Video Game Let Players Command Kerry Swift Boat (Reuters) Reuters - A video game company hopes to\cash in on the publicity surrounding Sen. John Kerry's Vietnam\service by sending players on a simulation of the Swift Boat\mission that won the Democratic presidential candidate the\Silver Star.


Israeli Missile Kills One in Gaza Camp -- Medics  GAZA (Reuters) - An Israeli helicopter fired a missile into  a Palestinian refugee camp in Gaza early on Saturday, killing  an elderly man and wounding at least three people, Palestinian  witnesses and medics said.


Roddick Powers U.S. to Lead in Davis Semis CHARLESTON, S.C. - Andy Roddick hit a record 155 mph serve in his 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win over Vladimir Voltchkov on Friday to help the United States to a 2-0 lead over Belarus in the Davis Cup semifinals...


Calif. OKs World's Toughest Smog Rules (AP) AP - California air regulators Friday unanimously approved the world's most stringent rules to reduce auto emissions that contribute to global warming  #151; a move that could affect car and truck buyers from coast to coast.


Chile Groups Say Tainted Salmon Could Be Sold (Reuters) Reuters - A cargo of farmed Chilean\salmon tainted with a potentially harmful toxin and rejected\for import in Europe has returned to Chile and could be\re-exported to a country with less stringent laws, consumer and\environmental groups warned.


Alitalia Says Unions Agree to Plan to Split Company (Update6) Alitalia SpA said eight of its nine biggest unions agreed to a plan to split Italy #39;s biggest airline in two, enabling the carrier to get a loan to stay in business.


Interest hikes to fight inflation, the Fed says WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve policymakers suggested that  quot;significant quot; increases in short-term interest rates probably would be needed to keep inflation from becoming a problem, according to minutes released Thursday of their August meeting.


Judge Strikes United Airlines Pensions Brief From Record CHICAGO (Dow Jones)--A federal judge on Friday ruled that a massive informational brief filed by UAL Corp.  #39;s (UALAQ) United Airlines regarding the status of the company #39;s pension plans was improper and should


IBC seeks to rise again through bankruptcy As CEO and chairman, James Elsesser kept looking for a way to make Interstate Bakeries Corp. as solid as its brand names. Inheriting a company with aging factories and slow reflexes that for decades


New UN Talks Bid to Save Fish, Plants and Timber Long a forum for protecting endangered species like whales or tigers, a UN meeting in Bangkok next month will seek a wider role in regulating the


Montgomerie misses cut at The Heritage Colin Montgomerie shot a 5-over-par 77 and missed the cut at The Heritage on Friday, five days after making the winning putt for Europe at the Ryder Cup.


Brown on pins and needles Kevin Brown, who has another doctor #39;s appointment today, said he is scheduled to have the pins removed from his broken left hand, which the righthander said is a precursor to him returning to the mound.


Montreal Expos await final word on move from MLB before making <b>...</b> MONTREAL (CP) - The Montreal Expos have circled on the road out of town so often, you can understand why players and team officials are taking word of their imminent move with a grain of salt.


Muslim envoys off to Baghdad in bid to free British hostage LIVERPOOL, England : Britain #39;s leading Muslim organisation dispatched two envoys to Iraq, hoping to help secure the release of a British engineer taken hostage by extremists eight days ago.


Allawi appeals for world help IRAQI Prime Minister Iyad Allawi today asked world leaders at the United Nations to help  quot;defeat the forces of terrorism quot; and build the future of Iraq.


US reserves judgment on India #39;s bid for UNSC seat UNITED NATIONS: The United States has supported Japan #39;s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council but is reserving judgement on other potential candidates, including friends Germany, Brazil and India, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said


Transport firm terrorist base IT WAS midnight when Indonesian anti-terror police turned up to an innocuous-looking freight transportation business in East Jakarta and searched the small building and its accounting and freight records.


New intruder scare for royals A JOURNALIST posing as a workman has managed to breach security at the Queen #39;s official residence in Scotland, less than two weeks after an intruder climbed onto Buckingham Palace in London.


Ricky Williams ordered to repay Dolphins Former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams was ordered Friday to repay the team more than \$8.6 million. The money was for incentives and a signing bonus, an arbitrator said.


Bowden Bowl Key for Clemson, Florida St. (AP) AP - A 9-foot bronze statue of Florida State coach Bobby Bowden was unveiled Friday outside of Doak Campbell Stadium.


