Reuters Poll: Bush Holds Two-Point Lead Over Kerry (Reuters) Reuters - President Bush holds a slim\two-point lead over Democratic rival John Kerry for the second\consecutive day in a tight race for the White House, according\to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Saturday.


Strong Quake, Aftershocks Hit Japan; 1 Dead  TOKYO (Reuters) - An earthquake with a preliminary  magnitude of 6.8 and a series of big aftershocks rocked  northern Japan on Saturday, killing at least one person and  injuring dozens while triggering landslides and knocking out  power.


Notebook: Belbin, Agosto retain No. 1 standing The US ice dancing team of Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, Skate America defending champions, retained their No. 1 overall standing following the original dance competition last night.


Arrests at English Soccer Matches Fell 10 Per Cent Last Season The number of arrests at English soccer matches last season dropped 10 percent, highlighting the success of action to tackle football hooliganism, #39; #39; the UK government #39;s Home Office said in a statement.


Boston Hopes to Make Believers Out of Skeptics  BOSTON (Reuters) - The Boston Red Sox created history, now  they will try to make believers out of skeptics as baseball's  perennial also-rans take on the St. Louis Cardinals in a bid to  earn their first World Series title since 1918.


Stocks Seen Stymied by Oil, Earns  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Record crude oil prices, a tidal wave  of quarterly earnings reports and anxiety ahead of the U.S.  presidential election may pin U.S. stocks down next week.


Wall Street Fears an Undecided Election  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The doubts, the uncertainty, the  mud-slinging that have kept investors indecisive all year are  set to end one week from Tuesday when U.S. voters go to the  polls.


Finance: It's Almost January, Already  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Here's a mnemonic device for the  season: When you think about carving your pumpkins, get ready  to pare your taxes.


'City of Looms' Fears for Its Future  KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (Reuters) - After a more than a century of  churning out towels, sheets and bedspreads for American homes,  there's no future for textiles in this self-proclaimed "city of  looms," and many other North Carolina towns fear the same fate.


Part-Time Soldiers, Injured but Not Yet Home Under a web of Army rules, thousands of part-time soldiers injured on duty in Iraq and elsewhere are navigating a system suited to full-timers.


Blinding Flashes Years after exposure to space radiation, many astronauts' vision becomes clouded by cataracts. Understanding why may shed light on cataracts suffered by elderly people.


Bones will not break IN many respects Sean Bones is an unremarkable man. He #39;s 44, unmarried, lives in the Gorse Hill area of Stretford and earns his living as a semi-skilled assembler in the factory of a company which manufactures gas metres.


EU to finance over half of African mission in Darfur The European Union will finance over half of the cost of the African Union #39;s (AU) ceasefire monitoring and civilian protection force in Sudan #39;s troubled region of Darfur, EU foreign affairs chief Javier Solana said on Saturday.


Lay-off will not affect Tendulkar #39;s performance: Ganguly : Kolkata, Oct 20 : Hoping to avail of batting genius Sachin Tendulkar #39;s services in the third Test against Australia at Nagpur from next week, Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly today expressed the confidence that the three-month lay-off would not have any


Burma says constitution talks to restart soon Burma #39;s military junta has confirmed a National Convention to form a constitution will restart at the end of the rainy season in November, despite the turmoil caused by the purge of Prime Minister Khin Nyunt.


Powell Looks to Reassure North Korea, Push to Resume Nuclear Talks US Secretary of State Colin Powell is beginning his four-day trip to East Asia Saturday with a visit to Japan. In the coming days, Mr.


Stocks Seen Stymied by Oil, Earns (Reuters) Reuters - Record crude oil prices, a tidal wave\of quarterly earnings reports and anxiety ahead of the U.S.\presidential election may pin U.S. stocks down next week.


Wall Street Fears an Undecided Election (Reuters) Reuters - The doubts, the uncertainty, the\mud-slinging that have kept investors indecisive all year are\set to end one week from Tuesday when U.S. voters go to the\polls.


Livewire: Futures Markets Allow President Race Wagers (Reuters) Reuters - As if the U.S. presidential contest\wasn't enough like a horse race, Web users all over the world\can now bet on the outcome through online futures exchanges\that treat politics like corn, cocoa or other commodities.


PluggedIn: Wireless Companies Chat Up Teens, Young Adults (Reuters) Reuters - The wireless industry, not content\with getting corporate executives addicted to e-mail on the go,\is setting its sights on the instant messaging generation.


NEC launches worlds fastest supercomputer TOKYO, Japan -- Japanese electronics giant NEC Corp., said it has begun selling the worlds fastest supercomputer. NEC claimed its SX-8 is the most powerful vector-type supercomputer, with a sustainable


Inventories Down for Intel in Q3 Chip bellwether Intel Corp. saw revenues and net income go higher sequentially and year over year for Q3 amid questions about the industry #39;s health as it heads towards what many believe is the down part of the cycle.


Broadhurst homes in on title win after difficult few years A MONTH after becoming a father for the fourth time Paul Broadhurst is hoping to have something else to celebrate tomorrow night - his first European Tour victory since 1995.


Baird leads Lehman by 1 as Singh fades at Disney Tom Lehman, winless for almost five years, kept himself in weekend contention with a 6-under 66 Friday on the Magnolia course at the Funai Classic at Disney in Lake Buena Vista, Calif.


Harry won #39;t say sorry for paparazzi scuffle London - Prince Harry will not make a public apology for his scuffle with a photographer outside a London nightclub, his spokesperson said on Saturday.


Militant group threatens to avenge Indian bandit Veerappans <b>...</b> NEW DELHI - A little-known militant group threatened to avenge the killing of Indias most dreaded bandit with a series of bomb blasts in southern India, New Delhi Television said Saturday.


Several Hurt in Afghan Capital Blast-Witnesses  KABUL (Reuters) - Several people were wounded on Saturday  when a bomb went off in a crowded part of the Afghan capital,  witnesses said.


PluggedIn: Wireless Companies Chat Up Teens, Young Adults  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The wireless industry, not content  with getting corporate executives addicted to e-mail on the go,  is setting its sights on the instant messaging generation.


Captive asks Blair to please help me' (Chicago Tribune) Chicago Tribune - Appearing on video haggard and terrified, the kidnapped director of CARE International's Iraq operations made a desperate plea for her life Friday, urging British Prime Minister Tony Blair to withdraw troops from Iraq so she could win freedom from her captors.


Westerners Attacked With Grenade in Kabul (AP) AP - A suicide attacker detonated grenades on a commercial street in downtown Kabul on Saturday, killing himself and wounding six other people, including two foreign peacekeepers, police said.


Japan, U.S. to Resume Some Beef Imports  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan and the United States agreed on  Saturday to resume imports of some American beef, halted since  December after a case of mad cow disease in Washington state,  but did not set a date for restarting trade.


UPDATE 2-Marshall lifts Kiwis to emotional win Hamish Marshall scored an unbeaten 50 to lead New Zealand to an emotional four-wicket win over Australia with two balls to spare in the first match of the inaugural Chappell-Hadlee one-day series on Sunday.


U.S. Rejects N.Korea Conditions for Nuclear Talks (Reuters) Reuters - The United States rejected North Korea's\conditions for a resumption of six-party talks on scrapping its\nuclear programs, a response to Pyongyang's latest demands that\left the two nations in a stalemate.


Scholar disputes claim in hacking attack A visiting scholar whose computer has been linked to a hacker attack at the University of California, Berkeley, released a statement late Friday saying she believed her equipment


Hamas executes Israel collaborator The Palestinian militant group Hamas said Saturday it executed a Palestinian accused of collaborating with Israel. A statement said al-Qassam Brigades executed Hassan Musallam


Pilkadaris Takes Shanghai Open Lead (AP) AP - Terry Pilkadaris of Australia shot an even par 72 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead after the third round of the inaugural Shanghai Open.


Saboteurs Bomb Iraqi Pipelines to Baghdad  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Saboteurs have bombed two oil pipelines  transporting crude from north and eastern Iraq to Baghdad's  Dora refinery, oil security officials said on Saturday.


EU to Give  #36;100 Mln for AU Force in Darfur-Solana (Reuters) Reuters - EU foreign policy chief Javier\Solana said on Saturday the European Union and its member\states would contribute more than  #36;100 million to an African\Union (AU) force in Sudan's troubled Darfur region.


Prince Harry won't say sorry for paparazzi scuffle (AFP) AFP - Prince Harry will not make a public apology for his scuffle with a photographer outside a London nightclub, his spokesman said.


Wal-Mart Keeps Same-Store Sales Outlook (Reuters) Reuters - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. , the\world's largest retailer, said on Saturday that it still sees a\2 to 4 percent increase in October sales at its stores open at\least a year.


Young Finn sweeps defending champ in final SAINT-DENIS, France -- Heikki Kovalainen of Finland beat world rally champion Sebastien Loeb of France to win the Race of Champions on Saturday.


Crew Prepares to Leave Space Station (AP) AP - A U.S.-Russian crew prepared Saturday to bid goodbye to the International Space Station and hurtle back to Earth inside a Russian Soyuz space capsule, ending a six-month mission in space.


Suicide bomber hits Kabul street At least six people including two peacekeepers are hurt in a blast in a popular Kabul shopping area.


Mortgage rates take a tumble Long-term mortgage rates tumbled to six-month lows this week amid concerns the economic expansion may be losing steam. Defying expectations earlier this year that it would now hover around 6.5 percent, the


Weapon is stadium-sized microscope A Calgary doctor aiming to find a way to eliminate the superbug C. difficile now has a new  quot;stadium-size microscope quot; to use as a research weapon.


Space station crew prepares for return home ARKALYK, Kazakhstan A US-Russian space crew is preparing to leave the International Space Station and return to Earth, ending a six-month mission.


Rolen finds sweet spot at just the right time The day after Scott Rolen slugged a two-run home run to help St. Louis beat the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, he was asked


Sachin to play in Nagpur Test: Sports India, Cricket: Mumbai, Oct 23 : Sachin Tendulkar is to play in the third cricket Test against Australia in Nagpur commencing Tuesday.


Japan Importing US Beef Again 10/23/04- Japan will soon import US beef again. This follows a tentative agreement between America and Japan to end a 10-month ban after concerns of Mad Cow Disease.


OMAM weighing Gold Fields, Harmony options South Africa #39;s Old Mutual Asset Managers (OMAM) is still weighing its options regarding the bid by Harmony Gold (HAR) for Gold Fields (GFI), OMAM resources fund manager Patrice Rassou said.


Edfors Ekes Out Precious Lead Swedens Johan Edfors and South Africas Darren Fichardt both went to the turn in 32 today to take over the lead in the Madrid Open.


Spurs legend Nicholson dies at 84 Tottenham #39;s legendary former manager Bill Nicholson, who inspired the London side to a famous league and cup double in 1961 has died at the age of 84, the club announced on its official website.


Suicide Bomber Dies, Wounds Seven in Kabul Attack A suicide bomber killed himself and wounded at least seven others including three members of the NATO-led peacekeeping force in an attack on a busy shopping street in central Kabul Saturday.


Wal-Mart Keeps Same-Store Sales Outlook  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT.N, the  world's largest retailer, said on Saturday it still sees a 2 to  4 percent increase in October sales at its stores open at least  a year.


