Polish hostage freed in Iraq A Polish woman taken hostage last October in Iraq has been returned to Warsaw, the BBC reported Saturday. Appearing at a press conference alongside Polish Prime Minister Marek


Life is more Baywatch than Balmoral for Prince of Waves STRIDING along a beach, surfboard tucked nonchalantly under his arm, the tall wetsuit-clad figure cuts quite a dash as he heads for the waves.


Big setback for US spy shake-up Sweeping plans to reform the US spy network run into trouble after key Republicans in Congress object to the bill.


US son-in-law for ex-coup leader A US lawmaker marries the daughter of Guatemala's ex-military ruler at a closely-guarded ceremony.


Menatep acts to bloc Yukos sale Yukos' main shareholder files a legal complaint to prevent Russia selling off the embattled oil giant's key unit,  reports say.


Anti-terror laws 'may go further' David Blunkett  says measures to beat terrorism could include special anti-terror courts using phone-taping evidence.


When Long Hours at a Video Game Stop Being Fun For players with ambitions to develop games, Electronic Arts must appear to be the best place in the world, but there is unhappiness among those living that dream.


NASA Starts Hunt for Celestial Bursts The fastest-swiveling space science observatory ever built rocketed into orbit on Saturday to scan the universe for celestial explosions.


Policy Meets Reality in West as Cattle Tracking Is Tested Wide-open spaces, technological glitches and bitter cold all are potential obstacles to plans to track livestock and protect the food supply from disease and bioterrorism.


PeopleSoft Sends Letter to Oracle PLEASANTON, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Nov. 20, 2004 -- PeopleSoft, Inc. (Nasdaq:PSFT) today sent a letter to Lawrence Ellison, Chief Executive Officer and Jeffrey Henley, Chairman of Oracle Corporation (Nasdaq: ORCL).


Congress Asks SEC for Mutual Fund Study The US Congress asked the Securities and Exchange Commission on Saturday to send lawmakers a report justifying a new rule forcing mutual fund boards to have independent chairmen.


Prince William Defends Brother, Father (AP) AP - Prince William supported the oft-criticized behavior of his brother, Prince Harry, and stuck up for his father, Prince Charles, in a rare interview with the British media published Saturday.


U.S. Fights Baghdad Militants; GI Killed (AP) AP - Insurgents battled American troops in the streets of Baghdad on Saturday, killing a U.S. soldier in an ambush and gunning down four government employees in signals that the guerrillas remain a potent force despite the fall of their stronghold of Fallujah. Nine Iraqis also died in fighting west of the capital.


Tech Buying Guide: Music MP3 players -- technically, digital-music players, although almost all of them are used mainly to play songs saved in the popular MP3 format -- come in three sizes: tiny, big and really big.


Top Computer Makers: Dell Dell is both profitable and well regarded, thanks to its habit of delivering serviceable but unexciting products at good prices and supporting them well enough to keep buyers coming back.


Federer faces Hewitt in Masters Cup final Swiss world number one Roger Federer will face Australian Lleyton Hewitt in Sunday #39;s final at Masters Cup after an epic tiebreak 20-18 to seal a 6-3, 7-6 semi-final victory


Barcelona coach Rijkaard: 7 points clear hasn #39;t won us anything Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard has told his players they can #39;t afford to relax, despite last night #39;s stunning 3-0 win over Real Madrid.


G7 states to write off \$33 billion Iraqi debt BERLIN: The United States, Germany and other G7 nations agreed yesterday to write off up to 80 per cent or \$33 billion of Iraq #39;s Paris Club debt, which could pave the way for a wider international accord, officials said.


Polish hostage released in Iraq back home A Polish woman, who was kidnapped in Iraq last month, has been released and flown back to Poland. Teresa Borcz Khalifa, who was brought to Poland on Friday evening, appeared


No. 24 Texas-El Paso Clinches Bowl Berth (AP) AP - Jordan Palmer threw for 339 yards and five touchdowns and No. 24 Texas-El Paso beat SMU 57-27 Saturday night to clinch a bowl berth in coach Mike Price's first season running the formerly downtrodden program.


Alta Premier Klein vows retribution for those who actively jockey for his job (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - CALGARY (CP) - In his last day of campaigning in what he has promised will be his last election, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein warned there would be retribution for would-be successors who publicly jockey for his job.


Iowa Upsets Wisconsin to Grab Share of Big Ten Title  IOWA CITY, Iowa (Sports Network) - Drew Tate completed  15-of-24 passes for 186 yards with three touchdowns and three  interceptions to lead No. 17 Iowa over ninth-ranked Wisconsin,  30-7, in the regular season finale for both squads with the Big  Ten championship on the line at Kinnick Stadium.


Second-Ranked Auburn Downs Alabama  TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (Sports Network) - Jason Campbell passed  for 224 yards and a touchdown, Courtney Taylor caught four  passes for 89 yards and a score, and No. 2 Auburn overcame a  slow start to beat Southeastern Conference rival Alabama,  21-13, in the 69th Iron Bowl.


Bill Gives Lawmakers Access to Tax Returns (AP) AP - Congress passed legislation Saturday giving two committee chairman and their assistants access to income tax returns without regard to privacy protections, but not before red-faced Republicans said it was all a mistake and would be swiftly repealed.


McGrady Leads Rockets Past Clippers in OT  LOS ANGELES (Sports Network) - Tracy McGrady tallied 32  points, seven rebounds and five assists to lead Houston over  the Los Angeles Clippers, 91-86, in an overtime contest at the  Staples Center.


Congress Passes \$388 Billion Spending Bill  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress on Saturday passed  a \$388 billion package financing government programs in this  fiscal year after days of tough talks, but a last minute snag  means it may not be sent to President Bush for signing into law  for several days.


More Prescription Drug Health Risks The Food and Drug Administration remains on the defensive. The agency got grilled on Capitol Hill for the second day in a row about the health risks of several popular prescription drugs.


Russia to auction major oil facility MOSCOW -- Russian tax authorities on Friday scheduled the equivalent of a fire sale at what was once the nation #39;s largest oil company, offering the main production facility at Yukos Oil for auction next month at a fraction of its value.


PeopleSoft's Board Rejects Oracle Bid (AP) AP - PeopleSoft Inc.'s board of directors said it rejected Oracle Corp.'s  #36;9.2 billion takeover bid Saturday, continuing its staunch resistance a day after the company's own shareholders tendered more than 60 percent of stock to Oracle.


No. 5 Utah Beats BYU for Unbeaten Season (AP) AP - The BCS is all but busted. Utah beat rival Brigham Young 52-21 Saturday, completing its first unbeaten season since 1930 and putting the Utes one step closer to the first appearance in the Bowl Championship Series for a team from a mid-major conference.


Rockets down Clippers 91-86 in OT Tracy McGrady scored 32 points to lead visiting Houston Rockets beating the Los Angeles Clippers 91-86 in overtime. It is the Rockets seventh straight win over the Clippers, and


US Fights Baghdad Militants; GI Killed Insurgents battled American troops in the streets of Baghdad on Saturday, killing a US soldier in an ambush and gunning down four government employees in signals that the


Plane Crashes in China With 47 Aboard BEIJING Nov 20, 2004 - A small passenger plane carrying 47 people crashed Sunday in northern China, and the government said there likely were no survivors.


Buzz Off! Aussie Surfers Use Device to Repel Sharks (Reuters) Reuters - Organizers of an Australian night\surfing competition used an electronic shield for the first\time to protect surfers from sharks, which might otherwise have\thought competitors were an easy meal.


Chavez Pushes Anti-Terrorism Plan After Bomb Attack  CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Hugo  Chavez pressed for a new anti-terrorism proposal on Saturday  after a car bomb killed a top state prosecutor investigating  opponents accused of backing a 2002 coup against him.


Fresh violence hits Iraq capital Several people are killed in new clashes between Iraqi and US troops and insurgents in the capital, Baghdad.


Bush Frees Secret Service Agent from Chile Guards

 SANTIAGO, Chile (Reuters) - President Bush on Saturdayreached into a throng of squabbling bodyguards and pulled aSecret Service agent away from Chilean security officers afterthey stopped the U.S. agent from accompanying the president ata dinner.


Report: Peru Would Refuse to Free Berenson Peru will not abide by an international human rights court ruling supporting the release of Lori Berenson, a New York woman imprisoned for collaborating with Marxist guerrillas, the country's foreign minister said, according to news reports Saturday.


In Romania, Show Turns the E.U. Into A Laughing Matter  BUCHAREST, Romania -- Romanian television has an unlikely hit on its hands, a sitcom with a cast of racy characters who sit in a country pub and get laughs discussing the fine points of the bureaucracy and regulations of the European Union.


3,000 Indian Troops Pull Out of Kashmir  JAMMU, India, Nov. 20 -- India pulled  about 3,000 troops  out of Kashmir Saturday in a planned withdrawal of army units from the disputed region, Indian officials said. The soldiers left their bases in convoys of trucks, jeeps and buses.


Chavez Pushes Anti-Terrorism Plan After Bomb Attack

 By Patrick Markey

 CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela's President HugoChavez pressed for a new anti-terrorism proposal on Saturdayafter a car bomb killed a top state prosecutor investigatingopponents accused of backing a 2002 coup against him.


PeopleSoft #39;s board said it rejects Oracle bid PLEASANTON, Calif. PeopleSoft #39;s board of directors said it srejected Oracle Corp. #39;s nine-point-two (b) billion dollar takeover bid Saturday.


Aussies steaming towards victory in Brisbane Test Australia: Australia bowler Glenn McGrath followed up his Test best score with three quick wickets to have New Zealand on the ropes on the fourth day of the first cricket Test at the Gabba on Sunday.


Carter the heart of the new Blacks A dark hour precedes every dawn and, for Wales, this narrow defeat against the All Blacks - their 17th in a row - has to be regarded as their darkest hour: they got so close yet were just held off.


Officials blame exiles in US The tone was light, but the dapper comedian #39;s words were sobering as he outlined his vision for regime change in leftist Venezuela.


No. 21 Wisconsin Trounces Penn 77-44 (AP) AP - Mike Wilkinson scored all but two of his 19 points in the second half and Brian Butch had a memorable debut in No. 21 Wisconsin's 77-44 rout of Penn on Saturday night.


A free-trade fight over wine The clinical psychologist from Saginaw, Mich., convinced his favorite wineries, tiny California operations, to ship him a precious few bottles each year.


Biologists say grouse not a species in peril The US Fish and Wildlife Service has recommended against listing the greater sage grouse as a threatened or endangered species, the agency announced Friday.


Oracle takes 60 percent of PeopleSoft shares but game is not over WASHINGTON : After a bitter 18-month battle Oracle Corp has succeeded in taking control of more than 60 percent of outstanding shares of rival business software group PeopleSoft, but obstacles to the hostile takeover remain.


