Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Acquitted of Treason Charges The leader of Zimbabwe #39;s largest opposition party was acquitted of treason charges Friday by a High Court in Harare. The judge said their was not enough credible evidence to convict the politician, Morgan Tsvangirai.


Britain's Khan on Course to Win Mallorca Classic  PULA, Mallorca, Spain (Reuters) - Britain's Simon Khan is  on course for a second win of the season after taking the lead  in the Mallorca Classic second round Friday.


Googles GMail Resembling Desktop Mail Client Google's GMail Resembling Desktop Mail Client\\The more I use GMail and Google keeps on enhancing this webmail service, the more I look at it as a replacement to desktop mail clients. I have been using GMail for my personal mails and I cannot hide the fact that I am loving ...


Desktop Search from AOL, Google   Others Desktop Search from AOL, Google  #038; Others\\Search engines, portals and browser systems are trying to get off of the Internet and your desktop and into your hard drives, email, and private files. By taking advantage of a basically lame Windows Search tool used by Microsoft since the dawn of MS ...


Search Engines and Block Analysis with Image Retrieval Search Engines and Block Analysis with Image Retrieval\\What are some of the methods to combat the issues with linkage data, that search engines often depend upon for ranking one page over the next? If you're reading this, you most probably know all too well about how sites exchange links with ...


US Airways Gets Approval to Cut Pay A bankruptcy judge granted US Airways authority Friday to immediately cut the pay of its union workers by 21 percent, saying the airline's situation is so dire that urgent action must be taken.


News: Four charged in landmark UK phishing case Four eastern Europeans appeared in a London court yesterday charged with defrauding online banks of hundreds of thousands through an elaborate 'phishing' scam.\


News: 6m South Koreans exposed in slam and spam scam South Korean police want to question 15 mobile phone workers and brokers over allegations they traded the personal information of an estimated six million people in the northeast Asian country.\


US Airways Permitted to Cut Workers Pay by 21 Percent A bankruptcy judge granted US Airways authority today to immediately cut the pay of its union workers by 21 percent, saying the airline's situation is so dire that urgent action must be taken.


Trump Does Seventh Avenue Apprentice contestants take it to the catwalk in the cutthroat apparel business.


Sprint announces additional 700 job cuts NEW YORK, October 15 (newratings.com) - The US-based telecom giant, Sprint Corporation (FON.NYS), has announced its plans for additional 700 job cuts in its Sprint Business Solutions (SBS) division.


Delta warns it will post a big loss In a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Delta Air Lines warned Friday that next week #39;s third quarter earnings report will include a bigger loss than it predicted earlier.


Microsoft #39;s Strategy: Be Apple Tuesday, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) announced a strategy of bringing digital entertainment to users in the home, at the office, or on the go.


Faulty Switch Installation Blamed for NASA Genesis Crash After re-entering the earth #39;s atmosphere, Genesis plunged straight down into the ground, leaving no chance for the helicopters that were supposed to snatch it from the air.


Paris Weighs Shift to Linux from Microsoft International Data Corp. said growth in demand for Linux servers in Europe is expected to almost double by 2008. Microsoft is fighting back by cutting prices and through publicity campaigns


How long has this been going on? Notre Dame has beaten Navy in football in every way, shape and form the last 40 years. The Irish have won in blowouts (41-0 in 1989) and squeakers (27-24 last season).


Cleric Charged in Jakarta Hotel Attack Militant Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir is escorted from prison after being re-arrested at the end of his 18-month sentence for minor immigration offenses in this file photo from April 30, 2004, in Jakarta, Indonesia.


The week in iPod Apple is the undisputed champion of the hard-drive music market, but competitors are gearing up for a shot at the title.


Yukos unit to be sold for knockdown \$4 bn The Russian government yesterday night appeared to be preparing to sell the main asset of Yukos, the countrys embattled oil company, for as little as \$4 billion - a fraction of its fair value -n a move analysts branded as daylight robbery


Haiti bracing for more violence Port-Au-Prince - Young gangsters rampaged through a neighbourhood blocks from the presidential National Palace, torching cars and firing in the air in what many expect is a prelude to another fearsomely violent day in Haiti #39;s capital.


SOMALIA: New government gets African diplomatic recognition NAIROBI, 15 October (IRIN) - Eastern and central African leaders said on Friday they would recognise  quot;with immediate effect quot; the new government in Somalia, which will be led by the newly elected President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and urged the UN to send a


Karzai Leads, 99 Pct of Afghan Votes to Be Counted  KABUL (Reuters) - With 99 percent of the votes still to be  counted in Afghanistan's presidential election, incumbent Hamid  Karzai has taken a lead many observers expect him to retain  right to the end of a marathon count.


U.S. Stocks Rebound on Retail Sales  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Friday as a  bigger-than-expected jump in September retail sales offset the  impact of falling insurance company shares.


Sunday Halloween Irks Some in Bible Belt NEWNAN, Ga. - Across the Bible Belt this Halloween, some little ghosts and goblins might get shooed away by the neighbors - and some youngsters will not be allowed to go trick-or-treating at all - because the holiday falls on a Sunday this year...


US Airways Gets OK to Cut Workers' Pay ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A bankruptcy judge granted US Airways authority Friday to immediately cut the pay of its union workers by 21 percent through mid-February, saying the airline's situation is so dire that urgent action must be taken...


6 Reasons to Love Rambus The company's revenue and earnings are just two reasons to like this stock.


The week in...iPod Apple is the undisputed champion of the hard-drive music market, but competitors are gearing up for a shot at the title.


Picture this: iPods at play, PCs as furniture photo galleries Music player is a must-have, much-loved accessory. Will fanciful Media Center PCs fare as well?


Update 3: US Airways Gets OK to Cut Workers #39; Pay A bankruptcy judge granted US Airways authority Friday to immediately cut the pay of its union workers by 21 percent through mid-February, saying the airline #39;s situation is so dire that urgent action must be taken.


Greenspan comments on oil prices Alan Greenspan says oil prices will have to rise a lot more before they have a serious impact on the American economy. The Chairman of the US Federal Reserve Board told a Washington audience the impact of


EU wants WTO talks on Boeing-Airbus BRUSSELS: The European Union asked the US government on Friday to hold talks at the WTO on a trade row involving aviation giants Boeing and Airbus at the end of this month, an official said.


ATA announces layoffs ATA Airlines is laying off 156 employees. Company spokeswoman Erica Keane isn #39;t commenting on reports that the Indianapolis-based ATA is trying to sell all or part of its holdings.


Microsoft Renews Push Into Entertainment Products Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday unveiled a new version of its Windows XP Media Center, along with an array of new devices and services


Senior UN health official slams international community over <b>...</b> GENEVA, Oct 15 (AFP) -- A senior World Health Organisation (WHO) official sharply criticised the shortfall in international aid for Sudan #39;s strife-torn region of Darfur, despite the amount of political and media attention devoted to the crisis.


Poland to cut Iraq troops in early  #39;05 Poland will cut its troops in Iraq early next year and won #39;t stay in the country  quot;an hour longer quot; than needed, the country #39;s prime minister said Friday.


Jet struck runway, broke in two, probe confirms Investigators probing the deadly crash of a Boeing 747 cargo jet at Halifax International Airport are refusing to speculate on what may have caused the plane #39;s tail to scrape the runway before breaking off.


Israel pulling back  #39;for Ramadan #39; Israel has begun redeploying its forces in the northern Gaza Strip as a gesture to Palestinians at the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.


Britain fires its Uzbek ambassador Great Britain has dismissed its ambassador to Uzbekistan after months of the diplomat #39;s speaking out against the Asian nation #39;s poor human rights record.


Davis joya for Moya CARLOS MOYA was hurled into the air by jubilant team-mates after clinching the Davis Cup for Spain yesterday. Moya beat American Andy Roddick 6-2 7-6 7-6 to give the home side an unbeatable


Israel Ends Deadly Northern Gaza Offensive  GAZA (Reuters) - The Israeli army pulled out of Palestinian  areas in northern Gaza on Friday, ending a massive 16-day  offensive that has killed more than 100 Palestinians.


Pilgrims Flock to Honor Mexican Idiot Savant Saint  EL ESPINAZO, Mexico (Reuters) - Thousands of barefoot  penitents walked, rolled and even shuffled on all fours to a  desert shrine in northern Mexico on Friday to pay homage to a  long-dead healer hailed as an idiot savant saint.


New Warnings Ordered on Antidepressants Used by Children The F.D.A. concluded that the use of antidepressants could increase thoughts of suicide among children.


Google Desktop Search app lets you  #39;google #39; your Windows PC OCTOBER 15, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Google Inc. is bringing its proven search capabilities to a Windows XP- or Windows 2000-equipped computer near you, helping users to catalog most of the files and content


Russia said eyeing Yukos bargain sale Russia appears ready to sell the main asset of Yukos, the country #39;s embattled oil company, for \$4 billion, a fraction of its worth, reports say.


Samsung Q3 Income Up 46 Percent Samsung #39;s net income rose to US\$2.34 billion from \$1.60 billion last year. Sales gained 27.4 percent to \$12.9 billion from \$9.


Nokia #39;s price cutting gets good reception MOBILE phone giant Nokia has reported a drop in third-quarter profits after cutting handset prices to win back market share, but said sales had picked up.


Chiron Says Wills Resigns From Board Chiron Corp. said Friday that Richard Wills has resigned from the company #39;s board, effective immediately, after just five weeks as a director.


British Bankers Can Be Extradited to US, Judge Rules A judge ruled today that three British bankers can be extradited to the United States to face wire fraud charges related to off-balance sheet dealings with the Enron energy group.


Pfizer warns on arthritis drug Bextra NEW YORK, OCTOBER 15 : PFIZER Inc. on Friday said two clinical trials showed patients taking its anti-inflammatory drug Bextra, had a higher risk of cardio-vascular events during high-risk coronary bypass surgery.


UPDATE 1-Police probe Royal Group fraud allegations Three Royal Group Technologies (RYG.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) (RYG.N: Quote, Profile, Research) executives, including the company #39;s founder and its chief executive, may have defrauded shareholders and creditors, Canadian


Radio operators OK rules on Net over power lines Amateur radio operators expressed cautious optimism about new rules for the transmission of broadband Internet access over power lines.


Faulty parachute linked to Genesis crash NASA says a poorly designed parachute is the likely reason its space probe, Genesis, came crashing back to earth last week, losing much of its cargo of solar dust.


Halo 2 Released Early But... Those looking the obtain the most anticipated movie, album or game before anyone else have sought such information on various Internet mediums.


Gupta Out, Swete In At PeopleSoft It #39;s out with the new and in with the oldat least at PeopleSoft, Pleasanton, Calif. Just two weeks after the ouster of CEO Craig Conway, Ram Gupta, PeopleSoft executive vice president of product and technology, has also left the building.


