Dulance Shopping Search Offers Product RSS Feeds Dulance Shopping Search Offers Product RSS Feeds\\Dulance, Inc. today announced the launch of its comparison shopping service in RSS (Real Simple Syndication) format.  Dulance is the first search engine to use RSS technology to facilitate reserve price shopping.  The new feature effectively transforms any third-party RSS reader into ...


News: Cisco fixes 'decoy attack' in security software Cisco has discovered a security flaw in its Cisco Security Agent software (CSA. This could be exploited by attackers to circumvent the security provided by the host-based intrusion prevention product.


Report: Mich. Police ID Two Men in Brawl (AP) AP - Indiana Pacers guard Fred Jones and a brother of Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace were identified by police as participants in last month's NBA brawl, the Detroit Free Press reported Saturday.


Apple #39;s Music Business Looks More Sound JP Morgan maintained an  quot;overweight quot; rating on Apple Computer (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) and raised earnings estimates, saying it has  quot;increasing confidence quot; in Apple #39;s digital music business.


CITY OF HEROES HITS BACK AT MARVEL 15:19  quot;The complaint is meritless. quot; As retorts go, Cryptic Studios #39; response to comic book giant Marvel Enterprises hits with the power of an Incredible Hulk ( er, better insert a TM here - Ed) punch.


Baseball: Bonds wins seventh MVP award NEW YORK : San Francisco #39;s Barry Bonds, whose Major League Baseball feats have been dogged by unproven steroid suspicions, became the oldest player to win the National League Most Valuable Player award.


GMA off to APEC meeting President Arroyo leaves Wednesday night for a 10-day working trip to the United States, Chile and Mexico, primarily to attend the 12th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Summit in Santiago, Chile.


A winter of promise for J amp;K? There is an air of optimism about the Kashmir talks to be held during Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz #39;s forthcoming visit to Delhi.


Film Industry Files Anti-Piracy Suits (AP) AP - A trade group representing seven major movie studios filed a first wave of lawsuits against individuals they say are offering pirated copies of films using Internet-based peer-to-peer file sharing programs.


Spaniard Jailed for 6 Years in Madrid Bomb Trial (Reuters) Reuters - A 16-year-old Spaniard was sentenced to\six years in a juvenile detention center on Tuesday after he\pleaded guilty to charges he helped steal and transport\dynamite used in the March 11 Madrid train bombings.


Gates: Forget your passwords Biometric and smart-card technology will replace passwords to verify ID, Microsoft head Bill Gates says. Again.


Margaret Hassan Believed Dead The family of Margaret Hassan, the 59-year-old aid worker kidnapped in Iraq last month, said Tuesday they believed she was dead.


Thai Queen's plea to end violence Queen Sirikit makes a rare public declaration calling for an end to the religious unrest in Thailand's south.


AmEx wants rivals to pay Now the credit-card companies are trying to tack on billions in charges to each other. American Express Co. wants rivals Visa USA Inc.


Wholesale Prices Register Biggest Jump Since 1990 Wholesale prices, pushed by sharply higher energy and food costs, soared by 1.7 percent in October, the largest increase since early 1990.


S amp;P cuts Merck debt ratings, outlook negative Standard  amp; Poor #39;s Ratings Services on Tuesday said it cut Merck  amp; Co. #39;s (MRK.N: Quote, Profile, Research) debt ratings, citing the expected deterioration of the firm #39;s business profile over the intermediate term since


EDS Shrugs Off Worries Electronic Data Systems (EDS:NYSE - news - research) has survived another quarter riddled by serious glitches. Following two last-minute delays caused by accounting problems, the company finally reported third


SBC to Launch Local Internet-Based Calling in 2005 SBC Communications (SBC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) will introduce an Internet-based calling service for its local telephone customers early next year and will consider offering the service nationally later, the company said on


Flight attendants union chief seeks nationwide strike <b>...</b> PITTSBURGH The board of directors of the United States #39; largest flight attendants union today unanimously approved a resolution authorizing a nationwide strike.


IRS Seeks Taxpayers Due Refunds PORTSMOUTH, NH -- The taxman is looking for 230 New Hampshire residents, and he wants to give them money. The Internal Revenue Service said the refund checks it mailed to the residents came back undelivered and unopened, with more than \$221,000 unclaimed.


IAC/InterActive Names McInerney CFO IAC/InterActive Corp., owner of the Home Shopping Network and Ticketmaster, said Tuesday that it appointed Thomas J. McInerney to succeed Dara Khosrowshahi as chief financial officer, effective Jan. 1. McInerney


Google Stock Falls as Share Lockups Expire Shares of Google Inc. (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) fell as much as 6.5 percent on Tuesday, as selling restrictions were lifted on 39 million shares held by employees and early


Update 1: Motorola to Acquire MeshNetworks Motorola Inc. is acquiring MeshNetworks Inc., a developer of a Wi-Fi based technology in which a person #39;s mobile device doubles as a network relay point that can transmit a signal between other devices.


Microsoft Puts New Life Into Its Systems Management A host of new products are designed to work and compete with leading enterprise management products, the company says. By Darrell Dunn.


What's Eating at Bob Evans Will new cafes come to the rescue of the restaurant chain? Stay tuned to find out.


FDA Plans to Tag Certain Medicines to Prevent Fraud The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in conjunction with several major drug companies, is working on an initiative that would involve fitting medicine bottles with tiny antennas to prevent fraud and counterfeiting, the New York Times reported Nov. 15.


IBM Builds World Community Grid for Scientific Research The advisory board for the World Community Grid comprises health science, technology and philanthropy experts from such organizations at the National Institute of Health, the US Environmental


LG Wins DMB Satellite Handset Race LG Electronics has unveiled the worlds first terrestrial digital broadcasting cell phone this week. The Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) handset will allow people to receive satellite broadcasts to watch consumer programs.


What is up with Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail? GMail changed many things for me. I started using webmail again. Redirected most of my pop mail ids to GMail for easy accessibility from any computer.


EPA finalizes proposal for Sandusky River MARION -- The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has finalized its proposal to improve water quality of the Sandusky River. The agency, whose plan was approved by the US EPA, is working with the Sandusky


BFG To Release Two GeForce 6600 GTs November 16, 2004 - BFG Technologies today has announced that it will be releasing cards based on NVIDIA #39;s GeForce 6600 GT. Dubbed the BFG GeForce GT OC, the cards come overclocked out of the box and feature


Steelers are on Cloud Nine Things aren #39;t supposed to be this easy in the NFL. Not for the Pittsburgh Steelers, not for anyone. Every game is supposed to be a brutal battle to the end


Angry Aragones defends himself over Henry remarks Spain coach Luis Aragones has defended himself against accusations of racism in the wake of his remarks about French striker Thierry Henry, saying his conscience is completely clear.


Al-Jazeera says it has video of woman #39;s slaying Al-Jazeera television says a video it #39;s received shows a woman being shot in the head. The woman is believed to be Margaret Hassan, an aid worker kidnapped last month in Iraq.


Britain Proposes Tough Smoking Ban Britain #39;s government on Tuesday proposed banning smoking in most public places, setting off debate over what one smoker decried as the brainchild of a busybody  quot;nanny state.


Israel welcomes Rice nomination; Palestinians wary Israel on Tuesday warmly welcomed the naming of Condoleezza Rice as America #39;s top diplomat, but Palestinians were wary, saying the new Bush administration must put more energy into the quest for Middle East peace.


Firepower in Fallujah shocks Puyallup Marine LANDSTUHL, Germany - For Lance Cpl. Travis Schafer, 20, a Marine from Puyallup, the attack on the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah lasted less than a day.


Disney #39;s Eisner: Ovitz Irritated Other Top Staff Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Michael Eisner on Tuesday said Michael Ovitz #39;s troubles were rooted in a sense of elitism, pointing to a corporate retreat at which


Kraft Foods  quot;market perform, quot; estimates reduced NEW YORK, November 16 (newratings.com) - Analysts at Wachovia Securities maintain their  quot;market perform quot; rating on Kraft Foods (KFT.


Flight Attendants Union OKs Nationwide Strike PITTSBURGH -- Leaders of the nation #39;s largest flight attendants union have unanimously voted to authorize a strike. They #39;re upset at how members are being treated during troubled times for many carriers.


Nautilus Shares Sink on Bowflex Recall Shares of exercise machine maker Nautilus Group Inc. sank more than 5 percent after the company announced a voluntary recall of certain Bowflex home gym models after a review of incident records.


Stocks Slip, Retail, Finance Weigh  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks declined on Tuesday,  weighed down by retailers after Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT.N  reported lackluster sales, while a jump in producer prices  revived worries that the Fed could be more aggressive about  raising interest rates to rein in inflation.


Oil Slides as U.S. Supplies Seen Growing  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices extended a streak of losses  on Tuesday as dealers anticipated that strong OPEC output and  recovering production in the United States would boost lean  stockpiles in time for peak winter heating demand.


Google Stock Falls as Share Total Doubles  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Shares of Google Inc. GOOG.O  fell as much as 6.5 percent on Tuesday, as selling restrictions  were lifted on 39 million shares held by employees and early  investors in the newly public Web search company.


Euros cash declaration limit set Travellers carrying more than 10,000 euros will have to declare the cash when entering or leaving the EU, finance ministers decide.


No. 6 Okla. St. Routs Wash. St., 81-29 (AP) AP - John Lucas and Joey Graham combined to outscore Washington State and No. 6 Oklahoma State beat the Cougars 81-29 Saturday to move Eddie Sutton into eighth place on the career coaching wins list.


N.Y. Boxing Officials Suspend Holyfield (AP) AP - Evander Holyfield was suspended indefinitely by New York boxing officials in the wake of his loss Saturday night to journeyman Larry Donald.


Movie Studios Start Suing Web File Swappers (Reuters) Reuters - Hollywood film studios filed suit\against online video file swappers in federal courts across the\United States on Tuesday, making good on a promise to punish\computer users they claim are violating copyright laws.


Lidle Agrees to  #36;6.3M Deal With Phillies (AP) AP - Right-hander Cory Lidle returned to the Philadelphia Phillies, agreeing Tuesday to a  #36;6.3 million, two-year contract.


Friction Grows Between Japan and China (AP) AP - Despite a thriving economic partnership, political ties between Japan and China are at their lowest ebb in years. The two countries are locked in disputes over World War II history, natural gas exploration and now a bold incursion by a Chinese nuclear submarine.


Exide Battery Shares Slump to 6-Month Low  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Shares of Exide Technologies XIDE.O  slumped to a six-month low on Tuesday, a day after the lead  battery maker posted a wider quarterly loss due to dramatically  higher lead prices.


Highlights of Bush's Education Proposals (AP) AP - Highlights of President Bush's second-term education proposals:


Biologist Seeks Wolves' Return to Rockies (AP) AP - A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist says returning wolves to the Rocky Mountains is "a chance to undo a great wrong" done when wolves were exterminated from about 98 percent of their range by the mid-1900s.