Singh Stays on Track for Fifth Win in Six Starts  FARMINGTON, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - World number one Vijay  Singh remained on course for his fifth win in six starts when  he shot a four-under-par 68 in the second round of the \$4.2  million Pennsylvania Classic Friday.


Torre: Brown a Long Shot to Go for Yanks on Sunday Kevin Brown had "no problem" throwing in the bullpen Friday and is a "long shot" to pitch Sunday, Yankees Manager Joe Torre said Friday.


Brazil Announces Record Budget Surplus (AP) AP - Brazilian government released federal budget figures Friday showing an unprecedented primary budget surplus of 10.9 billion reals ( #36;3.8 billion) in August, putting Brazil well ahead of performance targets set in a loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund.


Briefly: Via brings PCI Express to AMD PCs roundup Plus: Rice lab makes nano parts less toxic...TV chip company gets \$19 million...Oracle extends deadline on PeopleSoft bid...MLB sells game clips for 99 cents.


The whining class Nearly a generation ago, in 1981, the debut of the IBM PC ushered in the personal computing era of business, a wondrous event in the history of computing that led to the immediate birth of one of the most thankless tasks in IT: desktop support.


Nationwide drinks the ITIL Kool-Aid As one of the early U.S. adopters of the ITIL best practices framework, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company learned some key lessons on how to get the most out of ITIL. We talked with two Nationwide executives to get their perspective on how to approach deploying the ITIL framework across a large organization.


Sun seeks data persistence model for Java Sun Microsystems is looking to make life easier for Java developers by seeking a common ground on a data persistence model.


Flintoff aims to sign off in style LONDON: All-rounder Andrew Flintoff will seek to cap his perfect year today with a match-winning performance in the Champions Trophy final against West Indies.


Brown could pitch Sunday finale com. Kevin Brown may return to the mound sooner than expected, as Joe Torre said Friday that the right-hander is in the mix to start on Sunday afternoon against Curt Schilling and the Red Sox at Fenway Park.


Tigers hope to reverse losing trend in Tallahassee A 9-foot bronze statue of Florida State coach Bobby Bowden was unveiled Friday outside of Doak Campbell Stadium.  quot;I thought you were supposed to be gone or dead before they do stuff like this, quot; he said.


GOP Voter Vault Shipped Overseas  Massive database holds info on millions of voters, and is used to get people to the polls.


Sony-led investor group finalizes buyout of MGM NEW YORK (Kyodo) A group of investors led by Sony Corp. said Thursday it has finalized a \$4.9 billion acquisition deal with Hollywood film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.


Prebon three to share 70m The three owners of money broker Prebon will share in a 70m windfall following the takeover of the business by Collins Stewart Tullett, the ambitious stockbroker run by Terry Smith.


Hurricane claims add to  #39;disastrous #39; Courts trading Furniture retailer Courts yesterday issued a  quot;disastrous quot; profit warning, blamed partly on hurricane Ivan #39;s effects on its Caribbean business but mainly indicating further turmoil in its UK business.


Calif. to Post Details on Sex Offenders on Internet (Reuters) Reuters - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed\a law on Friday that would post information on sex offenders on\the Internet, giving Californians easier access to details on\violators.


Twists abound as Raiders meet  #39;Raiders East #39; The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been dubbed  quot;Raiders East, quot; after former Oakland general manager Bruce Allen joined them this season, two years after ex-Raiders coach Jon Gruden jumped coasts.


Security Worries in Baghdad, US Debates Polls The ability of Iraqi insurgents to snatch foreigners from their guarded Baghdad offices highlighted the country #39;s poor security as US officials argued whether elections could be held in towns under rebel control.


Germany uneasy on nuclear plans after Iran talks Germany came away from a meeting with Iran on even more concerned about Tehran #39;s nuclear ambitions than before the talks, diplomatic sources said.


Iraq in desperate need for international help: PM Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said here Friday that success of democracy in his country requires timely assistance from the outside.


Haiti devastated by floods: Action Against Hunger deploys <b>...</b> Following the political crisis at the beginning of the year and torrential rains in May, Haiti has now been ravaged by tropical storm Jeanne.


Japan needs qualification The current pressing task for Japan should be to work harder to qualify itself for a seat on the United Nations (UN) Security Council but not to hurriedly squeeze the country into the body, said a Xinhua News Agency commentary.