Microsoft Preps Previews of SQL Server 2005 Microsoft Corp. on Friday said it will release previews of the next version of SQL Server leading up to the release of the next beta of the technology, expected in the first quarter of next year.


Users buoyed by monthly patch releases OCTOBER 15, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Microsoft Corp. #39;s move to a monthly patch-release cycle one year ago this month has made it easier to install security updates for Windows and other products, IT managers said this week -- even as they were greeted with


One Thousand Words on PSP October 15, 2004 - Yet another PSP-related interview has appeared over in Japan. This time, the interviewer is Japanese site Impress GameWatch.


Hurricane aid covers NASA repair funds A hurricane disaster relief package approved last week includes money for fixing communications equipment at NASA #39;s Kennedy Space Center.


Can Arroyo help Red Sox finally get a win? Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez couldn #39;t bring the Boston Red Sox a win against the New York Yankees in the first two games of the AL championship series.


Els halfway to sixth title at World Match Play Surrey, England (Sports Network) - Ernie Els battled to a 1-up win Friday in the quarterfinals of the HSBC World Match Play Championship to move closer to his sixth title at this event.


NBA brings its game to Beijing BEIJING The NBA has reached booming, basketball-crazy China _ but the league doesn #39;t expect to make any money soon. The NBA flew more than 100 people halfway around the world for its first games in China, featuring


Rossi heads Australian GP Motorsport.com. Valentino Rossi faces the real possibility of being able to wrap up his MotoGP title defense at this weekend #39;s Australian GP at the Phillip Island circuit.


Redskins #39; Arrington out for Sunday Ashburn, VA (Sports Network) - Washington Redskins star linebacker LaVar Arrington will miss his fourth straight game after having right knee surgery last month.


Jaguars lose other defensive end for season JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars now have lost both starting defensive ends for the season. The Jaguars placed Lionel Barnes on injured reserve Friday with a shoulder injury.


Phillies to keep Wagner, Rodriguez The Philadelphia Phillies Friday picked up the options on two pitchers, including closer Billy Wagner. Under the terms of his contract, Wagner, 33, will be paid \$9,000,000 next season.


Hester: Many happy returns The Suncoast grad turns a punt into a score for the third time this season. MIAMI - Whenever Devin Hester touches the ball, he not only knows a big play is possible, he expects it.


In Ramadan message: Hamas calls for unity against Israel The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) congratulated the Palestinian people and the Muslim nation on Friday at the start of the holy month of Ramadan.


Board: Recording insufficient to reopen probe into prince #39;s <b>...</b> READING, England A teacher says Britain #39;s Prince Harry admitted cheating on an art exam, and she #39;s got a tape recording that proves it.


Five Nations Win Seats on UN Security Council Argentina, Denmark, Greece, Japan and Tanzania on Friday won coveted two-year terms on the UN Security Council at a time when pressure is mounting to expand the powerful 15-nation body.


#39;Blog #39; is most popular search term on dictionary site NEW YORK -  quot;Blog quot; is now the most popular search word in the online version of the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Its frequent lookup paralleled its growth on the political scene this year as keepers of Web logs


Judge: Oracle, PeopleSoft Drawn Closer The trial pitting software giant Oracle Corp. (ORCL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) against unwilling takeover target PeopleSoft Inc.


Backward drawings may have doomed Genesis The NASA spacecraft that smashed into the Utah desert last month while bringing home fragile samples of the sun may have been doomed by engineering drawings that had been done backwards, an investigating board said Friday.


Arrington, Hall out for Sunday #39;s game Washington Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington and kicker John Hall were ruled out for Sunday #39;s game against the Chicago Bears.


Crude reaches another record, settling near \$55 As October wears on and Halloween draws near, the oil and stock markets are getting more and more spooked. Crude oil hit another record Thursday, settling at \$54.


Juniper Clipped Juniper Networks (Nasdaq: JNPR) remains stunted this morning even after an earnings report that shows triple-digit growth rates for both revenues and earnings.


Els moves into semis at World Match Play Ernie Els scored tight victories over Scott Drummond and Angel Cabrera Friday to stay on course for a record sixth World Match Play title.


Shots at demo heighten Haiti tensions PORT-AU-PRINCE, Oct 15 (AFP) - Haitis strife-torn capital came to a standstill on Friday in a protest after two weeks of deepening violence that have left about 30 people dead.


Genuine Parts Adds up to Success With the world so focused on the rising price of a barrel of light crude oil, it #39;s a wonder that people even get into their cars and drive around anymore.


Radio operators OK Net over power lines rules com October 15, 2004, 12:37 PM PT. Wired  amp; Wireless continues its reign at the top spot among IT priorities due to widespread IP telephony and wireless deployment.


IBM Announces New P5 Servers That Can Run Linux The up to 64-way eServer p5 595 will be the new flagship of the product line with nearly three times the commercial performance and double the capacity of its predecessor.


Dell adds plasma TVs, printers to lineup NEW YORK _ Dell Inc. ventured deeper into consumer electronics Thursday, adding plasma televisions to its growing lineup of home-entertainment products.


Grace Park, Birdiepalooza Birdie queen Grace Park (Park Ji-eun, Nike Golf) has the perfect chance to blow away her one win per season jinx. On October 15, during the first round of the Samsung World Championship (total


Hall may not have kicks coming Washington Redskins kicker John Hall strained his right groin during practice yesterday, jeopardizing his availability for Sunday #39;s game at Chicago.


A Day With The Patch Patrol InformationWeek takes a behind-the-scenes look at patch-management software maker Shavlik Technologies the day Microsoft unleashes a flood of security patches.


Sip and Burn at Starbucks Starbucks has not addressed an important question regarding its  #39;Hear Music #39; service: Do HP Tablet PCs, crumbly scones and hot liquid go together?


Venus Williams Upset in Kremlin Cup Venus Williams of the US returns a shot during a match against Elena Bovina of Russia at the Kremlin Cup tennis tournament in Moscow #39;s Olympic Indoor stadium on Friday, Oct. 15, 2004.


Pfizer says Bextra #39;s risks worse than disclosed Pfizer Inc. said its arthritis drug Bextra, which is in the same drug class as Mercks just-recalled Vioxx medication, has more severe risks than previously disclosed.


US embassy in Haiti closed to mark day of reflection The US embassy in Haiti was closed on Friday to mark a national call for an end to violence inthe strife-torn country, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said at a news briefing.


70,000 have died in Darfur camps: WHO GENEVA - At least 70,000 people have died since March as a result of poor conditions in refugee camps in Sudan #39;s Darfur, the United Nations health agency said Friday.


Jet broke up, burst into flames Cape Town - Three of seven crew, who died when a cargo plane crashed in Halifax, Canada, lived in South Africa. Four of the dead crew members were British nationals, two living in South Africa and two in Zimbabwe.


UK ISPs ordered to reveal file-sharers identities The High Court yesterday ordered ISPs to reveal the identities of 28 file-swappers sued by the British Phonographic Industry last week, handing the music industry first blood in its crackdown against file-sharing.


Yukos to cut output at Yugansk unit, plant may be sold at 60 <b>...</b> MOSCOW: Shares of Russian oil major Yukos fell on Friday after the firm said it would trim output at its main Yugansk unit and a paper reported the unit could be sold for a fraction of what analysts say it is worth.


Chiron: Richard Wills Resigns from Board Flu vaccine maker Chiron Corp. (CHIR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Friday announced that Richard Wills has resigned from the company #39;s board of directors, effective immediately.


Oracle v. PeopleSoft Trial Closes All eyes are on a Delaware Chancery Court judge now that Oracle #39;s lawsuit against PeopleSoft closed Friday. The two-weeks #39; worth of testimony centered on Oracle #39;s request that PeopleSoft (Quote, Chart) remove its Customer Assurance Program (CAP).


Redskins Report Linebacker LaVar Arrington participated in his first practice Wednesday since undergoing knee surgery on Sept. 21, and says he expects the Redskins to allow him to play Sunday against Chicago.


Khan leads at Mallorca Open MALLORCA, Spain (Ticker) - Simon Khan has a three-shot lead midway through the Mallorca Classic after a last-hole lapse by Sergio Garcia.


Tsvangirai acquittal a victory: MDC Zimbabwe #39;s Movement for Democratic Change has hailed the acquittal of its leader Morgan Tsvangirai on treason charges as a victory for the people of that country.


Top three seeded players ousted in CA Trophy quarterfinals The top three seeded players were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the CA Trophy on Friday, and American Robby Ginepri also was ousted.


Sehwag shines, Warne creates history Chennai, Oct. 15. - Virender Sehwag is happy to score a century, rather relieved to be back in form. It was tough coming out of a lean phase and be back in form.


Tigers claim contracts of Gettis, Wise off waivers The Tigers on Friday said they claimed the contracts of outfielders Byron Gettis and DeWayne Wise off waivers. Gettis, 24, batted .


WORLD BRIEFS PRINCE NAMED CAMBODIAN KING. Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk #39;s son, a former ballet dancer, was officially confirmed yesterday to succeed his father on the throne.


Tek CEO quits Chiron board Rick Wills, CEO of Beaverton-based Tektronix Inc., has resigned from embattled biotechnology company Chiron Corp. #39;s board of directors after serving on it only one month.


Pfizer Says Bextra, Heart Problems Linked Pfizer Inc. on Friday said two small clinical trials showed heart bypass surgery patients taking Bextra, an anti-inflammatory in the same class as the recently withdrawn


Hedge fund managers seek safety in corporate arms Hedge fund managers are famously independent, often having quit the corporate world to escape bosses and bureaucracy. But as the hedge fund industry #39;s assets


Stocks End Higher; Oil Curbs Gains US stocks advanced on Friday as a jump in September retail sales boosted investor confidence in the economy, but oil prices at a fresh record of \$55 a barrel kept gains in check.


FCC Adopts Rules for Broadband over Power Lines Many telecommunications officials and some FCC officials cite BPL as a reason for deregulation. They say that three wired choices, plus wireless offerings, would guarantee that no company could gain monopoly power.


SADC Trio to Hunt Black Rhino THE parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) have granted Namibia, Swaziland and South Africa permission to hunt five of the once highly endangered black rhino population annually for sustainable utilisation of the


Paris considers Linux move The city of Paris intends to reduce its dependence on software suppliers with  quot;de facto monopolies quot;, but considers an immediate switch of its 17,000 desktops to open-source software too costly.


Redskins might be without kicker Hall on Sunday Washington Redskins kicker John Hall strained his right groin during practice Thursday, his third leg injury of the season. Hall will be held out of practice Friday and is questionable for Sunday #39;s game against the Chicago Bears.