FDA Officer Suggests Strict Curbs on 5 Drugs A veteran Food and Drug Administration safety officer said yesterday at a Senate hearing on the abrupt recall of the arthritis drug Vioxx that five other widely used drugs should either be


San Francisco hotel workers to return to work after lockout The city #39;s mayor says about four-thousand unionized maids, bellhops, cooks and other hourly wage earners will return to their jobs Tuesday following an eight-week lockout.


Dispute Over  la Carte Cable Pricing Federal regulators took issue Friday with consumer groups that contend that allowing cable television subscribers to pay only for channels they want would lower consumers #39; cable bills.


Riot #39;s about right: Ingredients always there I see the tape of the brawl over and over again, and each time I am stunned. I see the Pacers and Pistons yapping at each other, then I see items thrown at the Indiana players and


3,000 Indian Troops Pull Out of Kashmir JAMMU, India, Nov. 20 -- India pulled about 3,000 troops out of Kashmir Saturday in a planned withdrawal of army units from the disputed region, Indian officials said.


Afghan Gets Death for Journalist Slayings KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan judges sentenced a man to death Saturday over the slaying of three foreign journalists and an Afghan colleague, who were pulled from their cars, robbed and shot as they rushed to cover the collapse of the Taliban.


Prince denies he is out of step The Prince of Wales is to defend himself publicly after being accused of being  quot;old fashioned quot; over modern teaching methods.


British hunters seek to end fox-hunt ban Defeated in Parliament, supporters of fox hunting went to court Friday to try to overturn a legislative ban on their more than 300-year-old sport and vowed a campaign of civil disobedience


Europe Shares Hover Near 2-1/2 Year Highs  LONDON (Reuters) - European shares hovered near 2-1/2 year  highs on Tuesday as economic optimism prevailed, but British  retailer Woolworths fell 8 percent after it reported sluggish  Christmas sales.


Chinese leader wants stable climate for yuan reform SANTIAGO : Chinese President Hu Jintao, meeting US leader George W. Bush during an Asia-Pacific summit, said he plans to loosen the yuan #39;s decade-old peg to the dollar, but only under the right conditions.


A Look at U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq (AP) AP - As of Saturday, Nov. 20, 2004, at least 1,221 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. At least 946 died as a result of hostile action, the Defense Department said as of Friday. The figures include three military civilians.


U.S. Military Names More Enemy Combatants (AP) AP - U.S. military review tribunals have ordered five more prisoners to remain held as enemy combatants in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a Navy official said Saturday.


Creditors to Write Off Most of Iraq #39;s Debt US Treasury Secretary John Snow, left, and his German counterpart Hans Eichel, shake hands during the G20 conference of finance ministers and central bank governors in Berlin on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2004.


Chavez Pushes Anti-Terrorism Plan After Bomb Attack Venezuela #39;s President Hugo Chavez pressed for a new anti-terrorism proposal on Saturday after a car bomb killed a top state prosecutor investigating opponents accused of backing a 2002 coup against him.


Afghan court sentences man to death for murder of foreign <b>...</b> KABUL : An Afghan court sentenced a man to death for killing three foreign journalists and their Afghan colleague shortly after the fall of the hardline Taliban regime in 2001.


UN gives up on efforts to seek worldwide cloning treaty The United States and other opponents of human cloning shelved their bid Friday for a UN treaty to ban the controversial procedure, unable to overcome opposition by nations seeking to allow cloning for embryonic stem cell research.


Anti-terror laws  #39;may go further #39; The home secretary is to spell out proposals for more far-reaching measures to tackle terrorism, amid fears of an al-Qaeda attack on Britain.


Colonials Come on Late Trailing at halftime to an overmatched foe, George Washington finally gets in a groove in the second half and puts away Morgan State, 94-70, on Saturday.


B.C. Gets Easy Win Jessalyn Deveny, Clare Droesch and Brooke Queenan team for 55 points as No. 18 Boston College beats Western Michigan, 71-50.


Terps Have Potential With some luck, Maryland's women's basketball team could make a big splash nationally this year after several down seasons.


Diminishing Returns Delaware State scores on a 73-yard punt return and a 25-yard interception return and defeats Howard, 32-13, Saturday at Greene Stadium.


Wizards Rise Over Nets Larry Hughes scores 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Wizards over the woeful Nets, 97-86, on Saturday night.


NASA launches new satellite Swift NASA has launched a new space observatory to hunt down and study the most powerful explosions seen in the Universe since the Big Bang itself.


UNDATED: in 1997. Eddie Griffin scored 23 points and Kevin Garnett had 20 despite a shoulder injury to lift Minnesota over winless New Orleans (0-8).


Over 50 feared in China plane crash A China Eastern plane carrying more than 50 passengers and crew has crashed into a frozen lake seconds after takeoff in Inner Mongolia and all are feared dead, state media says.


No relief for Europe as G20 shuns action to halt dollar slide (AFP) AFP - The Group of 20 finance chiefs have shunned action to halt the dollar slide, leaving Europe isolated at the end of a forum here and facing an almost certain further strengthening of the euro.


Yukos on the auction block Russian tax authorities yesterday scheduled the equivalent of a fire sale at what was once the nation #39;s largest oil company, offering the main production facility at Yukos Oil


Grumbling Over the Greenback Financial markets and economic policymakers around the globe all were focused last week on the shrinking value of the dollar. The greenback fell to its lowest level in years against both the yen and the euro


Speak no evil, just in Casey GOLF, as someone once said with a stunning lack of humour, can be a funny old game. Not always though. This week at least, Paul Casey hasnt spent a lot of time laughing.


Rangers boss defends players after O #39;Neill rant Alan Thompson and Chris Sutton saw red as Rangers narrowed the gap to one point at the top of the SPL by winning a stormy Old Firm derby.


Wizards Too Strong For Nets Washington Wizards forward Antawn Jamison hit a jumper from the right corner late in the fourth quarter and lightly tapped his right fist against his chest.


Brawl mars end for retiring Holtz He #39;d thought about it fondly, envisioning it as his grand ride into the sunset. Who knows, maybe he #39;d even leave the Memorial Stadium playing surface at Clemson victoriously saddled atop his players #39; shoulders.


Roundup: Wisconsin routs Penn; UConn, Kentucky roll Mike Wilkinson scored all but two of his 19 points in the second half and Brian Butch had a memorable debut in No. 20 Wisconsin #39;s 77-44 rout of Penn on Saturday night.


Volkswagen 2004 China Sales Fall  SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Volkswagen's car sales in China fell 6  percent in 2004 and will fare little better in 2005 amid a  raging price war and worsening demand from a slowing economy,  executives for its two ventures in the country said on Tuesday.


Palestinians open election process to select candidate to replace <b>...</b> Palestinians formally opened the campaign to replace Yasser Arafat yesterday as candidates aspiring to replace the long-time leader began seeking signatures to qualify for the January 9 ballot.


Explosion in southern Italy kills eight, gas leak possible cause An explosion leveled a two-story apartment building in southern Italy early Saturday, killing eight residents and injuring six others, and firefighters were investigating whether a gas leak was to blame.


Labour #39;s anti-terror pledge Home Secretary David Blunkett has signalled that a third term Labour government would impose sweeping new anti-terror laws amid fears of an al Qaida attack on Britain.


Elusive Anschutz Leaves Wide Footprint The billionaire investor is on the cusp of becoming a major presence in Washington with ambitious plans for D.C. United and new ownership of Journal Newspapers Inc.


A Wedding That Won't Leave You Broke If you're planning a spring or summer wedding, you're probably sweating the details now.


Angry Ferrero Has Not Given Up Hope  SEVILLE, Spain (Reuters) - Out of form and out of favor,  Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero could barely hide his  disappointment at being used as a bit-part doubles player in  the Davis Cup final against the United States.


Ohio State Secures Victory, but Michigan Gains Rose Bowl Bid The Buckeyes stunned the No. 7 Wolverines, who still get to go to Pasadena because they defeated co-Big Ten Champion Iowa, 30-17, on Sept 25.


With a Rookie Quarterback in the N.F.L., Call It in the Air Debuts are rarely pretty, especially for rookies such as quarterback Eli Manning, who will make his first start for the Giants on Sunday, against the Atlanta Falcons.


No relief for Europe as G20 shuns action to halt dollar slide BERLIN : The Group of 20 finance chiefs have shunned action to halt the dollar slide, leaving Europe isolated at the end of a forum here and facing an almost certain further strengthening of the euro.


Observatory launched by NASA to look for emerging black ho The fastest-swiveling space science observatory ever built rocketed into orbit yesterday to scan the universe for violent celestial explosions that astronomers say they believe represent the birth screams of black holes.


Barcelona beat Real Madrid Barcelona moved seven points clear at the top of the Spanish League on Saturday following a three-nil victory at home to second-placed Real Madrid.


Everything will be decided at today #39;s Nextel Cup race HOMESTEAD, Fla. - The Nextel Cup championship, after 35 races, winds down to one, and the same man who will start on the pole in todays Ford 400 occupies a similarly lofty perch in the title race.


Mosley more competitive, but not enough LAS VEGAS -- Shane Mosley made the rematch closer, while Winky Wright made sure the result was the same. Wright used his right jab to pile up points early in the fight, then held on to win a majority decision


Challenges and opportunities seen in merger The Nov. 17 announcement that Kmart would be attempting to acquire Sears stores in a \$11 billion deal sent shockwaves throughout the financial world.


Racist Fans Bring Issue To Forefront The fact that racism in European soccer is not a dead issue became painfully obvious in Spain during the past week, with members of both England #39;s full international


Warne, McGrath hand Kiwis heavy defeat Brisbane: New Zealand collapsed to an innings and 156-run defeat in the first cricket Test here, demoralised by a crushing Australian innings lead and routed by the world champions #39; inspired bowling.


No. 14 LSU Rallies to Beat Mississippi (AP) AP - Alley Broussard ran for a school-record 250 yards with three touchdowns and No. 14 LSU rallied to beat Mississippi 27-24 Saturday night.


Electronic Arts and the mighty dollar Behemoth publisher EA seems to be a bit hard on its employees, reslting in law suits. But employee abuse and poor working conditions isn't as simple to solve as it might seem. And EA is the catalyst for a potential revolution


Home Is Where the Help Desk Is More than ever, today's consumers need to plan and research their tech purchases to make sure the parts of their digital dream home will actually work together.


Virtual Storefronts Are Rent-Free on LiveDeal The locally focused Web marketplace made its official debut last week, offering "free for life" storefronts to sellers and the ability to list anything for sale at no cost.


Chinese firm set to control MG Rover BRITAINS only remaining mass market car maker seemed certain last night to pass into foreign control after MG Rover admitted merger talks with a Chinese firm were at an advanced stage.


Gomes stays hot for Providence Ryan Gomes scored 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds last night, leading Providence (9-4) to a 79-63 win over Brown (6-6).


It was time for caution Whether or not Gary Payton would play last night was truly a game-time decision. At 6:37 p.m., the Celtics announced that he would not dress and that second-year point guard Marcus Banks would start. But before Payton rested, he had an unusually busy night.


