Unseated Afghan governor looks to future HERAT, Afghanistan -- All evening, crowds of followers came and went through the vast, manicured gardens of ''emir sahib, quot; Ismail Khan. The women sat in a circle, weeping and waiting for their snowy-bearded leader to emerge. The men sat in long, quiet rows under a huge arbor of grapevines.


Allies agree to set up military training academy in Iraq BRUSSELS -- NATO allies agreed yesterday to create a military training academy in Iraq, expanding the alliance's small presence in the country after two years of feuding over the US-led war.


US military charges two soldiers with murder of 3 Iraqis BAGHDAD -- The US military said yesterday that it had charged two soldiers attached to the Army's First Cavalry Division with premeditated murder in the deaths of three Iraqis.


Vietnam vets back troubled unit CUMBERLAND, Md. -- When Army reservists from the 372d Military Police Company are welcomed home Friday at a belated public ceremony, the loudest cheers will probably come from the local chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America, who say they're heeding their vow to never again let one generation of veterans be shunned by another.


For Georgia man's kin, fear turns to horror MARIETTA, Ga. -- The family of hostage Jack Hensley received confirmation of his death yesterday, on what would have been his 49th birthday, a family spokesman said.


US soldier killed in Afghan attack KABUL, Afghanistan -- An attack on a patrol killed an American soldier, the third US fatality this week in Afghanistan, the military said yesterday, amid a flurry of attacks that wounded more than a dozen Americans in the run-up to the Oct. 9 presidential election.


Bad Mouth or Free Mouth, He Ruffles Genteel Airwaves If freedom of expression has limits in Canada, Jean-Franois Fillion, a radio shock jock on CHOI-FM, is testing them.


Palestinians Kill Three at Army Outpost GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Three Palestinian gunmen infiltrated a fog-shrouded Israeli army post at dawn Thursday, killing three soldiers in a fierce gun battle before they were shot dead, the army said.    The attack on the outpost guarding the isolated Morag settlement in southern Gaza came a day after a 19-year-old Palestinian woman killed two officers of the paramilitary border police in a suicide bombing at a crowded Jerusalem bus stop...


Cabrera's Homer Leads Red Sox Past Orioles Orlando Cabrera flung off his helmet, stepped on home plate and was mobbed by his teammates after leading the Boston Red Sox to another dramatic victory.    The celebration capped a tiring 24 hours for Cabrera, who flew all night from Colombia to Boston after leaving the team for two days to be with his ailing wife...


Midwest Getting Its Summer in September CHICAGO - At a time when restaurants typically put away their patio furniture, sweaters replace T-shirts and sailboats are plucked from the water, Midwesterners are out enjoying activities usually reserved for July and August - not weeks past Labor Day. Summer is here...


Bush Hopes Allawi Can Reassure U.S. Voters WASHINGTON - Iraq's visiting prime minister, Ayad Allawi, says he shares a hopeful view with President Bush that things are getting better in Allawi's tumultuous nation, a conviction the president is putting on full display to persuade doubting U.S. voters...


Palestinians Kill Three at Army Outpost GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Two armed Palestinians infiltrated a fog-shrouded Israeli army outpost in a Gaza Strip settlement early Thursday, killing at least three Israelis in a fierce gunbattle before being shot dead, Israeli media reported.    Two other Israelis were wounded, one critically, the Web site of the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot reported...


The Future of the Internet, Eleven Years Ago It seems hard to imagine, but the Internet was still a wild frontier just a decade ago.  But at a leading industry conference of the time a group of seers offered some remarkably prescient predictions of what was to come.


Computer Associates settles charges; ex-CEO indicted NEW YORK, September 23 (newratings.com) - The former Chairman and CEO of Computer Associates International (CA.NYS), Sanjay Kumar, has been charged with securities fraud in a multi-billion dollar accounting scandal.


Foreign direct investment outlook good Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows decreased by 18 percent in 2003 to USD560 billion, compared to a 17 percent decrease in 2002 according to the latest report from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).


Boeing Not Looking for Trans-Atlantic Spat The boss of Boeing Co. insisted Thursday that he is not looking for a trans-Atlantic spat in a dispute over subsidies for Airbus, but also said that aid for the rival aircraft maker #39;s new programs should stop.


Sony u-turn over MP3 music files Sony says its digital music players will now play MP3 format music tracks, and not just its own Atrac format. It is a major move for the electronics giant which has been criticised for only letting its own format be played.


Six more months for Mars rovers Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity will spend another six months crawling over the surface of the red planet and sending data back to Earth.


Sleek Looks and Superb Performance to Woo Mac Fans and PC Buyers Most all-in-one desktops with LCD panels (the Sony VAIO and Gateway Profile systems come to mind) are two units permanently connected together: the part of the case housing the motherboard and drives, and the monitor.


British broadband usage jumps 150 per cent in a year The number of British DSL subscribers jumped by 154 per cent in the last year to 2.7 million according to the latest report by the DSL Forum.


Web users addicted to net Surfers are becoming addicted to the internet and suffer from withdrawal symptoms if deprived of web access, a study has found. Yahoo #39;s Internet Deprivation Study tested how emotionally connected consumers


New signs of life below Poles revive hope for Mars! The discovery of large colonies of micro-organisms living under rocks in the most hostile habitat of the Arctic and Antarctic, may revive the hopes of finding life on other planets like Mars.


Intel intros new budget Celerons and chipset Intel has introduced a new addition to its line of budget Celerons and a new chipset. The new products will spearhead its attack on the Christmas market with a view to fending off the challenge of AMDs new Sempron range.


Graham Starring in Third Season With Pats (AP) AP - Daniel Graham was just a college sophomore when Ben Coates was wrapping up his brilliant career at tight end for the New England Patriots.


Time for Euros to have fun in majors So enough about why the United States can #39;t win the Ryder Cup. Considering their complete mastery of their American counterparts last week at Oakland Hills, the real question is, why can #39;t the Europeans win major championships?


Real chasing Sir Bobby? It sounds the most unlikely story since it was claimed that a London double-decker bus had been potted on the moon, but Real Madrid want Uncle Bobby to take over as their manager, according to The Sun.


Baseball Today (AP) AP - Houston at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EDT). Jason Schmidt goes for his 17th win for the Giants, a half-game ahead of the Chicago Cubs in the NL wild-card race and a half-game behind Los Angeles in the West.


Keane Pleads Not Guilty to Assault Charges (AP) AP - Manchester United captain Roy Keane pleaded not guilty to all three charges Thursday over an alleged confrontation with a 16-year-old boy.


Just a close call for closer No need to check with your primary care provider about the origin of that nervous tic you woke up with this morning, on the first full day of autumn. Ninth-inning home runs allowed in three consecutive games by Sox closer Keith Foulke, who also was tagged with blown saves in each of the last two games, were enough to leave ...


Returning to football helps Faulk carry on Kevin Faulk, like anyone who has lost a parent, will never forget. While reflecting yesterday on his mother, Mary Vivian, who lost a five-year battle with leukemia last week at age 52, Faulk hopes to use her memory toward helping the Patriots win a third Super Bowl.


Giants win, cut gap to half game Noah Lowry won his sixth straight decision and remained unbeaten in 13 major league starts, and Ray Durham hit a two-run double to lead the Giants to a 5-1 victory over the Houston Astros last night in San Francisco.


Notables Dodgers' Brad Penny left his first start in more than five weeks in the fourth with irritation of a nerve in his pitching arm.


Foulke unfazed by flops Keith Foulke isn't going to forget the last two nights anytime soon, but he won't be dwelling on them either.


Swing and a hiss: Bellhorn sets mark Less than 24 hours after delivering one of the biggest walkoff hits of the season, Mark Bellhorn last night found himself answering more questions about his strikeout total than his substantial contributions to the Red Sox. Bellhorn, who ranks among the team's leaders in walks, runs, and RBIs, set the major league record for strikeouts by a switch hitter Tuesday ...


Coach is in Seymour's corner Patriots coach Bill Belichick believes All-Pro defensive lineman Richard Seymour has played very well this season, despite being held to four tackles and no sacks through the first two games.  quot;In our defense, and in our offense, when the opportunities come, you count on the players to make the plays, quot; Belichick said.  quot;Not everybody gets the same number ...


Ankle injury sidelines Blake Washington Wizards point guard Steve Blake will miss the first month of the season after injuring his ankle in a pickup game. Blake underwent surgery yesterday to remove a chipped bone from his right ankle and is expected to miss 10-12 weeks, which would rule him out of the first 13 games. As a rookie last season, Blake played in ...


Needham tackle now playing for Harvard Andrew Brecher, a three-sport athlete at Needham High School, is now a sophomore at Harvard University, where he is a backup offensive tackle on the varsity football team.


Framinghan goalie shines at Saint Anselm Tim Galligan, a former All-New England soccer goalie at Framingham High School, has made an impressive freshman debut at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H.


Griest making a run for URI cross-country Derek Griest, a former track, cross-country, and soccer athlete at Bellingham High, is now a sophomore at the University of Rhode Island, where he is on the varsity cross-country team.


Today's schedule Pro baseball: Baltimore vs. Red Sox at Fenway Park, 7 p.m. College field hockey: Fitchburg St. at Anna Maria, 4 p.m.; Salve Regina at Framingham St., 4 p.m.; Southern Maine at Maine-Farmington, 4 p.m.; Keene St. at Williams, 4:15 p.m.; Husson at Colby, 4:30 p.m.; Gordon at Bates, 5 p.m.; Saint Anselm at Bentley, 7 p.m.; Simmons at Worcester St., ...


Top-ranked football team wins with flags, whistles The six men are co-workers and friends, and they are passionate about football. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, they rendezvous and ride together to spend the day at football games.


Athletes must come back to earth after Olympic venture It was only last month that Olympian Kent Smack was battling the world's best rowers on Schinias Lake outside of Athens. Today, he's back sitting at a desk in his office cubicle, facing deadlines and meetings.


Another difficult weekend for Frenchman Duval Loc finished 8th and 13th last weekend in Brno for the second to last round of the Formula 3 Euroseries championship.


Ready to go in Shanghai! Calculate race strategy and watch live telemetry from the first ever sessions of the inaugural Chinese Grand Prix.


Rate Rises  #39;Could See House Prices Slump #39; Rising interest rates could trigger a house price crash in the UK, the International Monetary Fund warned today. The Washington-based group said the


Suit Alleges Racial Bias Against Wal-Mart Wal-Mart has been sued in federal court by a man who claims the world #39;s largest retailer discriminates against blacks in 12 Southern states from seeking truck-driving jobs.


Electrolux issues profit warning Electrolux shares have tumbled after the world #39;s largest maker of consumer electronics said profit in the second half of 2004 will be less than forecast.


