A Kinder, Gentler 911 With services like 311, a better, smarter city is just a phone call away. By Steven Johnson from Wired magazine.


Nine out of 10 teams say that Silverstone is saved The British Grand Prix at Silverstone seems certain to be reprieved after a deal between Formula One teams. Nine of the 10 teams agreed to cut testing by 50 per cent to bear the cost of two extra races at


Baseball Notes - Nov. 10 The chairwoman of the District of Columbia Council delayed a vote on a plan to build a baseball stadium on the Anacostia River in southeast Washington that would host the Montreal Expos.


Islamic cleric in France to see Arafat CLAMART, France - A senior Islamic cleric arrived in France on Wednesday to visit the bedside of the ailing Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Palestinian officials said.


Dutch police wounded in anti-terrorist raid Three Dutch police officers have been wounded in a grenade explosion during an anti-terrorist raid in The Hague. Police said two of the officers were seriously injured.


European stocks start on positive note (AFP) AFP - European stock markets pushed upwards in early deals as company news provided a fillip in otherwise cautious trading ahead of a US interest rate decision.


Majority Leader Faces Balancing Act in Senate (Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles Times - WASHINGTON  #8212; Leading the majority party in the Senate, a job that has been likened to herding cats, is tough enough in ordinary times. For Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), last week's Republican election triumphs paradoxically made the job tougher yet.


Three Dutch Police Injured in Anti-Terror Raid  THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Suspects sought in a Dutch  anti-terrorism raid threw a hand grenade in a standoff with  police on Wednesday, injuring three officers, amid a spiral of  violence following the killing of an outspoken filmmaker.


New media clampdown in Zimbabwe Zimbabwe MPs agree to amend a tough media law, threatening unregistered journalists with jail.


Euro Disney rides to new low with a 145m loss EURO DISNEY, the financially crippled French theme park operator, has admitted that its annual losses more than doubled last financial year as it was hit by a surge in costs.


NAB profits tumble after scandal National Australia Bank, the country #39;s biggest lender, has seen its profits slump following a trading scandal. Increased competition and rising costs have also taken their toll, producing what boss John Stewart called a  quot;poor and unacceptable result quot;.


Rapid East Asian growth lifts 250m out of poverty A QUARTER of a billion people in some of the worlds poorest and most populous countries in East Asia have been lifted out of extreme poverty by rapid economic growth over


Internet phone victory Federal regulators sent a powerful message Tuesday to California and other states to leave the fledgling Internet telephone industry alone for now.


Anthem-WellPoint deal OKd Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi dropped his objection to Anthem Inc. #39;s purchase of WellPoint Health Networks Inc. after the companies agreed to spend \$265 million, more than double their previous commitment


Firefox 1.0 open-source Web browser After a year in development, The Mozilla Foundation has finally released the full  #39;official #39; version of its already popular open-source Web browser, Firefox.


Microsoft extends legal protection to most users In a bid to further differentiate itself from its Linux rivals, Microsoft has said it will expand its legal indemnification programme to cover almost all its customers.


Trojan spams Russian mobile phones An ingenious new trojan is hijacking PCs to send SMS-based spam to mobile phones. After a PC has been infected, the Delf-HA trojan contacts a website for details on which spam campaign to run and then randomly


Itanium 2 stuffed with cache Intel has delivered updated Itanium 2 processors with larger memory caches aimed, in part, at high-volume data warehouse transaction markets that have long been the domain of Risc systems.


GTA Throws in the Kitchen Sink In the three years since Grand Theft Auto III was released for the PlayStation 2, titles from The Simpsons: Hit  amp; Run to Spider-Man 2 have incorporated aspects of the game #39;s groundbreaking open-ended play.


MICROSOFT AIMS AT IPOD MARKET Microsoft Corp. is fighting to expand its online music share and break the hold Apple #39;s iPod has on the market. Microsoft #39;s MSN music service began a free song promotion yesterday sponsored by American Express.


Shaq helps Heat to best start in franchise history Shaquille O #39;Neal promised to bring a championship to Miami. And although it #39;s way too early to be thinking about titles, he can #39;t wait to show off his new team to his old Western Conference rivals.


Source: Phelps Nearly Hit Trooper, Took Breathalyzer Test SALISBURY, Md. -- The 11 News I-Team has uncovered more information in connection with the drunken driving arrest of Olympic swim star Michael Phelps.


Beckham goes to Hollywood Hollywood beckons for David Beckham after he agreed to take on the challenging role of...David Beckham in a new football movie. The Real Madrid star will be joined in Goal!


Wannstedt Quits As Miami Coach Miami Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt called it quits today midway through a dismal season that began with the retirement of running back Ricky Williams and has left the team with the NFL #39;s worst record at 1-8.


Sonics hand Nuggets their 4th loss DENVER -- Ray Allen scored 30 points Tuesday night to help the Seattle SuperSonics prolong Denver #39;s early-season misery with a 106-88 victory.


Seminary native, 30, executed in Texas Convicted killer Demarco McCullum, who grew up in Seminary, Miss., was executed Tuesday for the abduction, robbery, beating and fatal shooting of a Houston man 10 years ago.


And the beat(ing) goes on This time there was no inspiring rally, nothing that could be labeled a moral victory and no reason for the crowd of 17,595 not to voice its displeasure with a chorus of boos.


Iraqi Premier #39;s Relatives Kidnapped - Threatened with Beheading Two members of the Iraqi prime ministers family have been abducted from their Baghdad home, his spokesman confirmed today. Kidnappers claimed to be holding three relatives.


War Not an Option Against Iran - Germany #39;s Fischer War is not an option against Iran and no one expects the standoff over Iran #39;s nuclear program to lead to an  quot;Iraq-like confrontation, quot; German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer was quoted as saying on Wednesday.


German exports booming despite strong euro (AFP) AFP - German exports were booming in the first nine months of the year and are heading for record levels despite the strong euro, data released by the federal statistics office showed.


Oil Fades to \$47, Awaits U.S. Stock Data  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices fell to seven-week lows below  \$47 a barrel on Wednesday as traders braced for another  increase in U.S. oil and natural gas inventories.


EADS Offers to Split US Tanker Deal With Boeing European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co., the parent of aircraft maker Airbus SAS, has proposed splitting a contested US Air Force contract for refueling tankers with its rival


Mbeki set to meet rebel leaders Abidjan - President Thabo Mbeki will on Sunday depart for talks with rebel leaders in the central Ivorian stronghold of Bouake, as part of an African Union-backed peace drive in the divided west African country, his spokesperson said.


Japan on alert as suspected Chinese sub detected in territorial waters (AFP) AFP - Japan was on alert after a suspected Chinese nuclear submarine entered its waters near a disputed gasfield, setting off a high seas chase amid mounting disputes between the two countries.


Thousands line up for Halo 2 game (AFP) AFP - Hordes of video game fans lined up outside more than 6,500 stores across the United States overnight to get a copy of the new Halo 2 game whose first day takings are expected to rival a Hollywood blockbuster.


MSN Search Beta Set to Launch Microsoft Corp. #39;s MSN division on Thursday will launch a public beta of its Web search technology, according to sources familiar with the plans.


Technology ; Fans Throng for First Crack at New Game  #39;Halo 2 #39; Technology News, LOS ANGELES - It takes a special kind of person to stay up all night and stand in a line nearly 250 people long just to buy a video game -- but for rabid fans of the first  quot;Halo quot; on the Xbox video game console, it was well worth the wait


Global warming #39;s impact on US plants, animals determined from <b>...</b>  quot;Other recent syntheses of biological impacts, including my own, have focused on very large datasets across the globe, quot; said Parmesan.


Why Robson is right man for the job Jeremy Peace researched the subject of Bryan Robson to such an extent that the West Bromwich Albion chairman would have no problems writing a detailed biography of his new manager.


Clemens wins record seventh Cy Young Award NEW YORK Roger Clemens could have ended his career last year in the World Series -- just like Sandy Koufax (KOH #39;-faks) did in 1966.


Grenade Thrown as Police Lay Siege to Suspected Terror House Dutch police were laying siege to a house in The Hague today where an unknown number of terrorism suspects were holed up. Three policemen were injured by a hand grenade thrown when a raid was launched on the house, officials said.


Better living--and smarter rats--through chemistry Forget ginseng--News.com's Michael Kanellos says a chip in the head could be just the thing to improve your memory power.


New round of job cuts for Cable  amp; Wireless CABLE  amp; Wireless has unveiled another round of job cuts, with the announcement that it plans to reduce its head count in the UK and Continental Europe by 600.


House price fears prompt Bank jitters Fears of a house price crash and the impact of cheap imports have tempered Bank of England expectations of an inflationary spurt. The Bank #39;s Monetary Policy Committee, in its quarterly


Battle of the searches begins New York - Microsoft Corp will roll out its long-awaited internet search service on Thursday, adding fresh competition to Google Inc, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.


#39;Halo 2 #39; debuts to crowds (November 10, 2004) - They stood out in the cold, in the snow, in the middle of the night like concert junkies waiting for tickets to see their favorite band.


Microsoft adds IP indemnity to Linux fight Borrowing a line from Allstate Insurance, Microsoft wants customers to know they are in good hands when they choose its software. The software maker plans to announce on Wednesday that it will indemnify nearly


Watching Global Warming A new non-partisan study shows global warming is happening faster than anyone expected with effects in our own backyards. Biologist Doctor Camille Parmesan studies how living creatures respond to environmental


UT reigns on NIU For the 11th straight time, the University of Toledo defeated Northern Illinois, and this time it is was a Northern Illinois team that had been unbeaten in the Mid-American Conference and seemingly headed for its first appearance in the league


Three Dutch Police Injured in Anti-Terror Raid Suspects sought in a Dutch anti-terrorism raid threw a hand grenade in a standoff with police on Wednesday, injuring three officers, amid a spiral of violence following the killing of an outspoken filmmaker.


Microsoft to launch its own search engine (AFP) AFP - Microsoft will launch its long-awaited Internet search service that is expected to compete with market leaders Google and Yahoo.


Vodafone launches mass-market 3G mobile (AFP) AFP - After a four-year wait, billions of pounds spent on licences and numerous delays, Vodafone finally rolled out mass-market third-generation (3G) mobile telephone services.


Miss Peru crowned Miss World 2004 SANYA, CHINA -- Miss Peru, Maria Julia Mantilla Garcia, an aspiring high school teacher, was crowned Miss World 2004 last night in this southern Chinese beach resort.


Fans Flock to Buy Sci-Fi Epic 'Halo 2' There's a new media king, only he isn't on the radio or in the movies. His name? Master Chief. His role: Interstellar soldier and star of "Halo 2," one of the most anticipated video games ever. -AP


Microsoft to Preview New Search Engine Microsoft Corp., stepping up its efforts to compete with rival Google Inc., will offer consumers a preview of its technology for searching the Internet, beginning Thursday.


