global warming following its signing into law byRussian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month.


Removal of Kim Jong Il Portraits in North Korea Causes Speculation In North Korea, portraits of Kim Jong Il have been taken down in what may signal significant and possibly far-reaching changes in the Stalinist leader #39;s personality cult.


Israel releases senior Hamas leader A senior member of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas has been released from an Israeli prison after completing a two-year sentence.


Locusts invade Egypt SWARMS of pink locusts yesterday swept through Cairo in scenes recalling the biblical plague of Egypt. The swarms flew high above tall towers or swooped on to treelined streets, where scared pedestrians stamped on them or ran for cover.


Death of a filmmaker IF YOU WANT to know where the outrage is when Islamist thugs butcher a civilian, look to the Netherlands. There may not be much of an outcry over the slaughter of humanitarian worker Margaret Hassan in Iraq, but the Dutch are up in arms about the Nov.


Yahoo, SBC to Create Multimedia Platform (AP) AP - Internet giant Yahoo Inc. on Thursday said it has extended and expanded its partnership with SBC Communications Inc. to transform their Internet access service into a multimedia platform connecting Web, television and wireless phone services.


Jobless Claims Dip, Match Forecasts (Reuters) Reuters - The number of Americans filing\first-time claims for unemployment benefits dipped to 334,000\last week, the government said on Thursday, matching\economists' forecasts.


Treasuries Slip, Investors Play the Range (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. Treasury debt prices slipped on\Thursday, unwinding some of the gains made the previous\session, as investors played the recent range in largely\technical trading.


Leading Indicators Dip Again in October (AP) AP - The Index of Leading Economic Indicators, a widely watched gauge of future economic activity, fell in October for the fifth straight month, suggesting that the economy may be slowing, a private research group reported Thursday.


UN Appeals for Release of Workers in Afghanistan (Reuters) Reuters - The United Nations again appealed for the\safe return of three of its workers held hostage in Afghanistan\on Thursday, three weeks after they were snatched from their\car on a busy street in central Kabul.


Limited Brands Quarterly Earnings Fall (AP) AP - Fashion retailer Limited Brands Inc.'s third-quarter earnings fell 40 percent because of fewer one-time gains, the company reported Thursday.


Edward C. Baig: Personal Tech - Trade in your dumb phone for a smart one: Treo 650 (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - I've apparently been carrying around pretty dumb cell phones over the years - and I bet many of you have as well. That's what the telecom geniuses would have us believe, anyway. These phones don't organize our lives, don't play music, don't take pictures or videos and don't handle e-mail.


BT Escapes Breakup in Review of Industry (AP) AP - Britain's telecommunications regulator backed away from breaking up BT Group PLC on Thursday and instead ordered the industry giant to improve competitor access to its networks.


Dollar Rallies from Record Lows Vs Euro  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar rose, gaining ground from  its fresh all-time lows against the euro on Thursday on profit  taking in the euro after a government report showed that U.S.  jobless claims fell in the latest week.


SAP CFO Puts Off Margin Target (Reuters) Reuters - Europe's biggest software\maker SAP could need a year more than anticipated to reach its\profitability target as it spends on research, development and\marketing, its chief financial officer said on Thursday,\sending its shares lower.


PeopleSoft Threatens Oracle with Suit (Reuters) Reuters - PeopleSoft's chief executive on\Thursday said Oracle was spreading misleading information about\his stock sales and he threatened to sue for defamation on the\eve of the expiration of Oracle's  #36;8.8 billion hostile tender\offer.


Techs Open Down, Applied Materials Weighs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. technology stocks opened lower on  Thursday after a sales warning from Applied Materials Inc.  AMAT.O, while weekly jobless claims data met Wall Street's  expectations, leaving the Dow and S P 500 market measures  little changed.


Jobless Claims Dip, Match Forecasts  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing  first-time claims for unemployment benefits dipped to 334,000  last week, the government said on Thursday, matching  economists' forecasts.


Treasuries Slip, Investors Play the Range  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury debt prices slipped on  Thursday, unwinding some of the gains made the previous  session, as investors played the recent range in largely  technical trading.


SAP CFO Puts Off Margin Target  BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - Europe's biggest software  maker SAP could need a year more than anticipated to reach its  profitability target as it spends on research, development and  marketing, its chief financial officer said on Thursday,  sending its shares lower.


Limited Brands Operating Earnings Rise  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Retailer Limited Brands Inc. LTD.N  on Thursday posted higher quarterly earnings before special  items as clearance sales at its Express apparel stores and  cost-cutting boosted results.


Williams-Sonoma Lowers 4th-Qtr. Forecast  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Williams-Sonoma Inc. WSM.N on  Thursday posted a rise in third-quarter earnings, but the  housewares retailer lowered its fourth-quarter forecast, citing  volatile sales trends and demand for furniture that is  outstripping supply.


Chafee: Reid Asked Him About Joining Dems. (AP) AP - Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, a moderate often at odds with GOP conservatives, disclosed Wednesday that the leader of Senate Democrats sounded him out about switching parties in the aftermath of President Bush's re-election.


US state still without a governor two weeks after polls (AFP) AFP - Two weeks after the US general election, the northwestern state of Washington was still without a governor as the painstaking process of counting votes dragged on.


Soccer: Britain Demands Action After Racist Chants  LONDON (Reuters) - British ministers have condemned the  "disgraceful" racial abuse of England's black players during  Wednesday's friendly international against Spain in Madrid and  demanded that soccer authorities take action.


Drizzle of Shooting Stars Expected Friday Morning (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - This week brings us the \  return of the famous Leonid Meteor Shower, a meteor display that over the past \  several years has brought great anticipation and excitement to sky watchers \  around the world.


Congress Probes FDA in Vioxx Case Congress is looking into whether the Food and Drug Administration ignored safety concerns about the drug raised by its own reviewers and outside scientists.


A Year of Firsts for the ISS (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - As the tenth \crew of the International Space Station (ISS) tends to its orbital home this \month, the station itself marks its fourth year with humans continuously living \onboard.


Scientists Hunt for Big Freshwater Fish (AP) AP - Scientists in 17 countries will scout waterways to locate and study the world's largest freshwater fish species, many of which are declining in numbers, hoping to learn how to better protect them, researchers announced Thursday.


Russia's Putin Defends Political Reforms  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on  Thursday he had no plans to grab more power or change the  constitution when reforming Russia's government structure,  dismissing fears in the West he is watering down democracy.


Iran Says It Has No Secret Nuclear Activities  TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran denied an exiled opposition group's  allegations it was secretly seeking material to build an atomic  bomb, a senior official said on Thursday.


This week in phishing As online shopping gets into full swing, phishers are setting up fraudulent e-commerce Web sites and simply waiting for victims using Google and other search engines to find them.


Williams-Sonoma profit up on Pottery Barn SAN FRANCISCO -- Williams-Sonoma Inc. Thursday said its profit rose 19 percent in the latest quarter, helped by brisk Pottery Barn business and a new link in the supply chain that strengthened furniture sales.


Reuters shares up on Instinet sale rumors LONDON -- Shares in Reuters Group PLC rose Thursday on speculation that its part-owned stock-trading network Instinet Group Inc. is up for sale.


