Toll Brothers Profit Nearly Doubles  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Toll Brothers Inc. TOL.N on Thursday  said quarterly profit nearly doubled and raised its outlook for  the new fiscal year, citing strong demand for its luxury homes.


National Semi Quarterly Profit Rises  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - National Semiconductor Corp.  NSM.N, a maker of chips used to manage power consumption in  electronics, on Thursday said quarterly profit rose, helped by  a one-time gain and a tax benefit, and it forecast a  smaller-than-usual sales decline in the current quarter.


Report: Robotic Hubble Mission Likely to Fail Description: NASA is considering an unprecedented robotic mission to save the Hubble Space telescope. But a final report from the National Academy of Sciences says the robotic mission probably won #39;t be ready on time to save the telescope.


Is Intel Too Optimistic? Plus, Amazon's British invasion, it's showtime for Martha, and GM's desperation gets noisier.


Ford Motor Co. announces changing of the guard DETROIT (AFP) - The Ford Motor Co. announced that two company veterans who were instrumental in the company #39;s turnaround will retire from the company in February.


PalmSource Buy Yields New OS December 9, 2004 - PalmSource Inc. has purchased China MobileSoft Ltd., Nanjing, a vendor of mobile phone software and operating systems.


ONE BILLION CHILDREN AT RISK One billion children - half the world #39;s population of children - suffer from poverty, conflict, HIV and AIDS, according to the United Nations child rights organisation.


Stocks Rally, Sprint/Nextel Talk Helps Stocks rose on Thursday as investors bet on a year-end rally, while talk of a possible merger by telecommunications companies Sprint and Nextel and upbeat earnings from chip maker National Semiconductor Corp.


Baxter shelves flu vaccine test In a setback for flu vaccine development, Deerfield-based Baxter International Inc. said today it has suspended enrollment in a late-stage European trial for a cell-based flu vaccine.


Stocks Flat; Higher Oil Limits Gains US stocks were little changed on Thursday as an upbeat earnings report from chip maker National Semiconductor Corp. (NSM) sparked some buying, but higher oil prices limited gains.


Are you Chicken? Genome study shows we share half their genes! According to a recent study, a Chicken and a Human share half of their genes. Although the chicken genome contains considerably less DNA than the human genome, it has about the same number of genes.


Amazon #39;s British Invasion The moment that DVD rental firms have been dreading is apparently close at hand. Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) is launching a DVD rental service in the United Kingdom, beating Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) -- now officially a rival -- to the punch.


Industry Leaders Partner With Oracle to Support First True <b>...</b> OPENWORLD, SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL) today announced evidence of strong support for its content management offering through partnerships with leading technology


Siemens Clocks Record Speed in Wireless Race  quot;There #39;s a whole lot of factors that impact statements on speed, and the companies never include them. How far was it transmitted?


Home Theater Maker Kaleidescape Hit with Copyright Suit Gartner #39;s research indicates that US consumers have certain expectations as to what fair use really is.  quot;When we #39;ve surveyed teens and adults, we #39;ve found that at least 60 percent of both groups


Food running low aboard station; Crew ordered to cut calories KENNEDY SPACE CENTER The crew of the international space station has been ordered to cut calories because the food supply is running low.


Gerrard playing for his future Steven Gerrard #39;s thunderous volley against Olimpiakos Piraeus may have secured Liverpool #39;s progress in the lucrative and prestigious UEFA Champions League, but it also virtually ensured the skipper #39;s Anfield exit during the summer transfer window.


Attention to detail makes Manning great It #39;s very easy to reel off the options Colts quarterback Peyton Manning has at his disposal. Soon-to-be free-agent WRs Marvin Harrison and Brandon Stokley, RB Edgerrin James, and TEs Dallas


D-Backs get Glaus PHOENIX The Arizona Diamondbacks have worked out a four-year deal with third baseman Troy Glaus. The 2002 World Series MVP hit just .251 with 18 homers and 42 RBI #39;s in 58 games this year, missing much of the season due to shoulder surgery.


Sharon Wins Key Vote on Alliance for Gaza Plan Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon #39;s Likud party agreed on Thursday to a possible alliance with opposition Labour in a vote that averted a snap election and strengthened his Gaza withdrawal plan.


North Jersey Media Group A SMALL but loud chorus of conservative voices is calling for the resignation of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. They say he is tainted by the UN oil-for-food scandal and should step down.


DreamWorks Shares Dip on  #39;Shrek #39; Delay Shares of DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. dropped 6 percent Thursday after the Hollywood studio told Wall Street it will push back the release of its next  quot;Shrek quot; movie until the summer of 2007.


Harley-Davidson CEO to retire in April Jeffrey Bleustein, Harley-Davidson Co. chief executive officer, is retiring in April after 30 years with the company. Bleustein, 65, announced his retirement this afternoon at a company board meeting.


Baxter puts flu vaccine tests on hold DEERFIELD, Ill. - Medical products maker Baxter International Inc. said Thursday it suspended flu vaccine testing being conducted in Europe after more participants than expected came down with mild fevers.


Mystery tremors may portend California quakes deeper than most quakes. Some began just before a relatively large quake last September, they report in this week #39;s issue of the.


Oracle boosts content management in the enterprise As expected, the company unveiled Files 10g, part of the Oracle Collaboration Suite product line, at the OpenWorld user conference here.


Space crew  #39;using up food supply #39; It seems someone on the International Space Station has been super-sizing their meals: food is running so low that evacuation has been considered.


Bracewell sceptical about pitch New Zealand coach John Bracewell is sceptical about the preparation of the pitch for the Chappell-Hadlee Series decider, suggesting the Australians want to neutralise Black Caps spinner, Daniel Vettori.


UPDATE 1-Tuncay hat-trick sinks Manchester United Tuncay Sanli scored a classy second-half hat-trick to earn Fenerbahce a 3-0 win over a depleted Manchester United team in their final Champions League Group D match on Wednesday.


Country lags behind in saving  #39;children from deprivation #39; The country representative of the United Nations Children #39;s Fund (UNICEF), Morten Giersing, sought cooperation Thursday from the rich of the society for the wellbeing of the children.


US welcomes Japan #39;s decision to extend forces in Iraq The United States welcomed on Thursday Japan #39;s decision to extend the deployment of its forces in Iraq for an additional 12 months.


Shiite Groups Unite to Run in Iraq Elections Next Month Iraq #39;s leading Shiite political groups formally announced today that they had formed an alliance to run in the national elections set for late January, saying their


Harley CEO Taking Off You could say it #39;s been quite a ride for Harley-Davidson #39;s (HDI:NYSE - news - research) Jeffrey L. Bleustein. The motorcycle company said Thursday that Bleustein, 65, will retire as CEO, effective April 30, but continue as chairman.


America West: Will Not Bid for ATA America West Holdings Corp. (AWA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said it would not bid for assets of bankrupt carrier ATA Airlines, saying the value does not justify the cost.


Amazon.com Begins DVD Rental Service on UK Site (Update2) Amazon.com Inc., the world #39;s biggest Internet retailer, began offering a DVD-rental service in the UK that will probably increase traffic on its site and could compete with Netflix Inc.


Banks, Law Agencies Team Up To Fight Phishing Digital PhishNet is the latest effort to share information that leads to immediate action against phishers. By Thomas Claburn. A group of businesses and law-enforcement agencies Wednesday announced the establishment


Summary: Bush Has Full Agenda for January (AP) AP - FIRST ON TAP: President Bush was meeting Monday with nine new senators and 41 new representatives joining the 109th Congress in a session that a spokesman said was aimed at "coming together."


Lycos email scam hides nasty Trojan A malicious email purporting to offer a link to download Lycos #39; controversial spam busting screensaver is infecting users with a Trojan - proving that the fall out from the botched and now ditched service will continue to cause users pain.


Frozen heavenly body hints at a warm heart The outer solar system may not be a cemetery full of dead, frozen bodies, suggest new observations of a large object called Quaoar.


Amazon adds DVD rental service to UK store Amazon.co.uk has added a rental service to its DVD tab allowing customers to rent six DVDs a month for 9.99 or four DVDs for 7.99 additionally rental members will save an extra 10 per cent off of Amazons DVD prices.


OPEC may cut oil output OPEC oil producers have said they will rein in oversupply to bolster falling prices and that the cartel would have to reduce output quotas early next year.


Icahn Blasts Mylan Board on King Deal Veteran financier Carl Icahn said it was  quot;reprehensible and insulting quot; that the board of drug maker Mylan Laboratories Inc.


Powell Bids Nostalgic Farewell to NATO (Reuters) Reuters - Secretary of State Colin Powell bid a\nostalgic farewell on Thursday to the NATO Western security\alliance he first served as platoon commander facing down the\Soviet army 46 years ago.


Correction: Morehead-St-Kentucky Story (AP) AP - In a Dec. 8 story about the Morehead State-Kentucky basketball game, The Associated Press reported erroneously that in a 71-40 loss, Morehead State scored its fewest points in a game since early in the 1978-79 season, when the Eagles had 37 in a loss to Indiana. Morehead State scored 32 points in a 1995 loss to Kentucky.


Australia training its spies in Middle East: espionage chief (AFP) AFP - Australia is sending its domestic intelligence agents to the Middle East for specialist training as part of a major effort to boost the fight against terrorism, the head of the country's main spy agency said.


Israel's Sharon Wins Crucial Likud Vote -Official  TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's  Likud party voted on Thursday in favor of his bid to bring the  opposition Labour party into government, officials said.


Rio Fights Rampant Street Crime as Tourists Fly In  RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) - Police armed with rifles  and wearing flak jackets manned checkpoints across Rio de  Janeiro on Thursday to prevent muggings and other violence as  tourists flocked to the ocean city for the holiday season.


Crude oil prices rise on concern about less OPEC output Crude oil prices rose for the second day Thursday as traders worries that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) might trim excess oil output.


Baxter pulls flu vaccine from British test Baxter International has pulled its flu vaccine from a clinical trial in Britain because of side effects. Baxter, of Deerfield, Ill.


Harley-Davidson CEO Bleustein to Retire Harley-Davidson Inc. on Thursday said Jeffrey L. Bleustein will retire from his position as chief executive on April 30 after 30 years at the company.


Oracle Rolls Out Collaboration Suite 10g Oracle today announced Oracle(r) Collaboration Suite 10g with new real-time collaboration tools and enterprise content management capabilities.


Most Browsers Vulnerable to Pop-Up Attack Five advisories issued by security firm Secunia warn that a pop-up attack could expose users to phishing scams on most Web browsers.


EU safer internet plans approved The EU Council of Ministers has today approved plans for Safer Internet Plus - a programme designed to make the internet safer for children by tackling illegal, unwanted and harmful content -ncluding spam  - to promote awareness.


