Oil Prices Set Another Record ARIS, Aug. 18 - Oil prices climbed above \$47 a barrel today, setting yet another record, after figures showed supplies in the United States were down for a third consecutive week while a report from OPEC highlighted the threat of high oil ...


US airlines agree to cut flights at Chicago #39;s O #39;Hare CHICAGO, Aug 18 (Reuters) - US airlines have agreed to limit flights into Chicago #39;s O #39;Hare International Airport at peak periods to stem record delays that have slowed aviation nationwide, federal officials said on Wednesday.


Half of US Web Users Now on Broadband -- Report NEW YORK (Reuters) - More than half of all US residential Internet users reached the Web via fast broadband connections in July, outpacing use of slower, dial-up connections for the first time, market researcher Nielsen//NetRatings said on ...


It #39;s hip, it #39;s funky, it #39;s a PC made just for teens AUSTIN (Texas) - It is not your typical, humdrum, slate-coloured computer. Not only is the PC known as the  #39;hip-e #39; almost all white, but its screen and keyboard are framed in fuzzy pink fur. Or a leopard skin design. Or a graffiti-themed pattern.


Beckham:  #39;England needed this boost #39; David Beckham admitted England needed to prove a point by beating Ukraine in Wednesday night #39;s friendly at St James #39; Park.


Scotland V Hungary Player Ratings David Marshall  The Celtic goalkeeper continued his rapid rise to fame with his first international start. Blameless at the penalty and was given no chance with Hustzi #39;s stunning second. Unlucky to have Pressley #39;s attempted clearance cannon off him ...


Lefty done for season with torn left flexor tendon PHILADELPHIA -- Andy Pettitte #39;s frustrating season officially came to an end Wednesday when the Houston Astros announced that the left-hander will undergo surgery to repair the torn flexor tendon in his left elbow.


Bargain-hunting, Iraq deal push up US shares NEW YORK : US share prices surged on Wednesday as bargain hunting and news of a peace deal in the Iraqi city of Najaf overcame all-time high oil prices and weak demand for the Google share float.


Pope #39;s French visit leaves debt France #39;s Roman Catholic Church has reported a 1.3m-euro deficit (\$1.6m) from a visit by the Pope to the southern shrine of Lourdes.


Five new moons for planet Neptune Five new moons have been discovered orbiting the giant planet Neptune.


Vonage: Dial 311 for city info Subscribers of the company's Net phone service can get information on park locations, public transit, and so on.


England, Germany Win Cup Qualifying Preps (AP) AP - Looking to rebound after poor showings in Euro 2004, England and Germany won tuneup games Wednesday in preparation for qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup.


Dolphins Player Pleads Innocent to Assault (AP) AP - Miami Dolphins receiver David Boston pleaded innocent Tuesday to charges of assaulting a ticket agent at the Burlington International Airport in October.


Hairston Out for Season The Orioles learn Wednesday that outfielder Jerry Hairston will be lost for the season with a broken left ankle.  Hairston was injured crashing into the outfield wall Tuesday night.


Delta seeks permission to buy back certain bonds NEW YORK, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines (DAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Wednesday it was asking permission to buy back debt from about 10 percent of its bondholders, in a first step toward the struggling company #39;s efforts to restructure its ...


Briefly: Vonage users dial 311 for city info roundup Plus: Mozilla makes Japanese push...Macromedia offers Flash video tool...UTStarcom wins Indian IP gear contract.


IBM chalks up two health care wins The deals with a university medical center and a California health care provider come two weeks after a win with the Mayo Clinic.


Results of Presidential Campaign Polls (AP) AP - Results of recent polls on the presidential race. Listed above each set of results is the name of the 2000 winner in a given state, the organization that conducted the poll, the dates, the number interviewed, whether it was adults, registered voters (RV) or likely voters (LV) and the margin of error (MoE). Results may not total 100 percent because of rounding.


Crowd Inspires Greek Beach Volleyballers; US Duo Ousted ATHENS (Reuters) - A roaring crowd helped inspire Greece #39;s top women #39;s beach volleyball team to trounce China on Wednesday and reach the next round.


Golfer Ryan Baca Misses Cut at US Amateur MAMARONECK, NY - Baylor senior Ryan Baca (Richmond, Texas) finished tied for 128th with a 36-hole total of 155 at the 104th US Amateur golf championship at the 7,266-yard, par-70 Winged Foot Golf Club West Course Tuesday.


Sharon #39;s party rejects coalition bid TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon #39;s Likud party has voted to bar him from forming a coalition with the Labour opposition, an embarrassing blow that complicates his plan to withdraw from occupied Gaza.


Arafat Admits Mistakes, Slow on Palestinian Reform RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat made a rare admission of mistakes on Wednesday and urged reforms to end corruption after an unprecedented wave of turmoil.


African Union pledges to send more troops to Darfur KIGALI,Rawanda, Aug 18, 2004 (RNA)-- The African Union has pledged to send more troops to Darfur, Sudan, to protect civilians in case militias resume attacks on them, official sources told RNA.  quot;This is essential in order to give ourselves sufficient ...


Study: Global Warming Could Affect Calif. (AP) AP - Global warming could cause dramatically hotter summers and a depleted snow pack in California, leading to a sharp increase in heat-related deaths and jeopardizing the water supply, according to a study released Monday.


New Bird Species Found in Philippines (AP) AP - Filipino and British wildlife researchers say they've stumbled upon what appears to be a new species of flightless bird found only on the tiny forested island of Calayan in the northern Philippines.


Briefly: IBM chalks up two health care wins roundup Plus: Vonage users dial 311 for city info...Mozilla makes Japanese push...Macromedia offers Flash video tool.


Freddie Mac Says May Face SEC Action (Reuters) Reuters - Mortgage finance company Freddie\Mac (FRE.N) on Wednesday said it may face civil action from the\U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for possible violations\of securities laws.


Freddie Mac Says May Face SEC Action  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Mortgage finance company Freddie  Mac FRE.N on Wednesday said it may face civil action from the  U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for possible violations  of securities laws.


GOP Incumbent Wins Wyo. Primary for House (AP) AP - Incumbent Republican Rep. Barbara Cubin easily fended off four GOP challengers to earn a shot at a sixth term in November's general election.


SEC Gives the Thumbs Up to Google #39;s IPO Earlier Wednesday, Google cut the range of its IPO price to \$85-\$95 per share from \$108-\$135 per share and the number of shares that will be sold from 25.7 million to 19.6 million. The cuts mean Google could raise about \$1.8 billion in ...


AUSTRALIA PRESS: Murdoch Drums Up Support For US Move SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--News Corp. (NWS) Chairman Rupert Murdoch said there was  quot;no choice quot; but to change the media giant #39;s domicile to the US as he attempts to win over crucial support from Australian investors for the move, the Australian Financial Review ...


Delta CEO presents long-awaited plan to board CHICAGO, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Chief Executive Gerald Grinstein presented his long-awaited plan for the airline #39;s future to board members on Wednesday, a strategy that could determine whether the struggling carrier ...


Parmalat Sues Grant Thornton and Deloitte Italian-based Parmalat is suing its former auditors -- Grant Thornton International and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu -- for billions of dollars in damages. Parmalat blames its demise on the two companies #39; mismanagement of its finances.


Broadband Reaches Critical Mass Nielsen//NetRatings is reporting that broadband connections for the first time reached 51 percent of the American online population at home during the month of July, as compared to 38 percent last July. Sixty-three million Web ...


Compuware Blasts IBM #39;s Legal Tactics Two years ago, IBM was ordered to produce the source code for its products, which Compuware identified as containing its pirated intellectual property. The code was missing. But lo and behold -- last week, they called and said they had it, quot; ...


A brighter Outlook? The start-up company made its retail debut Wednesday with You Perform, a collection of more than a dozen add-ons for Outlook, the widely used e-mail and calendar application included in Microsoft Office.


Five new moons for planet Neptune Five new satellites - and one candidate moon - have been discovered orbiting the giant planet Neptune, bringing its tally of moons to 13.


Ford Drops Oracle-based Purchasing System Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday said it has scrapped a 5-year-old project to move suppliers over to an Internet-based purchasing system powered by Oracle Corp. software, deciding instead to revert back to its custom-built system.


Pakistani firms answer call for cell phones Tens of thousands of Pakistanis endured hours of stifling heat this week to accept an offer of free mobile phone connections, a sign of the pent-up demand in a country where cell phone usage has remained low.


UPI NewsTrack Sports ATHENS, Greece, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Paul Hamm produced an amazing comeback Wednesday night to become the first American male to win the Olympic gymnastics all-around gold medal.


Historic return but how much has it all changed? The occasion was clearly too much for Kristin Heaton, the first athlete for 1,611 years to compete at the original Olympic Games venue of Olympia. The American opened the women #39;s shot put competition yesterday, but could not ...


England Beats Ukraine in World Cup Soccer Warm-Up (Update1) Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Shaun Wright-Phillips scored in his international debut as England beat Ukraine 3-0 in a warm-up for soccer World Cup qualifying, while Italy lost 2-0 to Iceland.


Naked ambition finally earns reward for Williamson For eight years Alison Williamson has been all too aware that the only time she imposed herself on the national consciousness was when she posed nude for a glossy magazine. As of yesterday, she will be remembered as an Olympic bronze ...


Doubts over Sadr peace deal The radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr was reported last night to have accepted a peace deal that could end the violent two-week uprising in Najaf and see his militia leave the city #39;s Imam Ali Shrine.


Typhoon Megi claims six lives Heavy rains from Typhoon Megi pounded Shikoku island in western Japan, killing at least six people, the Mainichi Shimbus reported Wednesday.


Freddie Mac May Face SEC Civil Action  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Freddie Mac FRE.N, the No. 2 U.S.  mortgage finance company, on Wednesday said it may face civil  action from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for  possible violations of securities laws.


IBM tightening Eclipse, Java, Linux links IBM on Thursday will announce the release of a free tools bundle for Eclipse to make it easier to deploy Java applications on Linux.


Callahan Gets 'Fresh Start' With 'Huskers (AP) AP - Ten days after getting run out of Oakland, Bill Callahan walked into Lincoln and took over one of the nation's most high-profile college football programs. Time will tell whether it's a soft landing for the man who two years ago led the Raiders to the Super Bowl.


Security aide says US will be stronger in Korea after troop withdrawal (AFP) AFP - US national security advisory Condoleezza Rice said that US military power on the Korean peninsula will be stronger even if 12,000 troops are withdrawn under a controversial troop withdrawal plan.


Oil soars above 47 on US supply jitters PARIS Oil prices climbed to another high on Wednesday after figures showed US crude supplies were down for a third straight week while a report from OPEC highlighted the threat of high oil prices for world economies.


Barclays set to purchase credit card company LONDON Barclays said Wednesday it would buy the US credit card company Juniper Financial for \$293 million as part of its international expansion plan.