Demand for Durable Goods Drops in August (AP) AP - Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket goods dropped in August, largely weighed down by a sharp decline in demand for commercial airplanes.


China supports Russia #39;s WTO bid China and Russia yesterday completed talks concerning the latter #39;s proposed accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). They also mutually recognized the market economy status of each.


No return to past in Russia, Putin promises  quot;There will be no turnabout in the country #39;s life, quot; said Mr Putin, who has come under intense international criticism for strengthening his political control after a wave of terrorist attacks.


Price at Issue With PlayStation Portable (AP) AP - Sony Corp.'s PlayStation Portable, which goes on sale in Japan later this year and overseas next spring, boasts the superb image quality of its home-console counterpart.


MIT Works to Power Computers With Spinach (AP) AP - "Eat your spinach," Mom used to say. "It will make your muscles grow, power your laptop and recharge your cell phone... " OK. So nobody's Mom said those last two things. But researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say they have used spinach to harness a plant's ability to convert sunlight into energy for the first time, creating a device that may one day power laptops, mobile phones and more.


Apple offers fix for spotted PowerBook displays (MacCentral) MacCentral - Apple on Friday posted details of its 15-inch PowerBook G4 Display Repair Extension Program, which offers a fix for certain Titanium and Aluminum 15-inch PowerBook G4's that show faint white spots on the screen. The worldwide program covers replacement of LCD panels that show the spots; Apple will also reimburse PowerBook owners who paid for eligible repairs. In order for your PowerBook to qualify, it must have a serial number ranging from V7334xxxxxx to V7345xxxxxx or QT331xxxxxx to QT339xxxxxx. Such machines were manufactured between July 2003 to November 2003. ...


Private Canadian Spacecraft Launch on Hold (Reuters) Reuters - A Canadian team's\bid to launch the country's first manned spaceship is on hold,\although the aspiring astronauts have not given up their\attempt to win a  #36;10 million prize.


IBM Exec Outlines PeopleSoft Deal Q amp;A: The development alliance will give both companies a broader reach in the marketplace, with the first offerings coming in early 2005, says Buell Duncan, IBM #39;s general manager of ISV and developer relations.


Mystery from the deep creates elongated puzzle Protorosaurs are a group of carnivorous (meat-eating) reptiles who lived in the Triassic Period about 206-248 million years ago. Science magazine, the leading international weekly journal of science, published


Arsenal manager Wenger dismisses Real link Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger reconfirmed his commitment to the English premier league club on Friday, saying that he would sign a new contract before the end ofthe year.


Rebels threaten Nigeria #39;s oil wells A rebel group battling rival militias and government forces in Nigeria #39;s oil-rich delta has threatened to target oil installations in an escalation of the conflict.


IBM Exec Outlines PeopleSoft Deal (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Q A: The development alliance will give both companies a broader reach in the marketplace, with the first offerings coming in early 2005, says Buell Duncan, IBM's general manager of ISV and developer relations.


Court Throws Out United's Pension Filing CHICAGO, Sept. 24 (AP) - A federal bankruptcy court judge ruled against United Airlines on Friday in a procedural dispute with unions over employee pensions, ordering that its latest pension information filing be struck from the record.


AT T Cuts Jobs at Call Centers as It Struggles to Regroup Industry analysts expect close to 10,000 job cuts in the coming weeks so that the workers can be removed from AT T's books by the end of the year.


Europe Is Said to Be Close to Allowing Bid by Oracle The European Union's competition commissioner could be ready to allow Oracle to proceed with its \$7.7 billion hostile takeover bid for PeopleSoft.


Noranda Says It Is in Talks With China Minmetals Noranda, Canada's largest mining company, said on Friday that it may be acquired by the China Minmetals Corporation in a deal worth more than \$4.7 billion.


Rare Buffalo, Sacred to Some Indians, Dies (AP) AP - A buffalo considered sacred by some American Indians because it was born white has died of natural causes at the age of 10, its owner said.


Manmohan, Musharraf hail new chapter in ties (Reuters) Reuters - The leaders of India and Pakistan on Friday hailed a new era in often-fraught relations between the two nuclear rivals and agreed to study a joint pipeline project and pursue solutions to the Kashmir conflict.