Klitschko-Williams: A Preview. Suddenly, everyone wants to know about Danny Williams. Hypocrisy is a harsh term to level at anyone, but its like the Arsenal football shirt paraded around by Williams in Las Vegas, with its precision creases


Els in Dunhill contention South African Ernie Els fired a bogey free - five under par 67 to leave him one shot off the lead in the Dunhill Championships. The World number three teed off at 0645 local time starting from the ninth, but


Don #39;t look back o Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig says his sport must get serious about steroid use. And now the players #39;union says it #39;s ready to talk about a testing plan.


Zimbabwe okays electoral reforms ZIMBABWE #39;S ruling party used its parliamentary majority today to pass electoral reforms the opposition said did not go far enough, and ban foreign-funded rights groups, a move critics say would stifle dissent.


Money Funds Rose in Latest Week (AP) AP - Assets of the nation's retail money market mutual funds rose by  #36;7.25 billion in the latest week to  #36;832.87 billion, the Investment Company Institute said Thursday.


U.N.: Mobile Phones Gaining Revenue (AP) AP - Mobile phones are expected to generate greater revenue this year than traditional land lines with the nations of Africa, Asia and Latin America driving growth, a U.N. agency said Thursday.


Militant Chief Wounded in Israeli Strike in Gaza (Reuters) Reuters - A militant leader survived an Israeli\missile strike on his car in Gaza on Thursday in Israel's first\assassination attempt in the Palestinian territories since\Yasser Arafat died in a Paris hospital.


Illicit Cameraphone Clicks Could Mean Jail (AP) AP - Camera phones may make great Christmas gifts, but people better not use them for peeping-Tom photos on federal property.


Opec prepares to support oil price by enforcing quotas OPEC oil ministers yesterday backed steps to end overproduction when members of the oil cartel meet in Cairo today. Saudi Arabia and others were authorised to open the taps in August as


France to sell 700m holding in airline A 700 million (484 million) stake in Air France-KLM was put up for sale by the French Government yesterday, as part of an effort to more than halve its holding in the carrier to below 20 per cent.


Proctor  amp; Gamble, National Semiconductor move market higher By George Chamberlin , Daily Transcript Financial Correspondent. Stocks moved higher late in the session on Thursday after Procter  amp; Gamble (NYSE: PG) released a positive forecast for sales and profits.


GPS Used to Track Teens' Driving (AP) AP - Retired Gen. Tommy Franks has signed on to be the spokesman for a company that uses global positioning system technology in teens' cell phones to let parents know how fast they're driving.


Steelers' Burress to Miss Game With Jets (AP) AP - Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress was ruled out of Sunday's game against the Jets after missing practice with a sore hamstring Thursday, a day after he felt confident he was close to returning.


Samsung ships samples of world #39;s first 512Mb GDDR3 South Korean semiconductor maker Samsung Electronics has begun shipping the world #39;s first 512-megabit (Mb) GDDR3 memory device, a graphics double-data-rate synchronous DRAM for graphics card makers and electronic game console manufacturers.


T-Mobile USA Sees High-Speed Network 2 Years Off (Reuters) Reuters - T-Mobile USA, the U.S. wireless unit\of Deutsche Telekom AG (DTEGn.DE), does not expect to offer\broadband mobile data services for at least the next two years,\its chief executive said on Thursday.


Artest, other suspended players meet with arbitrator; NBA stays <b>...</b> An arbitrator heard six hours of testimony Thursday in a grievance hearing that the NBA refused to attend about the Pacers-Pistons brawl-related suspensions issued by commissioner David Stern.


Dress-up day is ratings winner The four blokes in flowing dresses at the back of the eighth hole certainly didn #39;t think so. They were among the first arrivals yesterday to catch the action at Huntingdale, adding their own bit of colour


2006 World Cup: Japan drawn with North Korea in qualifiers KUALA LUMPUR: Japan are faced with the task of having to travel to North Korea after being handed a tricky draw in the final round of Asian qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup finals here Thursday.


Researcher Warns Male Laptop Users of Infertility Risk (PC World) PC World - Heat generated by notebook use may harm reproductive health, study says.


Atkins Gets Tech-Savvy to Reach More Dieters (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. dieters will soon be able to\count their carbs on mobile phones, the company behind the\Atkins Diet said on Thursday.


US weapons for Pakistan will hurt peace talks: India NEW DELHI: India on Thursday expressed concern over US arms sales to Pakistan, saying the India-Pakistan composite dialogue process poised at a sensitive juncture would be seriously affected.


IBM Halts Pension Plan for New Hires (Reuters) Reuters - IBM  will offer future\employees a 401(k) pension plan instead of a fixed pension, the\company said on Thursday, backing away from a controversial\policy that reduced retirement payouts and stirred employee\ire.


President Prays at Menorah Lighting (AP) AP - At a menorah-lighting ceremony Thursday on the third night of Hanukkah, President Bush prayed for the safety and quick return of U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq.


Space Telescopes Spy Dusty Debris of Planets (Reuters) Reuters - Planet-building is dusty work, and\now two space telescopes have captured images of cosmic\construction materials: disks of dust circling stars about the\same size as our sun.


Mysterious Tremors May Portend California Quakes (Reuters) Reuters - Low-pitched rumbles from deep under\California's San Andreas fault may offer a way to predict\future earthquakes, U.S. geologists said on Thursday.


EU Agrees Deal on Punishing Ship Pollution (Reuters) Reuters - EU member states backed tough measures\against ships polluting European waters on Thursday to try to\head off any repetition of a disaster in 2002 that caused one\of Europe's worst oil slicks.


NY Bird Lovers Want Pale Male's Nest Restored (Reuters) Reuters - The abrupt removal of the nest\belonging to Pale Male, a famous red-tailed hawk who lived on a\tony Manhattan apartment building, had bird lovers up in arms\on Thursday and demanding his home be restored.


OPEC Thwarts Climate Aid for Poor Nations - WWF (Reuters) Reuters - OPEC nations and Saudi\Arabia in particular are standing in the way of getting\financial help to developing countries to cope with global\warming, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said on Thursday.


Food Running Low Aboard Space Station (AP) AP - Food is running so low aboard the international space station that the two crewmen have been instructed to cut back on calories, at least until a Russian supply ship arrives in a little over two weeks, NASA said Thursday.


Moral clarity blurs in Darfur crisis Talks between Sudan's government and two rebel groups to resolve the nearly two-year battle resume Friday.


Japan beefs up its defense stance With an eye to North Korea and China, Prime Minister Koizumi's Cabinet is set to pass new guidelines.


Ukraine's presidential campaign, Part II: a cleaner run? A flood of foreign observers is expected for the Dec. 26 rerun of the presidential vote.


Why does Asia get all the cool stuff first? Also: Congress OKs private spaceflight bill. News.com Extra


Offshoring gains momentum Down Under New report on offshoring points to greater acceptance among Australians.


Game for a new tune? It's not hip-hop. It's blip-pop. That's what the Gameboyzz Orchestra Project calls the sounds it squeezes out of a half dozen Game Boy consoles. Missing Links


Visiting Indian delegation gets earful Visiting Indian delegation gets earful from U.S. workers dislocated by outsourcing.


McNealy innovates in trade-show theatrics Scott McNealy for years has relied on Top 10 lists for comic relief during his tech show keynote speeches, but at the Oracle OpenWorld conference in San Francisco Wednesday, he tried a new stunt. Missing Links


HDS slides into midrange storage market Hitachi has released its first all Serial ATA array and has bundled it with switches and network interface cards to create a preconfigured low-to-midrange SAN that competes with products from EMC and IBM.


Novell to support Netline's Open-Xchange Server Novell Inc. will no longer sell its branded version of SUSE Linux Open-Xchange Server next year and will instead provide its global maintenance and support services to users of Netline Internet Services' flagship Open-Xchange Server.


Tech groups praise parts of intelligence bill Technology trade groups cheered parts of a comprehensive intelligence reform bill passed by Congress yesterday, but said the government's chief cybersecurity official should have a more prominent position.


Digital PhishNet launched to combat phishing scams Several major industry players and law enforcement agencies are collaborating in a new effort to respond to the rapidly growing phishing problem.


Researchers warn laptop users of infertility risk A combination of the heat generated by a laptop and the position of the thighs needed to balance it leads to higher temperatures that can be dangerous to a man's reproductive health.


Oracle boosts content management in the enterprise Oracle yesterday launched its Files 10g content management software, which is part of the Oracle Collaboration Suite product line.


Q A Part 1: Cisco's John Chambers at company's 20-year mark Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of Cisco Systems, and the company's CEO, John Chambers, took the time this week to talk about where his company has been, mistakes it has made and where it's going now.


Mobile phone users double since 2000 Mobile phone subscribers around the globe totaled nearly 1.5 billion by the middle of this year, about one quarter of the world's population, according to the International Telecommunication Union.


French government to cut stake in Air France-KLM The French government entrusted Thursday two banks, Dutch bank ABN Amro and Societe Generale of France, to place shares on the market for best offers to cut state stake in


IBM Halts Pension Plan for New Hires IBM (IBM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) will offer future employees a 401(k) pension plan instead of a fixed pension, the company said on Thursday, backing away from


Harley Boss To Retire According to CBS Marketwatch, Harley-Davidson Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Bleustein said today that he will hand over chief-executive duties to CFO James Ziemer on April 30, 2005.


Vulnerability allows scammers to hijack pop-ups Security researchers warned today of a vulnerability in most Web browsers that could allow scammers to launch phishing attacks from pop-up windows on trusted Web sites.


IBM looks to keep customers after PC division sale After agreeing to sell its PC division to China's Lenovo Group, IBM now faces the task of keeping its corporate and government customers from abandoning its standard-setting brand.


More DS Units for Japan Nintendo will ship 400,000 More DS units for Japan, bringing the total to an impressive 2.8 million by the year #39;s end. Also included is a potentially disturbing but familiar quote from Iwata!


Lycos pulls anti-spam screensaver after virus scare Lycos Europe has axed the distribution of a controversial screensaver designed to target websites that profit from spam, claiming that the company has made its point.


EU wants to make Internet safe for children The European Union has launched a 45 million euro (\$60 million) plan to protect children from pornography and racist sites when they surf the Internet.


Gerrard strikes mighty blow Steven Gerrard #39;s glorious strike against Olympiakos on Wednesday night was so good that Sven-Goran Eriksson watched countless reruns of it in his Soho Square office yesterday.


Cheetham shadows Els Bruce McDonald, a little-known Zimbabwean, took the first-round lead on 66 in the European Tour #39;s Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Country Club.