Looking beyond the K-word Here we go again! First, remarks made by Pervez Musharraf over a mouthful of Iftaar goodies are touted as a blueprint for peace and then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gives it legitimacy by rejecting it.


Transactions BASEBALL Cleveland (AL): Sold INF Erick Almonte to Nippon (Japan). New York (AL): Signed P Tanyon Sturtze.


Gators Shock 'Noles Chris Leak throws a touchdown as Florida upsets No. 10 Florida State, 20-13, in Ron Zook's last game as coach. It is the Gators first win in Tallahassee since 1986.


'Pacers Lite' Lose Late Limited to just six players because of suspensions and injuries, the Pacers take the Magic to the final moments before dropping a 86-83 decision on Saturday.


Hornets Drop to 0-8 Reserve Eddie Griffin converts 10 of 14 shots for 23 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves deal the winless New Orleans Hornets another setback, 99-94.


PeopleSoft board rejects takeover bid by Oracle PLEASANTON, California - PeopleSoft Inc. #39;s board yesterday rejected Oracle Corp. #39;s \$9.2 billion takeover bid, continuing its resistance after the company #39;s own shareholders tendered more than 60 percent of their stock to Oracle.


Sirius Satellite: Making Waves When shock jock Howard Stern swooped into Sirius Satellite Radio, he was greeted like a conquering hero. Last month, a week after he announced on his popular morning radio show


Nintendo Bets on New Hand-Held Console to Leap Ahead of Sony Nintendo Co., the world #39;s biggest maker of portable game consoles, begins selling its newest hand- held player today, accompanied by a \$40 million advertising push aimed at taking customers away from Sony Corp.


Australia wins series opener? (updated PM 1:52) Glenn McGrath tormented New Zealand with bat and ball and Shane Warne took four wickets Sunday as Australia won by an innings and 156 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-test cricket series.


Greenspan does down the dollar Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve chairman, yesterday gave the dollar a further push lower as he said the huge US current account deficit threatened to scare off foreign investors.


#39;Medicine is for people, not profits #39; Dodge Ball, the game in which children try to avoid getting hit by a rubber ball, may seem to have nothing in common with the business of developing medicines.


A nice addition was subtracted He didn't play. That, in and of itself, is hoop Halley's Comet. For all the trees that have been felled over the years chronicling anything and everything about Gary Payton, there's been one indisputable fact: He doesn't miss games. He can be everything from abrasive to solicitous, but he is unfailingly durable. If this were baseball, Doc Rivers wouldn't have ...


It is better to give when not being deceived  Six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has already shown he can dominate the world of cycling. Now the cancer survivor is setting his sights on the world of charitable giving.


How to avoid a scamming planner He said he kept two sets of books, stole from clients for two decades, and hid his activities from regulators. But Bradford C. Bleidt's purported multimillion-dollar scam would never have gotten off the ground if clients of Allocation Plus Asset Management Co. had followed two basic investment rules.


Mergers pinching smaller nonprofits The staff at the Veterans Benefits Clearinghouse knows many of the homeless men and women who roam Boston's streets once served in the armed forces. For years, the small Roxbury nonprofit has helped by finding them jobs.


When it comes to fly-fishing, he's hooked A funny thing happened when Dr. Burt A. Adelman, executive vice president for development at Cambridge biotech giant Biogen Idec, bought a fly rod for his son Ian on his 16th birthday.


When business innovation leads to disaster This book attempts to demolish the notion that ''new is better. quot; For the most part, it succeeds. Sergio Zyman and coauthor Armin A. Brott build a solid foundation for their argument that innovation can be disastrous for the bottom line. Innovation is like a sugar high, they say -- a quick fix that just doesn't work.


Etiquette at Work Q: What are the rules regarding hand shakes in business situations? Should men stand when shaking hands with each other? And are women required to shake hands?


Lessons in making life-and-debt decisions It's safe to say most people would prefer to never have to see a bankruptcy attorney or judge.


NY Ave.  #39;Gateway #39; Opens Michael Foster is so fascinated by Metro trains that he knows how to identify different models of the cars. So it came as no surprise to his mother when he asked to kick off the weekend


Humans raise odds of extreme weather This week #39;s issue of Nature features the first study to demonstrate a link between greenhouse gas emissions and an extreme weather event - in this case, the unusually high temperatures in Europe during the summer of 2003 that led to 14,000 deaths more


Woods Ends Drought With First Win in Japan (AP) AP - Tiger Woods shot a 3-under 67 Sunday to win the Dunlop Phoenix by eight strokes for his first title since February and first ever in Japan.


Microsoft defends its software Microsoft has been forced to fight for its lucrative Asian market, following government agreements to switch to other open-source software.


Tech Buying Guide: Organizers Many people don #39;t use a handheld organizer for anything but tracking their calendar appointments and contacts lists. For them, there #39;s no reason to spend more than \$100, in the form of Palm #39;s Zire 21.


Slew of multiplayer options helps  #39;Halo 2 #39; fulfill hype  quot;Halo 2, quot; which went on sale in November, shattered video game sales records, but does it live up to the hype? Yes. And in spades.


Is Firefox 1.0 Less Stable than Firefox PR1.0? An anonymous reader wonders:  quot;I had Firefox 1.0PR running smoothly on three different machines and it hardly ever crashed. After upgrading to 1.0, I seem to have at least one annoying crash a day.


Bush tells Putin of democracy concerns (AFP) AFP - US President George W. Bush told Russian President Vladimir Putin in person for the first time that he worried about "overcentralization of power" in the Kremlin, said a senior US official.


Readers give their versions of what happened it #39;s said that they were all there -- looked invisible to me. I do not agree with the suspensions being indefinite, 10 games


World #39;s oldest man dies at 113 NEW YORK -- Fred Hale Sr., the oldest man in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records, has died less than two weeks shy of his 114th birthday.


Ponting hails mighty turnaround Ricky Ponting hailed two outstanding days of pressure cricket for delivering one of Australia #39;s biggest Test victories over New Zealand, inside four days at the Gabba in Brisbane.


Clemson, Carolina: THE AFTERMATH The 102nd gridiron meeting between archival Clemson and South Carolina will certainly be remembered, that #39;s for sure, but unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons.


Rain doesn #39;t fall on Auburn #39;s parade A rainy Saturday afternoon belonged to hopeful Alabama fans, but once again, the blue and orange of Auburn owned Bryant-Denny Stadium by nightfall.


Sugar Shane Mosley Sweet, but Wright Call in End Sugar Shane Mosley made all of the necessary adjustments from the first fight, but still managed to come up short as consensus junior middleweight champion Ronald Winky Wright earned


MSU turnovers help Penn State score four touchdowns in third <b>...</b> A week after being at its best, Michigan State was at its worst. The Spartans still haven #39;t learned how to handle success, losing Saturday to Penn State, 37-13, at Beaver Stadium.


53 dead in China plane crash A China Eastern commuter plane has crashed into a frozen lake seconds after takeoff in Inner Mongolia, killing all 53 passengers and crew, state media have said.


Rescuers in China search for 79 iron miners trapped in blaze BEIJING Eight miners have been killed in a fire that broke out in a complex of iron mines in northern China. State media says Chinese rescuers are struggling to find 79 more miners still trapped.


Recount Begins in Wash. Governor's Race (AP) AP - Both of Washington's potential new governors have experienced the uncomfortable sensation of reading their own political obituaries.


NBA Wrap: Short-Handed Pacers Lose the Night  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Grant Hill collected 28 points, seven  rebounds and six assists to carry the Orlando Magic to an 86-83  win over the short-handed Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis  Saturday.


Woods Seizes First Strokeplay Title of Year  MIYAZAKI, Japan (Reuters) - Tiger Woods picked up his first  strokeplay title of a difficult year when he romped to an  eight-shot victory at the Dunlop Phoenix tournament on Sunday.


Ukrainians Choose New President in Landmark Poll  KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainians Sunday began choosing a new  president in a landmark poll offering a choice between the  ex-Soviet state's prime minister, backed by Russia, and a  liberal rival seeking gradual integration with the West.


Hourihan finally getting her shot in goal When Northeastern University women's hockey goalie Marisa Hourihan skated off with a 3-0 victory over Quinnipiac University on Oct. 30, the Hanover native felt she was back where she belonged.


Africa and its children ALERE, Uganda -- Kasmiro Bongonyinge remembers sitting up suddenly in his bed. It was just after sunrise on a summer morning two years ago, and the old man, 87 years old and blind, knew something was wrong.


Palestinian candidates shaping ballot RAMALLAH, West Bank -- Palestinians began registering candidates yesterday for a presidential election to succeed Yasser Arafat, while officials warned that the vote may be delayed if Israel does not halt military activities.


Bush seeks unity on Iran, North Korea SANTIAGO, Chile -- President Bush used his first trip abroad since reelection to press allies yesterday for help in hemming in the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran, nations he considers part of an ''axis of evil. quot;


Companies, scavengers scrap over recycled paper in Japan TOKYO -- The paper chase starts in the blackness of early morning, a cat-and-mouse game played on Tokyo's almost empty backstreets in the hours before businessmen shake off their hangovers and commuters emerge to flood the city.


Air crash into lake kills all 53 on board BEIJING -- A small passenger plane carrying 53 people crashed today in a northern lake immediately after takeoff, and the government said there were no survivors. The plane crashed into a frozen lake in Baotou, a city about 330 miles northwest of Beijing, seconds after taking off at about 8:20 a.m., the official Xinhua News Agency said. The China Eastern ...


Plan OK'd to cancel some Iraq debt BERLIN -- Germany and the United States have agreed on a proposal to write off as much as 80 percent of Iraq's debt, Germany's finance minister said yesterday, capping a months-long US push for debt forgiveness.


Bush Frees Secret Service Agent from Chile

  SANTIAGO, Chile (Reuters) - President Bush Saturdayreached into a throng of squabbling bodyguards and pulled aSecret Service agent away from Chilean security officers afterthey stopped the U.S. agent from accompanying the president ata dinner.


Hall frustrates India with maiden ton Kanpur: Andrew Hall got a maiden Test century as South Africa made steady progress, frustrating India on the second day of the first Test at the Green Park Stadium on Sunday.


Gamecocks finish at bottom of class CLEMSON, SC - It #39;s not too late, Steve Spurrier. Don #39;t sign any dotted lines until you see the film from the latest South Carolina debacle in Death Valley.


On the firing line: Giants quarterback Eli Manning Eli Manning is behind schedule compared to his brother, Peyton, who set the family #39;s standard for rookie quarterbacks in 1998 with the Indianapolis Colts.


Hot Hand, Cold Hand Lawrence J. Ellison, chief executive of Oracle Corp., whose 17-month campaign to take over rival PeopleSoft Inc. got a boost when major PeopleSoft owners offered to tender their shares.


Suppliers optimistic about Kmart acquisition of Sears GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. Kmart #39;s pending acquisition of Sears has a number of suppliers wondering how it will affect their business.