Sony Considers MP3 Support to Silence iPod Fans Consumer electronics giant Sony Corp. said on Thursday it is mulling a major strategic shift to make digital music devices that play MP3 song files.


Senate action could allow broadcasters to keep 700 MHz spectrum <b>...</b> WASHINGTONThe 700 MHz spectrum situation just got worse. The Senate Commerce Committee voted 13-9 Wednesday to possibly never require TV broadcasters to return spectrum in the 700 MHz band.


United skipper Keane in court Manchester - Manchester United captain Roy Keane denied on Thursday assaulting a 16-year-old boy when he appeared before a magistrates court here.


Susilo to form Cabinet as of Oct. 5: Minister JAKARTA (Antara): Presidential front-runner Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is leading in the vote-count by a wide margin ahead of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, will likely start drawing up his Cabinet on Oct. 5., a party leader has said.


Flood of horrors in Haiti Workers used dump trucks to empty more than 100 bodies into a 14-foot-deep mass grave yesterday, as officials struggled to deal with the corpses of hundreds of Haitian flooding victims.


US tanks, planes strike Baghdad Shi #39;ite district BAGHDAD: US tanks raided the Baghdad Shi #39;ite Muslim stronghold of Sadr City this morning as aircraft bombed the area and helicopters flew low overhead, witnesses said.


quot;Incendiary device quot; on Virgin Blue flight Days after the event, Australian police have confirmed reports that a Sydney airport baggage handler found an  quot;incendiary device quot; in the cargo hold of a Virgin Blue jet.


Japan, Brazil, India and Germany seek more influence over global <b>...</b> Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (left) Japanese Premier Junichiro Koizumi (second from left), Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (second from right) and German Vice Chancellor Joschka Fischer shake hands Tuesday Sept.


Nepal awaits Maoist response to call for talks: World News Kathmandu, Sep 23 : Nepal remained torn between hope and doubt, awaiting a response from the Maoist insurgents as the government said it would send a formal proposal to them to hold peace talks.


UK Hostage in Iraq Pleads for Life After 2 Americans Killed Kenneth Bigley, a Briton taken hostage in Iraq, asked UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to help save his life in a videotape posted on the internet and aired by broadcasters worldwide, after


More than 1,000 dead in Haiti (09/23/04)-- A mass grave in Haiti now holds more than 100 bodies -- and there may have to be many more such graves before the recovery from Tropical Storm Jeanne is complete.


Fatah threatens to revoke Barghouti #39;s membership The Palestinians #39; ruling Fatah party threatened Monday to strip Marwan Barghouti of his membership if the jailed candidate continues his bid for the Palestinian presidency.


Former software execs indicted Federal prosecutors charged former Computer Associates chairman and chief executive Sanjay Kumar and a former sales executive with 10 counts each of securities fraud and obstruction of justice, as the company reached a multimillion-dollar agreement on


Lawmakers expect to deliver bill to Bush soon WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- The House was expected to take up legislation as early as Thursday to extend popular middle-class tax cuts that would otherwise expire at the end of the year.


Corporate taxes melting away Some of the United States #39; biggest, most profitable corporations saw their federal income tax rates decline over the last three years, thanks to recent tax cuts, according to a liberal think tank in Washington.


Lara to play in ICC Champions Trophy final West Indies skipper Brian Lara, who had to retire hurt in the semi-final against Pakistan on Wednesday, has not suffered a serious injury and will play the final match of ICC Champion #39;s trophy against England, said an ICC press release here.


MLB: Seattle 16, Anaheim 6 Seattle pounded Anaheim pitchers for 24 hits Wednessday in a 16-6 rout of the Angels. Raul Ibanez had six hits and five RBI and Ichiro Suzuki had four hits to run his total to


Eyetrack service lets us look at you looking at us (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - You may not devote a great deal of thought to just how you go about digesting the content of web pages, but it can be of vital interest to the designer of a Web site. Eyetrack introduces visitors to both the means and results of measuring our most fundamental interaction with the Internet.


Jury orders Sony to pay  #36;82 million (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - A federal jury Wednesday ordered Sony to pay  #36;82 million to Immersion for violating the San Jose company's patents on video game technology.


Briton begs for life on video, asks Blair #39;s help Baghdad -- A militant group that beheaded two American engineers this week posted a video on the Internet on Wednesday showing a third hostage, Kenneth Bigley, a Briton, pleading for his life.


Three Israelis among five killed in Palestinian raid on Gaza <b>...</b> GAZA CITY : Five people, including three Israelis, were killed during a Palestinian raid on a Jewish settlement in the southern Gaza Strip amid a flare-up in violence on the eve of the Yom Kippur holiday.


India  #39;encouraged #39; by Musharraf #39;s speech: World News New York, Sep 23 : India has welcomed Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf #39;s speech at the UN General Assembly that was devoid of the usual rancour and attempt to rake up the Kashmir issue.


Conway: Saga far from over (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - PeopleSoft CEO Craig Conway, who has spent 15 months fighting off Oracle's hostile takeover attempt, said his company is digging in for a battle it expects to last many more months.


Morphine-Free Poppy Holds Key to New Pain-Killers (Reuters) Reuters - Australian scientists have discovered\how a naturally morphine-free poppy blocks production of the\narcotic, in a finding that could lead to the development of\more effective drugs.


Seven bombs across Spain injure five in reminder of Basque <b>...</b> MADRID (AFP) - Multiple bombs exploded across Spain injuring five people in attacks claimed by the Basque separatist group ETA, days after another series of blasts in Madrid in a reminder that the militant group is still a thorn in the side of authorities


Rumours over Google 'browser' The search giant Google is rumoured to be working on its own web browser.


Microsoft Takes Stands Against Spam, Sanctions No matter what one thinks of Microsoft Corp., the company's reach is so expansive that it nearly always makes news, even when there's little or no media attention at the time. -Jonathan Krim


More Hunger At Investor Lunches Jeff Grass  stands in front of 100 potential investors, pitching his Alexandria-based company,    BuySafe,  a bonding service for people buying products through online retailers or auctions. He has eight minutes to wow the full house as most of those in the audience balance lunchboxes of  turkey sandwiches, peaches and brownies from Balducci's on their laps.


Report-Lehman Near Deal on Enron Lawsuits (Reuters) Reuters - Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.\ is close to settling a class action lawsuit for  #36;220\million stemming from allegations that it colluded with other\brokerages to mislead Enron Corp.  shareholders, the\Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.


Greek accession to eurozone not in doubt: EU officials (AFP) AFP - EU data arm Eurostat is sending a mission to Athens to investigate Greece's pre-euro economic data, but Greek membership of the zone is not in doubt, officials said.


Former CA chief Sanjay Kumar charged with securities fraud Two ex-Computer Associates executives, including former chief executive Sanjay Kumar, have been charged with securities fraud, conspiracy and obstruction of justice relating to their alleged involvement in a multi-billion dollar accountancy scandal.


Chinese GP has much in store Shanghai - Although the title has already been decided, China #39;s first Formula One race still has second and third place in the standings to decide, along with the much anticipated return of former champion Jacques Villeneuve and Ralf Schumacher.


Sav Misses England Clash Robbie Savage will miss Wales #39; 2006 World Cup qualifier against England next month following his red card against Northern Ireland.


Resolution of problems with Pakistan will take time: Manmohan NEW YORK: Indias Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the complicated problems between Pakistan and India would take time for resolution.


American Airlines Seeks New Credit Line The parent company of American Airlines, facing intense competition from low-cost-carriers and higher jet fuel costs, is hoping to refinance or replace an \$834 million credit line, according to a newspaper report.


Congress Set to Extend Family Tax Cuts Congress is now poised to hand President Bush an election-year tax cut victory after Senate and House of Representatives negotiators on Wednesday night agreed to extend popular tax breaks for children and couples for five years.


Boeing boss says he is trying to avoid trans-Atlantic spat over <b>...</b> PARIS - The boss of Boeing Co. insisted Thursday that he is not looking for a trans-Atlantic spat in a dispute over subsidies for Airbus, but also said that aid for the rival aircraft maker #39;s new programs should stop.


Sony does u-turn for MP3 support Consumer electronics giant Sony Corporation has reversed its policy and now says that it will support the popular MP3 file format for some of its portable music players.


Windows XP upgrade is worth the trouble Typically, I discuss video games in this column, but being a computer engineering major, I figure it #39;s my responsibility to keep everyone up to date on the latest updates and information regarding computers and software.


Rumours surround Google browser Online journals, or weblogs, have put together a series of developments which suggest that the search engine is developing new web tools.


Apple earns less than a nickel per iTunes track Record labels are demanding such a large cut from online music sales that several of existing online music stores will eventually be forced to go under, The Independent cautions today.


Beckham Special Eases Real Pressure David Beckham and Real Madrids underfire galacticos are breathing a sigh of relief after another trademark free-kick by the England captain secured a 1-0 win over Osasuna.


Red Sox Win in Last At-Bat Orlando Cabrera homered in the bottom of the 12th inning to lead the Red Sox to their second straight victory in their last at-bat, 7-6, over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night.


Palestinian militants infiltrate Gaza Strip outpost, kill three <b>...</b> Palestinian gunmen infiltrated a fog-shrouded Israeli army post at dawn Thursday and killed three Israeli soldiers in a fierce gunbattle before two of the attackers were shot dead, the army said.


WHAT MANMOHAN SINGH WILL LIKELY TO SAY IN HIS ADDRESS TO UNGA In his maiden address to the UNGA, the Prime Minister will appeal to the world community to redouble its efforts to combat terrorism and build a strong case for India #39;s inclusion in the UN Security Council.


Microsoft to secure IE for XP only If you #39;re one of about 200 million people using older versions of Windows and you want the latest security enhancements to Internet Explorer, get your credit card ready.


Internet junkies in chilling cold turkey experiment If you #39;ve ever seen a smack-head handcuffed to a bed gibbering uncontrollably because he can #39;t get a fix, then be afraid, because that #39;s what you #39;ll look like after two weeks of internet-free cold turkey.


Giggs returns to face England Ryan Giggs will returns from suspension for Wales #39; crucial World Cup qualifier against England at Old Trafford. Giggs is in the squad for the game against Sven-Goran Eriksson #39;s side on Oct 9 and the Cardiff clash with Poland on Oct 13.


Israeli Soldiers, Palestinian Gunmen Killed in Gaza Clash Three Israeli soldiers and two Palestinian gunmen were killed during a firefight outside a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip Thursday.


Concern Mounts That North Korea May Be Planning Missile Test There is concern in Japan and South Korea that North Korea might be preparing to launch a ballistic missile. Officials in both Japan and South Korea say that since Tuesday, they have detected signs of activity


LTTE kills Karuna #39;s brother A strike force of the mainstream LTTE on Wednesday ambushed and killed Reggie, the number two in the dissident Tiger faction led by the former Batticaloa commander Col Karuna.