Dell Plans 3rd U.S. Plant, to Hire 1,500
\

 By Eric Auchard

 NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dell Inc. <DELL.O> plans to open a\third U.S. manufacturing plant, the world's largest personal\computer maker, said on Tuesday, in a rare example of a\high-tech company expanding U.S. production.


Scientists Show Off Supercomputer Projects They help predict the path of weather halfway around the world or in space, shed light on the death of dinosaurs and train pilots to fly in Alaska. They're supercomputers, capable of high-speed calculations that would take people trillions of years to do.


Solar sail craft gets launch date The world's first spacecraft to use a solar sail for propulsion is set to be launched from a submerged Russian submarine on 1 March next year.


Fed #39;s Tough Decision Comes in December A fourth interest rate hike may be a foregone conclusion Wednesday but the Federal Reserve #39;s next move in December is far from certain, and analysts say it #39;s likely to remain that way for a while.


FCC Gives Internet Calls Half A Push NEW YORK - You could almost hear the sighs of relief when the US Federal Communications Commission ruled on Tuesday that Internet-based phone services should be regulated by the federal government, not by the states.


Cable and Wireless plan major restructuring London - Cable and Wireless, the struggling British telecoms group, said Wednesday it would cut 600 jobs across Europe, part company with a top executive and shut its London headquarters.


Cisco #39;s Chambers Forecasts Slowing Second-Quarter Sales Growth Cisco Systems Inc. Chief Executive Officer John Chambers said sales growth will slow this quarter and it #39;s too early to say #39; #39; whether customers are becoming more optimistic about the economy.


ProMOS to pay Infineon DRAM license fees ProMOS Technologies has agreed to pay Infineon Technologies license fees for 0.17-, 0.14- and 0.11-micron DRAM trench technologies.


Anthem merger closer to reality California #39;s insurance commissioner Tuesday dropped his opposition to Anthem Inc. #39;s proposed \$18.4 billion purchase of WellPoint Health Networks Inc.


Russia freezes Yukos #39; shares in Sibneft oil company MOSCOW : The battered Russian oil giant Yukos said a Moscow court had frozen its 34.5 percent stake in rival Sibneft, halting a reversal of their merger that would provide cash for Yukos to settle massive tax bills.


LinkedIn looks to premium services for profit Social-networking site will launch premium services next year. Among possibilities: helping recruiters do "back door" reference checks.<br /> Photo: Staffing executive uses LinkedIn.


SunTrust Fires 3 Finance Execs (Reuters) Reuters - SunTrust Banks Inc., a large U.S.\southeast regional bank, on Wednesday said it fired three\finance executives, including its chief credit officer, after\uncovering problems in how it accounted for bad loans.


Microsoft to add rivalry to Google on search service The US software giant Microsoft said it would launch its Internet search service on Thursday amid the fierce competition with rival Google.


Microsoft expands intellectual property protection Microsoft today expanded its end user intellectual property protection policy to cover customers using a wider range of its software, including Windows Server System, SQL Server and Exchange Server, Microsoft Office System and the Windows client software.


Vodafone unleashes 3G live! service Vodafone has flicked the switch for the start of its  #39;Vodafone live! With 3G #39; service. Its portal of mobile services has had a 3G makeover for UMTS-based (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) video


Vodafone launches 3G in UK Vodafone, the world #39;s largest mobile phone operator, today finally launched its third generation (3G) services as it seeks to recoup 16.


Skype Internet Telephony Goes Cordless; Siemens and Skype Combine <b>...</b> The adapter works with the recently launched Gigaset C340/345 and Gigaset CX340/345isdn, Gigaset S440/445 and Gigaset SX440/445isdn, Gigaset S645 and Gigaset SL440.


Vampire goes head to head with Half-Life 2 Activision has revealed that it plans to ship Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines on November 16th in the USA, meaning that the game will be in direct competition with Valve #39;s Half-Life 2 - the Source Engine technology for which Bloodlines uses under


Nike, a magic camera and Gran Turismo  Shots and explanation <b>...</b> So yesterday SPOnG began receiving shots of a suitcase from Japan. The suitcase contained some Nike Shox trainers, a t-shirt, and a copy of Gran Turismo 4. There was talk that the t-shirt unlocks a special


#39;Emlyn #39;s enthusiasm was unbelievable #39; NORWICH CITY assistant manager Doug Livermore has paid tribute to his former Liverpool team-mate Emlyn Hughes. Hughes, who skippered the great Liverpool side of the 1970s and was famed for his charisma and


Arsenal midfielder Edu breaks foot Arsenal #39;s Brazilian international midfielder Edu broke his foot in Tuesday #39;s 3-1 League Cup win over Everton at Highbury. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said:  quot;He has a broken foot.


WTAs elite on display in LA Lindsay Davenport and Amelie Mauresmo are in a battle for the No. 1 ranking at the WTA Championships this week at the Staples Center, however, both players downplay the faceoff.


Beckham ready to return for Real Madrid David Beckham should be fit to return to action for Real Madrid this weekend after a month out with a rib injury, the club said on their website on Wednesday.


Ohio State fans react to Clarett #39;s accusations com. The most storied Buckeye football player in recent memory -- some say for the wrong reasons -- Maurice Clarett has lashed out against Ohio State, claiming he was a


Layoff ends for Wolves #39; Griffin Eddie Griffin begins a new chapter in his life as a professional basketball player more than 18 months after the book seemed to close on his promising NBA career.


Australia recall Warne and Lehmann for first NZ test Shane Warne and Darren Lehmann have been recalled to Australia #39;s squad for next week #39;s first test against New Zealand after the selectors dropped Simon Katich and Nathan Hauritz.


Iran issues nuclear warning could take drastic steps if the talks did not proceed as Tehran wants. Mehr news agency quoted him as saying on Wednesday. that could be used


Click refresh for updates Tony Blair faces MPs today for the first time since the launch of the US-led assault on Falluja and the death of four members of the Black Watch just south of Baghdad.


10 World Briefs ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia -- Hundreds of protesters ransacked and occupied the regional administration building in a southern Russian province Tuesday, demanding the resignation of the region #39;s president, whose former son-in-law has been linked to a multiple


Dell to build factory in N.C., hire 1,500 workers (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - No. 1 PC maker Dell announced plans Tuesday to build a new computer factory in North Carolina and hire 1,500 workers within five years. The site for the approximately  #36;115 million, 500,000 square-foot factory has not yet been chosen, but it will likely be near Winston-Salem.


Members of Allawi's Family Kidnapped Gunmen kidnapped a first cousin of interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and two other members of his extended family in Baghdad Tuesday, an Allawi spokesman said Wednesday. In Fallujah, meanwhile, the U.S. military claimed control of 70 percent of the rebellious city.


Stocks Seen Up as Oil Falls; Fed on Tap  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures pointed to a  slightly higher market open on Wednesday as oil prices hit  seven-week lows, while Wall Street awaits an anticipated  interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve.


NBA Wrap: Magic Beat Mavericks, Heat Beat Wizards  ORLANDO, Fla. (Sports Network) - Hedo Turkoglu came off the  bench to contribute 19 points and Dwight Howard netted 15  points with 11 rebounds, leading the Orlando Magic over the  Dallas Mavericks, 94-84, at TD WaterHouse Center.


Mortgage Applications Fall Last Week-MBA  NEW YORK (Reuters) - New applications for U.S. home loans  fell last week as 30-year mortgage rates reached their highest  levels in a month, an industry group said on Wednesday.


Hurricanes #39; offense adds injury to insult MIAMI - The University of Miami sustained several injuries on offense during Saturday #39;s 16-10 loss to Virginia Tech. Injuries knocked out tight end Kevin Everett and fullback Talib Humphrey, both starters, as well as backup running back Tyrone Moss.


Cleric at Arafat's Bedside During 'Final Phase' A top Islamic cleric rushed from the West Bank to Yasser Arafat's hospital bedside Wednesday in what an aide to the Palestinian leader called the "final phase" of his life.


U.S. Forces Claim Most of Fallujah American forces battled through boobytrapped lanes in a swift advance to city center. The military said at least 71 militants and 10 U.S. troopers were killed as of the beginning of the third day of intense urban combat.


SunTrust Fires 3 Finance Execs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - SunTrust Banks Inc. STI.N, a large  U.S. southeast regional bank, on Wednesday said it fired three  finance executives, including its chief credit officer, after  uncovering problems in how it accounted for bad loans.


Revlon 3rd-Quarter Loss Widens  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Cosmetics maker Revlon Inc. REV.N on  Wednesday said its third-quarter net loss widened on  refinancing costs and declining sales.


Marsh  amp; McLennan CEO Might Be the First of a Breed Marsh  amp; McLennan Cos. #39; new boss Michael Cherkasky may be the prototype of the new CEO -- where the E stands for enforcement.


Cisco reports record profit but outlook disappoints (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Cisco Systems' fiscal first-quarter profits jumped 29 as the network equipment giant saw growth in its traditional routing markets as well as its emerging technologies like Internet telephone and home networking gear.


Vodafone rolls out 3G mobile phone After a four-year wait, billions of pounds spent on licences and numerous delays, Vodafone finally rolled out mass-market third-generation (3G) mobile telephone services on Wednesday.


Former N.C. Congressman Pleads Guilty (AP) AP - Former Rep. Frank Ballance pleaded guilty Tuesday to a charge that he used a charitable foundation to bilk the government and funnel money to his law firm, church and family.


Brazil Forests Seen Doomed Without Int'l Aid (Reuters) Reuters - The forests on Brazil's\agricultural frontier will disappear without international\financing to provide alternatives to slash-and-burn farming,\the farm secretary of Brazil's leading soybean state said.


Auto industry lifts French output French industrial output soared in September as the car sector bounced back from a summer slowdown, figures show.


Wannstedt officially steps down The Miami Dolphins are headed in a new direction and Dave Wannstedt wont be along for the ride. The final blow for Wannstedt came this Sunday when the Dolphins let two leads slip away, losing to the Arizona


Arctic Thaw May Open Ship Lanes, But Risks High (Reuters) Reuters - A faster-than-expected thaw of the\Arctic is likely to open legendary short-cut routes between the\Pacific and the Atlantic but experts say icebergs and high\costs will prevent any trans-polar shipping boom.


Business: Legacy Costs Washington Post business columnist Steven Pearlstein will be online to talk about his latest column, which looks at the possibility that the "Big Three" automakers may wind up in the throes of a "death spiral."


Court looks at dogs, drugs, privacy (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether  constitutional rights were violated because a dog sniffed a vehicle even though police did not have reason to suspect  a crime.


Iraqi PM #39;s relatives kidnapped, face execution threat Two members of the Iraqi prime minister #39;s family were nabbed from their home in Baghdad, his spokesman said Wednesday. The kidnappers said they would execute them in two days if their demands are not met.