Hotel Offers Inauguration Package (AP) AP - A luxury hotel is promising some of the finer things in life  #151; fur coat, 18-karat gold watch, plush bathrobes with political party affiliation  #151; to the couple willing to purchase its presidential inauguration package for the over-the-top price of  #36;200,500.


Video May Show Iraq Aid Worker Killed -Husband  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Margaret Hassan, a British aid worker  kidnapped in Baghdad a month ago, has probably been killed, her  Iraqi husband and British diplomats said on Tuesday after  viewing a video apparently showing her being shot.


UN Council Heads to Kenya in Search of Sudan Peace  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Security Council  ambassadors were still quibbling over how best to pressure  Sudan and rebels to end two different wars in the country even  as they left for Kenya on Tuesday for a meeting on the crisis.


Crime Wave Against Tourists in Rio Sparks Concern

 By Andrei Khalip

 RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazilian authoritiessought ways to make Rio de Janiero tourist spots safer onTuesday amid sharp criticism of police after 24 muggings over aholiday weekend.


Rumsfeld Urges Latin America to Unite in Terror War

 By Charles Aldinger

 QUITO, Ecuador (Reuters) - All of Latin America mustrealize that terrorism is a growing threat in the Americas andthat the only way to defeat extremist guerrillas like al Qaedais to join ranks, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said onTuesday.


Dow Jones Buying MarketWatch for \$519 Million Yes Virginia, there is money to be made in web publishing, especially stock market and trading news! The news will invigorate bloggers and news publishers everywhere.


EDS takes 3Q loss Electronic Data Systems Corp., which has delayed its quarterly earnings three times, reported larger third-quarter losses after taking a \$375 million charge on its beleaguered Navy contract.


Flood of shares could hit Google price A flood of some 39.1 million Google shares could find their way on to the market today, potentially reducing the stock #39;s trading price, as employees and others who were able to buy into the


Gates Touts Software Magic Microsoft Chief Software Architect Bill Gates took the stage of the IT Forum in Copenhagen Tuesday to introduce a handful of tools and a hatful of promises designed to offer relief from managing complex, distributed systems.


Pfizer Ordered to Pull Viagra Ad The US Food and Drug Administration has ordered Pfizer, Inc., to pull new advertisements for Viagra that depicted users of the anti-impotence pill as mischievous playboys.


Microsoft Puts the Moves on NetWare Customers Microsoft announced today that they were rolling out a new set of tools under the Mid-Market Netware Migration Program banner, aimed at convincing existing NetWare clients to move to Windows Server 2003 instead of Linux.


MPAA Clamps Down on Film Piracy As online piracy reaches epidemic proportions, the Motion Picture Association of America is buckling down on Internet plunder. Controversy erupted on campus in October when AcIS ordered


Enter your e-mail: On the heels of Mozilla #39;s release of Firefox last week, I #39;ve been looking at some tools that you might consider if you #39;re looking for an alternative to Internet Explorer.


Mobley not likely to play until weekend Orlando Magic: Guard Cuttino Mobley will be sidelined with a strained groin until the weekend, but the team said that center Kelvin Cato is expected to return Wednesday from a sprained right ankle.


Asia-Pacific partners fight terror, nuclear spread, trade barriers SANTIAGO (AFP) - US Secretary of State Colin Powell and partners in the Asia-Pacific axis converge here Wednesday to thwart North Korea #39;s nuclear arms ambitions, press the  quot;war on terror quot; and rip away trade barriers.


British woman hostage in Iraq believed dead The kidnappers of British aid worker Margaret Hassan have released a video tape that appears to show her murder a month after she was seized in Baghdad, her husband and British officials said today.


Just Say No (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Wesley Miller was a walking medicine cabinet after undergoing triple-bypass surgery in 1994. By late 2001 he was on 16 drugs, including Lipitor for high cholesterol, Glucotrol for diabetes and three pills to lower his blood pressure. He couldn't walk from his front doorstep to the mailbox without doubling over in chest pain. At one point tests showed the blockages were back and that his arteries were too damaged to risk another operation. He thought he might die.


Peru Splits Up Jailed Lovers Who Led Shining Path  LIMA, Peru (Reuters) - Peru has separated the top two  leaders of Shining Path after more than a decade in jail,  moving Abimael Guzman's longtime lover to a different prison as  it gets tough with rebels who made a mockery of their retrial.


It's do or die time for Sun and Solaris x86 Analysis The two year question


SBC to Launch Local Internet-Based Calling in 2005  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - SBC Communications SBC.N will  introduce an Internet-based calling service for its local  telephone customers early next year and will consider offering  the service nationally later, the company said on Tuesday.


Hollywood Sues Movie Pirates Hollywood joined the music industry in its legal campaign against online music piracy, filing hundreds of lawsuits against people suspected of trading illegally copied movies on the Internet. -washingtonpost.com


Cowboys' High Hopes Dwindle After Big Loss (AP) AP - Keyshawn Johnson sat alone at his locker for a long time with a blank stare on his face. Then he found it hard to put his frustration into words. How could things have gone so wrong for the Dallas Cowboys?


SMART-1 Eases into Orbit Around Moon Europe #39;s first mission to the moon, SMART-1, has been placed in orbit around the moon. European Space Agency (ESA) science director David Southwood says the moon #39;s gravity captured the probe Monday.


Movie Studios Start Suing Web File Swappers Hollywood film studios filed suit against online video file swappers in federal courts across the United States on Tuesday, making good on a promise to punish computer users they claim are violating copyright laws.


US, Iraqi Troops Occupy Fallujah as Violence Spreads Other Cities American and Iraqi forces are almost entirely in control of Fallujah, after a week of fighting in which 38 American troops, six Iraqi soldiers and an estimated 1,200 insurgents have been killed.


Spain arrests 17 separatist suspects Seventeen suspected members of the Basque separatist group ETA were arrested throughout Spain in pre-dawn raids Tuesday, the EFE agency reported.


Photo: The Internet debate PBS's Charlie Rose quizzes Sun co-founder Bill Joy,  Monster.com chief Jeff Taylor, and venture capitalist John Doerr.


Tool time for Microsoft In Denmark, Gates outlines effort to trim data managment costs, new Windows update service. Also: Angling for Novell users.


Replace your iBuds Playlist reviews a multitude of choices in different categories to help you get the most out of your iPod.


Sony makes progress towards smaller Blu-ray/DVD players New component contains the blue and red lasers required for support of the two disc formats as well as the associated lenses and optical receivers. Commercial production possible by end of next year.


Sony introduces pro high-definition video system Company will ship \$4,900 camcorder and \$3,700 digital recorder in February.


Sharp unveils its first Blu-ray Disc recorder The BD-HD100 will be the third recorder on the market to support the Blu-ray Disc format, which is one of two blue-laser based formats fighting to become the de-facto optical disc standard for high-definition video content.


Accounting problem at SunTrust could delay Sarbanes-Oxley filing An accounting problem with SunTrust Banks' loan loss reserves could prevent the bank from completing its Sarbanes-Oxley Act reporting requirements by a Dec. 31 deadline.


Microsoft aims at NetWare users with migration campaign In the U.S., Microsoft will offer training vouchers, migration products and online tech support to NetWare users considering a switch.


Gates touts software 'magic' to cut complexity Microsoft Chief Software Architect Bill Gates said the key for simplifying system management lies in the company's Dynamic Systems Initiative, which he described as a long-term vision that needs broad industry cooperation.


EDS posts delayed Q3 results, sees \$153M loss IT services provider Electronic Data Systems yesterday reported a net loss of \$153 million for the third quarter, with earnings hit in part by an asset impairment charge of \$375 million connected with EDS's N/MCI project.


Napster founder Fanning returns to digital music world NEW YORK - Shawn Fanning, the man who founded file-swapping service Napster as a student five years ago, has resurfaced in the digital music world, with a new company that aims to bridge the divide between music labels and peer-to-peer networks.


Apple releases AirPort 4.1 software Apple Computer has released AirPort 4.1, an update to the drivers for its wireless networking hardware running under Mac OS X v10.3.


Entertainment to go Reviewer examines three categories of portable audio players, and adds video to the mix.


Eagles' Mahe Out With Ankle Injury (AP) AP - Philadelphia Eagles punt returner/running back Reno Mahe will miss Sunday's game against Washington because of a high ankle sprain.


Enterprise PC Shipments Strong in Q4 (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Although personal computer sales are on track for double-digit growth, the research firm Gartner says consumer buying of PCs in the last quarter of the year may come up short.


Will Firefox Ignite Enterprises? (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - The debut of the full-release version of an open-source browser that can actually challenge Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Internet Explorer has been cause for celebration among open-source advocates.


McAfee Debuts Enterprise Anti-Spyware Tool (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Security software firm McAfee has unveiled a new module for its virus-scan engine that is designed to help businesses fight spyware.


IBM Builds World Community Grid (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Finding a cure for a major disease like cancer or AIDS is among the lofty objectives of an initiative launched by IBM (NYSE: IBM). The tech giant is constructing a World Community Grid\(WCG) and enlisting the help of the world's computer users.


Sony Announces DVD Burner for Mac (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Sony (NYSE: SNE) has announced plans to release a double-layer DVD burner that is compatible with the Macintosh platform.


Brazil Says Will Open 'Dirty War' Archives

 By Andrew Hay

 RIO CUEIRAS, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil's center-leftgovernment will unseal archives of the country's 1964-85military dictatorship in an effort to resolve a painful chapterin the nation's recent history, the justice minister said onTuesday.


EU battles over stability pact reform BRUSSELS (AFP) - The European Union wrestled with proposals to overhaul its ineffective budget rules but put off concrete action until January at the earliest in the face of big divisions.


Wholesale prices jump in October by 1.7 percent, biggest increase <b>...</b> Wholesale costs -- catapulted by more expensive energy and food -- soared last month by the largest amount in more than 14 years. With inflation at the producer level accelerating sharply after months of being


Africans Need Jobs Says Former World Bank Official In a commentary published in Africa International (France), Callisto Madavo, the World Bank #39;s (former) Vice President for the Africa Region, writes that Africans need jobs.


On Football: After four years, Edwards still clueless with a clock Jets coach Herman Edwards realized in the offseason he needed to make the NFL clock his friend, after so many time-management gaffes made him look like a goof.


'Luxury' eyes China as market and future competitor (AFP) AFP - China and other emerging market countries offer new markets for the luxury goods industry though they are likely in time to themselves become competitors, according to industry experts.


Hollywood Sues Movie Pirates (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - The major Hollywood movie studios today sued hundreds of people suspected of trading illegally copied movies on the Internet, a move closely modeled on the recording industry's aggressive legal campaign to stamp out music piracy.


Dog lovers appeal to N.B. politicians not to restrict dogs based on breed (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - FREDERICTON (CP) - An elderly rottweiler named Clancy became a character witness for her breed on Tuesday as public debate began on proposed legislation to restrict certain kinds of dogs in New Brunswick.