Sun launches Solaris 10 Sun Microsystems launched the much-anticipated new version of its Solaris operating system this week, and announced an overhauled pricing model designed to compete with Linux.


Ecuador rocks but China ousted from World Cup contention NEW YORK - Defending World Cup champion Brazil suffered the most shocking result of the day, but China was the biggest loser. The Brazilians lost to Ecuador for the just the second time in their history.


Warriors handle Bulls with ease OAKLAND - Jason Richardson thought the Golden State Warriors forgot about him on offense two games ago in Cleveland. They couldn #39;t have missed him if they tried this time.


Truex Can Relax, Go All-Out in Final Busch Race of Season Since he has nothing to lose, Martin Truex Jr. says, he can go all-out to win. Truex, 24, will finish his first season of Busch competition Saturday at Homestead in the final race of the year.


India ; Stalemate Looms in Kashmir as Singh Ends Visit India News, SRINAGAR, India - The main separatist alliance in Indian Kashmir insisted on Thursday on holding talks with Pakistan before reviving a dialogue with New Delhi, a demand Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said was not acceptable.


UN Security Council in Africa to Push Sudan Peace Staking its prestige on Sudan #39;s troubled peace process, the UN Security Council met away from its New York home for the first time in 14 years on Thursday to try to end two decades of war in Africa #39;s biggest country.


Arafat family to get medical file on cause of death PARIS, Nov 18 (AFP) - Family members of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat are preparing a request to obtain medical files detailing his illness and cause of death, which France will grant, the French defense ministry announced Thursday.


Israel releases senior Hamas leader A senior leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the West Bank was released after two years of detention in an Israeli jail, Palestinian witnesses said Thursday.


Locust swarms advance into Egypt Swarms of locusts blown off the Mediterranean towards the Egyptian capital, Cairo, are not expected to cause major damage to crops.


Portugal to ban smoking in public places (AFP) AFP - Portugal plans to follow the example of other European nations and introduce legislation by the end of the month to ban smoking in most public places, including bars, restaurants and workplaces.


Leading Indicators Down for 5th Month  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A key forecasting gauge of future  U.S. economic activity fell for a fifth straight month in  October, a private research group said on Thursday.


Uribe defends security policies Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe tells the BBC his tough stance on the internal conflict is crucial and effective.


Football: England fury over abuse England's Jermaine Jenas demands action after racist abuse by Spain fans.


Call to exhume Gaza girl's body The Israeli military wants to exhume the body of a 13-year-old girl shot dead in Gaza by soldiers last month.


Merger to spur retail change OK, maybe the merger of Kmart and Sears doesn #39;t exactly put them in the realm of Wally World, but the \$11 billion deal is nonetheless impressive.


US leading indicators fall for 5th straight month WASHINGTON (AFX) - The US economy is losing steam, the Conference Board said Thursday, reporting that the index of US leading economic indicators fell 0.3 percent in October, the fifth straight decrease.


Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam ..... The Microsoft chairman receives four million e-mails a day, but practically an entire department at the company he founded is dedicated to ensuring that nothing unwanted gets into his inbox, the companys chief executive said today.


Overture Extends MSN Relationship Pasadena-based Overture Services, the subsidiary of Yahoo Inc. which provides keyword-based search advertising, announced that it has extended its sponsored search distribution relationship with Microsoft.


Metal Gear Solid 4 Confirmed Konami revealed that plans for Metal Gear Solid 4 are already on the way. Konami Computer Entertainment Japan #39;s President, Motoyuki Yoshioka, said:  quot;We already have ideas in our mind on what the fourth release


Federer, Moya Dodge the Rain and Post Masters Cup Wins Ending after midnight due to rain delays, Roger Federer finally put his second round robin match in the books early Thursday morning at the ATP Tennis Masters Cup in Houston, defeating Lleyton Hewitt for the fifth consecutive time 6-3, 6-4.


Lippi #39;s experiment draws mixed reactions in Italy The coach and the players were pleased. The fans seemed indifferent. The media was split. Reaction to Italy #39;s 1-0 win against Finland with an experimental squad devoid of all the top


Pires will be fined for logo gaffe Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires is in hot water again with the French football federation who have announced that he will be fined for wearing the logo of a different sports company to the team #39;s official sponsor Adidas.


Global Warming Treaty Gets Russia #39;s OK Russia #39;s permanent representative to the United Nations, Andrey Denisov, left, shakes hands with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan while Kenyan Nobel Peace prize winner Wangari Maathai, right, look on after they signed the Kyoto Protocol on global warming.


Russia Ratifies Kyoto, Starts on Feb. 16 (Reuters) Reuters - Russia formally ratified the Kyoto\Protocol on global warming on Thursday, clearing the way for\the environment pact to come into force in February 2005.


FDA Defends Its Handling of Vioxx Safety (AP) AP - Amid questions about whether the arthritis drug Vioxx was taken off the market soon enough, a key senator suggested Friday that an independent board of drug safety might be needed to ensure the safety of medications after they're approved for the market.


Russia Ratifies Kyoto, Starts on Feb. 16  NAIROBI (Reuters) - Russia formally ratified the Kyoto  Protocol on global warming on Thursday, clearing the way for  the environment pact to come into force in February 2005.


CIA staff told to avoid politics US intelligence chief Porter Goss tells CIA employees not to support opposition to the Bush administration.


Paris set to release Arafat file The French government says it will release the medical files of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to his next of kin.


Broker Downgrades Sink Medtronic (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of Medtronic Inc.  on\Thursday sank 7 percent to their lowest level in more than\three months after the medical device maker posted\weaker-than-expected growth in one of its key business units,\sparking at least three broker downgrades.


Intel Rally May Be Premature NEW YORK - Intel certainly surprised many semiconductor industry watchers today with its improving sales forecasts for the current quarter, but not everyone is convinced that all is as rosy as it seems at the world #39;s biggest chipmaker.


Pioneer of Sham Tax Havens Sits Down for a Pre-Jail Chat Jerome Schneider, the nation's best-known seller of phony offshore banks, said that he helped hundreds of rich Americans evade taxes.


Exiles Add to Claims on Iran Nuclear Arms An opposition group said Iran bought blueprints for a nuclear bomb and obtained weapons-grade uranium on the black market.


Military Believes Zarqawi Headquarters Found U.S. soldiers discovered a house in southern Fallujah on Thursday believed to be a main headquarters for Jordanian-born militant Abu Musab Zarqawi, the leader of an insurgent network responsible for bombings, kidnappings and beheadings across Iraq.


For Democrats, library a place to raise voices (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Weeks don't get much better if you are William Jefferson Clinton. For the third time in 12 eventful years, this proud Southern city is bedecked with bunting and banners to welcome the world, this time for today's opening of Clinton's  #36;165 million presidential library.


US Troops Investigated In a re-run of a media escapade from the Vietnam War, a US soldier was caught on film shooting an injured, unarmed prisoner.


Google sees slower revenue growth ahead WASHINGTON - Hugely popular internet search engine Google Inc. cautioned Thursday its current pace of revenue growth is expected to slow.


Gates Gets 4 Million E-Mails a Day Being one of the richest men in the world probably has its upsides, but it most definitely has its downsides as well. One of those downsides is that Bill Gates receives roughly 4 million email messages a day.


Caborn praise for abused players SPORTS Minister Richard Caborn this morning praised the discipline of the England players in the face of the racist chanting which marred last nights 1-0 defeat in Spain.