Former Tottenham Coach Bill Nicholson Dies (AP) AP - Bill Nicholson, who coached Tottenham in its glory days of the 1960s and 1970s, died Saturday after a long illness. He was 85. Nicholson's death at a hospital in Hertfordshire, outside London, was announced on Tottenham's Web site on behalf of his family.


American Airlines to lay off 1,100 pilots and ground staff FORT WORTH, United States : World number one American Airlines has announced plans to lay off as many as 1,100 pilots, mechanics and other ground staff in coming months, with more cuts in the future as it struggles to pare costs amid falling revenue.


NASA Confirms Relativity Theory In 1918, Albert Einstein proposed that large objects bend the space around themselves while turning on their axis. In 2004, NASA scientists confirmed that the Earth bends the time and space around it while


William Shatner Wants To Do Real Space Flight  quot;Star Trek quot; star William Shatner, the former Captain of the USS Enterprise is willing to pay US\$210,000 for a seat on one of Virgin Group #39;s first proposed commercial space flights.


Lycos calls off tactics to stop spam New York - The Web portal Lycos Europe on Friday terminated a spam-fighting campaign that had been criticized as a breach of Internet civility.


Sharapova on Course for Third Title with Dementieva Win  ZURICH (Reuters) - Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova  remained on course for a third successive WTA title by beating  fellow Russian Elena Dementieva 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the  semi-finals of the Zurich Challenge on Saturday.


Bush cuts our taxes to create new jobs WASHINGTON - With no fanfare, President Bush on Friday signed into law the most sweeping corporate tax law in nearly two decades and the fifth major tax cut since he took office less than four years ago.


Indonesia frees mining officials in pollution case Five officials of a unit of US-based gold miner Newmont Mining Corp accused of dumping toxic waste in Indonesia are to be released from jail after being held for more than a month.


Yahoo buys email search co Revenues were \$907 million for the third quarter of 2004, a 154 increase compared to \$357 million for the same period of 2003, it says.


Man Utd v Arsenal Rio Ferdinand has called on his Manchester United team-mates to silence the critics who claim their era of dominance is over. United head into the eagerly-awaited Premiership showdown with Arsenal at Old Trafford


Michael Schumacher Crashes in Sao Paulo German Michael Schumacher of Ferrari is seen at the Interlagos race track in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 23, 2004. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano).


Smith gets his shot for Buckeyes COLUMBUS -- Troy Smith predicted earlier this season something severe would happen and he #39;d finally get his shot to quarterback the Ohio State Buckeyes.


Suicide Bombers Kill 14 Iraqis in Surge of Violence Suicide bombers killed 14 members of Iraq #39;s fledgling security forces near a US marine base west of Baghdad and at a checkpoint to the north on Saturday amid a spate of insurgent attacks across the country.


Powell Spurns North Korea Demand on Talks (AP) AP - Secretary of State Colin Powell on Saturday rejected demands by North Korea of a U.S. "reward" before the communist country would agree to resume multinational talks about its nuclear weapons programs.


Iceman's discoverer dead in Alps The German man who found the remains of a 5,300-year-old frozen mummy in 1991 is found dead in the Alps.


Bryant Scores 25 in Lakers' Win Over Clips (AP) AP - Kobe Bryant scored 25 points and the Los Angeles Lakers got major contributions from their ever-improving reserves Friday night, beating the Clippers 113-102 in a preseason game. Corey Maggette scored 23 points for the Clippers, whose subs were outscored 63-41 by their counterparts.


Smith Inactive for Arizona Vs. Lions (AP) AP - NFL career rushing leader Emmitt Smith was inactive with a toe injury for the Arizona Cardinals' game at the Detroit Lions on Sunday.


Fed #39;s Bies Says US Growth Solid, #39; Oil Not Fanning Inflation The Federal Reserve can raise interest raise at a measured pace because US economic growth is solid #39; #39; and rising energy costs haven #39;t yet sparked concern about a broader acceleration of inflation, Fed Governor Susan Bies said.


Series start keeps Suppan satisfied Former Red Sox stats, schedule pitcher Jeff Suppan, who Thursday night outdueled Roger Clemens in Game 7 of the NLCS, was thrilled to be getting another chance to pitch at Fenway, especially with all the marbles on the line.


At least eight dead from car bomb explosion near US base close to At least eight people are dead from a car bomb that exploded outside the gates of a US base in western Iraq. US military and hospital officials say around 48 people were injured near Ramadi


No Apology from UK Prince After Nightclub Scuffle Britain #39;s Prince Harry, struggling to shed a growing  quot;wild child quot; image, won #39;t apologize to a photographer he scuffled with outside an exclusive London nightclub, a royal spokesman said on Saturday.


Ontario gives cities \$156 million from gas tax this year for <b>...</b> MISSISSAUGA, Ont. (CP) - More than 100 Ontario towns and cities will share in \$156 million in revenue from the provincial gasoline tax this year, Premier Dalton McGuinty confirmed Friday.


Hewitt distraught at split LLEYTON Hewitt has told friends of his heartbreak and shock when fiancee Kim Clijsters dumped him. Clijsters, 21, phoned Hewitt on Thursday night to end their


Wenger set for big game Arsene Wenger knows when to mock his own seriousness. Asked on Friday how he was celebrating his 55th birthday, the Arsenal manager replied that he would be watching football tapes.


Triumphant Russians Sweep Kremlin Cup The narrative of homegrown athletes triumphing over foreign opponents resonates with Russian sports fans, reaffirming their conviction that their country #39;s athletes are no worse, and


Suicide Bomber Strikes Afghan Capital KABUL, Afghanistan -- Police in Afghanistan said a suicide attacker exploded grenades on a commercial street in the Afghan capital, killing himself and wounding six others.


#39;Prince Harry will not apologize over nightclub fracas #39; : Prince Harry will not apologize to a paparazzi photographer with whom he scuffled outside a London nightclub, a royal spokesman said today.


Wal-Mart Keeps Same-Store Sales Outlook Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world #39;s largest retailer, said on Saturday it still sees a 2 to 4 percent increase in October sales at its stores open at least a year.


Norilsk support for Harmony not that irrevocable Johannesburg - Norilsk Nickel included escape clauses in its pact to support Harmony #39;s takeover bid for Gold Fields, according to the agreement.


Yahoo! acquires e-mail start-up Yahoo! may be one step closer to challenging Google in searchable web-based e-mail. It has purchased the start-up behind the powerful e-mail application Bloomba.


Shatner Wants to Boldly Go on Space Flight Actor William Shatner is shown in this undated publicity photo. (AP Photo/www.williamshatner.com). LONDON Oct 22, 2004 -  quot;Star Trek quot; star William Shatner and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Dave Navarro are


Researcher says hacked data stored properly A Connecticut researcher on leave at UC Berkeley said Friday she tried to follow all the rules when she stored a confidential database on a campus computer system that was broken into by a hacker.


Ancient Greek burial ground uncovered Athens, Greece - Archaeologists have discovered ancient graves during excavations near Ancient Olympia, the hallowed site where the Olympic Games were born in 776 BC, the Culture Ministry said on Thursday.


Wenger to send out team of  #39;gladiators #39; against United LONDON COLNEY: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will send out a team of  quot;gladiators quot; to face Manchester United in Monday #39;s crunch Premier League game at Old Trafford.


Behind in Chase, Newman up front MARTINSVILLE, Va.  Ryan Newman on Friday put himself in position to make up ground in NASCAR #39;s Chase for the Championship by winning the pole for Sunday #39;s Subway 500.


Paerson wins giant slalom, Kelly 11th SOELDEN, Austria (Ticker) - Sweden #39;s Anja Paerson began the season in the same dominating fashion she ended last season - winning the season-opening giant slalom for the first time in six appearances.


EU to finance over half of African mission in Darfur The European Union will finance over half of the cost of the African Union #39;s (AU) cease fire monitoring and civilian protection force in Sudan #39;s troubled region of Darfur, EU foreign affairs chief Javier Solana said on today.


Kerry causing unrest in Haiti As a former longtime resident of the Bellville area, I want to enlighten you on what Sen. John Kerry #39;s leadership can cause. I have been living in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, for eight years with my family.


IBM offers low-cost blade chassis, bundles for SMBs IBM Corp has announced that it will launch a new low-budget version of its BladeCenter chassis for blade servers in an effort to make the blade machines more appealing to budget conscious customers in the small- and mid-sized market.


Half-mile hot spot at halfway  hang on! MARTINSVILLE - Halfway into the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup, the competition comes to a half-mile track where intensity -nd history  - inherent.


Tendulkar can use his normal bat: Dr Joshi Kolkata: Sachin Tendulkar, who has been declared fit to play the third Test against Australia at Nagpur, can play with his normal heavy bat, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) doctor Anant Joshi said on Saturday.


GM Europe May Create New Company, Move HQ  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - General Motors may bundle its  European operations in a new company based in Brussels in a  move to cut costs and simplify management structures, a German  newspaper reported on Saturday.


Younger Brother of TV Personality Allegedly Killed by Boxer  LOS ANGELES (Sports Network) - James "the Harlem Hammer"  Butler pleaded not guilty Friday to the murder of freelance  sportswriter Sam Kellerman, the younger brother of Fox Sports  Net's television host Max Kellerman.


New Somali President Asks for 20,000 AU Peacekeepers  ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Somalia's newly elected president,  Abdullahi Yusuf, has asked the African Union to send 20,000  peacekeepers to disarm militias controlling his lawless Horn of  Africa country, an AU spokesman said on Saturday.


Newmont to Sue Police Over Detentions Laksamana.Net - Gold mining firm Newmont Minahasa Raya (NMR) is planning to sue the National Police for detaining five of its executives on pollution allegations, claiming the detentions are unlawful.


Burial Site Found Near Ancient Olympia ATHENS, Greece - Archeologists have discovered ancient graves near Ancient Olympia, the hallowed site where the Olympic games were born in 776 BC, the Culture Ministry said Thursday.


Cardinals ready for own party THANKS to the widening obsession with  quot;the curse of the Bambino quot; that supposedly has prevented the star-crossed Boston Red Sox from winning the World Series since 1918, the St Louis Cardinals were cast in the role of party poopers as the teams prepared to


Rubens sets Brazil abuzz RUBENS Barrichello delighted his home crowd as he led a Ferrari one-two in the second practice session for the Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix.


Sachin saviour After two months of treatment, headlines, anxiety and frenzied speculation, Sachin Tendulkar was cleared finally to return to Test cricket yesterday.


GM Europe May Create New Company, Move HQ (Reuters) Reuters - General Motors may bundle its\European operations in a new company based in Brussels in a\move to cut costs and simplify management structures, a German\newspaper reported on Saturday.


Get Your Cheese While It's Hot Refrigeration rules clash with old ways, and fresh mozzarella is at risk.


Suicide Attack in Kabul; Vote Counting Nears End  KABUL (Reuters) - A Taliban suicide fighter killed himself  and wounded at least seven others, including three members of a  NATO-led peacekeeping force, in a grenade attack on a busy  shopping street in central Kabul on Saturday.


Tracy tips frantic start CANADIAN Paul Tracy grabbed pole at the Gold Coast Indy Champ Car meeting yesterday and predicted today #39;s race would be won in the sprint to the first corner.