Eyeing the next wave in RISC computing Some critics say RISC's time has passed. Sun Microsystems' David Yen has another idea.\


Phillies Keep Lidle Around for Two More Years  PHILADELPHIA (Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Phillies  re-signed righthander Cory Lidle to a two-year deal worth \$6.3  million Tuesday.


Beer Brewer Buying Mergers and acquisitions in the beer industry have been hot this year. Expect it to get hotter.


ABC Apologizes ABC apologizes Tuesday for a steamy intro to "Monday Night Football" after receiving complaints from viewers and the NFL.


Flight attendants union board OKs strike plan At a meeting today in Pittsburgh, board members of the United States #39; largest flight attendants union voted unanimously to authorize a nationwide strike and criticized the airline industry for using the bankruptcy process to wipe out union contracts.


MPAA touts lawsuits, new P2P-fighting software com November 16, 2004, 12:19 PM PT. This priority retains its ranking at number five as more and more companies deploy Web services to share business logic, data and processes with each other and with clients.


Stocks Decline in Late Afternoon Trading Stocks fell on Wall Street Tuesday as investors worred that a huge jump in wholesale prices, spurred by rising oil prices, could ripple through the economy.


US October Producer Prices Rise the Most Since 1990 (Update6) Prices paid to US producers rose 1.7 percent last month, the biggest jump in 14 years, as higher energy and food costs suggested that inflation is picking up.


Zurich employees plead guilty in insurance probe Two employees at insurance company Zurich American pleaded guilty on Tuesday to misdemeanors related to New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer #39;s investigation of bid-rigging in the insurance market, according to a New York


You Say Sell, I Say Potato The battle for who will ultimately control business software maker PeopleSoft (Nasdaq: PSFT) is reaching a fever pitch not seen since the red state-blue state smackdown from earlier this month.


EarthLink to Test Yahoo #39;s Antispam Technology EarthLink agreed to test Yahoo! #39;s anti-spam technology. The technology encodes digital signatures (dubbed DomainKeys) into customers #39; email so that the receiver can tell whether the message is legitimate.


Grilled Cheese Virgin Mary Up For Auction The auction site eBay canceled bids for half of a 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich whose owner claims it bears the image of the Virgin Mary.


Grid Project Puts Unused PCs To Good Works IBM and several of the world #39;s leading scientific and philanthropic groups Tuesday launched a project that would put millions of PCs to work on research problems ranging from Alzheimer #39;s to disaster forecasting.


Hewlett-Packard goes Blu for DVDs PC buyers can look forward to DVDs with up to 10 times the storage they now have when Hewlett-Packard rolls out machines supporting next-generation DVD technologies next year.


Volvo, Saab  #39;top in whiplash protection #39; Volvo and Saab cars offer the bestwhiplash protection in rear-end crashes, an automobile safety watchdog has said. The Swedish automakers #39; seat backs and headrests minimise differences in the forces on the


WTA Win Tops Off Big Year for Sharapova (AP) AP - So what's a girl who loves to shop do with  #36;1 million? "That's a lot of shoes," says Maria Sharapova, winner of Wimbledon and the year-end WTA Championships.


Phillies keep Lidle around for two more years Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Phillies re-signed righthander Cory Lidle to a two-year deal worth \$6.3 million Tuesday.


Coach receives extension after NCAA tourney berths CHICAGO -- DePaul University women #39;s basketball coach Doug Bruno has signed a contract extension, the school announced Tuesday.


Coughlin picked the wrong time to replace Warner with Manning at <b>...</b> New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin announced the news in his typically stern manner. Eli Manning is the future of his team, Coughlin said during his Monday afternoon press conference, and the future is starting now.


Pittsburgh prep star King chooses Penn State Justin King, a Gateway High School cornerback-running back who is considered one of the nation #39;s top 10 high school players, will play at Penn State.


Italy sports new-look squad Milan, Italy (Sports Network) - Italy coach Marcello Lippi will field an altered team Wednesday in a friendly match against Finland.


Fiutak: Five Thoughts on the BCS Texas will be left out in the cold again, USC #39;s free ride and a break down of who should play in the Orange Bowl. It #39;ll take nothing short of a loss by California or Utah for Mack Brown and Texas to get into the BCS.


Fines Handed Down for Pre-Game Fight in Cleveland (Reuters) Reuters - The National Football League\handed down  #36;10,000 fines on Tuesday to linebacker Joey Porter\of the Steelers and running back William Green of the Browns\for their parts in a pre-game fight this past Sunday.


Utah Activates Point Guard Carlos Arroyo (AP) AP - The Utah Jazz activated point guard Carlos Arroyo from the injured list Tuesday and placed rookie Kris Humphries on it because of tendinitis in his knee.


CARE worker believed to be dead Al-Jazeera television said a video it #39;s received shows a woman being shot. The woman is believed to be Margaret Hassan, an aid worker kidnapped last month in Iraq.


British government plans smoking ban that would bar lighting up in <b>...</b> Four hundred years after King James I denounced tobacco as  quot;loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs, quot; the British government announced plans Tuesday to ban smoking in most public places


Rebels attacked in Mosul THE British-Iraqi aid executive Margaret Hassan, kidnapped by rebels in Iraq, was feared dead today, as US-led forces swept into the flashpoint city of Mosul in a renewed offensive against insurgents.


India to pull some troops out of Kashmir this week MUMBAI, INDIA - The Indian army will start to reduce the number of troops stationed in the disputed state of Kashmir on Wednesday to coincide with a visit by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, an official said Tuesday.


Afghan Kidnappers Mull Fate of UN Hostages Afghan kidnappers holding three foreign United Nations workers hostage say they are now considering whether to kill, hold or release their captives.


Phillies Keep Lidle Around for Two More Years (Reuters) Reuters - The Philadelphia Phillies\re-signed righthander Cory Lidle to a two-year deal worth  #36;6.3\million Tuesday.


Gymboree 3rd-Quarter Earnings Slump (Reuters) Reuters - Children's apparel retailer\Gymboree Corp.  said on Tuesday its third-quarter net\profit fell sharply as fierce competition with rivals forced it\to cut prices and bit into profit margins.


Investors duke it out in PeopleSoft bid One major shareholder says it won't touch Oracle's latest offer. Another says it likes the price. Who'll prevail?


Fines Handed Down for Pre-Game Fight in Cleveland  NEW YORK (Sports Network) - The National Football League  handed down \$10,000 fines on Tuesday to linebacker Joey Porter  of the Steelers and running back William Green of the Browns  for their parts in a pre-game fight this past Sunday.


Stocks End Lower on Retail, Price Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks ended lower on Tuesday, as  a lackluster sales report from world's largest retailer  Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT.N hurt that sector and a jump in  producer prices sparked concerns about inflation and higher  interest rates.


Oil Extends Slide, Supplies Seen Growing  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices extended a streak of losses  on Tuesday as dealers anticipated that strong OPEC output and  recovering production in the United States would boost lean  stockpiles in time for peak winter heating demand.


Tests Show Soybean Rust Spreading  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Tests confirmed soybean rust disease  has spread throughout Louisiana and into Mississippi, the U.S.  Agriculture Department said on Tuesday, adding to fears the  fungus could rapidly infect more Southern states.


PeopleSoft Investors Split Votes on Deal  PHILADELPHIA/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Two major PeopleSoft  Inc.PSFT.O shareholders on Tuesday indicated they would split  their votes on whether to accept Oracle Corp's ORCL.O \$8.8  billion hostile takeover bid.


Intel climbs flash rankings as market dips Aggressive marketing and pricing helps Intel climb back out of flash memory hole, but marketwide flash revenue declined.


Bush Tries to Help U.S. Firms Invest in Libya  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration has asked  Congress to quickly lift a ban on U.S. Export-Import Bank loans  in Libya and said "timing is critical" to help American  companies invest in the oil-rich country, according to a letter  released on Tuesday.


Ivory Coast Hate Broadcasts Have Ended, U.N. Says  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations said on  Tuesday it had intervened to stop Ivory Coast radio and  television stations from broadcasting hate messages aimed at  French nationals and other foreigners.


Gates: Passwords passe Biometric and smart-card technology will replace passwords to verify ID, Microsoft head Bill Gates says--again.


Verizon: Wait for dial tone, punch in number, rock out Verizon Wireless service lets users treat people who call them to music rather than the sound of a ringing phone.


HP strikes Blu note for DVDs, talks of fat storage PC buyers can look forward to DVDs with up to 10 times the storage when Hewlett-Packard debuts Blu-ray compatible machines.


Photo: Dialing for a song Verizon Wireless lets you choose "ringback tones" from a catalog of more than 2,200 songs in 13 different music genres.


Bush Tries to Help U.S. Firms Invest in Libya (Reuters) Reuters - The Bush administration has asked\Congress to quickly lift a ban on U.S. Export-Import Bank loans\in Libya and said "timing is critical" to help American\companies invest in the oil-rich country, according to a letter\released on Tuesday.


China Airlines scales back in-flight Internet plans Taiwan's largest airline plans to sign a deal tomorrow that clears the way for the Connexion by Boeing in-flight Internet service to be offered on one Boeing 747-400 aircraft that flies between Taiwan and North America.


Health Researcher Martin Kaplan Dies (AP) AP - Martin M. Kaplan, a health researcher and former secretary-general of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Pugwash conferences on disarmament, has died. He was 89.


Sun previews next version of Java (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - Sun Microsystems on Monday night posted a prerelease, "snapshot" version of Java 2 Standard Edition 6.0, code-named Mustang, which represents the next generation of the Java platform. #160;


HP Profit Tops Lowered Forecast  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard Co. HPQ.N on  Tuesday said quarterly profit topped its own lowered  expectations as the computer and printer maker saw record  revenues in every business and every region.


Activists Worry Election Reform May Wane (AP) AP - Sure, there were hours-long lines, temperamental electronic machines and some old-fashioned misplaced ballots, but America's democracy worked well enough on Nov. 2 to elect a president.


Bush Pushes for Progress in Sudan Talks (AP) AP - President Bush talked by telephone Tuesday with leaders in Sudan, pushing for progress in peace talks to end a 21-year civil war in southern Sudan.


Use of Private Airport Screeners Easier (AP) AP - The government is making it easier for airports that want to replace federal baggage and passenger screeners with privately employed workers, The Associated Press has learned.


Motorola to acquire MeshNetworks Motorolahas agreed to buy MeshNetworks, a developer of technology and products for rapidly deployed, self-creating wireless mobile networks.


Evolution's "High Priest" Returns With New "Tale" National Geographic News interviews Darwinist Richard Dawkins on evolution and his latest book, <I>The Ancestor's Tale.</I>


Landscaped Roofs Have Chicago Mayor Seeing Green When cities run out of valuable real estate, planners look up. The search for green space is no exception.


Does Life Exist in Antarctic Lake Buried Under Miles of Ice? Lake Vostok, an Antarctic freshwater lake buried by 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) of ice, may host a diverse community of microbial life-forms, scientists say.