Bank Of America Layoffs Effect Fleet Banks Employees Bank of America acquired Boston-based Fleet Financial Corporation last Spring -- promising at the time there would be no job cuts from the merger.


Fuel surcharges grow LONDON Air France and its unit KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, as well as British Midland Airways, announced new fare surcharges on Wednesday as a result of higher fuel costs. They follow similar moves by British Airways and Deutsche Lufthansa.


Inflation slows across euro region BRUSSELS Inflation in the 12 countries sharing the euro slowed for a second month in July as faltering consumer demand deterred companies from passing on rising energy costs. But economists said higher oil prices may fuel a reversal of that trend as the ...


Microsoft delays upgrade REDMOND, Washington Microsoft has delayed the automated distribution of a major security upgrade to its Windows XP Professional computer operating system, citing a desire to give companies more time to test it.


Half of US web users use Broadband internet connection A small majority of US Internet users are connected with broadband service for the first time. 51 percent of home Internet connections are broadband services in July, according to a Nielsen/NetRatings report.


Mars Hills, Crater Yield Evidence of Flowing Water LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The hills of Mars yielded more tantalizing clues about how water shaped the Red Planet in tests by NASA #39;s robotic geologist, Spirit, while its twin, Opportunity, observed the deep crater it climbed into two months ...


Compuware asks court to sanction IBM An emergency motion was filed Friday the 13th of August in US District Court of Eastern Michigan, Compuware said that IBM failed to provide essential evidence, which includes several pieces of disputed software source code, until after the case #39;s ...


Microsoft Previews 64-Bit XP, Promises No Price Hikes It posted a free beta version, and said the new edition would be priced at the same level as the 32-bit edition.


Less Outlook clutter with new add-on Toolkit You Software, a small Oregon based company, released a set of add-on tools for Microsoft Outlook, an e-mail client, on Wednesday.


Brazil hit Haiti for six in Peace Match PORT-AU-PRINCE, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Ronaldinho scored a hat-trick as world champions Brazil cantered to a 6-0 win over Haiti in a friendly dubbed the Peace Match on Wednesday.


Berlusconi shrugs off fears of new terror threat after Sardinia bomb scare Silvio Berlusconi brushed off fears yesterday of a fresh terrorist threat in Italy, insisting he would finish his holiday in Sardinia despite a bomb scare in the seaside town where Tony Blair ended a flying visit yesterday.


Death toll of Salvadoran jail riot rises to 30 MEXICO CITY, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- A riot taking place Wednesday at La Esperanza Jail, in Mariona, in the outskirts of El Salvador,left a toll of 30 dead and 28 injured, with six grenades exploding.


Iraqi group threatens to kill missing journalist BAGHDAD - A militant group has released a video saying it kidnapped a missing journalist in Iraq and would kill him unless US forces left Najaf within 48 hours.


Medtronic Net Up on Higher ICD Sales  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Medtronic Inc. MDT.N on Wednesday  said its quarterly earnings rose on surprisingly brisk demand  for devices that slow racing heartbeats, offsetting a  weaker-than-expected performance in some of its other  businesses.


Shielding Your Skin From the Summer Sun Americans have a passion for the great outdoors but often seem downright lackadaisical about protecting their skin from the sun's damaging rays. Myths about sun exposure -- and there are quite a few -- may encourage people's risky behaviors, experts say.


Health Highlights: Aug. 18, 2004 Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:    -----       Greek Athletes Who Missed Drug Test Quit Games      The two Greek athletes who missed a drug test on Aug. 12 have withdrawn from the Olympic Games...


Google Gets IPO Go-Ahead After rocky road to public offering, search engine proceeds--but what will it do with its windfall?


New Program Lets People Design 3-D Objects Programs for computer-aided design, or CAD, have been around for decades, but eMachineShop.com appears to be the first service that checks whether a design can be made, tells the customer how much it will cost. If the customer wants the item the design goes to a "real world" machine shop for manufacturing.


New Target Price Could Make Google a Bargain By MICHAEL J. MARTINEZ     NEW YORK (AP) -- The e-mail that popped into my inbox early Wednesday morning was the latest in a string of surprises in Google's long-awaited IPO...


Pakistan's Ruling Party Claims Win in Vote (AP) AP - The ruling party claimed victory Wednesday in special elections designed to clear the path for Pakistan's finance minister to be elevated to prime minister. The opposition said the vote was rigged.


Pope's French visit leaves debt France's Catholic Church posts a huge deficit after a weekend visit by the Pope to the southern shrine of Lourdes.


Corzine Indicates He Will Not Seek Governorship of New Jersey Senator Jon S. Corzine said that Gov. James E. McGreevey had told him he was determined to hold office until Nov. 15, removing the possibility of a special election.


Stocks Near Flat; J J Pressures Dow  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little changed on  Tuesday, with oil prices dropping below \$42 a barrel helping to  support markets, but Johnson   Johnson JNJ.N put pressure on  the Dow following a report of a possible \$24 billion takeover  of cardiovascular device maker Guidant Corp. GDT.N.


Google Gets IPO Go-Ahead (PC World) PC World - After rocky road to public offering, search engine proceeds--but what will it do with its windfall?


Bedrock in Mars' Gusev Crater Hints at Watery Past Now that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is finally examining bedrock in the "Columbia Hills," it is finding evidence that water thoroughly altered some rocks in Mars' Gusev Crater.


Injuries Continue to Bedevil Cardinals (AP) AP - Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Kenny King needs surgery on his right wrist and probably will miss the season, the latest hit to a team struggling with injuries.


Raptors Sign Center Loren Woods (AP) AP - The Toronto Raptors signed free agent center Loren Woods on Wednesday.


Heavy Rains Wash Out Mets-Rockies Game (AP) AP - Heavy rains washed out Wednesday night's game between the New York Mets and the Colorado Rockies before it ever started.


Venezuela Opposition Refuses Recall Audit (AP) AP - Maintaining that a failed referendum to oust Venezuela's president was rigged against them, opposition leaders Wednesday refused to participate in a partial audit of the results as proposed by former President Jimmy Carter.


Bush Says Importing Medicines 'Makes Sense' if Safe (Reuters) Reuters - President Bush, facing growing\anger among senior citizens over the high cost of prescription\drugs and a virtual revolt by some states, conceded on\Wednesday it "makes sense" for Americans to be able to import\cheaper medicines as long as they are safe.


Ghana election draws strong turnout Snaking lines of hundreds of voters built up at balloting places across Ghana on Tuesday, as the first sub-Saharan country to gain independence voted for president.


#39;The world is more dangerous #39; The war on terror has made the world a more dangerous place, Pakistan #39;s president has said. General Pervez Musharraf said the world was  quot;absolutely quot; less safe, because the war was not addressing the causes of terrorism.


Finnish Students Rank #1 in the World Which country has the smartest students in the world? According to a study conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, pupils in Finland tested higher than those in any other country.


Australia  amp; New Zealand Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Andrew Mohl (left), chief executive of AMP Ltd., talks with Bloomberg #39;s Kevin Foley in Sydney about first-half profit, investment fees and the strategy for its 10-percent stake in HHG Plc. AMP, Australia #39;s largest life insurer, ...


Nortel #39;s Accounting Under Investigation Nortel Networks is under investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for irregularities in past accounting practices. Announcement of the investigation -- two days before its release of first- and second-quarter financials -- caused ...


Freddie Mac faces SEC action LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Freddie Mac, the No. 2 US mortgage finance company, said Wednesday it may face civil action from the Securities and Exchange Commission for possible violations of securities laws.


Bank of England Should Take a Breather at 4.75 Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- It #39;s time for the Bank of England to take a breather, chill out and learn to stop worrying about the ghost of inflation past.


Ford Drops Oracle-based Purchasing System Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday said it has scrapped a five-year-old project to move suppliers over to an Internet-based purchasing system powered by Oracle software, deciding instead to revert back to its custom-built ...


Seiko Epson unveils latest mini robot helicopter Japanese company Seiko Epson says it has developed a mini helicopter that is the lightest of its kind and can be used for lifesaving and surveillance.


Hamm bounces back after fall to talke gymnastic gold A fall on his vault landing sent Hamm stumbling into the judges #39; table and all the way down to 12th place in the all-around gymnastics final.


Team GB Hoping for More Olympic Success Team GB will be hoping for more of the same at the Olympics today after finally delivering on the big stage with a four-medal haul.


Paes-Bhupathi overcome injury scare and Federer Athens, Aug 19. (PTI):Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi overcame an injury scare and world number one singles #39; player Roger Federer of Switzerland to advance to the quarterfinals of the men #39;s doubles tennis event at the Olympic Games here on Wednesday.


Al-Sadr agrees to peace plan BAGHDAD, Iraq - Radical Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose militia has been fighting American and Iraqi forces for almost two weeks in Najaf, agreed Wednesday to a peace plan proposed by an Iraqi national ...


Barghouti may be ready to quit PA race Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti may be close to withdrawing from the race for Palestinian Authority president. Hatem Abdel Kader, a member of Fatah #39;s


Bush speaks of 'Soviet dinar' in speech about Iraq (AFP) AFP - US President George W. Bush spoke of "the Soviet dinar," even though dinars are the Iraqi currency.


Google Lowers Expectations for Its Value (AP) AP - Google Inc. dramatically lowered expectations for the Internet search giant's value Wednesday ahead of its much ballyhooed coming out party in the public markets. The offering is still one of the biggest and highly anticipated for an Internet company, surpassing the hot issues of the dot-com boom.


End of the line for HP's Alpha The last processor of the chip family is due Monday, signaling the end of a dynasty that never was.


Hamm Wins All-Around Gymnastics Title (AP) AP - With his medal hopes all but gone after he hit the judges' table on his vault landing, Paul Hamm performed two of the most spectacular routines of his career to win the men's all-around gymnastics title by the closest Olympics margin ever.


Iraq Cleric Agrees to End Uprising, Fighting Rages On (Reuters) Reuters - A radical Iraqi cleric leading a\Shi'ite uprising agreed on Wednesday to disarm his militia and\leave one of the country's holiest Islamic shrines after\warnings of an onslaught by government forces.


Wen Ho Lee Reporters Held in Contempt (AP) AP - A federal judge held five reporters in contempt Wednesday for refusing to identify their sources for stories about Wen Ho Lee, a former nuclear weapons scientist once suspected of spying.


Sharon's Party Rebels, Imperils Gaza Pullout Plan  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's  Likud party has dealt a serious setback to his plan to evacuate  occupied Gaza by voting to bar him from forging a broad  coalition with the Labour opposition.


Mozilla launching second act with e-mail client Editor #39;s Summary: The Mozilla Foundation has followed up on the recent success of its Firefox browser with a new open source e-mail client.