Woolmer:  #39;We need to bat like Jayasuriya #39; Bob Woolmer has already worked some minor miracles in his short stint as Pakistan #39;s coach, but he is well aware that something special will be required on the final day at Faisalabad, if Pakistan are to avoid slumping to defeat against Sri Lanka


Margaret Hassan #39;s husband appeals for her release BAGHDAD, Iraq The husband of a kidnapped relief worker in Iraq is appealing for her release  quot;in the name of Islam. quot;. Tahseen Ali Hassan told Al-Arabiya television that  quot;it hurts quot; to see his wife cry.


ENEL: SINISCALCO, SHAREHOLDERS WERE OUR PRIORITY (AGI) - Rome, Oct 23rd - Finance Minister Domenico Siniscalco has expressed satisfaction with the successful placement of the third part of Enel shares, the so-called  #39;Enel 3 operation #39;.


Sharapova on Track for Third Successive Title  ZURICH (Reuters) - Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova kept  on course for a third successive WTA title on Saturday, beating  fellow Russian Elena Dementieva in the semi-finals of the  Zurich Challenge.


Ukrainians Rally in Support of Yushchenko (AP) AP - Tens of thousands of people supporting opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko rallied in Ukraine's capital Saturday demanding that next week's presidential election be free and fair.


Excited Boston Ready to 'Play Ball'  BOSTON (Reuters) - Boston was tingling with anticipation on  Saturday as the Red Sox prepared to host Game One of the World  Series against the St. Louis Cardinals and take a step toward  ridding themselves of a hex that has hung over the team for  eight decades.


Hewitt flies to Paris amid reports he #39;s devastated by split with <b>...</b> Former No. 1 tennis player Lleyton Hewitt has been left  quot;angry, embarrassed and devastated quot; after his split with fiancee Kim Clijsters of Belgium, the Sydney-based Sunday Telegraph has reported.


Rev It Up: Martinsville This weekend the Nextel Cup heads into the second half of the Chase with a trip to Martinsville, the final short track on the schedule.


Mass. Lawmakers Tout Kerry in 6 States (AP) AP - When the busload of campaign volunteers left Arlington, Mass., on Saturday to knock on doors in neighboring New Hampshire, Rep. Ed Markey was on it.


Schwarzenegger Opens Stop on 'Hydrogen Highway' (Reuters) Reuters - California Gov. Arnold\Schwarzenegger dedicated a pioneering hydrogen fueling station\on Friday, calling it the first stop in a "hydrogen highway"\that would someday stretch across the nation's most populous\state as drivers switch to the cleaner-burning fuel.


Public TV zapper hot product SAN JOSE, CALIF. - A keychain device that enables people to turn off TVs just about anywhere is flying off the shelves, its inventor says.


Safin Overpowers Agassi to Reach Madrid Final  MADRID (Reuters) - Marat Safin defeated Andre Agassi 6-3,  7-6 on Saturday to book a place in the Madrid Masters final  against Argentina's David Nalbandian.


Early ballots flood in across US Millions in the US have already cast their ballots under early vote programmes that could attract one in five.


New hunt for Pakistan militants Pakistani troops in Waziristan begin a new search for Islamic militants, among them a former US detainee.


Purdue Tries to End Skid Against Michigan (AP) AP - Michigan's defensive backs have bullied and beaten Purdue's receivers in three straight wins over the Boilermakers. The Boilermakers know that streak will continue Saturday if their high-powered offense struggles again.


Yahoo buys e-mail search company Yahoo Inc., one of the largest online based companies said, it has bought out privately held e-mail search firm - Stata Labs. This is Yahoo #39;s move to compete against Microsoft and Google with their e-mail search functionalities.


Surfers Paradise: Shootout Pirtek Racing #39;s Marcos Ambrose won a fiery first race of the Gillette V8 Supercar Challenge at this year #39;s Lexmark Indy 300, clashing heavily with Kmart Racing #39;s young gun Rick Kelly both during and after the race on the Gold Coast today.


Suicide bombers kill 20 Iraqis Suicide bombers have killed 20 members of Iraq #39;s fledgling security forces near a US marine base west of Baghdad and at a checkpoint to the north amid a spate of insurgent attacks across the country.


US-Russia Space Crew Set for Return to Earth A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying a US astronaut and two cosmonauts is set to return to Earth on Sunday, landing in darkness by parachute in the barren steppe of northern Kazakhstan.


NEC Shoots to Regain Supercomputer Title Less than a month after IBM claimed the world #39;s fastest computer crown from NEC, the Japanese company announced it is trying to win it back with a new supercomputer that will be available at the end of the year.


Nalbandian moves into second final of the season Fourth seed David Nalbandian tamed the big-serve threat of Croatian Ivan Ljubicic 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday to move into the final of the 2.


Barrichello continues his Interlagos mission Rubens Barrichello continued his domination of the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend by recording a new lap record in pre-qualifying. The Brazilian Ferrari star stopped the clock in just 1:09.


Car bomb kills 10 Iraqi policemen BAGHDAD - A car bomb exploded at a police station Saturday near a base in western Iraq used by US Marines, killing 10 Iraqi policemen and wounding 48 other people, officials said.


Suicide bomber hits Kabul's fabled Chicken Street, 3 peacekeepers wounded (AFP) AFP - A suicide bomber blew himself up in Kabul's famous  quot;Chicken Street quot; shopping haunt, wounding up to seven people, including three foreign peacekeepers, in the boldest attack since the peaceful October 9 presidential election.


Dollar Is Poised for Longest Losing Streak in Almost a Year The dollar is poised to decline against the euro, creating its longest losing streak in almost a year, a Bloomberg News survey indicates.


Stocks sent sliding on rash of bad news US stocks fell sharply as record oil prices and disappointing sales forecasts from Microsoft Corp. spurred losses in technology shares.


UPDATE 2-Italy Treasury makes 7.5 bln euros from Enel sale The Italian Treasury has raised 7.5 billion euros (\$9.5 billion) from the sale of almost 20 percent of utility company Enel (ENEI.


New iPod soon? Apple to hold special event on October 26th Apple Computer today sent out an invitation to press outlets to attend a special event next week. Steve Jobs, Bono and The Edge invite you to a special event.


Broadhurst, Fichardt on top at Open de Madrid Madrid, Spain (Sports Network) - Paul Broadhurst carded a three-under 68 on Saturday to hold onto a share of the lead after the third round of the Open de Madrid.


Strong Quake Kills at Least 3 in Northern Japan An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 and several aftershocks hit northern Japan on Saturday, killing at least three people and injuring more than 250 while knocking


Microsoft to launch Windows XP Release 2 It seems that Microsoft will release a Second Edition of Windows XP: If you thought that Service Pack 2 for Windows XP was the last of the big updates, think again.


Boys from Beantown provide lesson for all Decades before I could definitively identify the business end of a golf stick, I was a baseball player. Decades before I could definitively identify the business end of a golf stick, I was a baseball player.


Hostage video distress LONDON: The British and Irish governments called yesterday for the immediate release of Margaret Hassan, the kidnapped director of CARE International in Iraq, with London saying the videotape showing her crying was  quot;extremely distressing quot;.


Re-Election May Not Bear Bush Promises (AP) AP - On the campaign trail, belting out promises for the next four years, President Bush exudes confidence and optimism. Yet the reality of a second term is that Bush would be boxed in by many of the momentous decisions he made in the first.


Russia Duma Ratifies Kyoto Environment Pact (Reuters) Reuters - Russia's lower house of parliament\ratified the Kyoto Protocol on Friday, clearing the way for the\long-delayed climate change pact to come into force worldwide.


Bangalore Crumbling World Economic Forum meets in New Delhi today to buy The Hot India Story. Foreign investors have poured a record \$7.3 billion into an economy fuelled by a city that is the countrys biggest global brand.


Another Yahoo to compete with Gmail Last summer, Yahoo! purchased e-mail company Oddpost and now it has acquired Bloomba which analysts compare to Microsoft #39;s Outlook e-mail program.


Historic teams meet in World Series CBC SPORTS ONLINE - It?s been 86 years since the Boston Red Sox last won the World Series, but they still have a long way to go to vanquish the so-called  #39;Curse of the Bambino.


French PM OKs extradition of Italian fugitive and noted author Cesare Battisti (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - PARIS (AP) - French Premier Jean-Pierre Raffarin signed an order Saturday to extradite a leftist Italian fugitive who has been convicted of murder, an official statement said.


Powerful earthquakes in Japan kills 4 At least four people were killed andmore than 200 others injured in a series of powerful earthquakes in northwestern Japan, mainly in the Niigata Prefecture, on Saturday evening.


Hamas admits to having weapons factories in Gaza In the first admission of its kind, a senior Hamas official disclosed on Saturday that the movement has a number of factories in the Gaza Strip for manufacturing various types of weapons.


16 Killed in Algeria Rebel Attack (Reuters) Reuters - Suspected Algerian Islamic\militants killed 16 people in the first attack on civilians\since the start of the holy month of Ramadan, officials said on\Saturday.


North Korea Dismisses Powell Trip to Asia (AP) AP - North Korea dismissed Secretary of State Colin Powell's Asian trip as pre-U.S. election trickery Saturday and warned it will double its nuclear deterrent force if Washington persists in challenging the North's nuclear weapons programs.


Ebookers chief gets 92m from sale to Cendant Online travel agency ebookers succumbed to a 209m bid from American travel and real estate group Cendant yesterday in a move which will see founder, chairman and chief executive Dinesh Dhamija pocket more than 92m.


Militants Say Beheaded Collaborator-Web Site  DUBAI (Reuters) - An Iraqi militant group said it beheaded  an Iraqi man it accused of collaborating with U.S. forces and  posted pictures of the killing on the Internet.


Tunisian Doctors Examine Arafat, Aides Blame Flu (Reuters) Reuters - Six Tunisian doctors\arrived in the West Bank on Saturday to examine Yasser Arafat,\but aides dismissed Israeli media reports that the Palestinian\president's health had deteriorated and said he had flu.


N.Korea Vows to Boost Deterrent, U.S. Rejects Demand (Reuters) Reuters - North Korea threatened on Saturday\to double the size of its nuclear deterrent and the United\States rejected its conditions for a resumption of talks,\leaving the two nations in a dangerous stalemate.


US has no hard evidence of election-related attack plot: report (AFP) AFP - US officials conducting an aggressive campaign to foil potential terrorist attacks ahead of the US election have reportedly found no specific, hard evidence of an election-related terrorist plot.


Bush and Kerry Focus Campaigns on 11 Key States Both campaigns have laid out plans for a barrage of visits and television advertisements in these key battlegrounds over the next 10 days.


Canadian Synchrotron Radiation Facility Opens A synchrotron acts like a gigantic microscope that generates intense beams of brilliant light to view the microstructure of materials.


Schumacher crashes in practice CBC SPORTS ONLINE - World champion Michael Schumacher was involved in a high-speed crash in practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion, who finished practice in second behind teammate


Calzaghe wins again after brawl EDINBURGH (AFP) - Welshman Joe Calzaghe successfully defended his World Boxing Organisation super-middleweight title for the 15th time with an unanimous points victory over Egypt #39;s Kabary Salem.