SEC Charges Black with Fraud Conrad Black and David Radler  quot;abused their control of a public company and treated it as their personal piggy bank, quot; says Stephen Cutler, the SEC #39;s head of enforcement.


Is Wal-Mart Warming Up? Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) turned in a decent quarter today (with earnings that exactly matched the consensus estimate). Investors shrugged off the numbers.


Fla. AG Issues Subpoenas to 11 Insurers Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist on Tuesday issued subpoenas to 11 insurance companies as part of an ongoing investigation into the business practices of the insurance industry.


Solaris 10 Could Brighten Sun and two days later his company hit another milestone. It released what #39;s easily its most important product in more than nine years.


It pays to switch with Microsoft Microsoft will offer up to \$600 per server (up to a maximum of \$15,000) to companies who agree to switch from Novell to Windows servers, it has been revealed.


Sony Introduces New Mac-Compatible Double Layer DVD Burner SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Macintosh(R) computer owners will soon be able to enjoy all the benefits of Sony #39;s award-winning double layer, dual format DVD burning technology with the


Kraft disqualified as winner of Ironman championship because of <b>...</b> Nina Kraft was disqualified as winner of the 2004 Ironman Triathlon World Championship because of drug use, giving Natascha Badmann her fifth title.


Ivorian leader rejects blame for airstrike Ivory Coast #39;s embattled leader sounded one of the first conciliatory notes Tuesday in his West African nation #39;s devastating confrontation with its former colonial


Take Firm Stand Against Chinese Incursions A nuclear submarine that recently intruded into Japanese waters has been confirmed as belonging to the Chinese Navy. On Friday, the government lodged a strong protest with China over its submarine #39;s incursion


Loss Behind Them, Eagles Dominate Again (AP) AP - Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens went back to describing touchdown patterns instead of explaining sideline confrontations.


Fired Up Hewitt Rallies Past Moya for Opening Win  HOUSTON (Reuters) - A fired-up Lleyton Hewitt underlined  his determination to end the season with a third Masters Cup  title as he rallied past Spain's Carlos Moya 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 to  complete their rain-delayed opening match on Tuesday.


Possible countermeasure in reaction to steep pay cuts SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- The Association of Flight Attendants will vote later Tuesday on a proposal to authorize a nationwide strike as tensions escalate between financially troubled airlines and their employees over drastic cost-saving measures.


Update 1: InPhonic Shares Advance in Trading Debut InPhonic Inc., an online retailer of wireless services and equipment, gained as much as 32 percent in its trading debut after the company boosted the size its of initial public offering and priced well above estimates.


Bush to visit Canada on Nov. 30; mad cow expected to be on agenda (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - U.S. President George W. Bush will make his first official visit to Canada on Nov. 30, sources say.


Borders Posts Third Quarter Loss (Reuters) Reuters - Book retailer Borders Group Inc.\ on Tuesday posted a quarterly loss versus a year-ago\profit due to sluggish store traffic and a slowdown in sales of\bestsellers.


Borders Posts Third Quarter Loss  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Book retailer Borders Group Inc.  BGP.N on Tuesday posted a quarterly loss versus a year-ago  profit due to sluggish store traffic and a slowdown in sales of  bestsellers.


Mobissimo Officially Launches Travel Search Engine (Reuters) Reuters - Mobissimo Inc. officially\launched its online travel search engine on Tuesday and said it\has added a new service that allows users to search for rental\cars.


Home Depot Reports Higher Profit, Sales  ATLANTA (Reuters) - Home Depot Inc. HD.N, the top home  improvement retailer, on Tuesday reported a 15 percent rise in  third-quarter profit, topping estimates, aided by installed  services and sales to contractors.


Dollar Mostly Down After Early Gain  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar edged lower against most  currencies on Tuesday after a government report showing  increased capital flows into the United States did little to  soothe worries over the country's large external imbalances.


PeopleSoft shareholders split vote on Oracle bid Reflecting the uncertainty that has always swirled around Oracle Corp.'s hostile bid for control of PeopleSoft Inc., two major PeopleSoft shareholders have reached opposite conclusions on how to cast their votes on Oracle's buyout offer.


Superfast Nasa jet pushes Mach 10 The US space agency flies its X-43A hypersonic jet to a speed in excess of nine times the speed of sound.


Update 4: Flight Attendants #39; Union Approves Strike The board of the country #39;s largest flight attendants union authorized a national strike Tuesday after its president accused the airline industry of using the bankruptcy process to cut workers #39; pay and eliminate other benefits.


Zurich Financial Executives Plead Guilty in Probe (Update2) Two executives at Zurich Financial Services AG, the third-biggest US commercial insurer, pleaded guilty to charges they helped rig bids to help an insurance broker give business to favored clients.


Federal surplus to be \$5.9 billion: Goodale Finance Minister Ralph Goodale says the federal government should achieve an \$5.9-billion surplus this year. That compares to \$9.1 billion in 2003-04, he told the House of Commons finance committee on Tuesday.


Report: Crooks behind more Net attacks Organized gangs are increasingly using networks of zombie PCs to launch attempts to make money, according to VeriSign.


Sun Launches Solaris 10 At its Network Computing  #39;04Q4 launch today, Sun Microsystems, Inc. (sun.com) launched the much anticipated Solaris 10 Operating System (OS), addressing the enormous waste of resources forced upon customers


MPAA Starts Filing Lawsuits Against Movie Traders The Motion Picture Association of America said Tuesday that the agency had begun to file suits against suspected file traders. The MPAA did not disclose how many suits had been filed.


Utah activates Arroyo The Utah Jazz activated point guard Carlos Arroyo from the injured list Tuesday and placed rookie Kris Humphries on it because of tendinitis in his knee.


Lyon #39;s Malouda to earn first France cap against Poland Olympique Lyon midfielder Florent Malouda will earn his first cap for France on Wednesday after coach Raymond Domenech named him in his starting line-up for the friendly against Poland.


Militants kill 12 in J amp;K ahead of PMs visit Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will arrive in Srinagar tomorrow on the first leg of his two-day maiden visit to Jammu and Kashmir during which his approach would be of looking at the big picture rather than doling out packages, sources in the Prime Minister


US doctor says evacuations, body armor have helped save lives in <b>...</b> LANDSTUHL, Germany Body armor and getting people out quickly are said to be saving lives in the Fallujah offensive in Iraq. The commander of the biggest US military hospital abroad says she suspects the military


SBC joins the VoIP party The local phone giant going after "young and wireless" crowd in 2005 with Internet phone plan.


Take-Two Sets Funk, Rap Soundtrack for San Andreas  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Video game publisher Take-Two  Interactive Software Inc. and Interscope Records on Tuesday set  a Dec. 7 release for an eight-CD soundtrack to "Grand Theft  Auto: San Andreas," Take-Two's blockbuster criminal adventure  game.


Moroccan Charged in Europe Terror Probe (AP) AP - A judge charged a jailed Moroccan on Tuesday with being a leading member of Islamic extremist groups in three countries, including an organization suspected in the killing of a Dutch filmmaker.


Take-Two Sets Funk, Rap Soundtrack for San Andreas (Reuters) Reuters - Video game publisher Take-Two\Interactive Software Inc. and Interscope Records on Tuesday set\a Dec. 7 release for an eight-CD soundtrack to "Grand Theft\Auto: San Andreas," Take-Two's blockbuster criminal adventure\game.


HP's Reports Rise in Fourth-Quarter Profit Hewlett-Packard Co. reported Tuesday a 26.5 percent rise in fourth-quarter profit on the strength of record revenue growth across all of the computer manufacturing giant's businesses.


Motorola Acquiring Wireless Networking Firm MeshNetworks Motorola Inc. is acquiring MeshNetworks Inc., developer of a technology that makes it easy to set up and expand wireless networks, in a deal expected to help the world's No. 2 cell phone maker win more government business.


Murdoch's News Corp. to Join S P 500  NEW YORK (Reuters) - News Corp. NWS.AX NWS.N, the media  company built by Rupert Murdoch, will join the Standard    Poor's 500 stock index after the close of trading on Dec. 17,  S P said on Tuesday.


New Senate Dems Leader Seeks Cooperation (AP) AP - Newly elected Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid prodded President Bush and Republicans on Tuesday to join him in working across party lines over the next two years and said, "I would always rather dance than fight."


HP Profit Tops Lowered Forecast  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard Co. HPQ.N on  Tuesday said quarterly profit topped its own lowered  expectations as the computer and printer maker saw record  revenues in every business and every region, sending shares  higher by 9 percent.


Angels Outfielder Guerrero Claims MVP Award (Reuters) Reuters - Anaheim Angels outfielder Vladimir\Guerrero claimed the American League MVP award on Tuesday,\turning what was supposed to be a tight race into a runaway\victory.


Few tears shed for canceled Comdex Comdex veterans ponder freedom from the annual computing trade show, which normally would be happening in Sin City right about now.


Google Stock Falls as Share Total Doubles  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Shares of Google Inc. GOOG.O  fell 6.67 percent on Tuesday, as selling restrictions were  lifted on 39 million shares held by employees and early  investors in the newly public Web search company.


Sony Woos Mac Users with DVD Burner The drive also features a unique vertical design for easy placement and portability, and offers connectivity with both i.LINK and hi-speed USB digital interfaces.


Daschle Bids Senate Democrats Goodbye (AP) AP - Tom Daschle bade his fellow Senate Democrats farewell Tuesday with a plea that they seek common ground with Republicans yet continue to fight for the less fortunate.


Beckham denies retiring after 2006 England captain David Beckham has dismissed reports of his retiring after the 2006 World Cup finals and revealed his determination to become his country #39;s most capped outfield player.


Anaheim #39;s Guerrero Named AL MVP NEW YORK -- Vladimir Guerrero left the Montreal Expos after eight seasons, and in his first year with the Anaheim Angels he #39;s been selected the American League Most Valuable Player.


S P Lowers Merck Debt Rating Amid Vioxx Concern A third major debt ratings agency has stripped Merck  #38; Co. of its top credit grade, lowering the drug maker's classification by three notches amid concerns stemming from its recall of the arthritis drug Vioxx.


Annan: U.S., U.N. Relationship Important (AP) AP - Secretary-General Kofi Annan, under fire in Washington over the U.N. role in Iraq, said that the United States and the United Nations have the greatest impact on global issues when they work together.


GM to Close Md. Assembly Plant in 2005 General Motors Corp. will close a Baltimore assembly plant next year that employs about 1,100 people and makes two van models that are being discontinued, a spokesman for the world's biggest automaker said Tuesday.


Q A: Artemis CEO on aligning IT projects, business goals Artemis International Solutions has developed software that supports IT portfolio management, project management, activity-based costing and balanced scorecard activities.


Microsoft talks security, Trustworthy Computing Microsoft's chief Trustworthy Computing strategist, Scott Charney, laid out the company's security efforts at the IT Forum today with all the seriousness one would expect from a former public prosecutor and U.S. Department of Justice cybercrime chief.