Don #39;t count out Tiger just yet And now for a shipment direct from the Department of Inevitable Results: Tiger Woods, the reinvention. Oh, not the marriage, which some would take to redefine Woods as a man on the grow for


Wasghington to be criticized at UN climate change summit in Buenos <b>...</b> Over 1500 experts and politicians from 189 countries discuss global warming scenario after Russia ratified the Kyoto Protocol. Bush is the main target of delegates for his anti-ecological policy.


Microsoft readies Windows Server 2003 R2 beta SAN FRANCISCO - Microsoft Corp. has started recruiting testers for the first beta of Windows Server 2003 R2, an update to Windows Server that the vendor plans to ship in October next year.


China's Huawei deploys its first U.S. mobile network Chinese network equipment manufacturer Huawei Technologies is beginning to make inroads into the U.S. mobile telecommunications market about three years after establishing a subsidiary here.


Sprint: No comment on reported Nextel merger talks WASHINGTON - Rumored merger talks between Sprint and Nextel Communications Thursday were met with a "no comment" from Sprint.
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Microsoft to court: Eolas didn't invent patented tech WASHINGTON - An appeals court should throw out a half-billion-dollar patent infringement judgment against Microsoft Corp. because a lower court failed to recognize that the Web browsing patent was based on a technology that was not invented by the company awarded the money, a Microsoft lawyer argued Thursday.


Fraud, Feds top concerns as CSOs meet in New York NEW YORK - The explosive growth in online fraud and the impact of tough new federal regulations were on the minds of information security executives who gathered in New York Tuesday for the second annual CSO Interchange, a gathering of chief security officers (CSOs).


Researcher Warns Male Laptop Users of Infertility Risk Heat generated by notebook use may harm reproductive health, study says.


Search Engine Inclusion Techniques on Google Search Engine Inclusion Techniques on Google   \\Over the years of its existence Google gained a well-deserved reputation as the top choice for internet users. Providing a comprehensive coverage of the web and returning searched queries with great relevancy in less than a second, Google certainly is the internet rsquo;s ...


Google Making Nearly \$.10 on Every Search Query Google Making Nearly \$.10 on Every Search Query\\John Battelle's Search Blog picked this up the other day from a blogger who dissected Google's public revenue records to come to the conclusion that Google earns about \$.09 per every search query - a hefty return. With the average cost per click ...


How Web Design Can Affect Search Engine Rankings How Web Design Can Affect Search Engine Rankings\\Uniquely built web sites can create unique issues when being promoted on the search engines. From a basic 3 page brochure site to a corporate site with hundreds of dynamically generated pages, every web site needs to have certain design aspects in order ...


First US commercial flight to Vietnam since fall of Saigon takes <b>...</b> SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - A United Airlines jumbo jet took off from San Francisco at the start of the historic first US commercial flight to Vietnam since the fall of Saigon nearly 30 years ago.


Jobless Claims Up, Import Prices Gain US jobless claims rose unexpectedly last week in more worrying news for the labor market, government data showed on Thursday, while other indicators offered more positive signals for the economy.


Oracle #39;s Ellison taunts 49ers owners Oracle Corp. Chief Executive Larry Ellison aimed his famously barbed tongue outside the technology industry Wednesday, taunting the owners of the San Francisco 49ers for refusing to sell the  quot;worst team in football.


Wireless Internet Siemens Sets Wireless Data Speed Record In order to achieve the speed of one gigabit per second, Siemens combined an  quot;intelligent antenna system quot; consisting of three transmitting and four receiving antennas with Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing.


EU Wants to Make Internet Safe for Children The European Union has launched a 45 million euro (\$60 million) plan to protect children from pornography and racist sites when they surf the Internet.


Charges Have Been Filed In NBA Brawl It #39;s official, the notorious brawl last month between the Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and some fans has resulted in criminal charges.


Buckeyes screwed over by postseason ban Members of the new Ohio State basketball staff have worked on fixing their current team for nearly six months. From the outside, it hasn #39;t seemed that long, but it probably felt like a year or more to the


Asian Stocks Fall in US, Led by Technology Shares; HDFC Drops Asian stocks fell in US trading after Xilinx Inc. and Altera Corp., the largest makers of programmable computer chips, cut their sales forecasts.


US airline launches first commerical flight to Vietnam since war America #39;s United Airlines has launched the first daily flight service to Vietnam from the United States since 1975. The flight represents the first such service by an American air carrier since the end of


Eagles' Westbrook Turning Into Elite Back (AP) AP - No matter how Brian Westbrook gets the ball, he's a threat to score every time he touches it.


Space Diet: Space Station Crew Ordered To Cut Calories CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The crew of the international space station has been ordered to cut calories because the food supply is running low.


Denver's Rodney White Suspended by NBA (AP) AP - Denver Nuggets forward Rodney White was suspended without pay for one game by the NBA on Thursday for pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a weapon.


Wizards go up for sale Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Lamar Hunt appears ready to get out of Major League Soccer and sever ties with the Kansas City Wizards.


Moral clarity blurs in Darfur crisis Talks between Sudan #39;s government and two rebel groups to resolve the nearly two-year battle resume Friday. By Abraham McLaughlin  Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor.


Same-sex couples across Canada rejoice at Supreme Court ruling (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - Rev. Barbara McDowall and her wife, Gail Donnelly, say all they ever wanted was the right to walk down the aisle just like any other couple in love.


Jobless Claims Up, Import Prices Gain  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. jobless claims rose  unexpectedly last week in more worrying news for the labor  market, government data showed on Thursday, while other  indicators offered more positive signals for the economy.


US Air Needs Cuts to Entice Investors  ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Reuters) - US Airways Group Inc. probably  will need more cost cuts or a boost in revenue to attract the  \$250 million in equity it says it needs to leave bankruptcy  next year, the company said on Thursday.


Stocks Up Amid Talk of Sprint/Nextel Deal  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose on Thursday as investors  bet on a year-end rally, while talk of a possible merger by  telecommunications companies Sprint Corp. FON.N and Nextel  Communications Inc. NXTL.O fueled buying.


Vanguard Closes \$5.3 Billion Energy Fund  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Vanguard Group said on Thursday it  has implemented a temporary "cooling-off" closure period for  its \$5.3 billion Energy Fund, effective immediately.


IBM Halts Pension Plan for New Hires  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - IBM IBM.N will offer future  employees a 401(k) pension plan instead of a fixed pension, the  company said on Thursday, backing away from a controversial  policy that reduced retirement payouts and stirred employee  ire.


US Air Needs Cuts to Entice Investors (Reuters) Reuters - US Airways Group Inc. probably\will need more cost cuts or a boost in revenue to attract the\ #36;250 million in equity it says it needs to leave bankruptcy\next year, the company said on Thursday.


When Picky Analysts Pick (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Back and forth. Back. And forth. No, this isn't baseline tennis. It's the Dow Jones industrial average, which has generally been stuck in a trading range--9000 to 10,500--for the past five years. "While the Fed is as accommodative as it's been since the late 1970s," says Brian Wesbury, chief economist at Griffin, Kubik, Stephens  amp; Thompson, "potential inflation could really knock earnings growth down to single digits." The market might get stuck in a trading range for a few years more.


DreamWorks Animation turns around in 3rd quarter LOS ANGELES: Animated film studio DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc reported on Wednesday a profit from a year-earlier loss in its first earnings period since the company went public in October.


STOCKS  amp; BONDS Rising Dollar Helps Shares Gain Despite Higher Oil <b>...</b> By The Associated Press. Investors resumed their December rally yesterday, looking past higher oil prices and focusing instead on building up their portfolios before the end of the year.


US Stocks, Dollar, Oil Rise, Bonds Slip US stocks rose on investors #39; hopes for a year-end rally, while the dollar eked out gains and oil advanced again on Thursday as OPEC ministers supported supply cuts by applying official output quotas.


AmWest passes up bid to buy bankrupt ATA assets PHOENIX America West Airlines has backed away from a potential bidding war for bankrupt ATA Airlines, paving the way for AirTran to take over ATA operations.


Oracle CEO: Data Hubs Would Have Prevented 9/11 (12/09/04)Oracle CEO Larry Ellison feels strongly about unified data hubs. In fact, he thinks the biggest terrorist attack in the United States could have been prevented if intelligence officials


Canada needs more efficient financial system: Bank of Canada <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - There is a perception in international financial circles that Canadian markets are the  quot;Wild West quot; and it hurts Canadian companies when they try to raise money abroad, Bank of Canada governor David Dodge said Thursday.


EU competition chief charges into the fray BRUSSELS Neelie Kroes came out swinging Thursday in her first public appearance as Europe #39;s new competition commissioner, blocking a merger in the energy industry and slapping fines on three chemical companies for running a cartel.


#39;Best #39; ratings a response to rising costs, safety concerns SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- The magazine known for evaluating cars and electronics is setting its sights on finding the best value and quality of prescription drugs on the market.


US Air Needs Cuts to Entice Investors US Airways Group Inc. probably will need more cost cuts or a boost in revenue to attract the \$250 million in equity it says it needs to leave bankruptcy next year, the company said on Thursday.


PalmSource To Release Linux Version Of Palm OS After completing their purchase of mobile phone company China MobileSoft, PalmSource indicated a Linux version of their software would soon be available.


Worldwide Technology Nintendo Triples Shipment Forecast Previous forecasts projected that shipments of Nintendo #39;s new DS handheld would reach 1 million by year end. However, during Thanksgiving week, the company sold half a million of the devices


Universal browser hole a gift for scammers Security have warned about a new Web browser security hole which could allow scammers to launch phishing attacks from pop-up windows on trusted websites.


Major Vendors Explore Grid Frontiers While grid computing vendors Sun and IBM are taking the reins of the utility computing market, the competition is collaborating to provide proof-of-concept projects to improve and showcase their services and offerings.


Hughes moves into lead after completing first round Two-time champion Bradley Hughes of Australia shot an 8-under 64 to take a two-stroke lead at the Australian Masters on Friday, one day after the opening round was suspended by rain.


Carter out at least two games with Achilles #39; injury) TORONTO Toronto Raptors guard Vince Carter will miss at least two games because of a strained left Achilles #39; tendon. Carter was injured in the second half in last night #39;s 90-to-86 overtime loss at Detroit.


Govt okays Chittagong matches The government has advised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to go ahead with the matches in Chittagong on the basis of its security teams report, Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Navtej Sarna announced today.


UPDATE 1-Van der Vaart stripped of Ajax captaincy Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart was stripped of the Ajax Amsterdam captaincy on Thursday after he refused to play out of position in the Champions League game against Bayern Munich.


Wizards Suspend Kwame Brown Washington, DC -- Former No. 1 overall pick Kwame Brown has been suspended by the Washington Wizards for conduct detrimental to the team.