Afghan Bomber Kills Girl, 12, In Attack That Wounds 6 Others A suicide bomber killed himself and a 12-year-old girl and wounded six people on a busy tourist street here on Saturday afternoon, apparently in an attempt to attack international peacekeepers.


Hamas retaliates by mortars to the assassination of al-Gul One of the key cadres of Ezz Eddine al-Qassam group, the military wing of the Hamas movement, was killed and another one was strongly injured in a mortar explosion.


Safin Overpowers Agassi to Reach Madrid Final  MADRID (Reuters) - Marat Safin defeated Andre Agassi 6-3,  7-6 in the Madrid Masters on Saturday with a powerful  performance that underlined his recent return to top form and  secured him a place in the final against David Nalbandian.


AP: Saddam Abused Oil-For-Food Program (AP) AP - Interviews with dozens of former and current Iraqi officials by congressional investigators have produced new evidence that Saddam Hussein micro-managed business deals under the U.N. oil-for-food program to maximize political influence with important foreign governments like Russia and neighboring Arab states.


Suicide Bombers Kill 20 Iraqi Security Personnel  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Suicide bombers killed 20 members of  Iraq's fledgling security forces near a U.S. marine base west  of Baghdad and at a checkpoint north of the capital on Saturday  in a spate of guerrilla attacks across the country.


French Soldier Threatens to Blow Up Munitions  PARIS (Reuters) - A soldier Sunday threatened to blow up a  site storing about 64 tons of munitions in eastern France,  leading to the evacuation of about 400 inhabitants of three  villages in the Marne region.


Nalbandian and Safin reach Madrid final Marat Safin played his best tennis in quite some time, beating Andre Agassi 6-3, 7-6 (4) Saturday to advance to the final of the Madrid Masters.


Sharapova, Molik Advance to Swisscom Final Russia #39;s Maria Sharapova reacts after winning a point against Russia #39;s Elena Dementieva during their semi final match at the Swisscom Challenge Tennis Tournament in Zurich-Kloten, Switzerland, Saturday, Oct 23, 2004.


Against Man Utd, Gunners aim for No. 50 Don #39;t look for Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger to sit down for a drink after Sunday #39;s critical showdown between Man United and Arsenal.


Leaders Lyon held 0-0 at second from bottom Istres French champions and Ligue 1 leaders Olympique Lyon were held to a goalless draw at second from bottom Istres on Saturday. Lyon looked weary after their 3-1 Champions League win at Fenerbahce on Tuesday.


Japan quakes kill eight Tokyo - A strong earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale and swarms of aftershocks rocked central Japan and the capital Tokyo on Saturday, killing at least eight people including four children, officials said.


Iraq government resumes Falluja talks Iraq #39;s interim government has resumed talks to pacify the western town of Falluja and avert a military assault on the rebel stronghold that has faced heavy US bombardment in recent days.


Suspected Militants Kill 16 in Algeria (AP) AP - Suspected Islamic militants killed 16 people heading to a soccer match in a pre-dawn ambush south of Algeria's capital Saturday  #151; the first bloodshed since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, an official statement said.


Saboteurs Bomb Iraqi Pipelines to Baghdad  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Saboteurs have bombed two oil pipelines  transporting crude from northern and eastern Iraq to Baghdad's  Dora refinery, officials said on Saturday.


Rebel landmine kills 11 in Indian Kashmir Separatist militants have detonated a powerful landmine in Indian Kashmir killing eleven people, including nine soldiers in one of the biggest attacks in recent weeks, police say.


MIT Grad Delivers Tech for Health Care (AP) AP - Vikram Kumar is hardly your typical tech chief executive. He shares a two-bedroom apartment with a sister and a nephew and gets around town by bicycle or in a 20-year-old Mercedes Benz.


Caution! Master Blaster returns to work NEW DELHI: Sachin Tendulkar is back. Now, the million dollar question: will his willow bite? All through Tendulkar #39;s 15-year career, he has barely missed five Tests and two of them have been in the current Test series against Australia.


Japan, US Agree to Resume Beef Trade Japanese and US negotiators have agreed to resume limited US beef exports to Japan, but the timing remains uncertain. Beef trade was suspended, following the discovery of bovine spongiform


Al-Manar TV, Abu Dhabi TV, Reuters, Al-Manar TV reported that a Kurdish police commander, Taha Ahmed Omar, was assassinated in Arbil on Saturday. A number of Iraqi national guards accompanying British troops were injured when Iraqi guerrillas attacked them.


Barrichello Ready to End Brazilian Jinx  SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello aims to  shake off a decade-long jinx after seizing pole position at his  home Brazilian Grand Prix for the second year in a row on  Saturday.


Strong Quake, Aftershocks Hit Japan; at Least 6 Dead  TOKAMACHI, Japan (Reuters) - A powerful earthquake and  strong aftershocks rocked northern Japan, killing at least six  people, injuring more than 500 while knocking out power and  phone services and forcing thousands to evacuate, media said.


Schu crashes, penalised World champion Michael Schumacher will lose ten grid positions on the Brazilian grand prix grid after crashing heavily in a shortened Saturday practice.


Auxerre faces stiff test in Monaco Monaco, France (Sports Network) - Auxerre and its potent strike force of Benjani Mwaruwari and Bonaventure Kalou have a difficult challenge Sunday when they travel to Monaco for an important French Ligue 1 match.


Allawi refuses to abide by demands of the British hostage <b>...</b> The interim Iraqi prime minister Eyad Allawi refused to abide by the demands of the kidnappers of the British hostage Margaret Hassan who is threatened to be killed unless the British government withdraw its forces from Iraq.


Car Bomb Explodes Outside US Base, At Least 16 People Reported <b>...</b> _ A suicide car bomber set off an explosion Saturday at a police station near a US Marine base in western Iraq, killing at least 16 policemen and wounding 40 other people, officials said.


Prince Harry  #39;Won #39;t Apologise #39; for Fracas with Photographer A senior royal aide jumped to the defence of Prince Harry today and insisted he would not apologise for a scuffle outside a nightclub with a paparazzi photographer.


Late arrival of rebel commanders clears way for Sudanese peace <b>...</b> ABUJA : A final group of rebel field commanders arrived from the wartorn western Sudanese province of Darfur, clearing the way for the start of formal peace negotiations with the Khartoum government.


Burma shuts down military intelligence office Burma #39;s military junta has scrapped the office of military intelligence  quot;in the interests of peace and security quot;. As the generals in Rangoon sweep up pockets of resistance to last week #39;s internal


Hispanics Resist Racial Grouping by Census Over the last three decades, the number of Hispanics choosing "some other race" has surged rapidly, making it the Census Bureau's fastest growing racial category.


Pakistan tribesmen hunt for Qaeda-linked militants (Reuters) Reuters - Pakistani tribesmen launched a house-to-house hunt for al Qaeda-linked Islamic militants in a tribal region near the Afghan border on Saturday.


Lute Olson Keeps Drawing Talent to Tucson (AP) AP - Lute Olson turned 70 last month, not that anyone would know it by looking at him or his basketball program. He remains a towering, imposing presence, in excellent physical shape thanks to regular workouts and brisk 70-minute walks each morning in the hills around his home. The white hair is still perfect. And the basketball talent keeps rolling in to Tucson.


Excited Boston Ready to  #39;Play Ball #39; Boston was tingling with anticipation on Saturday as the Red Sox prepared to host Game One of the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals and take a step toward ridding


Kabul suicide bomber wounds seven A Taliban suicide fighter killed himself and wounded at least seven others, including three members of a NATO-led peacekeeping force, in a grenade attack on a busy shopping street in central Kabul.


Brown Says He May Never Get Over Athens (AP) AP - Larry Brown didn't have much time to enjoy his first NBA title. After coaching the Detroit Pistons to a surprising victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, Brown focused all his energy on getting the U.S. basketball team ready for the Olympics. Much to his dismay, the Americans came home with just a bronze medal.


Japan, U.S. Reach Deal on Beef Imports (AP) AP - U.S. and Japanese negotiators struck a deal Saturday to allow limited imports of American beef into Japan for the first time since Tokyo closed its billion-dollar market last year over a mad cow disease scare.


In Africa, Free Schools Feed a Different Hunger Millions of children have poured into schools as country after country has made primary education free.


Oil prices continue upward climb Oil futures prices surged to new heights above \$55-abarrel on Friday as concerns about the global supply of heating oil persist ahead of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.


Baseball: Cardinals try to foil Red Sox dream run in World Series BOSTON : Baseball fans should forgive the St. Louis Cardinals for acting as the party poopers for the Boston Red Sox, who will try to snap an 86-year title drought by winning the 101st World Series.


Sharon and the Disengagement Opposition The past years have been very dreadful for the Israelis, even to the extent that Yitzhak Rabin himself hoped that he would wake up one day and find that the seas have swallowed him.


Amazon May Be Losing Its Dot-Com Glitz (Reuters) Reuters - Amazon.com Inc.'s  days as a\hot-shot dot-com may be behind it as the Internet retailer's\slowing growth makes its business suspiciously similar to that\of its brick-and-mortar peers.


Japan, U.S. to Resume Some Beef Imports (Reuters) Reuters - Japan and the United States agreed on\Saturday to resume imports of some American beef, halted since\December after a case of mad cow disease in Washington state,\but did not set a date for restarting trade.


Iraq to phase out all subsidies: planning minister (AFP) AFP - The Iraqi government plans to phase out slowly subsidies on basic products, such as oil and electricity, which comprise 50 percent of public spending, equal to 15 billion dollars, the planning minister said.


Barcelona go ten points clear in La Lega Barcelona romped ten points clear of arch-rivals Real Madrid, who travel to Villarreal on Sunday. The victory 4-0 against Malaga, Barca #39;s seventh in seven home games this season.


Amazon.com May Be Losing Its Dot-Com Glitz  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc.'s AMZN.O days as a  hot-shot dot-com may be behind it as the Internet retailer's  slowing growth makes its business suspiciously similar to that  of its brick-and-mortar peers.


Paerson Wins World Cup Opener  SOELDEN, Austria (Reuters) - Sweden's Anja Paerson picked  up where she left off last season with a victory in the giant  slalom which opened the new Alpine ski World Cup campaign  Saturday.


UPDATE 2-Gudjohnsen hits hat-trick in Chelsea #39;s 4-0 win Eidur Gudjohnsen hit his first ever hat-trick as Chelsea overcame their striker problems to crush Blackburn Rovers 4-0 and keep hot on the tails of leaders Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.


Japan Earthquakes Kill 7, Injure 700 A series of powerful earthquakes and aftershocks rattled northern Japan on Saturday, killing at least seven people and injuring more than 700 as buildings crumbled, a


Coke quarterly profit falls 24 Coca-Cola #39;s worldwide sales volume barely budged in the third quarter, while profits tumbled 24 percent. With those results, new Chairman and Chief Executive E. Neville Isdell was left to reiterate what he #39;s


Soccer: Gudjohnsen puts smile back on Mourinho #39;s face LONDON : Eidur Gudjohnsen #39;s first hat-trick in English football put the smile back on the face of Jose Mourinho and fired Chelsea to 4-0 win over struggling Blackburn.