Goodale projects \$5.9B surplus this year OTTAWA - Canada is on track to post a budget surplus of \$5.9 billion when the federal government #39;s current fiscal year ends in March, Finance Minister Ralph Goodale said Tuesday.


Lunar Orbit Achieved by European Probe Europe #39;s unmanned SMART-1 probe established itself in orbit around the moon today after being captured by the moon #39;s gravitational pull.


Virgin sandwich back on auction A TEN-YEAR-OLD grilled cheese sandwich a Florida woman says bears the image of the Virgin Mary was back on eBay today after the internet auction house initially cancelled bids that went up to \$US22,000 (\$28,472).


Angels #39; Vladimir Guerrero Voted AL MVP Anaheim Angels #39; Vladimir Guerrero singles to right against the Oakland Athletics during the fifth inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif.


Jazz Activate Arroyo The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has activated Carlos Arroyo from the injured list and placed rookie forward Kris Humphries on the injured list.


Michigan #39;s Burgess ready for home rival Ann Arbor, MI (U-WIRE) -- Entering Saturday #39;s showdown with archrival Ohio State, sophomore linebacker Prescott Burgess has a very simple goal.


Aragones: My Conscience Is Clear Luis Aragones has hit back in the racism row after he was grilled by the media ahead of Spain #39;s friendly clash with England. The 63-year-old coach stated that his conscience is clear when asked about remarks


Troops reduction in J amp;K to begin today Security has been beefed up in the Valley following reports that the LeT plans to step up violence in the state during Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs visit.


Wrigley buys Kraft unit for \$1.48 bn Wrigley, the world #39;s largest maker of chewing gum, on Monday took a step towards diversifying into other confectionery products with the acquisition for \$1.48bn in cash of Kraft Foods #39; sugar confectionery business.


HP Fends Off Critics Hewlett-Packard (HPQ:NYSE - news - research) bested expectations on earnings and revenue for its fourth quarter, the company said after the bell Tuesday.


Gordo #39;s Tipsheet: Sunday Edition Somebody named Larry Donald slapped Evander Holyfield silly Saturday night, making us all wonder why the former champ still has a boxing license.


ABC apologizes for football introduction NEW YORK ABC is apologizing for last night #39;s introduction to  quot;Monday Night Football. quot; There have been complaints from viewers and from the NFL.


Badmann given fifth title BERLIN -- Germany #39;s Nina Kraft has been stripped of her Hawaii Ironman title after admitting taking the banned blood-boosting substance EPO.


Murdoch's News Corp. to Join S P 500 (Reuters) Reuters - News Corp.  , the media\company built by Rupert Murdoch, will join the Standard  \Poor's 500 stock index after the close of trading on Dec. 17,\S P said on Tuesday.


Borders Posts 3rd-Quarter Loss Vs Yr. Ago  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - No 2. U.S. book retailer Borders  Group Inc. BGP.N on Tuesday posted a quarterly loss versus a  year-ago profit, hurt by sluggish store traffic and a slowdown  in sales of bestsellers.


HP Profit Tops Lowered Forecast Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday posted a quarterly profit that topped its own diminished expectations as the computer and printer maker said it had


A look at Notre Dame, Navy In week two Notre Dame CB Dwight Ellick and his fellow defensive backs backed up their words and flustered Michigan #39;s vaunted WR corps.


Iraq aid worker feared dead BRITISH-Iraqi aid worker Margaret Hassan is believed dead after a video surfaced showing a blind-folded woman being shot. Hassan, kidnapped last month in Baghdad, was said by her


Kitchen Gods (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - No definitive guide to cooking one-on-one with chefs exists, but the Shaw Guides, a leading directory of cooking schools, includes many chef listings http://cookforfun.shawguides.com/. Top chefs from around the U.S. have been sprouting up at Lee Jones' Culinary Vegetable Institute in Milan, Ohio, where kitchen technique is taught to small groups of students using vegetables straight from Jones' nearby farm http://www.culinaryvegetableinstitute.com/.


CARE Australia says it appears Iraq hostage Margaret Hassan is dead (AFP) AFP - CARE Australia, the charity group which employs kidnapped British-born Iraqi aid worker Margaret Hassan, said Wednesday that it appeared she had been killed in Iraq.


Google Stock Falls as Share Total Doubles (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of Google Inc. \fell 6.67 percent on Tuesday, as selling restrictions were\lifted on 39 million shares held by employees and early\investors in the newly public Web search company.


Marine, insurgent tactics evolve In Fallujah, US officers say the remaining Iraqi rebels are smart, and adapting to changing battle conditions.


Martinez Visits 'The Enemy' Pedro Martinez visits the enemy Tuesday, meeting with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner at New York's spring training complex in Tampa, Fla.


HP beats lowered forecast Hewlett-Packard said Tuesday that quarterly profit topped its own lowered expectations as the computer and printer maker saw record revenues in every business and every region.


Spitzer sees new pleas in probe New York #39;s Attorney General Eliot Spitzer told a US Senate subcommittee Tuesday he expects his insurance industry probe to yield additional guilty pleas.


Borders Posts 3rd-Quarter Loss Vs Yr. Ago No 2. US book retailer Borders Group Inc. (BGP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday posted a quarterly loss versus a year-ago profit, hurt by sluggish store traffic and a slowdown in sales of bestsellers.


UPDATE 1-S amp;P delivers third blow to Merck  #39;AAA #39; ratings Merck  amp; Co. (MRK.N: Quote, Profile, Research) saw its ratings slashed by a third credit ratings agency on Tuesday as Standard  amp; Poor #39;s delivered the final blow


Nordstrom 3Q Earnings Beat Expectations Department store operator Nordstrom Inc. on Tuesday said third-quarter profit jumped on higher sales, inventory changes and lower expenses, leading it above Wall Street estimates.


GM to Close Baltimore Plant General Motors Corp., the world #39;s largest automaker, announced Tuesday that the 1,100 remaining workers at its Baltimore assembly plant will lose their jobs next year when


CanWest buys half of Jerusalem Post to expand its North American <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - CanWest Global Communications is acquiring half of the Jerusalem Post, another jewel in Conrad Black #39;s diminished media empire, as part of plans to expand the reach of CanWest #39;s newspaper and Internet business.


SBC joins the VoIP party SBC Communications will begin selling residential phone services that use the Internet in 2005, aiming for those in its existing markets who buy broadband access but gave up their traditional home phone.


Nasa launches superfast jet plane Nasa #39;s X-43A, the world #39;s fastest jet, was launched over the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday in an attempt to fly at 10 times the speed of sound, Mach 10.


Dell, Microsoft to enable systems, software updates with one tool PC maker Dell and software company Microsoft have formed a development partnership to improve the way customers manage systems across the enterprise.


MPAA Starts Suing Today the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) announced today that it had filed an unspecified amount of lawsuits against people who trade Movies using p2p (peer-to-peer) programs.


Europe #39;s little genius reaches Moon THE first spacecraft sent from Europe to the Moon has safely entered lunar orbit, scientists behind the mission learnt yesterday. Smart-1, which is powered by a Star


IBM Launches Global Computing Grid to Support Research The project will tap into the power of home PCs to create a virtul supercomputer. By Paul McDougall. As part of a broader effort to spur collaborative research in key industries, IBM on Tuesday launched a project


Smog linked to increase in deaths An increase in smog sparks a small but measurable increase in deaths, scientists report Wednesday in a study showing the strongest link yet between smog and damage to health.


Adobe Announces New PDF Tools Adobe has announced version 7.0 of its Acrobat document-sharing suite. The new version give creators of PDF documents more options in the ways users can interact with them.


Sharapova takes out WTA Champs Maria Sharapova has capped off a brilliant season by defeating Serena Williams 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 to win the season-ending WTA Tour Championships in Los Angeles.


Long wait over for Cavaliers In the end, their free LeBron James bobbleheads gyrating in their hands, the sellout crowd at Gund Arena half-heartedly booed at the loss of their free food.


ABC Apologizes for Steamy Football Intro Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens (81) pulls in a 50 yard touchdown pass in front of Dallas Cowboys defenders Nathan Jones (33) and Tony Dixon (24) during the first quarter in Irving, Texas, Monday, Nov. 15, 2004.


Thousands watch Gerrard #39;s comeback A record-breaking crowd of 6,280 football fans packed into AFC Telford #39;s New Bucks Head to get the chance to see England #39;s Steven Gerrard in action.


DePaul signs women #39;s basketball coach to contract extension CHICAGO - After leading the DePaul women #39;s basketball team to NCAA tournament appearances the past two seasons, Doug Bruno has been rewarded with a contract extension, the school announced Tuesday.


Chris Paul  amp; Co. help Wake to impressive start COM. I was impressed watching Wake Forest in its season-opening, 97-76 win over George Washington in the Preseason NIT on Monday night.


A life devoted to Iraq ends with a single bullet opposing sanctions, campaigning against the war and working for the survival of the countrys neediest when all other foreign aid workers had fled.


Britain to impose smoking ban in England, Wales LONDON - The British government announced plans Tuesday to impose a smoking ban across England and Wales. As part of the government #39;s wide-ranging  quot;White Paper on Public Health, quot; which also aims to tackle


Diaz Ends the Year on a Strong Note (AP) AP - Now that Laura Diaz is starting to see progress, the LPGA Tour season is about to end. But at least she gets one more week, which is all she wanted.


Safin Storms to Easy Masters Cup Win Over Coria  HOUSTON (Reuters) - Russia's Marat Safin rolled to a 6-1,  6-4 win over Guillermo Coria of Argentina at the Masters Cup  Tuesday, the rainy conditions doing little to cool off the  ATP's hottest player.


ETA Urged to Quit Fight as 17 More Suspects Jailed  MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's Basque regional government  called on armed separatist group ETA to renounce violence on  Tuesday, stepping up political pressure on the severely  weakened guerrillas to lay down their arms.


World Health Leaders Call for New Research Goals  MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Global health leaders meeting in  Mexico this week want nations of the world to spend more on  medical research, not only to develop new cures but to make  those now on the market available to the poor.


NASA Test Flight Breaks World Jet Speed Record (Reuters) Reuters - An unmanned experimental jet broke\a world record for speed on Tuesday by accelerating to about\7,000 miles per hour high over the Pacific Ocean in a NASA test\of cutting-edge engine technology.


Everest Needs UNESCO Status as Glaciers Melt-Greens (Reuters) Reuters - Mount Everest should be put on a United


Fired Up Hewitt Rallies Past Moya  HOUSTON (Reuters) - A fired-up Lleyton Hewitt underlined  his determination to end the season with a third Masters Cup  title as he rallied past Spain's Carlos Moya 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 to  complete their rain-delayed opening match Tuesday.


Ohio Has Clearer Picture of Ballots Now (AP) AP - Most of the presidential election provisional ballots rejected so far in Ohio came from people who were not even registered to vote, election officials said after spending nearly two weeks poring over thousands of disputed votes.