Jags lose another defensive lineman for season JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Jacksonville Jaguars now have lost both starting defensive ends for the season. The Jags placed Lionel Barnes on injured reserve Friday with a shoulder injury.


Team exercises Wagner #39;s \$9 million option The Phillies exercised an option Friday for Wagner that will pay him \$9 million next season. Had Philadelphia not exercised the option, Wagner would have been owed a \$3 million buyout and would have been eligible to file for free agency.


Tennis: Roddick, Hewitt, Moya and Federer to be missing from <b>...</b> MADRID : The Madrid Masters tournament is in danger of being dubbed the master-less series after three of the world #39;s most exciting players joined the event #39;s growing absentees list.


NALBANDIAN JUMPS INTO LAST EIGHT After a death-defying bungee jump, David Nalbandian sprang into the quarter-finals of the BA-CA Tennis Trophy on Thursday with a straight-sets victory over Stefan Koubek of Austria, 6-2 7-6 (8/6).


FCC OKs Broadband over Power Lines Yesterday #39;s decision by the Federal Communications Commission to remove barriers to the delivery of broadband services over power lines may give consumers a third broadband option.


Starbucks Expands Digital-Music Service Starbucks is opening a series of  quot;music bars, quot; where customers can listen to digital recordings and burn their own CDs. The  quot;Hear Music quot; coffeehouses will open in 15 Starbucks stores in Seattle starting Monday.


RAMADAN BEGINS The holy month of Ramadan is a special month. For over one billion Muslims worldwide, it is a time of inner reflection and devotion to God.


Group, Dell Launch Anti-Spyware Campaign (AP) AP - A prominent Internet safety organization and leading computer-maker Dell Inc. launched a campaign Friday to help consumers fend off "spyware," software that can cause sluggish computer performance or popup ads and secretly monitor the activities of Internet users.


British Court Orders IDs of Downloaders (AP) AP - The High Court in London has ordered Internet service providers to hand over the names and addresses of 28 alleged music pirates to Britain's trade body for the recording industry.


Google's Search For Dominance (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Google Inc. unveiled a new search tool yesterday that's capable of scanning both the Internet and the files on a personal computer, beating Microsoft Corp. out of the gates and significantly raising the stakes in the search-engine wars.


Has Your PC Gone Phishing? (PC World) PC World - Study shows most attacks come from exploited PCs beloging to DSL or cable customers.


All-Girl Swedish Team Tackles Video Games (AP) AP - At first glance, Les Seules might look like an all-girl rock band  #151; complete with sassy attitudes and fawning male groupies  #151; but the Swedish septuplet doesn't play instruments. They play competitive video games.


Caribbean Splash (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Jeffrey Prosser, owner and head of Innovative Communication, spent his 48th birthday this September in Washington, D.C. working with  #36;500-an-hour lawyers to stave off a pack of creditors and regulators who are ready to have him tarred and feathered. "Yuck," he says, with an exaggerated shudder. He would have been happier in the U.S. Virgin Islands. That's the base from which he has built a constellation of telephone, newspaper, banking, cellular phone and cable TV assets with cunning, moxie and other people's money. Or in Palm Beach, Fla. ...


Who's Profiting from Open Source? (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - IBM (NYSE: IBM), Sun Microsystems (Nasdaq: SUNW) and other technology companies recently "donated" portions of their software to the open-source community. But those donations are not motivated by corporate generosity; there are tactics and strategies behind these moves.


PayPal Overcomes Glitches (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - PayPal (Nasdaq: PYPL) says it has recovered from the software glitches that disrupted the online payment service starting Friday, October 8th.


Mobility #8217;s end game (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - It #8217;s like the browser wars all over again: Two vendors are battling to win the hearts, minds, and debit cards of users and developers. The browser wars were really platform wars, based on the assumption that the browser would be the nexus through which users would access data inside and outside their company #8217;s walls. The battle hymn is sounding once more, only this time it #8217;s a ring tone. I #8217;ll get to the connection between the browser wars and the enterprise mobility race at the end.


Dell Gets in Line To Take on iPod (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) wants a big piece of global sales of MP3 players and has launched a new device to take market share from Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL). But it is doubtful that Dell will be successful any time soon.


Backward Drawings May Have Doomed Genesis (AP) AP - The NASA spacecraft that smashed into the Utah desert last month while bringing home fragile samples of the sun may have been doomed by engineering drawings that had been done backwards, an investigating board said Friday.


Jumbo Flying Squid Found Off Alaska (AP) AP - A large Humboldt squid caught offshore from Sitka is among numerous sightings of a species seen for the first time in waters of the Far North, and the first of the species recovered from British Columbia waters.


Nobels Bring Prestige to Calif. Colleges (AP) AP - The University of California system is amassing Nobel Prizes at campuses once noted more for beer bashes and odd mascots than academic excellence.


New Atlas Shows Fast Pace of Changing World (Reuters) Reuters - From new place names, shrinking seas\and terror attacks to soaring Internet usage, the world is\changing at a more rapid pace than in previous decades, says


Amphibian Extinctions Sound Global Eco-Alarm -Study (Reuters) Reuters - They may thrive on land and in water,\but amphibians everywhere are in serious trouble and up to a\third of species are threatened with extinction, a troubling\new study said on Friday.


Space Station Crew Blast Off from Kazakh Steppe (Reuters) Reuters - A Russian rocket carrying\a U.S.-Russian space crew on a two-day flight to the\International Space Station blasted off from the Baikonur\cosmodrome in Kazakhstan early Thursday.


EU Wants to Cut Greenhouse Gases in Cars, Shoes (Reuters) Reuters - The European Union's battle against\global warming will force companies to change automobile air\conditioning systems and restrict the sale of air-cushioned\sports shoes, European Union ministers said on Thursday.


Retail Sales Jump But Oil Hits Confidence  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A large climb in September U.S.  retail sales and bigger-than-expected gains in underlying  producer prices boosted hopes for stronger growth and bets that  the Federal Reserve will continue to raise interest rates.


Greenspan Says U.S Can Weather Record Oil  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Record oil prices have taken a  "noticeable" toll on the U.S. economy but are not likely to  inflict the same level of pain as in the 1970s, Federal Reserve  Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Friday.


Exxon Mobil to Take Charge  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp. XOM.N, the world's  largest publicly traded oil company, said on Friday it would  take a charge of \$550 million in the third quarter to cover  claims from gas station owners who sued the company for fuel  overcharges.


None of Chiron Flu Vaccine Safe, FDA Says  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - None of Chiron Corp.'s flu vaccine  made at a British plant is safe for distribution in the United  States, acting U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner  Lester Crawford said on Friday.


Stocks End Higher; Oil Curbs Gains  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks advanced on Friday as a  jump in September retail sales boosted investor confidence in  the economy, but oil prices at a fresh record of \$55 a barrel  kept gains in check.


Time for Alternative Minimum Tactics With just four weeks left in 2004, now #39;s the time for any last-minute tax planning you want to do. Last calls of this sort have taken on a new dimension recently because a growing number


Judge: Oracle, PeopleSoft Drawn Closer  WILMINGTON, Del. (Reuters) - The trial pitting software  giant Oracle Corp. ORCL.O against unwilling takeover target  PeopleSoft Inc. PSFT.O ended on Friday with a Delaware  judge's comment that recent developments seemed to have drawn  the bitter rivals closer together.


Lawmakers Question Merck, FDA Over Vioxx  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A leading U.S. Senate Republican  this week demanded internal documents from Merck   Co. Inc.  MRK.N that could answer questions about the company's  interaction with U.S. regulators over its arthritis drug Vioxx.


Oil Prices Hit Another Record High of \$55 Crude oil futures rallied late Friday to a new record high of \$54.90, a day after a decline in the U.S. inventory of heating oil roiled a market already on edge over tight supplies, high demand and unrest among key producers.


Wachovia's 3Q Profits Increase 14 Percent Wachovia Corp. said Friday that third-quarter earnings rose 14 percent to \$1.26 billion, or 96 cents a share, on gains in its wealth management and investment banking businesses.


Judge Allows US Airways Pay Cuts, a Move United Also Seeks US Airways today won most of the emergency pay cuts it said were critical to avoid liquidation and United said it wanted to terminate its labor contracts and would seek deeper cuts from its employees.


Netflix Exclusive on Fool Radio Listen up as CEO Reed Hastings talks to our radio team about his firm.


How Low Can Netflix Go? Plus, Sun's investors in the dark, trouble at Marsh   McLennan, and Coventry revives First Health.


\$2,137,000 and Counting David Gardner launches our Foolanthropy campaign for 2004." />  <meta name="keywords" content="Foolanthropy Charity giving donate" />  <meta name="tickers" content="" />  <meta name="date" content="2004-10-15T15:33-04:00" />  <meta name="language" content="en-us" />  <meta name="author" content="David Gardner" />  <meta name="STORY_UID" content="/USMF_Content/datasource/production2003/2004/foolanthropy/2004/foolanthropy041015.xml" />  <meta name="expiration" content="Date  12 months" />  <meta name="articletype" content="Foolanthropy" />  <meta name="contenttype" content="a" />   <title>Fool.com: \$2,137,000 and Counting Foolanthropy</title>    <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://g.fool.com/includes/css/ie4.css" title="ie4" />    <META Name="ArticleDate" Content="2004/10/15


Goldcorp Agrees to Buy Wheaton River for \$1.8 Bln (Update1) Goldcorp Inc., Canada #39;s fourth- largest gold producer, has agreed to buy Wheaton River Minerals Ltd. for \$1.8 billion in stock, giving Goldcorp its first assets outside of North America, Chief Executive Robert R. McEwen said.


No Better Than Two-Bit Hustlers Marsh   McLennan's expertise apparently included convincing clients to overpay for insurance. Not good.


Max Table size in MySQL \\It turns out that MySQL  has a terrible upper limit on the max MyISAM table\size.  It appears that innodb doesn't have this problem.\\Jeremy talks about it over on his blog \\"When this happens, the first reaction I hear is "You never told me that MySQL\has a 4GB limit! What am I going to do?" Amusingly, I usually do describe the\limit when I discuss the possibility of using MySQL with various groups--they\often forget or underestimate the impact it will have. Putting that aside, the\problem is easily fixed, as that page explains. You simply need to run an ALTER\TABLE command."\\"And you'll need to wait. That ALTER TABLE is going to take some time. Really."\\Of course Jeremey warns us that ...\\


Europeans to Offer Iran Nuclear Deal Next Week -US (Reuters) Reuters - European powers will offer Iran a\deal next week in a final bid to persuade the Islamic republic\to end its suspected arms-related nuclear programs or face\possible sanctions, the United States said on Friday.


National Foods Says Shares Worth as Much as A\$6.65 (Update2) National Foods Ltd., Australia #39;s biggest fresh milk producer, said its shares are worth as much as 22 percent more than Fonterra Cooperative Group Ltd.