Skiing: Paerson wins World Cup giant slalom SOLDEN, Austria : Favourite Anja Paerson of Sweden won the season-opening women #39;s World Cup giant slalom. The overall World Cup holder clocked 2min 25.


UPI NewsTrack TopNews President Bush used his weekly radio address Saturday to urge passage of recommendations by the 9/11 commission, so he can sign them into law by Election Day.


WORLD IN BRIEF ABUJA, Nigeria -- The African Union urged a four-day postponement of peace talks over Sudan #39;s Darfur region Thursday after a transport mix-up left delegates stranded across the continent.


Gudjohnsen hat trick helps Chelsea to within two points of Arsenal Eidur Gudjohnsen scored a hat trick Saturday to help Chelsea beat Blackburn 4-0 in the Premier League and close the gap to league-leading Arsenal to two points.


Japan Earthquakes Kill 7, Injure 700 Firefighters are seen on the roof of a destroyed house after powerful earthquakes at Ojiya, northwestern Japan, Saturday, October 23, 2004.


Militants film  #39;spy #39; beheading AN Iraqi militant group has posted a video on its website showing the beheading of a man it accused of being a spy recruited by US forces in the northern city of Mosul.


Amazon May Be Losing Its Dot-Com Glitz Amazon.com Inc. #39;s (AMZN.O: Quote, Profile, Research) days as a hot-shot dot-com may be behind it as the Internet retailer #39;s slowing growth makes its business suspiciously


Herm Gives Yank Fans a PEP Talk HEMPSTEAD, NY - Herman Edwards had words of advice for Yankees #39; fans feeling sorry for themselves or angry at their team for blowing their 3-0 ALCS lead to the Boston Red Sox.


Double suicide bombings kill 11 INSURGENTS in Iraq have killed at least 11 police and national guardsmen in two suicide car bombings, while a roadside bomb in Baghdad has wounded six US soldiers.


Sharon hopes parliament vote will lend legitimacy After months of bullying and subterfuge to keep his contentious Gaza withdrawal plan alive, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is hoping for solid approval in Israel #39;s parliament to finally give it the legitimacy it needs.


Iraqi militant group beheads  quot;collaborator quot;: website A militant group in Iraq, the Armyof Ansar al-Sunna, said in a statement on its website on Saturdayit beheaded an Iraqi man it accused of collaborating with USforces.


No. 6 Wisconsin Downs Northwestern 24-12 (AP) AP - Anthony Davis rushed for two touchdowns and No. 6 Wisconsin beat Northwestern 24-12 Saturday with star defensive end Erasmus James and his pass-rushing partner Jonathan Welsh on the sideline.


No. 25 Iowa Holds Off Penn State 6-4 (AP) AP - Iowa held Penn State's offense scoreless, making Kyle Schlicher's two first-half field goals stand up for a 6-4 victory on Saturday.


Jayson Williams Works Out With Cavaliers (AP) AP - Jayson Williams, acquitted in April of aggravated manslaughter in the shooting death of a limousine driver, worked out with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.


Mobile aid for diabetes patients A UK team is developing a way to use mobile phones to make lives of diabetics easier.


Strong Quake, Aftershocks Hit Japan; at Least 10 Dead  OJIYA, Japan (Reuters) - A powerful earthquake and strong  aftershocks rocked northern Japan, killing at least 10 people,  injuring more than 500 and knocking out power and phone  services, media said.


Somalia asks for peacekeepers Somalia's new president  asks the African Union to send 20,000 peacekeepers to secure the country.


Bush Keeps Focus on Preparedness for Terrorism; Kerry Shifts to a Theme of Hope As President Bush stumped through the 2000 battleground state of Florida, Senator John Kerry sought to expand turnout among the growing Hispanic population in the Southwest.


Ukraine opposition rally draws hundreds of thousands (AFP) AFP - Tens of thousands of supporters of opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko took to the streets of Kiev, a week before the poll, to demand free and fair elections in this former Soviet state after a tense campaign marred by incidents.


Amazon.com May Be Losing Its Dot-Com Glitz (Reuters) Reuters - Amazon.com Inc.'s  days as a\hot-shot dot-com may be behind it as the Internet retailer's\slowing growth makes its business suspiciously similar to that\of its brick-and-mortar peers.


Pit bull owners rally in Toronto against proposed ban; call it wrong solution (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - The much-maligned pit bull was celebrated by animal lovers in front of the legislature in Toronto on Saturday, in reaction to a call by Ontario's attorney general to ban the breed.


High Court Won't Put Nader on Pa. Ballot (AP) AP - The Supreme Court on Saturday refused to place independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader on the ballot in Pennsylvania, upholding a state court finding of flawed signatures on voter petition sheets.


No. 6 Wisconsin Stays Unbeaten with Win Over Northwestern  MADISON, Wisconsin (Sports Network) - Anthony Davis ran for  122 yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 6 Wisconsin over  Northwestern, 24-12, to celebrate Homecoming weekend at Camp  Randall Stadium.


Ohio State Routs Indiana  COLUMBUS, Ohio (Sports Network) - Troy Smith threw for 161  yards and two touchdowns, leading the Ohio State Buckeyes to a  commanding 30-7 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers in Big Ten  action from Ohio Stadium.


Manager Admits Getting Papers on Opponent (AP) AP - Two weeks after denying he knew anything about it, the campaign manager for a Democratic congressional candidate has admitted having someone obtain public records on the Republican opponent.


UPDATE 1-Fed #39;s Bies upbeat on US economy, stern on spending The US economy has pulled out of a midyear pause and should grow well for the rest of 2004, Federal Reserve Governor Susan Bies said on Saturday, adding that


Scientists: New Planets May Take Longer It may take much longer than scientists have thought for violent turbulence to turn grains of space dust into new planets. A NASA telescope recently discovered evidence that


NASA says switches may have caused Genesis crash Problems with switches aboard NASA #39;s Genesis solar probe may have kept its parachute from opening, which led to the craft #39;s crash-landing in the Utah desert, the US space agency said.


TI Working on Television Chip for Phones for 2007 Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN.N: Quote, Profile, Research) has begun developing a chip that could bring television shows to mobile phone screens in three years.


Marias from heaven, Venus #39; form marred! ZURICH, Oct. 23. - Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova set up an all-Russian semi-final clash with third seed Elena Dementieva after defeating Venus Williams 6-3, 6-4 at the 1.3 million-dollar WTA event in Zurich.


Sports: (6) Wisconsin 24 Northwestern 12 MADISON, Wis. Sixth-ranked Wisconsin is 8-and-0 for the fourth time in 115 years of football. Anthony Davis rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries as the Badgers beat Northwestern 24-to-12.


Elbow ok, tendulkar rolls up his sleeves MUMBAI, OCTOBER 23: The suspense is over. Sachin Tendulkar is fit and will play in the Nagpur Test. The much-talked about tennis elbow has healed and after seeing Tendulkars 30-minute batting stint


Jayson Williams works out with Cavaliers Jayson Williams, acquitted in April of aggravated manslaughter in the shooting death of a limousine driver, worked out with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.


Suicide attacker injures seven A suicide attacker has detonated grenades on a commercial street in Kabul city centre, killing himself and injuring seven other people, including three foreign peacekeepers, officials said.


13 dead in Japan quakes A BARRAGE of powerful earthquakes and aftershocks has thundered across northern Japan, killing at least 13 people, knocking down buildings and forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes for safety.


Leaders Wish Castro Recovery From Fall (AP) AP - Presidents Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva of Brazil, Nestor Kirchner of Argentina and Sam Nujoma of Namibia are among the heads of state who have sent get-well wishes to Fidel Castro since he broke his kneecap and arm in a fall, official media reported Saturday.


Suicide bomb blast overshadows Afghan election count (AFP) AFP - Afghanistan's presidential vote count passed the 80 percent mark with Hamid Karzai holding on to his clear majority, but any potential celebrations were cut short by a Taliban suicide bomb in Kabul.


Bush, Kerry Hammer Each Other in Swing States (Reuters) Reuters - President Bush and Democrat John\Kerry kept up the offensive in swing states on Saturday as the\presidential race remained deadlocked in the polls with 10 days\to go until Election Day.


Man Kills Self in Afghan Grenade Attack Remains after explosion are seen at the place where a suicide attacker hit Chicken street in downtown Kabul on Saturday, Oct. 23. 2004.


Myanmar junta says talks to resume in Jan coming after last week #39;s purge of Prime Minister Khin Nyunt cast doubts over the process. seven-step  quot;roadmap to democracy quot; unveiled by the ousted prime minister last year.


Indian PM says India not to pass on nuclear technology Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday his country would not pass on sensitive technologies to other countries.  quot;India will not be the source of proliferation


Fichardt and Broadhurst Lead Madrid Open (AP) AP - Darren Fichardt had four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the way to a 4-under 67 Saturday, grabbing a share of the lead with Paul Broadhurst after the third round of the Madrid Open.


Qualifying: Barrichello maintains the momentum Ferraris Brazilian driver delighted his supporters with a pole position at his home race. At Renault, things seem low-key but the team is optimistic.


Mississippi St. Upsets No. 20 Florida (AP) AP - Sylvester Croom's first big win for Mississippi State sent Florida to a new low under coach Ron Zook. Jerious Norwood's 37-yard touchdown run with 32 seconds remaining lifted Mississippi State to a 38-31 upset of the 20th-ranked Gators on Saturday.


Israel's Shas Party to Vote Against Gaza Pullout  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The spiritual leader of Israel's  influential Shas party ordered its 11 lawmakers on Saturday to  vote against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw  from the Gaza Strip.


Hype Is a Site to See Eleanor Roosevelt's Derrick Williams and his family have noticed that the recruiting process has changed significantly in the past decade because of the Internet.


Space Crew Prepares to Return to Earth ARKALYK, Kazakhstan Oct 23, 2004 - A US-Russian crew spent its last scheduled day on the International Space Station on Saturday, saying goodbyes to their replacements and catching up on sleep ahead of a 3 1/2 hour ride back to Earth strapped inside


NCAA Game Summary - Northwestern at Wisconsin Madison, WI (Sports Network) - Anthony Davis ran for 122 yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 6 Wisconsin over Northwestern, 24-12, to celebrate Homecoming weekend at Camp Randall Stadium.


Tendulkar set to play in third test NEW DELHI: India #39;s leading batsman Sachin Tendulkar is set to return for the third cricket test against Australia in Nagpur after coming through a fitness check yesterday.


Ohio State Routs Indiana COLUMBUS, Ohio (Sports Network) - Troy Smith threw for 161 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Ohio State Buckeyes to a commanding 30-7 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers in Big Ten action from Ohio Stadium.


Several strong earthquakes hit northwestern Japan; 7 dead, 500 <b>...</b> A series of powerful earthquakes and aftershocks rattled northern Japan on Saturday, killing at least seven people and injuring more than 700 as buildings crumbled, two trains were derailed and roadways were torn apart.


Suicide car bombs kill 20 Iraqis BAGHDAD/FALLUJA, OCT 23: A suicide car bomb exploded near a US marine base in western Iraq on Saturday, killing 16 Iraqi policemen and wounding up to 40.


Israel's Shas Party to Vote Against Gaza Pullout (Reuters) Reuters - The spiritual leader of Israel's\influential Shas party ordered its 11 lawmakers on Saturday to\vote against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw\from the Gaza Strip.