IMlogic unveils IM, P2P threat-detection network DECEMBER 07, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - IMlogic Inc. and several partners today unveiled a new instant messaging  quot;threat center quot; clearinghouse aimed at fighting IM viruses, malicious software code and spam before they occur.


Delta turnaround plan to include job cuts Delta Air Lines #39; much-awaited turnaround plan will include more job cuts at the ailing carrier, along with pay and benefits changes.


Firewall Protection Without the Conflicts . I understand that Microsoft #39;s Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, a new update, includes improved firewall protection. I currently use Norton Personal Firewall; will any incompatibility result when both firewalls are installed, and is one ...


Worst-case scenario comes to pass for US tennis Second-ranked Andy Roddick overplayed this summer and hasn #39;t scored a big win since March and for the first time since she became a legitimate pro, four-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams has become vulnerable to anyone inside of the top 40.


Americans Smash Last East German Swim World Record ATHENS (Reuters) - The last long-course world swimming record held by now discredited Communist East Germany was finally consigned to history by an American quartet at the Olympics on Wednesday.


Expos #39; Move Remains Undecided ommissioner Bud Selig #39;s three-year contract extension, the start of a television network and a World Cup tournament are likely to gain overwhelming approval from baseball #39;s owners this week, while a decision on the future home of ...


Montreal end Giants run Montreal Expos ended the San Francisco Giants #39; six-game winning streak with a 6-2 victory on Wednesday.


Arafat admits he has made many mistakes Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, issued an unprecedented mea culpa yesterday, admitting that he had made mistakes and promising to rectify them.


Nepal closes for business as Maoist blockades cut off capital Threats from Maoist rebels in Nepal brought business in the Himalayan kingdom to a halt yesterday, as traffic blockades kept supplies from the capital, Kathmandu. There is only about 10 weeks #39; worth of food in the city, and many travellers ...


Typhoon lashes southern Japan; 8 dead TOKYO -- Heavy rain fueled by a typhoon lashed southern Japan, leaving eight people dead and causing landslides and blackouts, officials said Thursday. Two people were missing.


Regulators to Widen Mutual Fund Probe (Reuters) Reuters - Misconduct in the U.S. mutual fund\industry is not limited to fund share trading; it's not even\limited to funds, say market regulators.


Third-Quarter Productivity Slows to 1.8 The productivity of America #39;s workers grew at a 1.8 percent annual rate in the third quarter, the slowest pace in nearly two years, the government reported Tuesday.


Lindows postpones IPO indefinitely Lindows, the Linux-based software developer best known for its legal battles with Microsoft Corp., has indefinitely shelved its plans to become a publicly traded company due to "current adverse market conditions," it announced Wednesday.


Credit Suisse to merge CSFB Credit Suisse Group, Switzerland #39;s second-biggest bank, plans to combine its Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) securities unit with its banking business in the next two years to boost earnings.


Sharon seeks support for planned coalition; Gaza violence kills <b>...</b> JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon tried to rally support for the building of a new coalition to implement his planned pullout from Gaza, where two Palestinian militants and an Israeli soldier were killed in a new upsurge of violence.


The Investment Column: BHP buoyed by China recovery Like the big oil companies, the world #39;s mining majors are experiencing an embarrassment of riches due to very high commodity prices. BHP Billiton is in the happiest position: it is both the world #39;s biggest miner and has a substantial oil production ...


Barclays buys US credit card firm Barclaycard, the UK #39;s largest credit card provider, moved closer to making its first steps in the US market yesterday as its parent group, Barclays, snapped up Juniper Financial Corporation, the North American consumer credit firm, for ...


Medtronic Net Up on Higher ICD Sales CHICAGO (Reuters) - Medtronic Inc. (MDT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday said its quarterly earnings rose on surprisingly brisk demand for devices that slow racing heartbeats, offsetting a weaker-than-expected performance in some ...


End of the line for HP #39;s Alpha Hewlett-Packard will release its final Alpha processor on Monday, the beginning of the end for a chip dynasty that never was.


Greek pair jump to avoid push The Greek sprinters Kostantinos Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou  facing sanctions after missing drugs tests  quit the Games yesterday to avoid the humiliation of being thrown out by the IOC.


Soccer: Beckham and Owen lead England to World Cup warm-up win NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND - England deservedly beat Ukraine 3-0 today in their only soccer  quot;friendly quot; before the start of their 2006 World Cup qualifying programme next month.


Ueno lifts Japan to most judo gold ever ATHENS (Kyodo) Masae Ueno captured the women #39;s 70-kg gold medal, but Hiroshi Izumi had to settle for silver in the men #39;s 90-kg in the judo competition at the Athens Olympics on Wednesday.


A Note to Lula: Haiti Is in Brazil The English writer George Orwell once expressed doubts about the wisdom of sports contests as a way of bringing nations together. He was writing during the Cold War when the sports arena became a substitute battlefield between the West and East.


Wilkinson to raise the bar Sir Clive Woodward yesterday joined the chorus of acclaim that greeted Jonny Wilkinson #39;s return to action on Tuesday night after eight months on the sidelines with a neck injury.


Sharon Rebuffed by Party, as Arafat Admits Making Mistakes AMALLAH, West Bank, Aug. 18 - The leaders of Israel and the Palestinians faced deep dissension in their constituencies on Wednesday, with Yasir Arafat making a rare admission of personal error to those seeking change, and Ariel Sharon ...


Bomb Is Defused Near a Villa Where Berlusconi Met With Blair OME, Aug. 18 - The police defused a bomb early Wednesday morning in Porto Rotondo, Sardinia, the town where hours earlier Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had entertained the British prime minister, Tony Blair, and his wife, Cherie.


El Salvador Prison Battle Kills 31 Inmates SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - Rival groups of inmates battled with guns, grenades and machetes at a prison in El Salvador on Wednesday, killing at least 31 prisoners.


Eight dead as typhoon brings heavy rain to southern Japan Eight people are dead and two are missing in southern Japan because of heavy rain brought by a typhoon.


Vaughan banks on attack ENGLAND captain Michael Vaughan said today that he expects an evenly matched series with South Africa but suggests his bowlers hold the key.


Paris Remembers Jewish Detention Camp (AP) AP - A celebration marking Paris' 60th anniversary of its liberation from Nazi Germany is planned next week. But nothing official was planned for a more somber anniversary Wednesday  #151; the liberation of a Jewish detention camp outside Paris that ended one of the most shameful episodes in modern French history.


Colombia reverses hostages stance Colombia offers to exchange jailed rebels for hostages held by Farc militants - a reversal of earlier policy.


Poll: Voters Eyeing National Security WASHINGTON - Concern about national security is dominating public attention in the final months of the presidential campaign because of continuing fears of terrorism and unhappiness about the war in Iraq, according to a poll released Wednesday.   "For the first time since the Vietnam era, national security issues are looming larger than economic issues in an election year," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center for the People   the Press...


Johnson and Johnson Looks to Buy Guidant Johnson and Johnson is in negotiations to acquire Guidant, one of the largest American makers of devices to treat heart and circulatory illnesses.


EU Appeal to US to bring up Dollar European Central Bank President Jean- Claude Trichet joined European finance ministers in appealing to the US to stem the decline of the dollar, warning that the currencys slide risks derailing global growth.


Putting the PC in the PRC IBM may need to do some creative deal making in order to sell PC business to China #39;s Lenovo. By Robert Cyran, Breakingviews. LONDON (Breakingviews) - It #39;s no surprise IBM is in talks to sell its PC business


Freddie Mac May Face SEC Action (Reuters) Reuters - Freddie Mac (FRE.N), the No. 2 U.S.\mortgage finance company, on Wednesday said it may face civil\action from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for\possible violations of securities laws.


Mars Rovers Find More Evidence of Water (AP) AP - The twin Mars rovers have found a wonderland of weird rocks and enticing dunes along with more evidence the Red Planet once had water, NASA scientists said Wednesday.


Nestle #39;s 1st-Half Net Profit Hits \$2.28B VEVEY, Switzerland Aug. 18, 2004  Nestle SA posted a modest 2 percent increase in profits for the first half of the year as it faced such challenges as higher prices for raw materials like milk and coffee as well as cooler temperatures,which dampened ...


Google Inc. says its initial public shares are priced at \$85 each SAN JOSE, Calif. (CP) - Google Inc. says its initial public shares are priced at \$85 each, at the low end of the Internet search giant #39;s downgraded estimates.


Pakistan Mobile Phone Firms Vie for Pent-Up Demand ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Pakistanis endured hours of stifling heat this week to accept an offer of free mobile phone connections, a sign of the pent-up demand in a country where cell phone usage has remained low.


A quick getaway: Greek sprinters beat expulsion by walking out on the games The final curtain yesterday came down on the Greek tragedy which has overshadowed the first week of the Athens Olympics when the sprinters Kostas Kederis and Ekaterini Thanou withdrew from the games.


Pettitte out for the season PHILADELPHIA -- Andy Pettitte #39;s first year as a non-Yankee ended yesterday in appropriately depressing fashion: His team was here at Citizens Bank Park, and he was back home in Houston, preparing for season-ending surgery.


Canadian Allenby, NCAA champion Moore advance at US Amateur golf event MAMARONECK, NY (CP) - NCAA champion Ryan Moore and Canadian James Allenby were among 32 golfers who advanced with match-play victories Wednesday at the US Amateur.


Australia #39;s Downer Calls on North Korea to Attend Nuclear Talks Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he used his visit to North Korea to call on the communist country to attend the next round of six-nation talks on dismantling its nuclear program.


Lourdes needs manna from heaven The Catholic shrine of Lourdes yesterday opened a special bank account and appealed for donations from the faithful after it emerged that last weekend #39;s visit by the Pope had left it with a 1.2m (812,000) deficit.


Google IPO Prices at  #36;85/share - Source (Reuters) Reuters - Google Inc.'s GOOG.O initial\public offering of 19.6 million shares priced at  #36;85 each, the\low end of their projected range, a source familiar with the\auction said on Wednesday, raising  #36;1.67 billion and making it\the fourth-largest U.S. IPO this year.


Google IPO Prices at \$85/share - Source  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc.'s GOOG.O initial  public offering of 19.6 million shares priced at \$85 each, the  low end of their projected range, a source familiar with the  auction said on Wednesday, raising \$1.67 billion and making it  the fourth-largest U.S. IPO this year.


Google's Insiders Strike It Rich With IPO (AP) AP - Lots of people are hoping to get rich off Google Inc.'s stock now that the online search engine's IPO is finally completed. Here's a look at some of the investors that have already locked in huge profits by selling a portion of their stakes:


Car-Tracking Device Trades Privacy for Dollars (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Opinion: A device using GSM/GPS wireless that reports your car's wherabouts #151;which is in pilot testing for a British insurance company #151;is the latest example of a technology marvel that brings a serious loss of privacy.