India among top four FDI destinations in Asia NEW DELHI - The United Nations Conference on Trade  amp; Development (UNCTAD) on Wednesday placed India among the top four Asian foreign direct investment (FDI) destinations and said it will get more foreign investment flows as the global economy rebounds


Martha Stewart to feature in new prime-time TV show NEW YORK, September 23 (newratings.com) - Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO.NYS) has reached an agreement with Mark Burnett, the producer of the popular reality TV shows  quot;Survivor quot; and  quot;The Apprentice, quot; to develop a new prime-time TV series featuring


Middle-Class Tax Cuts Extension Approved WASHINGTON Sept. 23, 2004 - Legislation to extend several popular middle class tax cuts cleared a House-Senate conference and could be on President Bush #39;s desk within days, handing him a major legislative


Wireless, imaging accessories from Nokia Nokia adds GPS to its accessory portfolio with the Wireless GPS Module LD-1W. Also new: the prying-eye Nokia Remote Camera PT-6 and Bluetooth-powered Wireless Headset HS-11W.


Six dead in Gaza settlement raid settlement, and the third after cornering him hours later in its greenhouse area. Israeli Army Radio carried live. Polls show most Israelis favour Sharon #39;s drive to quit Gaza and part of the West Bank.


Whispers of regime change As a number of public opinion polls show a sustained, if not growing, lead that President George W Bush enjoys over his Democratic Party opponent John Kerry, the neo-conservatives have started


Andrew Tumbles in Before-The-Bell Trade  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Andrew Corp. ANDW.O slid  11 percent before the bell on Thursday after the  telecommunications equipment maker forecast a quarterly loss  and weaker-than-expected revenue.


Stocks Set to Open Flat to a Bit Higher  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks appeared set to open  nearly unchanged to slightly higher on Thursday after a sharp  fall in the previous session, with oil prices easing.


Report-Lehman Near Deal on Enron Lawsuits  NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.  LEH.N is close to settling a class action lawsuit for \$220  million stemming from allegations that it colluded with other  brokerages to mislead Enron Corp. ENRNQ.PK shareholders, the  Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.


Turkcell signs Iran mobile deal Turkish mobile operator Turkcell is going ahead with a network in Iran, despite a law giving Iranian MPs a veto over foreign investment.


Global DSL subscriber base crosses 78m  report With 30m subscribers added in the 12 months leading up June 30, 2004, the number of global users of the DSL broadband technology reached 78m, according to the latest data produced for the DSL Forum, the international DSL trade association, by industry


Micorsof India launches new software Microsoft India today announced the launch of  #39;Express #39; product line for SQL server and visual studio, mainly targeted at entry-level developers and programming enthusiasts who are interested in experimenting with application development.


Woolmer, Inzamam in firing line Karachi - Captain Inzamam ul-Haq and coach Bob Woolmer came under fire on Thursday for choosing to bat first on a tricky pitch after Pakistan #39;s humiliating defeat in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final.


Hurricane Impact Drives Up Jobless Claims  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans lining up to  claim an initial week of jobless aid climbed more than expected  last week, primarily because of hurricanes that have battered  Florida, putting many people out of work, the government said  on Thursday.


Stocks to Watch Thursday  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks moving on Thursday: EXXON MOBIL  XOM.N, ROYAL DUTCH PETROLEUM CO. RD.N:


Cyberonics Up, Andrew Down Before Bell  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Cyberonics Inc. CYBX.O  jumped 14 percent before the bell on Thursday after the medical  technology company said federal health regulators had given  conditional approval to a depression treatment.


Jobless Claims Rise, Reflecting Impact of Hurricanes The number of new people signing up for jobless benefits rose last week, mostly reflecting the impact of hurricanes that recently ripped through Florida.


Palestinians Kill 3 Israeli Troops in Gaza  GAZA (Reuters) - Three Palestinian gunmen trying to  penetrate a Jewish settlement in Gaza killed three Israeli  soldiers Thursday before being shot dead, exacting the worst  toll on Israel's forces in occupied territories in four months.


Italian Govt. Tries to Assure Country Over Hostages  ROME (Reuters) - Italy's government tried to reassure an  anguished nation Thursday that two women hostages in Iraq were  most likely still alive, saying an Islamist group's claim to  have killed them was "unreliable."


Britain Rules Out Talks with Iraq Kidnappers  LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Britain ruled out  negotiations with the abductors of a British hostage in Iraq on  Thursday after a desperate plea for help from the hostage.


Ex-Official Says Iraq Wants Show Trial for Saddam  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The former head of Iraq's special  tribunal set up to try Saddam Hussein accused the interim  government Thursday of manipulating the tribunal for political  ends and planning hasty show trials and executions.


Confusion over Italian hostages Italy dismisses claims that two female aid workers held hostage in Iraq have been killed.


Nepal's PM calls for peace talks Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba makes an official call to Maoists rebels to join peace talks.


Giants Pull to Within 1/2 Game of 1st The San Francisco Giants moved within a half-game of first-place Los Angeles in the NL West and maintained a half-game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the wild-card race by beating the Houston Astros 5-1 Wednesday night. The Giants are 9-1 in their last 10 games, with Noah Lowry winning three times...


Court Rules a Horse Is Not a Vehicle PITTSBURGH - The state Supreme Court ruled that Pennsylvania's drunken driving law can't be enforced against people on horseback, a decision that inspired the dissenting justice to wax poetic.    The court ruled Wednesday in a case against two men in Mercer County in 2002...


Senate Approves Goss As Head of CIA WASHINGTON - The Republican-led Senate approved President Bush's choice to head the CIA, Rep. Porter Goss, over protests from some Democrats who said he has too many Republican ties for a job that requires independence...


Investors to Weigh Sell-Off, Earnings NEW YORK - Investors on Thursday will weigh the sharp retraction in stocks the day before as well as fears that the corporate profit picture is deteriorating.    Dow Jones futures fell 4 points recently, while Nasdaq futures were down 3 points and S P futures dropped 0.20 points...


Panel OKs Extension of Tax Cuts WASHINGTON - Legislation to extend several popular middle class tax cuts cleared a House-Senate conference and could be on President Bush's desk within days, handing him a major legislative victory in the closing weeks of the presidential campaign.    The \$145.9 billion package marked the fourth significant tax cut package that the president has championed since taking office...


Stevens Returns to U.K. After Detention LONDON - The singer formerly known as Cat Stevens returned to Britain Thursday, saying he was "totally shocked" that he was barred from entering the United States.    The singer, who changed his name to Yusuf Islam more than 25 years ago, was met by a swarm of reporters as he came through the arrivals area at Heathrow airport...


Update 1: Morgan Stanley and Bear Stearns crashed finance sector Morgan Stanley, the second-biggest US securities firm, on Wednesday reported lower-than-expected third-quarter profit on lower fees from trading stocks and bonds.


Korean Economy Falling Alone The Asian Development Bank (ADB) sharply lowered its economic growth forecast for Korea for this year and the next, lowering its outlook from 4.8 percent to 4.4 percent for this year and from 5.2 percent to 3.6 percent for next year.


Huge US bakery files Chapter 11 Bee Staff Writer. Interstate Bakeries Corp., which operates a bakery in Sacramento and recently closed another here, filed Wednesday for bankruptcy reorganization.


US Airways, pilots resume talks com. With its pilots back at the negotiating table and one, albeit small, round of givebacks in the bag, US Airways is hoping for continued good news as it navigates its second bankruptcy filing in two years.


Wal-Mart sued for racial bias against black drivers NEW YORK, September 23 (newratings.com) - A Mississippi resident has flied a lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores (WMT.NYS) alleging that the retail giant discriminates against African-Americans seeking jobs as truck drivers with the company.


PeopleSoft Says 3rd-Qtr License Revenue Tops Oracle #39;s (Update2) PeopleSoft Inc., which is fighting a takeover bid from Oracle Corp., said revenue from new software licenses this quarter has exceeded Oracle #39;s sales of the same kind of products in its most-recent period.


SA #39;s e-attacks jump 796 Johannesburg, 23 September 2004 - Symantec #39;s sixth biannual report on global trends in Internet attacks, vulnerabilities, and malicious code activity shows SA recorded a 796 annual increase in the number of these attacks, rising from 375 per user last


England pacemen to target Lara in Trophy final England will target Brian Lara in the Champions Trophy final after the West Indies captain was felled by a delivery from Shoaib Akhtar in the semi-finals.


Its not easy being Green As Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shawn Green struggles with his decision to play or not to play this Friday and Saturday in observance of Yom Kippur, local Jews hope his faith will win out over the pennant race.


Hostage #39;s brother accuses US over freedom moves The brother of British hostage Kenneth Bigley today accused the American government of  quot;sabotaging quot; moves to free his brother.


Italian Govt. Tries to Assure Country Over Hostages Italy #39;s government tried to reassure an anguished nation Thursday that two women hostages in Iraq were most likely still alive, saying an Islamist group #39;s claim to have killed them was  quot;unreliable.


Mass graves in flood-ravaged Haiti GONAIVES, HAITI - Workers in hurricane-battered Gonaives, Haiti, used a dump truck on Monday to put bodies of flood victims in a ditch dug as a mass grave.


Bush and Pakistani Talk, Skirting Army Role resident Bush spoke for an hour with President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan yesterday morning in a conversation devoted largely to the hunt for Osama bin Laden and terror groups, administration


Al-Qaida threatens Lebanon, Syria Al-Qaida reportedly warned the Lebanese and Syrian authorities against harassing Muslim extremists captured in Lebanon for planning terrorist attacks.


Britain Stands Firm as Hostage Pleads The British and Iraqi governments said on Thursday they would not bow to the demands of militants threatening to kill a British captive, despite a video message from the hostage pleading for his life.


Hack Attack Gums Up Authorize.Net Hackers have crippled one of the internet #39;s biggest credit card processors, and tens of thousands of online merchants are losing business while the company struggles to recover.


Russian ministries start agreeing to Kyoto approval At least one Russian ministry has signed letters agreeing to Moscow #39;s approval of the Kyoto Protocol, a spokesman said on Thursday, in what could be a final step in bringing the global pact into force.


Attacks disrupt some credit card transactions com September 22, 2004, 4:00 PM PT. Most IT Managers won #39;t question the importance of security, but this priority has been sliding between the third and fourth most important focus for companies.


PEREZ DENIES SPECULATION Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has dismissed suggestions the club are actively searching for a new coach to fill the position currently held by Mariano Garcia Remon.


Sun Hung Kai urges HK to increase land supply (FT.com) FT.com - Sun Hung Kai Properties, Hong Kong's largest property developer, urged the government to increase land supply as demand for new flats was expected to remain strong.


Sony Considers MP3 Support to Silence iPod Fans  LONDON (Reuters) - Consumer electronics giant Sony Corp.  said on Thursday it is mulling a major strategic shift to make  digital music devices that play MP3 song files.