Olympic Bid Chiefs Condemn Racist Abuse London 2012 leaders today called on their Madrid rivals to condemn the racist abuse suffered by black England players in the Spanish capital.


Annan Calls for End to Civil War in Sudan The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for the civil war in the south of Sudan to be halted as soon as possible.


Chirac, Blair Say Relations Not Strained French President Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair maintained Thursday that relations between their countries were not strained by their disagreements over the Iraq war, as evidenced by their cooperation on a number of international


European Parliament approves new, reshuffled executive The European Parliament approved the reshuffled 24-member European Union executive on Thursday, ending a political showdown with incoming EU chief Jose Manuel Barroso over objections to his team.


Futile death of innocent THE sheer bastardry displayed by militants who kidnapped aid worker Margaret Hassan and who are now widely believed to have killed her has stunned the world.


CSA boss falls on sword over IT systems fiasco EDS: 'badly designed, badly developed, badly tested, badly implemented'


Gold ETF expected to launch Thursday BOSTON (AFX) -- The first exchange-traded fund investing in gold bullion will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, said sources familiar with the situation.


Postal Workers Set for Bonus after Finances Boost Postal workers are on course for an 800 bonus after the Royal Mail today reported a huge improvement in its finances and more reliable deliveries.


Owens-Illinois to Sell European Plants Owens-Illinois Inc., the world #39;s largest manufacturer of glass containers, on Thursday said it will sell two of its plants in Europe to Spanish rival Vidrala SA in a \$179 million deal.


MS, Dassault form alliance PARIS: Microsoft and Dassault Systemes of France have agreed to form a strategic alliance for Dassault Systemes product lifecycle management (V5 PLM) and 3D design solutions.


Halo 2 XBL Content Download Available Bungie has released the first additional content for Halo 2, downloadable through Xbox Live. When you first boot up Halo 2 and sign in to XBL, you should be prompted to download the content, which is free as part of your Xbox Live membership.


Blair office condemns racist chanting amid calls for Spain to play <b>...</b> The British government led the condemnation Thursday of the racist abuse directed by Spanish fans at England #39;s black soccer players.


Honda bought BAR - report Honda has bought a 40 per cent chunk of Formula One team BAR, numerous media outlets claimed on Wednesday. Brackley-based BAR, presently owned by British American Tobacco, agreed a deal - said to involve the


Sprinters Charged With Dodging Drug Test Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou, center, arrives in court to appear before a public prosecutor in Athens, on Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2004.


Annan urges security council warning on Sudan Kofi Annan today called on the UN security council to issue  quot;the strongest warning quot; to forces fighting in Sudan to bring an end to the civil war in the south and the crisis in the western Darfur region.


Australian PM says body found in Fallujah likely missing aid <b>...</b> (Canberra, Australia-AP) Nov. 18, 2004 - Australia #39;s prime minister says it #39;s likely that a body found in the Iraqi city of Fallujah is that of aid worker Margaret Hassan.


On Google's Horizon ... Microsoft Execs at the world's favorite search engine are predicting stormy seas ahead. Does it have anything to do with Microsoft's charge into search and online ad delivery? -washingtonpost.com


WTO Rules Against EU Protection of Goods (AP) AP - The United States and Australia prevailed in an interim ruling by the World Trade Organization in a dispute over protection given by the European Union to its regional goods such as Champagne wine and Feta cheese, trade officials said Thursday.


PeopleSoft Threatens Oracle with Suit PeopleSoft's chief executive on\Thursday said Oracle was spreading misleading information about\his stock sales and he threatened to sue for defamation on the\eve of the expiration of Oracle's \$8.8 billion hostile tender\offer.


Google Shares Fall on 4Q Revenue Warning Shares of Google Inc. slipped in pre-market trading Thursday after the world's most popular Internet search engine warned for the second time in a week that its fourth-quarter revenue growth rate is likely to slow from previous quarters.


Castro Raises Doubts About Bin Laden Tape (AP) AP - Fidel Castro says the emergence of an Osama bin Laden videotape just ahead of the U.S. presidential election seemed to have been "arranged" to help President Bush.


USDA: Mad Cow Test Result 'Inconclusive' (Reuters) Reuters - First-round screening tests returned\"inconclusive" results for mad cow disease from one animal and\samples were being submitted for final and more sophisticated\analysis, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Thursday.


Russia Ratifies Kyoto, Starts on Feb 16  NAIROBI (Reuters) - Russia formally ratified the Kyoto  Protocol on global warming on Thursday, clearing the way for  the environment pact to come into force in February 2005.


Merger unites retail giants Two retail giants announced a merger on Wednesday that could mean job loss in Terre Haute and nationally. Kmart Holding Corp. and Sears, Roebuck and Co.


US Economy: Leading Indicators Fall for 5th Straight Month A barometer of future US economic activity fell for a fifth month in October, the longest decline since 1995, signaling that the world #39;s largest economy may slow in coming months.


Williams-Sonoma Net Rises 19; Shares Fall on Outlook (Update3) Williams-Sonoma Inc., operator of home furnishing chains including Pottery Barn, said third-quarter earnings rose 19 percent, boosted by store openings and catalog sales.


ETF Investors Going for Gold Traders awoke Thursday to find a new gold-backed security, StreetTracks Gold (GLD:NYSE - commentary - research), trading on the New York Stock Exchange under symbol GLD.


FDA defends its handling of Vioxx safety Amid questions about whether the arthritis drug Vioxx was taken off the market soon enough, a key senator suggested Friday that an independent


XM Satellite convertible debt priced XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (XMSR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said a \$300 million offering of senior notes convertible into common stock has been priced at \$50 a share.


Microsoft #39;s Ballmer repeats Linux patent claim A REPORT said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has warned Asian governments contemplating using Linux that they risk being sued for using the operating system.


IBM to put its personal computer business up for sale, may fetch <b>...</b> SAN FRANCISCO: IBM is reportedly in talks to sell its personal computer business in a deal that could be worth up to \$2 billion and would cap a gradual withdrawal from the business it helped to pioneer in 1981.


Conectiva, Mandrakesoft, Turbolinux, Progeny Form Core Linux Group Four Linux vendors have joined together to develop technology that would potentially make it easier for software makers to build products for multiple distributions of the open-source operating system.


Apple to open two new UK retail stores Apple confirmed Thursday plans to open two new retail stores in the UK. Apple #39;s senior vice president of retail Ron Johnson confirmed the company #39;s plans in a press event for the opening of Apple #39;s first retail


IBM:  #39;Inertia #39; holding back government desktop Linux adoption Senior IBM executives have signalled that a few key government departments moving to Linux on the desktop will have a domino-like effect on the rest of the public sector.


Spurrier to Coach South Carolina The Nashville Tennessean reports Spurrier has agreed to take over at South Carolina if Lou Holtz retires. Spurrier won a national championship and six SEC championships in 12 seasons at Florida before leaving to take the Washington Redskins job.


Defenseman boasted 10 world titles, 3 Olympic golds MOSCOW -- The Soviet Union #39;s most successful ice hockey player, Alexander Ragulin, has died at 63, his former club CSKA Moscow said Thursday.