Afghan Kidnappers Say Government Agrees Deal  KABUL (Reuters) - Kidnappers of three U.N. workers in  Afghanistan said on Wednesday the government had agreed to  terms for their release, despite indications from Afghan and  U.S. officials that meeting the militants' demands was  impossible.


Muslim Cleric Rushes to Arafat's Side Amid Confusion  PARIS (Reuters) - A top Muslim cleric rushed to Yasser  Arafat's bedside in a French hospital on Wednesday, insisting  the veteran Palestinian leader was still alive even as aides  pushed ahead with burial preparations.


France Citizens Queue to Leave Ivory Coast  ABIDJAN (Reuters) - French citizens queued at Ivory Coast's  main airport on Wednesday to flee their former West African  colony as violent anti-French protesters massed for a fifth day  in support of President Laurent Gbagbo.


Losing 60 years of experience STUART Rose conceded that more than 60 years of Marks  amp; Spencer experience was walking away with the clutch of top-tier departures.


Money Talks: Microsoft settle with Novell and the CCIA Microsoft has paid \$536 million to rival Novell as part of its ongoing programme to settle legal disputes that have formed the cornerstone of European regulators #39; action against the software giant.


DR Horton Beats, Guides Up Homebuilder DR Horton (DHI :NYSE - news - research) Wednesday reported a 52 jump in fourth-quarter profit, as the nation #39;s housing boom roared along despite the latest predictions of a long-awaited slowdown.


DR Horton sets record backlog, eyes  #39;strong #39; FY-05 WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- DR Horton Inc. (DHI) posted earnings of \$349.6 million, or \$1.47 per share, for the fourth quarter ended Sept.


Cisco Slips on In-Line Quarter Cisco (CSCO:Nasdaq - news - research) disappointed Wall Street Tuesday with a first quarter profit that was merely in line with estimates, rather than the customary penny ahead.


Arctic Thaw May Open Ship Lanes, But Risks High A faster-than-expected thaw of the Arctic is likely to open legendary short-cut routes between the Pacific and the Atlantic but experts say


Skype lures developers with software giveaway Voice-over-IP software maker Skype starting today will include the beta of its Skype API (Application Program Interface) with its Skype for Windows product.


Injured Sainz forced to retire five days early Twice world rally champion Carlos Sainz retired five days earlier than planned on Wednesday when injury forced him to pull out of the Rally of Australia.


Hope Rises for Release of Afghanistan Hostages Taliban-linked kidnappers of three UN election workers, including a British woman, claimed today that a deal could be close for their release.


US wants closer ties with Pakistan US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage (L) shakes hands with Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri prior to their meeting in Islamabad, 09 November 2004.


Israeli NRP quits gov #39;t to protest pullout plan The Israeli far-right National Religious Party (NRP) voted Monday night to quit the coalition in protest of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon #39;s disengagement plan, localnewspaper Haaretz reported on its website.


DSL wars come down to a battle of the bundles DSL, cable providers offer new discounts--with a catch.


DON #39;T KID YOURSELF December 5, 2004 -- THE meetings this week in Toronto be tween the NHL and the NHLPA will mark the beginning of the end, either the beginning of the end of the lockout or the beginning of the end of the NHL in any recognizable form.


Microsoft to launch new search engine technology Microsoft Corp. is set to unleash its much-anticipated search technology on Thursday, as it ramps up efforts to take on market leader Google Inc.


We can #39;t place much stock in Bonds #39; credibility Barry Bonds, the fastidious health and fitness expert, would have us believe he accepted a tube of mystery goo from his personal trainer, followed the instructions, massaged the potion into his skin and didn #39;t know he was using illegal steroids.


EU objects to Microsoft-Time Warner ContentGuard deal BRUSSELS -- The European Commission has issued a formal set of objections to Microsoft Corp. and Time Warner Inc. taking control of ContentGuard Holdings Inc., a digital rights management (DRM) company, according to sources familiar with the case.


Dell opens another call center in India BANGALORE, INDIA -- Dell Inc. is setting up a third customer contact center in India, in the Chandigarh metro area in the north of the country, the company announced Wednesday. Operations at the center are likely to begin by March next year with about 300 employees.


Arsenal back on track with new  #39;keeper LONDON -- Arsenal won for the first time in five matches yesterday, getting two goals from Thierry Henry to beat Birmingham 3-0, while Chelsea and Manchester United also earned comfortable wins in the English Premier League.


Microsoft to indemnify most users from legal threats In a bid to further differentiate itself from open-source rivals, Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday said it will expand its indemnification program to cover the vast majority of its customers. The move, experts said, is great marketing but will have little impact on users.


Update: Cisco boosts Q1 net income, revenue Cisco Systems Inc. on Tuesday reported significant gains in earnings and revenue for its fiscal 2005 first quarter that met analyst expectations.
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Apple launches iTunes music store in Canada Apples iTunes online music store is one of the largest music stores currently with over one million downloads thus far. The company has launched its online stores subsidiaries in 14 countries including


Microsoft to Launch New Search Engine Software giant hopes to challenge Google with new search technology.


DR Horton Net Profit Jumps in 4Q Home builder DR Horton Inc. said Wednesday that fourth-quarter net income surged 52 percent on improved results in all its markets.


Infineon and ProMOS kiss and make up Infineon and ProMOS have finally ended a long running argument over licensing for DRAM chips. The two were part of a joint venture with Mosel Vitelic which ran from 1996.


Solar sail craft gets launch date The world #39;s first spacecraft to use a solar sail for propulsion is set to be launched from a submerged Russian submarine on 1 March next year.


Big Dig found riddled with leaks Engineers hired to investigate the cause of September #39;s massive Big Dig tunnel leak have discovered that the project is riddled with hundreds of leaks that are pouring millions of gallons of water into the \$14.


Robbo ready to prove a point Bryan Robson has done the managerial equivalent of swimming the channel in landing a Premiership job after three years out of the top flight.


Doctor repairs famous ankle BOSTON - Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling had surgery Tuesday to repair his right ankle.  quot;The three-hour procedure proceeded as planned, with no complications, quot; team doctor Bill Morgan, who performed the surgery, said in a statement.


Majority of Taiwanese See Island as Independent, Sovereign Pacific Rim Bureau (CNSNews.com) - Highlighting a growing assertiveness and sense of national identity, a new opinion survey has found that a large majority of Taiwanese consider the island to be independent and sovereign.


Cable   Wireless to Cut 600 Jobs (Reuters) Reuters - Britain's Cable   Wireless posted its\first net profit in over 3 years and announced plans to cut 600\jobs and return cash to investors, sending the telecom\company's shares racing to 5-month highs on Wednesday.


Parliament Speaker to Succeed Arafat (AP) AP - The Palestinian parliament speaker will become temporary president of the Palestinian Authority in the event of Yasser Arafat's death, PLO leaders decided Wednesday.


Delta to Cut 6,000-6,900 Jobs  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines DAL.N on Wednesday  said it plans to eliminate between 6,000 and 6,900 jobs during  the next 18 months, implement a 10 percent across-the-board pay  reduction and reduce employee benefits.


SunTrust Fires 3 Finance Execs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - SunTrust Banks Inc., a large U.S.  southeast regional bank, on Wednesday said it fired three  finance executives, including its chief credit officer, after  uncovering problems in how it accounted for bad loans.


Delta to Cut 6,000-6,900 Jobs (Reuters) Reuters - Delta Air Lines  on Wednesday\said it plans to eliminate between 6,000 and 6,900 jobs during\the next 18 months, implement a 10 percent across-the-board pay\reduction and reduce employee benefits.


Rate Hike Seen as Federal Reserve Meets The Federal Open Market Committee, the rate-setting panel for the US Federal Reserve, began its deliberations Wednesday with a rate hike widely expected.


Music, games, porn - Vodafone launches 3G The UK #39;s biggest service provider, with million customers, is leading the 3G push with 10 new handsets, seven of which will be exclusive to Vodafone - with the Sharp 902 debuting as Europe #39;s first two-megapixel camera phone.


Cosmetic company #39;s Q3 loss widens as sales slip 7 NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Revlon, Inc reiterated its 2004 financial outlook as the cosmetics firm reported a wider-than-expected third quarter loss.


Martha Stewart Wants Aid with Legal Bills Martha Stewart, the imprisoned celebrity homemaker, is asking her company to help pick up about \$3.7 million in legal expenses stemming from her criminal trial.


Back to basics to save bank JOHN Stewart, Michael Ullmer and Ahmed Fahour have devised a simple plan to restore the fortunes of National Australia Bank - they are returning to an updated version of the management systems used by former chief executive Don Argus in the first half of


Exports rise narrrows US trade gap The US trade gap shrank by a sharper than expected 3.7 in September as exports rose to a record high, despite a new record deficit with China.


UPDATE 1-DR Horton 4th-quarter earnings jump Homebuilder DR Horton Inc. (DHI.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday posted a 52 percent increase in quarterly profit on strong new home sales orders and forecast stronger-than


Bank set to meet inflation target The Bank of England today hinted that interest rates may have peaked as it said it was on course to meet its inflation target assuming that rates remain unchanged.


Microsoft to Launch New Search Engine Microsoft is set to unleash its much-anticipated search technology this week, as it ramps up efforts to take on market leader Google.


Firefox 1.0 Released Microsoft #39;s Internet Explorer has a serious rival in the long-awaited Firefox 1.0 web browser, which has just been released. Few people get excited when some new software is released, especially when the program is not a game or a music or movie player.


Microsoft to indemnify most users from legal threats In a bid to further differentiate itself from open source rivals, Microsoft Tuesday said it will expand its indemnification program to cover the vast majority of its customers.


For gamers, a midnight wait in line for  #39;Halo 2 #39; In just a few minutes,  quot;Halo 2 quot; would officially be released, and these gamers couldn #39;t wait to get their first taste of the most marketed, and perhaps most anticipated, video game ever.


Alarm raised over yet another MyDoom bug Dubbed MyDoom.AH by security firms, this latest variant in the MyDoom family of worms is exploiting the recently publicised vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer #39;s (IE) IFRAME buffer overflow.


Skype offers free wireless voice calls Internet telephony firm Skype today promised free wireless voice calls for millions of European surfers via a version of its software for the recently launched Siemens Gigaset DECT cordless phones.


Planetary Society sets date for launch of solar sail spacecraft PASADENA, Calif. There could be something new under the sun next year -- the first controlled flight by a spaceship designed to run off solar wind.


Man charged with selling Windows source code Months after launching a federal investigation, authorities yesterday arrested a Connecticut man for selling the source code for Microsoft #39;s Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 operating systems over the Internet.


Russian Trojan sends SMS spam A Trojan virus has that uses infected computers to send SMS spam to mobile phones in Russia has been discovered. The Delf-HA Trojan uses the infected PC to exploit the  quot;send an SMS for free quot; service common on a number of Russian mobile operator websites.


Former Speaker reverses stand on stem cell research Former Massachusetts House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran, who opposed embryonic stem cell research while on Beacon Hill, now says state lawmakers should support the research in order for the Bay State to keep up with California.