Cisco Sees China as Center of World Tech Market  BEIJING (Reuters) - Cisco Systems Inc. CSCO.O Chief  Executive John Chambers said China was well on the way to  becoming the world's technology hub as he revealed plans for  his company's first research center in the country.


Hurricane Impact Drives Up Jobless Claims (Reuters) Reuters - The number of Americans lining up to\claim an initial week of jobless aid climbed more than expected\last week, primarily because of hurricanes that have battered\Florida, putting many people out of work, the government said\on Thursday.


Stocks to Watch Thursday (Reuters) Reuters - Stocks moving on Thursday: EXXON MOBIL\, ROYAL DUTCH PETROLEUM CO. :


Cyberonics Up, Andrew Down Before Bell (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of Cyberonics Inc. \jumped 14 percent before the bell on Thursday after the medical\technology company said federal health regulators had given\conditional approval to a depression treatment.


Rite Aid Posts Profit Vs. Year-Ago Loss (Reuters) Reuters - Drugstore chain Rite Aid Corp. \on Thursday reported a quarterly profit, reversing a year-ago\loss, on strong cash flow and a reduction in inventory-related\expense.


Activists Show Alleged Vote Machine Flaws Activists and computer programmers Wednesday demonstrated what they said were flaws with electronic voting machines that could allow hackers to change vote outcomes Nov. 2. They recommended new procedures for states and counties to put in place before Election Day.


Cisco Sees China as Center of World Tech Market
\

 By Eric Auchard and Daniel Sorid

 BEIJING (Reuters) - Cisco Systems Inc. <CSCO.O> Chief\Executive John Chambers said China was well on the way to\becoming the world's technology hub as he revealed plans for\his company's first research center in the country.


Sony Considers MP3 Support to Silence iPod Fans
\

 By Bernhard Warner

 LONDON (Reuters) - Consumer electronics giant Sony Corp.\said on Thursday it is mulling a major strategic shift to make\digital music devices that play MP3 song files.


Hubble's deepest shot is a puzzle Cosmologists may have to reassess their understanding of the evolution of the early Universe after surprising new data from the Hubble Space Telescope.


Coast-Mapping Satellites Will Follow the Tides Satellite image acquisitions will be synchronised with the tides as part of an ambitious new project to map coastlines from space. Accurate up-to-date marine charts are essential for safe shipping navigation.


Soft Drinks Supply Americans With More Calories Than Milk Researchers say alarming trend cuts across all age groups    HealthDayNews -- Soft drinks are surging ahead of milk as a source of calories for many Americans, says a University of North Carolina study.    The study found that between 1977 and 2001 the amount of energy that Americans get from soft drinks has tripled from 50 to 144 calories a day, while energy intake from milk declined from 143 calories to 99 calories a day...


New Boarding School Teaches Weight Control Methods Required exercise at 7 a.m. sharp. No personal televisions or computers. A cafeteria bereft of potato chips and candy bars but full of good-for-you vegetables. Mal Mahedy's new school has tons of rules that other teens would find intolerable.


Poor Medical Treatment Kills Thousands Each Year By MARK SHERMAN    WASHINGTON (AP) -- Requiring doctors and hospitals to report publicly on their performance and tying their pay to the results would dramatically reduce avoidable deaths and costs attributable to poor medical care, says a new report from an organization that works to improve health care quality.    Wild variations in medical care led to 79,000 avoidable deaths and \$1.8 billion in additional medical costs last year, the private National Committee for Quality Assurance said in its annual report released Wednesday...


Insurance Falls Short for Many Workers By THERESA AGOVINO     NEW YORK (AP) -- Privately insured, low-income workers with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes and asthma are being financially squeezed as employers shift the burden of higher health care costs to employees, a new study found.    The number of such individuals spending more than 5 percent of their income on out-of-pocket medical costs soared 48 percent to 2.2 million people from 2001 to 2003, according to a study released Thursday by the Center for Health System Change...


Game publishers sweat console change More game companies may drop out of business as new consoles push up development costs.


Cisco to set up R D lab in Shanghai BEIJING -- Cisco Systems Inc. plans to open a research and development (R D) center in Shanghai that will focus on developing VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology, the company's chief executive officer (CEO) said Thursday.


AMD still mulling plans for a joint-venture chip plant Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) may yet team up with another chip maker for the construction of a semiconductor fabrication plant (fab) to expand its manufacturing capacity for microprocessors, despite shelving similar plans in 2003, according to a senior company executive.


Report: DoCoMo, Cingular to link on 3G technology TOKYO -- NTT DoCoMo Inc. has decided to work with Cingular Wireless LLC on 3G (third-generation) cellular telephone technology following the latter's acquisition of NTT DoCoMo's current U.S. partner, AT T Wireless Services Inc., the Nihon Keizai Shimbun business daily reported in its Thursday morning edition.


IRiver Unveils Colorful Audio Players New hard-drive based devices feature color screens, support for WMP 10.


REVIEW: Apple's New IMac G5 Short on Extras For six years, iMacs have set the standard for the PC industry with eye-popping designs, clever utilization of space and leaps forward in usability. Lately, though, Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL) seems to be making more waves with iPod music players than its venerable consumer PCs.


San Francisco Giants to Offer Wi-Fi Instant Replays SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Peanuts, hot dogs and wireless instant replays. It's the future of baseball...


Sony Shifts Strategy to Support MP3 Files SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- In a major strategic reversal, Sony Corp...


Cybersecurity Office May Relocate By TED BRIDIS    WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House will propose moving cybersecurity offices from the Department of Homeland Security to the White House as part of the intelligence reorganization, according to draft legislation obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press. The bill, expected to be introduced Thursday, would place cybersecurity into the White House budget office...


Activists Show Alleged eVoting Machine Flaws By ERICA WERNER    WASHINGTON (AP) -- Activists and computer programmers Wednesday demonstrated what they said were flaws with electronic voting machines that could allow hackers to change vote outcomes Nov. 2...


Microsoft Allows for Better Backups Microsoft jumped into the disk-based backup and recovery market this week with the announcement of the Microsoft Data Protection Server, a low-cost, continuous, disk-based backup and recovery system.


Five up for Games inclusion Golf, rugby union and squash have been included in a shortlist of five sports being considered for the 2012 Olympics. Karate and roller sports complete the list, while softball, baseball and modern pentathlon could be excluded.


Israeli Army Blows Up House Near Gaza The Israeli army blew up an abandoned house near a Gaza Strip settlement Thursday, sending large plumes of smoke in the air. An army spokesman said the house, not far from the Jewish


Al-Qaeda #39;s Lebanese chief arrested BEIRUT: Lebanon said Wednesday it had arrested the top Al-Qaeda operative in the country and another man linked to Osama bin Laden #39;s terrorist group who were plotting to blow up the Italian


Google Browser May Be Reality Google Browser May Become Reality\\There has been much fanfare in the Mozilla fan camps about the possibility of Google using Mozilla browser technology to produce a GBrowser - the Google Browser. Over the past two weeks, the news and speculation has escalated to the point where even Google itself is ...


Bush Marks Opening of Indian Museum (AP) AP - President Bush on Thursday marked the opening of the new American Indian National Museum, saying it will serve as a powerful reminder of the spirit and vitality of peoples native to the nation.


Iraq, Middle East troubles overshadow UN meeting (AFP) AFP - Gloomy news about Iraq and the Middle East peace process overshadowed the second day of the UN's annual gathering of world leaders.


Sources: N.Korea May Be Preparing Missile Launch  TOKYO (Reuters) - The United States and Japan have detected  signs that North Korea is preparing to launch a ballistic  missile capable of reaching almost anywhere in Japan, Japanese  government sources said Thursday.


Iran Says Talks Only Way to Resolve Nuke Standoff  TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said Thursday dialogue was the only  way to resolve an international standoff over the Islamic  republic's nuclear program which Washington says is a cover for  building atomic weapons.


China facing environment 'crisis' A senior Chinese official tells the BBC the country's environmental problems have reached crisis levels.


Three Israelis, Three Palestinians Killed in Gaza Clash Three Palestinian gunmen trying to penetrate a Jewish settlement in Gaza killed three Israeli soldiers on Thursday before being shot dead, exacting the worst toll on Israel's forces in occupied territories in four months.


Gary Andres Frivolous obstructionism was on display again in the US Senate Tuesday. But don #39;t try to adjust your C-SPAN picture; it #39;s just another poignant example of what the Wall Street Journal calls the  quot;Dead Zone, quot; legislation


Real merges its player, music services units RealNetworks Inc. is merging its RealPlayer and Music Services business units into a single group so that the teams can collaborate on developing new products and services, the company announced Thursday.


Microsoft unveils storage server solution MICROSOFT Corp announced the broad availability of its Windows Storage Server 2003 (WSS2003) solution for South Asia markets, in conjunction with the TechEd 2004 developer conference here yesterday.


REAL RULE OUT ROBSON Real Madrid have played down speculation linking former Newcastle United manager Sir Bobby Robson with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.


Brees Gets Starting Nod for Chargers  SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Sports Network) - San Diego Chargers  quarterback Drew Brees will be under center for this Sunday's  contest versus the Denver Broncos.


Top Czechs Renew Rivalries at Home, Not in NHL  TRINEC, Czech Republic (Reuters) - It's not uncommon for  Ottawa Senators forward Radek Bonk and New York Rangers forward  Jaromir Jagr to meet up on a sheet of ice and play hockey --  unless it's in their native Czech Republic.


Japanese Baseball Players, Owners Reach Deal  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese baseball players and club  representatives reached a deal Thursday to end the first strike  in the 70-year history of the sport in Japan, with owners  agreeing to let newcomers into the leagues as early as next  season.


Five Sports on Shortlist for Possible Olympic Games Inclusion  LONDON (Reuters) - Golf, rugby and squash are on a  shortlist of five sports to be assessed for possible inclusion  in the 2012 Olympics.


Moya Leads Off Against Mathieu in Davis Cup Semi  ALICANTE, Spain (Reuters) - Spain number one Carlos Moya  will start off against Paul-Henri Mathieu of France as he bids  to lead his country to their third Davis Cup final in five  years this weekend.


Scotland Gets to Tee-Off Just in Time  WOBURN, England (Reuters) - Zane Scotland won a race  against time to avoid disqualification from The Heritage on  Thursday after going to the wrong tee to start his round.


AMD's Ruiz disappointed by Microsoft's 64-bit delays Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) is disappointed by Microsoft Corp.'s decision to delay the introduction of 64-bit versions of its Windows operating system, but sees no significant impact from the delay on sales of its 64-bit processors, the company's top executive said Thursday.


IRS Relaxes Rules on Business Tax Filing (AP) AP - The Internal Revenue Service is making it easier for the smallest of businesses to file their income tax returns, allowing more of them to use the very simple form known as Schedule C-EZ.