Parents of caged boys deserve far worse than nine months in jail: Crown prosecutor (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - Two brothers who lost their childhoods to a "systemic campaign of mistreatment and torture" for more than 13 years deserve better than to see their adoptive parents jailed for a mere nine months, a Crown attorney argued Friday.


Israel Ends Massive Gaza Strip Offensive  GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli tanks rumbled out of the Gaza  Strip on Friday, ending a massive 16-day offensive that killed  at least 100 Palestinians in an attempt to stop rocket fire  into the Jewish state.


Europeans to Offer Iran Nuclear Deal Next Week -US  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - European powers will offer Iran a  deal next week in a final bid to persuade the Islamic republic  to end its suspected arms-related nuclear programs or face  possible sanctions, the United States said on Friday.


PeopleSoft Director to Testify at Trial The judge who must decide whether PeopleSoft Inc.'s corporate takeover defenses will stand up against a hostile takeover attempt by Oracle Corp. said Friday the latest revision of a key defense was "a lot closer" to meeting concerns raised about it in court.


Brazil GM move sparks row Brazil's president provokes controversy by approving the temporary planting of genetically modified crops.


Ex-OAS head arrested The scandal-hit former head of the Organisation of American States is arrested in his native Costa Rica.


Trio 'to offer Iran nuclear deal' UK, France and Germany are to offer Iran incentives deal to give up nuclear its ambitions, US officials say.


Scientists Find Cause of Genesis Crash NASA -- As scientists begin to unpack more than 3,000 containers of samples of the sun brought to Earth by NASA's Genesis mission, the Mishap Investigation Board (MIB) has identified a likely direct cause of the failure of Genesis' parachute system to open.     The parachute system failed to deploy when Genesis returned to Earth September 8, 2004...


Kerry Warns Draft Possible if Bush Wins WASHINGTON - John Kerry said Friday there is a "great potential" for a new military draft to replace overextended U.S. troops in Iraq if President Bush wins a second term, despite Bush's repeated pledges to maintain the all-volunteer service...


Israel Ends Deadly Gaza Offensive JEBALIYA REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip - Israel withdrew tanks and ground forces from populated areas in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday, wrapping up its bloodiest offensive in the area in more than four years of fighting.    Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered the pullback at the urging of Israeli military commanders, who argued the two-week offensive had played itself out, and after calls from the United States to wrap up the operation...


Stocks Rise on Strong Retail Sales Report NEW YORK - Stocks rebounded moderately Friday as a stronger than expected retail sales report showed that higher oil prices aren't scaring consumers away from spending. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan's positive comments on oil prices also encouraged investors, but the major indexes finished the week lower following sharp declines the previous two sessions...


Lucas to Receive AFI Lifetime Award LOS ANGELES - After creating "Star Wars,""Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "American Graffiti," Darth Vader might insist it was George Lucas' DESTINY to get the American Film Institute's lifetime achievement award.    Lucas, 60, was picked on Friday to be the recipient of the organization's 33rd annual prize, following such recent recipients as Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro and Tom Hanks...


Stocks Rise on Strong Retail Sales Report NEW YORK - Stocks moved higher Friday as a stronger than expected retail sales report showed that higher oil prices aren't scaring consumers away from spending. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan's positive comments on oil prices also encouraged investors...


U.S. Intensifies Assault on Fallujah U.S. warplanes continued pounding targets in Fallujah today, in an attempt to disrupt what the military said were preparations for terrorist attacks coinciding with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.


Ex-Troops Fill Haiti's Security Vacuum Nation remains volatile eight months after Aristide's departure.


Blasts Inside Green Zone Kill at Least Five Attack was the first time insurgents had penetrated the heavily protected area that is the home of the Iraqi government and U.S. officials.


Army Official Backs Ex-Abu Ghraib Officer The Army's intelligence chief said that he has "great confidence" in the ability of Maj. Gen. Barbara Fast, the highest-ranking intelligence officer tied to the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, to lead the Army's intelligence school.


G-8 to Meet on Iran Summit will determine a strategy for giving Iran one last chance to abandon its alleged nuclear program or face new international pressures.


Many Amphibians on the Verge of Extinction Eye of newt and toe of frog may one day be gone from witches grog. Indeed, not just frogs and newts but amphibians in general are rapidly becoming threatened worldwide, a new study shows.


Pakistanis Rescue Hostage; 2nd Dies  KARACHI, Pakistan, Oct. 14 -- A Chinese engineer was killed and a colleague was rescued Thursday when Pakistani commandos stormed a mud-walled compound in a remote tribal region near Afghanistan, killing five Muslim militants who had held the men hostage, authorities said.


FROM THE DEBATE  <em> The following are excerpts from the third presidential debate between President Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry:</em>


Brazil Ready to Implement Shoot-Down Law Beginning Sunday, Brazil's air force may shoot down small planes suspected of carrying drugs under a law meant to stem the flow of cocaine pouring into the country at clandestine landing strips in the vast Amazon rainforest.


Sun signs server software customer Telecom giant Orange will use Sun's JES server software over three years, the companies plan to announce Monday.


Briefly: Microsoft sets holiday Xbox bundle roundup Plus: PalmSource settles Digeo patent suit...Maxtor loses its CFO--again...Profits, revenue climb at Rambus.


AMD preps high-performance chips for desktops The chip is expected to be unveiled Tuesday, in time to bump up the performance of game desktops before the holidays.\<br /> Intel kills plans for 4GHz Pentium \


Police Won #39;t Plant Explosives for Training French police on Sunday ended their practice of hiding plastic explosives in air passengers #39; luggage to train bomb-sniffing dogs after one such bag got lost, possibly ending up


BlackBerry can be bitten by DoS attacks Smart phones using older RIM software are open to remote rebooting, but the flaw's not as bad as first reported.


Throwing money at technology (page 3) Strategic conflicts, rampant confusion and election-year politics are slowing the war on terror.


Radio operators OK rules on Net over power lines For critics of power-line broadband access, new FCC rules mean "the glass is both half-full and half-empty."


Red Sox, Fans Make 'Nomah' Distant Memory (AP) AP - For years, he was the face of the Boston Red Sox, a star shortstop, a favorite of old ladies and children who barely had shoulders wide enough to fit the name "Garciaparra" on the back of their T-shirts.


Navy Tries to End Drought Against Irish (AP) AP - For four decades, the routine has been pretty much the same: Notre Dame players and coaches talk up the Navy Midshipmen during the week and beat them up on game day. This year might be different.


Former Rams Halfback Tommy Kalmanir Dies (AP) AP - Tommy Kalmanir, a starting halfback on the 1951 Los Angeles Rams championship team and former Oakland Raiders assistant coach, has died. He was 78.


D-Backs Finish Initial Manger Interviews (AP) AP - Arizona Diamondbacks officials met with DeMarlo Hale, first base coach of the Texas Rangers, on Friday, completing an initial round of managerial interviews.


Glazer Raises Stake in Manchester United (AP) AP - Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer increased his stake in Manchester United by an additional 15.8 million shares Friday, sources told The Associated Press, increasing speculation he will try to take control of the world's richest soccer club.


Streaking Michigan Plays at Illinois (AP) AP - Mention Michigan freshman Chad Henne to Illinois coach Ron Turner and he brings up John Elway.


Woods Stays on Honeymoon, Skips Disney (AP) AP - The honeymoon is not quite over for Tiger Woods, who decided Friday to skip the Funai Classic at Disney for the first time since turning pro.


Microsoft sets holiday Xbox bundle Microsoft announced a new holiday Xbox package that essentially gives buyers two free sports games and a trial subscription to the Xbox Live online gaming service.


Phillies Decide to Keep Wagner; Rodriguez Also to Stay  PHILADELPHIA (Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Phillies  have picked up the option for next season on closer Billy  Wagner. Under the terms of the contract, Wagner will make \$9  million in 2005. If the club not exercised the option, Wagner  would have been owed a \$3 million buyout and would have been  eligible to file for free agency.


Picture this: iPod fervor, PCs as furniture photo galleries Music player is a must-have, much-loved accessory. Will fanciful Media Center PCs fare as well?


This week in iPod news Apple is the undisputed champion of the hard-drive music market, but competitors are gearing up for a shot at the title.


This week in Media Center news Although Apple's combo of iTunes and iPod has proved popular, Microsoft is betting that people want to do more with their music and that they want to be able to move video and pictures around as well.


Top Two Seeds Ousted in Vienna  VIENNA (Reuters) - Top seeds David Nalbandian and Nicolas  Massu were beaten in the quarterfinals of the Vienna Trophy  Friday.


Users buoyed by monthly patch releases Despite Microsoft's release of 10 new software patches, IT managers said the monthly patching approach that the company has been using for the past 12 months is making it easier for them to keep their systems up to date on fixes for security vulnerabilities.


Microsoft offers preview of SQL Server 2005 Microsoft is offering a preview of its next-generation SQL Server 2005 database by providing an interim version of the product to customers.


Google Desktop Search app lets you 'google' your Windows PC Google Inc. unveiled a desktop search application that lets users catalog and search through e-mail, files, Web histories, instant message chats and other content on their PCs.


Microsoft, HP pleased with results of .Net partnership The 2-year-old .Net joint initiative between Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard has produced \$600 million in revenue.


Oracle warns of exploits for latest DB flaws Oracle Corp. urged customers to apply software patches it released in August because of the availability of malicious code that can exploit unpatched vulnerabilities in its software.


Olympus debuts modular digital photo system Photographers can shoot, store and print digital photos without requiring a computer connection.


Gadgets getting connected with DLNA Products expected soon that will connect via a new home networking specification backed by some of the world's largest consumer electronics and computer companies.


Dell unveils holiday lineup, including new plasma TVs It also shows off new printers and music players.


Archos intros 'world's smallest' 20GB music player Priced at \$249.99, it can play MP3, WMA and WAV-encoded music files.


Sharp adds hard disk to its Linux PDA Zaurus has a 4GB hard disk, 416-MHz chip, 16MB of flash memory, 64MB of SDRAM, a 3.7-in. VGA screen, and QWERTY keyboard.


Mobilitys end game Its like the browser wars all over again: Two vendors are battling to win the hearts, minds, and debit cards of users and developers. The browser wars were really platform wars, based on the assumption that the browser would be the nexus through which users would access data inside and outside their companys walls. The battle hymn is sounding once more, only this time its a ring tone. Ill get to the connection between the browser wars and the enterprise mobility race at the end.


IBM powers up high-end disk arrays IBM took a major step last week in its plan to remain at the forefront of storage technology by introducing two new disk arrays -- the DS6000 for the upper midrange market and the DS8000 for the high-end market. Both systems are designed for ease-of-use and modular for lower cost. They also feature high-end storage capabilities and virtualization technology, all in systems considerably smaller than previous versions.