Metro opens its newest station Metro opened its newest station yesterday amid hopes that it would spark more economic development in the city #39;s Northeast commercial district along Florida and New York avenues while serving residents in the nearby, emerging neighborhoods.


It's crunch time for Crennel Saturday is the last day that NFL assistant coaches and front office personnel whose teams are in the playoffs can interview for jobs -- until their team's playoff run ends. That means this could be a big week for Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, who has coveted a head coaching position for the past few years.


Swift Observatory Launched IndigoSkies writes  quot;NASA today successfully launched the Swift Observatory into Earth orbit for an intense two year study of GRBs (gamma-ray bursts) to determine whether there is a connection between them and the evolution of black holes.


Yahoo extends Microsoft ad deal to mid-2006 NEW YORK - Yahoo Inc. has agreed to extend its deal to place advertisements on Microsoft Corp. #39;s MSN sites in the United States and overseas by one year through June 2006, Yahoo said Thursday.


Secret of success (for 113 years): hobbies, honey, a merry outlook There were times when Fred Hale Sr. #39;s loved ones wondered if he might just live forever. Nothing seemed to stop Hale, the oldest man in the world.


After defeating Mosley, Wright calls out Tito Trinidad November 21, 2004 -- After his second straight victory over Shane Mosley on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Ronald  quot;Winky quot; Wright was quick to call out who he wants next -- Felix  quot;Tito quot; Trinidad.


Editorial: Changing Times, Changing PDA A consistent theme among many people in PDA forums around the Internet lately has been that Palm OS based PDAs are not making the effort to cater to the need for more useful features (for example, there is only one current PDA model that includes Wifi


US, Germany Agree On Iraqi Debt Write-Off Germany and the United States have agreed on a proposal to write off as much as 80 percent of Iraq #39;s debt, Germany #39;s finance minister said Saturday, following a months-long US push for debt forgiveness.


Palestinian candidates shaping ballot Palestinians began registering candidates yesterday for a presidential election to succeed Yasser Arafat, while officials warned that


Chinese leader to visit Havana for communist summit (AFP) AFP - Fidel Castro will Monday receive Chinese President Hu Jintao in Havana, a meeting between an aged leader clinging to his communist ideology and a younger one who has tried to reduce the party's profile.


Redefining the role of academic research Charles M. Vest, who will be stepping down next month as the president of MIT, personifies his school's famed ''engineering mentality. quot; Simply put, this is the inclination to find a problem and fix it.


At Holocaust Museum, Turning a Number Into a Name The Yad Vashem museum in Jerusalem has assembled the names and biographies of Jewish victims of the Holocaust, and it will make the information available online.


School District Challenges Darwin's Theory A Pennsylvania school district Friday defended its decision to discount Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and teach what critics say is a version of creationism.


Two held after Air France flight diverted WASHINGTON -- A flight from Paris bound for Dulles International Airport was diverted Saturday night after US Customs officials detained two passengers aboard, officials said.


Eurozone data to show sliding business confidence: economists (AFP) AFP - Eurozone figures to be released this week should show business confidence beginning to slide again owing to concern over slowing growth and the strong euro, economists said.


Mickey #39;s Fight Club It was nearly 10 years ago that Disney CEO Michael Eisner began to seriously contemplate his own mortality. He #39;d just survived emergency bypass surgery, and he was worried: if something happened to him, who could possibly run Disney?


Supplement maker walks fine legal line Just three years after Ohio salesman Steve Warshak started selling penis enlargement pills out of a spare room in his home, his company rakes in more than \$200 million a year on unproven palliatives


NASA launches new satellite Swift The fastest-swivelling space science observatory ever built rocketed into orbit on Saturday to scan the universe for violent celestial explosions.


Life is good Once upon a time, first-person shooter games had about as much plot and character development as a porn flick. Your digital hero just ran around and pumped hot lead into demons or aliens or Nazis, much like the porn hero .


Linspire #39;s Robertson embraces Windows Media LINSPIRE INC. the company formerly known as Lindows announced on November 18 that it has licensed Windows Media technology and made it immediately available via a click-and-run online update to the users of the Linux distro.


4 suspended after NBA melee NBA Commissioner David Stern indefinitely suspended four players who took part in an ugly melee with fans, now regarded as one of the worst in sports history, in a Friday night game between the Indiana Pacers and the host Detroit Pistons.


Barcelona shuts out rival Real Madrid MADRID, Spain  Barcelona moved further ahead in the Spanish league by beating rival Real Madrid 3-0 Saturday in the country #39;s biggest match.


Gators  #39;86 Noles TALLAHASSEE - The final act was the showstopper. A jaw-dropper. It was so Ron Zook. You figured he #39;d zig. Well, he zagged. You figured he would coach the Florida Gators to a loss in a big game.


Cyclones near title after big comeback MANHATTAN, Kan.  With a thrilling comeback, Iowa State is a win away from a surprising championship. Iowa State trailed the Wildcats by two touchdowns early in the fourth quarter, but freshman Bret Meyer


Robinson hails Hodgson heroics Charlie Hodgson #39;s record-equalling performance against South Africa was praised by coach Andy Robinson after the Sale flyhalf scored 27 points in England #39;s 32-16 victory here at Twickenham on Saturday.


Death toll of north China plane crash possibly up to 55 Two men on the ground were most likely killed in the plane crash Sunday morning in Baotou City, north China #39;s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, bringing the death toll of the accident to 55, local police sources said.


Dissident freed in Myanmar YANGON, Myanmar -- One of Myanmar #39;s best known and longest-imprisoned political dissidents has been freed as part of a general release of almost 4,000 prisoners by the country #39;s ruling junta, a family member confirmed Saturday.


Sharon: Stop Terror and Talk; Arabs: Words Before Action The Palestinian Authority, refusing Israel #39;s demand for a halt in terrorist attacks, also insists that Israel release convicted terrorist Marwan Barghouti, who is serving multiple life sentences for murder.


Prince William defends Royal Family LONDON -- Prince William supported the oft-criticized behaviour of his brother, Prince Harry, and also stuck up for his father, Prince Charles, in a rare interview with the British news media published yesterday.


A show of ideological solidarity from China HAVANA  In his first visit to Latin America, Chinese President Hu Jintao came bearing billions of dollars worth of potential trade and investment agreements that prompted regional leaders to herald a new era of closer ties with the emerging economic


Beta doesn #39;t beat Google Granted, the new MSN (http://beta.search.msn.com) is still in the  quot;beta quot; phase -- testing a work in progress. Microsoft is expected to make the technology part of its main MSN site early next year.


FireFox Developers Riding the Wave The publicity avalanche surrounding FireFox continues unabated. News.com profiles developers at the forefront of the FireFox developer movement and explains how some crafty developers are taking advantage


Fans to blame, say Clippers Talk throughout Staples Center on Saturday, as the Clippers lost to the Houston Rockets, centered around Friday night #39;s melee in Auburn Hills, Mich.


Busch the man to beat for title NASCAR points leader Kurt Busch is all smiles as he walks back to his garage after winning the pole position on Friday at the Homestead Miami International Speedway in Homestead, Fla.


Ferguson: delighted SIR Alex Ferguson has predicted Paul Scholes will end the season in double figures after finally breaking a 20-game goal drought at Old Trafford this afternoon.


Michigan loses but wins anyway Troy Smith barely got on the field for Ohio State this season. After the Buckeyes #39; biggest game of the year, he had trouble getting off of it.


Familiar result for Krzyzewski JJ Redick and Daniel Ewing each scored 20 points, and No. 11 Duke turned up the defensive pressure in the second half to beat Tennessee-Martin 88-46 Saturday night in the teams #39; season opener in Durham, NC.


Roundup: UCLA triumphs in season opener UCLA freshman Jordan Farmar gave fans a preview of his playmaking skills with a no-look, crosscourt pass to Ryan Hollins for a dunk late in the second half.


Today's schedule College basketball: WOMEN -- William Smith at Babson, 7 p.m.; Brandeis at Curry, 7 p.m.; Southern Maine at Tufts, 7 p.m.; Providence at UConn, 7:30 p.m.


Grand opening for Terriers Minnesota may have spoiled Boston University's final game at Walter Brown Arena by claiming a 2-1 victory at the old barn Sunday, but the Terriers weren't going to let the Golden Gophers ruin their inaugural game at Agganis Arena.


CRISIS IN IRAQ: THERE #39;S NO HUMANITY THE Red Cross yesterday launched a blistering attack on both sides in the war in Iraq. The organisation blasted US troops and Iraqi rebels for their  quot;utter contempt for humanity quot; as the country continues to be torn apart by violence.


Down, but never out  The bright lights are gone. So are the screaming fans, the TV cameras, and the curvaceous card girls tucked into high heels and bikinis. But the scars on Micky Ward's face -- those are forever.


After slip, Sorenstam back on top Annika Sorenstam lost her three-shot lead in five holes yesterday, then had to make three birdies over the final six to salvage an even-par 72 and take a one-shot lead into the final round of the season-ending LPGA ADT Championship in West Palm Beach, Fla.


Fitzpatrick  amp; Co. were amazing, end of story The last time Harvard had a run like this, the ball was a lot rounder, the players wore leather helmets, and the movie you took your girl to see on a Saturday night had no sound.


Cut, cut: Scene is repeated in Providence Well, yes, there are worse things than a lockout. In the midst of the NHL's self-imposed two-hander over the head (now day No. 66 on what appears the fast track to infinity), a couple of Bruins prospects turned their opportunity to play in Providence into their final days in the Boston organization.


Alou goes to bat for Sosa Moises Alou, who hit a career-best 39 home runs last season but doesn't expect the Cubs to re-sign him after they declined his \$11 million option, dismisses reports that Chicago will trade Sammy Sosa this winter.


Perfect Game All autumn long, Harvard's football team has had its chroniclers thumbing through the archives and blowing the dust off records that go back to the 19th century. Yesterday afternoon, the unbeaten Crimson wrote their own chapter in bold face, throttling archrival Yale, 35-3, before 30,308 at the Stadium to post their best record (10-0) in 103 years and wrap up ...


Sports  amp; Fitness Calendar The following activities will take place in the area this week. Events are listed as space allows.


Ukrainians vote in knife-edge presidential election (AFP) AFP - Ukrainians voted for a new president in a bitterly-fought runoff election that will determine whether this strategic former Soviet republic turns toward Europe or remains in Moscow's orbit.


UN repeats plea for hostage release in Afghanistan (AFP) AFP - The United Nations has reiterated a plea for the safe release of three UN workers taken hostage by alleged Islamic militants, as the crisis dragged into its third week with little known about the hostages' fate.


Bush tells Musharraf he will focus on Mideast issue (AFP) AFP - US President George W. Bush told visiting Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf he would make the creation of a Palestinian state a central priority of his second term in office.


CROSSING THE LINE Friday night, Hornets guard Darrell Armstrong was dining at Smith  amp; Wollensky with other New Orleans athletes, including forward PJ Brown and Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks, when a restaurant employee rushed to their table.