Lindows Backs Out of IPO (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Fresh out of its  #36;20 million settlement with Microsoft, the company says it "won't be forced into a cut-rate IPO by a fickle stock market." Instead, it plans to wait until conditions improve.


More evidence of Martian water NASA #39;s Mars rovers have uncovered more tantalizing evidence of a watery past on the Red Planet, scientists said Wednesday. And the rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, are continuing to do their jobs months after they were expected to ...


Alison Williamson takes bronze to hit her Olympic target after 12 years Inspired by the magnificent surroundings of the Panathinaiko stadium and assisted by a gust of wind and a police siren, the British archer Alison Williamson ended her 12-year quest for an Olympic medal at the fourth attempt when she won bronze in the ...


ATHENS OLYMPICS 2004 / Ueno wins Japan #39;s 5th judo gold Masae Ueno will certainly have a tale to tell when she gets back to her Tokyo office. Ueno joined the parade of Japanese Olympic judo champions, winning the women #39;s 70-kilogram gold medal Wednesday.


Pitcher presumably suffered injury on two-run single PHILADELPHIA -- Considering the number of times Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens were mentioned in the same breath this year, perhaps it #39;s only fitting they should both make headlines with their respective injuries on the same ...


Wilkinson #39;s form cheers Woodward The optimism felt by Jonny Wilkinson following his successful comeback for Newcastle in Galway this week was echoed yesterday by a buoyant Sir Clive Woodward, who can now look forward to welcoming his prize asset back into the England fold next month.


Football: Early Case Of Liver Damage LIVERPOOL unveiled new signing Antonio Nunez yesterday - but just a few hours later he was lying in agony on the treatment table. The Spaniard - who joined from Real Madrid as part of the deal that saw Michael Owen head in the opposite ...


Streaking Red Sox Flutter by Blue Jays 6-4 (AP) AP - Tim Wakefield pitched eight strong innings and the Boston Red Sox moved a season-high 15 games over .500 with a 6-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night.


Sadr agrees to end Najaf crisis: Iraqi delegates BAGHDAD, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Iraqi delegates to a conference choosing a national assembly said on Wednesday that radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr had agreed to government demands to end the crisis in the holy city of Najaf, 160 km south of ...


Radical group plants bomb near Blair holiday villa THE threat to leading politicians from terrorist attack was underlined yesterday when extremists were able to plant a bomb close to the Sardinian villa where Tony and Cherie Blair were staying as guests of Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister.


Sharon loses crucial party vote Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, suffered a massive blow to his project to withdraw from settlements in the Gaza Strip last night when his party refused to allow him to invite new partners into the government who might have backed his plans.


Summit declares Burundi Hutu FNL rebels  #39;terrorists #39; DAR ES SALAAM - African leaders on Wednesday declared  quot;a terrorist organisation quot; the rebels who claimed the slaughter of at least 160 Congolese Tutsi refugees in Burundi, but failed to impose sanctions on their group.


Profit rises at Chinese mobile giant China Mobile (Hong Kong), the world #39;s largest cellphone operator ranked by customers, said Wednesday that profit rose 7.8 percent in the first half of this year after the company enrolled more new subscribers by offering less-expensive services. Net ...


Freddie Mac May Face SEC Action WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Freddie Mac (FRE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the No. 2 US mortgage finance company, on Wednesday said it may face civil action from the US Securities and Exchange Commission for possible violations of securities laws.


Intuit 4Q Loss Widens on Charge MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP)--Intuit Inc. #39;s loss widened for the fourth quarter ended July 31, hurt by slower seasonal sales of the company #39;s tax and finance software and an impairment charge from its decision to sell one of its businesses, the company said ...


Techs Lead Tokyo Stocks Up  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average added 0.8 percent  by midday on Thursday as tech issues got a lift from a rally on  the Nasdaq, but gains were capped and trading choppy as high  oil prices fueled concerns about the world economy.


US Airways' Grim Warning If US Airways files for bankruptcy a second time, its chairman says, there will be no outside investor, other airline or government aid to rescue it.


Alaska Researchers Try to Breed Rare Ducks (AP) AP - Researchers at the Alaska Sealife Center are getting an education in the sex lives of a rare sea duck species that is disappearing from its nesting grounds in Alaska.


IBM center gives partners a Linux playground A new set of offerings formed with the expansion of the IBM Virtualization Center has a distinct Linux flavor, including an online  quot;how to quot; guide for porting from Windows, Unix or Linux to Linux on Power5.


Giants Rout Expos for Doubleheader Split (AP) AP - Barry Bonds homered for the third time in two days to help lead the San Francisco Giants to a 14-4 rout of the Montreal Expos in the second game of a doubleheader after losing the opener Wednesday.


U.S. Gymnast Goes From Oops to a Gold Medal With spectacular performances on his final two events, American Paul Hamm pulled out one of the biggest comebacks in Olympic gymnastic history.


Taylor Is Moving Closer A penchant for making big plays and the recent release of Ifeanyi Ohalete has ripped open the door for rookie Sean Taylor to claim a starting spot.


Cardinals Lose King Cardinals defensive tackle Kenny King will miss the season after undergoing surgery to repair tendons in his wrist on Wednesday.


Fong, First Asian-American Senator, Dies (AP) AP - Hiram L. Fong, a son of immigrants who overcame poverty to become a millionaire businessman and the first Asian-American elected to the U.S. Senate, died Wednesday. He was 97.


Nigeria plans mission to Darfur as Sudan pledges to restore peace (AFP) AFP - Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo called for lawmakers to approve the deployment of up to 1,500 peacekeeping troops to Sudan's war-torn province of Darfur, as Khartoum pledged to restore order there.


'Better' head injury test devised Scientists develop an electronic device to test for serious head injuries.


Rebel in Najaf Sends Messages of Conciliation Moktada al-Sadr suggested he would vacate the shrine in Najaf, disband the Mahdi Army and transform it into a political party.


Kerry Criticizes President's Troop Plan Senator John Kerry said that the plan to move 70,000 troops out of Europe and Asia was ill-advised in view of the North Korean nuclear threat.


Winfrey, Jury Convict Man of Murder CHICAGO - A jury that included talk show host Oprah Winfrey convicted a man of murder Wednesday after a trial that turned into a media frenzy because of the billionaire in the jury box.    Jurors deliberated for more than two hours before convicting 27-year-old Dion Coleman of first-degree murder in the February 2002 shooting death of 23-year-old Walter Holley...


O2 outlines 3G catch up strategy O2 has outlined its plans to catch up with 3G rivals Orange and Vodafone by rolling out what it claims will be Europe #39;s first super-fast 3G mobile data network.


Dell excludes UK from price cuts Dell is slashing prices on corporate IT solutions by up to 22, but only for US customers. The cuts come on the back of impressive trading figures and lower component costs for Dell, and cover enterprise servers, desktops and laptops.


Earliest Signs of Winemaking Found in China Neolithic people in China may have been the first in the world to make wine, according to scientists who have found the earliest evidence of winemaking from


Restated 2004 Nortel results set for release Nortel Network Corp. #39;s board of directors was scheduled to meet last night to approve financial data that will be released this morning, giving the public its first look at the company #39;s 2004 performance.


Qantas profit takes off Australia #39;s dominant airline, Qantas, has nearly doubled its annual profits after recovering from the previous year #39;s Iraq war and SARS induced downturn.


Dream Team most unpopular athletes in Olympics These Dream Team impostors are jeered in Athens bars by Americans, booed in the arena by Greeks and the rest of the world, despised back home by people fed up watching their selfish ways on TV.


Ueno, Zviadauri take judo golds Two-time defending champion Masae Ueno earned Japan #39;s fifth gold medal in 10 judo events on Wednesday, extending her three-year undefeated streak in major international competition with an Olympic victory.


Ichiro hit by pitch, leaves game KANSAS CITY -- Ichiro Suzuki, the hottest hitter in the Major Leagues since the All-Star break, was hit in the head by a pitch in the third inning Wednesday night and was removed from the Mariners game against the Royals.


Late Nigerian Dictator Looted Nearly \$500 Million, Swiss Say ERN, Switzerland, Aug. 18 - Almost all of the nearly \$500 million frozen in Swiss bank accounts connected with the late Nigerian dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha, was  quot;obviously of criminal origin quot; and may be returned to the Nigerian ...


Anti spam bid canned The screensaver launched last week appeared to be a victim of its own success after it was believed over 100,000 people downloaded it within hours of Lycos Europe putting the specially designed screensaver online.


Oracle pushes on BI DECEMBER 07, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - SAN FRANCISCO -- Oracle Corp. has unveiled Business Intelligence 10g, a stand-alone product that executives said will provide query, reporting and analysis, dashboards, data integration and BI application development.


Group Formed to Track, Thwart IM Threats A group of Internet security and instant messaging providers have teamed up to detect and thwart the growing threat of IM and peer-to-peer viruses and worms, they said this week.


Shuttle may fly without puncture repair kit NASA is working feverishly to return the space shuttle to flight in May 2005, but it may fly without the capability to fix cracks or holes of the type that doomed Columbia in 2003, officials said on Monday.


Cisco, Fujitsu Ally on Router Sales in Asia The Asian market accounted for 9.4 percent of Cisco #39;s sales in the quarter ended October 30, down from 10 percent last year. The spread of high-speed broadband Internet


Medtronic Net Up on Higher ICD Sales (Reuters) Reuters - Medtronic Inc. (MDT.N) on Wednesday\said its quarterly earnings rose on surprisingly brisk demand\for devices that slow racing heartbeats, offsetting a\weaker-than-expected performance in some of its other\businesses.


Royals Rally to Defeat Mariners 3-2 (AP) AP - John Buck hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night.


Ravens Wait for Sanders While Deion Sanders's return appears more and more imminent, the major remaining question is when the former star will join the Baltimore Ravens.


Study: U.S. Needs to Fight Medicare Fraud (AP) AP - Fraud in the  #36;300-billion-a-year Medicaid program is widespread and the federal government is not doing enough to combat it, congressional investigators said in a report released Wednesday.


Sharon's Party Rebels, Imperils Gaza Pullout Plan  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's  rebellious Likud party has dealt a severe setback to his plan  to withdraw from occupied Gaza by voting to bar him from  forging a coalition with the Labour opposition.


Cost of Benefits Cited as Factor in Slump of Jobs A relentless rise in the cost of employee health insurance has become a significant factor in the employment slump.


Weak Demand Leads Google to Lower Its Sights Google slashed the number of shares and concluded its unorthdox online auction by accepting a price well below its original target.


Snyder Called Up to Help Red Sox (AP) AP - Earl Snyder grew up rooting for Red Sox outfielder Ellis Burks. Now he's sitting next to him.


U.S. Ties Jamaica 1-1 in Cup Qualifier (AP) AP - Brian Ching and Cobi Jones, a pair of substitutes, saved the United States against Jamaica on Wednesday night.