Chirac, Blair Strive for Unity After Iraq French President Jacques Chirac agreed to disagree with Prime Minister Tony Blair over Iraq on Thursday but pledged full cooperation, from Africa to the Middle East, when Britain heads the G8 and European Union in 2005.


Paris set to release Arafat file France says it is ready to release the medical records of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to his nephew. French officials have so far denied the files to Palestinian leaders saying only family are entitled to the see them under French privacy laws.


Panel aims to flush away worlds toilet problems I am often criticized for writing immature bathroom humor, and not enough about important topics. So today Im going to write about a major international event that takes place Nov. 17-19 in Beijing, China: The World Toilet Summit.


F.D.A. Defends Its Handling of Vioxx Safety Issues Amid questions about whether the drug Vioxx was taken off the market soon enough, Senator Charles Grassley called for more safety precautions.


Yahoo, SBC Expand Internet Deal to Video, Wireless (Reuters) Reuters - Yahoo Inc.  and SBC\Communications Inc.  have expanded an alliance to link\Internet, video, wireless and home networking services, the\companies said on Thursday.


Global Experts Unite to Study Water Shortages (Reuters) Reuters - Seventy percent of global water usage is taken up by\agriculture and using water efficiently is seen as key in\preventing serious shortages, with experts studying river\basins across the world for clues to boost food production.


Russia Ratifies Kyoto, Starts on Feb 16 (Reuters) Reuters - Russia formally ratified the Kyoto\Protocol on global warming on Thursday, clearing the way for\the environment pact to come into force in February 2005.


Casey Overcomes Demons to Give England Solid Start  SEVILLE, Spain (Reuters) - England's Paul Casey fought off  the demons of regret to help steer his team to within a stroke  of the WGC World Cup first round lead Thursday.


Sweden Readies for Space Rocket Launch (AP) AP - Swedish Space Corp. workers on Thursday carried out final preparations on a rocket carrying weightlessness experiments that is due to be launched next week.


NOAA U.S. Winter Weather Forecast: Mixed  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Affected by a weak El Nino, winter  weather in the United States will be warmer in the West and  cooler and wetter in the South and Southeast, forecasters  predicted Thursday.


One Woman, Uh-Huh, but So Many Guises Whoopi Goldberg's intermittently funny but sluggish evening of comic portraiture is a show in desperate need of a stringent theatrical intelligence.


Egypt Demands Israel Explain Killing of 3 Policemen  CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt protested angrily to Israel on  Thursday and demanded a full explanation for what it called  irresponsible Israeli conduct after an Israeli tank crew killed  three Egyptian policemen at the Egyptian-Gaza border.


EADS quells Thales merger talk European aerospace firm EADS quashes speculation it was poised to take over the French defence electronics firm Thales.


Redskins' Taylor Cleared in Spit Incident (AP) AP - The NFL will not fine Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor after looking into allegations that a Cincinnati player was spit on during Sunday's game.


Merger excites Kmart staff Accustomed to the uncertainty that has dominated their jobs in recent years, local Kmart workers seemed almost relieved by Wednesday #39;s announcement of a merger with Sears, Roebuck and Co.


FDA defends its actions on Vioxx safety WASHINGTON - Congress is looking into whether the Food and Drug Administration shirked its duty by ignoring safety concerns about Vioxx raised by its own reviewers and outside scientists.


UPDATE 1-Gold-backed security lists on NYSE, then slips A new gold-backed security named streetTRACKS Gold Shares made a much-hyped debut on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, aimed a attracting the investment capital that helped lift the bullion price to a 16-year high


Irish Government To Probe Alleged EUR1B Tax Scam DUBLIN (Dow Jones)--The Irish government will next year begin an investigation into an alleged EUR1 billion tax evasion scam in the insurance industry, the chairman of the Revenue Commissioners said Thursday.


MPAA files first suits against movie file-swappers The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has announced that it has begun filing lawsuits against people who use peer-to-peer (P2P) software to trade movie files without permission over the internet.


Apple confirms two additional UK stores at preview event UK to gain two more Apple retail stores in early 2005, company officials confirmed on Thursday afternoon. Two days before officially opening the doors to its new retail store on Regent Street in London, Apple


Microsoft, Dassault Form Strategic Alliance In a joint statement, Microsoft and Dassault said using the Microsoft platform will cut ownership and integration costs of using the Dassault software, widening the potential customer base.


Transport ship fails to raise ISS to designated orbit. MOSCOW, November 17 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian transport ship Progress failed to raise the International Space Station to the designated orbit on Wednesday.


#39;Halo 2 #39; a must-have for casual, hard-core gamers alike There #39;s a balance to making a sequel to a successful video or computer game. The developer, at the very least, is expected to match the quality of the first game.


Racially Offensive Search Terms To Be Banned By EBay Internet auction house eBay has announced that they will be taking preventative action against users searching for racially sensitive items.


Racist chants BRITISH Sports Minister Richard Caborn has hit out at the racist abuse suffered by black England players during their friendly match.


Cricket: Oram and Sinclair overcome blunders New Zealand #39;s bid to rescue the first test against Australia has started a shade sooner than expected. Given little chance of upsetting the world champions, New Zealand were living up to their


Blair and Chirac pledge unity Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac today promised to work together on restoring stability in the Middle East while drawing a line under their past differences over the war in Iraq.


SBC, Yahoo! Expand Multimedia Services (AP) AP - SBC Communications Inc. and Yahoo! Inc. are expanding their partnership in high-speed Internet access to make news, entertainment and other services available not just on computers but also on cell phones, televisions and other devices.


Commander: Iraq Insurgents Killed American (AP) AP - Insurgent forces in Fallujah attacked U.S. Marines and Iraqi government forces from a house inside the city Thursday, killing one Marine and one Iraqi soldier, a Marine commander said.


Bloodshed in N.Iraq, Govt. Hails Falluja 'Success'  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Guerrillas in Mosul attacked the  governor's office of Iraq's third city on Thursday and there  was bloodshed elsewhere in the north as U.S. forces wound down  their offensive against the shattered rebel stronghold of  Falluja.


Shoppers give Sears, Kmart merger mixed reviews TRAVERSE CITY - Word of the merger between retail giants Sears and Kmart struck some local shoppers like an out-of-the-blue-light special - while others found it as exciting as a 25-cent rebate.


Dollar posted a new record low Dollar fell to an all-time low of \$1.3068 against euro on Wednesday. Against yen, it slipped to 103.66, the lowest level since April 1. Market analysts contemplate the possibility of dollar-euro exchange rate reaching \$1.35 and 100 yen within months.


FDA defends its handling of Vioxx safety Amid questions about whether the arthritis drug Vioxx was taken off the market soon enough, a key senator suggested Friday that an independent board of drug safety might


BT wins reprieve on break-up BT has won a reprieve after telecoms regulator Ofcom backed away from demanding the former state telecom monopoly #39;s break-up, calling instead for it to offer rivals equal access to its network.


Duffield: Oracle #39;s skewing facts on stock sales At the 11th hour for Oracle #39;s latest tender offer for PeopleSoft, the battle between companies continues to escalate. PeopleSoft founder and Chief Executive David Duffield on Thursday accused Oracle of issuing


Intel chief sees better global performance NEW DELHI -- Intel Corp., the world #39;s largest computer chip maker, is expected to report higher revenue from global operations in the first half of 2005 than in the same period this year, chief executive Craig Barrett said.