SunTrust Fires Three After Investigation (AP) AP - SunTrust Banks Inc. has fired its chief credit officer, Sandra W. Jansky, and two others in its credit division after an investigation found errors in its calculation of auto loan default reserves, the company said Wednesday.


Pires dropped by France Robert Pires, the Arsenal midfielder, has been dropped from the France squad following a public outburst against coach Raymond Domenech.


Soccer: Arsenal midfielder Edu breaks toe LONDON : Arsenal #39;s Brazilian international midfielder Edu broke the toe on his right foot in Tuesday #39;s 3-1 League Cup win over Everton at Highbury.


West Bromwich Albion Football Club midfielder retires from <b>...</b> Andy Johnson has decided to end his Wales career and concentrate on his West Bromwich Albion Football Club position. Johnson has won 14 caps for Wales, the last of which came against Latvia in a friendly in August.


Adidas and Soccer Look to Hollywood to Boost Presence in US Adidas-Salomon AG aims to lift sales in the US and soccer #39;s ruling body FIFA plans to raise its profile there by endorsing three Hollywood films part-produced by Mel Gibson and featuring David Beckham.


Japanese stars beat Clemens Roger Clemens didn #39;t look like a pitcher who is about to retire. Pitching on just a few hours sleep, Clemens held the Japanese all-stars to three runs on eight hits over 5 2-3 innings Wednesday


Katich in form, but axed again AUSTRALIA #39;S ageing cricketers have been promised they will not be axed prematurely after batsman Simon Katich became the fall guy for the second time this year.


NFL: Miami #39;s Wannstedt quit to avoid being focal point DAVIE, Fla. - Dave Wannstedt tried to steer the Miami Dolphins through a lot of obstacles this season, but he finally found one distraction he couldn #39;t overcome: Worried that the heat surrounding his job status


Iraqi PM #39;s Cousin Kidnapped, Islamists Threaten Gunmen have abducted three relatives of Iraq #39;s prime minister from outside their Baghdad home, the interim Iraqi government said on Wednesday.


Chinese submarine puts Japan on Red alert JAPAN was on alert yesterday after a suspected Chinese nuclear submarine entered its territorial waters. The submarine was detected in Japanese waters near islands disputed with China about 300km southwest


Thousands in Kashmir protest alleged rape Police in Kashmir fired tear gas and used batons Wednesday to disperse thousands of people protesting the alleged rape of a woman and her daughter by soldiers.


How to Learn a Language I've been a linguophile for a long time, and I'm always studying a little bit of some language or another. However, it's only recently that I've finally figured out the way that works best for me, with the help of modern technology. Perhaps this might help those of you who have been planning on learning a language some day.


Election Fraud - 20004 Fraud is not a word that one uses lightly. Indeed, in the context of a Presidential election, using it exposes one to dismissal as the very thought of it is distasteful. This time, however, the evidence is clear and unmistakable.


State Coffers Benefit From Boom in N.Va. Economists say growth in federal defense and anti-terrorism spending has fueled economic recovery and boosted tax collections.


Rebel Fighters Who Fled Attack May Now Be Active Elsewhere Insurgent leaders in Falluja probably fled before the American-led offensive and may be coordinating attacks in Iraq.


US deficit pushes euro over \$1.30 The dollar slumps to a new record low against the euro, breaching the \$1.30 level on news of another large trade deficit.


Odd Question on West Bank: Who Is Arafat, Really? Like so much else they consider beyond their control, Palestinians in Nablus are adjusting to the prospect of Yasir Arafat's death.


Israel Agrees to Ramallah Burial Site for Arafat Egypt has agreed to a Palestinian Authority request to hold funeral services in Cairo for Yasir Arafat.


Land 'gift' from Benetton spurned Argentine indigenous leaders reject an offer by clothing giant Benetton to hand over land to end a dispute.


Microsoft Expands Software Indemnification Program  SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. MSFT.O is expanding  its indemnification program for Windows and other software  products in order to shield users from legal claims and patent  disputes, the world's largest software maker said on Tuesday.


Nigeria court overturns stoning An Islamic court in northern Nigeria acquits a woman who had been sentenced to death by stoning for adultery.


Estonian defence minister quits Estonian defence minister Margus Hanson resigns after admitting confidential documents were stolen from his home.


No freedom for  nuclear scientist Pakistan's supreme court rejects a petition to free from house arrest disgraced nuclear scientist AQ Khan on health grounds.


Turning invention into innovation Technological "inventions" are not going to have the same kind of transformative value that they did in the past.


The tree-climbing rhino protectors Anti-poaching measures mean Tanzania's rhino populations have a chance to recover, reports Tira Shubart.


France Citizens Queue to Leave Ivory Coast (Reuters) Reuters - French citizens queued at Ivory Coast's\main airport on Wednesday to flee their former West African\colony as violent anti-French protesters massed for a fifth day\in support of President Laurent Gbagbo.


Microsoft to Launch New Search Engine (PC World) PC World - Software giant hopes to challenge Google with new search technology.


European Businesses Protest Possible Ban (AP) AP - European business leaders in Japan lambasted on Wednesday a plan by the nation's ruling party to ban prepaid cell phones as a move that would raise questions about discrimination against a foreign-owned carrier.


Microsoft Expands Software Indemnification Program (Reuters) Reuters - Microsoft Corp.  is expanding\its indemnification program for Windows and other software\products in order to shield users from legal claims and patent\disputes, the world's largest software maker said on Tuesday.


Trade Gap Narrows on Record Exports  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. trade deficit narrowed more  than expected in September as a rise in exports to  unprecedented levels offset the impact of record-high prices  for imported oil, a government report showed on Wednesday.


US opposes negotiations with Afghan kidnappers: Armitage (AFP) AFP - The United States is opposed to negotiations with hostage-takers who abducted three United Nations staffers in Afghanistan last month, US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said.


Federated Department Stores Posts Profit  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federated Department Stores Inc.  FD.N, parent of Macy's and Bloomingdale's, posted  higher-than-expected quarterly earnings on Wednesday and said  it was encouraged by October sales, nudging its shares up.


Tech Stocks Open Lower on Cisco; Dow Flat  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. tech stocks opened lower on  Wednesday, as results from technology bellwether Cisco Systems  Inc. CSCO.O disappointed Wall Street, while investors await  an expected hike in interest rates from the Fed later in the  day.


Satellite Tracking Finds Albatrosses' Deadly Zones (Reuters) Reuters - Satellite tracking data have\pinpointed parts of the world where longline fishing trawlers\and albatrosses cross paths, often with fatal results for the\majestic sea birds, a report released on Wednesday said.


SunTrust Axes 3 Finance Execs, to Restate  NEW YORK (Reuters) - SunTrust Banks Inc. STI.N, the No. 7  U.S. bank, on Wednesday said it fired three finance executives,  including its chief credit officer, after finding "numerous  errors" in how much to set aside for bad loans.


Developed nations needn #39;t fear outsourcing: IMF The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has debunked fears of job losses in industrialised nations due to outsourcing of services to developing nations.


Mining the Moon, the Gateway to Mars (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - GOLDEN, COLORADO -- Any high hopes of sustaining expeditions on the Moon, Mars or beyond will depend on getting "down and dirty" on those worlds -- in the form of using on-the-spot resources.


New Images Reveal Clouds on Planet Uranus (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - New images of the planet Uranus reveal more diversity in cloud features than ever seen before.


Cases examine alcohol shipments and ad campaign The US Supreme Court serves up a pair of tasty cases this week, one involving interstate sales of wine and the other exploring a government ad campaign for beef.


Darfur Peace Talks Adjourn After Security, Aid Deal  ABUJA (Reuters) - Peace talks between the Sudan government  and Darfur rebels ended on Wednesday, a day after Khartoum  bowed to international pressure and signed agreements on  security and humanitarian issues with rebels.


Three Dutch Police Injured in Anti-Terror Raid  THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Suspects sought in a Dutch  anti-terrorism raid threw a hand grenade in a tense standoff  with police on Wednesday, injuring three officers, amid a  spiral of violence following the killing of an outspoken  filmmaker.


Killer of Sweden's Lindh Seeks Leniency in Appeal  STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh's  confessed killer sought leniency in a Supreme Court appeal on  Wednesday, with his lawyer arguing he was mentally ill when he  attacked her and should not be jailed for murder.


Photos: Sony's pocket-size PC The 1.2 pound Sony Vaio U is powered by a 1.1GHz Intel Pentium M 733 processor, 512MB of RAM, and a 20GB, 1.8-inch hard drive.


Fed opens meeting, poised to raise interest rates WASHINGTON : US Federal Reserve policymakers opened a meeting, nearly certain to raise key interest rates amid signs of a resurgent American jobs market.


Stocks Are Mixed Ahead of Fed Meeting Stocks were mixed Wednesday as the Federal Reserve prepared to meet and investors looked ahead to an another hike in interest rates.


News rebound lifts All Ords index past 3850 NEWS Corp led the sharemarket into record territory yesterday as investors here grew accustomed to the US way of corporate control, taking Monday #39;s poison pill move by chairman Rupert Murdoch in their stride.


Revlon #39;s loss widens in third quarter Revlon Inc. #39;s third-quarter loss widened amid a 7 percent drop in sales as the cosmetics giant completed an ambitious refinancing effort.


NAB #39;s crumb of comfort NATIONAL Australia Bank shares rose sharply yesterday despite a 19.7 per cent fall in annual net profit to \$3.2 billion. Investors took comfort in chief executive John Stewart #39;s


Cable  amp; Wireless to cut 600 more jobs The telecommunications firm Cable  amp; Wireless today said it would cut another 600 jobs and return 250m to investors as it reaches the halfway mark in a three-year recovery plan.


MSN To Launch Search Engine Microsoft Corp. is planning to launch its own Web search engine on Thursday, according to several reports published Tuesday evening.


What #39;s Next For Mozilla? ezberry writes  quot;After releasing version 1.0 of Firefox, what #39;s ahead for the Mozilla Foundation and the venerable Firefox browser?


Astronaut discusses Martian frontier Astronaut Pam Melroy has logged more than 560 hours in space. She slowed down long enough Tuesday to discuss the future of space exploration at Stennis Space Center.


Miami Heat Team Report - November 10 (Sports Network) - Dwyane Wade followed up his career-high 37-point effort on Monday night with 22 points and nine assists to lead the Miami Heat to a 103-93 victory over the Washington Wizards in the back end of a home-and-home set on Tuesday at


Train driver  #39;not to blame #39; for accident The driver of the train which crashed into a car on a level crossing killing him and six others had just two or three seconds to stop, an official report has found.


Clarett: I  #39;took the fall #39; for Buckeyes Like a zombie punching its fist through the soil on a stormy night, former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett reemerged from isolation in an interview in a story appearing in ESPN The Magazine released on ESPN #39;s Web site yesterday.