U.S. Signs Agreement Targeting Methane (AP) AP - Seeking to bolster its credentials on global warming, the United States signed an agreement Tuesday with 13 other nations that calls for investing up to  #36;53 million in companies that will profitably control emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas.


Ivory Coast Leader Says Committed to Reunification  ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo  said on Tuesday he was committed to reunifying the West African  country but said that it was up to the United Nations to start  disarmament in the world's top cocoa grower.


Indian PM Visits Kashmir, Troops Start Pullout  SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan  Singh begins his first visit to revolt-torn Kashmir on  Wednesday as New Delhi starts pulling troops out of the  disputed Himalayan state hoping to boost the chances for peace.


NASA Launches Hypersonic 'Scramjet' An unmanned NASA jet was launched over the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday in a bid to demonstrate a radical new engine technology by flying at a world-record 7,000 mph - almost 10 times the speed of sound.


HP Earnings Rebound Hewlett-Packard late Tuesday released the financial results for its fourth fiscal quarter, which ended Oct. 31. The Palo Alto, Calif.


World Bank: Global Economy Improving The World Bank said that developing countries are seeing their strongest economic growth in three decades -- and strong growth is likely to continue for the next two years.


ATA Holdings Corp. Announces Definitive Agreement With AirTran <b>...</b> INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ATA Holdings Corp. , announced today that the Company and its principal subsidiary, ATA Airlines, Inc.


Nordstrom earnings beat estimates SEATTLE -- Nordstrom Inc. #39;s income soared 71 percent in its latest quarter as the clothing chain continued to focus on improving merchandise and managing expenses.


Bush Econ Team to Undergo Gradual Changes (Reuters) Reuters - President Bush, who swiftly\reshuffled his foreign policy team on Tuesday, is planning a\more gradual overhaul of his top economic staff, people close\to the White House said.


Scramjet reaches record of nearly Mach 10 EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE - NASA #39;s unpiloted jet briefly reached more than nine times the speed of sound in a test flight on Tuesday.


Movie Studios Sue File Traders The trade group that represents movie studios filed its first round of lawsuits Tuesday against people who allegedly share copyright films on the internet.


Solaris 10 appears After a steady diet of feature announcements throughout most of this year, Sun Microsystems officials formally launched their next-generation operating system this week.


Drug companies, retailers adopting RFID for drugs Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and Purdue Pharma are the first drugmakers willing to take the plunge and use radio frequency identification technology to protect their US drug supply chains from counterfeiters.


Microsoft Floats NetWare Migration Promo Officials at Microsoft (Quote, Chart) took advantage of their new arrangement with Novell (Quote, Chart) to launch a promotion to get US customers off the NetWare operating system and onto Windows Server 2003.


Sony makes progress towards smaller Blu-ray/DVD players NOVEMBER 16, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Sony Corp. and blue-laser diode maker Nichia Corp. have developed a component that they say is vital to realizing support for Blu-ray Disc and DVD discs in portable devices, they announced on Tuesday.


McCain raps Bush on global warming Seeking to bolster its credentials on global warming, the United States signed an agreement Tuesday with 13 other nations that calls for investing up to \$53 million in companies that will profitably control emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas.


NVIDIA Announces GeForce 6600 GT for the AGP Bus November 16, 2004 - NVIDIA today has announced an AGP version of its GeForce 6600 GT, its competitively priced, high-performance solution aimed at gamers.


Aussies satisfied with a draw Australia has drawn 2-2 with Norway in its international friendly at Craven Cottage in London - Tim Cahill and Josip Skoko got the goals for Frank Farina #39;s side.


Keane strikes gives Ireland victory over Croatia DUBLIN: Ireland #39;s all-time leading scorer Robbie Keane struck the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Croatia in an international soccer friendly on Wednesday.


Junior hockey league bans David Frost from games after incident in <b>...</b> ATHENS, Ont. (CP) - David Frost, the agent for jailed former NHL player Mike Danton, has been banned from attending all future games and events of Central Jr.


MAC to fill Pac-10 #39;s slot in Silicon Valley bowl The Silicon Valley Bowl is close to finalizing a deal to bring a team from the Mid-American Conference to the game in place of a Pac-10 team.


Eagles show Cowboys night of humiliation IRVING, Texas -- Donovan McNabb spun away from one would-be tackler and sprinted to his right, only to find another defender waiting.


Browns Waive RB James Jackson (AP) AP - The Browns waived disgruntled running back James Jackson on Tuesday to make room for a rookie on their roster.


Jazz Get Arroyo Back, Put Him in Lineup (AP) AP - Carlos Arroyo spent 30 minutes getting pregame treatment, then tried to hustle out onto the court. In such a hurry to rejoin the Utah Jazz, he made a wrong turn and headed toward the buffet line.


Fate of UN hostages hangs in balance KABUL, Nov 16: The latest deadline set by Muslim militants in Afghanistan who threatened to kill three UN hostages passed with no word on their fate on Tuesday, but the government said it was hopeful they would be released.


Thatcher to fight call for extradition over  #39;coup #39; SIR MARK THATCHER is facing an extradition demand from Equatorial Guinea to stand trial over claims that he helped to bankroll an attempted coup in the oil-rich West African state.


Auburn's Tailback Duo Share Spotlight (AP) AP - Auburn tailbacks Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown haven't joined in the rush to the Heisman Trophy.


PeopleSoft introduces support by subscription New technical support service lets businesses outsource tuning, patching and monitoring of their PeopleSoft systems.


Eighth Wonder Bread of the world Looking for a miracle with your meal? You may be in luck. A Florida woman is selling what she claims is a miraculous sandwich, and apparently, it's just what some spiritual bidders are craving. Missing Links


Bush Econ Team to Undergo Gradual Changes  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush, who swiftly  reshuffled his foreign policy team on Tuesday, is planning a  more gradual overhaul of his top economic staff, people close  to the White House said.


Stocks Slip on Strong PPI; HP Climbs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks retreated on Tuesday, as a  jump in the Producer Price Index on skyrocketing food and  energy costs raised concerns that the Fed might become more  aggressive with rate increases in the months ahead.


US Flight Attendants Union To Begin Strike Vote The Association of Flight Attendants said its union leaders unanimously authorized a strike vote on Tuesday that will begin immediately at bankrupt US carriers, including United Airlines and US Airways.


Crude oil prices fall amid optimism over US oil stockpiles Crude oil prices fell Tuesday astraders widely anticipated a continuing increase in US inventories of crude oil. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude oil futures for


US pension agencys deficit jumps to \$23b WASHINGTON: The deficit at the federal agency that rescues failed US corporate pensions more than doubled to \$23.3 billion in fiscal year 2004, officials said on Monday, with analysts largely blaming bankrupt airlines.


Some shareholders accept, others reject Oracle bid SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- PeopleSoft #39;s board could be the target of another shareholder lawsuit over the anti-takeover measures it adopted to fend off a hostile bid from rival Oracle, according to a lawyer representing a group of PeopleSoft shareholders.


Developing nations  #39;to prosper #39; Developing nations are this year set to record their strongest economic growth since 1974, the World Bank has said. Many countries are on course to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals of cutting global


Zurich Financial Underwriters Plead Guilty in Probe (Update4) Two underwriters at Zurich Financial Services AG, the third-biggest US commercial insurer, pleaded guilty to charges they helped rig bids to help an insurance broker give business to favored clients.


Film Industry Files Wave of Anti-Piracy Lawsuits The MPAA estimated that global film piracy costs the US movie industry more than \$3 billion annually, but it did not give an estimate for how much online piracy costs the industry.


Fear Is Spread by Body Language, Study Says The study shows that images of fear affect the emotional part of the brain. Since the link between the emotional brain and action is stronger than the link between the visual brain and action, viewing fearful


U.S. Stocks Fall on Inflation Fears  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks and bonds fell on Tuesday  as a jump in producer prices sparked worries about inflation  and aggressive interest-rate hikes.


ABC Sports apologizes for steamy intro to  #39;Monday Night Football #39; The network #39;s steamy intro to the Philadelphia-Dallas game, featuring a naked Nicollette Sheridan jumping into the arms of Eagles receiver Terrell Owens, drew complaints from viewers and the NFL.


Castilla leaving Rockies A blend of sadness and excitement resonated in Vinny Castilla #39;s voice this afternoon. Despite his popularity and production, Castilla #39;s career with the Rockies is over.


Yankees meet with Martinez The hot stove season got a little hotter on Tuesday, as Pedro Martinez met with the Yankees in Tampa to discuss the possibility of joining the Bronx Bombers.


Segway completes trans-continental voyage Tired scooter rider enthused to finish coast-to-coast journey across 14 states.


In Brief: Bowstreet unveils pre-packaged portal offerings Bowstreet this week launched its Enterprise Portal Solutions, a set of portal-based composite applications designed to bolster employee, partner, and customer productivity.


HP server group sees profit in Q4 Hewlett-Packard's troubled Enterprise Storage and Servers group bounced back to profitability during its most recent financial quarter, and the company as a whole saw revenue rise 8 percent to \$21.4 billion, the Palo Alto, California, company reported Tuesday.


US claims 'no fault' in 2003 killing of reporters in Iraq: Reporters Without Borders (AFP) AFP - The US Army has acknowledged  quot;no fault or negligence quot; in the April 2003 attack on a Baghdad hotel that killed two reporters, a rights group said, even though the military knew that hundreds of journalists were based there.


Nokia Demos Mobile Call Using IPv6 (PC World) PC World - Internet Protocol version 6 will improve VoIP quality, other wireless services.


Iranian Hard-Liners Criticize Nuclear Deal (AP) AP - Iranian hard-liners on Tuesday criticized a nuclear deal reached with European nations, saying Iran gained nothing in return for suspending the nuclear enrichment process.


SDForum: Open source becoming first option (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - SANTA CLARA, CALIF.  #8211; Enterprises that in the past may have been leery of open source alternatives to commercial software have opened up to the concept, panelists said here Tuesday at an SDForum conference entitled "Open Source  #8211; Entering the Mainstream. #8221;


In Brief: Bowstreet unveils pre-packaged portal offerings (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - Bowstreet this week launched its Enterprise Portal Solutions, a set of portal-based composite applications designed to bolster employee, partner, and customer productivity.


Nokia Demos Mobile Call Using IPv6 Internet Protocol version 6 will improve VoIP quality, other wireless services.


Geiger, Tressel Defend Ohio State (AP) AP - Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger and coach Jim Tressel defended the school's football program Tuesday against charges that players were paid by boosters and coddled academically.


Black moves to privatise Hollinger Black was charged with fraud yesterday by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), accusing him of using the company as, what they termed, his personal piggy bank.


Iran suspending uranium enrichment TEHRAN, Iran - Iran said Monday that it was suspending uranium enrichment and related activities briefly, voluntarily and in hopes of building confidence in the world that its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.