ING Sells Insurance Unit to Prudential ING Group NV will sell its Atlanta-based life insurance business to Britain #39;s Prudential PLC in a \$256.8 million deal designed to realign the Dutch financial services giant #39;s international operations.


Evening Gazette Our Say The Royal Mail #39;s proud boast that it is making 1m a day profit will come as little consolation to those who feel the service is still poor.


Humans born to be endurance runners: anthropologists LONDON - It #39;s our ability to run, not walk, that sets humans apart as the world #39;s dominant species, researchers say. According to an anatomical analysis by two US scientists, we #39;re built to run.


Microsoft Threatens Lawsuits Over Linux Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Steve Ballmer on Thursday warned Asian governments that they could face intellectual rights-infringement lawsuits for using rival open-source operating platforms such as Linux.


Microsoft extends Overture ad contract Yahoo #39;s Overture Services division has extended its deal to provide ad placement technology to Microsoft Web portal MSN.com, the companies said Thursday.


Klinsmann Seeks Confident Strikers Germany coach Jrgen Klinsmann revealed that he has been working on the confidence of his strikers after Wednesday #39;s 3-0 success over Cameroon in Leipzig.


Time for US Moderation THE KIDNAPPING and murder of foreigners in Iraq is continuing. Many of those kidnapped have been engineers or other support workers for the coalition forces.


Middle East Approaches That Won #39;t Work Brent Scowcroft #39;s Nov. 12 op-ed column,  quot;A Middle East Opening, quot; was a reminder of the Middle East policy that failed the first George Bush and his successor, Bill Clinton.


Egypt blasts shooting, requets probe Egypt strongly condemned the killing of three of its policemen by Israeli tank fire Thursday, demanding an immediate investigation.


OPEC Projects Big Winter Oil Stockbuild  LONDON (Reuters) - The OPEC cartel on Thursday revised down  its expectations of oil demand growth for next year and  projected a rare big winter stockbuild if the group keeps  producing at current levels.


NEC, Panasonic jointly develop Linux-based platform for mobile phones (AFP) AFP - Japanese electronics giants NEC Corp. and Panasonic Mobile Communications said they have jointly developed a Linux-based software platform which offers third-generation mobile phones-users more services on their handsets.


Leading Indicators Down for 5th Month  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A key forecasting gauge of future  U.S. economic activity fell for a fifth straight month in  October, a private research firm said on Thursday.


Hi-tech grandpas to offer support for Japan's small businesses run by elders (AFP) AFP - A team of tech-savvy but patient experts in their 50s and 60s has been set up to offer consultancy for Japan's growing number of elderly small business owners on their computer needs, the Japanese arm of IBM said.


Pakistan Arrests Suspect in U.S. Consulate Blast (Reuters) Reuters - Pakistani security forces have\arrested an Islamic militant suspected of involvement in a 2002\bomb attack on the U.S. consulate in Karachi in which 12\Pakistanis were killed, officials said on Thursday.


Commons advised not to waive privilege protecting key sponsorship witness (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - The House of Commons should not waive the legal privilege that protects a key witness at the federal sponsorship inquiry, a panel of MPs recommended Thursday.


NOAA: Winter Weather Warmer in West, Cooler in East  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Winter weather in the United States,  affected by a weak El Nino, will be warmer in the West and  cooler and wetter in the South and Southeast, forecasters  predicted Thursday.


Microsoft's e-mail policy at issue in legal fight Burst.com, a streaming-media firm suing Microsoft for patent infringement, alleges that Redmond axed e-mails crucial to the case.


Duffield:  Oracle's skewing facts on stock sales PeopleSoft's CEO fires back at rival, saying it's wrong about his stock transactions. Both companies scramble ahead of Friday deadline.


Sprinters Charged With Dodging Drug Test (AP) AP - Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou and their coach were charged Thursday with avoiding a drug test on the eve of the Athens Olympics and faking a motorcycle accident hours later.


For developers, it's not all fun and games Employees at game software makers are speaking out about demanding hours, challenging companies to change their ways.<br /> Photo: Family time for former EA worker


Defense Seen As Key in Auburn-Alabama Game (AP) AP - Alabama has the nation's top pass defense and ranks second overall. No team in major college football allows fewer points than No. 2 Auburn.


European gold peaks, eyeing weak dollar Gold, benefiting from a weak dollar, peaked at \$444.60 an ounce in Europe on Wednesday, and traders said the metal could rise higher still.


Oil prices turn lower again as rally fades LONDON, Nov 18 (AFP) - Oil prices continued their decline Thursday after a brief rally on the back of renewed concerns over heating oil stocks in the United States fizzled out.


Senator Says FDA Ignored Own Scientists on Vioxx The Food and Drug Administration ignored danger signals from its own scientists about Merck and Co. Inc. #39;s Vioxx painkiller, Sen. Charles Grassley told a hearing Thursday into the drug #39;s withdrawal in September.


Google Warns on Revenue Growth Google has warned that the rapid revenue growth it experienced in the third quarter may not continue in the fourth quarter and beyond.


Netflix ups forecast on price cuts Online DVD rental company Netflix Inc. raised its subscriber and revenue forecasts for the fourth quarter, saying a price cut had helped draw new customers.


Pitney Bowes wins Bank of America mailing contract STAMFORD, Conn. -- Mail and document management company Pitney Bowes Inc. said Thursday it has signed a \$112 million mailing services contract with banking giant Bank of America Corp.


Future of EU Patent Legislation in Doubt (AP) AP - The future of controversial European Union legislation that would allow for some software patents was in doubt Thursday after the Polish government switched sides, saying the directive could hurt small and medium-sized businesses.


Microsoft Warns Asian Governments of Linux Lawsuits (Reuters) Reuters - Microsoft Corp. warned Asian\governments on Thursday they could face patent lawsuits for\using the Linux operating system instead of its Windows\software.


Charming Shoppes Looking Better If Lane Bryant continues to perform, the retailer's shares should continue their rise.


CRM Software's Glass Slipper Custom CRM software developer Salesforce.com is still growing at warp speed, although it may take a natural dip in 2005.


Is Multimedia Games a Buy? Multimedia Games might appear cheap, but most investors should stick to the bigger slot makers.


Philly Fed: Factories Slowed in November  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Factory activity in the U.S.  Mid-Atlantic region slowed in November, but held in positive  territory as the outlook for the future bounced back from  depressed levels, a survey showed on Thursday.


Yukos lawyer faces arrest warrant Russian authorities pile the pressure on oil firm Yukos, arresting an official at its Moscow office and issuing an arrest warrant for the firm's leading lawyer.


U.S. Airlines' October Unit Revenue Declined  CHICAGO (Reuters) - A key measure of U.S. airline industry  revenue slipped more than expected in October, pressured by  excess capacity, weak demand and a lingering impact from  hurricanes in Florida, analysts said.


Greek Sprinters Charged Over Missed Test  ATHENS (Reuters) - Disgraced Greek sprinters Costas  Kenteris and Katerina Thanou were charged Thursday with missing  drugs tests on the eve of August's Athens Olympics and faking a  motorcycle accident.