White House expresses confidence in embattled Annan UNITED NATIONS, New York: The Bush administration on Thursday eased the pressure it had been putting on Secretary General Kofi Annan since American calls for his resignation, saying for the first time that it had faith in him and did not want to see him


Despite 6 refusals, NATO will increase Iraq training staff BRUSSELS The North Atlantic Treaty Organization agreed on Thursday to enlarge from 60 to 300 the number of personnel stationed in Baghdad to train Iraqi soldiers, but not before there was a contentious discussion with the foreign ministers of six


Indian sensitivities in mind: Rumsfeld NEW DELHI: Manmohan said India would address all issues with Pakistan, provided General Pervez Musharraf stuck to his commitment to stop terrorism against India.


IRA Will Disarm Under One Condition In the final talks of negotiations between the Anglo-Irish drive for a peaceful Northern Ireland the IRA guerrillas said on Thursday that they would never be humiliated by photographing their actual disarmaments.


Explosions Rattle Italian Embassy in Iraq A number of mortar shells have exploded near the Italian embassy in Baghdad, Defence Minister Antonio Martino said.  quot;Several mortar shells fell about 50 metres from the embassy but there were no Italian victims, quot; he said in Rome on Thursday.


PeopleSoft Stock Nears Peak on Reports (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of PeopleSoft Inc.\ traded near a one-year high on Thursday after analysts\raised their earnings outlooks for the business software maker,\which continues to fight a  #36;9.2 billion hostile takeover bid by\Oracle Corp. .


Burress Out for Sunday Showdown with Jets  PITTSBURGH (Sports Network) - Steelers wide receiver  Plaxico Burress' injured hamstring will keep him out for a  third straight game when Pittsburgh welcomes the New York Jets  to town Sunday.


Democrats Must Do More for Hispanic Votes (AP) AP - The Democratic Party has neglected Hispanic voters for a decade and risks severe election losses unless it changes course, Hispanic lawmakers wrote party leaders Thursday.


Heath Miller Wins Mackey Award as Top Tight End  ORLANDO, Fla. (Sports Network) - Heath Miller of Virginia  was named the winner of the John Mackey Award as the nation's  top tight end.


Shrimp Imports Tightened to Save Turtles (AP) AP - Sea turtles stand to gain protection from accidental killings through a new federal policy announced Thursday to require stricter documentation on imports of shrimp and shrimp products.


A new weapon against 'cell yell' Ever want to growl "shhhhhh!" to someone who's talking way too loudly on a cell phone? Rather than cause a scene, why not express your sentiments in a card? Missing Links


Mexico's Fox on Warpath Against Congress, City  MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Vicente Fox, often criticized as a  paper cowboy for a tame performance in four years as Mexican  president, is now in a showdown with Congress and Mexico City's  popular mayor and at odds with Washington.


Court Orders Record Payout for Guatemala Massacre  GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - An international court has  ordered Guatemala to pay a record sum of almost \$8 million in  compensation to survivors of a 1982 army-led massacre of  hundreds of civilians in the country's Maya Indian heartland.


Stocks: Shares rise on National Semiconductor profit NEW YORK US stocks were little changed Thursday, recovering earlier losses after an upbeat earnings report from the chip maker National Semiconductor sparked some buying.


America West won #39;t bid for ATA ATA Airlines Inc. #39;s future will fall to one of three bidders Friday while a fourth contender, America West Airlines canceled its buyout interest Thursday.


Sun Capital, TDR Buy HHG Units for 1.03 Bln Pounds (Update3) Sun Capital Partners Inc. and TDR Capital LLP, private equity buyout firms, agreed to pay 1.03 billion pounds (\$1.98 billion) for HHG Plc #39;s UK-based life insurance units, their first investment in the industry.


Premier splashes out 70m on custard bid Bird #39;s Custard and Angel Delight have been sold for 70m to Premier Foods, the group which owns Ambrosia rice pudding and Rowntree #39;s jelly.


Nintendo DS Soars Sales of Nintendos new and controversial, handheld gaming system Nintendo DS are above analysts - and Nintendos -xpectations.


Food supply running low for space station crew CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Food is running so low aboard the international space station the two crewmen have been instructed to cut back on calories, at least until a Russian supply ship arrives in a little over two weeks, NASA said Thursday.


Space Telescopes Spy Dusty Debris of Planets Planet-building is dusty work, and now two space telescopes have captured images of cosmic construction materials: disks of dust circling stars about the same size as our sun.


Novell tightens Netline partnership Novell has extended a partnership to sell software for e-mail and other server functions from Netline Internet Service, the companies said Thursday.


iPod buzz reaches fever pitch The buzz over Apple Computer #39;s next iPod music player has reached a fevered pitch after one web site posted details and a mock up drawing of the new device, which stores


EU Telecoms Council Promotes Safer Internet Use Safer Internet Plus, the four-year program proposed by the European Commission in March, will have a budget of \$60 million to combat illegal and harmful Web content.


Chelsea refuse to abandon pursuit of 35m Gerrard STEVEN GERRARD appeared to nail his colours to the Liverpool mast when he inspired his team to reach the knockout phase of the Champions League, but Roman Abramovich is steady in his belief that


Williams vs Klitschko: When A Comet Crashes Into A Tower 09.12.04 - By Janne Romppainen: Unlike many perhaps expected beforehand, in the year 2004 the heavyweight division has given the fans plenty of interesting fights.


Montgomerie, Woods, Furyk in three-way tie Colin Montgomerie was thrilled to get an invitation from Tiger Woods to play in his year-end tournament with 15 of the best players in golf.


Kent joins Dodgers for two years CBC SPORTS ONLINE - The Los Angeles Dodgers landed a dandy Thursday in free-agent infielder Jeff Kent. Kent, 36, agreed to a two-year contract, but financial terms were not disclosed.


English league sets standard for European elite HAVING produced only one European Cup finalist in the last 19 seasons, England can suddenly claim pre-eminence in the games elite club competition with four teams through to the first knock-out round.


NHLPA #39;s proposal a small step in right direction Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - NHL commissioner Gary Bettman acknowledged Thursday that one segment of the latest proposal from the players #39; union was significant, but stressed that much more lies ahead in solving the league #39;s fiscal problems.


NBA skips arbitration hearing on brawl suspensions (AFP) AFP - National Basketball Association players union leaders met with an arbitrator to have suspensions from a brawl between players and fans reduced but league officials did not participate.


Likud Panel Backs Sharon #39;s Plan for Coalition Government Prime Minister Ariel Sharon won an important victory within his party today that greatly improves the likelihood his faltering government will survive and proceed with a plan


At risk: 1,000,000,000 of the world #39;s children They are a billion strong. Diseased, malnourished, uneducated, they are a people on the run from wars that take the lives of their brothers and sisters.


Palestinian nonviolence may bring more than weapons did This would appear to be an appropriate time to discuss the potential for Palestinian nonviolence and its ramifications for Israel.


Sportsview: Soccer Stars Will Be Missed (AP) AP - Hers was the game that launched a thousand kicks, then tens of thousands, then millions, a rare blend of brains, beauty and hard-nosed grace that redefined what it meant to play like a girl.


Making Over Motorola (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Edward Zander always wanted to be in charge. After 25 years in high technology, including five years as a prominent second banana at Sun Microsystems, Zander got his wish. In January he became chief executive at Motorola, a fallen angel of mobile communications. It used to own the business. It doesn't anymore.


Osmond buys life funds for 1bn Hugh Osmond, the entrepreneur better known for investing in the food and drink sector, on Thursday night sealed the UK #39;s largest closed life assurance deal with the


Sprint and Nextel merger might work A possible merger of Nextel Communications, the fifth-ranked wireless carrier in the US, and Sprint, the third-largest, may be winning strategy, given the ferocious competition in the telecommunications industry.


US Airways Needs More Savings To Attract Investors US Airways probably will need more cost cuts or a boost in revenue to attract the USD\$250 million in equity it says it needs to leave bankruptcy next year, the company said on Thursday.


Bio of outgoing Harley-Davidson Inc. CEO Education: Bleustein holds a master #39;s degree and doctorate in engineering mechanics from Columbia University and a bachelor #39;s degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University.


How to use multiple iPods with one Apple Mac or Microsoft Windows <b>...</b> Do you want to use more than one iPod with the same computer? There are a couple of different ways you can do it. Apple has posted an article about how to do so.


Five NBA players among 10 charged with assault AUBURN HILLS (Michigan): Prosecutors issued assault and battery charges here on Wednesday against five National Basketball Association players and five spectators, with jail time possible for their actions in a November brawl.


McDonnell still spoiling for a fight IN CASE anyone had forgotten, Jim McDonnell, Danny Williamss trainer, stood up at the last pre-bout press conference here on Wednesday and repeated his


Tiger says children in the near future Now that he #39;s married, Tiger Woods says it won #39;t be long before he starts a family.  quot;I don #39;t want to be an old father, quot; Woods said Thursday.


Wizards #39; Kwame Brown suspended for one game The Washington Wizards suspended Kwame Brown for one game Thursday for conduct detrimental to the team. Brown will miss Friday #39;s game against the New York Knicks.


Fergie stands by selection policy Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson insists he has no regrets about fielding a second-string side against Fenerbahce last night. Sanli Tuncays second-half hat-trick consigned the Red Devils to a 3-0 defeat


Al Qaeda to Attempt Major Marine Attack -Report Al Qaeda will attempt an attack on a key maritime target in the next 12 months with potentially devastating economic consequences, UK security experts said on Friday.


Ukraine government back to work as crisis eases (AFP) AFP - Ukraine's civil servants went back to work for the first time in weeks as the opposition lifted its blockade of government buildings and a political crisis eased following a compromise with the ruling regime.


Shiites List Candidates for Iraq Election (AP) AP - Under the guidance of Iraq's most powerful Shiite cleric, Shiite parties presented a list Thursday of 228 candidates for next month's parliamentary elections. Minority Sunni Arabs, who had been favored under Saddam Hussein, must now decide whether to join the race or renounce a vote that will help determine the country's future.


Bush manipulated NKorea intelligence like he did in Iraq: US expert (AFP) AFP - The United States manipulated intelligence on North Korea's nuclear program in a similar fashion to its use of weapons of mass destruction to justify the war on Iraq, a US foreign policy expert said in an article.


Clarkson's budget, gun registry among items up for vote late Thursday (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - Parliament was set to vote on pair of thorny government expenses late Thursday: the scandal-plagued gun registry and the Governor General's budget.


Summary Box: No Taxes for Social Security (AP) AP - NO HIKE: President Bush ruled out raising taxes to finance an overhaul of Social Security to help the system survive an impending wave of retiring baby boomers.


That Certain Look: Animal Magnetism The Metropolitan Museum's show is a sumptuous assemblage of animal products used to keep humans warm, make them look good and ratchet up their social status.