AOL to have desktop searching in new browser America Online will have a desktop search capability in a new browser the company is now beta-testing, an AOL spokeswoman said Friday.


Has Your PC Gone Phishing? Study shows most attacks come from exploited PCs beloging to DSL or cable customers.


Tech Group Launches Anti-Spyware Campaign By TED BRIDIS    WASHINGTON (AP) -- A prominent Internet safety organization and leading computer-maker Dell Inc. (DELL) launched a campaign Friday to help consumers fend off "spyware," software that can cause sluggish computer performance or popup ads and secretly monitor the activities of Internet users...


Insurance Probe Rattles Stocks (Reuters) Reuters - An investigation into U.S. insurers\and brokers rattled insurance industry stocks for a second day\on Friday as investors, shaken further by subpoenas delivered\to the top U.S. life insurer, struggled to gauge how deep the\probe might reach.


Greenspan Not Worried About Energy Prices (AP) AP - The world will be living with volatile oil prices for years to come, but this year's price spike should not be serious enough to push the country into a recession, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday.


Flock of paper birds takes wing in Thailand BANGKOK Thai military aircraft dropped 100 million paper birds over southern Thailand on Sunday in a gesture intended to promote peace in mainly Muslim provinces, where more than 500 people have died this year in attacks by separatist militants and


Is that a Media Center PC--or an end table? Wood paneling and chrome made your dad #39;s station wagon look like a million bucks, and they might also be just the ticket for Microsoft #39;s fledgling effort to put a Media Center PC in every living room.


Robust Tech Earnings Can #39;t Shake Tough Outlook A slew of third-quarter earnings reports dominated technology and telecommunications stocks last week. Much of the news was positive, with key players posting impressive earnings growth, but the December quarter outlook remained unclear for some.


No Vijay-Els final as Fijian falls WENTWORTH (England) - Bernhard Langer went from Ryder Cup  #39;Captain Fantastic #39; to giant-killer by knocking world No 1 Vijay Singh out of the World Matchplay Championship yesterday.


Strong performance by Liu improves NBA hopes BEIJING: Chinas basketball hopeful Liu Wei improved his chances of becoming the first Asian point guard to make the NBA after putting in a spirited performance with the Sacramento Kings in the defeat by the Yao Ming-led Houston Rockets.


Big-mouth Becks to tell all at marriage counselling LONDON - Not only has England captain David Beckham been told to learn to shut up by coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, he could also face punishment from the Football Association for his unsporting behaviour.


Top of the charts: Warne smashes Muralis record Shane Warne has swapped places with Muttiah Muralitharan to become world cricket #39;s highest wicket-taker. Before the Test began, he was very excited and said,  quot;I would have been happy had I got this opportunity to achieve this feat at home.


Jennings named as caretaker coach: South Africas Eric Simons <b>...</b> JOHANNESBURG: South African cricket coach Eric Simons was axed from his job Friday after a string of dismal performances which saw the country slip from second to sixth and eighth in world Test and one-day rankings.


US troops advance on Fallujah FALLUJAH: Fierce air strikes hit Fallujah on Friday as US ground troops advanced on the Iraqi rebel bastion on Friday after a night of deadly air assaults.


Bashir charged in hotel bomb case Militant cleric ordered suicide attack on Marriott hotel, says indictment. Not clear whether Bali bombings included in charge. JAKARTA - Indonesian prosecutors have formally charged militant cleric Abu Bakar


Egypt, Israel Exchange Prisoners in Sign of Warming Relations JERUSALEM, 6 December 2004 - In a sign that relations strained by the Palestinian uprising were warming, Egypt freed an Israeli Druze jailed eight years ago for spying and the Jewish state released six Egyptian students.


To E-Mail or Not to E-Mail: Can Reporters Offer Views in Private Correspondence? (Editor and Publisher) Editor and Publisher - NEW YORK The widely publicized experience of a Wall Street Journal reporter in Baghdad, whose private correspondance to family and friends ripping conditions in Iraq found its way online and into print in October, shows that journalists must guard their e-mail comments, industry leaders say.


Marketing Automation's Day in the Sun (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Although marketing automation has been around as long as CRM has, in the past few years suite makers have focused more attention on refining SFA, customer service and self-service functions.


Microsoft Issues Patch for SP2 Update fixes crashes caused by incompatibility with hidden advertising app.


Higher retail sales give markets a nudge US stocks advanced overnight as a jump in September retail sales boosted investor confidence in the economy. However, oil prices at a fresh record of \$US55 a barrel kept gains in check.


MMC Names New Chairman, CEO at Marsh Inc. Marsh  amp; McLennan Companies Inc. (MMC) on Friday announced a change in the management of Marsh Inc., its risk and insurance services subsidiary.


US Blasts Airbus Plan To Seek New EU Loan The United States bristled on Friday at an Airbus plan to ask for up to 1 billion euros in European government loans to develop a new plane despite US complaints that the  quot;launch aid quot; violates world trade rules.


Exxon Mobil to Take Charge Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world #39;s largest publicly traded oil company, said on Friday it would take a charge of \$550 million in the third quarter to cover


Jeremy Warner #39;s Outlook: Is anyone safe as Spitzer takes aim at <b>...</b> Is no one safe from Eliot Spitzer #39;s accusing finger? After the investment banking, fund management and pharmaceuticals industries comes the insurance sector, which in a suit filed by the New York attorney


Board member quits embattled Chiron Corp. EMERYVILLE, Calif. A high-tech executive appointed to Chiron #39;s board of directors last month has resigned from the embattled biotechnology company.


IBM Rational Tools To Support UML 2.0 IBM has revealed additions to its Rational software development tool lineup and said its architecting and modeling tools will support Unified Modeling Language 2.0 by the end of the year.


Harrington lies in wait as Els marches on Only three players have ever beaten Ernie Els in matchplay over the West Course. Bernhard Langer accounted for Vijay Singh with a classic upset of the world No 1, but Padraig Harrington


Roundup: Williams upset in Kremlin Cup Venus Williams was upset by unseeded Elena Bovina 6-3, 6-2, in a Kremlin Cup quarterfinal Friday that lasted little more than an hour.


Army Probes if Iraq Unit Refused Mission WASHINGTON - The Army is investigating up to 19 members of a supply platoon in Iraq who refused to go on a convoy mission, the military said Friday. Relatives of the soldiers said the troops considered the mission too dangerous, in part because their vehicles were in such poor shape...


Moore's Pre-Election TV Special Nixed NEW YORK - The cable pay-per-view company iN DEMAND has backed away from a plan to show a three-hour election eve special with filmmaker Michael Moore that included the first television showing of his documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11."   The company said Friday it would not air "The Michael Moore Pre-Election Special" due to "legitimate business and legal concerns." A spokesman would not elaborate.    Moore has just released his movie on DVD and was seeking a TV outlet for the film, which sharply criticizes President Bush, as close to the election as possible...


Greenspan Says US Can Weather Oil Price Increases Record oil prices are unlikely to inflict the economic pain they did in the 1970s, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday, adding that he thought the world could adjust to higher-priced oil.


Google Desktop privacy branded  #39;unacceptable #39; Google #39;s Desktop represents a privacy disaster just waiting to happen, a rival has warned. David Burns, Copernic CEO, says users should know that the giant ad broker intends to mix public and private queries


Crude oil prices rise toward 55 dollars per barrel Crude oil futures continued to climb Friday, reaching new record high as decline in the US inventory of heating oil and tight supplies still overshadowed theenergy markets.


Sprint will cut as many as 700 jobs Sprint Corp. said Friday that it will slash as many as 700 more jobs and reduce the value of its long-distance network by an undisclosed amount.


Pfizer warns of Bextra heart risk NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Drugmaker Pfizer said Friday that its Bextra drug, seen as an alternative to Merck #39;s Vioxx arthritis medication, may raise heart risk in high-risk bypass surgery patients.


Halliburton Warns Against Tender Offer Oilfield services firm Halliburton Co. on Friday advised its shareholders to reject a discounted tender offer from a Canadian investment company that is looking to buy up to 3 million Halliburton shares.


Microsoft Issues Patch for SP2 Microsoft has issued a patch for a compatibility problem between the recent Windows XP Service Pack 2 and an advertising application run on many users #39; machines.


Dell Displays New TVs, Music Players NEW YORK -- Dell took the wraps off its holiday lineup this week, showing new printers, plasma televisions, and music players that will soon be available through its Web site.


Starbucks To Add Kiosks Where Customers Can Burn CDs After Starbucks acquired Hear Music in 1999, it started selling self-produced CDs in its stores, recently launched a satellite radio music channel and in March opened its Hear Music Coffeehouse in Santa Monica, California.


MP3, hints of delay for PlayStation Portable TOKYO--Gamers will be able to download and play back MP3 files on the PlayStation Portable, a top Sony executive confirmed Thursday in an interview with Impress AV Watch.


Tennis  #39;ball models #39; court controversy Some say that men #39;s tennis has lost its glamour -which may explain why a world tournament in Madrid is hiring long-legged models as ball girls.


Sports: 4-way tie on Champions Tour SAN ANTONIO There #39;s a foursome sharing the lead at the SBC Championship on the Champions Tour. Tom Kite, Tom Jenkins, Dave Stockton and James Mason each opened with a 5-under-par 66 today in San Antonio.


Yukos fate is sealed as state auction looms Russian oil major Yukos is expected to face the auction of its main subsidiary by the end of the month at a price far lower than its estimated worth, a move analysts say could ruin the company and destroy the equity of minority shareholders.


No escape from  #39;Curse of the Bambino #39; To Understand the tortured relationship between the great city of Boston and the equally great city of New York - in life as well as in baseball - look no further than Game


Kite rallies for share of lead at SBC Championship Tom Kite #39;s opening round in the SBC Championship on Friday didn #39;t look like much at the turn. Nine holes later, he was tied for lead.


Geiberger grabs top spot at Chrysler Classic Greensboro, NC (Sports Network) - Brent Geiberger posted a five-under 67 on Friday to move into the lead after the second round of the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro.


Guilty Plea in Insurance Inquiry as Stocks Fall A third insurance company executive pleaded guilty yesterday to criminal charges in connection with New York state Attorney General Eliot L. Spitzer #39;s investigation of payoffs and bid-rigging in the insurance industry.


GM reports poor quarterly profits DETROIT: General Motors Corp posted on Thursday disappointing quarterly earnings and cut its 2004 profit forecast due to mounting losses in Europe and slowing growth in China, sending its shares down 5.


Analysis: Samsung Electronics growth slows Samsung Electronics Co. has become the first South Korean company to exceed the 10 trillion won (\$8.7 billion) operating profit milestone this year, with its third-quarter profit jumping on strong memory chip earnings.