EU Drafts UN Nuclear Resolution on Iran-Diplomats  VIENNA (Reuters) - France, Britain and Germany are drafting  a resolution on Iran for a key meeting of the U.N. nuclear  watchdog next week and Washington is pushing the trio to  include some tough language, diplomats said on Thursday.


Fisis ready to go! Giancarlo Fisichella will test the Renault R24 for the first time next Wednesday, and hes raring to go!


Gates: Even Microsoft Master Is Plagued By  #39;Spam #39; Think you get spam? Imagine having an Internet profile like Bill Gates. The Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) chairman gets millions of e-mails every day, according to Chief Executive Steve Ballmer.


Bill Gates Signs UNESCO Agreement Microsoft has signed a pact to work with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to increase computer use, Internet access and teacher training in developing countries.


Future of EU patent legislation in doubt The future of controversial European Union legislation that would allow for some software patents was in doubt Thursday after the Polish government switched sides, saying


Internet Life EBay Restricts Use of Racially Offensive Terms EBay has given notice that from now on, racially offensive terms may be used only if they are part of a book, movie or other product title.


FIFA demand explanation from Spain World soccer #39;s governing body will investigate the racial taunting of England #39;s black players by Spanish soccer fans during two international matches this week.


100m profit for London Olympics, but Paris favourite London, Nov. 18 - London #39;s 2012 Olympic bid could make a profit of 100 million which would be ploughed back into grassroots sport, it emerged today, while a strong Paris bid launched yesterday, stressing


CONCACAF qualifying round-up Panama, Costa Rica and Trinidad  amp; Tobago grabbed the last three final hexagonal places available on Wednesday as the semifinal round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup came to a close.


US Women #39;s Soccer Under-19 Beats Spain Jessica Rostedt, right, of the US fights for the ball with Zurine Gil Garacia of Spain during the first half of their U-19 Women #39;s World Cup Championship match at Surakul Stadium in Phuket, southern Thailand, Thursday, Nov. 18, 2004.


Controversy Again: Owens #39; ABC Spot Catches Heat WR Terrell Owens found himself in the middle of yet another controversy this week. Owens agreed to a request by ABC to take part in a two-minute intro to the Eagles #39; Monday Night Football appearance against the Dallas Cowboys.


Rooney Urged to Control Aggression David Beckham has joined forces with Sven-Goran Eriksson to warn Wayne Rooney that he must learn to channel his fiery aggression in the right manner.


World Bank Is Ready to Fund Projects The World Bank is ready to fund development projects in Kashmir if that helps bring peace to the insurgency-wracked region, President James D. Wolfensohn said Thursday as he pledged US\$9 billion in aid to India over the next three years.


3 smugglers killed as tunnel collapsed Three Palestinians were killed Thursday in the collapse of a tunnel they were digging on the border between Rafah in southern Gaza and Egypt.


Key Militant Suspect in Deadly US Consulate Bombing Arrested Consulate in Karachi two years ago, but another key member of his network remains at large, a senior official said Thursday. Naveed-ul Hassan was detained Wednesday at a clothing shop he had been running for


Philly Fed: Factories Slowed in November (Reuters) Reuters - Factory activity in the U.S.\Mid-Atlantic region slowed in November, but held in positive\territory as the outlook for the future bounced back from\depressed levels, a survey showed on Thursday.


Stage Stores 3Q Profit Dips, Meets Views Specialty department store retailer Stage Stores Inc. on Thursday said its third-quarter results met Wall Street expectations, even though its profit dropped against a year-ago gain.


Blue Chips Gain, Led by Tobacco Stocks US blue chips rose on Thursday, led by tobacco stocks, while technology share were under pressure by a warning from Applied Materials Inc.


Burma frees thousands from jail Burma's military leaders release nearly 4,000 prisoners ruled to have been jailed using "irregular" means.


Microsoft Warns Asian Govts of Linux Lawsuits  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. warned Asian  governments on Thursday they could face patent lawsuits for  using the Linux operating system instead of its Windows  software.


Limited Brands Lifts Operating Profit  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Limited Brands Inc. LTD.N on  Thursday reported higher quarterly operating profit as cost  controls and strong lingerie sales offset poor results at the  retailer's Express apparel stores.


Russia Arrests 2 in Deadly School Seizure (AP) AP - Authorities have detained two residents of the southern province of Ingushetia on suspicion of being linked to terrorists who held more than 1,000 people hostage in a school in September, officials said Thursday.


Ex-Wal-Mart Exec Pleads Guilty to Kickback (AP) AP - A former Wal-Mart Stores Inc. executive pleaded guilty to taking a kickback from a supplier to the world's largest retailer.


Japan, China Try to Smooth Over Tensions (AP) AP - Japanese and Chinese officials were trying to arrange a meeting between the leaders of their two countries on the sidelines of a weekend summit to try to calm rising tensions, authorities said.


Kmart purchase highlights struggle for once-huge Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. was once on top of the world, reveling in the popularity of its  quot;big book quot; catalog from company headquarters in the world #39;s tallest building.


Tom Hauck/Getty Images 1. Rapper Snoop Dogg attended practice Tuesday with No. 1 USC as a guest wide receiver. The Trojans were delighted by the star #39;s presence, as were a group of pee-wee football players watching practice that day.


Barrett sees better performance in  #39;05 Intel expects a much better performance in the first half of next year, CEO Craig Barrett said Thursday. In October, the bellwether for the technology sector reported a 15 percent rise in third-quarter earnings


Calpers Tenders 1.5 Mln PeopleSoft Shares to Oracle (Update2) The California Public Employees #39; Retirement System, the largest US pension fund, tendered its PeopleSoft Inc. shares to Oracle Corp.


Microsoft #39;s Bill Gates gets millions of spam daily If you didn #39;t think anybody else could possibly get any more spam than you, then think of Bill Gates. The Microsoft Corp. chairman receives 4 million pieces of e-mail per day, most of it junk, said Steve Ballmer, the company #39;s chief executive.


AOL to Release 9.0 Security Edition The message coming from America Online could not be any clearer:  quot;We will keep our customers safe online. quot; Even though the market is awash with security software, AOL has stepped in for its members and delivered a fortified version of AOL 9.0, dubbed


London Apple Store Opens to Media The store covers two floors on London #39;s upscale Regent Street. Apple said the store has the largest single sales floor of any Apple retail store and a 14-meter long Genius Bar with 20 stools.


Richardson backs UC lab bid New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is urging the University of California to stay in the competition to run three of the nation #39;s scientific laboratories.


OLYMPICS  #39;WILL MAKE 100m PROFIT #39; More than 100million profit is expected to be made from staging the 2012 Olympic Games in London, it has been claimed. The estimate forms part of the London 2012 bid book handed into the International Olympic Committee on Monday.


Return of the Ol #39; Ball Coach Any day now -- probably following his team #39;s regular-season finale Saturday against Clemson -- South Carolina coach Lou Holtz is expected to announce his retirement.


Hot Stove Truth  amp; Rumors: Nov. 18, 2004 No sooner had the Tigers introduced Troy Percival on Wednesday as their new closer than the subject turned to the next former Angel in whom the Tigers are interested -- Percival #39;s friend, Troy Glaus.


Start the party #39; _ Beaujolais Nouveau arrives in the US The 2004 Beaujolais Nouveau is well-balanced,  quot;with aromas of raspberry and gooseberry, quot; vintner Franck Duboeuf said as he uncorked a few bottles at a Manhattan wine shop on Thursday.