Finishing holes start more trouble WEST PALM BEACH  Trump International #39;s difficult finishing holes are asserting themselves at the ADT Championship. A year ago, the tournament came down to the final shots at the 18th, and


Bizarre Monday Night Football message Coach Dick Vermeil stands alone in his office, anxiously looking one last time at the play list he has scripted for his Monday night game against Indianapolis.


New Giants season starts today The Giants reached the midway point of their season a week ago, but in reality they really start a new season today. Today is Day 1 of the Eli Manning Era, the day


Florida Classic: Record day fails to make Rattler feel any better None of Ben Dougherty #39;s half-dozen touchdowns come during the fourth quarter of FAMU #39;s loss. By IBRAM ROGERS. ORLANDO - It was Florida A amp;M senior quarterback Ben Dougherty #39;s last chance to beat Bethune-Cookman.


Gators defense finally closes one out After letting several teams come back to win, Florida holds off FSU in the final minutes. By ANTONYA ENGLISH, Times Staff Writer. TALLAHASSEE - It had gained a reputation as a defense that would fold and collapse


Insurgent assault feared in Baghdad Insurgents fought US troops in running street battles in the capital Saturday, assassinated three Iraqi officials and their driver, and detonated a car bomb in Baghdad #39;s Liberation


Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian in Gaza Strip; Abbas to be <b>...</b> Israeli soldiers killed one Palestinian and were chasing two others Sunday morning near the  quot;Kissufim quot; road in the Gaza Strip not far from the border fence, according to Israel Radio.


Johnson trade is given OK Randy Johnson is practically ready to be measured for one tall set of pinstripes. Commissioner Bud Selig gave his blessing yesterday to a trade that will send Johnson to the Yankees, making a contract extension the last major obstacle could be resolved in the protracted Arizona-New York swap.


Weis chooses not to make pickoff Bill Belichick won't have to worry about Charlie Weis raiding his coaching staff for Notre Dame. But we'll have to see whether new Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban has an eye on any of his former assistants.


Toyota Prius is 2005 European Car of the Year The Toyota Prius has been voted 2005 Car of the Year by the 58 members of the European Car of the Year Jury, it was announced last Monday.


South Africa in strong position Kanpur Test KANPUR: Andrew Halls unbeaten knock of 78 helped South Africa make a fine start in their two-Test series against India at the Green Park Stadium here on Saturday.


It's about the best you can do with BCS Playoffs? Who needs playoffs? And isn't that ironic in another season when the "P-word" was again front and center in a Bowl Championship Series controversy?


Paris Club moves to write off Iraq #39;s debts The Paris Club of creditor nations on Saturday discussed a plan to write off about 80 percent of Iraq #39;s debts. According to The AP, US Treasury Secretary John Snow and German Finance Minister Hans Eichel concluded


PM gives open invitation of talks to North east groups Imphal: Winding up his visit to the trouble-torn Manipur, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday extended an open invitation to all groups including ULFA, who abjure violence, for talks to resolve all outstanding issues in the North East and expressed


Israeli army arrests 6 Palestinians in W. Bank Israeli army arrested six Palestinians in the West Bank, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said Saturday. The sources said Israeli army arrested three residents and


Charity looks at new ways to raise funds for holiday The Salvation Army workers and volunteers who attract shoppers outside stores with their dinging bells have long been one of the more reliable sights and sounds of the holiday shopping season.


Kmart and Sears #39; merger troubling Kmart Holding Corp. may have found its best  quot;Blue Light Special quot; ever: retailing rival Sears Roebuck  amp; Co. Still, many experts questioned whether the \$11 billion buyout would keep the blue lights flashing


Blake Puts Nightmare Year Behind Him  PERTH (Reuters) - James Blake put a nightmare year behind  him Tuesday, helping the U.S. make a winning start to their  defense of the Hopman Cup.


B-52B test plane flies final mission The record-setting speed by the X-43A experimental scramjet engine on Tuesday marked the final operational mission for NASA #39;s B-52B test aircraft.


Woods seizes first strokeplay title of year Tiger Woods picked up his first strokeplay title of a difficult year when he romped to an eight-shot victory at the Japanese tour event in Miyazaki.


OLDEST MAN DIES AT 113 November 21, 2004 -- DEWITT, NY - Fred Hale Sr., documented as the world #39;s oldest man, has died at age 113. Hale died peacefully Friday in his sleep at The Nottingham in suburban Syracuse, while trying to


Cricket-Hall gets ton as Indian bowlers toil hard KANPUR, India (AFP) - Andrew Hall #39;s defiant ton left Indian bowlers frustrated as South Africa reached 398-6 at tea on the second day of the first Test here.


Winky repeats over Shane It was much closer than the first time, but the result was the same when Winky Wright and Shane Mosley left the ring at the Mandalay Bay Event Center last night.


Deal nears on Iraq debt write-off More than a quarter of Iraq #39;s foreign debt burden could be forgiven after a framework agreement was reached by two of the country #39;s main creditors.


PALESTINIAN HOPEFULS JOCKEY FOR POSITION November 21, 2004 -- Palestinians began registering candidates yesterday for a presidential election to replace Yasser Arafat, as the late leader #39;s family considers releasing his medical records and revealing his cause of death.


Mideast awaits Powell visit Israel has said it would consider any formal request to pull troops away from West Bank cities to facilitate a Palestinian presidential election, ahead of a visit by US Secretary of State Colin Powell.


Nine Chinese miners die in blaze Nine Chinese miners have been killed and 57 trapped underground after fire swept through a series of iron mines in the northern province of Hebei, Xinhua news agency has reported.


Image Gallery of Faces of the week Britains Prince Charles has always prided himself on being a man of the people. But with one gruff memo about not all men being equal, the heir to the throne has tarnished his populist credentials.


Myanmar's mass prison release may take a week or more (AFP) AFP - Only a few hundred of 4,000 prisoners, including political dissidents, that Myanmar has vowed to free have been released and it could take at least a week for them all to leave jail, the opposition said.


China shelves tallest tower plans \The southern Chinese city of Guangzhou abandons a plan to build the world's tallest building.


Who #39;s Afraid of Kmart and Sears? Not Target LET #39;S assume that the merger of Kmart and Sears is exactly what it #39;s being sold as: a way to combine the remaining strengths of two well-known but struggling retailers.


Peru Detains Siege Leader, to Storm Police Post

 By Jude Webber and Tania Mellado

 LIMA, Peru (Reuters) - Peruvian authorities detained aformer army major who led a three-day uprising in a southernAndean town and will storm the police station where some of his200 supporters remain unless they surrender, Prime MinisterCarlos Ferrero said early on Tuesday.


Green  amp; Mean Avnish Bhatnagar has always lusted after fast cars like racy BMWs. But when the California computer programmer and his wife had their first baby this year, they needed something more practical.


Detroit zoo considers options for two elderly elephants ROYAL OAK, Mich. The Detroit Zoo is considering what to do with two elderly elephants after its efforts to move the elephants to a sanctuary were rebuffed.


Hall puts SA in command Kanpur - Opener Andrew Hall #39;s tenacious 163 put South Africa in command of the first test match against India on Sunday. Hall #39;s defiant 144-run partnership for the sixth wicket with rookie Zander de Bryun


Mosley is on short end again Too big. That #39;s what it came down to last night for Shane Mosley. The little man who once could can #39;t anymore. He can #39;t move fast enough, he can #39;t


No keeping low profile The University of Utah football team still must wait another few weeks, but the time will be marked by anticipation rather than apprehension.


Iran says will go ahead with nuclear suspension Monday TEHRAN : Iran said it was still committed to suspending its sensitive uranium enrichment activities as of Monday and that alarm over its ongoing nuclear activities is merely  quot;propaganda quot;.


Steaming mad at Valve In Half-Life 2, players take up arms against an Orwellian society where unseen masters lord over oppressed humans who have no choice but to submit and comply.


MATCH VIEWS FROM THE BROADSHEETS Paul Scholes has never been comfortable when the spotlight has swung in his direction, and you can imagine him squirming when he was being described as one of the best midfield players in the world last summer.


Iran says to fulfill uranium suspension as scheduled: spokesman Iran said on Sunday that it would fulfill its commitment of suspending uranium enrichment activities on Monday, denying the allegation that it was still producing uranium feedstuff for enrichment.


France acted illegally in Ivory Coast attack The government of France illegally attacked Ivory Coast and the UN Security Council sanctioned the illegal action with the adoption of Resolution 1572 on Monday, in what appears to be an imperial


Israel, Palestinians Await Powell Visit  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel said ahead of a visit by  Secretary of State Colin Powell Sunday that it would consider  any formal request to pull troops away from West Bank cities to  facilitate a Palestinian presidential election.


Darfur Fighting, Troops Block Food Delivery  EL FASHER, Sudan (Reuters) - Tribal clashes, banditry and  troop movements are blocking crucial deliveries of food aid in  North Darfur state despite recent peace agreements, African  Union and United Nations officials said Sunday.


UConn ousts Marist Sophomore Steve Sealy netted his third winning goal in the last four games, giving Connecticut a 2-1 overtime victory over Marist yesterday in an NCAA Division 1 first-round men's soccer playoff game at Morrone Stadium in Storrs, Conn.


This Cowboy will ride it out All the Bill Parcells bashers coming out of the woodwork with the Cowboys struggling will not get their wish. Parcells is not going to step down before he completes the task he went to Dallas to perform.


Indiana falls a little short Using a makeshift roster a night after brawling with fans, the host Indiana Pacers pressed the Orlando Magic until the very end. Limited to just six players because of suspensions and injuries, the Pacers stayed close before dropping an 86-83 decision to Orlando last night.


Price's Miners secure unlikely bowl berth EL PASO -- Jordan Palmer threw for 339 yards and five touchdowns and No. 24 Texas-El Paso beat Southern Methodist, 57-27, last night to clinch a bowl berth in coach Mike Price's first season running the formerly downtrodden program.


Cardinals lift off in Houston HOUSTON -- Stefan LeFors threw for 317 yards and three touchdowns, and Eric Shelton rushed for three more scores, keeping No. 8 Louisville in the hunt for a BCS berth with a 65-27 win over Houston last night.


Arrington gives Bears a big game BERKELEY, Calif. -- J.J. Arrington ran for 169 yards to set California's single-season rushing record, and the fourth-ranked Golden Bears beat Stanford, 41-6, yesterday for their biggest victory in the Big Game since 1930.


Auburn is still perfect -- barely TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Auburn's stars rescued the Tigers' national championship hopes with a stellar second half.


Triple threat powers Eagles EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Jessalyn Deveny, Clare Droesch, and Brooke Queenan combined for 55 points as No. 18 Boston College beat Western Michigan, 71-50, yesterday in the Spartan Classic.