European Stocks Down, Dollar Swoons  LONDON (Reuters) - European shares fell, the yen and dollar  wilted and benchmark government bond yields scraped against  multi-month lows on Thursday as high oil prices continued to  worry global financial markets.


Stocks Seen Opening Lower as Oil Climbs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures pointed to a lower  open on Wall Street on Thursday, extending the previous  session's sharp fall, with rising energy prices feeding  investor concerns about corporate profits and slower growth.


Rite Aid Posts Profit, Reaffirms Outlook  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Drugstore chain Rite Aid Corp. RAD.N  on Thursday reported a quarterly profit, reversing a year-ago  loss, on strong cash flow and a reduction in inventory-related  expenses.


Trump Hotels and Equity Firm Break Off Investment Talks Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts Inc., the flagship of Donald J. Trump's faltering casino holdings, said that a recently announced deal to inject fresh money into the debt-laden concern had fallen apart.


Martha on the Mark Martha Stewart hooks up with reality television guru Mark Burnett to reinvent Martha.


US Airways Sets Tomorrow Deadline For Labor Deals SEPTEMBER 23, 2004 -- In a special employee bulletin, US Airways CEO Bruce Lakefield late yesterday said the carrier would ask the judge overseeing its bankruptcy case to authorize new labor contracts unless major employee unions agree to more concessions


Boeing Says 7e7 Being Developed Without Subsidies PARIS, Sept 23 (AFP) - US aircraft maker Boeing has not received subsidies to finance the developement of its new 7E7 commercial airliner, chief executive Harry Stonecipher said Thrusday, dismissing accusations from European rival EADS.


Electrolux profits hit by high steel price STOCKHOLM - Swedish household electrical goods manufacturer Electrolux warned on Thursday that high prices for inputs of materials and mainly of steel would set back profits more than expected this year.


Comptroller convicted on 72 counts A federal jury, following a five-week trial, has convicted the former comptroller of Americable International and other affiliated cable television companies on 72 counts of various frauds and money laundering.


Twinkies May Have Lost Their Twinkle (Sep 23, 2004) -- OGDEN, Utah (AP) -- Interstate Bakeries Corp., which has 300 employees at bakeries in Ogden and Salt Lake City, has filed for bankruptcy protection.


IMF Forecasts Decline in Gross Domestic Product The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is forecasting another decline in gross domestic product (GDP) of between 4 to 5 percent, but says the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono #39;s inflation forecast is achievable if the central bank


Bank confirms talks to obtain control of S. African bank LONDON (CBS.MW) -- British bank Barclays on Thursday said it is in talks to buy a majority stake in South African bank ABSA. Free!


Electrolux Profit to Miss Forecast on Steel Costs (Update3) Electrolux AB, the world #39;s biggest maker of household appliances, said second-half profit will be less than forecast as costs for materials including steel surge.


Microsoft Publishes First Windows XP SP2 Patch Over a month and a half after completing Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), Microsoft has finally released the first patch that fixes a problem with that release.


Sprint serves up Samsung smartphone With the economy slowly turning up, upgrading hardware has been on businesses radar in the past 12 months as their number two priority.


Bryans hope for Davis Cup title The season once held so much promise. There were gold medal dreams, Grand Slam possibilities and aspirations of continued dominance.


Baseball: Rare player strike grips Japan TOKYO It leads the TV news, and everyone from schoolchildren to the prime minister is talking about it. The first baseball strike in Japanese history has gripped the nation and rekindled interest in what was


LEWIS OUT TO SHINE AGAIN Jamal Lewis had few problems coping with Marvin Lewis #39; defensive schemes last season and will be hoping history can repeat itself on Sunday when the Baltimore Ravens visit the Cincinnati Bengals in an AFC North Division match-up.


Haiti Storm Death Toll Could Reach 2,000 GONAIVES, Haiti - Storm-battered survivors trudged Thursday through mud contaminated by bodies and sewage and dangerous with debris that slashed bare feet, amid fears that an epidemic could ravage the city whose death toll officials say could reach 2,000.


Syria continues withdrawing its forces from Lebanon Syrian military units withdrew from Lebanon in the early hours of today (Thursday) morning in the framework of a large- scale redeployment operation by the Syrian forces.


Syria #39;s role appreciated by Italy Italy expressed appreciation over Syria #39;s efforts in combating terrorism, pointing to its important role in foiling a terrorist attack that was targeting the Italian and Western interests in Lebanon.


The Tyler Hamilton Affair On Monday evening, the UCI gave shocking news to Phonak team officials: Tyler Hamilton, the team captain, the Olympic time trial champion, and the winner of Stage 8 of the Vuelta a Espana


Iraq denies prisoner release plan MARK COLVIN: Meanwhile, the Iraqi Interim Government has denied that it #39;s going to release a top woman germ warfare scientist, Rihab Taha, from jail.


Palestinian gunmen kill 3 Israelis in Gaza Three armed Palestinians infiltrated the Jewish settlement of Morag in southern Gaza on Thursday morning, killing three Israelis and injuring another, according to Israeli military sources.


End to Libya sanctions on EU agenda The EU is set to give the all-clear to lifting an 18 year old arms embargo against Libya following high level talks in Brussels. EU ambassadors meeting on Wednesday agreed in principle to dropping the sanctions


Mount Asama erupts for first time in five days, shaking nearby <b>...</b> Mount Asama #39;s mid-sized eruption set off a loud blast and shook a nearby town. It also sprinkled small bits on ash on downtown Tokyo.


Rite Aid Posts Profit Vs. Year-Ago Loss Drugstore chain Rite Aid Corp. (RAD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday reported a quarterly profit, reversing a year-ago loss, on strong cash flow and a reduction in inventory-related expense.


Boeing lands 200 7E7 down payments Boeing has received down payments for up to 200 of its new 7E7 planes in addition to the known 52 orders it has gained, Chief Executive Harry Stonecipher said in an interview published Thursday.


IPod faces competition as MP3 player sales boom Sales of MP3 players are rocketing, fuelled by falling unit prices, integration of MP3 support into a wider range of devices and the creation of legal music download websites.


Space Station Crew Plans New Missions STAR CITY, Russia - The new crew to the international space station will conduct experiments to research new AIDS vaccines and plant growth, and work on new space vehicles that will help future missions to the moon and Mars, crew members said Thursday.


Microsoft Expands Code Sharing For a number of years, Microsoft has allowed government entities in most of the world access to the source code for Windows; as of today, Microsoft is expanding this so-called Shared Source Initiative to include Office.


More attackers targeting e-commerce and Web apps, says Symantec The total number of virus attacks are down, but malicious codemeisters are getting faster, more sophisticated, and they #39;re beginning to target e-commerce concerns and small businesses.


Blue Chips Open Down; Oil Near \$48  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Blue-chip stocks opened slightly lower  on Thursday, with rising energy prices feeding investor  concerns, but the Nasdaq index opened higher after software  company Cognos Inc. COGN.O posted better-than-expected  earnings.


AG Edwards Profit Misses Forecasts  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Brokerage firm A.G. Edwards Inc.  AGE.N on Thursday said quarterly earnings rose 8 percent as  expenses declined, but sluggish equity markets caused profit  and revenue to fall short of analysts' forecasts.


Update 1: Rite Aid Earns \$9.8M in Second Quarter Rite Aid Corp. reported a second-quarter profit of \$9.8 million on Thursday, citing better cash flows and a reduction in inventory expenses.


Europe lifts weapons ban from Libya Two days after the American trade embargo was lifted from Libya, the European Union yesterday approved to lift the economic sanctions imposed on Tripoli in addition to lifting arms sales to it.


Rite Aid Posts Profit, Shares Drop  NEW YORK (Reuters) -  Drugstore chain Rite Aid Corp. on  Thursday reported a quarterly profit, reversing a year-ago  loss, as lower borrowing costs offset the effects of sluggish  sales growth.


Leading Indicators Decline in August A closely watched measure of future economic activity fell in August for a third consecutive month, reflecting an uncertain climate for both businesses and consumers.


Edward C. Baig: Personal Tech - Family tree research can be addictive fun (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Family tree research can be addictive fun. With my long-lost relative's assistance, help from closer kin and the latest version of Family Tree Maker software, I've been identifying the branches of a Baig family tree.


Space Station Crew Plans New Missions (AP) AP - The new crew to the international space station will conduct experiments to research new AIDS vaccines and plant growth, and work on new space vehicles that will help future missions to the moon and Mars, crew members said Thursday.


Star Wars Game Gives Battle Tour Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader may get all the glory, but a new Star Wars video game finally gives credit to the everyday grunts who couldn't summon the Force for help.


Former CA chief indicted; company reaches accord update Former CEO Sanjay Kumar is indicted as Computer Associates agrees to a \$225 million settlement in an ongoing accounting probe.


Blind Feed the Blind at New Paris Eatery (AP) AP - They tasted like tomatoes, but in the pitch black it was hard to tell. A couple at the next table was obviously struggling with eating blind, too.


Illinois Takes Top Ranking in AP Poll (AP) AP - Illinois took an unusual route to the top of The Associated Press' men's college basketball poll. The Illini, riding their impressive win over then-top-ranked Wake Forest, vaulted from fifth to No. 1 on Monday, moving past three unbeaten teams.


In Hinesville, home of the 3rd ID, talk is of Iraq, not the elections (AFP) AFP - In the small US town of Hinesville, where streets are named after generals and stores offer military discounts, talk almost invariably turns to the next Iraq mission, and only seldom to the upcoming elections.


Palestinians Kill 3 Israeli Soldiers at Settlement  GAZA (Reuters) - Three Palestinian gunmen breached defenses  around an Israeli settlement in Gaza and killed three soldiers  before being shot dead Thursday, exacting the worst toll on  Israel's forces in occupied territory in four months.


Mass burial for Haiti storm dead Flood victims in Haiti are buried in a mass grave, amid more warnings of the threat of disease.


Iraq Leader Tells Congress That Sacrifice Won't Be in Vain Offering a simple, "Thank you America," Iraqi interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi addressed a joint meeting of Congress .


Even Near Home, a New Front Is Opening in the Terror Battle Federal officials are trying to prosecute operators of Web sites that recruit terrorists.


Wi-Fi world under threat from Symbol patent Wireless vendor Symbol Technologies Inc. has told us it will be seeking a big license fee from all Wi-Fi equipment vendors for an infringed patent. And according to one manufacturer, Proxim Corp., it stands a good chance of getting it.


Placer Dome forecasts higher 2005 gold production VANCOUVER - Mining company Placer Dome said its gold production is expected to hit 3.7 million ounces next year, up from its 2004 forecast of 3.6 million ounces.