House Starts Process to Raise Debt Limit (Reuters) Reuters - The U.S. House of Representatives on\Thursday prepared to raise the nation's debt ceiling by  #36;800\billion, taking the new limit to  #36;8.184 trillion.


Union anger at SA telecoms deal South African unions describe as "disgraceful" the use of public money to buy telecoms shares for former government officials.


Mid-Atlantic Factory Growth Slows in Nov.  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Output growth at U.S. Mid-Atlantic  factories eased in November but still suggested the  manufacturing sector was operating at a healthy clip.


Security Council agrees on Sudan resolution as foes pledge imminent deal (AFP) AFP - UN ambassadors agreed here unanimously on the text of a resolution aimed at restoring peace to war-ravaged Sudan, as the country's main foes promised to conclude talks on their 21-year-old conflict by the end of the year.


IMF chief counsels Putin on how to double Russia's growth (AFP) AFP - IMF Director General Rodrigo Rato urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to limit state intervention in the economy and keep a close eye on inflation in order to meet his goal of doubling output by 2010.


Dollar Up from Fresh Lows Vs Euro  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar turned higher on Thursday  afternoon, rallying from all-time lows against the euro when  traders took profits in the euro zone currency ahead of a G20  finance ministers' meeting in Berlin this weekend.


Russia's Putin Defends Political Reforms  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said  Thursday he had no plans to grab more power or change the  constitution when reforming Russia's government structure,  dismissing fears in the West he is watering down democracy.


US leading indicators reveal sluggish economy: Conference Board (AFP) AFP - The US economy is  quot;losing steam, quot; the Conference Board said, reporting that the index of US leading economic indicators fell 0.3 percent in October, marking the fifth straight decline.


Williams-Sonoma Lowers Forecast Housewares retailer Williams-Sonoma Inc. (WSM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday cut its forecasts for fourth-quarter sales and earnings per share, and its shares fell 6 percent.


SBC, Yahoo Reach Beyond the PC Responding to the convergence of networks and the growth of connected devices, SBC (Quote, Chart) and Yahoo are expanding their successful Internet access and content partnership beyond the PC.


UPDATE 3-Limited Brands lifts operating profit Limited Brands Inc. (LTD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday reported higher quarterly operating profit as cost controls and strong lingerie sales offset poor results at the retailer #39;s Express apparel stores.


Oracle Issues Appeal as PeopleSoft Deadline Nears Oracle has sent an open letter to PeopleSoft stockholders, urging them to accept its \$24-er-share bid to buy the company. Oracle charges that PeopleSoft #39;s board has denied shareholders the


Bond Set For Man Accused In Wal-Mart Shooting FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Bond was set Tuesday for an Oklahoma man who is accused of opening fire outside a Fayetteville Wal-Mart. Henry Bunch, of Stilwell, Okla.


Corinthian Colleges co-founder quits CEO post SANTA ANA, Calif. (Dow Jones/AP) - Corinthian Colleges Inc. said Thursday it has named Jack Massimino president and chief executive to succeed co-founder David Moore, who remains chairman.


Bill Gates world #39;s number one target of spam Bill Gates gets 4 million emails a day according to Microsoft #39;s CEO Steve Ballmer. There are two people who probably are the number one spam recipients in the world, Ballmer said at a Microsoft event in Singapore Bill Gates because he is Bill Gates.


Google hints at slowing growth Google does not expect to maintain the same pace of revenue growth it has recorded over the last several quarters, the company acknowledged Thursday in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.


Britain condemns racist taunts; FIFA calls for probe The British government condemned racist taunts by fans in Spain aimed at black players on England #39;s team during an exhibition game, and soccer #39;s governing body ordered an investigation Thursday.


Russia presents Kyoto ratification to UN Russia #39;s ambassador to the United Nations Thursday formally presented Moscow #39;s ratification of the Kyoto global warming treaty to Secretary-General Kofi Annan.


Straw in Bid to Kick Start Mideast Peace Talks Sponsors of an internationally backed Mideast peace plan will send their foreign ministers to the region next week in hopes of restarting peace talks in the wake of Yasser Arafats death.


Whose Ad Is This? Advertisers Play with Web Films  NEW YORK (Reuters) - When the manager of a coin-operated  laundry seduces a mother and daughter and convinces them to  skip town, there's bound to be trouble, or perhaps a movie  plot.


FDA Defends Its Handling of Vioxx Review Responding to public criticism of its handling of the controversial arthritis drug Vioxx, the US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday defended its oversight of the monitoring process and said it acted in the best interests of the public #39;s safety.


US jobless claims drop last week, hopeful sign for labour market The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits dipped last week, offering a hopeful sign for recovery in the labour market.


Update 2: Authorities Arrest Yukos Unit Manager Authorities intensified the pressure on the OAO Yukos oil giant Thursday, arresting a manager at a key subsidiary and issuing an international arrest warrant for the company #39;s chief lawyer.


SBC to offer VoIP service By Staff and wire reports . In a move to stave off competitors, SBC Communications Inc. will offer residential Voice over Internet service in early 2005.


Universal Life cooperating in insurance probe Insurance broker Universal Life Resources (ULR) has agreed to cooperate with California authorities in their investigation of alleged insurance industry misdeeds, an attorney for the state said on Thursday.


Is Microsoft Rattling the Linux-Patent Sabers? Microsoft Corp. is denying that its CEO Steve Ballmer told Asian government leaders on Thursday that Microsoft believes that Linux violates more than 200 software patents.


Bit Bytes : Halo 2 At gaming stores, lines went through doors as people arrived at midnight to get the first copies. Halo 2 was definitely worth the wait.


Van Nistelrooy hurts hip Manchester, England (Sports Network) - Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy picked up a hip injury while playing for Holland in a World Cup qualifier Wednesday.


Ireland, Austria share lead at -12 SEVILLE, Spain -- Ireland and Austria share the lead after Thursday #39;s first round of the World Cup of Golf at the Royal Seville Golf Course, while a pair of unheralded Americans remain in contention.


The highs and lows of the Entente Cordiale When Britain and France signed the Entente Cordiale 100 years ago they hoped it would bring to an end centuries of conflict, from the territorial battles of the Middle Ages to colonial disputes of the nineteenth century.


Japan, China try to smooth over tensions Japanese and Chinese officials were trying to arrange a meeting between the leaders of their two countries on the sidelines of a weekend summit to try to calm rising tensions, authorities said.


Palestinian PM called for end to  quot;armed chaos quot; GAZA CITY, Nov 18 (AFP) - Prime minister Ahmed Qorei called for an end to  quot;armed chaos quot; in the occupied territories Thursday as the interim Palestinian leadership held a raft of talks with various political factions here.


Programs: a Checklist for Tuning Up Your PC  PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Reuters) - You change the oil in your car  every 5,000 miles or so. You clean your house every week or  two. Your PC needs regular maintenance as well -- especially if  you're using Windows and you spend a lot of time on the  Internet.


US cannot verify Iran nuclear claim LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, Nov 18 (AFP) - The White House said Thursday that it could not verify an Iranian exile opposition group #39;s charge that the Islamic republic was running a secret nuclear bomb facility near Tehran.