River Hawks beat the clock, Pace Tammy Haulcy drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer, lifting UMass-Lowell to a 68-65 victory over Pace last night at Costello Gym in the River Hawks' Northeast-10 Conference opener. UMass-Lowell (2-0) sank eight 3-pointers in all, including four by Mariette Guillaume, who was one of three River Hawks in double figures. Sacha Simms led the way with 15 points, and Enjoli ...


Broncos run win streak to 21 BOISE, Idaho -- Jon Helmandollar rushed for a school-record five touchdowns, and No. 13 Boise State clinched at least a share of its third straight Western Athletic Conference title with a 55-14 win over Louisiana Tech yesterday.


Peterson carries perfect Sooners WACO, Texas -- Adrian Peterson ran for 240 yards, including three second-half touchdowns, and No. 2 Oklahoma got the lopsided win it needed for the BCS standings by beating Baylor, 35-0, yesterday.


No keeping low profile SALT LAKE CITY -- The University of Utah football team still must wait another few weeks, but the time will be marked by anticipation rather than apprehension.


Miami maintains BCS hope MIAMI -- Brock Berlin threw for a career-best 361 yards and four touchdowns in just over a half, and No. 12 Miami stayed in contention for an Atlantic Coast Conference title yesterday by routing Wake Forest, 52-7.


Tennessee wraps up SEC title game date NASHVILLE -- Cedric Houston ran for three touchdowns and No. 15 Tennessee clinched the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division title yesterday with its 22d straight victory over Vanderbilt, 38-33.


Tech turnovers fuel runaway for Cavaliers ATLANTA -- Alvin Pearman scored two touchdowns and Virginia came up with four key turnovers, leading the 18th-ranked Cavaliers to a 30-10 victory over Georgia Tech yesterday.


It's back up and running PHILADELPHIA -- The burst was back. Displaying some of the giddy-up he showed against Ball State -- before suffering a left knee injury on his 21st carry of a 129-yard performance -- L.V. Whitworth returned to his season-opening form yesterday. The redshirt freshman tailback rushed 17 times for a career-high 151 yards and touchdowns of 29 and 39 yards to ...


Kicked into high gear Marc Thomas returned the opening kickoff of the second half 93 yards for a touchdown, igniting Northeastern to a run of 28 straight points in just over eight minutes as the Huskies crushed the University of Rhode Island, 42-14, at Parsons Field yesterday.


Crimson defense shows off its good side The best offense in the first half of yesterday's Harvard-Yale game was the Crimson defense.


Big Red can't complete the job Defensive lineman Bobby Fallon intercepted a tipped pass and ran 17 yards for a touchdown to start Penn on its way to a 20-14 win over Cornell yesterday in Ithaca, N.Y.


Rare win for Gators at FSU TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Chris Leak threw for a touchdown, Ciatrick Fason ran for a score, and Florida upset No. 10 Florida State, 20-13, last night to win in Tallahassee for the first time since 1986. It also gave fired coach Ron Zook a victory in his final regular-season game.


LSU rushing record up Broussard's alley BATON ROUGE, La. -- Alley Broussard ran for a school-record 250 yards with three touchdowns, and No. 14 LSU rallied to beat Mississippi, 27-24, last night.


Lynnfield and Sutton share title WORCESTER -- Sutton couldn't snap Lynnfield's unbeaten streak, but it did force the defending Division 3 champion to share its crown, forging a soggy 1-1 tie last night at John F. Coughlin Field at Worcester State. After 100 minutes of soccer -- 80 minutes of regulation play and two 10-minute extra sessions -- the teams were still deadlocked and by ...


Barnstable nets second straight SHREWSBURY -- Barnstable cruised to its second consecutive MIAA Division 1 state volleyball championship, and its eighth in 10 years, with a 3-0 win over Quincy last night.


Ricker goal enough for Nashoba WORCESTER -- Despite graduating 11 seniors from last year's two-time defending Central Mass. champion squad, Nashoba girls' soccer coach Pam Vaughan was confident of her team's chances to succeed in 2004. And boasting players like sophomore Kylie Ricker and junior Jill Camilleri on her roster, why wouldn't she be? Ricker, who netted the winner in a victory over Longmeadow in ...


GDA falls short against Brunswick Even all-world runner Brian Morrissey couldn't stop this one. ISL champion Governor Dummer, which came into the NEPSAC Congleton-Stokinger championship game riding a 23-game unbeaten streak, fell to Connecticut's Brunswick Academy, 20-19, at Trinity College yesterday.


Upstart Somerset gives Horton fitting finale The Somerset boys' soccer team started the state tournament as an 18th seed and an afterthought in the race for the Division 2 state title. The Blue Raiders knew their coach, Whit Horton, would be retiring after their final game. Yesterday, they gave Horton the best retirement gift possible, the MIAA Division 2 state title, taking a 1-0 win over ...


Hewitt, Federer to clash for Cup HOUSTON -- Roger Federer dangled, Andy Roddick got mangled, and the nerves of 6,510 devotees were tangled and jangled during a breezy, bleak afternoon as the four best tennis players of the universe jammed with each other to see who would remain standing for the Masters Cup final.


Cup within reach for Busch HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Kurt Busch has been doing everything right in his bid for his first Nextel Cup championship. He now has one big hurdle to clear entering today's Ford 400.


De La Hoya firm adds some punch LAS VEGAS -- Bernard Hopkins and Oscar De La Hoya announced a unique partnership yesterday, joining forces to create a nationwide promotional company boasting each other as the top attraction.


Mosley is on short end again LAS VEGAS -- Too big. That's what it came down to last night for Shane Mosley.


Informant's Fire Brings Shadowy Tale The attempted suicide in front of the White House by a Yemeni national put the secretive world of FBI informants under a rare spotlight.


Bush to Meet With Leaders of Mexico, Chile President Bush aims to dispel the perception of U.S. neglect of Latin America and burnish an American reputation damaged by the Iraq war, undertaking a second-term diplomatic offensive in the region akin to his recent courting of Europe.


Multi-purpose TV aids India A combined PC, telephone and television is being used in aid projects in India.


Pushing the UN to act when it must CONVENED in the wake of the crisis over Iraq, a UN high level panel appointed by Secretary General Kofi Annan Thursday delivered a historic report that leaves


Panel Says Iraq to Hold Elections Jan. 30 (AP) AP - Iraq's Electoral Commission on Sunday said that national elections will be held Jan. 30.


Win friends, influence voters on public #39;s dime The other day, while announcing the results of her audit of the city #39;s contract with PR giant Fleishman-Hillard, Los Angeles City Controller Laura Chick touched on a bigger issue than the firm #39;s alleged \$4.2 million in overbilling.


Manning promotion no sign of surrender his third of the week dominated by Eli-mania - someone at last asked Tom Coughlin about a matter largely lost in the hysteria: the standings.


Iran vows to freeze uranium enrichment Iran has promised to meet Monday #39;s deadline for suspending a uranium enrichment process that could be used for making nuclear weapons -- a freeze that could spare it UN Security Council sanctions.


Woods Ends Drought with Japan Breakthrough  MIYAZAKI, Japan (Reuters) - Tiger Woods collected his first  strokeplay title of a difficult year when he stormed to an  eight-shot victory at the Dunlop Phoenix tournament on Sunday.


Ukrainians Voting in Presidential Run-Off (AP) AP - Ukrainians on Sunday cast ballots in a presidential run-off pitting a Western-leaning reformer against the Kremlin-praised prime minister, a vote many fear will erupt into violence.


Palestinian Donors Show Some Optimism (AP) AP - For the first time in four years, the donor nations that sustain the Palestinian economy have reason for optimism. For now, however, that optimism won't mean more money for the Palestinians.


Bucks unleash their potential COLUMBUS - Sometimes the best way to deal with bad news is to run from it. Strap on your dancing cleats and fly a little. Maurice Clarett left Buckeye Nation backpedaling and scarlet-faced for more than a week, but Saturday came soon enough.


Dhaka fire destroys 1,800 shops A fire at a market in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka,  kills one and destroys about 1,800 shops.


Don't stand for racism - football chief Fifa boss Sepp Blatter says he would have backed England's players if they had walked off against Spain.


Comments from readers about Vioxx More than 35 Enquirer readers have called or e-mailed comments about the five drugs that were criticized Thursday by an expert with the US Food and Drug Administration.


Powell to Focus on Evaluation, Inspiration Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, on the first leg of a hastily-arranged tour of countries devastated by the tsunami, said Monday he would focus on assessing the progress of the relief effort and trying to inspire aid workers and survivors. Powell also said he did not anticipate announcing an increase in the \$350 million in reconstruction assistance pledged by the United States.


G20 opposes  quot;abrupt changes quot; in forex, oil; sees 2005 slowdown BERLIN, Nov 20 (AFP) - The finance chiefs of the Group of 20 countries oppose  quot;abrupt changes quot; in foreign exchange rates and oil prices and see a slight slowdown in economic growth next year, German Finance Minister Hans Eichel said Saturday.


Quake May Have Permanently Shifted Islands The tsunami triggered by a massive undersea earthquake Dec. 26 not only washed away thousands of people living on India's coastlines, it may have also permanently altered its geography.


Baghdad Governor Assassinated Gunmen killed the governor of the Baghdad province, Ali al-Haidari, and six of his bodyguards on Tuesday, officials said. Earlier Tuesday, several Iraqis were killed when a suicide bomber rammed a fuel truck into a checkpoint near the fortified Green Zone.


The Lowdown on High-End PDAs With BlackBerry pagers and Treo smartphones all the rage, why would anyone need -- or even want -- a pedestrian personal digital assistant?


Stern response needed from Stern FROM RAPPERS and rockers glorifying violence, to babies taking guns to school, to parents punching coaches and refs, to the unapologetic belligerence of the presidency, we are becoming a meaner and angrier nation.


UK to Seek Debt Relief for Tsunami Nations  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain, with United States backing,  called on Tuesday for a freeze on foreign debts owed by the  countries hit by the Asian tsunami disaster.


O #39;Neill hits out at Novo Celtic manager Martin O #39;Neill lost no time in re-igniting the flames of an explosive Old Firm derby by condemning the actions of Rangers striker Nacho Novo during his side #39;s 2-0 defeat.


Dungy entitled to be offended by MNF intro Before putting Towelgate to rest, it #39;s important to revisit some of the specifics of what Colts coach Tony Dungy said about the Terrell Owens-Nicollette Sheridan skit at the beginning of Monday Night Football.


Winky sees off Mosley again Ronald  #39;Winky #39; Wright edged  #39;Sugar #39; Shane Mosley for the second time in eight months in Las Vegas - but only just as he won a majority decision by the closest of margins to retain his WBA and WBC light-middleweight titles.


Game at Clemson marred by brawls Clemson #39;s college football game with rival South Carolina was interrupted in the second half when a fight involving several players erupted, spreading nearly the entire length of the field at Clemson #39;s Memorial Stadium and coming close to spilling into


Howard unveils election platform The Tories will stand up for the "forgotten majority", says Michael Howard as he unveils the Tory election manifesto.