Top German literary prize goes to Wilhelm Genazino (AFP) AFP - Germany's top literature prize was awarded to Wilhelm Genazino, 61, the German academy of language and poetry said in Darmstadt.


No. 2 Oklahoma Rolls Over Kansas, 41-10 (AP) AP - Jason White threw for 389 yards and four touchdowns against a defense geared up to stop Adrian Peterson, and No. 2 Oklahoma defeated Kansas 41-10 on Saturday.


Martin Says Nets Missed a Chance to Keep Him Kenyon Martin said he felt unappreciated because the Nets never made him an offer when he came a free agent this summer.


New record for oil prices Oil prices climbed Friday, closing above \$55 a barrel for the first time, on worries that supplies will be stretched thin this winter while demand from China remains solid.


Doting on dot-coms Do darlings Google, Yahoo and eBay, at or near 52-week highs, deserve those lofty prices? NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Are we seeing a return to irrational exuberance for Internet stocks?


Feds Expenditure Review Program Could Force Job Transfers of <b>...</b> The federal government says they have a plan to do business more efficiently but that could mean job losses for those working in Ottawa.


Sharapova fights off battling Hantuchova Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova had to fight off a strong challenge from Daniela Hantuchova before reaching the quarter-finals of the \$1.


Mississippi State Upsets No. 20 Florida STARKVILLE, Mississippi (Sports Network) - Jerious Norwood #39;s 37-yard touchdown run with 32 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter lifted Mississippi State to a shocking 38-31 victory over 20th-ranked Florida.


Model ball girls cause a stir A troupe of models streamed on to the court of the Madrid Masters tennis tournament today - and into the centre of a controversy about whether they were trivialising the competition.


Earthquakes Kill 4, Injure 300 In Japan Several powerful earthquakes rattled northwestern Japan over a span of two hours Saturday, toppling and setting alight homes, causing blackouts, cutting water and gas services and derailing a bullet train.


UPDATE 1-Google results revive  quot;dot-com quot; fervor Shares of Google Inc. rose as much as 20 percent on Friday, to trade at more than twice the level of it cut-price IPO, after the


14th-Ranked Virginia Downs Duke DURHAM, North Carolina (Sports Network) - Alvin Pearman ran for 223 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries and Wali Lundy added two touchdown runs to lead 14th-ranked Virginia to a 37-16 win over Duke in the Atlantic Coast Conference at Wallace Wade Stadium.


Dorsey, boxer who fought ban on interracial fights, dead at 69 Joseph Dorsey Jr., a boxer who won a 1957 fight against Louisiana #39;s law banning interracial bouts, has died. He was 69. Dorsey died at his New Orleans home on Wednesday, DW Rhodes Funeral Home said.


Israel, Egypt exchange prisoners in major boost to ties (AFP) AFP - A major thorn in the side of Israeli-Egyptian relations was removed after Cairo freed an Israeli Druze jailed seven years ago for spying and the Jewish state released six Egyptian students.


Man Ordered to Disable Spyware Programs (AP) AP - A federal judge has ordered a man known as the "Spam King" to disable so-called spyware programs that infiltrate people's computers, track their Internet use and flood them with pop-up advertising.


Solana arrives in Sudan for talks on Darfur crisis (AFP) AFP - European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana flew into the Sudanese capital where he was expected to discuss the conflict in Darfur, amid international pressure on Khartoum over the rebellion there.


Clerics Threaten to Boycott Iraq Election (AP) AP - With three months left before a landmark election, a group of hard-line Sunni Muslim clerics may hold the key to Iraq's future.


Google delves through dark corners of the hard drive The modern PC is a marvel, a machine that lets an ordinary person with little training create a document, check its spelling, dress it up with graphics, send it electronically to someone across the globe - and then save it accidentally into some dark


Loss to Mississippi St. is death knell for Zook Mississippi State #39;s victory over 20th-ranked Florida -- easily the biggest upset of the 2004 season -- signaled the beginning of a bright future for first-year Bulldogs coach Sylvester Croom and the beginning of the end for third-year Gators head man Ron


Ohio State Beats Indiana, 30-7 COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith threw for two touchdowns, Antonio Pittman rushed for one touchdown and kicker Mike Nugent converted three field goal tries to lead the Buckeyes to a 30-7 victory over Indiana Saturday in front of 104,538


Husband in TV plea to kidnappers The Iraqi husband of kidnapped aid worker Margaret Hassan has pleaded with her captors to release her.  quot;I beg you, in the name of Islam and Arabism, while we are in the holiest Islamic month, to return my


Powell Rejects North Korean Demand on US Secretary of State Colin L. Powell on Saturday rejected North Korea #39;s latest demand that the United States drop its  quot;hostile quot; policy toward that nation and agree to other


Tomorrows another day: Fernando looks ahead to the race The Renault F1 Teams Spanish driver may only be starting eighth, but he is bullish about his chances in tomorrows Brazilian Grand Prix.


McGrady Targets Former GM Weisbrod (AP) AP - Tracy McGrady insists Orlando Magic general manager John Weisbrod was transferring blame by saying players failed to take responsibility for an abysmal season.


Jury rules asbestos danger not hidden from company _ A jury has ruled that Union Carbide was not fraudulent in how it sold asbestos for use by Kelly-Moore Paints in its interior finishing products.


World #39;s first five-megapixel camera phone KOREAN giant Samsung Electronics said it had developed the world #39;s first handphone equipped with a state of the art five-megapixel camera.


Tracy steals pole from title rivals. All eyes were on Champ Car title protagonists Sebastien Bourdais and Bruno Junqueira during qualifying for Sunday #39;s Lexmark Indy 300 but, despite the watchful gaze of a record 85,741 fans, a man who knows every inch of the 2.795-mile Surfers Paradise


Northwestern vs. Wisconsin NCAAF FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- -- NORTHWESTERN 0 0 6 6 12 WISCONSIN (7) 3 14 7 0 24 FINAL SCORING SUMMARY 1ST QUARTER: WISCONSIN - FG, MIKE ALLEN 29 YD, 9:25.


Crew's craft leaves space station Russian and US crew members begin their return to Earth, leaving two men on the International Space station.


Legoland park may be on the block CARLSBAD ---- Legoland California, the North County amusement park based on children #39;s building blocks, and its three sister theme parks in Europe could be sold or transferred out of the Lego company, according to a statement from Legoland officials.


US-Russian space crew heads toward earth ARKALYK, Kazakhstan - The Soyuz spacecraft carrying a US-Russian crew pulled away from the international space station early Sunday, ending a six-month mission in orbit and starting a fast journey back to Earth.


Microsoft, Swatch offer thinner wireless watches Microsoft and watch maker Swatch are offering a new line of wireless data watches, the companies said Wednesday, bringing the era of Dick Tracy wristwatch radios one step closer.


Barrichello grabs pole position in Brazil SAO PAULO, Brazil -- The hometown favorite won the pole position at the Brazilian Grand Prix, after the seven-time world champion crashed during practice.


Iran, EU trio to hold further talks on nuclear issue Iran has not accepted a proposal of the European Union (EU) to trade nuclear technology with its uranium enrichment program.  quot;It is just at the initial stage.


Robbers Kill Two U.S. Citizens in Mexico (AP) AP - Four gunmen abducted three U.S. citizens on a rural highway in southern Mexico, shot and killed two of them and left the third  #151; a pregnant woman  #151; bound and gagged, authorities said Saturday.


U.S.-Japanese deal on beef imports called election ploy by Canadian cattlemen (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TOKYO (CP) - U.S. and Japanese negotiators struck a deal Saturday to allow  limited imports of U.S. beef into Japan but a Canadian beef industry spokesman called it a rehash of previous agreements and "election hype."


Palace hit by Rommedahl's tale of the unexpected (AFP) AFP - English Premiership strugglers Crystal Palace were hit by a killer last minute goal as they went down 1-0 to fellow Londoners Charlton.


Detroit council approves modified plan creating black business <b>...</b> DETROIT The Detroit City Council has passed a modified version of its controversial plan for a black business district. In doing so, they #39;ve repealed a provision that loans go only to blacks.


No. 17 Texas A M Nicks Colo. 29-26 in OT (AP) AP - Eric Pegram kicked a 19-yard field goal in overtime and Lee Foliaki recovered a fumble on the next possession, giving No. 17 Texas A amp;M a 29-26 victory over Colorado on Saturday.


Marchers demand fair Ukraine poll Tens of thousands march in a tense Kiev in support for the opposition ahead of next weekend's election.


Zambia Apologizes for Founder #39;s  #39;97 Arrest One day before the 40th anniversary of Zambian independence from colonial rule, Zambia #39;s government publicly apologized Saturday to its founding father, Kenneth


Offensive balance eludes Cats Even-mannered and analytical possibly to a fault, the word just fits Bill Snyder. It #39;s more than just Snyder #39;s goal for the Kansas State offense.


McGrady Fires Back Tracy McGrady feels that Orlando general manager John Weisbrod was saddling the new Houston guard with most of the blame for the Magic's terrible showing last season.


Behind Candidates #39; Domestic Plans, an Ideological Gulf On social and economic policy, President Bush and Senator John Kerry present a philosophical contrast that is one of the starkest in modern presidential campaigns.


Tendulkar set to play third test vs. Aussies India #39;s star batsman Sachin Tendulkar was Saturday declared fit for next week #39;s third cricket test against Australia after recovering from an elbow injury, news reports said.


Owen strike brings Real Madrid 1-0 victory over Valencia in <b>...</b> Michael Owen scored his first Spanish league goal Saturday to lead Real Madrid over defending champion Valencia 1-0. Owen, who scored the match-winner in the seventh minute, got his first


Jayasuriya pummels Pakistan Opener Sanath Jayasuriya hit an epic double hundred yesterday to put Sri Lanka in command after four days of the first Test against Pakistan at the Iqbal Stadium.


Aftershocks Strike Fear After Japan Quake Kills 14  OJIYA, Japan (Reuters) - Aftershocks kept striking northern  Japan on Sunday, hours after a powerful earthquake killed at  least 14 people, injured more than 700 and knocked out power  and phone services to at least 278,000 homes.


Bankruptcy reportedly likely for Delta Delta Air Lines Inc. could file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as early as next week, a source familiar with the matter said Friday.


On-song Owen runs into Real form Michael Owen proved to be Real Madrid #39;s match-winner for the second time in a week as he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Valencia at the Bernabeu.


Lehman joins Beard atop the leaderboard in Funai Classic Tom Lehman shot a five-under-par 67 on Saturday to join Briny Baird at the top of the leaderboard after the third round of the Funai Classic.


Boston College 24, No. 24 Notre Dame 23 Paul Peterson threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez with 54 seconds left to give Boston College a 24-23 victory over No.


Del Piero leads Juventus to victory Rome, Italy (Sports Network) - Juventus stretched its lead in the Italian Serie A on Saturday with a 3-0 win over Siena. Del Piero put his side on the scoreboard in the 53rd minute when the Siena keeper, Marco


Japan quake kills 10, injures hundreds An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, and a series of aftershocks rocked central Japan on Saturday, killing at least 10 people including four children, officials and reports said.