Russian stocks lose \$10 billion in value Nearly \$10 billion was wiped off Russian stocks Thursday, the Moscow Times reported. The huge fall was caused by investors #39; fears that a surprise \$158 million tax claim against Russia #39;s No.


Osmond makes 1bn life insurance debut Hugh Osmond, the pubs-to-pizzas entrepreneur, is to make a dramatic move into Britain #39;s life insurance market by leading a 1billion cash acquisition


America West declines to bid for ATA America West Holdings Corp., of Phoenix, the parent company of America West Airlines, declined to bid for bankrupt ATA #39;s assets Thursday, America West said.


Artest Testifies About Basketball Brawl (AP) AP - Ron Artest took the witness stand and described, in his words, one of the worst brawls in NBA history. Teammates Stephen Jackson, Jermaine O'Neal and Anthony Johnson did the same, and a union attorney and one of O'Neal's bodyguards also testified.


Space Station Crew Has Limited Food Supply Astronaut, Leroy Chiao, and his crewmate have eaten through more food than Mission Control anticipated. (NASA). By GINA TREADGOLD.


Cisco snags routing start-up Cisco systems announced on Thursday that it has finalized a definitive agreement to acquire privately held BCN Systems. Cisco had been an investor in the Santa Clara, Calif.


More top sports news THE first pro opponent of Danny Williams believes the Brixton Bomber will cut 6ft 7in Vitali Klitschko down to size to be WBC heavyweight champion, writes STEVE BRENNER.


Leinart takes Camp honors NEW HAVEN, Conn, Southern Cal quarterback Matt Leinart has been named the Walter Camp player of the year after leading the Trojans to a 12-and-0 record and a berth in the BCS title game.


Corruption Remains Rampant, Says Poll of 64 Countries A majority of people worldwide say corruption among government and business elites is a grave problem, and about 10 percent say that they or a member of their household paid a bribe in the previous year, according to a new global opinion poll.


Challenges for Mr. Karzai A fghanistan #39;s three-year drive for stability reached a milestone when Mr. Hamid Karzai was sworn in Tuesday as its first popularly elected president.


Telekom Malaysia To Buy 27.3 Of Indonesia Excelcomindo KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones)--Telekom Malaysia Bhd. (4863.KU) late Thursday said it will buy a 27.3 stake in Indonesia #39;s PT Excelcomindo Pratama for \$314 million in cash.


United launches US-Vietnam service United Airlines began service between San Francisco and Vietnam Thursday, the first such regular flight to the Asian country in 30 years.


IBM shuts new workers out of pension plan International Business Machines Corp. has shut its cash-balance pension plan to new employees, CBSMarketwatch.com reports. Instead, new employees can contribute 6 percent of their


Linux-based Palm OS on chart The open-source software Linux is making a bigger dent in China #39;s ever-galloping mobile phone market. US-based PalmSource, provider of Palm OS, a popular operating system powering


Apple to use Toshiba chip next year Toshiba Corp, Japan #39;s second largest chipmaker, has agreed to start selling a type of semiconductor known as flash memory to Apple Computer Inc, maker of the best-selling iPod digital music player.


Nintendo Unthreatened by PSP December 09, 2004 - In a recent statement given at the Tokyo headquarters of the Foreign Correspondents Club, Nintendo Co Ltd president Satoru Iwata said Nintendo will not lose the imminent handheld war against Sony.


Analysis: Psst! Intifada #39;s over It was a telling sign when senior commanders in the Central Command recently started counting the number of Palestinian stone-throwing incidents in the West Bank.


Defence pleads for conditional sentence for Alberta cop who shot prisoner (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - LETHBRIDGE, Alta. (CP) - Sending an RCMP officer to jail for shooting a drunken prisoner who grabbed his gun would amount to cruel and unusual punishment, Mike Ferguson's lawyer argued Thursday.


Similarities Abound in Orange Bowl Teams (AP) AP - It was difficult for Southern California's Pete Carroll and Oklahoma's Bob Stoops to keep from repeating each other when the two coaches met Thursday.


Fans Do Care About Players Who Cheat For people so sure that most fans don't care what Barry Bonds has fed his body, I would ask, why has baseball suddenly rethought its marketing position on his home-run record chase?


Giants' Manning Needs Time to Mature, Like the Others As a rookie, Eli Manning needs the time to swat away the cobwebs of confusion, the time that almost every young quarterback has needed for one reason or another.


US marine charged with desertion A US marine who turned up in Lebanon after disappearing from Iraq is charged with desertion.


Colonel charged over Jara killing A retired Chilean army colonel is accused of orchestrating the execution of Victor Jara, a singer killed in 1973.


Nextel Talk Catches Fire Nextel (NXTL:Nasdaq - news - research) and Sprint (FON:NYSE - news - research) shares surged to multiyear highs, fueled by reports that the telcos are in merger talks.


Bankrupt US Airways hopes for profitability by 2007 ALEXANDRIA, VA. The former chief financial officer for US Airways is offering a bleak outlook for the carrier. Dave Davis told a bankruptcy court in Virginia the airline doesn #39;t expect to turn a profit until 2007.


Disney Backs Blu-Ray This week, the Walt Disney Company and its Buena Vista division said they would release content on the Blu-Ray next-generation DVD standard, meaning that battlelines have been drawn in publishing content.


NHL players offer 24 percent salary rollback in new proposal The NHL players #39; association offered an immediate 24 percent rollback of salaries Thursday as the centerpiece of a new proposal handed to the league in an effort to end the season-long lockout.


Canada's disaster response team little used, criticized as 'paper tiger.' (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - DART: the name conjures up images of a fast-response, highly mobile team that can fly into a disaster zone, turn on a dime and deal with whatever catastrophe looms.


Sudanese govt hopeful of deal in Darfur crisis Sudan #39;s government has said it hopes to reach a deal in talks resuming tomorrow with rebels in Darfur, which the UN says is descending into chaos.


BALCO Scandal Inspired Worldwide Changes  RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) - Don Catlin, head of the  Los Angeles laboratory which identified a test for the designer  steroid THG, believes the BALCO scandal has ultimately helped  the war on drugs in sport.


Strong U.S. Economy Attracts Dollar Buyers (Investor's Business Daily) Investor's Business Daily - After fretting for months about the bulging U.S. deficit, in recent days currency traders have turned their attention to the health of the world's other economies.


Dollar Inches Up, Market Eyes Fed, Tankan (Reuters) Reuters - The dollar edged up on Friday as\investors took advantage of the currency's recent weakness to\take profits, and as the market took on more neutral positions\in the final stretch before the year-end.


GM Europe cuts 12,000 jobs The General Motors #39; European unit accepted a deal Thursday to cut as many as 12,000 jobs to end four years of revenue losses, the BBC reported.


Direct US flight to Vietnam departs With fanfare and an appearance by actor David Hasselhoff, a United Airlines flight headed for Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday - the first direct flight from the United States to Vietnam in almost three decades.


Comparison-Shop For Prescription Drugs We look for the best bargain when we shop for a car or a new coat. But what if you could comparison-shop your prescription medication?


Disney backs Sony #39;s Blu-ray DVD format It is being billed as the DVD equivalent of the Betamax versus VHS video format battle of the early 1980s. Disney announced yesterday it has signed up to Sony #39;s Blu-ray technology for the


Golf: Tiger and Colin share lead at World Challenge THOUSAND OAKS, California : Host Tiger Woods fired a four-under par 67 here Thursday to match fellow American Jim Furyk and Scotland #39;s Colin Montgomerie for the lead after the first round of the World Challenge.


India to play in Chittagong The Board of Control for Cricket in India has confirmed that the Indian cricket team will play in Chittagong after the venue was given the green light by the security delegation sent to Bangladesh.


Hunt decides to sell Wizards Lamar Hunt announced on Thursday that he will sell the Kansas City Wizards, opening up the possibility that the club will leave the area for any number of opportunities throughout the United States or even Canada.


Dollar Gains, Oil Prices Slide (Reuters) Reuters - The dollar staged a broad-based rally\Monday and oil prices slid, boosting shares in some Asian power\and exporter companies, but many investors struggled for\direction on the first trading day of 2005.


Finley Returns From Injury List to Mavs (AP) AP - Mavericks swingman Michael Finley came off the injured list Thursday in time to start against the Seattle SuperSonics, giving Dallas another scorer besides Dirk Nowitzki.


Chattanooga Reporter Claims a Role in Rumsfeld Showdown (Editor and Publisher) Editor and Publisher - NEW YORK One day after U.S. soldiers directly questioning Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld about the lack of armored vehicles in Iraq made national news, an email from a Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times embedded reporter ignited more interest after it was posted on two influential Web sites.


NASA Telescopes Find Dust Rings Around (AP) AP - For the first time, scientists have found rings of dust around planet-bearing stars  #151; an important confirmation of theories about how planets form, NASA announced Thursday.


Dear CVS: I'm leaving \\When we first met it was love at first sight!  I loved that you were so open\minded about my geeky friends who had patches that I needed.  You were a breath\of fresh air and and made my development life so simple.\\For the longest time we had a great love affair.  I remember my first anoncvs\patch I generated with your help and I was hooked.  I remember the first time\you sent me a diff against my own repository from another developer.  What a\sweet gesture!  You were so kind.\\Since then though you've started to let me down.  What happened to you?  In your\old age you've become confused when I've tried to share you with others.  You\often can't make up your mind when I try to branch and mer ...\\


Dean on Blogs, Politics and the Internet \\My boy Howard Dean talks  about the next generation of politics:\\"The destination of the Democratic Party means making it a party that can\communicate with its supporters and with all Americans. Politics is at its\best when we create and inspire a sense of community. The tools that were\pioneered in my campaign -- like blogs, and meetups, and streaming video --\are just a start. We must use all of the power and potential of technology as\part of an aggressive outreach to meet and include voters, to work with the\state parties, and to influence media coverage."\\The Internet will fundamentally change every aspect of society.  It started in\how we developed software.  Open Source is starting  ...\\


Radioactive waste progress urged Peers express dismay that long-term solutions are not forthcoming on disposing of radioactive waste.


Maoist rebels bomb Kathmandu building, no injuries (Reuters) Reuters - Maoists rebels set off a powerful bomb in the Nepali capital on Thursday, causing no casualties but leaving a large part of a government building in ruins, police said.


As Prices Drop, OPEC Warms to Output Cuts OPEC ministers said Thursday that they were considering curbing output and taking some oil off the market to prevent a price slump.


AMD cuts power on 90nm Opteron processors Advanced Micro Devices managed to reduce the maximum thermal output of its newly released 90 nanometer Opteron server processors by 25 percent compared to the previous generation, the company said Wednesday.