Activists Condemn FBI Tactics Before DNC (AP) AP - FBI interviews and surveillance of at least a dozen political activists in Kansas and Missouri prior to the Democratic National Convention amounted to intimidation, contends the American Civil Liberties Union.


CORRECTED: Google Sells 19.6 Million Shares at \$85 Each  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc. GOOG.OQ., the  world's largest search engine, said on Wednesday it sold 19.6  million shares at \$85 apiece in its long-awaited initial public  offering, raising \$1.67 billion for the company.


Durazo Leads Athletics by Orioles 5-4 (AP) AP - Erubiel Durazo hit three homers and drove in all five of Oakland's runs, and Mark Mulder became the majors' first 16-game winner by pitching the Athletics to a 5-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night.


China #39;s appetite boosts BHP BHP Billiton, the world #39;s biggest mining company, has doubled its profits in the second half of the year on the back of booming global commodity prices.


2 Big Carriers at O #39;Hare to Cut Flights HICAGO, Aug. 18 - The nation #39;s two largest airlines, American and United, announced on Wednesday that they would cut flights at O #39;Hare International Airport to ease congestion that has been delaying flights from coast to coast.


Production Grew, Prices Fell in July The nation #39;s factories cranked out more products in July, miners dug more minerals and builders broke ground on more homes, the government said yesterday in three reports that showed some rebound in economic activity last month.


Citigroup #39;s  #39;7bn bond trade under investigation Citigroup, the world #39;s biggest bond broking firm, could face disciplinary action from the Financial Services Authority following an unprecedented 7bn trade in European government bonds this month.


Mars Rover Finds Mysterious Rocks and More Signs of Water ith one Mars rover climbing into the hills and the other descending deep into a crater, scientists yesterday reported the discovery of several mysterious rock structures along with yet more signs that Mars was once awash in water.


Microsoft previews 64-bit XP, promises no price hikes Microsoft on Wednesday released public previews of the 64-bit editions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 as it changed the official names of the high-end operating systems.


Ian Thorpe wins bronze in 100 metres freestyle TONY EASTLEY: Ian Thorpe now has the full set of Olympic medals, winning bronze after coming surprisingly close in trying to win the Games treble  that is the 100, 200 and 400 metres freestyle events. In winning bronze in the 100 metres final, Thorpe ...


US Gymnast Goes From Oops to a Gold Medal THENS, Aug. 18 - After a disastrous landing on the vault that sent him stumbling off the mat and nearly into the judges #39; laps, Paul Hamm thought his night was over.


Hansen has an uphill struggle for breaststroke bronze ATHENS, Greece  Brendan Hansen is the swimmer who caught a wave and then lost it. He owns two world records and zero gold medals.


Sadr caves in to avoid assault THE radical cleric Muqtada al Sadr yesterday demonstrated once again his aptitude for self-preservation when he appeared to blink first in the stand-off with Iraqi and US forces in Najaf.


Top security as eight men appear in court on terror charges In a bombproof building, surrounded by police carrying sub-machine guns, the eight men charged with plotting chemical or radioactive attacks in Britain and the United States made their first appearance in court yesterday since their arrest ...


UN urged to punish Burundian Hutu rebels AFRICAN leaders appealed to the United Nations Security Council yesterday to impose sanctions on the Burundian rebel group that claimed responsibility for the massacre of at least 160 refugees at a UN camp in Burundi.


Charles to help flood victims THE Prince of Wales toured the flood-hit village of Boscastle yesterday - and pledged to make a  quot;substantial quot; donation to those facing a massive clean-up operation.


Oil Prices Set a New Record as Supply Falls Oil prices climbed above \$47 a barrel, setting yet another record, after figures showed that supplies in the United States were down for a third consecutive week.


Google Sets Price of  #36;85 in  #36;1.67 Bln IPO (Reuters) Reuters - Google Inc. on Wednesday\said it priced its long-awaited initial public offering at  #36;85\per share, far below initial expectations, ending a tumultuous\process beset by poor market conditions and a series of\missteps.


Rowand Powers White Sox Past Tigers 9-2 (AP) AP - Aaron Rowand homered twice  #151; including his first career grand slam  #151; and Jose Contreras won his third straight decision for Chicago in the White Sox's 9-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.


Ching's Late Goal Rescues U.S. in Soccer World Cup Qualifier Although the visitors did not get a victory, the United States is still in a good position after what figured to be the most threatening game of the regional semifinal round.


Guantanamo Prisoner Goes Before Tribunal (AP) AP - A U.S. military panel heard the case Wednesday of a Guantanamo Bay prisoner accused of fighting for Afghanistan's ousted Taliban regime, as a U.S. judge ordered the government to release records of alleged prisoner abuse at the American base.


Astros' Clemens Leaves Game Against Phillies  PHILADELPHIA (Sports Network) - Houston starting pitcher  Roger Clemens left Wednesday's 9-8 win over Philadelphia with a  strained right calf.


Bomb Found in Town After Blair Visit (AP) AP - Police defused a time-bomb in a town near Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's villa on the island of Sardinia on Wednesday shortly after British Prime Minister Tony Blair finished a visit there with the Italian leader.


Typhoon Megi hits South Korea More than 2,400 people are evacuated as Typhoon Megi lashes the southern shores of South Korea.


XM, Sirius Land Deals With Toyota Rivals XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. on Tuesday traded hits in the intensifying race for new subscribers, separately announcing distribution deals with Toyota Motor Corp.


Employers Planned More Layoffs in Nov. Planned job cuts at US companies climbed during November, a report said on Tuesday, a further sign of sluggishness in the labor market.


Productivity Growth Slows, Sales Dip US business productivity grew more slowly in the third-quarter than first thought, a government report showed on Tuesday, with other economic indicators also painting a mixed picture for growth.


Google share price falls short of predictions Internet search giant Google has priced its long-awaited initial public offering (IPO) at just under \$120 a share, far below initial expectations.


Murdoch  #39;to relaunch News deal #39; if loses poll SYDNEY - Media mogul Rupert Murdoch said in a Thursday newspaper interview he would take a second stab at uprooting his News Corp Ltd empire from Australia to the United States if investors block the deal first time around.


Rush for free mobile connections Islamabad, Aug. 18 (Reuters): Tens of thousands of Pakistanis endured hours of stifling heat this week to accept an offer of free mobile phone connections, a sign of the pent-up demand in a country where cellphone usage has remained low.


Phelps #39; gold haul dream not so bad BEIJING, Aug.19 (Xinhuanet) -- Michael Phelps has taken his haul of gold medals at the Athens Olympics to three after winning the 200 meters butterfly and helping the United States beat Australia in the 4x200 freestyle relay, Shenzhen Daily reported ...


Sharon defeated in crunch party vote BEIJING, Aug.19 (Xinhuanet) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has failed to garner the support of the Likud Party Convention for his resolution to negotiate with the Labor Party over a coalition government, according to a CNN report.


Roger Clemens' Leg Injury Isn't Serious (AP) AP - Roger Clemens strained his right calf in the Houston Astros' 9-8 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night, but the injury isn't considered serious.


Astros' Clemens Strains Calf, Leaves Game Against Phillies  PHILADELPHIA (Sports Network) - Houston starting pitcher  Roger Clemens left Wednesday's 9-8 win over Philadelphia with a  strained right calf.


El Salvador Jail Riot Kills at Least 31 (AP) AP - Rival inmates fought each other with knives and sticks Wednesday at a San Salvador prison, leaving at least 31 people dead and two dozen injured, officials said.


S.Korea's Ruling Party Head Resigns on Father's Past  SEOUL (Reuters) - The chairman of South Korea's ruling Uri  Party resigned on Thursday after saying his father had served  as a military police officer during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial  rule on the peninsula.


Santana Sparkles As Twins Stop Yankees 7-2 MINNEAPOLIS - The last time he faced the Yankees, Johan Santana and the Minnesota Twins were knocked out of the American League playoffs.    This time, Santana knocked down Derek Jeter and silenced New York's powerful lineup...


Nortel announces Sprint extension worth US\$1B; Lucent claims US <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - Sprint Communications Co. has again split big wireless network equipment contracts between Nortel Networks Corp. and Lucent Technologies.


Lenovo, IBM may soon reveal PC unit deal DECEMBER 07, 2004 (REUTERS) - China #39;s largest PC maker, Lenovo Group Ltd., could announce as early as today that it is buying control of IBM #39;s PC-making business for up to \$2 billion, a source familiar with the situation said.


SEC gives Google approval for public offering The initial public offering once touted as the hottest Internet IPO in years may have lost some of its momentum. Google Inc. announced Wednesday it has slashed the size of its IPO nearly in half and lowered its estimated price range.


Mars Rover Finds Evidence of Plentiful Water  quot;We have evidence that interaction with liquid water changed the composition of this rock, quot; said Steve Squyres of Cornell University, chief investigator for the science instruments on both rovers.  quot;This is different from the rocks out on ...


Telstra relaunches network reliability site Telstra has re-launched a section of its website that allows customers to see current and past network reliability, for the country and their own regions.


Zvidauri Wins Gold for Georgia ATHENS (Reuters) - After playing second fiddle at the last two World Championships, Georgia #39;s Zurab Zviadauri finally shook off his choker tag.


Brazilian Soccer Brings Joy to Haiti PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Aug. 18 -- So far this year, Haiti has endured an armed insurrection that killed 300 people and toppled a president, and floods that wiped out entire villages, with no relief from the grinding misery that comes ...


Clemens #39; leg injury isn #39;t serious Roger Clemens strained his right calf in the Houston Astros #39; 9-8 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night, but the injury isn #39;t considered serious.


Radical cleric now says he #39;ll leave holy shrine Moqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shiite cleric who has been involved in a two-week battle with US forces, has offered to leave a holy shrine in Najaf.


Eight terror suspects appear in British court Eight men charged with planning terrorist attacks in Britain and the US have entered no pleas in a British court guarded by some of the tightest security ever seen.


World Trade Center Insurance Payoff Increased by Jury A New York Jury ruled that the two planes that hit the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 were two separate events instead of one which increased the insurers liability by at least \$140 million.


New media battle for Bafta awards The BBC leads the nominations for the Bafta Interactive Awards, including one for the Radio Times website.


Yukos 'hit with fresh tax demand' Russian authorities demand a further \$1.2bn in back-taxes from stricken oil firm Yukos, the Interfax news agency reports.


Athletics: Greek sprinters tested Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou are given random drugs tests.


Karzai warns of Afghan dangers Hamid Karzai warns of the dangers of extremism and drugs as he is sworn in as Afghanistan's elected leader.


Google Raises \$1.67 Bln in Cut-Price IPO  NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc., the most  popular Internet search engine, raised \$1.67 billion on  Wednesday in its long-awaited IPO after slashing the price and  size of an offer beset by missteps and poor market conditions.