Arafat died of clotting disorder -- Le Monde Paris, Nov. 17: Doctors who treated Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, believe he died of a blood condition called disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and have ruled out poisoning, Le Monde newspaper reported today.


Eisner: TV Interview with Ovitz Was Dumb  GEORGETOWN, Del. (Reuters) - Michael Eisner, the chief  executive of the Walt Disney Co. DIS.N, on Thursday said it  was "stupid" to appear on a national television show in 1996 to  show his support for Michael Ovitz and conceded he was less  than candid with the public during the interview.


Flying High on the Web A new study shows airline and hotel websites may sell better than online travel agencies. Who knew?


Microsoft Threatens Patent Lawsuits \\More FUD  from our friends in Seattle:\\"Asian governments using Linux will be sued for IP violations, Microsoft CEO\Steve Ballmer said today in Singapore. He did not specify that Microsoft would\be the company doing the suing, but it's difficult to read the claim as anything\other than a declaration of IP war."\\"According to a Reuters report (which we fervently hope will produce one of\Ballmer's fascinating 'I was misquoted' rebuttals*), Ballmer told Microsoft's\Asian Government Leaders Forum that Linux violates more than 228 patents. Come\on Steve, don't hold back - what you mean 'more than 228' - 229? 230? Don't pull\your punches to soften the blow to the community. "Some day," he contin ...\\


In Defense of Clapton's Layla Recently, GuitarWorld magazine published a list of top 100 of the worst guitar solos, riffs and licks of all time. I am a big sucker for this sort of thing, so I swallowed the \$7.95 price to purchase it, with a good expectation of what would be included. Just as literary scholars have a canon of great literature, the guitarist community has a canon of really awful guitar solos - including, for instance, Neil Young's infamous one-note Cinnamon Girl solo, anything by Van Halen, and anything played by Kurt Cobain. When I turned to the list, I suffered a cruel, horrible shock.


'Original' great ape discovered The remains of a primate that could be the ancestor of humans and all the great apes is discovered.


Ancient Ape Discovered #151;Last Ape-Human Ancestor? In Spain scientists have discovered 13-million-year-old fossils of new species of ape. The species may have been the last common ancestor of humans and all great apes living today. <b>Photo Gallery.</b>


Can Central Africa's Rain Forests Live With Logging? A study in Central Africa suggests that logging and tropical rain forests can coexist. Some environmental groups disagree.


Leonid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight The Leonid meteor shower will peak tonight. Sky-watchers say long, glowing meteor trails will highlight the heavenly show.


Calpers Tendered Its PeopleSoft Shares  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Calpers, the biggest U.S. pension  fund, said on Thursday that it had tendered its 1.5 million  shares of PeopleSoft Inc. PSFT.O to Oracle Corp. ORCL.O,  accepting its \$8.8 billion hostile takeover bid.


Google sees Q4 rev growth slowdown NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Google said its revenue growth rate from the second to the third quarter of 2004 may not be sustainable into the fourth quarter of this year.


David vs. Goliath vs. Goliath Laszlo Systems CTO David Temkin is taking an open-source gamble to woo Web developers from Macromedia and Microsoft.


Athens Olympics Cost More Than Thought (AP) AP - The total cost of the Athens Olympics may exceed  #36;14.6 billion, according to Greece's 2005 budget submitted to parliament Thursday.


Study: Learning to Run Propelled Evolution long thought to be a byproduct of walking for early man - was actually an instrumental step in the evolution of people from ape-like creatures into what we know today as humans.


Got mail? You bet: Bill Gates gets millions of spam e-mails If you thought nobody could get more spam than you, think of Bill Gates. The chairman of Microsoft (MSFT) gets 4 million pieces of e-mail a day, most of it junk, says Steve Ballmer, Microsoft #39;s chief executive.


MSN Renews with Overture -- For Now Microsoft today extended its 3-year-old agreement with Yahoo! to provide Overture paid listings on MSN sites in the US and Canada, Europe and Asia through June 2006.


Duffield: Oracle's skewing facts on stock sales PeopleSoft's CEO fires back at rival, saying it's wrong about his stock transactions. Both companies scramble ahead of Friday deadline.


Security Council agrees on Sudan resolution as foes pledge <b>...</b> NAIROBI (AFP) - UN ambassadors agreed here unanimously on the text of a resolution aimed at restoring peace to war-ravaged Sudan, as the country #39;s main foes promised to conclude talks on their 21-year-old conflict by the end of the year.


US troops patrol Mosul US troops were seen out on patrol in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul today, following several days of clashes between insurgents and US-led forces.


Body Found In Fallujah Believed To Be Slain Aid Worker Australia #39;s prime minister said it #39;s likely that a body found in the Iraqi city of Fallujah is that of aid worker Margaret Hassan.


Thales, EADS have no merger plans: EADS chief (AFP) AFP - The French-British defence electronics group Thales and the European aerospace group EADS do not have a plan to merge, EADS co-chairman Philippe Camus said.


Maverick MP Carolyn Parrish turfed from Liberal caucus (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - Carolyn Parrish, the maverick MP who gained notoriety for her outspoken anti-Americanism, has been turfed from the Liberal party caucus.


Make Love Not Spam Decentralized Lycos Europe released a screen saver that would pepper spam sites with requests for pages, in an effort to burden their bandwidth.  Now it's disabled, but in very fixable ways...


Iraqis, U.S. Hail Falluja Success, Threats Remain  FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - The Iraqi government and U.S.  commanders declared their offensive on rebel-held Falluja a  success on Thursday but U.S. troops still faced dangers in the  city and guerrillas attacked elsewhere in Iraq.


Cybersecurity and the question of leadership The success of the cybersecurity czar is more about the exercise of leadership than anything else, CompTIA policy chief Roger Cochetti says.


A Misguided Merger Without clear strategic synergies, the recently announced merger between Sears and Kmart is likely to destroy shareholder value.


Updated AOL focuses on security The revamped software for AOL's proprietary online service tackles spam and other Internet security issues.


Microsoft's answer to phishing: Two IDs Banks aren't moving fast enough on requiring online customers to provide two forms of ID, the company says.


Google Shares Fall on 4Q Revenue Warning Google Shares Slip As Co. Warns That Its 4Q Revenue Growth Rate Is Likely to Slow. The Google Inc. company headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.


Barrett: CEO Tours Intel India Unit, Sees Revenue Rise Go east, young man. Intel (nasdaq: INTC - news - people ) Chief Executive Craig Barrett is traversing India. The CEO #39;s two-day trek will include a review of the chipmaker #39;s design center in bustling Bangalore


US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims Off 3,000 to 334,000 The number of former workers continuing to receive state unemployment benefits fell by 16,000 to 2.79 million in the week ended November 6. The four-week average of continuing claims rose by 500 to 2.8 million.


Calpers says tendered its PeopleSoft shares Calpers, the biggest US pension fund, on Thursday said it had tendered its 1.5 million shares of PeopleSoft Inc. (PSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) to Oracle Corp.


Painkiller risk to gut revealed The risk of intestinal damage from common painkillers may be higher than thought, research suggests.


Study: Learning to Run Propelled Evolution SALT LAKE CITY Nov 18, 2004 - New research suggests that developing the ability to run long thought to be a byproduct of walking for early man was actually an instrumental step in the evolution of people from ape-like creatures into what we know today