Israeli Air Strike Kills One in Gaza Refugee Camp  GAZA (Reuters) - Israel fired a missile into a refugee camp  in Gaza Saturday, killing a Palestinian and extending a vortex  of violence that could complicate an Israeli plan to pull out  of the occupied territory.


House Proposal Puts Less Power in New Spy Post House Democrats immediately criticized the long-awaited bill, which they said would not enact the 9/11 panel's recommendations.


Kerry Promises to Refocus U.S. on Terror War Senator John Kerry escalated his critique of President Bush as commander in chief, saying that the Iraq invasion was a diversion from the battle against Al Qaeda.


In Florida, the Campaigning Just Has to Wait Hurricanes have crippled the campaign season in Florida, and candidates are only now starting to make up for lost time.


Michael Jackson's Dad Has Ulcer Surgery LOS ANGELES - Joseph Jackson, Michael Jackson's father, had surgery Friday to fix two bleeding ulcers in his stomach, his lawyer said.    Jackson went to the hospital several days ago with what he had believed was food poisoning, but doctors detected the ulcers, his attorney, Debra Opri, told The Associated Press...


Europe Is Said to Be Close to Allowing Bid by Oracle The European Union #39;s competition commissioner, Mario Monti, is ready to allow Oracle to proceed with its \$7.7 billion hostile takeover bid for its software rival PeopleSoft


As With Other Chip Makers, Sales Begin to Stall at Philips, Signaling a possible wider slowdown in the semiconductor industry, Royal Philips Electronics on Friday became the latest company to say that its chip sales had begun to stall, at least temporarily.


Huff Leads Devil Rays Past Blue Jays 4-2 (AP) AP - Aubrey Huff hit his 29th homer and Mark Hendrickson pitched seven solid innings, leading the Tampa Bay Devil Rays past the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 Friday night.


Poll: Skins' Nickname Offends Few Indians (AP) AP - A poll of American Indians found that an overwhelming majority of them are not bothered by the name of the Washington Redskins.


Sorry Charles, Shawn Green is a role model Charles Barkley will always be remembered for his infamous television commercial, in which he defiantly proclaimed:  quot;I am not a role model.


Cards' Tavarez to Sit Out Eight Games (AP) AP - An appeal did little to help St. Louis reliever Julian Tavarez, who was suspended for eight days Friday for applying a foreign substance to balls while pitching last month.


Manmohan, Musharraf to address joint press conference: World News New York, Sep 24 : Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is to address a joint press conference with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf after their meeting Friday, officials said.


N. Korea ready #39; to fire off missile WASHINGTON--North Korea may be bluffing, but it appears ready to launch one or more Rodong ballistic missiles capable of hitting Japan anytime it wants, according to a senior US official.


Now Playing: The Old Man and the Football Team Tim Frisby, a 39-year-old father of six and 20-year Army veteran, will be part of South Carolina's 105-man squad dressing for Saturday's home game against Troy.


Lab Defends Its Handling Of Hamilton's Blood Sample The head of the Olympic doping lab in Athens rejected the suggestion that human error was to blame for the deterioration of Tyler Hamilton's blood specimen.


Google as Browser? Could Google be on the verge of creating its own Web browser, or is the guessing game about the company #39;s post-IPO plans spinning out of control?


Inkster takes one-stroke lead over Kim Hall of Famer Juli Inkster, looking to extend to her streak of winning a tournament to eight years, shot a 5-under 66 Friday and took a one-stroke lead over Christina Kim after two rounds of the LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge.


Liberty 75, Shock 62 Elena Baranova scored 17 points to lead the New York Liberty to a 75-62 victory over the Detroit Shock in Game 1 of their first-round WNBA playoff series.


In NY, Pakistan and India leaders vow to seek peace UNITED NATIONS, New York The new Indian prime minister met with his Pakistani counterpart Friday for the first time and the two men promised to work together to gradually ease tensions between their nations and explore a peaceful settlement for the


Prince Harry passes Army entrance test Prince Harry, younger son of the Prince of Wales, has passed his entrance exam to Sandhurst and is looking forward to joining the Army.


Philips Warns on Chip Sales Europe #39;s top consumer electronics group Philips cut the forecast for its closely watched chip unit on Friday and predicted a significant slowdown for the semiconductor industry next year.


Collins Stewart Shares Advance on Prebon Takeover (Update1) Collins Stewart Tullett Plc #39;s shares posted their biggest gain since the stock began trading in 2000 after the London-based brokerage agreed to buy Prebon Group Ltd.