Yen Keeps Gains, Capped by Murky Outlook  TOKYO (Reuters) - The yen kept most gains against the  dollar on Thursday after rallying to a four-week peak, but  investors saw no reason to push it higher due to growing  uncertainty about the outlook for the Japanese economy.


Defense Says Dotson Incompetent for Trial (AP) AP - Psychological testing shows that the former Baylor University basketball player accused of gunning down one of his teammates is not competent to stand trial, his attorneys said Wednesday.


Crew Edges Wizards Kyle Martino's goal two minutes into injury time gives Columbus a narrow 2-1 victory over Kansas City on Wednesday night.


Saulnier Looking Strong Cyril Saulnier's 6-3, 7-6 victory over Gilles Elseneer on Wednesday continues a recent trend of superb play for the 29-year-old Frenchman.


Stocks Flat, J J-Guidant Deal Drags Dow  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little changed on  Tuesday, with lower oil prices helping support markets, but  Johnson   Johnson JNJ.N dragged on the Dow following a report  of a possible \$24 billion takeover of cardiovascular device  maker Guidant Corp. GDT.N.


Broadband goes broader Early Internet entrepreneurs envisioned a day when consumers would devour short bites of entertainment on their computer screens delivered over the Internet by fat broadband pipes. When the companies failed, executives blamed it on ...


Compuware Seeks  #39;Severe #39; Sanctions in Suit vs. IBM Compuware is seeking reimbursement for its  quot;substantial quot; efforts related to IBM #39;s failure to produce the software code, which it wants excluded as evidence from the trial. For its part, IBM remains confident Compuware #39;s latest motion will ...


Olympic Games The first Olympic Games were dedicated to the Olympian gods and were staged on the ancient plains of Olympia, famous for its magnificent temples of the gods Zeus and Hera. Take the Rediff Business Quiz and find out what role the corporates play in the ...


Terror suspects go to court LONDON - Eight suspects, including a man the United States calls a senior al-Qaida figure, appeared in court under heavy guard yesterday as police investigated their alleged terrorism plots.


S.Korea #39;s Ruling Party Head Resigns on Father #39;s Past SEOUL (Reuters) - The chairman of South Korea #39;s ruling Uri Party resigned on Thursday after saying his father had served as a military police officer during Japan #39;s 1910-1945 colonial rule on the peninsula.


Holiday-Shopping Season Remains Sluggish  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. shoppers have kept a tight grip  on their wallets this holiday season with indices on Tuesday  showing sluggish sales in the second week of the  season.


AL Wrap: Santana Solid on Mound as Twins Beat Yankees  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Johan Santana pitched seven strong  innings to win his fifth straight start and Shannon Stewart  homered, had three hits and two RBI to lead the Minnesota Twins  to a 7-2 home win over the New York Yankees.


Yankees Glimpse October, and It's Not Pretty On a night when Johan Santana was superb for the Twins, Mike Mussina was inconsistent in his first start since July 6.


Preview: day six Day six of the Olympics will see Great Britain's Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms go for gold in badminton.


Toppled Power Lines Are Posing a Herculean Task in Florida Five days after Hurricane Charley struck Florida, more than 400,000 customers still lack electricity.


Letters show Mandela as man of beneficence (Chicago Tribune) Chicago Tribune - In the 1980s, while in jail on Robben Island, Nelson Mandela wrote a letter to the wife of one of his prison guards. In it, he said he respected her husband, Christo Brand, as a man of integrity. But he was concerned that Brand, an Afrikaner, didn't understand the value of education.


Regulators to Widen Mutual Fund Probe  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Misconduct in the U.S. mutual fund  industry is not limited to fund share trading; it's not even  limited to funds, say market regulators.


Fiat's Trucks Unit Signs Deal With SAIC (AP) AP - Fiat SpA said Tuesday that its Iveco SpA trucks unit has agreed to develop a long-term partnership with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp., one of the largest Chinese automakers, for building trucks and other industrial vehicles.


Italy joins Greece in EU dock over dodgy data (AFP) AFP - Following embarrassing revelations over Greece's budget data, the European Union expressed alarm at the reliability of Italy's own deficit figures and called for urgent clarification.


Proud Italy awaits La Scala opening with bated breath (AFP) AFP - Italy's cultural cognoscenti were waiting with bated breath for the reopening of the La Scala opera house, restored to its former glory after a sumptuous 61 million euro (81 million dollar) makeover.


HHS Buys 'Experimental' Glaxo Flu Vaccine (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. health officials on Tuesday\approved the importation of up to 4 million doses of influenza\vaccine made by GlaxoSmithKline  , bringing the\U.S. total to 65 million vaccines for this flu season.


Gateway Says More PCs Available at Office Depot (Reuters) Reuters - Gateway Inc. (GTW.N) said on\Wednesday its personal computers would be widely available at\Office Depot. (ODP.N) in the latest move by the PC maker to\broaden distribution at retail stores since acquiring rival\eMachines this year.


Gateway Says More PCs Available at Office Depot  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Gateway Inc. GTW.N said on  Wednesday its personal computers would be widely available at  Office Depot. ODP.N in the latest move by the PC maker to  broaden distribution at retail stores since acquiring rival  eMachines this year.


NL Wrap: Bonds Homers Again as Giants Rout Expos (Reuters) Reuters - Barry Bonds hit his third home\run in two days to help the San Francisco Giants earn a split\of their doubleheader with a 14-4 win over the Montreal Expos\on Wednesday.


NL Wrap: Bonds Homers Again as Giants Rout Expos  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Barry Bonds hit his third home  run in two days to help the San Francisco Giants earn a split  of their doubleheader with a 14-4 win over the Montreal Expos  on Wednesday.


Singapore ban after bird flu case Singapore blocks imports of poultry and eggs from Malaysia, after an outbreak of potentially deadly bird flu.


HHS Buys 'Experimental' Glaxo Flu Vaccine  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health officials on Tuesday  approved the importation of up to 4 million doses of influenza  vaccine made by GlaxoSmithKline GSK.L GSK.N, bringing the  U.S. total to 65 million vaccines for this flu season.


Billie Jean King Retires as U.S. Fed Cup Coach  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billie Jean King cut her final tie  with the U.S. Fed Cup team Tuesday when she retired as coach.


Hamas Militants Kill Israeli Soldier Hamas militants killed an Israeli soldier and wounded four with an explosion in a booby-trapped chicken coop Tuesday, in what the Islamic group said was a scheme


Delta Plans Job Cuts, Eyes Restructure  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc., the number three  U.S. carrier, plans more job cuts as it struggles to avoid  bankruptcy, Chief Executive Gerald Grinstein said in a memo to  employees on Wednesday.


Google Raises \$1.67 Bln in Cut-Price IPO NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc., the most popular Internet search engine, raised \$1.67 billion on Wednesday in its long-awaited IPO after slashing the price and size of an offer beset by missteps and ...


Air Canada #39;s creditors approve plan READY TO FLY: The airline plans to emerge from court shelter on Sept. 30 -- if the justices overseeing its restructuring gives the OK at a hearing set for Monday ...


Phelps won #39;t top Spitz, but he is putting on the hits ATHENS, Greece If Mark Spitz had never lived, Michael Phelps would have done well to create him as a fictional character.


Leisure  amp; Arts One thing that the Olympics have always provided is that hardy perennial known as the  quot;feel-good story. quot; The sort of story in which, against all odds--and with undeniable drama--the farm boy from Iowa who grew up with rickets in one leg ...


Roger Clemens injures leg during Astros #39; 9-8 win over Phillies PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Roger Clemens helped himself at the plate, hurt his leg running the bases and spent the rest of the night watching his teammates pull out an important win.


Maoist rebels cut off Kathmandu Maoist rebels yesterday cut off routes into the Nepalese capital Kathmandu in their first blockade of the city since they launched their insurgency to overthrow the constitutional monarchy eight years ago.


Schroder adopts Russian orphan Three-year-old Victoria, from St Petersburg, has been living at the Schroders #39; family home in Hanover in northern Germany for several weeks.


Keep talking, Downer urges N Korea Australia #39;s foreign minister pressed leaders in North Korea yesterday to remain involved in six-nation talks on its nuclear program, amid concerns that the Pyongyang administration might pull out of preparatory meetings for the next round of negotiations.


Prince Charles Helps Boscastle Count the Cost Residents of Boscastle are counting the cost today of the damage estimated at millions of pounds caused by a freak downpour.


China Says Taiwan President's U.S. Stop 'A Trick'  BEIJING (Reuters) - China urged the United States on  Thursday not to allow Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian to set  foot on U.S. soil, describing his stopovers en route to Latin  America as a trick to sabotage Sino-U.S. relations.


Day Six preview Day six of the Olympics will see Great Britain's Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms go for gold in badminton.


Records Contradict Kerry Critic's Charges -Report (Reuters) Reuters - Military records contradict a\critic's charge that U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful John\Kerry did not come under fire during the battle that resulted\in military honors for Kerry, The Washington Post reported on\Thursday.


The SEC Could Still Slap Google Google has received the green light for its initial stock offering -- but not without ruffling a few feathers at the Securities  amp; Exchange Commission, which oversees share offerings. The SEC #39;s job is to make sure that companies disclose all the ...


Oil Prices Rise to High As Demand Continues The price of oil hit another high yesterday, closing above \$47 a barrel as traders reacted to continuing concerns about supply disruptions from terrorism and instability in oil-producing countries.


Nortel Discloses Canadian Criminal Probe Toronto (Aug. 19, 2004) -- Telecommunications equipment giant Nortel Networks Corp. announced this week that its past accounting practices, which are the subject of a criminal probe in the United States, are under scrutiny by Canadian authorities.


Giving Investors a Say Like cicadas, debates about corporate governance pop up periodically with a great deal of whir and buzz. In 1992, for example, the business community protested Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Richard C. Breeden #39;s push for ...


Demand Helps CACI Profit Increase 56 CACI International Inc. said increased demand for its homeland security and intelligence services helped boost fourth-quarter profit by 56 percent over the same period a year earlier.


Computer Q amp;A: Tips on installing Windows XP SP2 It seems that Microsoft #39;s new upgrade to Windows is making some people nervous. That #39;s not surprising, as home and office computing environments are just not as friendly as they used to be due to viruses and spyware. Even the software we ...


Wireless Phones shipped to Pakistan TIRVINE (Calif. US): Hop-on Wireless Inc. said it has shipped an initial order of its tri-band (900/1800/1900 MHz) HOP1806 GSM handsets to a distributor in Karachi, Pakistan.


AL Wrap: Santana Solid on Mound as Twins Beat Yankees NEW YORK (Reuters) - Johan Santana pitched seven strong innings to win his fifth straight start and Shannon Stewart homered, had three hits and two RBI to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 7-2 home win over the New York Yankees.