Unemployment, Oil News Keep Stocks Mixed NEW YORK - Stocks were mixed in early trading Thursday as investors weighed a rise in unemployment claims against a slight drop in oil prices.    In the first hour of trading, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 43.51, or 0.4 percent, to 10,065.67, one day after it lost more than 135 points...


U.S. Rules Out Iraq Women Prisoner Release BAGHDAD, Iraq - Authorities insisted they won't give in to militants' demands to free female Iraqi prisoners despite the plea of a tearful British hostage begging Britain to save his life in a video released by his captors.    The captive, Kenneth Bigley, appealed to British Prime Minister Tony Blair to intervene...


Allawi Touts Iraq Progress, Thanks U.S. WASHINGTON - Offering a simple, "Thank you America," Iraqi interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi declared Thursday that his country is succeeding in its effort to move past the war that ousted Saddam Hussein.    In an appearance that President Bush's advisers hoped would ease American voters' doubts about the troubled campaign in Iraq, Allawi told a joint meeting of Congress that despite struggles and setbacks, "the values of liberty and democracy" are taking hold there...


Anti-spam standard body dismantled The IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) has disbanded its anti-spam working group, MARID (MTA Authorization Records In DNS) working group, in part because of an intellectual-property row surrounding Microsoft Corp.'s Sender ID proposal.


Hurricanes Lead to Spike in Jobless Claims WASHINGTON - The number of new people signing up for jobless benefits rose last week, mostly reflecting the impact of hurricanes that recently ripped through Florida.    The Labor Department reported Thursday that new applications for unemployment insurance went up by a seasonally adjusted 14,000 to 350,000 for the week ending Sept...


Shell spends big to recoup  #39;lost #39; oil Shell has pledged to spend more cash on finding oil and gas over the next three years as the world #39;s No.3 oil company admitted that its production was likely to be flat until 2009.


US Weekly Jobless Claims Climb 14,000 To 350,000 WASHINGTON (AFP) - US jobless claims rose in the past week, with Hurricane Ivan a major factor, the Labor Department reported. The number of claims rose 14,000 to 350,000 in the week to September 18.


Andrew forecasts a loss Andrew Corp. Thursday forecast a fiscal fourth-quarter loss on lower revenue, citing rising raw materials costs and weak demand in North America as two large customers that are about to


Star Lawyers Shine in \$82 Million Patent Case A case pitting two of the biggest names in IP law against each other came to a head Tuesday, when an Oakland, Calif., jury awarded \$82 million to a San Jose, Calif.


Space Station Crew Plans New Missions STAR CITY, Russia Sept. 23, 2004 - The new crew to the international space station will conduct experiments to research new AIDS vaccines and plant growth, and work on new space vehicles that will help future


Sony #39;s Ando says DVD format dispute to continue for some time <b>...</b> TOKYO, Sep 22, 2004 (AFX-Europe via COMTEX) -- The dispute over next-generation DVD formats will continue for some time, Kunitake Ando, chairman of the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association and president of Sony Corp, said in


Mars rovers get new lease on life The Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, received another 6 months of funding from NASA. The two rovers were originally designed to complete a primary mission of three months, but have continued to operate for 5 additional months.


Cisco #39;s New Offerings Enhance SAN Extensions Companies that need to move storage data over long distances quickly and securely now have more options with the introduction of the MDS 9000 Multiprotocol Services Module and 9216i fabric switch from Cisco Systems Inc.


Fletcher issues Lara warning LONDON - England coach Duncan Fletcher has cautioned his bowlers about bombarding West Indies captain Brian Lara with bouncers in tomorrow #39;s ICC Champions Trophy final at The Oval.


Wales midfielder Savage to miss England game as red card upheld Wales midfielder Robbie Savage will miss the World Cup qualifying match against England in October after FIFA, world soccer #39;s ruling body, upheld a red card he was given this month, the Football Association of Wales said.


Jordan vows to fight for survival Jordan #39;s boss Eddie Jordan promised here on Thursday that he would fight to stay in next season #39;s Formula One championship despite the tough situation he faces.


Juve on top as Messina shock Milan ROME, Italy -- Juventus increased their advantage at the top of Serie A with a 2-0 victory over Sampdoria in Genoa on Wednesday to extend their 100 per cent start to the season.


-Posted by david.berlind  6:57 am (PDT) ThoughMicrosoft #39;s Web site appears to indicated otherwise, the company has acknowledged that, going forward, critical Internet Explorer security updates will only be available for Internet Explorer(IE) running on Windows XP.


I don #39;t deserve to die: Briton #39;s plea to Blair Britain yesterday ruled out negotiating with the abductors of a Briton in Iraq, despite a desperate plea for help from the hostage.


EU tentatively agrees to lift embargo on Libya BRUSSELS : European Union (EU) officials agreed in principle to lift an arms embargo on Libya after pressure from Italy. Italy has for several months been pressing its EU counterparts to lift the embargo imposed


Forces Boost Urged to Halt Darfur Killings Calls for the deployment of substantial African forces to Sudan to end the slaughter in Darfur were agreed by Liberal Democrats today.


Nazi heir artwork collection attacked A woman has attacked two works of art at a controversial Berlin exhibition given by the heir of a convicted Nazi industrialist, before shouting that she forgave their owner, police say.


Furl Search Client Acquired By LookSmart Furl Search Client Acquired By LookSmart\\LookSmart, an Internet search company, today announced the acquisition of  Furl.net, an innovative service that enables users to save a full-text copy of any page on the Web, then search and share that data. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Furl allows members ...


How the music biz can live forever, get even richer, and be loved A modest proposal from Orlowski. No, really...


Treasuries Tussle with Profit-Takers (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. Treasury yields held near\six-month lows on Thursday, though the market was struggling to\extend recent hefty gains in the face of profit-taking.


AG Edwards Profit Misses Forecasts (Reuters) Reuters - Brokerage firm A.G. Edwards Inc.\ on Thursday said quarterly earnings rose 8 percent as\expenses declined, but sluggish equity markets caused profit\and revenue to fall short of analysts' forecasts.


Future Economic Activity Gauge Falls (AP) AP - A closely watched measure of future economic activity fell in August for a third consecutive month, reflecting an uncertain climate for both businesses and consumers.


Greece admits it broke rules to join euro ATHENS Greece has confessed to having been in breach of European Union budget deficit rules since 2000, leading to suggestions that it may not have been entitled to join the common currency after all.


Jobless Claims Rise Amid Hurricanes #39; Impact The Labor Department said Thursday that claims, reflecting the impact of hurricanes in Florida, increased by a seasonally adjusted 14,000, to 350,000.


Barclays looks to buy Absa stake UK lender Barclays is in talks with South Africa #39;s Absa about buying a majority stake in the bank. The move would  quot;immediately quot; boost earnings and profit, and  quot;enhance the bank #39;s existing successful African operations quot;, Barclays said.


Trump Casinos Deal with DLJ Is Off ATLANTIC CITY, NJ-In early August, Trump Hotels  amp; Casinos announced it had struck a deal with DLJ Merchant Banking Partners for an infusion of cash to reduce Trumps debt and restructure the company through bankruptcy proceedings.


Steel costs to hit Electrolux profit Electrolux, the world #39;s largest maker of household appliances, said Thursday that earnings in the second half of 2004 would be below forecasts because of higher steel prices.


Sony considers adding native mp3 support to its players Some outlets are reporting that Sony has decided to add native mp3 support to its digital music players, but the electronics giant says it has not yet made a final decision.


Ireland cracks down on net scams Ireland is taking  quot;extraordinary quot; measures to protect internet users from rogue dialler programs that hijack their modems and run up long-distance phone charges, the country #39;s telecom regulator says.


Corning #39;s Crystal-Clear Future the world leader in production of the ultra-thin glass used by companies such as LG Philips LCD (NYSE: LPL), Sony (NYSE: SNE), Hitachi (NYSE


Formula One: Desperate days for also-rans SHANGHAI Far from killing the intrigue and interest, the almost total domination of the Formula One season by Michael Schumacher and Ferrari has, paradoxically, ensured a that the last three races of the year, starting with the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday


UN nuclear inspectors head to Brazil United Nations atomic agency inspectors are to head to Brazil next month to try to resolve a dispute after Brazilian authorities denied the agency access to a uranium enrichment facility.


Japan alert for N. Korean rocket test SEOUL Citing intelligence from spy satellites and radio interceptions, the Japanese prime minister #39;s office said on Thursday that North Korea might be preparing a test launching of a Rodong ballistic missile.


BJP flays Musharraf #39;s comment on bilateralism New Delhi, Sept. 23 (PTI): The BJP today appreciated Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf #39;s emphasis on resolving all issues with India peacefully but objected to his contention that bilateralism was being given the last chance.


Jet hoax exposes lapse in security Passengers leave a Virgin Blue jetliner after arriving at Maroochy Airport, on Queensland #39;s Sunshine Coast. Photo:Andy Zakeli.


Electrolux Warns Steel to Dent Profits (Reuters) Reuters - Electrolux, the world's biggest maker\of home appliances, warned on Thursday that soaring steel\prices would hit its second-half profits to the tune of 500\million crowns ( #36;68 million).


Electrolux Warns Steel to Dent Profits  STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Electrolux, the world's biggest maker  of home appliances, warned on Thursday that soaring steel  prices would hit its second-half profits to the tune of 500  million crowns (\$68 million).


Hammer Time for Computer Associates It's fall and the leaves aren't the only things starting to drop -- so are more executives who are falling from grace as swashbuckling accounting methods of the 1990s continue to come under the microscope of Uncle Sam. -washingtonpost.com


Zara chain takes fur off shelves Inditex, the Spanish fashion group which owns Zara and Massimo Dutti, agrees to ditch fur just days before widespread demonstrations.


Barclays looks to buy Absa stake UK lender Barclays says it is in talks with South Africa's Absa about buying a majority stake in the bank.


Empty Twinkies Get New Filling A few weeks back, I had a pretty dim view of Twinkie and Wonder Bread maker, Interstate Bakeries (NYSE: IBC). I even suggested -- shudder -- that the firm might


Hurricanes spike jobless claims The number of applications for unemployment benefits increased last week and the US Department of Labor is attributing most of the hike to the impact of Hurricanes Frances and Charley in Florida, according to an Associated Press report.


US economic barometer down 0.3 in third straight decline WASHINGTON : A closely watched index of future economic activity fell 0.3 percent in August, the third consecutive monthly decline, the Conference Board said on Thursday.


Report-Lehman Near Deal on Enron Lawsuits Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (LEH) is close to settling a class action lawsuit for \$220 million stemming from allegations that it colluded with other brokerages to mislead Enron Corp.


Mercedes: Years to Regain Peak Profit DaimlerChrysler #39;s flagship Mercedes Car Group intends to regain peak profit levels within the next few years after operating profit dips in 2004, division had Juergen Hubbert said on Thursday.