New Crew to Leave for Space Station on Oct. 11, NASA Says A new crew will be sent to the International Space Station next month, even though there are concerns about maintaining adequate oxygen and other supplies on the orbiting laboratory, NASA officials said Friday.


UPDATE 3-Roddick hits record serve as US take control Andy Roddick broke his own fastest serve record as he helped the US take a 2-0 lead over Belarus in their Davis Cup semi-final on Friday.


France hold edge over Spain in Davis Paul-Henri Mathieu put France in front in their Davis Cup semi-final against Spain on Friday. France were clinging on to hopes of a 2-0 lead when bad light forced Juan Carlos


Meet the Mane Attraction of the Boston Red Sox Above Johnny Damon #39;s locker in Fenway Park are 13 pictures, the most displayed by any Red Sox player. Among them are Damon #39;s children, Damon #39;s friends and Damon with a big, silver fish.


British envoys head to Baghdad The senior Islamic body in Britain, the Muslim Council of Britain, has sent two envoys to Baghdad to try to secure the release of the kidnapped engineer Kenneth Bigley.


Stocks: Upbeat orders data bolster Wall Street NEW YORK Stocks moved modestly higher Friday as stable oil prices and a report on durable goods orders cheered investors at the end of a losing week.


Lockheed Martin Wins \$3.3 Billion Navy Contract to Develop <b>...</b> After a four-year competition, Lockheed Martin Corp. won a Navy contract worth up to \$3.3 billion yesterday to develop satellites that could help soldiers and sailors communicate.


Three little isles The ravages of Hurricane Ivan have left their mark on three islands in the Caribbean in very different ways. As people try to pick up the pieces of their lives across the region, there


Hamilton #39;s gold no longer glitters Tyler Hamilton seems like one of the good guys. He earned the admiration of casual cycling fans after he rode through the 2003 Tour de France with a broken collarbone, yet managed to finish fourth overall.


Too close to call EVEN after six months of constant competition between the same teams, in both forms of the game, it is difficult to call today #39;s ICC Champions Trophy final at the Oval.


Iraq PM Asks UN States to Put the War Behind Them Iraq #39;s new prime minister, in his debut appearance before the UN General Assembly, appealed to world governments on Friday to put aside their differences over the war and help Baghdad rebuild.


Powell implores Arafat to quit as Palestinian chief US Secretary of State Colin Powell appealed to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat on Thursday to step aside for the sake of achieving his lifetime goal of a Palestinian state.


U.S., France on Top in Davis Cup Semis  LONDON (Reuters) - Andy Roddick cracked a 155 mph delivery,  two mph quicker than his own fastest serve record, to help push  the U.S. into a 2-0 lead over Belarus in their Davis Cup  semifinal on Friday.


Red Sox Forget, and Yanks Gladly Remind Them In a spot similar to Game 7 of last season's American League Championship Series, Pedro Martnez got another chance Friday night. Again, he failed.


Suzuki closes in on batting record AMERICAN BASEBALL: Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners has 10 games to beat George Sisler #39;s record of 257 hits in a season set with the St.


Defense Is Reacting The choreography of defensive play-calling and substitutions is one reason for the strong start this season by the Redskins' defense -- ranked atop the NFL after two games.


Ricky Must Pay An arbitrator ruled yesterday that tailback Ricky Williams, who retired just before training camp, must repay the Dolphins \$8.6 million.


The Rundown     1 Southern California at Stanford  7 p.m., TBS
Not that long ago -- 1999 to 2001 -- Stanford won three straight in this series, but times have changed. All the preseason hype was for USC quarterback Matt Leinart, but he may not even be the best player on his team. Tailback Reggie Bush can, and will, line up just about anywhere. Something must give: USC is averaging 38 points per game; Stanford is allowing just 6.5.


Melvin Finds Role A basketball refugee when the ROckers folded, Chasity Melvin has since helped stabilize the Mystics without Chamique Holdsclaw.


Singh Keeps Lead Vijay Singh follows up his opening-round 64 by shooting a steady 68 and maintains a two-shot lead over American Ben Curtis in Farmington.


12 Dead, 36 Missing After Ferry Sinks in China  BEIJING (Reuters) - An overloaded ferry sank in China's  powerful Yellow River killing at least 12 people and leaving 36  missing, the China Daily newspaper said Saturday.