Ten killed in Sudanese air raid on Darfur town: rebel group CAIRO, Oct 23 (AFP) -- Ten people were killed on Saturday when the Sudanese air force attacked a town in the south of the strife-torn Darfur region, a spokesman for the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) said.


Interim Haitian leader says he needs more troops, cash, ponders <b>...</b> Haiti #39;s interim leader castigated the world Saturday, saying it has sent too few troops to prevent the kind of violence that killed at least 55 people in two weeks and then used the insecurity as an excuse that is delaying


Lab Helps Bring China Orchids to Maryland (AP) AP - Thomas Handwerker leans close to a young orchid, just over from China, to inspect its deep green leaves. He knows exactly where a long, flowery spindle will sprout. He's a career horticulturist, but he doesn't know a thing about growing phalaenopsis orchids. Handwerker is counting on farmers along the eastern shore region of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia to do the work of cultivating this brood of 30,000 orchids.


Titans Put QB McNair on Inactive List (AP) AP - Steve McNair was put on the inactive list by the Tennessee Titans before Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts.


Three's The Charm? Tom Lehma's 5-under 67 on Saturday leaves him tied for the Funai Classic lead as he gets a third chance in as many weeks to end a five-year winning drought.


BoSox Fans, Players Awash in Superstition (AP) AP - Many fans think it wasn't just the clutch hitting of David Ortiz, the gallant performance of Curt Schilling or the collective effort of the bullpen that propelled the Boston Red Sox to their first World Series berth in nearly two decades.


Markets Brace for Earnings Week (Reuters) Reuters - The record price of oil has ruled Wall\Street for months now and next week investors will get a close\look at just who has profited the most from black gold's big\run.


Tools Of The Trade Apple Power Mac G5 Dual 2.5Ghz When Apple first launched its G5 computers, some disputed its claim to be the fastest personal computer in world. Faster computers may well be on the market now, but few wield their power


Des Kelly: D-Day looms for embattled Fergie He knows there is silverware inside somewhere, but the combination to the lock eludes him. Sir Alex Ferguson has been tinkering with different permutations for so long that nobody can now predict how Manchester


Jayasuriya batters Pakistan SRI LANKA, thanks to a double-century of growing ferocity by Sanath Jayasuriya and Dilhara Fernandos four-wicket burst, tightened their grip on the opening Test against Pakistan in Faisalabad.


Prince Harry: The Prince and the Paparazzi Henry Charles Albert David (that #39;s Sir to you, and Harry to the press) is a very angry young man. He has been hunted down by a new breed of press photographer and riled by accusations of cheating in his A-levels.


The gathering storm The decisions on the disengagement plan to be made by the cabinet today and the Knesset on Tuesday may be essential steps, but they still will not ensure its implementation.


Oracle looks around for acquisitions Oracle Corp has reiterated that its stalled merger with PeopleSoft Inc is not the only acquisition opportunity it is considering, and said that talks with other potential targets are already in progress.


Iraq Can Be Good Engine of Growth in Region: IMF Chief JEDDAH, 24 October 2004 - War-shattered Iraq, which will certainly benefit from a peaceful situation like any other country, has great potential for growth.


Space probe closes in to unlock the mysterious heart of Titan TITAN, the most mysterious of Saturns moons, could surrender many of its secrets when the Cassini space probe makes its closest-ever approach this week.


Texas Instruments brings Hollywood to mobile phones NEW YORK - Texas Instruments is to bring live digital television broadcasts to mobile phones for the first time in a development that it claims could revolutionise the industry.


UN not to train judges: Saddam #39;s trial UNITED NATIONS, Oct 23: The United Nations would not train judges and prosecutors for a special Iraqi tribunal created to try former Iraqi leaders because it has no mandate to impose death


EDITORIAL: Another example of true democracy! What happened in the National Assembly on October 22 was unsavoury but expected. Yet there is one good reason for wanting to comment on the proceedings of the house that day: General Pervez Musharrafs constant


Colombia Spellbound With World Series (AP) AP - Colombians are ecstatic that two of their countrymen are in the World Series  #151; a first for a nation better known for drug trafficking and its long-running guerrilla war than baseball players.


No. 5 Florida St. Nips Wake Forest 20-17 (AP) AP - Xavier Beitia kicked a 22-yard field goal with 1:03 to play to help No. 5 Florida State pull off a surprisingly close 20-17 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday.


After Schumacher, Who #39;s No. 2 in Formula One? The Formula One season ends at the Brazilian Grand Prix at So Paulo today, and there is still no doubt who is the best driver in the world.


Tom Lehman and Briny Baird tied for lead; Stephen Ames four <b>...</b> LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (CP) - Tom Lehman and Briny Baird are tied for the lead, and Stephen Ames of Calgary is only four shots behind going into the final round of the Funai Classic golf tournament.


No. 22 Oklahoma State 20, Missouri 17 Jason Ricks kicked a 28-yard field goal with 55 seconds left and No. 22 Oklahoma State rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Missouri 20-17 on Saturday.


Haiti #39;s Ruler Chides World for Disinterest Interim Haitiam Prime Minister Gerard Latortue speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, Oct.23, 2004.


Kosovo Vote No Magic Wand for Independence  PRISTINA, Serbia and Montenegro (Reuters) - Kosovo counted  votes for a new parliament on Sunday after an election that  exposed Albanian apathy and defiance from the Serb minority in  a province taken over by the United Nations five years ago.


Castro receives get-well wishes from presidents HAVANA: President Fidel Castro, recovering from a fall that broke his kneecap and an arm, has received get-well wishes from the leaders around the globe, state media reported Saturday.


U.S.-Russia Space Crew Departs for Earth (AP) AP - The Soyuz spacecraft carrying a U.S.-Russian crew pulled away from the international space station Saturday evening, ending a six-month mission in orbit and starting a fast journey back to Earth.


EADS Targets \$10 Billion in US Defense Revenue EADS is targeting \$10 billion in defense and security sales in the United States, its top managers said on Thursday, setting an ambitious goal for the European aerospace giant as it looks to crack the world #39;s richest defense market.


Florida St. Boots Wake Xavier Beitia kicks a 22-yard field goal with 1:03 to play to help No. 5 Florida State pull off a surprisingly close 20-17 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday.


Ohio Provisional Ballot Ruling Reversed (AP) AP - A federal appeals court on Saturday reversed a lower court's ruling that Ohio voters could cast provisional ballots on Election Day anywhere in the county in which they are registered.


Two Private Planes Violate Bush Air Space (AP) AP - Two small private aircraft violated restricted air space Saturday over two of President Bush's campaign rallies in central Florida, authorities said.


Coca-Cola #39;s EU deal suggests shake-up of sales is real thing COCA-Colas agreement with the European Union is the first sign that new chief executive Neville Isdells painfully slow reform of the company may at last be getting under way.


Myanmar to continue roadmap to democracy YANGON: Myanmar has pledged to adhere to its roadmap to democracy and draft constitution timeframe, media reported on Saturday, despite the sacking and arrest of the nations former premier who was seen as the key architect of the plan.


Senior officers threaten to quit Israeli army in settlements rift Senior military officers have threatened to leave the Israeli army in protest at Ariel Sharon #39;s proposals for disengagement from Gaza.


Space Station crew heads home THE Russian and US crew of the International Space Station were due to land back on earth in the early hours of this morning. The astronauts were set to hurtle back to Earth inside a Russian space capsule, ending their six-month mission.


Forget politics, lifting Curse of the Bambino is the Series <b>...</b> ASK a Democrat in Massachusetts whether he would rather see John Kerry win the presidency or the Boston Red Sox take their first World Series since 1918, and chances are the answer will be easy.


Rooney out to derail the big fifty The boy wonder halted the Gunners #39; last long unbeaten run. Can he do it again? IT REALLY all began for Wayne Rooney in the gloaming of the early evening of October 19th, 2002.


Big formula for farce AS the 2004 season headed into the final lap, farce and boredom were still vying for supremacy, but with the kind of audacious over-taking manoeuvre fans would love to witness on the track, farce darted into the lead to take the chequered flag.


UPDATE 1-Singh turns up heat on joint leaders Lehman, Baird World number one and defending champion Vijay Singh was stalking joint leaders Tom Lehman and Briny Baird after the third round of the \$4.


New Martinsville surface an Motorsport.com. Jeff Gordon is a handicapped man on Sunday. All of his experience at one of Gordon #39;s best tracks has been wiped out by the repaving of Martinsville Speedway.


Tunisian Doctors Examine Arafat, Aides Blame Flu (Reuters) Reuters - A Tunisian medical team\examined Yasser Arafat in the West Bank on Saturday, but aides\dismissed Israeli media reports that the Palestinian\president's health had deteriorated and said he had flu.


Aftershocks rock northern Japan, day after quakes killed at least <b>...</b> Strong aftershocks rocked northern Japan on Sunday, after a barrage of powerful quakes jolted the region the day before, killing at least 14 people and toppling buildings.


Medinol #39;s BSC suit to go to trial Medinol and former partner Boston Scientific Corp. (BSC) both responded positively over the weekend to a US court decision that the two former partners should go to trial to solve a case which could involve as much as \$1.5 billion in payments for damages.


US textile importers, retailers say no to quota An association of US textile importers and retailers says it has filed a lawsuit to stop the US Commerce Department from considering import quotas on Chinese products sought by textile manufacturers.


With Affection's Has Kick With Affection comes from off the pace to pass tiring leaders and gallop to an easy victory Saturday in the \$50,000 Japan Racing Association Handicap on the turf at Pimlico.


Boilermakers Fall Again Michigan hands Purdue its second straight home loss, 16-14, behind freshman running back Michael Hart who gains 206 yards on the ground.


Gaza strike kills two militants Two Islamic Jihad militants are killed in an Israeli air raid in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials say.


World oil prices boom Global oil prices boomed on Wednesday, spreading fear that energy prices will restrain economic activity, as traders worried about a heating oil supply crunch in the American winter.


Prince pledges to rule Citigroup with an iron fist Observing the financial juggernaut that is Citigroup is a bit like sitting down to watch the local TV news in a typical big American city.


Nalbandian to vie for Madrid Masters title Argentine David Nalbandian entered the Madrid Master final on Saturday, scoring 6-4 and 6-4 victory over Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia.


Tristan saves late draw for Deportivo vs. Malaga Substitute Diego Tristan headed in a late equalizer Saturday to earn Deportivo La Coruna a 1-1 draw with Malaga in the eighth round of the Spanish league.


McGrath aims to shake up the flat The pitches for the first two Tests of the India-Australia series have been accurately described as sheep in wolf #39;s clothing. Now, with the caravan moving to Nagpur in central India, there is talk of a green top.


Gators upset again he Florida Gators were upset 38-31 by Mississippi State, who entered the game with a 1-5 record, including a loss to Div-IAA Maine.


Bowden made right decision picking Sexton It #39;s the unwritten rule of sports. A starter who has to sit out games because of an injury should return to the lineup once healthy.


ASU wins a wild one against UCLA TEMPE, Ariz. - Andrew Walter threw for 415 yards and six touchdown passes, two in a wild fourth-quarter rally, to lead No. 21 Arizona State to a 48-42 victory over UCLA on Saturday.