Microsoft to Judges: Eolas Didn't Invent Patented Tech Software company asks appeals court to cancel patent infringement judgment.


Lesser lights on leaderboard with Els In few other sports could three players across such a broad spectrum be in contention for a title. But such is the case after the first round of the Dunhill Championship, where only six of the world #39;s top 200 golfers are playing.


Pittsburg #39;s offense hogs the ball When Pittsburg State (Kan.) football coach Chuck Broyles surveyed his roster last August, he was confident he had an offense that could score.


Turnaround Progress Seen, 2 Executives to Leave Ford Two of the Ford Motor Company #39;s most senior executives retired on Thursday in a sign that the company #39;s deep financial crisis has abated, though serious challenges remain.


First direct flight from US to Vietnam since 1975 is on its way _ For the first time since 1975, a US passenger jet is flying from the US directly to Vietnam. The United Air Lines flight with 347 aboard took off from San Francisco today and is scheduled


PM Howard says Australia faces tough economic year in 2005 SYDNEY : Prime Minister John Howard warned that Australia #39;s strong dollar, high world oil prices and the lingering effects of prolonged drought would dampen the country #39;s long-buoyant economy in 2005.


Nintendo Ups DS Shipments Nintendo has revealed the companies plans to increase by 40 the number of Nintendo DS portable gaming systems shipping in the US before the end of the year.


Oracle and HP expand offerings to value-added resellers Through partnerships with leading technology vendors intended to leverage the capabilities of Oracle Files 10g, Oracle has announced evidence of strong support for its content management offering.


Novell exchanges Linux collaboration products Novell Inc is set to discontinue its SUSE Linux Openexchange Server collaboration software product in favor of the Open-Xchange Server technology that underpins it from Netline Internet Service GmbH.


Appeals court ponders Microsoft patent case WASHINGTON--A federal appeals court on Thursday wrestled with whether to overturn or uphold a lower court #39;s \$565 million judgment against Microsoft in the biggest patent dispute in Web history.


Turnaround Progress Seen, 2 Executives to Leave Ford Two of the Ford Motor Company's most senior executives retired in a sign that the company's deep financial crisis has abated, though serious challenges remain.


YORIO: NHL season is in Bettman #39;s hands Gary Bettman, the NHL season is now in your hands. And because you have said repeatedly that saving this season isn #39;ta concern of yours, that can #39;t be good news for fans.


Cavs owner in  #39;serious #39; negotiations to sell team Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund is in  quot;serious quot; negotiations to sell the NBA franchise, which has enjoyed a dramatic financial turnaround since the arrival of star LeBron James.


Kent agrees to \$17 million, two-year contract with Dodgers ANAHEIM - The Los Angeles Dodgers got the established run producer they coveted for the middle of their lineup, and Jeff Kent got the team he wanted to play for since he was a boy.


Padres add Eric Young SAN DIEGO (Ticker) - The San Diego Padres lacked speed and an experienced bench last season, things veteran infielder Eric Young is capable of providing.


South American leaders sign Ayacucho Declaration One day after creating the South American Community of Nations (CSN), a continent wide political-economic bloc, the leaders of South America on Thursday signed the Ayacucho Declaration


The saving of Silverstone Perhaps it #39;s fitting that the future of the British Grand Prix has been secured after an argument straight from the playground.


Fichardt looks strong in weak field Ernie Els is a red-hot favourite to win the Dunhill Championship, which begins at Leopard Creek in South Africa early tomorrow. The Big Easy is as short as 11-10 with the fixed-odds firms to brush aside a


Griffin could get company as only Heisman repeat winner Two Heismans, one man. Maybe he #39;s been alone long enough, in the club that claims only him as a member. Time for Archie Griffin to get company?


36pc babies born underweight About 50 percent of the children in Bangladesh are malnourished while 36 percent of the babies are born underweight. The country has around six million working children and about 2.5 lakh children die every


Blair lobbies Bush on global warming Tony Blair has been lobbying for George Bush #39;s support for a new international treaty on global warming. On Thursday The Times claimed that Downing Street had confirmed the prime minister had held  quot;lengthy


Ford says two top executives retiring; Padilla named president DETROIT - Ford Motor Co. on Thursday announced the retirements of president Nick Scheele and vice chairman Allan Gilmour, two company veterans tapped by chairman Bill Ford to help the company emerge from a sea of red ink during the past three years.


US airline starts Vietnam flights The first commercial flight from the United States to Vietnam since the war nearly 30 years ago has taken off from San Francisco. The new service to Ho Chi Minh City, run by United Airlines, will fly daily.


Nextel and Sprint talk about \$70bn merger plan Sprint and Nextel, two of the top five US mobile phone carriers, are negotiating a merger, say people close to the proposed deal. The combined company would be worth about \$70bn.


Climate control delegates talk global warming BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Delegates to a United Nations climate conference discussed new ways to combat greenhouse emissions after the current agreement expires as nearly 200 countries continued meetings Thursday on the effort to limit a gradual rise of


Italy readies for Berlusconi trial The prosecution and defense in Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi #39;s four-year-long bribery trial have one last chance Thursday to make their case before a panel of three judges begins deliberations.


Some Venezuelan TV Channels Alter Programs (AP) AP - Some Venezuelan television channels began altering their programs Thursday, citing fears of penalties under a new law restricting violence and sexual content over the airwaves.


Japan approves overhaul of military policy (AFP) AFP - Japan has approved an overhaul of its military policy to take account of threats from China and North Korea and to allow defense exports to the United States.


Bush Taps Nicholson for Veterans Affairs (AP) AP - President Bush announced Thursday he was keeping the heads of the Transportation, Interior, Housing and Labor departments, ending the major shake-up that will put new faces on three-fifths of his Cabinet in his second term.


J J, Guidant Talks Undeterred by Overlap  PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Johnson   Johnson aims to seal a  purchase of Guidant Corp. without immediately jettisoning the  medical device maker's stent operations, sources familiar with  the situation said on Thursday.


Dollar Inches Up, Market Eyes Fed, Tankan  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar edged up on Friday as  investors took advantage of the currency's recent weakness to  take profits, and as the market took on more neutral positions  in the final stretch before the year-end.


Khartoum, Darfur Rebels Split on Peace Chances (Reuters) Reuters - Sudan's government said on Thursday it\hoped to reach a deal in talks resuming on Friday with rebels\in Darfur, which the United Nations says is descending into\chaos.


US airline starts Vietnam flights The US resumes commercial flights to Vietnam, 30 years after the last flight at the end of the war.


Nextel Said to Be in Talks With Sprint Nextel Communications is in advanced talks to merge with the Sprint Corporation, a deal that would form the third largest cellphone company in the nation.


To Pay Debt, Transit Agency Goes to Market The M.T.A., in an effort to raise more than \$1 billion, wants to sell or lease many of its 14,000 properties.


Space Station Astronauts Told to Eat Less as Food Runs Low The two astronauts aboard the International Space Station have been asked to curb their calories because of a food shortage, NASA officials said Thursday.


French government cuts stake in Air France-KLM Herv Gaymard, France #39;s new finance minister, yesterday made his first move towards reducing the state #39;s hefty budget deficit by selling almost half of the government #39;s holding in Air France-KLM for a total of 682m (\$906m).


Investors flock to HK Reit Hong Kong retail investors have flocked to the US\$3bn listing of shops and car parks by the local Housing Authority with nearly one in ten of the territory #39;s


Premier pays 70m for Bird #39;s Custard Premier Foods, the manufacturer of foods with long shelf lives, is to acquire Bird #39;s, the best-selling custard brand that has drenched countless dishes of jam sponge and spotted dick during its 167-year history.


#39;French CNN #39; to challenge US view of world affairs France is to launch a French-language news channel next year in a long-awaited attempt to challenge the dominance of the American view of world current affairs, the prime minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, said yesterday.


AWB sells stake in Futuris The country #39;s grain exporter has been busy again, selling its stake of almost 15 per cent in Elders #39; parent company, Futuris.


EU moves to bar  #39;protective #39; mergers Neelie Kroes, the EU #39;s controversial new competition commissioner, yesterday signalled to the French authorities that she would block any attempt to protect France #39;s energy market by engineering a merger between its state-owned electricity and gas groups.


Dollar Gains, Oil Prices Slide  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The dollar staged a broad-based rally  Monday and oil prices slid, boosting shares in some Asian power  and exporter companies, but many investors struggled for  direction on the first trading day of 2005.


No. 1 Illini Wear Down Georgetown 74-59 (AP) AP - In the first half, Illinois trailed for 11 minutes, 20 seconds, longer than it had in its first seven games combined. In the second half, the Fighting Illini were in control buzzer-to-buzzer in a solid defense of their No. 1 ranking.


No. 21 Purdue Defeats No. 15 DePaul 69-61 (AP) AP - Katie Gearlds scored 21 points for No. 21 Purdue, which handed 15th-ranked DePaul its first loss of the season, 69-61 Thursday night.


Statement of Senator Barbara A. Mikulski on Hubble Report Issued <b>...</b>  quot;I commend the National Academy of Sciences on this outstanding report. I fought to add \$300 million to NASA #39;s budget for a Hubble servicing mission and I will continue to advocate for a mission to take place.


OU #39;s White takes Maxwell, Davey O #39;Brien awards Oklahoma quarterback Jason White was a two-time award winner Thursday night, taking the Maxwell Award as college football #39;s best all-around player and adding his second straight Davey O #39;Brien quarterback trophy.


Sharon warns Likud to vote for coalition Ariel Sharon, Israeliprime minister, yesterday warned his rightwing Likud party that it would face early elections unless it backed a coalition with the opposition Labour party


The greatest catastrophe The HIV/Aids pandemic is the worst catastrophe in history and is blighting childhood across the developing world, especially sub-Saharan Africa, the United Nations said yesterday.


Road sparks alarm for Brazil rainforest Brazil and Peru have announced a 363m plan for a highway to link Brazil #39;s Amazon basin to the Pacific, raising concerns about further devastation in the rainforest.


Berra Speaks Against Giambi's Return Manager Joe Torre repeatedly declined comment Thursday on whether he thinks first baseman Jason Giambi will return to the Yankees, but the Hall of Famer Yogi Berra did not.


Injuries Are Plentiful, but Nothing to Be Alarmed About The operative word in the National Football League this season is ouch.


Hoyas Sparkle, Fade Georgetown led for most of the first half Thursday night, before succumbing to top-ranked Illinois, 74-59, at MCI Center.


Arbitrator Hears Pacers The NBA declines to participate as Indiana teammates testify before an arbitrator in an attempt to get their brawl-related suspensions reduced.


Carter is Grounded Toronto star Vince Carter will miss at least two games with a strained left Achilles' tendon, suffered Wednesday in a loss to Detroit.