Laws to cut California car gases Officials in Californian announce tough new regulations to stem the emission of greenhouse gases from cars.


In China's Cities, a Turn From Factories The country's labor force is stalling as urban workers, tired of paltry pay and rat-infested apartments, seek higher wages and better conditions in rural areas.


Panic Strikes Haiti's Storm Survivors U.N. troops fired smoke grenades Friday as crowds tried to break into a food distribution site, demonstrating growing desperation at the slow pace of relief since Tropical Storm Jeanne.


Hussein's Trial Not Likely to Begin This Year The trials of former president Saddam Hussein and his top lieutenants likely will not begin this year, a U.S. official said Friday, contradicting a recent pronouncement from Iraq's interim prime minister that it could commence as soon as next month.


China Aviation #39;s Ex-Chief to Face Probe The suspended head of a major supplier of jet fuel to China, under investigation for overseeing hundreds of millions of dollars in derivatives trading losses, has agreed to return to Singapore to face investigators, the company said Monday.


Right-hander allows seven runs in three-plus innings The Expos may be playing their final few games, but the Phillies found out firsthand that this vanishing breed isn #39;t about to go quietly.


Ruling: R. Williams Must Repay Miami An arbitrator ruled yesterday that tailback Ricky Williams, who retired just before training camp, must repay the Miami Dolphins \$8.


Japan PM readies cabinet reshuffle to silence critics TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is set to reshuffle his cabinet on Monday in order to gain the leverage to silence critics within his ruling party of his unpopular reform plan.


Putting Their Own  Stamp On Postage It seemed like a clever idea. This summer, a small Web company, Stamps.com, partnered with the U.S. Postal Service to let people put their own photos on 37-cent first-class stamps.


Regulator Says Fannie Resisted Though Fannie Mae said it was cooperating fully with a federal examination of its accounting, its regulator says the mortgage finance company was so reluctant that the agency had to subpoena documents and witnesses and ask the Justice Department for help enforcing subpoenas.


Why hope springs eternal Forbes magazine, which once adapted the old Marxist taunt  quot;capitalist tool quot; as a slogan, has compiled a list of the 400 richest Americans that, in a curious way, is an encouragement to the rest of us.


Braves rally, win division title Let the champagne flow. A Braves team that will forever be known for its resilient spirit captured its 13th consecutive division title in fitting fashion on Friday, with a dramatic comeback victory.


Harry snubs senior service and sticks with the Army THE compassionate streak Prince Harry has inherited from his mother will make him a good army officer, a friend of the Royal family said last night, as it was announced the 20-year-old had achieved his dream of joining the army.


Barcelona defeats Zaragoza 4-1 Cameroon #39;s Samuel Eto #39;o struck twice to rally Barcelona to a 4-1 victory over Zaragoza and climbed to second place in the Spanish standings after four rounds.


U.S. Forces Kill Five Suspected Taliban (AP) AP - U.S. troops and helicopter gunships killed five suspected Taliban rebels Friday, hours after militants attacked Afghan army troops in southern Afghanistan, a provincial governor said.


Porter Goss Sworn in As New CIA Chief (AP) AP - Porter Goss was sworn in Friday to head the CIA and lead an intelligence community that has faced intense criticism for faulty information  #151; and failing to share good information it did gather  #151; before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the war in Iraq.


Sony seals purchase of MGM Los Angeles (dpa) - An investment consortium led by Japanese electronics giant Sony has sealed a deal to buy the legendary Hollywood studio MGM, which will keep functioning as an independent unit producing several films a year, Variety reported Friday.


Yankees Rally to Defeat Red Sox 6-4 (AP) AP - Those Red Sox managers just never learn. With an eerie similarity to last year's postseason debacle, Pedro Martinez took a lead into the eighth inning before tiring and the New York Yankees rallied past Boston 6-4 Friday night to open a 5 1/2-game advantage in the AL East.


Christina Kim shoots 64, leads LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge Second on the LPGA Tour with 300 birdies, Kim fired a 7-under-par 64 to take a one-shot lead after Thursday #39;s opening round of the \$1 million Longs Drugs Challenge.


Inkster Leads LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge (AP) AP - Hall of Famer Juli Inkster, looking to extend to her streak of winning a tournament to eight years, shot a 5-under 66 Friday and took a one-stroke lead over Christina Kim after two rounds of the LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge.