Sprint to Cut 700 Jobs in Sales; Long-Distance Write-Down Set The Sprint Corporation said yesterday that it planned to lay off 700 sales representatives and write down the value of its long-distance network to reflect more accurately the erosion in the market for traditional phone services.


Judge Is Set to Decide Oracle-PeopleSoft Battle The judge who will decide whether to block defenses by PeopleSoft against Oracle #39;s \$7.7 billion hostile tender offer, ended the two-week trial Friday by urging


Pfizer Warns of Risks From Its Painkiller Pfizer warned doctors yesterday that one of its best-selling painkillers, Bextra, might increase the risk of heart attack or stroke in coronary artery bypass surgery patients.


FCC letting utilities move into broadband US regulators will let utility companies send high-speed Internet signals through electrical outlets to residential and business clients.


Faster AMD Athlon 64 #39;s On The Way Chips such as the Athlon 64 FX and Intel #39;s Pentium 4 Extreme Edition populate the very top of the desktop market, appearing mainly in game machines fitted with the latest graphics cards and high-performance storage systems to render games with the


The Internet electric Will a new set of FCC rules for broadband over power lines bring the Internet to millions more homes? On Friday, proponents of broadband Internet service over power lines hailed a recent decision by the US


Genesis mishap probe focuses on backward design drawing A board investigating the crash of NASA #39;s Genesis spacecraft found that the design for a key system was drawn backward, resulting in improper orientation of switches that were


Microsoft in Tune with Digital Music Software giant Microsoft is casting its sights on the digital media marketplace by positioning itself as pro-consumer-choice. The company unveiled its MSN Music


NASA Celebrates Life of Astronaut Cooper Mercury program astronaut Gordon Cooper was remembered Friday by NASA (news - web sites) officials and fellow space pioneers as  quot;not too bad of a pilot, but a heck of a good astronaut.


Ottawa moves to expand DNA databank OTTAWA - The federal government passed legislation Friday that will authorize judges to order people convicted of child pornography to submit DNA samples.


Goliath falls but Angel flies towards Els fire Ernie Els clung precariously to a place in the HSBC World Match Play Championship yesterday when he squeezed out Angel Cabrera with the last putt of their match.


Sorenstam keeps stellar career in perspective The 20-player field had mostly scattered as the sun dipped below the Santa Rosa Mountains. Yet the LPGA Tour #39;s biggest star at the Samsung World Championship


Olympic champ Massu, Ginepri fall VIENNA, Austria -- The top three seeded players were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the CA Trophy on Friday, and American Robby Ginepri also was ousted.


FA asks for Beckham #39;s explanation The English Football Association said on Friday it had asked England captain David Beckham for an explanation about his yellow card controversy at last weekend #39;s World Cup qualifier against Wales.


Rescue mission for The Rocket Not that the Astros were tight heading home down 0-2 to the Cardinals, but knowing Roger Clemens would be taking the mound for Saturday #39;s Game 3 of the National League Championship Series had to be a comforting thought.


Busch Remains the Man to Beat in the Race for Nascar #39;s Nextel Cup With drivers like Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin in the field for Nascar #39;s Chase for the Nextel Cup championship, there are plenty of intriguing and compelling story lines to follow.


Carter #39;s  #39;got nothing to say #39; after scoring 15 After hearing rare boos from the home fans, Vince Carter didn #39;t want to talk about it. Carter had 15 points in his first game since demanding to be traded, but the Toronto Raptors lost their


Jennings to coach South Africa England can expect to face a bristling South African team this winter after Ray Jennings #39; interim appointment to succeed Eric Simons as coach.


Cavaliers Have Been Programmed for This These are the games college football programs spend years building toward, a chance to rise from the ranks of the also-rans to a place among the sport #39;s elite.


BASEBALL ROUNDUP Jaramillo Interviews to Be Mets #39; Manager Rudy Jaramillo remembers meeting Omar Minaya on a field in the Gulf Coast League in 1985, when they were charged with instructing about 50 minor leaguers from the Texas Rangers organization.


US Forces Set Up Checkpoints Near Al-Fallujah 15 October 2004 -- US ground troops deployed around the outskirts of Al-Fallujah following sustained air strikes against insurgent positions there overnight.


Bombers penetrate Green Zone Bombers in Baghdad took the war to the very heart of United States power in Iraq yesterday with two blasts inside the supposedly impregnable Green Zone, killing five civilians, including three US nationals, and injuring at least 20.


Karzai takes early lead as vote-counting begins Interim leader Hamid Karzai was strongly favored in early results from the vote count of Afganistan #39;s landmark presidential ballot yesterday as elections workers took a break to mark the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.


Britain to Charge Cleric Risking a showdown with American prosecutors, the British authorities are planning to bring terrorism charges next week against an Egyptian-born


Germany arrests suspected Al-Qaida financier German authorities have arrested a businessman wanted by Spain on charges he helped fund the Al-Qaida terrorist network for years.


Five UNSC members elected UNITED NATIONS, Oct 15: Japan, Argentina, Denmark, Greece and Tanzania were elected non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council by the UN General Assembly on Friday for two years.


Bush Considering Tougher Syria Sanctions-Officials  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration is  considering tightening U.S. economic sanctions on Syria to put  pressure on Damascus to pull its troops out of Lebanon and  crack down on terrorism, administration officials said on  Friday.


UN focus on Iraq education crisis Poor facilities are limiting schooling opportunities for many children in post-Saddam Iraq, says Unicef.


Red Army choir performs for Pope Russia's Red Army choir sings and Cossacks dance for a delighted Pope John Paul II in the heart of the Vatican.


Importing Less Expensive Drugs Not Seen as Cure for U.S. Woes Experts say that importing drugs from countries that control their prices would not make drugs cheaper in the U.S.


Inquiry Opens After Reservists Balk in Baghdad The Army is investigating reservists who refused to deliver a fuel shipment under conditions they considered unsafe.


Storm-Battered Haiti's Endless Crises Deepen Tropical Storm Jeanne's devastation of Gonaves, Haiti, has exposed the fragility of the country seven months after President Jean-Bertrand Aristide resigned.


Schilling Pitches and Boston Hopes Curt Schilling pitched off a bullpen mound for 20 minutes on Friday, for the first time giving the Boston Red Sox hope in this A.L.C.S.


Astros Turn to Clemens With Series on the Line Twenty-one years after Roger Clemens pitched the Texas Longhorns into the College World Series, he is back in Texas preparing to pull another string.


From the Grass Roots of Iowa Comes the Thinking Man's Passer A nightly ritual at the Orton household in Altoona, Iowa, prepared Purdue quarterback Kyle Orton for both of his potential professions.


When Pennington Enters Red Zone, Touchdowns Follow During their franchise-tying 4-0 start, the Jets have found a comfort zone of immense importance: the red zone.


Unit Refused Duty in Iraq, Military Says WASHINGTON - The Army is investigating up to 19 members of a supply platoon in Iraq who refused to go on a convoy mission, the military said Friday. Relatives of the soldiers said the troops considered the mission too dangerous, in part because their vehicles were in such poor shape...


Rain in Boston Postpones BoSox-Yanks Game BOSTON - Steady rain Friday night forced major league baseball to postpone Game 3 of the AL championship series between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. The steady rain began about two hours before the scheduled 8:19 p.m...


Canadian Sees a Long Haul in Afghanistan International forces should expect to stay in Afghanistan for "10 to 20 years," according to a Canadian commander who helped lead foreign troops in Kabul until February.


Order Allows Planting of Modified Soy Brazil's president approved a controversial executive order allowing farmers to plant genetically modified soybeans, just as the planting season in the world's second-largest soy producer goes into high gear.


Microsoft in Tune with Digital Music (Reuters) Reuters - Software giant Microsoft is\casting its sights on the digital media marketplace by\positioning itself as pro-consumer-choice.


AirDefense Locks Up Wi-Fi (PC World) PC World - Software maintains security on laptops when they're outside the network.


Wipro second-quarter net profit soars 79 percent (AFP) AFP - India's third-largest software exporter, Wipro, said second quarter net profit jumped 79 percent as sales rose 44 percent, beating both the market's and the company's expectations.


Judge Says PeopleSoft's Revision 'Closer' (AP) AP - The judge who must decide whether PeopleSoft Inc.'s corporate takeover defenses will stand up against a hostile takeover attempt by Oracle Corp. said Friday the latest revision of a key defense was "a lot closer" to meeting concerns raised about it in court.


Russian Soyuz to Dock With Space Station (AP) AP - A Soyuz spacecraft carrying two Russians and an American rocketed closer Friday to its docking with the international space station, where the current three-man crew made final departure preparations.


NASA Celebrates Life of Astronaut Cooper (AP) AP - Mercury program astronaut Gordon Cooper was remembered Friday by NASA officials and fellow space pioneers as "not too bad of a pilot, but a heck of a good astronaut."


Telescope Being Dedicated in Arizona (AP) AP - A troubled, 20-year journey to create the world's most powerful optical telescope is nearing an end, with astronomers hoping to begin using the instrument to look for heavenly breakthroughs early next year.


India looking to extend lead India resume batting on third day of second Test against Australia in Chennai from the score of 291 for six. India has a lead of 56 runs, but they will be hoping to extend it on a pitch where batting last will be a huge challenge.


Park keeps cruising at Bighorn Palm Desert, CA (Sports Network) - Grace Park continued her scoring frenzy at Bighorn Golf Club on Friday with a five-under 67 to open a four-shot advantage after the second round of the Samsung World Championship.


Oil at new highs on winter fuel fears World oil prices raced to record highs on Thursday as news of a decline in heating oil inventories rattled traders in the run-up to the northern hemisphere winter.


Sprint to cut 700 jobs NEW YORK, Oct 15 (Reuters) Sprint Corp. , said on Friday it plans to reduce by up to 700 jobs in its business solutions unit as it realigns its business to focus on wireless and Internet-based telecommunications offerings.


US airstrikes hit Fallujah US warplanes today bombed insurgents in Fallujah as the American military resumed its plan to destroy houses and buildings believed to be used as hide-outs by militants.


Strongest quake in five years hits Taiwan Seismologists warned the public to be on guard against aftershocks yesterday after the strongest quake to hit Taiwan in five years shook the island, causing tall buildings to sway and shutting down the capital #39;s Mass Rapid Transit system for 1 hour during


Abu Hamza to face charges in Britain Abu Hamza, the radical Muslim cleric, is to face terrorism charges in the UK, delaying US extradition proceedings and upsetting the American authorities who wanted to try him for separate offences.


Japan set to gain nonpermanent seat NEW YORK-Japan on Friday was expected to win a two-year term as a nonpermanent member of the United Nations Security Council, a status that could help Tokyo #39;s campaign for a permanent seat, UN sources said.