Benson Becomes Sixth Player to Run 1,000 (AP) AP - Texas' Cedric Benson became the sixth player in NCAA Division I history to rush for 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons Saturday night.


Plea for Iraq kidnap clues British security officials hunting for Margaret Hassan are trying to contact the intermediary who acted as the conduit with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi #39;s group during the kidnapping of Kenneth Bigley.


Progress, no resolution on Tokyo beef ban Trade talks on lifting the Japanese ban on US beef ended in Tokyo Saturday with some progress and pledges to talk again. A source close to the talks said the two sides reached


India poised for high, sustained growth: FM Riding on a  quot;crest quot; of high economic growth, India is poised to clock 7-8 per cent GDP growth on a sustained basis in the next 10 years driven mainly by galloping trade, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said today.


U.S.-Russian ISS Crew Makes Soft Landing (Reuters) Reuters - A Soyuz space capsule made a soft\landing in the steppes on Kazakhstan early on Sunday, bringing\a U.S.-Russian space trio back to earth from the International\Space Station.


Egyptian Petition Seeks Term Limits (AP) AP - More than 650 politicians and intellectuals vowed Saturday to push for a constitutional amendment to stop Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak from serving another term in office


Nortel Restatement Seen Next Week  OTTAWA (Reuters) - Analysts will wade through the flood of  revisions to financial data that Nortel Networks Corp. NT.TO  is expected to unleash next week looking not so much for  insights into its past, but for clues to its future.


Brazil Launches First Rocket Into Space (AP) AP - Brazil successfully launched its first rocket into space, 14 months after a devastating accident that killed 21 space agency employees and damaged the reputation of the country's space program.


Aftershocks Strike Fear After Japan Quake Kills 14 (Reuters) Reuters - Aftershocks kept striking northern\Japan on Sunday, hours after a powerful earthquake killed at\least 16 people, collapsing houses and triggering a landslide\which devastated a village.


Investing: Cutting your  #39;energy tax #39; Record-setting natural gas and oil prices are teaming up to create a winter of discontent for many households. With crude oil breaking \$50 a barrel and continuing to climb, it is time to consider how to offset


Football #39;s Nicholson dies at 85 Bill Nicholson, widely regarded as one of the greatest football managers of the 20th century and the first to win the league and FA Cup double in modern times, has died aged 85 after a long illness.


Kite increases lead in Sonoma SONOMA, California (Ticker) - It wasn #39;t pretty, but it was enough to stay atop the leaderboard. Tom Kite increased his lead at the \$2.


Lockyer inspires then frightens Australia Australia #39;s captain, Darren Lockyer, inspired them to a Tri-Nations victory over New Zealand at the second attempt, but they had to lift their game in the second half at a packed Loftus Road.


The Wonderful World of Succession In order to take the top job as Disney, Robert A. Iger, the companys president, must walk a fine line between stating his accomplishments and appearing to engage in an unseemly campaign for the job.


GE Capital vs. the Small-Town Folk Hero Aaron M. Feuestein, a corporate folk hero who paid workers out of his own pocket during a rough patch, wants to buy his old company back. A storybook ending, right? Not quite.


A New Highway to China's Boom (but Drive Carefully) A new fund is the first exchange-traded fund listed in the United States to focus exclusively on mainland Chinese companies.


Counting the Hidden Costs of War The economic cost of the Iraq war may be larger than what has actually been spent directly on the war.


U.S.-Russia Space Crew Lands on Earth (AP) AP - A Soyuz capsule carrying a U.S.-Russian crew back to Earth following six months at the international space station hurtled through the Earth's atmosphere and landed safely and on target in Kazakhstan Saturday evening.


Cavs Bury Blue Devils Alvin Pearman runs for a career-high 223 yards and a touchdown Saturday, and No. 14 Virginia piles up 511 yards of offense in a 37-16 win over Duke.


FCC Jump-Starts BPL The FCC approved rules for transmitting broadband over power lines, providing a way for high-speed Internet access to be delivered through home electrical outlets.


Soyuz capsule carrying US-Russian crew from space station lands in <b>...</b> A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying a US-Russian crew back to Earth following six months at the international space station hurtled through the Earth #39;s atmosphere and landed in Kazakhstan Saturday evening.


Flying By Brain Garabito writes  quot;Scientists at the University of Florida made a living  #39;brain #39; by extracting 25,000 neurons from a rat #39;s brain and culturing them inside a glass dish.


World Series Underway in Boston Larry Walker laced a one-out double to right field, but was left on second base as Tim Wakefield managed to baffle the rest of the Cardinals and get out of the first inning unscathed.


Kite still on top in rainy Sonoma Sonoma, CA (Sports Network) - Tom Kite battled heavy rain and cold temperatures on Saturday to shoot an even-par 72 and take the third-round lead of the Champions Tour #39;s season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.


13th-Ranked Michigan Edges Past No. 12 Purdue WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana (Sports Network) - Garrett Rivas kicked a 35-yard field goal with 2:45 left in the fourth quarter to lead 13th-ranked Michigan to a 16-14 win over No.


Molik reaches Zurich final Australian tennis player Alicia Molik reached the final of the Zurich Challenge in Switzerland overnight with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over local favourite and 10th seed Patty Schnyder.


Singh makes his charge in Florida World number one Vijay Singh has moved to within striking distance of joint third-round leaders Tom Lehman and Briny Baird at the Funai Classic.


Bomber strikes in Kabul KABUL: A suicide bomber struck a famous Kabul shopping strip yesterday, killing a young Afghan bookseller and wounding nine people, including three members of a NATO-led peacekeeping force.


OPPOSITION RALLY IN UKRAINE Tens of thousands of supporters of opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchencko have rallied in the streets of the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, to demand next week #39;s elections are free and fair.


Pixar's Mr. Incredible May Yet Rewrite the Apple Story Even his biggest fans might see Steven P. Jobs, Apple Computer's chief executive, as a brilliant dunce.


EBay Merchants Trust Their Eyes, and the Bubble Wrap An estimated half-million people make a full- or part-time living by auctioning everything from macram to Maseratis on the Internet.


Do-It-Yourself Design: Just Point and Click On-line customization was a slow starter in the 1990's. But as technology has improved, so has the variety.


'Spam King' Ordered to Disable Spyware (AP) AP - A federal judge has ordered a man known as the "Spam King" to disable so-called spyware programs that infiltrate people's computers, track their Internet use and flood them with pop-up advertising.


Afghan election count nears end as suicide bomb reminds of dangers (AFP) AFP - Afghanistan's presidential vote count neared its end with Hamid Karzai edging closer to victory, but a weekend suicide blast in Kabul offered a deadly reminder of the dangers facing the war-weary nation.


Fifth-Ranked Florida State Holds Off Wake Forest  WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (Sports Network) - Xavier  Beitia's 22-yard field goal with 1:03 left to play lifted  fifth-ranked Florida State to a 20-17 victory over Atlantic  Coast Conference rival Wake Forest at Groves Stadium.


Brewing up a California meltdown Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan #39;s age and length of tenure must be taking its toll on his thinking processes and memory.


Schilling set to stitch together a win Curt Schilling has the heart of lion but only one good ankle, which makes him think he could be seeing more bunts than usual Sunday night when he faces the St.


EU to Cover Half of African Mission in Darfur The European Union says it will contribute \$100 million to an African force in Sudan #39;s troubled Darfur region. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said during a visit to Ethiopia Saturday the


Suicide Bomber Kills U.S. Woman in Kabul (AP) AP - A purported Taliban militant who set off grenades strapped to his body on a bustling Kabul shopping street killed an American woman and wounded several others Saturday, including three NATO soldiers, officials and family members said.


Holland: Kalou #39;s late goal saves Feyenoord Nineteen-year-old Salomon Kalou scored with four minutes remaining to give Feyenoord Rotterdam a 2-1 victory over NEC Nijmegen on Sunday, keeping it in fourth place in the Dutch first division, 11 points behind Eredivisie leader PSV


WHERE THEY STAND ON...: Taxes and the budget Won \$1.35 trillion in tax cuts for all income levels in 2001, a \$96-billion stimulus package in 2002 and a \$330-billion package in 2003 -- half of what he sought.


IMF warns about soaring oil price. The soaring price of crude oil has become a risk for the world economy and will have a visible impact over growth next year, said International Monetary Fund Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato.


US-Russian ISS Trio Lands Softly in Pitch-Dark A Soyuz capsule made a soft landing in complete darkness in the steppes of Kazakhstan early on Sunday, bringing a US-Russian space trio back to Earth from the International Space Station.


Ortiz' Homer Gives Boston Early Lead in Game One (Reuters) Reuters - David Ortiz slugged a three-run\homer during a four-run first inning, and the Boston Red Sox\held a 7-2 lead over the St. Louis Cardinals after three\innings of Game One of the 2004 World Series.


Safin topples Agassi to turn heat on Henman Marat Safin ended the 34-year-old Andre Agassi #39;s run at the Madrid Masters yesterday and put further pressure on Tim Henman in the battle for qualification for the Masters Cup in Houston next month.


Climate Talks Bring Bush #39;s Policy to Fore  Glaciers in the Antarctic and in Greenland are melting much faster than expected, and the fastest moving glacier in the world has doubled its speed.


Helicopters evacuate Japanese villagers after earthquakes kill at least 16 (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OJIYA, Japan (AP) - Military helicopters evacuated earthquake victims from a wrecked village and traumatized residents huddled in shelters and salvaged belongings from flattened homes Sunday in the aftermath of a string of earthquakes in northern Japan that killed at least 16 people and injured a reported 900 others.


Ex-Citigroup execs under scrutiny of regulators WASHINGTON (Dow Jones/AP) - Financial services giant Citigroup says the Securities and Exchange Commission is considering recommending charges against two of its former employees and a current worker.


Sins of Commissions State insurance commissioners and the Securities and Exchange Commission joined an ever-widening probe of the insurance industry. Much of the focus remains on Marsh  amp; McLennan , the world #39;s largest insurance


Russians Protest Against War in Chechnya (AP) AP - Hundreds of demonstrators gathered Saturday to protest against the war in Chechnya, an action that coincided with the second anniversary of the seizure of a crowded Moscow theater by Chechen rebels.


Cosmonauts return safely from space mission ARKALYK, KAZAKHSTAN - Russia #39;s Soyuz TMA-4 capsule returned safely home early Sunday morning following a six-month stay at the international space station.


Strong quakes rattle Japan A series of powerful earthquakes rocked northwestern Japan within minutes of each other on Saturday leaving 13 dead and over 700 injured.


Tiny Ideas Coming of Age Nanotechnology is confronting the U.S. with a familiar problem - assessing claims of innovation that do not match up neatly with the way patent examiners are trained to categorize them.


A Face That Launched a Thousand Chips As the first star-driven film to cross completely over to the digital domain, "The Polar Express" might change the way movies are made and seen.


A Matter of Missing Foreign Investors In hindsight it is becoming clear that the strong economic growth over the past two years depended on bringing in large quantities of capital from the rest of the world.


Various factors may take shine off stellar funds When you look at Sirius, the Dog Star, you #39;re actually seeing light that left the star 8.6 years ago. In the meantime, the star could have burst into a supernova or run off chasing the gargantuan Ford Galaxy.