A revised disengagement strategy As Yasser Arafat was being brought for burial, and even before a Palestinian leadership has arisen that will prove that it is heading in a new direction, British Prime Minister Tony Blair went


Motorola to acquire MeshNetworks Motorola Inc. has agreed to buy MeshNetworks Inc., a developer of technology and products for rapidly deployed, self-creating wireless mobile networks.


Borders Posts \$1.5M Loss in 3rd Quarter Borders Group Inc. said Tuesday that it swung to a loss in the fiscal third quarter as fewer customers came to stores and best seller sales declined.


Murdoch #39;s News Corp. to Join S amp;P 500 News Corp. (NWS.AX: Quote, Profile, Research) (NWS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the media company built by Rupert Murdoch, will join the Standard  amp; Poor #39;s 500 stock index after the close of trading on Dec. 17, S amp;P said on Tuesday.


MPAA sues file swappers The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) launched its initiative to file lawsuits against online movie traders on Tuesday.


Euro probe comes in 4th in moon race Nearly 40 years after US and Soviet space probes orbited the moon, the European Space Agency has put its own satellite into lunar orbit.


Revealed: why the fear factor runs with the pack THE rapid spread of fear that can cause crush injuries and serious accidents in crowds could be provoked by an innate reaction to body language, a provocative new study has found.


HP PCs To Include Blu-Ray Drives Hewlett-Packard said Tuesday that it will bring products using Blu-Ray next-generation optical technology to market in late 2005. In January, both HP and Dell announced their support for the Blu-Ray specification


Sharapova caps superb year as foil to Williams WIMBLEDON champion Maria Sharapova capped her stunning year by overcoming an injured Serena Williams 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the final of the season-ending WTA Tour Championships in Los Angeles yesterday.


Global economy to slow sharply next year, says the World Bank THE growth of the world economy is poised to slow sharply next year as oil pressures continue and China attempts a soft landing, the World Bank said yesterday.


After 13-month flight, Europe arrives at the moon More than 30 years after the last Apollo mission, European scientists have made it to the moon. Their experimental Smart-1 probe, powered by a revolutionary Star Trek-style thruster, has entered into orbit around the lunar surface.


Silvestre lambasts Domenech France defender Mikael Silvestre has hit out at the lack of communication from national coach Raymond Domenech. The 27-year-old Manchester United defender was left out of France #39;s squad for Wednesday #39;s friendly with Poland.


Hollywood Writer Sues Microsoft Over Yoga Game (Reuters) Reuters - Academy Award-winning screenwriter\Roger Avary has sued Microsoft Corp. in California for\purportedly stealing his idea for a virtual yoga studio after\the software giant sought his advice for winning over women to\videogames, his attorney said on Tuesday.


PeopleSoft Shareholders Clash on Takeover (AP) AP - Oracle Corp.'s takeover tug-of-war with rival business software maker PeopleSoft Inc. intensified Tuesday as two shareholders who own nearly 20 percent of PeopleSoft's stock indicated they are prepared to line up on opposite sides of the battle lines.


FDA Chief Counsel Daniel Troy Resigns (AP) AP - Daniel E. Troy, chief counsel for the Food and Drug Administration, resigned Tuesday with plans to return to the private sector.


Hollywood Writer Sues Microsoft Over Yoga Game  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Academy Award-winning screenwriter  Roger Avary has sued Microsoft Corp. in California for  purportedly stealing his idea for a virtual yoga studio after  the software giant sought his advice for winning over women to  videogames, his attorney said on Tuesday.


Ivorean head won't 'hinder' peace Ivory Coast's leader vows not to block peace moves in the divided nation as the UN imposes an arms embargo.


Bush Names Hawkish Rice Top U.S. Diplomat (AP) AP - President Bush on Tuesday picked National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, who once tutored him on global affairs, to be his top diplomat, saying her foreign-policy experience and struggle against racism uniquely qualified her to be America's "face to the world" as secretary of state.


Execs Tell Congress of More Insurance Woes (AP) AP - Revelations of bid-rigging within the insurance industry may lead Congress to a "Pandora's box" of unethical conduct, a top investigator told Congress on Tuesday, just before two more executives pleaded guilty.


Glaciers Said Threatening Mount Everest (AP) AP - Melting glaciers caused by climate change are posing an urgent threat to Mount Everest's unique environment, activists said Wednesday, launching a campaign to protect the Himalayan mountain range and the world's highest peak.


For O.D.B., Fun Was Too Much or Not at All For hip-hop stars, there is nothing glamorous about being out of control. The late rapper burned hot in a world where stars are supposed to stay cool.


Europe's First Moon Mission Successful (AP) AP - A fuel-efficient, compact spacecraft has made it into lunar orbit, signaling Europe's first successful mission to the moon and putting the inexpensive probe on course to study the lunar surface, officials said Tuesday.


Analyst: Outsourcing can save costs in health care BALTIMORE - Health care organizations not considering offshore outsourcing are missing out on significant cost savings, but administrators need to be aware of potential risks, including lax handling of data security by some vendors and the effect on employee morale, a health care IT analyst said Tuesday.


Davenport Ends Season Top-Ranked Player (AP) AP - Lindsay Davenport finished No. 1 in the world for the third time in the year-end WTA rankings released Tuesday.


Kobe Bryant Civil Lawsuit Set to Begin (AP) AP - Three months after prosecutors dropped a sexual assault charge against Kobe Bryant, attorneys for the NBA star prepared to return to court for the first hearing in a civil lawsuit filed by his accuser.


Hewlett-Packard 4th-Qtr Net Rises on Server Rebound (Update4) Hewlett-Packard Co., the world #39;s No. 2 personal-computer maker, said fourth-quarter profit rose 27 percent, exceeding its forecast, as sales of servers rebounded and PC revenue set a record.


Peoplesoft bid battle heats up The battle for PeopleSoft intensified on Tuesday, with the company #39;s two top shareholders said to be taking opposite sides in the software maker #39;s struggle against an \$8.8 billion hostile bid by its bigger rival Oracle.


Murdoch: Plans Cable Rival For  #39;Disappointing #39; CNBC Rupert Murdoch, sunny news junkie. After the annual shareholder meeting of Fox Entertainment Group (nyse: FOX - news - people ), Murdoch said he saw a niche for a new cable business news channel that #39;d offer


Expos OK Deals With 3B Castilla, SS Guzman (AP) AP - The Expos made their first big splash since announcing their move to Washington, agreeing Tuesday to a  #36;6.2 million, two-year contract with third baseman Vinny Castilla and a  #36;16.8 million, four-year deal with shortstop Cristian Guzman.


Growth in developing countries strongest in 3 decades: WB The developing countries will enjoy the strongest economic growth in three decades this year andshould continue to enjoy solid expansion in 2005 and 2006, the World Bank predicted on Tuesday.


IRS Announces Thousands In Unclaimed Refunds FORT SMITH, Ark. -- Many Arkansans and Oklahomans could have money coming and not know it, federal officials said Tuesday. The Internal Revenue Service announced that more than 1,500 residents in both states have unclaimed tax refunds.


Bell Ringers Banned from Target Captain Chuck Anderson from the Salvation Army is spraying the kettles red, in preparation for their annual Christmas fundraiser. He says, quot;Last year we helped almost 1500 children and senior citizens and over 600 families.


US scramjet clocks 10 times speed of sound EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, United States : A US hypersonic experimental scramjet, the X-43A, clocked up a test flight at a world record speed 10 times faster than sound, NASA said.


FDA Tells Viagra To Soften Its Ads The FDA said the Viagra ads were so suggestive they touted the drug #39;s effectiveness, thereby requiring a description of the evidence for the claim and the possible side effects.


Europe probe safely enters Moon orbit PARIS The first European spacecraft sent to the Moon has entered orbit there, the European Space Agency said on Tuesday. The SMART-1 spacecraft reached its closest point to the Moon so far, coming within 5,000


Dell and Microsoft improves patch management Microsoft and Dell launched a new initiative program for their enterprise consumers that promise to be productive and cost efficient.


Solaris will be available for free At yesterday #39;s official launch of the new Solaris 10 operating system in San Jose, Calif., Sun executives said Solaris will be issued next January under an  quot;open-source quot; licensing plan similar to that used by the rival operating system Linux and the


Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese Back Up on EBay MIAMI Nov 16, 2004 - The Internet auction house eBay Inc. reversed itself Tuesday and is allowing bids for half of a 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich that its owner says bears the image of the Virgin Mary.


Hollywood Writer Sues Microsoft Over Yoga Game Academy Award-winning screenwriter Roger Avary has sued Microsoft Corp. in California for purportedly stealing his idea for a virtual yoga studio after the software giant sought his


Spot On: Blu-ray bares teeth in format fight to the finish A battle over next-generation disc standards could create a rift in console game storage. Which side are you on? There are few who contest the fact that the acceptance of CD-ROM and then DVD-ROM standards


Ireland Beats Croatia in Soccer Friendly; Australia Ties Norway Robbie Keane scored his 24th international goal as the Republic of Ireland beat Croatia 1-0 in an exhibition soccer match. Australia and Norway drew 2-2.


Spotlight on entire Giants offense The Giants are on the clock again, and it is a race against time as dramatic as the one that ended in April when they made the trade for Eli Manning.


Officials hope for calm after Apple Cup PULLMAN, Wash. -- Washington State officials hope to avoid a repeat of 2002 #39;s post-Apple Cup melee by having more police on site and stressing good sportsmanship at the game Saturday.


Wales  #39;homecoming #39; adds twist for Henry and Hansen There was a bizarre feeling to events yesterday, hearing two Wales coaches talking about New Zealand looking for a victory, but then, it is an unprecedented situation.


Europe doesn #39;t believe in democracy What Tony Blair disarmingly calls his  quot;damn high wire act quot; is getting shakier. The bridge between Europe and the United States has become a frayed rope in a tug-of-war match.


Tension high, Dutch ponder old blasphemy law THE HAGUE Dutch leaders debated Tuesday about invoking a rarely used law banning blasphemy in response to a wave of ethnic tension and violence.


Australia #39;s WMC Resources Says No Takeover Offer Made -2- MELBOURNE (Dow Jones)--Australian diversified nickel producer WMC Resources Ltd. (WMC) on Wednesday said it hasn #39;t received any new takeover proposals.


Hewlett-Packard posts 26.5 per cent rise in fourth quarter profits Hewlett-Packard Co. reported Tuesday a 26.5 per cent rise in fourth-quarter profit on the strength of record revenue growth across all of the computer manufacturing giant #39;s businesses.


Motorola to acquire MeshNetworks Motorola has agreed to buy MeshNetworks, a developer of technology and products for rapidly deployed, self-creating wireless mobile networks.


US  #39;Scramjet #39; Breaks Speed Record The US space agency (NASA) says an unmanned supersonic jet Tuesday succeeded in breaking a speed record. NASA says preliminary data from its X-43A experimental aircraft shows it reached speeds


Xbox game lawsuit The LA Times today has the story (free reg. required ) of a notable Hollywood figure suing Microsoft over an Xbox game:  quot;If this were one of his screenplays, Roger Avary might have sent gun-packing, wisecracking thugs to settle his beef with Bill Gates.