Francona Cautious About Schilling BOSTON - Red Sox manager Terry Francona expressed cautious optimism Friday that RHP Curt Schilling #39;s injured right ankle may allow him to pitch before the end of the American League Championship Series.


Rose faces struggle to hit top 40 Justin Rose fell five strokes from the lead, even before starting his second round at the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro yesterday.


US Trade Deficit Surges to \$54B WASHINGTON - The US trade deficit, propelled by a record foreign oil bill, surged to \$54 billion in August, second highest level in history.


Judge Gives US Airways OK to Cut Workers Pay by 21 Percent A federal bankruptcy judge in Alexandria has granted US Airways permission to immediately cut the pay of its union workers by 21 percent.


Gates launches new media centre LOS ANGELES - On Tuesday, Bill Gates launched a new version of the Media Centre PC, a personal computer that Microsoft wants to be the hub of everyone #39;s home entertainment system.


Ottawa wants DNA from child pornographers OTTAWA - The federal government is proposing that DNA samples be collected from people convicted of making child pornography. The Liberals introduced legislation today that would give judges the power to authorize collection of the samples.


Crawler #39;s New Shoes to Help Space Shuttle Move Toward Return to <b>...</b> NASAs two crawler transporter vehicles soon will sport new shoes. A \$10 million project to replace the 456 tread belt shoes, weighing more than one ton each, on both crawlers at Kennedy Space Center begins mid-October.


Glazer increases stake in Man Utd The US sports tycoon, Malcolm Glazer, has raised his stake in Manchester United from around 19 to a little over 25. The purchase is not necessarily a prelude to a bid for overall control of the club bid according to one of his associates.


Langer shows Singh the door Virginia Water, England - Bernhard Langer beat Vijay Singh on the first extra hole on Friday to knock the world #39;s top-ranked player out of the World Match Play Championship in the first round.


Wilkinson hails decision to go with Robinson England #39;s new captain Jonny Wilkinson last night welcomed the appointment of Andy Robinson as the national team #39;s head coach, describing him as  quot;outstanding quot;.


Hamza #39;s case in Britain will halt US extradition Abu Hamza, the Muslim cleric wanted by the Americans for alleged terrorist offences, is to face a prosecution in the British courts that will sideline the United States extradition.


Geiberger edges clear Brent Geiberger has edged into the lead at 11-under after the second round of the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, while Craig Parry is five shots off the pace.


United says it will ask workers for more cost cuts CHICAGO _ Calling its financial condition  quot;sobering, quot; United Airlines said Friday that it will seek substantially more cost cuts than previously announced to help the carrier emerge from bankruptcy.


FCC okays powerline Internet access The Federal Communications Commission has approved rules which it claims will encourage development of broadband access over power lines, a new technology that provides access to high speed broadband services using the nation #39;s power grid instead of phone


Netflix Braces for Amazon In just five years, Netflix Inc. shot out of nowhere to create a new segment in the movie rental business with a simple business model that allows people to rent popular DVDs online and


Government proposes to catalogue DNA of those convicted of making <b>...</b> OTTAWA (CP) - The federal government is proposing that DNA samples be collected from people convicted of making child pornography.


NBA Game Summary - Philadelphia at Toronto Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Allen Iverson had 32 points, six rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes of action, as the Philadelphia 76ers edged the Toronto Raptors, 99-97.


EDWARD C. BAIG Bill Gates hopes the third time around will be the charm - again. In 1990, Microsoft unveiled Windows 3.0, the first monumentally successful version of the company #39;s flagship software.


Zimbabwe condemns Tsvangirai acquittal Zimbabwe #39;s government has condemned the acquittal of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on charges of plotting to assassinate President Robert Mugabe, saying a guilty man had been allowed to walk free.


Crude, Heating Oil Set Records on Storage Draw November light, sweet crude oil futures rose as much as 96 cents on the New York Mercantile Exchange to US\$54.60 a barrel, the highest price in 21 years of trading.


Sprint to cut 700 jobs, devalue assets WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - Sprint Corp. said Friday it will cut up to 700 jobs, write down the value of its traditional phone network and spend less money marketing standalone long-distance service.


WOODWARD:  #39;...AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT #39; Sir Clive Woodward has confirmed that he will be pursuing a career outside of rugby union, but he refuses to be drawn on whether it will be at Southampton football club.


Bombardier being wooed to move to US MONTREAL - There are reports Bombardier Aerospace is being courted by at least three midwest American states that want to see the Montreal-based company transferred to the United States.


Broadband by power lines moves forward Federal Communications Commission (FCC) changed its rules on Friday in hopes of promoting wider broadband access throughout the nation by offering the service over power lines.


Microsoft in Tune with Digital Music  LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Software giant Microsoft is  casting its sights on the digital media marketplace by  positioning itself as pro-consumer-choice.


Simons resigns as South Africa coach Durban, Oct. 15. - The recent poor performances by the South African cricket team has found its first casualty in coach Eric Simons, who resigned from his post today.


UN Says Sudan Death Toll Reaches 70,000 The United Nations health agency said Friday that the death toll in refugee camps in the Darfur region of Sudan had reached 70,000, and that people would continue dying


Insurance Probe Drives Down Stocks (Reuters) Reuters - Top U.S. life insurer MetLife Inc.\ said on Friday it had received several subpoenas from


Bush Considering Tougher Syria Sanctions-Officials (Reuters) Reuters - The Bush administration is\considering tightening U.S. economic sanctions on Syria to put\pressure on Damascus to pull its troops out of Lebanon and\crack down on terrorism, administration officials said on\Friday.


Madrid Bomb Suspect's Remains Identified (Reuters) Reuters - An Algerian suspected of being a leader\of the Madrid train bombers has been identified as one of seven\people who blew themselves up in April to avoid arrest, Spain's\Interior Ministry said on Friday.


WTO rules against EU sugar subsidies, bloc to appeal (AFP) AFP - The European Union has confirmed that the World Trade Organization has ruled its subsidies for sugar production are illegal, but said it would appeal.


British Flu Vaccine Is Unusable, FDA Says The announcement was a blow to U.S. health officials, who are scrambling to calm growing public alarm about vaccine shortages because of the loss of about half of the 100 million doses of flu vaccine the nation was expecting.


Netflix Braces for  Amazon Threat Netflix executives told analysts during a conference call Thursday that it was slashing its monthly fees by 18 percent and postponing its plans to expand in Europe so it could focus on meeting the threat from Amazon.


Counting of votes begins in Maharashtra election (Reuters) Reuters - Election officials began counting votes in Maharashtra on Saturday in a poll that is crucial to the political fortunes of the ruling Congress party and the opposition Hindu nationalists.


Sailors from stricken Canadian submarine return home to Halifax (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - HALIFAX (CP) - After a harrowing ordeal on the North Atlantic, about half the crew of HMCS Chicoutimi returned home Friday night, 10 days after a fire aboard their second-hand submarine claimed the life of a crew member.


Insurance Probe Drives Down Stocks  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Top U.S. life insurer MetLife Inc.  MET.N said on Friday it had received several subpoenas from  New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, in a sign that a probe  into alleged rigging of bids in exchange for fat fees in the  insurance industry is widening.


High Gas Prices Force Lifestyle Changes For some workers, businesses and organizations, the spike in energy prices -- for gas, diesel fuel or heating oil -- is changing the way they live, work and think about the future.


Kerry Warns Draft Possible if Bush Wins (AP) AP - John Kerry said Friday there is a "great potential" for a new military draft to replace overextended U.S. troops in Iraq if President Bush wins a second term, despite Bush's repeated pledges to maintain the all-volunteer service. Republicans rejected the suggestion as "fear mongering."


Guilty Plea in Insurance Inquiry as Stocks Fall Spitzer said other insurance companies are being investigated.


Heinz Kerry Reports Nearly  #36;2.3M in 2003 (AP) AP - Teresa Heinz Kerry made nearly  #36;2.3 million in 2003 and had a federal and state tax bill of close to  #36;800,000, according to tax forms filed Friday.


Salvadoran Companies Export Promise to D.C. Trade Show Small Salvadoran companies are sponsored by Expro at the D.C. Trade Show as part of a \$6 million project by the U.S. Agency for International Development.


Florida Sets Touch-Screen Recounts Rule (AP) AP - The state set a court-ordered rule for recounting touch-screen ballots in close elections Friday, but voter-rights groups complained the changes fell far short of what is needed to ensure a fair vote.


Colorado Redistricting Dispute Revived (AP) AP - A panel of federal judges Friday revived the last remaining lawsuit stemming from disputes over congressional redistricting after the 2000 census.


Pfizer Warns of Risks From Its Painkiller Pfizer warned doctors that one of its best-selling painkillers, Bextra, might increase the risk of heart attack or stroke in coronary artery bypass surgery patients.


Under Fire, Marsh Stops Taking Fees From Insurers A day after coming under regulatory fire for taking incentive fees from insurers, the Marsh   McLennan Companies said that it would halt the practice.


Unit Refused Iraq Mission, Military Says WASHINGTON - The Army is investigating up to 19 members of a supply platoon in Iraq who refused to go on a convoy mission, the military said Friday. Relatives of the soldiers said the troops considered the mission too dangerous, in part because their vehicles were in such poor shape...


SalesLogix closes in on full-service CRM Best Software's SalesLogix is a Windows-based sales, marketing, and support application that gives SMBs a universal view of the customer, from identifying initial leads to managing ongoing service contracts.


Join the CTO club In my years writing this column for CTOs, the positive e-mail Ive received often boils down to a simple message: At last, someone out there understands what Im going through professionally each day. Most CTOs dont have others in their companies who can relate to the unique demands of their work.


Barca go clear as Real Madrid held at Villarreal MADRID (AFP) - Barcelona stretched their lead over Real Madrid in the Spanish title chase this weekend as African Player of the Year Samuel Eto #39;o scored twice in a 4-0 win against Malaga.


Oracle Pushes Users to Patch New exploits could affect customers who never applied patches for known database flaws.


Rangers held by Inverness Inverness, Scotland (Sports Network) - Rangers squandered a chance to return to the top of the table Sunday as it was held at Inverness, 1-1.


Deserter regrets 40 years in NKorea (AFP) AFP - A US Army deserter said the one thing he did right during his 40 years in North Korea was to leave the country, which was training his daughters as spies, in an interview published.


Judge Is Set to Decide Oracle-PeopleSoft Battle The judge who will decide whether to block defenses by PeopleSoft against Oracle's hostile offer urged both sides to agree on what issues remain in contention.


F.C.C. Clears Internet Access by Power Lines The F.C.C. adopted rules that will enable utility companies to offer an alternative to broadband services provided by cable and phone companies.