US State Department: Iranian Intelligence is Strong While US President George W. Bush repeated his concerns over the nuclear programs of North Korea and Iran, the US Department of State backed Secretary of State Colin Powell #39;s remarks that  quot;Iran has been developing rocket systems capable of carrying


Cricket: Australia tighten grip Skipper Ricky Ponting makes a double century as Australia continue to dominate the third Test against Pakistan.


Manmohan arrives on two-day visit to Assam Guwahati, Nov. 21 (PTI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, arrived here today from Manipur on a two-day visit to Assam amidst tight security.


Directors rebuff Oracle #39;s \$24 bid PeopleSoft Inc. #39;s board of directors said Saturday it will not accept Oracle Corp. #39;s bid to buy the company for \$24 per share, even after 61 percent of the Pleasanton firm #39;s investors endorsed the offer.


Huge US deficit emphasizes fragile world view of the American <b>...</b> International Forecaster Allyn Hunt writes: Bush #39;s re-election in contrast signals a period of increased efforts by Brazil #39;s widely popular President of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Argentina #39;s Nestor Kirchner, Venezuela #39;s vigorously anti-Bush President


Clash of retail giants could benefit small toy stores With only 34 shopping days until Christmas - and a 10-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter to shop for - Lisa Smalley knows where she #39;ll be doing her toy shopping.


Nintendo #39;s new portable DS a big change from Game Boy Nintendo believes that when it comes to video games, your fingers want to touch as much as twitch and that two really is better than one.


Recording giants file copyright suit against city music collector Brett Bojrab likes music. He owns hundreds of compact discs that he listens to while driving. To avoid hauling CDs back and forth into his house, Bojrab copied much of his music collection onto


Chase for the Cup To NASCAR fans, a pocket calculator is going to be as valuable today as an air gun for a tire changer. Depending on where they finish in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the 18


Wright #39;s jab still too much for Mosley Firing his father led to a better performance for Shane Mosley against Winky Wright in their fight for the undisputed super welterweight championship Saturday at Mandalay Bay.


ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICA RATINGS JASON ROBINSON: The England captain boycotted the media all week but did his talking on the pitch as South Africa were comfortably dispatched.


Palestinians want Powell to help release Barghouthi RAMALLAH: Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei called on Saturday for the United States to pressure Israel to release jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi and other imprisoned Palestinian leaders.


Detainee release lends dignity to Myanmar YANGON: The release of thousands of prisoners including top dissidents in military-run Myanmar lends dignity to the nation, the main opposition party said on Saturday as it praised those freed for their struggle for democracy.


Afghan sentenced for killing four journalists KABUL: An Afghan man was found guilty on Saturday of killing four journalists in 2001, including two from Reuters, and sentenced to death.


Minister Tries to End Royal Memo Row Education Secretary Charles Clarke today tried to end the row over the Prince of Waless controversial memo by praising his commitment to developing peoples ambition.


New anti-terror plans The Government is considering tough new anti-terrorism laws amid fears of an al-Qaida attack on Britain. Home Secretary David Blunkett will unveil the new proposals in an interview to be aired today on ITV1 #39;s Jonathan Dimbleby programme.


Sri Lanka steps up security COLOMBO: Sri Lanka stepped up security in the capital Colombo on Saturday as police launched an investigation into the slaying of a judge and his bodyguard, officials said.


Israel Kills 7 Palestinians in North Gaza -- Medics  BEIT LAHIYA, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot  dead seven Palestinians in a strawberry field in north Gaza on  Tuesday after mortar fire from Palestinian militants there  wounded two Jewish settlers.


Bush warns Iran and North Korea US President George W Bush is stepping up pressure on North Korea and Iran to abandon their nuclear weapons programmes. At the Apec summit of Pacific-rim countries in Chilean capital Santiago Mr Bush has been


Russia to supply energy resources to India RBC, 19.11.2004, Moscow 17:06:44.Gazprom will cooperate with India-based Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) focusing on energy supplies to this country.


Racism: FIFA should hit Spain hard It seems that England simply cannot escape controversy. But on Wednesday night in Madrid it was their opponents, rather than themselves, that were dragged through the mire as racist chants directed at England


Prime time, slime time I know you don #39;t care about people like me. Actually, you and the rest of the entertainment history don #39;t care about people, period.


Tsunami toll hits 15,485 dead or missing in India: official (AFP) AFP - The official toll in southern India from tsunamis has reached at least 9,571 people confirmed dead and 5,914 missing, many of them presumed dead, the government said.


Humane law in offing in Manipur: PM Imphal, November 21: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday expressed the hope that a  quot;humane quot; law that protects national security and human rights of the people of Manipur would be in place as early as possible once the controversial Armed Forces


Barcelona coach urges caution despite victory over Madrid Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard urged caution following an emphatic 3-0 victory over Real Madrid, maintaining the Spanish league title race is still far from decided.


Lockheed Martin allegations focus on Boeing #39;s chief executive Nov. 18--Lockheed Martin has introduced evidence in a civil lawsuit that allegedly demonstrates Boeing Chief Executive Harry Stonecipher knew former Air Force acquisitions officer Darleen Druyun gave Boeing


Insurers may drop thousands of homeowners as moratorium ends Come Dec. 1, many Floridians may find an unwelcome piece of mail interspersed between bills, holiday catalogs and greeting cards: a non-renewal or cancellation letter from their insurers.


Nintendo prepares weekend launch of new handheld Los Angeles  Reuters News Service, 19 November 2004 - A generation of children grew up playing Nintendo #39;s Game Boy handheld video game system, and now that they have grown up, Nintendo has a new toy for them.


Hostage freed, husband grieves POLISH hostage Teresa Borcz-Halifa emerged over the weekend saying her captors in Iraq had treated her well, but refusing to explain how she came to be free.


8 Dead, 79 Wounded in Chinese Mine Fire Reportedly a fire in an iron mine in Northern China has killed eight miners and 79 miners are still unable to be reached. According to the news from New Chinese News Agency, five miners managed to escape from


SWAPO Declared Winner in Namibia Election Namibia #39;s ruling SWAPO party scored an overwhelming victory in official election results on Sunday, bolstering the former guerrilla movement as it grapples with sensitive issues such as land reform.


Five missing German tourists found FIVE German tourists who went missing in Algeria #39;s Sahara desert have been found safe and well in the southern Djanet region of the north African country, local police said today.


China Plane Crashes Into Frozen Lake, Killing 54 (Reuters) Reuters - A China Eastern commuter plane crashed\into a frozen lake seconds after takeoff in Inner Mongolia on\Sunday, killing 53 people on board and one on the ground, the\airline and state media said.


Fox hunting ban is about 'class war': Labour MP (AFP) AFP - The ban on fox hunting is driven by the Labour Party's desire to stamp out "the old order" dominated by the country's landowning upper classes, a Labour MP wrote in The Sunday Telegraph.


Expos #39; move given conditional approval Baseball owners took another step toward moving the Montreal Expos to Washington next year, giving conditional approval Friday but hinging their decision on the September agreement that did not cap the cost of a new stadium.


Taser Execs Selling Heavily on the News  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Taser International Inc.  TASR.O have jumped 20 percent since early last week as the  stun gun maker issued a slew of announcements painting a  positive picture of its business prospects.


Be Happy, Put Retirement Fears to Rest  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If retirement fears were  color-coded, they would be somewhere between orange and red  right now.


Ukrainians Choose New President in Landmark Vote  KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainians voted for a new president on  Sunday, choosing between their Russian-backed prime minister  and a West-leaning liberal in a tight contest many fear could  degenerate into turmoil.


Fans  #39;disgusted #39; by Tigers #39; fate ATLANTA -- After watching Auburn University #39;s football team finish a perfect regular season yet remain on the outside of the national championship picture, Doyle King is experiencing a familiar and not-so-welcome feeling these days.


Israel, Palestinians Await Powell Visit  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel said before a visit by  Secretary of State Colin Powell on Sunday that it would  consider calls to pull its troops away from West Bank cities to  facilitate a Palestinian presidential election.


Death in Custody of Afghan Kidnap Suspect Probed  KABUL (Reuters) - A man suspected of involvement in the  abduction of three U.N. workers in Afghanistan died in custody  last week and authorities are investigating whether he was  tortured to death, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday.


Quadruple on the cards for wealthy Chelsea a 2-1 defeat to Benfica in the 2004 Portuguese Cup Final. That aside, his Porto team won everything they entered: two


Iraq debts write-off 'approved' Key creditor nations reportedly approve a plan to slash Iraq's debts, as an election date is announced.


Focus Shifts to Dollar and Rates The post-election stock market rally has been rudely interrupted by the implications of a sliding US dollar, higher interest rates, the US current account deficit and Friday #39;s rebound in oil prices.


Baghdad Governor Assassinated; Bombing Kills 10 (Reuters) Reuters - Gunmen killed the Baghdad governor in\Iraq's highest-profile assassination in eight months and a\suicide bomber killed 10 people near the Green Zone on Tuesday\in an escalating campaign to wreck a Jan. 30 election.


Taser insiders sold \$68 million of stock in a week Taser International Inc. #39;s chairman, two co-founders and five other insiders sold more than \$68 million of their stock between Nov. 5 and Nov. 11, regulatory filings show.


A trade-rule gamble Did you know the United States has no right to ban cross-border gambling on the Internet? That #39;s what the World Trade Organization decreed after the two-island nation of Antiqua and Barbuda complained about


Tennis: Marathon tie-breaker triumph puts Federer into Masters Cup <b>...</b> HOUSTON, United States : World number one Roger Federer outlasted Marat Safin in a tie-breaker that matched the longest in tennis history to book a date against Lleyton Hewitt in the ATP Masters Cup final.


World #39;s oldest man dies at age 113 Fred Hale Sr., believed to have been the oldest man on Earth, has died less than a month before his 114th birthday at a DeWitt, NY, nursing home.


England could have walked - Fifa Fifa boss Sepp Blatter has admitted he would have supported England #39;s players if they had walked off in the face of racial abuse against Spain this week.


Dramatic appearance in Poland of kidnap victim Teresa Borcz Khalifa, a Polish woman kidnapped last month in Iraq, dramatically appeared at a press conference in Warsaw yesterday, but gave few details of her captivity or how she had been freed.


PM departs for four-day S. Asian tour ISLAMABAD : Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz left on Sunday for a four-day official visit to three South Asian member countries for talks on regional and bilateral matters.


Palestinians want the Americans to ensure smooth elections JERUSALEM Palestinian leaders have outlined plans to persuade visiting American envoys to help ensure smooth elections to replace Yasser Arafat.


US experts to examine filtering Web songs: Court Sydney, December 4: US technical experts will fly to Australia to examine whether song files swapped by users of Kazaa, the world #39;s most popular Internet file-swapping system, can be filtered, a judge hearing a copyright case has ruled.


Focus Shifts to Dollar and Rates (Reuters) Reuters - The post-election stock market rally\has been rudely interrupted by the implications of a sliding\U.S. dollar, higher interest rates, the U.S. current account\deficit and Friday's rebound in oil prices.