NKorea  quot;negative quot; over US offer on nuclear weapons: Australia HONG KONG : North Korea shows no sign of accepting US incentives to give up its nuclear weapons programmes, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.


At least four Georgian soldiers killed in separatist region clashes (AFP) AFP - At least four Georgian soldiers were killed and five wounded in overnight clashes in Georgia's separatist, pro-Russian region of South Ossetia, Georgian officers near the frontline with Ossetian forces said early Thursday.


Paes and Bhupathi beam in on Olympic glory (AFP) AFP - Indian pair Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi took another step nearer an elusive Olympic gold medal when they beat Zimbabwe's Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett 6-4, 6-4 to reach the men's doubles semi-finals at the Olympic tennis tournament.


Nestle #39;s profit hits \$3.1bn NESTLE SA, the world #39;s biggest food and drink company, posted a modest 2 per cent increase in profits for the first half of the year as it faced such challenges as higher prices for raw materials like milk and coffee as well as cooler temperatures, which ...


California sues Mirant, alleges energy scheme California sued Mirant Corp., a bankrupt US power producer, accusing it of rigging electricity markets during the 2000-2001 energy crisis that led to rolling blackouts and a tenfold increase in consumer energy prices.


Spirit finds more evidence of water LOS ANGELES (AP)  The twin Mars rovers have found a wonderland of weird rocks and enticing dunes along with more evidence the Red Planet once had water, NASA scientists said Wednesday.


Michael Phelps Seeks Fourth Swimming Gold Medal at Athens Games Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Swimmer Michael Phelps seeks his fourth gold medal of the Athens Olympics in tonight #39;s 200-meter individual medley, while female gymnasts compete for the all- around title.


The fields of the gods OLYMPIA, Greece  The competition was history. The time had come for everyone to leave, to follow the sun toward that narrow path lined with olive trees out of the stadium, a trek that would take athletes and spectators alike not to a ...


Record-breaking night ATHENS, Greece -- The world record was like graffiti on a masterpiece, a reminder of a sport #39;s dark past.


Sharon #39;s Gaza plan hinges on vote Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has lost a key vote which would have seen the dovish Labour Party join the government coalition and salvage his Gaza disengagement plan.


Eight terror suspects appear in UK court Eight suspects, including a man identified in the United States as a senior al-Qaeda figure, appeared in court under heavy guard, as police investigated an alleged plot to commit murder and to cause mayhem with chemicals, radioactive materials, toxic ...


China Says Taiwan President #39;s US Stop  #39;A Trick #39; BEIJING (Reuters) - China urged the United States on Thursday not to allow Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian to set foot on US soil, describing his stopovers en route to Latin America as a trick to sabotage Sino-US relations.


Google Lowers Its Sights as Demand Proves Weak Google's final share price was \$85, far off the target range of \$108 to \$135 a share that the company projected last month.


Aziz Wins Pakistan Polls, Paving Way to Be PM (Reuters) Reuters - Pakistani Finance Minister Shaukat\Aziz easily won a seat in parliament, clearing the way for him\to take over as prime minister next week, officials said on\Thursday.


Aziz Wins Pakistan Polls, Paving Way to Be PM  ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani Finance Minister Shaukat  Aziz easily won a seat in parliament, clearing the way for him  to take over as prime minister next week, officials said on  Thursday.


Despite itself, Google good for stocks SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Forget the fact that the new definition of the verb  quot;to google quot; is: to blow an otherwise foolproof deal; or to miscalculate with extreme hubris.


Airlines agree to limit O #39;Hare arrivals SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Major North American airlines agreed to a voluntary limit of 88 arrivals per hour for flights serving Chicago #39;s O #39;Hare International Airport during peak traffic periods, the Transportation Department said ...


Freddie Mac Receives Notice That It May Face Action by SEC Freddie Mac, the government-chartered mortgage company that restated earnings by \$5 billion, said yesterday that it might be the subject of a civil lawsuit by the Securities and Exchange Commission.


Halliburton closes higher on Army #39;s decision to pay DALLAS (CBS.MW) -- Halliburton #39;s shares closed higher Wednesday after the Army Materiel Command reversed its decision to withhold 15 percent of its future payments to the company under a contract to supply and support US troops in Iraq.


Delta shares jump on pilot equity talk SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Delta Air Lines shares rose sharply Wednesday ahead of a Thursday meeting at which the carrier is expected to offer its pilots a stake in the struggling company.


More Management Changes at Credit Suisse Credit Suisse First Boston, the securities unit of the Credit Suisse Group of Zurich, replaced Adebayo O. Ogunlesi as head of investment banking with its president, Brian D. Finn, eight weeks after Brady W. Dougan was named chief executive.


Profit at Talbots Up 4.8 for 2nd Quarter Talbots, the clothing retailer, said yesterday that second-quarter profit rose 4.8 percent as sales increased and the company benefited from the resolution of an income tax issue.


Withdrawal for Greek sprinters ATHENS -- Two of Greece #39;s most famous athletes and their coach made their first public appearance here yesterday only to withdraw from the Olympic Games rather than face a panel charged with looking into a ...


Silver lining melts foul mood OLYMPIA, Greece -- US shot-putter Adam Nelson stood outside the throwing circle, his hands on the back of his head, his hopes just dashed by a foul on a throw that would have won the gold medal.


High and mighty ATHENS -- He was dead and buried 6 feet under the landing mat, and he knew it.  quot;That #39;s it, I #39;m done, quot; Paul Hamm told himself last night, after he #39;d tumbled from first to 12th with a slip of a foot on the ...


Ching saves best for last KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Without one World Cup qualifier under his belt and only a pair of appearances for the US National Team to speak of, there stood Brian Ching at midfield waiting to enter the match with his team down 1-0 to Jamaica.


US marines in tense Najaf standoff NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - US marines and a radical Iraqi cleric are locked in a tense standoff after the firebrand leader refused to leave a holy shrine in Najaf despite earlier agreeing to disarm his militia and withdraw.


Burundi inching closer to ending long civil war BUJUMBURA, Burundi  Tiny Burundi has seen more than a decade of war, but events in the past few months suggest that it is closer than ever to wrapping up one of Africa #39;s most persistent civil conflicts.


Little progress in N Korea talks: Downer North Korea was reluctant to accept a United States plan to give up its nuclear program but would probably attend the next round of talks on the impasse, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said after a brief visit to Pyongyang.


Western leaders waiting for African solutions to African wars JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Aug 19, 2004 (AP) -- As the month-end deadline nears for Sudan to disarm the Janjaweed militias in Darfur, the United Nations and Western powers debate how far to go to stop the killing ...


Sharon's Party Votes to Exclude Labor (AP) AP - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's own party handed him a stinging rebuke, banning him from adding the moderate Labor Party to his government to bolster a Gaza pullout plan  #151; a move that endangered the proposed withdrawal.


Tokyo Stocks Rise 1 Percent, Techs Lead  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average appeared headed  for its third straight day of gains on Thursday and was up one  percent by late afternoon as tech issues such as Shin-Etsu  Chemical were lifted by a rally in New York.


Google's share price set at 85 dollars (AFP) AFP - Google's share price has been set at 85 dollars in its initial public offering, a company spokeswoman said.


Google Sells Shares in IPO for \$85 After Cutting Price of Stock Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc., the most-used Internet search engine, sold shares at \$85 each in its initial public offering, the bottom of the range the company had suggested the stock would fetch in the biggest auction-style IPO.


BHP Billiton to award shareholders Announcing record profit and revenue for the past year yesterday, global resources group BHP Billiton says it has decided to award a \$2bn bonanza to its shareholders.


Army wants Halliburton data on possible effect of withholding WASHINGTON - The US Army wants to know how a threatened plan to withhold \$60 million a month in a billing dispute might affect Halliburton Co. #39;s ability to support US troops in Iraq.


3 Directors at Cox to Study Bid by Parent to Take Unit Private ox Communications, the nation #39;s third-largest cable television operator, has formed a committee to consider the \$7.9 billion bid by its parent, Cox Enterprises, to take the company private.


Insurer lowers hurricane estimate Hurricane Charley, the worst storm to hit the US in over a decade, will cost insurers \$7.4bn (4bn;5.9bn euros).


Blackstone takes Prime Hospitality NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- The Blackstone Group agreed to buy Prime Hospitality Corp., which owns Wellesley Inn and AmeriSuites hotels, for \$790 million, including the assumption of debt.


Apple zombies attack RealNetworks REALNETWORKS #39; attempt to get Steve Jobs to open up its proprietary eyePods is getting attacked by Apple #39;s fanatical supporters.


Rover discovers clues of water on Mars surface After months of crossing a vast Martian crater floor and zigzagging up low-slung hills, NASA #39;s Spirit rover has spotted its first hint that water once coursed across the now-desert-like region, scientists said Wednesday.


Cassini finds two more Saturn moons NASA #39;s Cassini spacecraft has discovered two new Saturn moons, the smallest yet found among its dozens of natural satellites.


Hamm-dinger Gymnast comes back from 12th place to win The movie pitches, Letterman -- no, Leno -- the unending media requests, the book deals, surely the line is forming on the right for Paul Hamm.


Shot putters return to ancient site of first Games OLYMPIA, GREECE - It was a day when the actors took a back seat to the scenery, when the question of who won and who took part was not as significant as where they competed.


Brazil beats Haiti as nations play for peace PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI - Brazil routed a weak Haitian team 6-0 Wednesday in an exhibition game aimed at promoting peace in the Caribbean country.


The educated say they #39;re at risk in Sudan OURE CASSONI, CHAD - She pulled tattered socks over her bony legs and stared at the ground, trying to hide the dirty, torn clothing she is so embarrassed to wear.


Typhoon Hits Korea, Japan; Kills 9, Grounds Flights (Update1) Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Typhoon Megi churned through the Tsushima Straight dividing Japan and South Korea, leaving nine people dead and thousands homeless as it damaged crops, dumped heavy rains and grounded flights.


31 inmates die, dozens wounded at overcrowded Salvadoran facility SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR - Rival inmates fought each other with knives and sticks Wednesday at a San Salvador jail, leaving at least 31 inmates dead and two dozen injured, officials said.


Iran warns Israel on pre-emptive strikes Iran warned America and Israel last night that it was ready to launch pre-emptive strikes to stop them attacking its nuclear facilities.


Tokyo Stocks Rise as Techs Rally  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average climbed for a  third straight day on Thursday, rising over one percent as a  rally in New York boosted tech issues such as Toshiba Corp and  Shin-Etsu Chemical


Dirty Campaign Tricks Now Serious Crimes (AP) AP - Election-year tactics like making anonymous phone calls or inventing make-believe groups to criticize the opponent now come with a higher price: the possibility of time in jail.