Data Miner Free From U.S. Law Offshore It began as one of the Bush administration's most ambitious homeland security efforts, a passenger screening program designed to use commercial records, terrorist watch lists and computer software to assess millions of travelers and target those who might pose a threat.


Bush triumphalism masks mission unaccomplished in Afghanistan: analysts (AFP) AFP - Three years after the US-led invasion, Afghanistan is flooding the world with heroin, warlords reign in the provinces, women are scared and the new security forces are underarmed and undersized, analysts say.


Beltran's Hot Bat Leading Astros' Offense (AP) AP - When Carlos Beltran was traded to the Houston Astros, he already was considered among baseball's top all-around players, one of those rare breeds who can hit, run and play great defense.


Infineon execs to get prison terms While taking a back seat to software and security efforts, hardware is still a big time concern according to our survey. Organizations are taking the opportunity to consolidate their environments as they replace


Switches Failed In Crash Of Genesis The Genesis space capsule that crashed into the Utah desert last month failed because four pencil stub-size gravity switches designed to trigger the release of the spacecraft #39;s parachutes


Door Open on Schilling Pitching in ALCS (AP) AP - With a balky ankle and tight shoes, Curt Schilling took the mound on Friday, throwing batting practice speed in the bullpen during a steady rain.


Westwood Expected Tough Route to Success Lee Westwood looked at the draw at the start of the HSBC World Match Play Championship this week and knew it could hardly be tougher.


Unbeaten Cavaliers a big test for  #39;Noles TALLAHASSEE - Since Florida State joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1992, rarely have the Seminoles lined up without a decided advantage in talent over their conference opponent -t least until Miami showed up this year.


Chants of Red Sox Fans Don't Faze Yankees (AP) AP - Led by police, Jorge Posada and the Yankees calmly walked through a throng of Red Sox fans, taunted with one angry chant after another while heading from the clubhouse to their buses outside Fenway Park.


US Intensifying Bombing Attacks on Falluja Sites American forces stepped up their pressure on the insurgent-controlled city of Falluja on Friday, unleashing an aerial and artillery bombardment of


Indonesian Cleric Faces New Charges Indonesian prosecutors on Friday charged the militant Muslim cleric Abubakar Baasyir under a new anti-terror law, accusing him of leading a terrorist organization


Nowak Will Return D.C. United decides Friday to exercise the option on coach Peter Nowak's contract and bring him back for a second season next year.


Wizards Get a Break With several players suffering from minor injuries, Wizards coach Eddie Jordan decides to give the team a day off on Friday.


Fiedler Expects to Start Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler said he will start Sunday at Buffalo despite missing practice time this week with a cracked rib.


Patriots' Running Man Both Corey Dillon and the Patriots are quite happy with the offseason trade that brought the running back from Cincinnati to New England.


OTHER NEWS  What does  quot;blog quot; mean? If you #39;ve wondered, you #39;re not alone. It is the most looked-up word this year. Blog, which is short for Web log and means an online journal, wasn #39;t even in the dictionary at the


The Rundown 15 Arizona State at 1 USC  3:30 p.m., pay-per-view
If you need proof that the Pacific-10 is loaded with quarterbacks, get your eyes on this game, because it may be your best opportunity to see ASU's Andrew Walter, who has the talent and experience to remain poised against USC. After throwing for 428 yards against Iowa, Walter completed just 47.6 percent of his passes and averaged 144 yards in wins over Oregon State and Oregon. Still, compare Walter (249.8 yards per game, 15 touchdown passes, 1 interception) to USC's Matt Leinart (237.4 yards, 10 TDs, 3 INTs). Throw in ASU's excellent pass defense, and the Sun Devils have a chance.


Google Revolutionizes Desktop Searching We #39;re all used to searching the web at blazing fast speeds: picking out the right webpages among the five billion choices takes only a few hundredths of a second.


Bankers to face trial in US Three former NatWest investment bankers can be extradited to the United States to face charges of conspiring in an Enron-related fraud, a judge in London ruled yesterday.


Stocks Up on Retail Sales, Greenspan Talk NEW YORK, Oct. 15 -- Stocks rebounded moderately Friday as a government report showed that higher oil prices aren #39;t reducing retail sales.


World Oil Prices Approach \$55 a Barrel Though oil prices have eased slightly, they remain close to record high points approaching \$55 a barrel. World oil prices have more than doubled from about \$20 a barrel in New York at the start


Australia lauds bowler #39;s wicket achievement Australia #39;s cricket board praised Shane Warne #39;s smashing of the Test cricket bowling record yesterday as a  quot;monumental achievement quot; which underlined his status as one of the greatest bowlers in history.


Does Tsvangirai outcome suit Mugabe? On hearing the verdict there was a broad smile from Morgan Tsvangirai, applause from his supporters and tears of relief from his veteran attorney.


Army pulls back from Gaza leaving 100 Palestinians dead The Israeli army last night began withdrawing from Palestinian areas of the northern Gaza strip, winding down the largest assault on the territory in recent years and leaving more than 100 Palestinians dead and widespread destruction of homes.


Al-Qaeda suspect detained in Germany German authorities on Friday detained a Syrian-born German businessman who is wanted by Spain for allegedly supporting the al-Qaeda terrorist network.


Sacked envoy accuses FO of sex slurs A British ambassador today accused the Foreign Office of mounting an extraordinary sex smear to drive him from his job. Craig Murray, 45, the former


Stelco says losing biggest customer General Motors Stelco Inc. (STEa.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Friday that it would be losing General Motors (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , its biggest customer


Data Miner Free From U.S. Law (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - It began as one of the Bush administration's most ambitious homeland security efforts, a passenger screening program designed to use commercial records, terrorist watch lists and computer software to assess millions of travelers and target those who might pose a threat.


Retail Sales Up; Industrial Production Lags (AP) AP - Shoppers rediscovered their urge to splurge in September, catapulting retail sales up by the largest percentage gain in six months. Industrial activity was restrained, meanwhile, partly because of hurricanes.


U.S. Strikes Fallujah; Car Bomb Kills 10 (AP) AP - U.S. jets struck targets in the insurgent bastion Fallujah on Friday, and U.S. officials said 10 people  #151; including a family of four  #151; were killed when a car bomb exploded near a Baghdad police station in a bloody start to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.


Muslim activist sentenced to jail for illegal business dealings with Libya (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - A prominent Muslim activist who admitted participating in a Libyan plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's crown prince was sentenced Friday to the maximum 23 years in prison for illegal business dealings with Libya.


Bush triumphalism masks mission unaccomplished in Afghanistan (AFP) AFP - Three years after the US-led invasion, Afghanistan is flooding the world with heroin, warlords reign in the provinces, women are scared and the new security forces are underarmed and undersized, analysts say.


Moore's Pre-Election TV Special Nixed (AP) AP - The cable pay-per-view company iN DEMAND has backed away from a plan to show a three-hour election eve special with filmmaker Michael Moore that included the first television showing of his documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11."


Russian Capsule Docks With Space Station KOROLYOV, Russia - A Soyu z spacecraft carrying two cosmonauts and an American astronaut docked smoothly Saturday at the international space station, where another Russian-U.S. team has spent the last six months...


Greenspan predicts years of oil uncertainty The world will be living with volatile oil prices for years to come, but this years price spike should not be serious enough to push the US into a recession, US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said yesterday.


Airbus #39; new rival to 7E7 may utilize subsidies Airbus might tap up to 1 billion euros (\$1.25 billion) in controversial government loans to build a new A350 airplane model, which would be a rival to Boeing #39;s new 7E7 jetliner.


Netflix nightmare negative for stock It was  quot;Nightmare on on Elm Street quot; for Netflix yesterday as investors bludgeoned the online movie rental company #39;s stock.


Sprint to cut 700 jobs as it trims back service Sprint Corp., the telecommunications giant, said yesterday it will cut 700 jobs in its business solutions division as it stops selling business long distance services outside of package deals.


Delta expects net loss up to \$675M Delta Air Lines world headquarters in Atlanta is shown in this Sept. 8 file photo. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the airline reported that it expects its quarterly report to be released


Sun Microsystems #39; Revenue Growth Seen Pressured Credit Suisse First Boston raised estimates and the target price on Sun Microsystems (nasdaq: SUNW - news - people ) after the company broke even on per-share, pro forma basis for the fiscal first quarter.


In Another Reversal, Intel Kills 4 Gig Chip Leading chipmaker Intel revealed Thursday that it will not manufacture a much-ballyhooed 4 GHz version of the Pentium 4 PC processor.


3 state utilities may offer Internet via power lines Clearing the way for homes and businesses to receive high-speed Internet services through their electrical outlets, the Federal Communications Commission adopted rules this week that would enable the utility companies to offer an alternative to the


Perverts face DNA order OTTAWA -- More convicted criminals will have to submit DNA samples to the national data bank - including those convicted of possession of child pornography - under newly proposed legislation tabled in the House of Commons yesterday.


Indymedia Servers Returned to Rackspace October 15, 2004 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- The Web servers that were seized late last week from Web hosting provider Rackspace Managed Hosting (rackspace.


Park has 4-stroke margin PALM DESERT, Calif. -- Grace Park followed her sensational first round with a steady, 5-under 67 Friday and opened a four-shot lead midway through the Samsung World Championship.


Stupples Shoots into Second Britains Karen Stupples shot 65 to claim a share of second place at the halfway stage of the Samsung World Championship in Palm Desert, California.


Gibernau grabs pole at Phillip Island Spain #39;s Sete Gibernau has put in a storming qualifying lap to snatch pole position for Sunday #39;s Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island from title rival and defending world champion Valentino Rossi.


Shut yer yap! LONDON -- England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson wants his embattled captain David Beckham to keep his mouth shut. That won #39;t satisfy the English Football Association, which asked Beckham yesterday to explain his


NBA Notebook column The NBA has come to basketball-crazy China -- but it doesn #39;t expect to make any money soon. The league flew more than 100 people halfway around the world for its first games


Kaif, Patel put India on top Shane Warne ran through the Indian tail as the hosts were dismissed for 376 with a lead of 141 runs in the first innings of the second Test in Chennai on Saturday.


Non-Chase drivers show they #39;re here for the party They threw a surprise party for Joe Nemechek in Dover a few weeks ago. There were balloons and cake with strawberry custard filling and soldiers at the back


Wishbone will test Irish #39;s defense It #39;s not the embarrassment Notre Dame fears if it loses to Navy for the first time since 1963. It #39;s the intensity of the Navy players and the style of offense they employ


Geiberger overcomes odds to lead Brent Geiberger overcame strong winds and a bad hip to earn a one-stroke lead after the second round at the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro on Friday.


Mets talk to Rudy Omar Minaya is getting down to business in determining Art Howe #39;s successor. The Mets #39; GM interviewed Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo yesterday, and intends to meet with Yankees