2 members of Iraqi interim leader #39;s family abducted Two members of the Iraqi interim prime minister #39;s family were abducted from their Baghdad home, his spokesman confirmed Wednesday.


Finally, some deals for Darfur As the clock keeps fatally ticking for Darfurian refugees, the Sudanese government and rebels from Darfur finally reached landmark security and humanitarian agreements yesterday.


Sunnis drop out In the first major political backlash over the assault on Fallujah, Iraqs most prominent Sunni political party said Tuesday it was withdrawing from the interim Iraqi government, while the leading group of Sunni clerics called for Iraqis to boycott the


Anger wells up in Srinagar over rape Srinagar witnessed widespread public anger on Wednesday over the alleged rape of a woman and her daughter by an army officer. Youths took to the streets burning tyres in the morning.


Sarkozy defends French backing for Alstom CBI director general Digby Jones yesterday clashed with French finance minister Nicolas Sarkozy over the state-backed rescue of one of France #39;s biggest industrial companies.


SunTrust Cleans House SunTrust (STI:NYSE - news - research) fired three executives in its credit division in the wake of an accounting snafu, vowing that a conservative credit culture should never  quot;interfere with the application of generally accepted accounting principles.


US trade gap shrinks to \$51.6 billion WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - A strong euro and a strong hurricane helped cut the US trade deficit by 3.7 percent to \$51.6 billion in September.


Jobless Claims Lower Than Expected The number of Americans filing initial claims for jobless pay rose last week to 333,000, the Labor Department said on Wednesday, but was still lower than expected by Wall Street.


Risks vs. benefits The removal of painkiller Vioxx shows no drug is perfect. It is linked to heart attacks and strokes, but it has helped many. Patients must evaluate medications more carefully than ever.


Mining the Moon, the Gateway to Mars GOLDEN, COLORADO -- Any high hopes of sustaining expeditions on the Moon, Mars or beyond will depend on getting  quot;down and dirty quot; on those worlds -- in the form of using on-the-spot resources.


IRS Probing Bank of America's Pensions (AP) AP - The Internal Revenue Service is auditing the 1998 and 1999 tax returns of Bank of America Corp.'s pension and 401(k) plans, which have been the subject of a class-action employee lawsuit.


Hard work ahead, warns Robbo Bryan Robson has warned his players they are in for a long-hard season - but he wants them to work with a smile on their face. That #39;s the formula new manager Robson sees as vital


Mutu set to meet Juve officials Romania striker Adrian Mutu, banned for seven months for taking cocaine, is to hold talks with Serie A leaders Juventus, an Italian club official says.


Coaching a real possibility The Great One hit town yesterday and he sure was welcome. He made it feel a bit more like winter. Wayne Gretzky was a pretty fair player in his day, and his time as an executive have been equally well spent.


Rolling Moss gathers win The immortal words of Spinal Tap while they were lost in the maze of backstage hallways couldn #39;t have suited the Edmonton Road Runners any better.


France to expand public stake in nuclear giant Areva to 35-40 pct PARIS : The French government will further privatise Areva in the first half of 2005, bringing the listed capital to 35-40 percent of the world #39;s leading civilian nuclear energy group, Economy Minister Nicolas Sarkozy revealed.


O #39;Connor #39;s medal now  #39;tarnished #39; Avril Doyle, president of the Irish Equestrian Federation, believes Cian O #39;Connor #39;s Olympic medal is tarnished following a positive blood test.


Foreigners flee Ivory Coast The United Nations and France have begun mass evacuations of UN staff and foreign nationals following days of violence and looting in Ivory Coast, a UN spokesman said.


Death by stoning sentence overturned An Islamic appeal court in Nigeria today overturned a sentence of death by stoning handed down to a 29-year-old pregnant woman for having sex out of wedlock.


MSN Search to Challenge Google and Yahoo MSN Search to Challenge Google and Yahoo\\The new MSN Search is a full speed ahead effort for Microsoft to catch Google and Yahoo in the search engine race and are about ready to release their MSN Search Engine. Microsoft has offered a search engine since long on their MSN website ...


Search Engine for Programming Code Search Engine for Programming Code\\An article at Newsforge pointed me to Koders ( http://www.koders.com ) a search engine for finding programming code. Nifty.\\The front page allows you to specify keywords, sixteen languages (from ASP to VB.NET) and sixteen licenses (from AFL to ZPL -- fortunately there's an information page to ...


Higher Rankings the Higher Revenue Per Click on AdSense Higher Rankings the Higher Revenue Per Click on AdSense\\Shaw, aka DigitalPoint, has posed an interesting observation. He has seen a correlation between the natural rankings of a page for a keyword term and the earned revenue per click on the AdSense ads for that page. He said, and its just ...


Is Google the Next Netscape? Microsoft is trailing badly in the search-engine wars.  But Google, Yahoo and other search powers shouldn't rest too easy. Remember what happened to Netscape? -washingtonpost.com


Vodafone launches 3G service Vodafone have launched the long-awaited third generation, 3G, mobile phone service that offers video calls and music downloads. The use of 3G technology promises faster data rates for mobile users that will


US weekly jobless claims rise 2,000 to 333,000 WASHINGTON : The queue of newly jobless Americans lengthened a little last week, government figures showed. The number of people lodging new unemployment benefit claims rose 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted


Vodafone Launches 3G Services in Europe Cell phone giant Vodafone Group PLC, which has spent years struggling to recoup billions spent on 3G licences, finally launched the cutting-edge service Wednesday in much of Europe and introduced or beefed up its operation in a dozen other countries.


Scotland Joins Growing Anti-Tobacco Movement (Reuters) Reuters - Scotland became the latest country to\take a stand against tobacco on Wednesday by announcing a ban\on smoking in public buildings.


Is Google the Next Netscape? (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Microsoft might be king of the software world, but it's having to play catch up in the increasingly important world of Internet and desktop search, chasing the substantial leads of Google, Yahoo and others.


Britain condemns bomb attack in Kathmandu (AFP) AFP - A visiting British deputy minister condemned the bombing by suspected Maoist rebels of an office block in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu which injured 38 people.


Bosnian Serbs sorry for massacre Bosnian Serb leaders apologise for the first time to relatives of up to 8,000 Muslims killed in Srebrenica in 1995.


NBA Wrap: Magic Stun New Grizzlies Coach Fratello  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Grant Hill posted 23 points and seven  assists to hand Mike Fratello his first defeat as team coach as  the Orlando Magic downed the Memphis Grizzlies 96-91 Saturday.


Stocks Flat; Cisco, Pfizer Down  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were near the unchanged  mark on Wednesday as results from technology bellwether Cisco  Systems disappointed Wall Street, while investors await an  expected interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve later in  the trading session.


Boycott slams ICC 'chucker's charter' (AFP) AFP - Geoff Boycott has slammed the International Cricket Council's proposal to relax the rules on chucking as the result of pressure from Sri Lanka on behalf of star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.


U.S. Commanders: Fallujah Fight Not Over (AP) AP - American commanders are expressing confidence that the Fallujah offensive will restore order in that hotbed of Sunni resistance, but they caution that much fighting remains.


Genetic Code (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - BIOMARIN PHARMACEUTICAL (4, BMRN) is the classic biotech, convertible-debt-laden and intensely unprofitable. But Quinterol Mallette, portfolio manager at Mallette Capital Management, argues that Aldurazyme, BioMarin's treatment for a children's enzyme-deficiency disease, is about to take off. What's more, BioMarin acquired Ascent Pediatrics, a profitable biotech with its own pediatrics sales force.


Rebels Set Off Land mine in Indian Kashmir; 11 Dead Separatist militants set off a powerful land mine in Indian Kashmir killing eleven people, including nine soldiers in one of the biggest guerrilla attacks in weeks, police said on Sunday.


WTO Eyes U.S. Offshore Web Gambling Ban (AP) AP - In a ruling that could open the United States to offshore Internet gambling, a World Trade Organization panel Wednesday said Washington should drop prohibitions on Americans placing bets in online casinos.


Merck Boosts Blue Chips, Cisco Fells Tech US blue chip stocks rose on Wednesday, helped by drugmaker Merck  amp; Co. Inc. (MRK), but technology stocks fell as results from technology bellwether Cisco Systems Inc.


Oil Fades to \$47 as Supplies Build Oil prices fell to seven-week lows below \$47 a barrel on Wednesday as traders braced for another increase in US oil and natural gas inventories ahead of winter.


SunTrust Fires Credit Executives Over Reserve Errors (Update4) SunTrust Banks Inc., the eighth- largest US bank, fired its chief credit officer and two other executives and said it made numerous errors #39; #39; in determining how much to set aside for bad loans in this year #39;s first half.


EC promises Microsoft anti-trust fight will continue The European Commission has said it will pursue its anti-trust case against Microsoft despite the loss of two of the Commission #39;s principal supporters from the IT industry.


USDA: Devastating Soybean Disease Found (Reuters) Reuters - The first case of soybean rust, an\economically devastating disease for farmers, has been found in\the mainland United States, the U.S. Agriculture Department\said on Wednesday.


HP Unveils an Array of Printing Products (PC World) PC World - Multifunction devices, workgroup printers, and a new digital pen debut.


Female Genital Mutilation Lives on in Djibouti (Reuters) Reuters - Late one evening on a stony hill above\Djibouti's northern town of Tadjourah, an old Afar woman is\squatting comfortably on a thin mat, tiny limbs wrapped tidily\up around her.


Microsoft to enter battle of the search engines Microsoft is set to launch a trial version of its long-awaited Internet search engine, as it reacts to the growing threat of Google.


Microsoft Extends Legal Protection To All Customers Nov. 10, 2004. Microsoft is extending the policy that currently protects some of its business customers from potential legal costs associated with intellectual-property disputes to all of its customers, including consumers.


Halo 2 gets down to Earth You #39;ve read the ads, heard the buzz and seen the long lineups on the news, but does Halo 2 live up to the hype? Yes. Played from an immersive first-person perspective, the original Halo: Combat Evolved was


Firefox eyes 10 per cent browser share in US The organisation behind Firefox is hoping that the open source Web browser can grab 10 per cent of the US market in 2005, it said yesterday.


Microsoft Fixes ISA Server Spoofing Flaw A bug in Microsoft #39;s Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2000 and Proxy Server 2 can let hackers spoof Web content, such as a trusted site, with their own fake content, the Redmond


A glimpse of SpaceShipOne #39;s historic flights Members of the Mojave Aerospace Ventures team: (from left) Peter Diamandis, Paul Allen, Burt Rutan, pilot Brian Binnie and Richard Branson celebrate with champagne after SpaceShipOne #39;s second suborbital flight in early October.


Samsung develops ultra-fast Flash memory for mobiles Samsung Electronics has developed ultra-fast 1Gb OneNand Flash memory designed for next-generation mobile phones which it claims boasts a fourfold read speed increase over conventional Nand Flash performance.