Oil Above \$47 After New Record  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices struck another record high  on Thursday and remained supported above \$47 by a fall in U.S.  crude stockpiles and threats by insurgents in Iraq against oil  facilities.


Greek pair await IAAF fate Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou's missed drugs tests will be investigated by the IAAF.


U.N. Remembers Colleagues Lost in Attack (AP) AP - United Nations employees called the attack on U.N. headquarters in Baghdad a year ago "our Sept. 11." The death toll of 22 may have been far lower than from the strikes in New York and Washington, but the truck bombing marked a similar fundamental shift between the way things were done then, and the way they're done now.


Al-Sadr's Unclear Motives Muddle Efforts (AP) AP - What's clear about radical Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is that he wants power, U.S. officials say. What's less certain is what he wants to do with that power or how far he'll go to get it.


Elmer Bernstein, Film Composer, Dead at 82 LOS ANGELES - Elmer Bernstein, the versatile, Oscar-winning composer who scored such movie classics as "The Ten Commandments,""The Magnificent Seven,""To Kill a Mockingbird,""The Great Escape" and "True Grit," died Wednesday. He was 82...


United, American agree to  #39;de-peak #39; O #39;Hare Bowing to pressure from the US Department of Transportation, airlines that serve Chicago have agreed to cut the number of flights they send to O #39;Hare International Airport. The two most affected airlines are the only two that fly nonstop between O #39;Hare ...


Singh could overtake Woods as No. 1 AKRON, Ohio  Vijay Singh can make official this week what most already believe: That he, not Tiger Woods, is the world #39;s No. 1 player.


Oil Above  #36;47 After New Record (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices struck another record high\on Thursday and remained supported above  #36;47 by a fall in U.S.\crude stockpiles and threats by insurgents in Iraq against oil\facilities.


Braves Edge Padres 6-5 (AP) AP - Andruw Jones hit a two-run homer off Trevor Hoffman in the ninth inning and the Atlanta Braves threw out the potential tying run at the plate for the final out Wednesday night, preserving a 6-5 come-from-behind win over the San Diego Padres.


Shaukat Aziz wins byelection, clears way to become Pakistan's prime minister (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - FATEH JANG, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistan's finance minister took an important step toward becoming the new prime minister by easily winning two byelections that give him a seat in parliament, a prerequisite for the post, state-run television reported Thursday. Opposition groups insisted the vote was rigged.


Techs Lead Stocks Rally as Oil Sets High  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian shares rallied on Thursday,  with Taiwan jumping more than 3 percent, as technology issues  chased a rise in their U.S. peers and investors showed  resilience to record oil prices.


SUSAN TOMPOR: Now we #39;ll see if Google clicks Now Google-gawkers will start to discover if the much-hyped initial public offering was the great, equal-opportunity money maker for all mankind or one incredibly dopey deal.


Last Alpha chip to arrive on Monday HP IS TO release the final Alpha processor on Monday bringing to an end the chip that had a cult following for the last 14 years.


Remy International will sell its Williams Technologies unit Anderson (Star report) -- Remy International Inc. said Wednesday it has agreed to sell its US transmission remanufacturing operation, Williams Technologies Inc., to Caterpillar Inc.


Giant waves hurling boulders inland from British coasts: scientists Massive waves created by violent storms off Britain and Ireland are ripping off chunks of cliff and hurling them inland over distances scientists did not think possible.


Sony PSP Pushed Back to June 2005? August 18, 2004 - CNN #39;s latest Game Over column suggests that Sony may delay the US release of the PSP to June 2005: Activision CEO Bobby Kotick told investors yesterday that his company does not expect the PSP to launch in North America until the second ...


Two Greek sprinters withdraw ATHENS, GREECE -- Perhaps attempting to save their country further embarrassment and fearful of an impending ruling from the International Olympic Committee, two Greek sprinters abruptly withdrew from the Olympic Games on Wednesday.


Boot Room: At The Office KINGSTON, Jamaica -- An entire nation was a minute plus injury-time away from a massive party here Wednesday night. But when Brian Ching struck for his first international goal, Jamaica #39;s yellow-clad fanatics had to settle for the same old, same old ...


Fighting continues in Najaf At least five loud explosions have been heard near holy sites in the Iraqi city of Najaf. Sniper fire could also he heard coming from the area.


Anniversary of UN bombing puts spotlight on security problem for the United Nations UNITED NATIONS (AP) A year after the bombing of UN headquarters in Baghdad killed 22 people, the United Nations remains a target for attacks in Iraq and UN staff angrily allege that major security ...


Oil Above \$47 After New Record SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices struck another record high on Thursday and remained supported above \$47 by a fall in US crude stockpiles and threats by insurgents in Iraq against oil facilities.


US Airways chairman says airline could face liquidation The chairman of US Airways, David G. Bronner, said Wednesday that its employees must agree to a third round of wage and benefit cuts worth \$800 million in the next 30 days or the airline could be liquidated.


Qantas posts record profit SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia #39;s biggest airline Qantas has doubled its full-year profit on cost cuts and a pick-up in traffic, but the prospect of higher fuel costs has sent its shares down six percent.


Major bank #39;s layoffs felt in Hudson Valley Bank of America began cutting jobs Wednesday but officials would not confirm how many or where. But a spokeswoman said cuts were occurring, and would eventually reach 12,500, the same number given in spring when the merger became final.


Giant waves causing British boulder phenomena LONDON: Massive waves created by violent storms off Britain and Ireland are ripping off chunks of cliff and hurling them inland over distances scientists did not think possible.


Now Schoeman grabs silver SILVER FOR SA: Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands, centre, the gold medallist, with South Africa #39;s Roland Schoeman, silver, left, and Australia #39;s Ian Thorpe, who took the bronze, during the medal ceremony for the 100-metre freestyle at the ...


Moments of unforgettable Olympics Paul Hamm of the USA celebrates with his coach after scoring a 9.837 in the horizontal bar to claim victory in the men #39;s artistic gymnastics individual competition on August 18, 2004, during the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games at the Olympic Sports ...


Saulnier Continues Strong 2004 Showing Seventh-seeded Cyril Saulnier advanced to his sixth ATP quarterfinal this season with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) victory yesterday over Gilles Elseneer in the Legg Mason Tennis Classic at the William HG FitzGerald Tennis Center.


Mickelson not giving up on award he wants Having captured the PGA Championship for his fifth victory of the season, Vijay Singh believes he has wrapped up player of the year awards barring an exceptional finish.


THE HOUR: When Time Isn #39;t on Israel #39;s Side Some 20 years ago, Ehud Olmert  now deputy prime minister of Israel, recently mayor of Jerusalem, back then a rising star in Israel #39;s right-wing firmament  was among the principal speakers at a United Jewish Appeal event in ...


Georgia Says Six Soldiers Killed in Rebel Region TBILISI (Reuters) - Overnight clashes killed six Georgian servicemen in the rebel South Ossetia region, which Tbilisi is trying to bring back under government control, Deputy Security Minister Gigi Ugulava said on Thursday.


Megapixels Gone Mad? Sony's new Cyber-shot P150 raises the bar for high-resolution cameras at affordable prices.


Two Polish Soldiers Dead, Five Injured in Iraq -PAP (Reuters) Reuters - Two Polish soldiers were killed and five\injured in a road accident in Hilla after their patrol was\fired on near their Babylon base in southern Iraq, Polish news\agency PAP said on Thursday, citing a military spokesman.


'Breathing gene' cot death link Researchers have identified more genetic mutations that appear to be linked with cot death.


Gujurat riot retrial due to begin A fresh trial of Hindus accused of burning to death Muslims during the 2002 Gujarat riots is due to begin in Bombay.


SEC Orders Mutual Funds to Cease Incentive Pay The Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday ordered mutual funds to stop paying higher commissions to brokers who promote the companies #39; funds. The agency also required portfolio managers to reveal investments in funds they ...


Air Canada Stock Plummets on Review MONTREAL (Reuters) - Shares of Air Canada (AC.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) fell by more than half on Wednesday, after the Toronto Stock Exchange said it was reviewing the company #39;s stock to determine if it meets listing requirements.


Parmalat sues ex-auditors MILAN (Reuters) - Parmalat is suing its former auditors Deloitte  amp; Touche and Grant Thornton, claiming damages of  quot;at least \$10 billion quot; and broadening a legal battle to claw back funds from financial partners which it says ...


Japanese Stocks Rise for a 3rd Day; Asahi Glass, Daiei Advance Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Japanese stocks rose for a third day, as Asahi Glass Co. and Nippon Mining Holdings Inc. raised their earnings forecasts, sparking optimism domestic economic growth will support profits.


Mbeki deal holds out new hope for Ivory Coast South African President Thabo Mbeki concluded four-day talks with all parties in the Ivory Coast conflict on Monday, announcing that agreement on a four-point plan had been reached.


Musharraf: Speed up Iraq exit plan LONDON, England -- The US-led coalition must speed up its  quot;exit strategy quot; from Iraq by accelerating the training of local security forces, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said.


Baseball Today (AP) AP - Atlanta at Los Angeles (10:10 p.m. EDT). The National League division leaders meet in the opener of a four-game series.


Report Expected to Blame 24 in Iraq Abuse WASHINGTON - Two dozen people will be blamed by an Army investigation into the abuse of inmates at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, says a senior defense official.    The official, who spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity, provided no details of the report...


Marlins Defeat Dodgers 6-4 LOS ANGELES - Pinch-hitter Lenny Harris delivered a three-run double off Eric Gagne with two outs in the ninth inning, rallying the Florida Marlins past the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 Wednesday night.    It was only Gagne's second blown save in 100 chances dating to Aug...


Irish eyes WE stand on the brink of a historic agreement on Northern Ireland. (Depending on how fast events move today, by teatime we could be celebrating an established fact.


File-sharing not a threat to musicians and artists Internet file sharing has been one of the hottest-burning controversies for years. A new survey of musicians and artists promises to throw gas on the fire.


Indian shares to notch long-term gains as global investors line up (AFP) AFP - Indian shares, Asia's second top performers last year, are poised for long-term gains as foreign investors buy into the market, seeing the country as an economic "growth story," according to analysts.


Google IPO fails to find results it sought A humbled Google Inc. makes its market debut on the Nasdaq exchange this morning after raising \$1.67 billion in an initial public offering that fetched about half of what the Web search company had previously estimated.


Small investors scared off by exercise in stock democracy This was supposed to be the people's IPO, an exercise in shareholder democracy that would serve as a model for other companies seeking to go public without the suffocating embrace of Wall Street.


Right- and left-click politics The 2004 presidential race ended last week in a stunning defeat for Massachusetts Senator John F. Kerry, as incumbent President George W. Bush cruised to an easy victory.


Big Dig jobs are nearing end of road More than a decade after thousands of construction workers began flocking to the Big Dig, Boston's \$14.6 billion roadway project is winding down -- and so are the jobs.