Season Over for Priest Kansas City's star running back Priest Holmes, who was leading the NFL in scoring and rushing when he got hurt Nov. 7, will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.


Ohio State Banned Ohio State has imposed a one-year postseason ban on its men's basketball team after the university admits former coach Jim O'Brien gave a recruit \$6,000.


Euro Takes Hit on Broad Dollar Rally  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The euro bore the brunt of a  broad-based dollar rally on Monday, the first trading session  of 2005, shedding nearly 1 percent on technical factors and the  adjustment of positions in thin trade.


The case against cutting oil output As ministers from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries meet in Cairo, there are calls for cuts in output to prevent the slide in oil prices accelerating with the seasonal decline in demand in the spring.


Ford announces top management changes Ford announced several high-level management changes yesterday, including the retirement of two stalwarts, its president Sir Nick Scheele and vice-chairman Allan Gilmour, who played


WMC to return A\$1bn of capital WMC Resources, the Australian mining group fighting a hostile A\$7.4bn takeover bid from Xstrata, is to return up to A\$1bn (US\$1.3bn) to shareholders after yesterday upgrading its profit forecast for 2004.


Nextel Said to Be in Talks With Sprint The cellular telephone industry #39;s game of musical chairs has restarted again - and the music may soon stop with one less chair.


Pizza and pub tycoon to buy Pearl Hugh Osmond, the business man who made his fortune through pizzas and pubs, is at the head of a consortium spending over 1bn to buy the Pearl life insurance business.


US Could Seek Recall of Up to 600,000 Dodge Trucks The US government has asked DaimlerChrysler AG #39;s Dodge to recall some of its Dodge Durango SUVs and Dodge Dakota pickup trucks due to concerns over their safety, Chrysler officials said on Thursday.


Hyatt to buy AmeriSuites Hyatt Corporation, the hotel operator owned by the Pritzker family, yesterday said it would buy the AmeriSuites chain from Blackstone, the private equity group, in a deal believed to be worth about \$600m.


Unheralded McDonald one up on favorite Els in the Alfred Dunhill MALELANE, South Africa (Sports Network) -- Unheralded Bruce McDonald, a 23-year-old from Zimbabwe, posted a 6-under-par 66 on Thursday to take a one-shot lead over tournament favorite Ernie Els after the opening round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship.


UAL resumes service to Vietnam United Airlines Thursday launched the first scheduled flight of a US airline to Vietnam in almost 30 years.  quot;Today #39;s launch of direct service to Vietnam marks an historic step in the relationship between the


Pixar Vs. DreamWorks Contest Panned by Wall Street Computer animation pioneers Pixar and Dreamworks have set the stage for a potentially bruising box office battle after both studios changed their schedules this week


Stern Stance for Europe #39;s New Antitrust Chief Talking tough in her first public appearance since becoming Europe #39;s competition commissioner, Neelie Kroes blocked a merger in Portugal #39;s energy industry on Thursday and


Pizza king snaps up life fund in record 1bn deal HUGH OSMOND, the pizza and pub entrepreneur, last night snapped up the closed life fund of HHG, formerly part of Australias AMP, for 1.025 billion.


ACCC clears way for 3G sharing THE national competition regulator has elected not to oppose Telstra #39;s 3G radio access network sharing arrangement with rival telco Hutchison.


Cisco Buys Routing Software Startup BCN Systems Cisco Systems on Thursday agreed to buy up the remaining portion of routing software startup BCN Systems that it didn #39;t already own.


British Grand Prix Safe Till 2009 The British Racing Drivers #39; Club has come to a financial agreement with Bernie Ecclestone which will keep the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on the F1 calendar for the next five years.


Rain eases to showers ahead of one-day decider Rain is continuing to fall around Brisbane, threatening the deciding match in the Chappell-Hadlee one day series between Australia and New Zealand.


Buy Now, Buy Often, but Make a Good Deal The glass doors to the Anaheim Marriott opened into a spacious lobby that was calm early on Thursday afternoon. All but one of the plush chairs near the entrance was


Putting a Face on College Programs Shortly before Steve Spurrier appeared at Derrick Williams #39;s Upper Marlboro home on Monday night, the phone rang. It was Ron Zook.


Buy Now, Buy Often, but Make a Good Deal The off-season activity will surely intensify as Major League Baseball's winter meetings officially start on Friday.


N.H.L. Players Propose a 24 Percent Solution Seeking to end the lockout, the N.H.L. Players Association on Thursday offered an immediate pay reduction of 24 percent and other concessions to the league.


N.B.A. Sits It Out as Pacers Plead Case Four of the Pacers involved in last month's brawl pleaded their cases before an independent arbitrator on Thursday, but no representative from the N.B.A attended.


Oil Steady, OPEC Expected to Cut Supply (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices held steady on Friday just\hours ahead of a key meeting of the OPEC producers' cartel,\which was expected to agree to curb crude output running above\the group's official production limits.


Corporations in Brazil Shed Stay-at-Home Tradition Many of Brazil's biggest companies riding high at home are increasingly flexing their muscles on the international stage.


US-Vietnam flight launched United Airlines (UA) on Thursday launched the first daily flight service to Vietnam from the United States since 1975. The flight represents the first such service by an American air carrier since the end


Swiss Life sells its closed UK business for 205m Resolution Life, the closed life assurance consolidator led by Clive Cowdery, completed its second acquisition yesterday with the 205m purchase of Swiss Life #39;s closed UK business.


REVIEW: Kit Automates Holiday Lights (AP) AP - It's a chore that can quickly chill the warmth of the holiday season: Trudging outside each winter night to unplug the lights, deflate the blowup snowman and shut off the rest of the outdoor extravaganza.


NHL Players Propose a 24 Percent Solution Seeking to end the lockout that threatens this season, the National Hockey League Players Association offered an immediate pay reduction of 24 percent Thursday and other concessions


Malloy #39;s Remarks on Firing at Notre Dame Gaining Applause As Notre Dame continued to search for a football coach yesterday, the former agent for the fired coach Tyrone Willingham applauded the criticism of the firing by the university #39;s president, the Rev.


Woods, Furyk, Monty share lead in California Thousand Oaks, CA (Sports Network) - Colin Montgomerie, Jim Furyk and Tiger Woods, the tournament host, each posted rounds of four-under-par 67 on Thursday to share the lead after one round of the Target World Challenge.


Colts Lock Up Harrison Long Term (Reuters) Reuters - The Indianapolis Colts\signed wide receiver All-Pro Marvin Harrison to a long-term\contract extension Thursday.


NATO Agrees to Expansion of Forces Training Soldiers in Iraq The North Atlantic Treaty Organization agreed Thursday to increase its forces training soldiers in Baghdad, but six member countries refused to take part, prompting expressions


Bush wants Annan to stay US Ambassador to the United Nations John Danforth says the Bush administration has confidence in UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and is not calling for his resignation.


Bush II keener on India VISITING US secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld sent a strong message on Thursday that the second Bush regime was keen on strengthening strategic ties with India.


Lex: Nextel/Sprint (FT.com) FT.com - Good call. If Nextel can pull off a merger with Sprint, it would crown its recovery from the dark days of 2002 when its shares dipped below  #36;3 - compared with  #36;30 on Thursday. It would also fill important gaps for both mobile operators.


No. 23 TCU Defeats Oklahoma 81-65 (AP) AP - Sandora Irvin had a career-high 32 points and 18 rebounds to lead No. 23 TCU to an 81-65 victory Thursday night over Oklahoma.


Goin' Back to Cali: Kent Signs with Dodgers  LOS ANGELES (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Dodgers and  second baseman Jeff Kent agreed to a two-year contract on  Thursday, bringing the All-Star back to the state where he won  his lone NL MVP award.


Schools failing 'missing pupils' Vulnerable youngsters expelled from schools in England are being let down by the system, say inspectors.


Stern Stance for Europe's New Antitrust Chief Talking tough in her first public appearance since becoming Europe's competition commissioner, Neelie Kroes blocked a merger in Portugal's energy industry.


Getting Animated About Summer Call it the CG dance -- CG as in  quot;computer generated. quot; A day after Pixar (PIXR ) and Disney (DIS ) announced they would delay for seven months the release of their next animated feature, Cars, DreamWorks SKG Animation (DWA ) said it will do the same with


Paris cuts Air France KLM stake France is selling almost half its stake in Air France KLM, in a deal set to raise at least 700 million euros (\$933 million), sources close to the operation said.


UPDATE: China #39;s ZTE Shares Rise 11 On Hong Kong Debut HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--China #39;s second-largest telecommunications equipment maker ZTE Corp. (0763.HK) staged a strong debut at its listing on the Hong Kong bourse Thursday


Kremlin draws a bead on Vimpelcom Moscow is demanding \$160 million in back taxes fines and interest from the nation #39;s No. 2 cellular company. The claim against OAO Vimpelcom is fueling fears that the Kremlin attack on oil giant OAO Yukos could


America West won #39;t bid for ATA Airlines America West Airlines, which has been considering a bid for ATA Airlines for more than a month and was widely expected to make an offer by Friday #39;s deadline, Thursday said it will not make an offer.


Kroes Vows to Be Tough on Big Business The European Union #39;s new antitrust chief Neelie Kroes used her first major rulings Thursday to make plain her aversion to cartels and reject suspicions that she would bow to the interests of big business.


NBA: Stoudemire Shines as Suns Stop Trailblazers  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Amare Stoudemire poured in a career  high 50 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Phoenix Suns  cruised to a 117-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on  Sunday, improving their record to an NBA best 26-4.


Perth join Super 14 THE Australian Rugby Union (ARU) has announced that Perth have been chosen as the fourth Australian team for the expanded Super 14 rugby competition in the 2006 season.


Woods on Target in California Tiger Woods has taken share of the first-round lead of the Target World Challenge in California with Colin Montgomerie and Jim Furyk.


As Earnhardt, Pepper got up to speed Dale Earnhardt #39;s fierce presence on the raceway earned him a name: The Intimidator. His spirit had a similar effect on those making 3, an ESPN movie about the NASCAR legend that


Unicef Report Says Children in Deprivation Reach a Billion over half the children in the world - suffer extreme deprivation because of war, HIV/AIDS or poverty, according to a report released yesterday by the United Nations Children #39;s Fund.


Shiites Signal Concern Over Sunni Turnout Amid Violence A leading Shiite political figure showed signs of unease on Thursday about the risks that the continuing violence here poses for the elections.


Quik Drop and NuMarkets Services Sell eBay for You Quik Drop and NuMarkets Services Sell eBay for You\\After cleaning out my parent's garage the other month, I was thinking about selling off some of their junk on eBay. Unfortunately, I was overwhelmed over the amount of trinkets and toys that we had pulled out of the garage. So overwhelmed ...