Aurora Presents Spectacular Display With eruptions from a large and complex sunspot group sending a series of solar storms to Earth, the stage is set for spectacular displays of the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis this week.


Gran Turismo 4 finished; Sony annouces Nike bundle for Japan Sony Computer Entertainment held a party in Tokyo yesterday to celebrate the completion of Polyphony Digital #39;s long-awaited Gran Turismo 4, which is set for release in Japan - and, apparently, in North America - this December.


Defending Harsh Sentences for Spammers BMcWilliams writes  quot;Russell McGuire, one of the government lawyers who prosecuted spammer Jeremy Jaynes, has published an article justifying the tough sentence recommended by a Virginia jury.


Robson Leads Kanu Super Eagles Nwankwo Kanu #39;s West Bromwich have named Bryan Robson as their new manager. Robson, 47, has agreed a two-and-a-half year deal, with Nigel Pearson moving to The Hawthorns as his assistant.


Lewsey: We need confidence boost World Cup winner Josh Lewsey has underlined the importance of England delivering a confidence-building performance against Canada this weekend.


Rugby union-Lomu still hopeful of return to action Former All Black winger Jonah Lomu says he is still hopeful of a return to competitive rugby following his kidney transplant earlier this year.


Tressel:  #39;Allegations Made Against Me Totally False #39; COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel issued a statement Tuesday afternoon, saying that allegations made about the program by former tailback Maurice Clarett were  quot;totally false.


Six shots that helped shaped the PGA Tour season The first sign that Vijay Singh would be a relentless force on the PGA Tour came in a tournament he didn #39;t win, with a putt that ultimately didn #39;t matter.


Bosnian Serbs apologize for Srebrenica massacre (AFP) AFP - Bosnian Serb authorities apologized for the first time to relatives of around 8,000 Muslims killed by Serb forces in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, Europe's worst atrocity since World War II.


Behind the Curtain Veal Kandal is the kind of village the Cambodian government doesn #39;t want anyone to know about. The 40 farming families that live among dusty, drought-stricken paddies were facing


Microsoft Offers Users Legal Protection (PC World) PC World - Software giant expands its indemnification program to cover the majority of its customers.


France, United States and other nations evacuate foreigners <b>...</b> France and the United States on Wednesday began evacuating thousands of foreigners trapped for days by violent attacks targeting French civilians and troops in this West African nation.


Israel #39;s Netanyahu lifts resignation threat JERUSALEM - Israeli Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday he was lifting his threat to resign over Prime Minister Ariel Sharon #39;s refusal to put a Gaza pullout plan to a national referendum.


China Shipyard Announces Order for Ships (AP) AP - A Shanghai shipyard has agreed to build up to five giant container ships the China's biggest shipping line, the shipyard company said Wednesday.


Fed to Raise Rates as Economy Strengthens  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Federal Reserve policy-makers  met on Wednesday amid universal expectation they will nudge  interest rates up for a fourth time this year and growing  speculation that they will carry on with rate hikes.


Girl Saves Infant Sister From Wild Dog (AP) AP - A 5-year-old girl saved her infant sister from a possible attack by an Australian dingo in a hotel room on an island where the wild dogs killed a boy three years ago.


Dollar Falls to New Low Vs Euro  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar remained under pressure  against the euro on Wednesday, after falling to a record low in  a selloff that followed a report on a narrowing U.S. trade gap.


Pennsylvania Avenue walkable again (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - A redesigned pedestrian mall on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House opened to the public Tuesday.


Oil Up After U.S. Inventory Data  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices edged up from seven-week lows  below \$47 a barrel on Wednesday as U.S. crude oil inventories  grew again ahead of winter but heating oil stocks fell.


Delta to Issue 75 Million Shares  CHICAGO (Reuters) - No. 3 U.S. airline Delta Air Lines Inc.  DAL.N, fighting to avoid bankruptcy, on Wednesday said it  will sell up to 75 million common shares, sparking a 4 percent  drop its stock.


Treasuries Slip Before Auction, Fed Meet  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasuries eased into an auction of  new U.S. government debt on Wednesday, just hours before the  Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates for the  fourth time this year.


Update 1: SunTrust Fires 3 on Errors Causing Delay SunTrust Banks Inc. has fired its chief credit officer and two other employees because of errors that will delay third-quarter earnings and force the company to restate some financial results.


New EU Members to Transition Smoothly The European Union #39;s head office on Wednesday predicted a smooth transition to the euro in the 10 new EU nations that are hoping to adopt the common currency by 2010.


Microsoft to launch search engine that competes with Google, Yahoo It #39;s going to be difficult, if not impossible, to beat Google at its own game. Google is king of the search engine world for a very good reason: Google works.


Randy no match for Rocket One pitcher in the history of baseball has won more Cy Young Awards than Randy Johnson, and he widened his lead Tuesday. Houston Astros ace Roger Clemens earned his record seventh Cy Young


Rugby: Recovering Lomu sets his sights on World Cup glory ROME : All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu said he was hoping to make a return to competitive rugby in 12 months #39; time and then help New Zealand win the 2007 World Cup in France.


Egil  quot;Drillo quot; Olsen returns to Norwegian soccer Norway #39;s best-known soccer coach, Egil  quot;Drillo quot; Olsen, will return to active duty when he takes over the head job at elite division club Fredrikstad next season.


Darfur Peace Talks Adjourn After Security, Aid Deal  ABUJA (Reuters) - Peace talks between Sudan's government  and Darfur rebels ended on Wednesday, a day after Khartoum  bowed to international pressure and signed agreements on  security and humanitarian issues with rebels.


Casino giant in \$4bn Vegas plan Casino giant MGM Mirage is building a \$4bn gambling resort complex in the centre of Las Vegas.


EU to monitor anti-piracy efforts The European Commission is to start monitoring China, Ukraine and Russia to see if they are making genuine efforts to stop counterfeit goods.


Netflix Sees Green Netflix spins the color wheel for a spell and it's a much brighter color than red.


Cisco #39;s Chambers Expects Slower 2nd-Qtr Sales Growth (Update4) Cisco Systems Inc. shares had their biggest decline in three months, dragging down other technology stocks, after Chief Executive John Chambers said sales growth will slow this quarter


Martha Stewart asks company to pitch in on legal bills Imprisoned homemaking mogul Martha Stewart has asked the company she founded, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc., to reimburse her for \$3.


Swisscom Plans Job Cuts, Reports Earnings Telecommunications company Swisscom AG reported Wednesday that third-quarter net income fell 10 percent and said it would cut about 390 jobs, or 2.5 percent of its fulltime work force, next year.


New EU set for quick euro switch Brussels has said the EU #39;s newest members should adopt the euro in one step, in contrast to the currency #39;s original phased introduction.


USDA Finds Devastating Soy Rust in Louisiana The first case of soybean rust, an economically devastating disease for farmers, has been found in the mainland United States, the US Agriculture Department said on Wednesday.


MS search engine rumours abound Microsoft #39;s search engine is due to appear on MSN tomorrow, Thursday, according to an awful lot of anonymous sources. The New York Times heard from  quot;a person knowledgeable about the announcement quot; while Reuters made do with  quot;sources close to the company quot;.


Microsoft Offers Users Legal Protection In a bid to further differentiate itself from open-source rivals, Microsoft this week says it will expand its indemnification program to cover the vast majority of its customers.


Skype Calls on Siemens Phones Skype Technologies is teaming with Siemens to offer cordless phone users the ability to make Internet telephony calls, in addition to traditional calls, from their handsets.


Talking face to face, far away November 10, 2004  If you #39;ve needed an excuse to buy a new phone, now you #39;ve got one, provided that you have some extra cash lying around: SK Telecom and KTF said yesterday that they will begin offering video phone services in Korea within a couple of


=== Davenport, Serena ready for Day-1 action in LA === Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Current world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport and former top-ranked superstar Serena Williams will be among those seeing action Wednesday night at the season-ending \$3 million WTA Tour Championships.


From horrible contracts to hideous play, Isiah #39;s Knicks are <b>...</b> Yes, the product is overpriced and the constant barrage of piped in sound effects is enough to drive Seinfeld #39;s Lloyd Braun into another nervous breakdown (hearing Ric Flair #39;s patented  quot;Wooo!


Clarke seeks club warm-up for NZ test SYDNEY: Australian legend-in-the-making Michael Clarke trained with New South Wales yesterday, but has stuck to his pledge to play club cricket rather than face New Zealand today.


Gretzky hasn #39;t said no to coaching The Great One hit TO yesterday and made it feel a bit more like winter. Wayne Gretzky was a pretty fair player in his day, and his time as an executive has been equally well spent.


Kidnapped Italian freed in southern Philippines An Italian aid worker walked free from the jungles of the southern Philippines on Wednesday, a day after he was abducted by local gunmen, officials said.


Thai riot official death toll questioned A Thai legislator says the death toll from a riot and its aftermath in the largely Muslim south may be far higher than the officially acknowledged 85, most of whom suffocated in army custody.


Injury after Camp Dogwood attack A soldier in the Black Watch battle group has been injured after a mortar round was fired into the troops #39; central Iraq base. The attack on Camp Dogwood came two days after a fourth member of the 850-strong group was killed in a suicide bomb attack.


At lest 22 die in north Iraq clashes, curfews slapped on <b>...</b> MOSUL, Iraq, Nov 10 (AFP) - At least 22 people were killed in a wave of violence in northern Iraq Wednesday, prompting the government to slap curfews on the Sunni Muslim cities of Mosul and Baiji.


Scripps Raises Forecast for TV Ad Revenue  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Media company E.W. Scripps Co. SSP.N  on Wednesday raised its forecast for broadcast television  advertising revenue in the current quarter, citing a  stronger-than-expected market for political commercials in  October.


Worm exploits Microsoft patch cycle The Bofra worm was released Monday--one day before the software giant's monthly patch update.


Warriors Whack Pacers 104-96 (AP) AP - Mickael Pietrus gave Golden State just the lift it needed, contributing 15 points and six rebounds off the bench as the Warriors ended a four-game losing streak with a 104-96 win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.


New Firefox supplies patches in nick of time In the very week Mozilla Firefox Version 1.0 was launched, a series of potentially nasty security holes have been uncovered in older versions of the browser.


Siemens' cordless phones gain access to Skype Skype Technologies SA is teaming with Siemens AG to offer cordless phone users the ability to make Internet telephony calls, in addition to traditional calls, from their handsets.


Microsoft Offers Users Legal Protection Software giant expands its indemnification program to cover the majority of its customers.


HP Unveils an Array of Printing Products Multifunction devices, workgroup printers, and a new digital pen debut.


Samsung SDI develops world's first '3D' mobile display (AFP) AFP - South Korea's Samsung SDI Co., the world's leading display maker, said that it has developed the first all-angle three-dimensional (3D) display panels for mobile phones.