BCE Inc. expects \$578 million from selling most of stake in <b>...</b> MONTREAL (CP) - BCE Inc. is selling most of its minority stake in Manitoba Telecom Services for a total of \$578 million, with MTS buying back more than half of the shares and the rest sold on the open market, BCE announced Wednesday.


Sony Must Pay \$82 Million to Immersion for Infringement According to the Associated Press, Sony Computer said it disagreed with the verdict and promised to appeal. Immersion has patents on the  quot;vibro-tactile quot; technologies that can send vibrations


Google rumoured to be planning Internet Explorer rival LONDON - Google could be planning to launch a web browser to challenge the dominance of Microsoft #39;s Internet Explorer, according to widespread industry speculation.


US families suffer from web withdraw The study, which was conducted by Yahoo and media agency OMD, examined the way in which 13 US households reacted to being denied access to the internet for two weeks.


Enter your e-mail: The MultiMediaCard Association (MMCA) has just announced that its super-small MMC cards will be adopting new logos and capabilities.


First game for AMD 64-bit chip emerges com September 21, 2004, 2:07 PM PT. With the economy slowly turning up, upgrading hardware has been on businesses radar in the past 12 months as their number two priority.


PeopleSoft throws customers a discount and free upgrade PeopleSoft Inc. unveiled a new incentive program on Wednesday offering customers free upgrade assistance and a credit toward new purchases, an initiative the company hopes will spark sales and encourage customers to move to its latest releases.


Philips Begins Mass Production of Sixth-Gen TFT-LCDs LG.Philips LCD Co. Ltd. today reported that mass production at its sixth generation thin-film-transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) plant in Gumi, South Korea, began last month.


AOL Shuns Mac Users With New PassCode Service A new, optional log-on service from America Online that makes it harder for scammers to access a persons online account will not be available for Macintosh


Sturrock Ready for Owls Challenge New Sheffield Wednesday manager Paul Sturrock is adamant he has learned from mistakes he made during his troubled time at Southampton.


CORRECTED-Forssell could be out for six months In HELSINKI story  quot;Soccer-Forssell could be out for six months quot; please read in intro ... a national team spokesman said... instead of ...Finland #39;s Football Association said... (corrects source). Also, in para


Croyle #39;s injury clouds postseason optimism Brodie Croyle didn #39;t need a preliminary diagnosis. He didn #39;t need an MRI, nor did he need a doctor to tell him the sobering news.


quot;Masses of interest quot; in Jaguar Racing Tony Purnell, the boss of Jaguar Racing says that there is  quot;masses of interest quot; in the team, which the Ford Motor Company has decided to discontinue.


Haiti Storm Death Toll Could Reach 2,000 GONAIVES, Haiti Sept. 23, 2004 - Workers dug new mass graves for corpses that still littered this flood-ravaged city Thursday as the death toll from Tropical Storm Jeanne rose to more than 1,070 and residents


Megawati refuses to concede defeat Megawati Sukarnoputri has declined to concede defeat in Indonesia #39;s first direct presidential election, although with most votes counted, she is too far


Workers suspect in bomb scare WORKERS at Sydney airport have emerged as the prime suspects for the planting of a suspicious package in the cargo bay of a Virgin Blue 737 aircraft on Monday.


Children wounded in attack US warplanes fired on insurgent targets in the east Baghdad slum of Sadr City overnight, killing at least one person and injuring 12 -- many of them children -- hospital officials said yesterday.


RP, MILF agree on JI inspections The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front agreed yesterday to conduct a joint inspection of MILF-held areas suspected to be hosting training camps of the regional terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in Mindanao.


Computer Problems Cause Lufthansa Delays A technical problem at Lufthansa forced the German airline to cancel some 29 domestic and European flights on Thursday. Although the German flag carrier #39;s long-haul flights were not affected, further European


Arabs Split Over 'Legitimacy' of Iraq Beheadings  DUBAI (Reuters) - Are foreign hostages hapless victims of  militants abusing Islam or casualties of the U.S.-led  occupation of Iraq?


German Arrested Over Suspected Nuclear Arms Trade  BERLIN (Reuters) - A German man has been arrested on  suspicion of arranging the supply of nuclear arms equipment to  a foreign state, German federal prosecutors said Thursday.


Hurricanes lead to spike in jobless claims The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits rose last week. The Labor Department says claims, reflecting the impact of hurricanes in Florida, increased by a seasonally adjusted 14,000 to 350,000.


Future Economic Activity Gauge Falls A closely watched measure of future economic activity fell in August for a third consecutive month, reflecting an uncertain climate for both businesses and consumers.


House-Senate Committee Agrees to Continue Tax Cuts Putting aside efforts to control the federal deficit before the elections, Republican and Democratic leaders agreed in principle on Wednesday to extend \$150 billion


Steelcase Posts Drop in 2Q Profit Steelcase Inc., the world #39;s top office furniture maker, said Thursday that second-quarter earnings dropped year-over-year on the sale of the company #39;s Attwood operations, but soundly beat Wall Street expectations due to higher sales and lower operating


Mercedes Sees 2004 Profit Below 2003 DaimlerChrysler AG #39;s Mercedes Car Group Thursday warned that operating profit for this year will decline despite a rise in car sales, as it boosts spending to improve product quality.


China set for F1 Grand Prix A bird #39;s eye view of the circuit at Shanghai shows what an event Sunday #39;s Chinese Grand Prix will be. The course is arguably one of the best there is, and so it should be considering the amount of money that has been spent on it.


#39;MASSES OF INTEREST #39; IN BUYING JAGUAR TEAM Jaguar boss Tony Purnell has revealed there is  quot;masses of interest quot; in buying the troubled Formula One team. Purnell, who runs Jaguar a part of his role as chief of Ford #39;s premier performance division, believes


From Romans to rock stars: the biography of our nation Twelve years and 55,000 entries later, the herculean task of updating the  #39;Oxford Dictionary of National Biography #39; has finally been completed.


Wife begs captors to free hostage The wife of British hostage Kenneth Bigley begs his captors to show mercy and set him free.


Oil Eases as U.S. Mulls Tapping Stocks  LONDON (Reuters) - High-flying oil prices paused in their  ascent on Thursday as the U.S. government considered whether to  release crude from the U.S. petroleum reserve after Hurricane  Ivan sliced into supplies.


Halliburton May Separate KBR Unit  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Halliburton Co. HAL.N, beset by  controversy over its work in Iraq, plans to shed its KBR  engineering and construction unit if the oilfield services  company's share performance does not match its peers, it said  on Thursday.


Bush Marks Opening of Indian Museum WASHINGTON - President Bush on Thursday marked the opening of the new American Indian National Museum, saying it will serve as a powerful reminder of the spirit and vitality of peoples native to the nation.   "The National Museum of Indian affairs affirms that this young country is home to an ancient, noble and enduring native culture," Bush said in the East Room of the White House...


Haiti Storm Death Toll Could Reach 2,000 GONAIVES, Haiti - Workers dug new mass graves for corpses that still littered this flood-ravaged city Thursday as the death toll from Tropical Storm Jeanne rose to more than 1,070 and residents grew increasingly agitated from a lack of food and drinkable water.    Health workers feared an epidemic from the unburied bodies, raw sewage in drinking water and infections from injuries...


Unemployment, Oil News Keep Stocks Mixed NEW YORK - A slowdown in economic growth and oil prices hovering around \$48 per barrel renewed fears of disappointing third-quarter earnings Thursday and kept stocks mixed.    In late morning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 39.53, or 0.4 percent, to 10,069.65, one day after the index lost more than 135 points...


National Oil Reserves Eyed to Offset Hurricane Losses The Bush administration said Thursday it is weighing a request from several U.S. refiners to borrow crude oil from the nation's emergency stockpile to help offset supply disruptions along the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Ivan.


Lehman May Settle Enron Scheme Lawsuit Wall Street brokerage house Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. is close to reaching a deal to pay about \$220 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging that it and other big brokerage firms participated in a scheme with Enron Corp.


Bailout plan shelved for Donald Trump #39;s casinos ATLANTIC CITY, NJ Donald Trump is trying to make a deal after the proposed bailout of his cash-strapped casino company was shelved by  quot;mutual agreement.


Steelcase Posts Profit, Sees Problems Steelcase Inc. (SCS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world #39;s largest office-furniture maker, on Thursday swung back to a quarterly profit from the previous quarter, but warned that rising


AMD Disappointed by 64-Bit Delay Microsoft #39;s decision to push back a 64-bit Windows will not hurt chip sales, company says. Advanced Micro Devices is disappointed by Microsoft #39;s decision to delay the introduction of 64-bit versions of its


Hodge to tour but Clarke favoured BRAD HODGE was not waiting to be asked if he would be included in the Australian Test team. He got on the front foot and made the call himself.


Philippines link to JI training A SECRET government report says Muslim guerillas in the southern Philippines have hosted terror training camps for militants from Indonesia and Malaysia for at least seven years.


Former Computer Associates CEO pleads not guilty The former CEO of Computer Associates International Inc. pleaded not guilty Thursday at his arraignment on federal securities fraud and other charges, becoming the most senior official


PeopleSoft Plays Defense I admire PeopleSoft #39;s (Nasdaq: PSFT) fight. Tuesday, the business software maker announced a broad partnership with IBM (NYSE: IBM) in which Big Blue #39;s popular WebSphere middleware


Halliburton May Separate KBR Unit Halliburton Co. (HAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , beset by controversy over its work in Iraq, plans to shed its KBR engineering and construction unit if the oilfield services company #39;s


Enter your e-mail: Sony, in case you hadn #39;t noticed, has a long history of making really nifty consumer electronics devices. It also has a long history of doing things its own way--adopting proprietary technologies and standards


Enter your e-mail: Word on the Web is that Google may be thinking of releasing a Web browser--possibly one based on the open-source Mozilla code. The company now owns www.


Sony To Pay \$82 Million in Patent Case Immersion filed a lawsuit against Sony Computer and Sony Computer Entertainment of America, claiming that the Japanese company used its game technology in the PlayStation game consoles without the company #39;s approval.


Sven gets vote of confidence London - England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has been given a vote of confidence from the Football Association (FA) with the governing body dismissing suggestions they would be prepared to let the Swede leave for Real Madrid.


Intel and AMD Keep Value Battle Alive With their 64-bit chip war running at full tilt, rivals Intel and AMD (Quote, Chart) are bolstering efforts on their value-priced lineups.


Sauvage sweats on 10th gold WHEELCHAIR racing champion Louise Sauvage yesterday won silver in her pet event, leaving her just one more shot at a 10th Paralympic gold medal before retirement.


Coliseum the site of a Brown love-in? Bee Staff Writer. ALAMEDA - The best advice for Tim Brown on what he should do when he enters the Coliseum on Sunday comes from the self-proclaimed  quot;Mr.