Dell thrusts blade into datacentres A substantial price cut and footprint squeeze show a new commitment from Dell to getting its enterprise-class blade servers into data centres.


RUMOR: Next generation Apple iPod to feature downloadable games?  quot;Apple #39;s iPod has lately been subject to the Rumor of the Week, quot; Rich Duprey writes for The Motley Fool.  quot;Gaming is the latest rumor to have attracted attention.


Keane On Target As Ireland Win The Republic of Ireland #39;s leading scorer, Robbie Keane, extended his record to 24 goals as Brian Kerrs side beat Croatia 1-0 in a friendly at Lansdowne Road in Dublin on Tuesday.


PREVIEW-Beckham and Owen to feel at home against Spain England captain David Beckham and Michael Owen, playing at a home from home in Wednesday #39;s friendly against Spain, have points to prove at the Bernabeu.


ABC Sorry for  #39;Desperate Housewives #39; Football Plug The National Football League has thrown a penalty flag at ABC television, and the network has apologized, for its literal use of locker-room humor to promote the new hit drama  quot;Desperate Housewives.


MLB: Anaheim Angels #39; Guerrero Wins MVP Award Major League Baseball #39;s Vladimir Guerrero of the Anaheim Angels has wrapped up his inaugural season in the American League by winning the Most Valuable Player Award.


Boks bring  #39;streetwise #39; approach to Twickenham Few who witnessed the decisive sucker-punch try by Ireland #39;s Ronan O #39;Gara in Dublin last Saturday, scored while the Springbok captain John Smit was engaged in a lengthy conference with his team on the subject of illegal ball-killing, would use the word


Hurricanes Strap on the Pads for Tuesday Workout CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Despite a recent rash of injuries, the University of Miami #39;s 12th-ranked football team conducted a normal Tuesday practice with full-contact work at the Greentree Practice Fields.


Iraq #39;s tireless worker killed in the country she loved When Margaret Hassan was kidnapped in October, her car was waved down by two men in Iraqi police uniforms. Gunmen surrounded the car and dragged Ms Hassan #39;s driver and unarmed guard from their seats.


Japan vs. Russia on Kuril islands Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi announced on Tuesday that Tokyo would not support the idea to solve the problem of southern Kuril Islands and peace treaty with Moscow by getting just two islands, Shikotan and Habomai.


China Sees Heavy Investment in Argentina in Decade (Reuters) Reuters - China and Argentina\signed accords on Tuesday that could bring nearly  #36;20 billion\in investment from the Asian giant over the next 10 years for\the capital-starved Latin American economy.


Film Trade Group Files Anti-Piracy Suits (AP) AP - A trade group representing seven major movie studios filed a first wave of lawsuits against individuals they say are offering pirated copies of films using Internet-based peer-to-peer file-sharing programs.


By Matt Bramanti Some 10 years ago, Miami resident Diana Duyser made a grilled cheese sandwich. But not just any grilled cheese sandwich. This one bears the image of the mother of Christ, Duyser claims: The Blessed Virgin Mary, in bread-and-cheese form.


Beckham to play beyond 2006 World Cup England captain David Beckham has denied reports that he plans to retire from international soccer after the 2006 World Cup and said he wants to play for his country as long as possible.


Lauda says Red Bull should hire DC Three-time world champion Niki Lauda says Formula One #39;s new team Red Bull Racing should sign up David Coulthard. Austrian energy drink maker Red Bull bought the Jaguar team from Ford earlier this week, and


World doubles number ones reach semifinals World doubles top players Daniel Nestor of Canada and Mark Knowles of Bahamas Tuesday defeated Zimbabweans Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) at the ATP Masters Cup held in Houston, the United States.


Arafat in Gaza For all but the most elderly Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, portraits of Yasser Arafat, in outdoor posters, framed in public buildings, smaller pictures in the most humble homes of


eXo adds portal software to ObjectWeb ObjectWeb, a consortium focused on delivery of open source infrastructure technologies, announced Tuesday that eXo Platform SARL has joined the consortium and that its Enterprise Portal Solution (EPS) will be hosted by ObjectWeb.


eXo adds portal software to ObjectWeb (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - ObjectWeb, a consortium focused on delivery of open source infrastructure technologies, announced Tuesday that eXo Platform SARL has joined the consortium and that its Enterprise Portal Solution (EPS) will be hosted by ObjectWeb.


Study: U.S. needs foreign-born workers Report backed by pro-visa group sees shortages in high-skill occupations, a view not shared by all.


TiVo backer Aslop to leave VC firm Prominent venture capitalist at Silicon Valley's New Enterprise Associates wants to "see if I can design a working life for myself."


SBC in Deal With Microsoft to Provide TV on High-Speed Lines SBC Communications plans to announce that it will pay \$400 million to Microsoft for software used to deliver TV programming over high-speed data lines.


Universal Music Said to License Songs (AP) AP - Universal Music Group has licensed songs from its stable of artists including U2 and Eminem to a company that has developed technology designed to prevent the unauthorized distribution of audio tracks over online file-sharing networks, a source familiar with the venture said.


Motorola Acquires MeshNetworks (AP) AP - Motorola Inc. is acquiring MeshNetworks Inc., developer of a technology that makes it easy to set up and expand wireless networks, in a deal expected to help the world's No. 2 cell phone maker win more government business.


New Judges Chosen for Peru Rebel Retrial (AP) AP - Peru named three new judges to hear the retrial of Shining Path rebel leader Abimael Guzman, officials said Tuesday, replacing jurists who stepped down and caused his first public trial to collapse.


Pakistan Movie Theater Explosion Kills 2 (AP) AP - A bomb exploded in a movie theater in northwestern Pakistan early Wednesday, killing two people and injuring 29 others, police said.


Bush Seeks to Build on His Education Base (AP) AP - President Bush is ready to shift his education focus to older students, building on the law he pushed through before terrorism and war came to define his presidency.


Congress Ready to Update Special Ed Law (AP) AP - Congressional negotiators have reached agreement on major changes in special education, aiming to boost discipline in class, better identify children with disabilities, get help to students earlier and reduce lawsuits by parents.


Ozone 'link' to premature deaths High levels of  may be killing off people living in cities around the world, experts suspect.


Clash of the superheroes Marvel Enterprises, IP guardian of The Hulk and untold other fictional freaks, is suing the creators of the hot online game "City of Heroes," claiming that characters in the game are virtually identical to Marvel characters. Missing Links


Guerrero Wins American League M.V.P. Award Vladimir Guerrero of the Anaheim Angels won the A.L. Most Valuable Player award, easily beating the second-place finisher, Gary Sheffield of the Yankees.


European officials urge US to halt dollar #39;s slide BRUSSELS European finance officials on Tuesday called on the United States to take concrete action to halt the slide of the dollar.


Vodafone pays out 6bn but fears grow on margins Vodafone is to hand out 6bn to shareholders this year thanks to a doubling of its dividend and an increase in its share buy-back programme.


News Corp marked in for S amp;P move A date has been announced for the inclusion of Rupert Murdoch #39;s News Corporation in a key share market index in the United States.


US wholesale prices up sharply in October Wholesale prices in the United States jumped 1.7 percent in October as a result of sharply higherenergy and food costs, the Labor Department reported on Tuesday.


Scramjet flies at Mach 10 By staff writers and wires. NASA says it has broken the world speed record for powered flight with an experimental jet that has just flown at 10 times the speed of sound.


EPA budget audit finds improvement An audit found improvement in the Environmental Protection Agency #39;s recent budgets, including a reduction of the Superfund deficit from \$82.7 million to \$7.6 million in 2004.


Music rebels seek to tame P2P com November 16, 2004, 4:00 AM PT. After years of bitter battles between copyright holders and file-swapping services, the outlines of a partial truce are emerging that may soon see


Senate May Ram Copyright Bill WASHINGTON -- Several lobbying camps from different industries and ideologies are joining forces to fight an overhaul of copyright law, which they say would radically shift in favor of Hollywood and the record companies and which Congress might try to


Gerrard ready for Liverpool comeback Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard says he is ready to make his comeback at Middlesbrough after a two-month injury absence. Gerrard, who broke a bone in his foot during Liverpool #39;s 2-1 Premier


New Mexico Coach Gets 2009 Extension ALBUQUERQUE, NM Nov 16, 2004 - New Mexico signed coach Rocky Long a contract extension through 2009 on Tuesday. While details of the new contract are still being worked out, Long is getting a pay raise of


Former Buc Jackson signs with old team Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - Tampa Bay inked former Buc and Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson on Tuesday to add depth to its suddenly-thin safety position.


Busch stays in front by avoiding finishes in back After tearing up the track in the first six rounds of NASCAR #39;s new 10-race, playoff-style championship format, Kurt Busch is looking a little more Matt Kenseth-esque these days.


Geiger: No evidence to back accusations COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In the wake of Maurice Clarett #39;s accusations of impropriety within the Ohio State football program, Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel and athletic director Andy Geiger defended the program Tuesday.


WC Group 2 Preview: Greece-Kazakhstan Greece host Kazakhstan on Wednesday night in a game that the home-side is looking only for the maximum in order to remain in the fight for the top places of the second group.


Sudan: Peace Deal Must Tackle Past Abuses (Nairobi, November 18, 2004) - The impunity enjoyed by the Sudanese authorities in their ongoing atrocities in Darfur demonstrates why the near-final peace deal to end the country #39;s North-South conflict must include accountability for human rights abuses


Witness recants The prime witness in an alleged coup plot in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea repudiated his confession Tuesday, saying it was coerced by interrogators who threatened him with death.


Dollar Stuck Near Lows Ahead of G20 Meet  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar idled near seven-month lows  against the yen on Wednesday as traders considered what  officials from the Group of 20 countries might say about recent  weakness in the U.S. currency at an upcoming meeting.


St. Paul Travelers gets another subpoena in insurance probe ST. PAUL, Minn. Saint Paul Travelers Companies says it has been subpoenaed by the New York attorney general for documents relating to its business practices.


Vodafone to Buy Back More Shares As it reported results on Tuesday, the Vodafone Group, the world #39;s largest mobile phone operator, said that it would double dividends and increase a share buyback program by 1 billion (\$1.9 billion).


NASA Test Flight Nears 7,000 Mph, Breaks Record An unmanned experimental jet broke a world record for speed on Tuesday, cruising over the Pacific Ocean at just under 7,000 miles per hour in a NASA test of cutting-edge  quot;scramjet quot; engine technology.


Microsoft to NetWare Users: I Want You Microsoft has introduced a package of tools, training and technical support designed to lure users away from Novell #39;s Netware, to Windows Server 2003.


Rep of Ire 1 Croatia 0 BRIAN KERR finished the international year on a high with this friendly win at Lansdowne Road. Republic of Ireland boss Kerr has taken his side to the top of Group Four in World Cup qualifying