Oil Climbing Back Up After Supply Report  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rebounded from seven-week  lows on Wednesday as U.S. heating oil stocks fell for an eighth  straight week ahead of winter.


Back to 'School' for Walton, and 167 Other Hopefuls  LONDON (Reuters) - Ireland's Philip Walton, who holed the  winning putt for Europe at the 1995 Ryder Cup, tees off this  week in a field of 168 at the European Tour qualifying school  finals in Spain.


Nasdaq on the slide Tech weakness hurts composite, while broader market little changed ahead of expected Fed rate hike. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Techs slumped early Wednesday on disappointment about Cisco #39;s earnings, while the


States #39; rights lose out to VoIP VoIP has escaped regulation by individual states in the US after a ruling by the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC decided that Vonage Holdings #39; DigitalVoice service could not be governed by dual


UPDATE 3-DR Horton earnings jump, sees strong 2005 Homebuilder DR Horton Inc. (DHI.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday posted a 52 percent increase in quarterly profit on strong orders for new homes and forecast better-than-expected results for 2005.


MGM Mirage Sees a City The casino company Wednesday announced ambitious plans to create a 66-acre city-within-a-city on the Las Vegas Strip between the Bellagio, which MGM Mirage owns, and the Monte Carlo, in which it holds a 50 stake.


BoE report suggests rates on hold Interest rates may have peaked, the Bank of England has signalled as it warned that house prices could fall further in the coming months.


We disclosed credit card fees say banks Major banks being investigated by the Commerce Commission for not properly disclosing credit card fees, insisted yesterday they have been upfront with the public over the fees for the past few years.


Skype Offers Free Wireless Voice Calls The Siemens handset has been designed to provide cordless access to Skype features including free Skype-to-Skype calling, buddy lists, the Skype Global Directory and conference calling.


Bluetooth v2.0 Introduced On Monday, the Bluetooth SIG, the organization behind the Bluetooth specification, announced the launch of the Bluetooth v2.0 spec.


Mutu in talks with Juventus Sacked former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu was in Italy today for talks with Serie A leaders Juventus. The disgraced Romanian international is banned from all football until


Orlando Magic Team Report - November 10 (Sports Network) - The much-improved Orlando Magic will take aim at their fourth win in five games tonight, when they take on the Washington Wizards at the MCI Center.


Toronto Raptors Team Report - November 10 (Sports Network) - The Toronto Raptors continues its Western Conference road trip tonight when they play the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center.


Vodafone targets iPod generation Young adults are the prime target of Vodafone's first video phones, which supports music downloads and TV clips.


Fifteenth Anniversary of the Berlin Wall #39;s Fall Fifteen years ago, Berliners took to the streets in a spontaneous explosion of disbelief and jubilation as they realized that the wall that had divided their city for 28 years had crashed to the ground literally and figuratively.


India ; India-EU summit was very successful: Manmohan India News, New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returned home early today after attending the India-EU summit at The Hauge. He was received by Minister of State in the Prime Minister #39;s Office Prithviraj Chauhan at the Palam Technical Area.


Microsoft Enters Legal Agreements with Novell, CCIA Microsoft this week reached legal and financial settlements with two of its most vocal antitrust critics -- Novell and the Computer  amp; Communications Industry Association.


Hercules falls to loss in 3Q on charge WILMINGTON, Del. -- Chemical company Hercules Inc. posted a third-quarter loss, weighed down by a charge, and said it will restate results for certain quarters after it reviewed its accounting practices.


Federated #39;s 3Q beats Wall Street Federated Department Store Inc. posted better-than-expected earnings in the third-quarter of 2004 thanks to a sales rebound in Florida, where hurricanes had dampened sales in September.


Shoppers Drug Mart Q3 profit up 21 at \$92.5M as sales rise 9 to <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. has rung up a healthy 21 per cent increase in third-quarter profit to \$92.5 million, as total sales increased nine per cent from a year earlier to \$1.


FCC Wants No State Strings Attached to VoIP The FCC has ruled against state regulation of voice-over-IP phone services, saying that disparate state regulations would slow their rollout.


Microsoft Has Your Back Microsoft is expanding its indemnification program for Windows and other software products in order to shield users from legal claims and patent disputes.


MGM #39;s Mini-Metropolis for Vegas Still pushing for its big merger with Mandalay Resort Group (MBG ), casino giant MGM Mirage (MGG ) pulled another card out of its sleeve on Nov. 10 with a giant residential and casino project it claims will


US airlines agree to anti-coliform steps on aircraft The Environmental Protection Agency said yesterday it has agreed with 12 US airlines on steps to improve aircraft water quality after the agency #39;s tests discovered coliform bacteria generally found in feces in water on 12 percent of airplanes.


Microsoft to launch new search engine Seattle - Software giant Microsoft is hoping to repel a challenge from Internet rivals Google and Yahoo by launching its own search engine on Thursday, according to reports on Wednesday in the American technology press.


Microsoft to indemnify most customers from legal threats NOVEMBER 10, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - In a bid to further differentiate itself from open-source rivals, Microsoft Corp. yesterday said it will expand its indemnification program to cover the vast majority of its customers.


Vodafone targets iPod generation Vodafone is targeting the iPod generation with its third-generation cell phones, putting music and video downloading at the heart of its sales push.


ISA Server 2000 and Proxy Server 2.0 Internet Content Spoofing This update resolves a newly-discovered, privately reported vulnerability. The vulnerability is documented in the Vulnerability details section of this bulletin.


Man arrested for selling Windows source code A man has been arrested for selling portions of the Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0 source code on-line after the software was illegally leaked onto the internet in February, according to reports.


Latest Trojan delivers SMS spam payload IT security experts have intercepted a previously undocumented Trojan virus with a novel payload that attempts to send spam SMS messages to mobile phones.


IBM plans Web meeting service, takes aim at WebEx NOVEMBER 10, 2004 (REUTERS) - IBM said yesterday it plans to offer Web conferencing as a hosted Internet service, seeking to reach small and midsize business customers while taking on more established rivals in the market.


Cobb County tells its side of evolution flap A metro Atlanta school district under fire for putting evolution disclaimers in biology books is making its case today for why the stickers should stay.


AMD inks manufacturing deal with Singapore company Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD) has entered into sourcing and manufacturing technology agreements with Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd.


Arsenal midfielder Edu suffers broken toe Arsenal midfielder Edu, who had just returned to the lineup after a calf injury, broke a toe in the Gunners #39; 3-1 Carling Cup win over Everton on Tuesday.


Interview: Iraqi society in need of intensified dialogue: Sunni <b>...</b> Iraqi society, plagued by violenceand disputes over an all-out offensive in Fallujah, is in greatneed of intensified dialogue, a prominent Sunni politician said onWednesday.


Two soldiers hurt in Iraq attacks Two British soldiers have been injured, one seriously, in separate attacks close to the Camp Dogwood military base, south of Baghdad.


Trade Gap Narrows Thanks to Weak Dollar  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. trade deficit narrowed  sharply in September, aided by a slide in the value of the  dollar, which helped push exports to record levels, a  government report showed on Wednesday.


USDA Finds Devastating Soy Rust in Louisiana  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The first case of soybean rust has  been found on the mainland United States and could affect U.S.  crops for the near future, costing farmers millions of dollars,  the Agriculture Department said on Wednesday.


Oil Prices Rebound After Heating Report  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rebounded from seven-week  lows on Wednesday as U.S. heating fuel stocks fell again ahead  of winter.


Delta to Issue Shares, Cut Jobs  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc. DAL.N, fighting  to avoid bankruptcy, will issue up to 75 million shares to  employees and creditors. The news sparked a 5 percent drop its  stock on Wednesday.


D.R. Horton Profit Up 52 Percent  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Homebuilder D.R. Horton Inc. DHI.N on  Wednesday posted a 52 percent increase in quarterly profit on  strong orders for new homes and forecast better-than-expected  results for 2005.


Strike threat to Christmas post A union warns of "very serious problems over Christmas" if its members vote to strike in a row over pay.


Austrialia Attacks Against Jews Increasing (AP) AP - Attacks against Jews have increased in Australia, a report by a major Jewish organization released Sunday showed.


Saturn moon may have ice volcano Saturn's largest moon Titan may have water-rich liquid welling up on to the surface from its warm interior, data from the Cassini spacecraft suggests.


UEFA Approve Use of Artificial Pitches Next Season  VIENNA (Reuters) - UEFA have approved plans for artificial  pitches to be used at national and club level from the 2005/06  season, European soccer's governing body said on Wednesday.


Group Seeks Union Election Spending Probe (AP) AP - An anti-union group is urging the Federal Election Commission to investigate one of the largest unions in the country, claiming the Service Employees International Union unlawfully spent workers' dues to elect Democrats in last week's election.


Microsoft Has Your Back The software monolith extends an intellectual property plan to all.   Also: U.S. opposes the WTO's online gambling plan   hellip;.  Microsoft will offer a long awaited preview of its search-engine technology   hellip;. and more.


USDA Finds Devastating Soy Rust in Louisiana (Reuters) Reuters - The first case of soybean rust has\been found on the mainland United States and could affect U.S.\crops for the near future, costing farmers millions of dollars,\the Agriculture Department said on Wednesday.


Dutch Anti-Terror Raid Over, Two Held  THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Dutch police stormed an apartment and  arrested two people on Wednesday, ending a 14-hour stand-off  that began when suspects sought in anti-terrorism probe wounded  three officers in a hand grenade blast.


MyDoom targets Microsoft again Timing of viruses that exploit a flaw in IE could be sign that creators are trying to unsettle Microsoft.


Viruses exploit Microsoft patch cycle Are MyDoom offshoots an attempt to throw Microsoft off-balance?


Good Times End With a Thud for Buffaloes (AP) AP - If heart and resiliency won championships, Colorado would have hoisted the Big 12 trophy before the title game even started.


La. Reports First Case of Soybean Rust (AP) AP - The first U.S. cases of the fungus soybean rust, which hinders plant growth and drastically cuts crop production, were found at two research sites in Louisiana, officials said Wednesday.


French citizens flee chaos in Ivory Coast About 150 American, Australian, Canadian and Spanish nationals gathered at Abidjan #39;s sleek, modern airport. A Spanish air force plane.


Vodafone targets iPod crowd Young adults are the prime target of Vodafone's first video phones, which support music downloads and TV clips.\<br />  Photos: Vodafone's 3G explosion\


Japanese Finally Beat the MLB All-Stars (Reuters) Reuters - Roger Clemens pitched well\just hours after winning his seventh Cy Young Award, but\Hisashi Iwakuma allowed just two hits to lead Japan to a 3-1\victory over the Major League All-Stars on Wednesday.


Photos: Vodafone's 3G generation Vodafone will primarily target the under-35's, a group which it characterized as the "young, active, fun" market.


Photos: Pocket-size PCs The 1.2 pound Sony Vaio U is powered by a 1.1GHz Intel Pentium M 733 processor, 512MB of RAM, and a 20GB, 1.8-inch hard drive.