Taser Execs Selling Heavily on the News (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of Taser International Inc.\ have jumped 20 percent since early last week as the\stun gun maker issued a slew of announcements painting a\positive picture of its business prospects.


Be Happy, Put Retirement Fears to Rest (Reuters) Reuters - If retirement fears were\color-coded, they would be somewhere between orange and red\right now.


When Executives Speak, Hotels Listen  NEW YORK (Reuters) - When corporate guests ask for  something, smart hotel managers get it.


BAE turns its sights on US BAE Systems has launched a search for a senior American businessman to become a non-executive director. The high-profile appointment is designed to strengthen the board at a time when the defence giant is


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


Hewitt bids to derail Federer express THE odds are stacked heavily against Lleyton Hewitt but the Australian has incentives aplenty when he faces world No. 1 Roger Federer in the Masters Cup final in Houston today.


Down and out A GIANT roared, a nation was crushed and debate over the ethics of an ancient game flared at the Gabba yesterday. After a sluggish start to the first Test Australia flexed their


Afghans Investigate Death of Suspect (AP) AP - Authorities are investigating whether a suspect in the kidnapping of three U.N. workers was tortured before he died in police custody, an official said Sunday.


Humans May Double the Risk of Heat Waves Human activity has at least doubled the risk of heat waves like the one in 2003 that killed thousands in Europe, researchers conclude in a study being published today in the scientific journal Nature.


PM in Assam for a two-day visit GUWAHATI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in on Sunday from Manipur on a two-day visit to Assam amidst tight security. The Prime Minister drove straight to the Raj Bhavan, where he is scheduled to meet


Jail term for Bahraini activist A Bahrain court sentences a human rights activist to one year in jail for inciting hatred against the state.


MacCentral week in review Apple opens its first European Apple Store on Saturday, on Regent Street in London #39;s West End. In a special press tour of the store earlier this week, Apple #39;s vice president of retail Ron


Barcelona 3-0 Real Madrid Cameroon #39;s Samuel Eto #39;o Fils helped Barcelona trounce Real Madrid 3-0 to move seven points clear of their great rivals in Spain #39;s La Liga.


Tailbacks take back seat in Iron Bowl TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - The Iron Bowl didn #39;t come close to providing the anticipated showcase of top tailbacks. Instead, the quarterbacks and two of the nation #39;s best defenses dominated No.


Bears #39; trail drawing closer to Pasadena BERKELEY, Calif. -- Push led to shove all afternoon, but when it was over, the California students owned the field. They flowed out of the Memorial Stadium bleachers Saturday in a riotous celebration of the


Russia blocking Paris Club debt relief for Iraq: G20 source BERLIN (AFP) - Russia is blocking a Paris Club agreement to wipe out 80 percent of Iraqi debt, a source said on the sidelines of a Group of 20 meeting of finance chiefs.


Afghan gets death penalty for killing four A Kabul, Afghanistan, court has sentenced 29-year-old Reza Khan to death for killing four journalists in 2001. Khan was convicted of killing Australian television cameraman


How to avoid viruses, remotely access home PC Scripps Howard News <b>...</b> We have more and more letters to answer. Let #39;s get right to the mailbag. Q: In a recent column you said that 95 percent of all viruses and spyware are aimed at Internet Explorer, so I decided to do away with IE.


Australia vs New Zealand Australia #39;s Jason Gillespie celebrates after reaching his first Test half-century against New Zealand during day four of the first Test in Brisbane, on Sunday.


SA #39;s Hall seeks to pin down win South Africa all-rounder Andrew Hall warned India they should be under no illusions that the tourists are fully focused on a positive result in Kanpur.


Russia holds out on Iraq debt plan Russia has not agreed to a German-US proposal that would forgive up to 80 percent of Iraq #39;s foreign debt, according to German Finance Minister Hans Eichel.


Prince Charles Hits Back at  #39;Out of Touch #39; Jibe Prince Charles will hit back on Monday at government accusations that he is old-fashioned and out of touch in his views on ordinary people #39;s aspirations.


Britain considering tough new anti-terror laws London: Britain is considering sweeping new anti-terrorism laws including special courts to try terror suspects without a jury, Home Secretary David Blunkett said in an interview Sunday.


GM, Ford Sales Sagged in November The Chrysler Group of DaimlerChrysler AG was the only domestic car company that gained ground during November, marking its eighth straight month of US vehicle sales increases.


VIOXX HEARINGS: GET A TASTE OF YOUR OWN MEDICINE When pharmaceutical giant Merck  amp; Co. abruptly pulled its arthritis pain medication Vioxx from the marketplace on Sept. 30, more than 2 million patients were taking the drug.


Costello to steer Group of 20 TREASURER Peter Costello will chair the 2006 meeting of the Group of 20, which brings together the finance ministers and central bankers from the leading industrial and developing nations.


Report: Officials search Yukos managers #39; homes Russian authorities have searched the homes of dozens of managers working for the embattled Yukos oil company in what one board member described as a massive campaign reminiscent of the Stalinist purges, a news agency reported Sunday.


Busch the Man to Beat for Nextel Cup (AP) AP - Kurt Busch has been doing everything right in his bid for his first Nextel Cup championship. He now has one big hurdle to clear entering Sunday's Ford 400. He needs to protect a vulnerable 18-point lead over Jimmie Johnson, with Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin also within reach.


Report: Officials search Yukos managers' homes (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - MOSCOW (AP) - Russian authorities have searched the homes of dozens of managers working for the embattled Yukos oil company in what one board member described as a massive campaign reminiscent of the Stalinist purges, a news agency reported Sunday.


Hole-hearted attempt THE fastest-swivelling space science observatory rocketed into orbit yesterday to scan the universe for violent celestial explosions, which astronomers believe represent the birth screams of black holes.


Reeling Kiwis try to get back on the wagon IF, as New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming suggested in the wake of yesterday #39;s embarrassing capitulation, his team began the day with a  quot;mental hangover quot; then he faces a devil #39;s own job getting them back on the wagon in time for the next Test, starting


Hodgson homes in on number 10 Charlie Hodgson hopes to give England coach Andy Robinson a selection headache when World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson returns to fitness.


Cal #39;s Arrington passes the torch to Lynch, and future looks bright BERKELEY - Someone asked Marshawn Lynch, Cal #39;s precocious true freshman, how far he could throw a football. His tone is matter-of-fact, a  quot;how #39;s the weather quot; voice.


Profits Fading in Digital Camera Industry (Reuters) Reuters - Bloated with inventory and mired in the\red, the digital camera business of Japan's Olympus Corp.\underscores how making money in the cut-throat market is\getting tougher.


Small Plane Crashes in China, Killing 54 Rescuers search for the bodies of air crash victims at the site of an air crash in Baotou, north China #39;s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Sunday November 21, 2004.


Top brass warns of Iraqi civil war LISBON: US army chief General Richard Myers said in an interview that civil war could erupt in Iraq after forthcoming elections. However, General Myers, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, told the


Arafat #39;s nephew arrives in Paris for Arafat #39;s medical records Nasser al-Qidwa, nephew of the deceased Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, arrived Sunday in Parisfrom Cairo to pick up Arafat #39;s medical records, French TF1 television reported.


Prince Charles defends his views on education Prince Charles, who was lambasted by the media and a government lawmaker for a memo in which he derided people who aspire to lofty goals beyond their natural talent, said on Sunday that he had been misinterpreted.


Costa Rica: Earthquake kills eight A strong earthquake rocked Costa Rica during the weekend, killing eight people and shaking the Central American nation during the Ibero-American summit.


Iraqis push ahead with elections Iraq has set a date of 30 January 2005 for its first nationwide election since the toppling of Saddam Hussein. The announcement came from the independent Iraqi electoral commission in Baghdad.


No Confidence Vote Passes Against UN Top Leadership Already embattled with his ties to the Iraqi Oil for Food scandal, and what some term as the 'Food for Sex' scandal, Kofi Annan has dodged the latest bullet. Well, dodged only in the sense that specific allegations against him was removed at the last minute before passing.    The UN staff union passed a resolution sharply critical of the world body's senior management but expressed support for beleaguered Secretary General Kofi Annan.    An earlier draft of the resolution had strongly worded language about no confidence in senior staff of the United Nations, which has been buffeted by scandals over the past few months.


Friday night brawl a disgrace Indeed, after Friday night #39;s mayhem in Motown, Detroit Pistons fans can now clearly lay claim to be the biggest idiots in the sporting world, no easy achievment these days, and while many of them were apparently too dumb to realize they were being caught


Microsoft Targets Older People for Web Via TV  SEATTLE (Reuters) - For people trying to get their aging  parents on the Web so they can read e-mail and get digital  photos of the family, Microsoft Corp. MSFT.O has a message:  Don't give up.


Profits Fading in Digital Camera Industry  TOKYO (Reuters) - Bloated with inventory and mired in the  red, the digital camera business of Japan's Olympus Corp.  underscores how making money in the cut-throat market is  getting tougher.


U.S. Heartland Is Bursting with Corn, Soy  ROCHELLE, Ill. (Reuters) - Golden mountains are rising out  of the fertile farmlands of the U.S. Midwest, a changing  landscape formed by huge piles of corn from the most bountiful  harvest in U.S. history.


NBA players suspended for big brawl National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern issued indefinite suspensions Saturday to four of the main protagonists in Friday night #39;s brawl among the Indiana Pacers, the Detroit


WHAT THE PAPERS SAY NEWS OF THE WORLD: Ashley Cole last night called on the Spanish FA to axe their shamed coach Luis Aragones and branded him evil #39; #39;.


Violence erupts in Baghdad Baghdad was again rocked by violence on Saturday as rebels launched an assault on a police station and four civil servants were assassinated, while US and Iraqi troops took the battle against insurgents from Fallujah to Mosul.


Achievements on Humanitarian Access in Darfur  #39;fast falling apart #39; Renewed insecurity stops Oxfam delivering vital aid to 200,000 people in Darfur - Security in Darfur has deteriorated over the past two weeks leaving nearly 200,000 people in Darfur cut off from vital aid supplies.


Korea Puzzled by US Currency Game Over the weekend, the US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan hinted at the maintenance of weak dollar policy (in Germany) while President Bush said he is committed to a strong dollar (in Chile).


Fears of split in Reliance group premature: Business India: Mumbai, Nov 21 : As millions of Indians are held in thrall by reports of a family feud in Reliance Industries, the country #39;s largest company, experts say it would be premature to talk about a split as yet.


MG Rover on brink of China deal MG Rover is on the brink of a 1bn deal with a Chinese company that will help secure the future of its giant Longbridge plant. Under the joint venture with the Shanghai Automotive Corporation, a new company


Israel urged to clear way for Palestinian vote Palestinians called crucial to the success of a ballot to choose a successor to the late Yasser Arafat. Middle East envoy William Burns told reporters on Sunday in the West Bank city of Ramallah.