Cellphones Aloft: The Inevitable Is Closer Federal regulators plan next week to begin considering rules that would end the official ban on cellphone use in commercial flights.


Portsmouth players make Shaka favourite to join Southampton Portsmouth players have installed goalkeeper Shaka Hislop as favourite to follow Harry Redknapp to south coast rivals Southampton.


NHL players #39; new offer includes 24 salary cut The NHL Players #39; Association is offering to cut player salaries by 24 per cent in a bid to end the lockout, but is not offering the salary cap the league has said it wants.


Perth Selected to Host Australia #39;s New Super 14 Rugby Team The Australian Rugby Union chose Perth over Melbourne to host the country #39;s fourth rugby union franchise when the annual Super 12 competition expands to 14 teams from 2006.


China Mine Blast Kills 33 in 10th Mishap in 3 Months (Update1) A gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China killed 33 workers in the 10th deadly mine blast reported in three months. The explosion occurred yesterday at 4:20 pm at Nanlou township


Heroin Holy War Pledged by Afghan President Afghanistans President Hamid Karzai has declared a holy war on Afghanistans runaway narcotics industry, calling for international aid to counter a threat he said was more dangerous than any his country has faced in more than 20 years of war.


Tokyo Stocks Higher, Dollar Up Vs. Yen (AP) AP - Tokyo stocks edged higher Friday morning amid some bargain-hunting in technology and auto companies. The U.S. dollar was higher against the Japanese yen.


Some Venezuelan TV Channels Alter Programs Some Venezuelan television channels began altering their programs Thursday, citing fears of penalties under a new law restricting violence and sexual content over the airwaves.


Opec likely to focus on quota busters Cairo - The push to cut Opec oil production grew yesterday with the minister of the United Arab Emirates saying on the eve of a meeting of the oil producers #39; cartel that members had to honour output quotas to stem oversupply and falling prices.


Germany #39;s New Reality During much of Germany #39;s postwar economic boom, as prosperity mounted and car sales multiplied, workers at the Opel automobile factory here


Hollywood Manager in Talks to Run Paramount  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood dealmaker Brad Grey, an  executive producer of the hit television show "The Sopranos"  and manager of Brad Pitt, is in line to take over Paramount  Pictures, a once-great studio that has fallen on tough times,  news reports said on Sunday.


Bare cupboards force space station crew to diet CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. - The two crew on the international space station need to cut back on calories for the next two weeks because of dwindling food supplies.


Ubiquitous browser hole an easy target for scammers Dec 10, 2004: A new web browser security hole has been uncovered by a security firm, which could provide scammers with the means to launch phishing attacks from pop-up windows on genuine, trusted websites.


NASA Telescopes Find Dust Rings Around In this artist #39;s concept released by NASA, a ring of dusty debris is seen around a star. NASA #39;s Spitzer Space Telescope found rings of dust around planet-bearing stars, an important confirmation of theories


Eolas, Microsoft make their case--again com December 8, 2004, 11:09 AM PT. Microsoft and the University of California are getting ready to make their respective cases before the US Court of Appeals on Thursday in the biggest patent fight in Web history.


Perth wins Super 14 berth Perth has triumphed over Melbourne to win the endorsement of the Australian Rugby Union to establish Australia #39;s next provincial rugby franchise.


New Zealand Opening Batsman Richardson to Retire From Cricket New Zealand batsman Mark Richardson said he will retire from cricket next week after a Test career in which he averaged more than 44 runs an innings.


Kenya #39;s anti-graft drive dismal - survey Nairobi - Kenya #39;s government had missed its best chance to stamp out rampant corruption and faced a tough task to regain credibility, Transparency International said yesterday on International Anti-corruption Day.


No. 2 Kansas Tops TCU 93-74 (AP) AP - Wayne Simien had 20 points and Keith Langford added 17 in No. 2 Kansas' 93-74 victory over TCU on Thursday night.


Fairy Tale or Not, Knicks Call Malone Isiah Thomas, the team president, made a call Wednesday to the agent for Karl Malone, the disillusioned former Lakers forward.


Buy Now, Buy Often, but Make a Good Deal Baseball's winter meeting will run through the weekend and could lead to any number of trades and free-agent signings.


Malloy's Remarks on Firing at Notre Dame Gaining Applause An assistant to the university's president said that she had shaved her head to protest the firing of football coach Tyrone Willingham.


McGrady Shocks Spurs With the Rockets seemingly headed to another tough home loss, Tracy McGrady puts them on his back by scoring 13 points in the final 35 seconds as Houston stuns the Spurs, 81-80.


Functional Fashion at Airport Checkpoints In this era of tightened airport security, retailers are offering new products -- such as bras and shoes -- designed to get passengers through the checkpoints without the indignity of a pat-down.


Report Denies Privatization Windfall NEW YORK, Dec. 9 -- Opponents of creating private accounts under Social Security often argue that the primary beneficiaries would be Wall Street investment firms. Wall Street's main trade group on Thursday said it isn't so.


Honda Moves To Prevent Engine Fires Honda Motor Co. has acknowledged a problem with oil filters on CR-V sport-utility vehicles and is taking steps to prevent engine fires caused by oil leaks.


Safeway to Open on Christmas Safeway Inc. yesterday said that for the first time, it will open many of its supermarkets on Christmas Day, a move that triggered an angry protest from the union representing the grocer's Washington area employees.


Foundation Coal Raises \$519 Million Foundation Coal Holdings Inc. went public yesterday, raising \$519 million, most of which went to the owners of the company.


Bogus E-Mail Worries Cell Phone Users The e-mails, often forwarded by friends, vary in wording, but the underlying message is always ominous: Soon, all cell phone numbers will be made public to telemarketing firms.-The Washington Post


Ciena's Loss Tempered By Rise in Revenue Ciena officials stressed that the revenue growth was the result of a two-year effort to diversify Ciena's products and customer base to include cable operators, government entities and telecommunications companies.-The Washington Post


Yahoo to Release Desktop Search Tool The competition between two leading Internet search engines is heating up anew as Yahoo Inc. plans to announce today that it soon will offer a free, high-speed way to search for information on personal computers, challenging rival Google Inc., which released a similar product earlier this fall.


Compound Shows Promise Against TB A chemical compound shelved as a failed treatment for inflammation has unexpectedly become the most promising new tuberculosis medicine to emerge in 40 years.


Oil prices edge higher OIL prices edged higher in Asian trading today as the market waited for a decision by OPEC ministers on whether to cut the cartel #39;s production when they meet in Egypt later today.


Yahoo to Release Desktop Search Tool The competition between two leading Internet search engines is heating up anew as Yahoo Inc. plans to announce today that it soon will offer a free, high-speed way to search for information


Fans can throw financial punches Just when you start to think pro athletes have nothing in common anymore with the customers, along comes the brawl in Auburn Hills, Mich.


No. 7 Notre Dame Drubs Dayton 65-39 Notre Dame guard Charel Allen, left, looks for a shot in front Dayton guard Ashley Armstrong, right, during the second half Thursday, Dec. 9, 2004 in Dayton, Ohio.


UNDATED: 14 points. Tiffany Porter-Talbert scored 24 points, and Western Kentucky rallied from an 8-point halftime deficit. The Lady Toppers (3-3) made 16 of 28 shots in the second half after trailing 44-36 at the break.


Gaza plan wins party vote Israel #39;s plan to pull out of Gaza next year passed a crucial test on Thursday when Prime Minister Ariel Sharon easily won party approval to ask the more moderate Labor party to join his coalition.


33 Dead in Chinese Mine A gas explosion at a coal mine in the northern Shanxi Province killed 28 miners and 5 rescuers, the government said on Friday. In the latest in a series of such


Rescuers search for more survivors as Philippine storm death toll <b>...</b> REAL, Philippines : Philippine rescuers are digging through the rubble of a collapsed building for more survivors, as the number of dead and missing from two storms which lashed the country rose to nearly 1,600.


Walmart.com follows Amazon with outages Company provides few details on outage, which came two days after online retail giant Amazon.com Inc.'s Web site faced significant performance problems.


T-Mobile USA sees high-speed network 2 years off That would likely put the company well behind its bigger rivals in delivering services such as mobile Internet to mobile phones at speeds similar to connections many consumers have on their home computers.


New GNOME version is available for Linux users Improvements include new file manager, ability to recognize removable storage devices and an integrated e-mail and groupwware client.


Crude Futures Climb Amid OPEC Worries Crude futures rose Friday amid market jitters over possible production cuts by OPEC at their meeting in Egypt, as well as fears that winter weather will put pressure on supplies.


Dollar in Broad Rally at Start of 2005  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The euro and Swiss franc both fell  about 1 percent and the Japanese yen shed half a percent in  Asia Monday as the dollar rallied broadly in thin trade.   Holidays in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and London kept  volume low, exaggerating moves, and dealers said there was  nothing particular behind the dollar's rise.  "It seems to be position-squaring across the board in somewhat  thin markets. There is no major news or intervention or  anything like that," said David Simmonds, markets strategist  with the Royal Bank of Scotland.


Food Short on Space Station NASA officials said yesterday that the international space station is running so low on food that its two crewmen have had to cut back on their eating and may have to abandon the orbiting


Ernie hunted down by own protg There was a little-known, long-hitting Zimbabwean at the top of the Dunhill Championship leaderboard at Leopard Creek on Thursday evening - a leaderboard that also bore that rather familiar name of Ernie Els.


Joy at Silverstone deal SIR Frank Williams led the celebrations after the British Grand Prix was rescued by a last-ditch agreement yesterday. The British Racing Drivers #39; Club, which owns the Silverstone racetrack, had until the close


Lewis leads Sonics past Mavs Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Rashard Lewis scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Seattle SuperSonics to a 107-102 win over the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center.


UPDATE 1-Rugby-Australia pick Perth to host fourth Super 14 team The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) on Friday selected the Western Australia capital of Perth to be the venue for their fourth team in the expanded Super 14 provincial competition in 2006.


Dale Earnhardt: In the presence of a legend By Wayne Pearson, host of ESPN #39;s  quot;Ultimate Outdoors quot;. It #39;s been my experience that the term  quot;legend, quot; when describing an individual, has been tossed around all too freely.


Sale nearly set for NBAs Cavaliers Get INQ7 breaking news on your Smart mobile phone in the Philippines. Send INQ7 BREAKING to 386. CLEVELAND, Ohio, United States of America -- Cleveland Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund is involved in contract talks


DreamWorks Shifts  #39;Shrek 3 #39; To May 2007 DreamWorks has pushed back the release date of Shrek 3 from a November 2006 release to May 2007. The date shift comes after a similar move by Walt Disney/Pixar Animation to push the date of Cars from a November 2005 release to May 2006.