Japan gives OK to Sun desktop suite Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry will consider company's open-source desktop suite for future bids.


Security Council The Russian president had been speaking of the need to maintain the effectiveness of the UN #39;s top council, the Indian government said.


FireFox 1.0 Roundup \\So FireFox 1.0 is released and the world rejoices (congrats guys !).  I sure\hope that Mammonsoft  has started working on IE 7.0 or they'll start to fall\behind.  Granted we have a long way to go before we catch up with Microsoft but\when you're on top you really have only one way to go (and thats down).\\Over at EWeek they're running an inteview with Mitchel Baker which is worth\checking out:\\"There's a whole set of things leading to interest in Firefox. One is the\product itself, which, once people have tried it, people love it. So it's both\innovative, it's got new features, it makes the Web a more enjoyable\experience, it makes people more comfortable, and it's fast. It's a set of\thi ...\\


Shoppers Drug Mart 3rd-Qtr Profit Rises 21 to C\$92.5 Million Shoppers Drug Mart Corp., Canada #39;s biggest pharmacy chain, said third-quarter profit rose 21 percent to C\$92.5 million (\$77.3 million).


WTO backs Antigua, rules US online gaming ban is illegal Antigua and Barbuda, the Caribbean island nation, won a World Trade Organization ruling that US legislation criminalizing online betting violates global laws.


Northrop Grumman, Boeing team up to bid on space contract LOS ANGELES Boeing and defense contractor Northrop Grumman say they #39;ll bid as a team to compete for NASA #39;s manned and robotic space exploration program.


Microsoft Widens Protection Plan Microsoft is raising the bar on intellectual property rights protection among software vendors -- particularly open source developers -- by extending its existing indemnification policy to


VIDEO GAME REVIEWS:  quot;Halo 2 quot; a worthy sequel that mostly lives up <b>...</b> Even if you don #39;t play video games, chances are you #39;ve heard about  quot;Halo 2. quot;. Microsoft Corp. made sure of that with a massive PR blitz, boldly proclaiming  quot;there hasn #39;t been this much anticipation


Saturn moon may have ice volcano Saturn #39;s largest moon Titan may have molten ice welling up to the surface from its warm interior, data from the Cassini spacecraft suggests.


Rockets 90 Grizzlies 87 Juwan Howard scored 20 points for the Rockets, who dropped the Grizzlies to 0-and-4. Yao Ming added 14 points and eleven rebounds to the win.


Nuggets in land of the lost What once looked a like a promising Denver Nuggets season rapidly is going into the deep freeze. On Tuesday night at the Pepsi Center, the Nuggets were crushed by, egads, the Seattle SuperSonics 108-88.


Vodafone Launches 3G Services in Europe (AP) AP - Cell phone giant Vodafone Group PLC, which has spent years struggling to recoup billions spent on 3G licences, finally launched the cutting-edge service Wednesday in much of Europe and introduced or beefed up its operation in a dozen other countries.


Arafat #39;s immediate successor a moderate Rauhi Fattouh, the man chosen as Yasser Arafat #39;s immediate successor as Palestinian Authority president, is a 55-year-old moderate who only became parliament speaker six months ago.


Holland: Police raid ends terror siege Dutch police stormed a house tonight to end a day long siege of terror suspects holed up inside. Three suspects were arrested. Special forces had launched an earlier, pre-dawn, raid on the house in the capital


British Troops Wounded as Families Campaign Against War A helicopter pilot and a Black Watch soldier were wounded close to Baghdad today as Prime Minister Tony Blair came under pressure from families of serving troops and over the future of Scottish regiments.


Netanyahu to PM: I #39;ll stay in gov #39;t Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced his long-awaited decision to remain in the government on Tuesday in a meeting with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, but it came with a catch: Netanyahu demanded a reassessment of unilateral disengagement.


Shots heard near Dutch building where terror suspects holed up THE HAGUE, Nov 10 (AFP) - Shots were heard Wednesday near a building in The Hague where suspected terrorists are holed up and which is under siege by Dutch police, witnesses told Dutch television.


U.S. Embassy's Legal Attache Shot (AP) AP - The legal attache for the U.S. Embassy was shot as he got out of his car in what appeared to be a botched robbery attempt, an embassy spokeswoman said Wednesday.


Iraqi foreign minister stops unexpectedly in Saudi Arabia (AFP) AFP - Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari arrived unexpectedly in the holy city of Mecca Wednesday where he met Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, the official SPA news agency reported.


Analysts Laud British Telecom's Pursuit of Infonet (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Industry analysts say there are many pluses to BT buying Infonet Services, including giving BT more resources to be a more effective global networking player.


Football. Fake grass approved  Uefa says it will allow European matches to be played on artificial pitches from the start of next season.


Dogpile Adding Topix.net News Headlines Dogpile Adding Topix.net News Headlines\\Topix.net announced a deal with InfoSpace to add Topix.net's news headlines to InfoSpace's Dogpile metasearch service, and also to help Dogpile's new IntelliFind technology determine when news content is likely to be relevant to users' Web search queries.\\Through this agreement, Topix.net alerts Dogpile to breaking news ...


News: Bofra worm sets trap for unwary A new family of worms which uses an unpatched vulnerability in Internet Explorer is spreading widely across the net.


Rugby: Vyvyan called up as England save Worsley for Boks and <b>...</b> LONDON : Saracens captain Hugh Vyvyan has been called up to the England replacements #39; bench for Saturday #39;s Test match against Canada at Twickenham as a result of an injury to back row forward Joe Worsley.


Mad Catz Signs Games Accessory Deal with Disney  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Video game accessory maker Mad Catz  Interactive Inc. will release a series of game-related products  based on Disney properties starting with "The Incredibles," Mad  Catz Chief Executive Darren Richardson said on Wednesday.


To Forecast Climate Change, Scientists Core Antarctic Ice Braving some of the world's coldest temperatures and wickedest winds, researchers are drilling ice cores in Antarctica to answer questions about global climate change.


Projects Remember Vets This November 11 Veterans Day, November 11, recognizes U.S. soldiers who have seen combat on the nation's behalf. Two groups are working to ensure that veterans are remembered for their service.


Arctic Melting Fast; May Swamp U.S. Coasts by 2099 Scientists have found that the ice in Greenland and the Arctic is melting so rapidly that most of it could be gone by the end of the century. Low-lying lands could be flooded and polar bears could go extinct, among other possibilities.


Toxic Frogs, Birds May Get Their Poison From Beetles The Colombian poison-dart frog and six South Pacific bird species use the same rare neurotoxin in their skin and feathers. Now researchers say the animals may eat beetles to obtain the poison.


Beyond "Polar Express": Fast Facts on the Real North Pole With The Polar Express chugging into movie theaters and a fictional North Pole, we're finding out that sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction. Photo Gallery


Birding Column: "Blind" Views of Quail and Jays Birder Mathew Tekulsky reveals the effectiveness of a concealed location for viewing birds, as he describes the behavior of quail and jays in his yard.


Stocks mixed ahead of Fed meeting Stocks were mixed Wednesday as Federal Reserve policymakers met and investors looked ahead to another hike in interest rates. In early afternoon trading, the Dow Jones industrial


WTO confirms ruling against US in gambling dispute with Antigua The World Trade Organization confirmed that a US prohibition the cross-border gaming and gambling over the Internet was illegal under global trade rules.


Novell Buries One Hatchet with Microsoft, but Files Suit on <b>...</b> November 10, 2004 - On Monday, Novell and Microsoft announced that the Redmond giant has agreed to pay \$536 million in cold, hard cash to settle an antitrust dispute regarding Novell #39;s Netware.


France to Sell About One-Third of Areva PARIS - France said Wednesday it plans to sell about one-third of Areva SA in a partial privatization of the state-owned nuclear group.


Grinstein: Delta Board OKs Stock Plan; 6,000 To Be Axed Dimmer switch on those holiday lights. The board of Delta Air Lines (nyse: DAL - news - people ) gave its OK to use an exception to the New York Stock Exchange #39;s investor approval policy.


Canadian Natural Resources snaps up Anadarko gas assets for \$698M CALGARY (CP) - Canadian Natural Resources, one of Canada #39;s largest natural gas and heavy oil producers, entered the acquisition market for a fourth time this year, buying energy properties from Houston-based Anadarko for \$698 million.


Federated Earnings Up 10 Percent in 3Q The retailing giant Federated Department Stores Inc. on Wednesday reported a 10 percent increase in third-quarter earnings, citing improvements after Florida hurricanes hurt September sales.


EPA Announces More Airliner Water Tests The US Environmental Protection Agency launched new drinking water quality inspections on airliners Tuesday after it found coliform bacteria in the drinking water of one of every eight passenger planes it tested.


Vertex Gains on Novartis Deal Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX :Nasdaq - news - research) shares rose in premarket trading Wednesday after the company announced a drug development deal with Switzerland-based Novartis (NVS :NYSE - news - research).


French Citizens Flee Ivory Coast Violence  ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Hundreds of French citizens fled their  former colony Ivory Coast on Wednesday after days of  anti-French riots and looting in a country once seen as a model  for Africa of post-independence prosperity.


Beta Version Of Microsoft Search Goes Out Thursday After at least a year of talk and sneak peeks, Microsoft starts its run at Google. By Gregg Keizer, TechWeb News. Microsoft will push its homegrown search software into beta tests Thursday, its first real move


Microsoft Patches ISA Server 2000 Flaw November 10, 2004 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- Software giant Microsoft (microsoft.com) issued a patch for a flaw in Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2000 and Proxy Server 2.0 on Tuesday.


Siemens Unveils Cordless Phones For Skype Users VoIP provider Skype has teamed up with Siemens Communications to offer cordless phones in a move that gives Skype users the ability to drop their headsets and use Siemens phones for free Web telephoning.


New Star Wars RTS Coming? November 10, 2004 - Could it be? Another bit of videogame goodness graced by the Star Wars universe? It looks that way, as LucasArts President Jim Ward told Reuters that a new Star Wars RTS title for the PC is on the way.


Stem cell advocates to request \$1B Emboldened by the success of a stem cell ballot initiative in California last week, two scientists who have long pushed for an ambitious research center for the biotechnology


GTA Dominates Britain November 10, 2004 - The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association announced this morning that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has become the United Kingdom #39;s fastest-selling videogame of all time.


Man Charged with Peddling Stolen Windows Source Code A Microsoft lawyer said the arrest was  quot;significant, quot; given the value of the source code.  quot;It is our secret recipe, our secret formula like the Coke formula, quot; associate general counsel Tom Rubin said.


Blue Gene Supercomputer Joins IBM #39;s eServer Family November 10, 2004 - Its not just the wonderful iSeries that comes out of IBM Rochester. The clever folks at the Minnesota hotbed of technical innovation are also responsible for the BlueGene/L supercomputer