Fears of N Korea missile launch NORTH Korean missile bases are under close surveillance after increased activity detected by US and Japanese surveillance raised fears Pyongyang might be preparing to launch a missile across the Sea of Japan.


Wal-Mart Seeks to Repair Image in Calif. (Reuters) Reuters - Wal-Mart Stores Inc.  sent\an open letter to California residents on Thursday, hoping it\will help the world's largest retailer  overcome resistance to\its plans for expansion in that state.


Halliburton May Separate KBR Unit (Reuters) Reuters - Halliburton Co. , beset by\controversy over its work in Iraq, plans to shed its KBR\engineering and construction unit if the oilfield services\company's share performance does not match its peers, it said\on Thursday.


Ex-Chief of Computer Associates Kumar Pleads Not Guilty The charges against the former chief executive, Sanjay Kumar, were revealed Wednesday after the company agreed to a \$225 million settlement.


Banking on Christopher   Banks? Management keeps growing and buying back shares even as the retailer struggles.


Bell Canada sells stake in MTS MONTREAL (CP) - BCE Inc. is selling most of its minority stake in MTS for a total of \$578 million, with MTS buying back more than half of the shares and the rest sold on the open market, BCE announced Wednesday.


US team might be better off without Tiger; Sutton #39;s strategy flops Did I just attend one of the greatest events in sports, or was it the Booz Allen Classic? The Europeans #39; dominance was so overwhelming from the very first session that the life was completely sucked out of this Ryder Cup, along with all of the energy.


NL Capsules Carlos Zambrano pitched 7 1-3 shutout innings to outduel Oliver Perez and beat Pittsburgh for the fifth straight time this season, carrying the Chicago Cubs to a 1-0 victory over the Pirates on Wednesday night.


Device found on Australian plane Australian police are investigating an incendiary device discovered on board an airliner at Sydney airport. A baggage handler found the device on Monday in the cargo hold of a Virgin Blue Boeing 737 that was


Electronic-Vote Critics Urge Changes to System (Reuters) Reuters - Voting activists on Wednesday\enlisted computer experts, a trained monkey and a man on a\hunger strike in a last-minute pitch to convince officials to\improve the security of electronic vote-counting systems.


Blue Chips Down, Hurt by Exxon Downgrade (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. blue-chip stocks were knocked\lower on Thursday after Exxon Mobil Corp.  was\downgraded by a brokerage, but the technology-dominated Nasdaq\index rebounded from Wednesday's sharp decline.


Ex-CA Chief Pleads Not Guilty to Fraud (Reuters) Reuters - Former Computer Associates\International Inc.  Chief Executive Sanjay Kumar pleaded\not guilty on Thursday to charges of securities fraud and\obstruction of justice stemming from a two-year investigation\into accounting fraud at the software company.


Russia Plans Space Station Launch on Oct. 11 (Reuters) Reuters - Russia will launch a three-man crew to\the International Space Station on Oct. 11, two days later than\initially scheduled due to problems with the docking system,\Itar-Tass news agency reported on Wednesday.


Life is a Gas: Methane Might Support Underground ET (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - A new test that produced methane under conditions mimicking the deep interiors of Earth and Mars lends support to an idea that the gas could theoretically support unseen colonies of microbes on both worlds. And the study hints at the possibility of a potential vast supply of petroleum products.


Zero G Flights Could Bolster Space Tourism, Research Industries (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - Floating free above Earth and carrying out an experiment in space has long been the preserve of orbiting travelers, but at taxpayer's expense.


BMW Unveils World's Fastest Hydrogen-Powered Car  PARIS (Reuters) - German luxury carmaker BMW unveiled the  world's fastest hydrogen-powered car at the Paris auto show on  Wednesday, dubbed the H2R, capable of exceeding 300 kilometers  (185 miles) per hour.


Renault Says May Make Compact Sports Car  PARIS (Reuters) - French carmaker Renault is thinking about  making a compact sports car based on its Clio city runabout, a  top company executive said on Thursday.


Activists: Afghan women no better off (Chicago Tribune) Chicago Tribune - Human-rights organizations criticized the Bush administration Wednesday, saying in the three years since the Taliban was ousted from most of Afghanistan, the U.S. has not fulfilled promises of safety, freedom, education and health care for Afghan women.


Sterling remains weak after dovish minutes from Bank of England (AFP) AFP - Sterling pared some of its losses but remained weak, particularly against the euro after the dovish minutes from the Monetary Policy Committee's last meeting were released.


Marine Killed in Iraq's Anbar Province (AP) AP - A U.S. Marine was killed while conducting security operations in Anbar province, the military said Thursday.


Pakistani authorities burn 22 tonnes of seized drugs (AFP) AFP - Pakistani authorities torched more than 22 tonnes of seized drugs, including heroin, hashish, opium and morphine, in southwestern Baluchistan province, officials and witnesses said.


Budget math deflating many Bush initiatives (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - A number of spending initiatives promoted by President Bush as he seeks re-election are set to get less money than he wants from the Republicans who control Congress.


Iraq Leader Addresses Congress, Vowing Elections in January Offering a simple, "Thank you America," interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi addressed a joint meeting of Congress.


John Calls Taiwanese Photographers 'Pigs' TAIPEI, Taiwan - Sir Elton John warmed up his vocal chords for a concert Thursday in Taiwan by telling photographers they're a bunch of "rude, vile pigs."   The media ambushed the rock star after he arrived by private plane Thursday shortly after midnight at Taipei's Chiang Kai-shek International Airport. John was angry that police allegedly did not properly restrain the pack and protect him "from the ensuing chaos," a statement issued by the singer said...


Slower Economy, Oil Leave Stocks Mixed NEW YORK - A slowdown in economic growth and oil prices hovering around \$48 per barrel renewed Wall Street's fears of disappointing third-quarter earnings Thursday and kept stocks mixed.    In late morning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 49.70, or 0.5 percent, to 10,059.48, one day after the index lost more than 135 points...


Fla. Court Nixes Law Keeping Woman Alive TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a law that was rushed through the Legislature last fall to keep a severely brain-damaged woman hooked up to a feeding tube against her husband's wishes...


Jobless claims rise to three-week high The US Labor Department said Thursday the number of workers filing first-time applications for unemployment benefits hit a three-week high last week.


Trump: The fragrance NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - You can read his books, stay in his hotels, gamble in his casinos and watch him on TV. Now, you can smell like him too.


UPDATE 1-Brazil budget surplus hike shows solid control-IMF A decision by Brazil to raise its budget surplus target shows the government had  quot;solid control quot; of the country #39;s economic needs, an International Monetary Fund official said on Thursday.


Update 1: Entergy Sees Lower 3Q Earnings Gas and electric utility Entergy Corp. Thursday said it expects to post third-quarter earnings about 15 percent below last year #39;s results, citing soft demand for electricity and lower income from energy trading.


Astronaut #39;s still not over the moon APOLLO 16 astronaut Charles Duke was a fighter pilot in Germany when US president John F. Kennedy announced America was going to the moon.


IBM, other vendors accused of cheating E-Rate program US House members accused IBM Corp. and other IT vendors Wednesday of breaking the rules in a much-criticized program designed to help schools and libraries purchase Internet equipment.


Hodge in for injured Ponting Almost a year ago, Brad Hodge wondered if he might be another Jamie Siddons -  quot;a good player but unfortunately didn #39;t get a chance at the next level quot;.


US Open winner Kuznetsova struggles into quarterfinals at China <b>...</b> Against a Chinese player from nowhere, newly-crowned US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova from Russia had a narrow escape at the singles second round of the 585,000 US dollars


Justin Gatlin Wins 100 at Japan Meet (AP) AP - Justin Gatlin followed his Olympic victory by capturing the 100 meters Thursday at the Yokohama Super Track and Field meet while former world-record holder Maurice Greene finished fifth.


Anwar is a traitor, UMNO youth wing leader says Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Hishamuddin Hussein, leader of the youth wing of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) and Malaysias ruling party, called Ibrahim Anwar a traitor.


Ex-NetScreen CEO takes on new start-up The former CEO of NetScreen Technologies has moved on to a new upstart. Can he make the same magic work again?


Games Finances Correct, Athens Olympics Chief Says  ATHENS (Reuters) - Athens Olympics organizers have  vehemently denied any financial improprieties in the run-up to  this year's Games as suggested in an audit report this week.


Qualcomm, Microsoft team on streaming media The deal is expected to be a boon for Microsoft, which has been struggling for a bigger share of the cell phone software market.


Senate panel approves spyware, wireless privacy bills WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Wednesday approved bills intended to fight computer spyware and to protect wireless phone customers from potential privacy problems associated with a wireless phone number directory.


Update: PeopleSoft throws customers a discount and free upgrade PeopleSoft Inc. unveiled a new incentive program on Wednesday offering customers free upgrade assistance and a credit toward new purchases, an initiative the company hopes will spark sales and encourage customers to move to its latest releases.


Nokia adds anti-virus protection to new smart phone Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia Corp. will offer mobile anti-virus software through F-Secure Corp. as one of the features in its new Nokia 6670 smart phone when it is released in October, the companies announced Thursday.


Pass Along Your Digital Music New music sharing network allows users to amass points by referring buyers.


AMD Disappointed by 64-Bit Delay Microsoft's decision to push back a 64-bit Windows will not hurt chip sales, company says.


Halliburton May Separate KBR Unit Halliburton plans to shed its KBR engineering and construction unit if the company's share performance does not match its peers, it said today.


News: US credit card firm fights DDoS attack US credit card processing firm Authorize.Net is fighting a sustained distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack that has left it struggling to stay online.\


Hurricanes Boost US Jobless Claims The number of US workers applying for unemployment aid grew more than expected last week. Thursday #39;s Labor Department report says initial jobless claims grew by 14,000 - to 350,000 - mostly due to the hurricanes


Bank of America to move Wealth, Investment Management to Boston Bank of America says it #39;s moving one of its four major business lines to Boston. The news of the decision to move the Wealth and Investment Management Business to Boston comes


SP2 Internet Explorer enhancements for Windows XP only Part of the recently-released Service Pack 2 for Windows XP was a slew of long-awaited updates to Internet Explorer. Along with patches for the browser, SP2 also included features such as the ability to block


AOL Service Adds Secure Authentication A keychain-sized device that generates and displays a unique six-digit numeric code every 60 seconds creates a second layer of protection for AOL members using the new authentication service.


PSG coach Halilhodzic faces crunch week A defeat by second-bottom RC Strasbourg on Saturday and a poor Champions League performance at CSKA Moscow next Wednesday could seal the fate of Paris St Germain coach Vahid Halilhodzic.


Stoddart: Minardi will use own engine if need be. Minardi boss, Paul Stoddart has insisted that his team will be on the grid in 2005, even if they have to do it with their own engine.