Shanghai Free Practice 3  4: Tough to tell whats going on! Two Williams in front at the start, then two Ferraris at the end... The order is mixed up, and its hard to see what might happen in qualifying.


Mixed Bag for United D.C. United, riding a season-high two-game win streak, will try to hand the Crew its first loss in three months as it visits Columbus.


Cubs Win Fourth Straight Derrek Lee hits an RBI single in the 10th inning and Aramis Ramirez homers in the seventh, leading the Cubs to a 2-1 win over the Mets.


Chiefs' Warfield Arrested An NFL player's repeated drunken driving arrests have helped expose a loophole in a national registry that allows some offenders to remain behind the wheel even after a state suspends their licenses.


Sony-led group finalizes deal to purchase MGM Sony Corp. and a group of investors reached a final agreement to buy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. for US\$12 a share, or about US\$2.9 billion, to gain control of one of the world #39;s largest film libraries.


Baggage handlers begin strike About 600 baggage handlers and maintenance staff working for air services provider Servisair have gone on strike at Gatwick Airport in a dispute over working conditions.


Montgomerie misses cut at The Heritage Colin Montgomerie shot a 5-over-par 77 and missed the cut at The Heritage yesterday, five days after making the winning putt for Europe at the Ryder Cup.


Mosley dismisses chances of three car teams FIA President Max Mosley has dismissed suggestions that the big teams could run three cars next year after Ford #39;s sudden withdrawl from the sport.


Brunell Improving, but It #39;s  #39;Wait and See #39; At the start of yesterday #39;s practice, Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell jogged from sideline to sideline while throwing passes to Tim Hasselbeck about 10 yards away.


Ramanna, the happy-go-lucky N-czar MUMBAI: India #39;s nuclear czar Raja Ramanna (79) passed away at 3.15 am on Friday at Bombay Hospital. The architect of the country #39;s atom bomb project, who had serious intestinal problems, was cremated at the Shivaji Park crematoriumon Friday afternoon.


The thief in outer space: Prometheus The latest batch of images from the Cassini spacecraft has established that the speculations made by scientists from the Space Science Institute were true after all.


Odd Man Out in U.S. Inquiry Into Fannie Mae The 211-page report that was released on Wednesday by the Fannie Mae regulatory agency has put Roger L. Barnes in the spotlight.


Word of the year: Blog Merriam-Webster says the most searched word on its Web sites in 2004 was  quot;blog. quot; The dictionary publisher defines the word as  quot;a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer.


Gatwick baggage handlers striking Hundreds of baggage handlers at Gatwick airport have started a 24-hour strike as part of a dispute over workloads. The action, involving around 600 Servisair baggage staff, began at 0300 BST on Saturday.


Florida braces itself for Hurricane Jeanne For Florida, the hurricane season from hell gets more hellish. Charley, Frances and Ivan - and now Jeanne, a major storm that is due to barrel into the south-eastern part of the state tomorrow.


New Haven architect to design Adriaen #39;s Landing science center HARTFORD, Conn. -- A design for a futuristic glass building with a giant plasma video screen landed Cesar Pelli the job as architect for the new science center at Adriaen #39;s Landing.


Pakistan and India agree to explore options NEW YORK: Pakistan and India on Friday agreed to explore possible options for a peaceful and negotiated settlement of the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in a sincere spirit and purposeful manner.


Raja Ramanna, Indian nuclear scientist, dies Raja Ramanna, architect of India #39;s nuclear weapons program, died early Friday. He was 79. As director of the government-run research center in Bombay, Ramanna headed the team that built


U.S. Bombs Fallujah; Eight Dead, 15 Hurt (AP) AP - U.S. warplanes, tanks and artillery units attacked the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah on Saturday, killing at least eight people and wounding 15, hospital officials and witnesses said.


EU reportedly to OK Oracle bid for PeopleSoft SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Oracle is close to gaining approval from European Union regulators regarding its proposed takeover of PeopleSoft, according to the Financial Times on Friday.


Bucs now get to see other side of Sapp Warren Sapp #39;s presence and legacy linger around the Tampa Bay Buccaneers like something tangible, something that can be felt, heard and feared, say an open-handed slap to the face mask.


NL Wrap: Cubs Maintain Wild-Card Lead with Win Derrek Lee #39;s 10th-inning single scored Mark Grudzielanek with the winning run, clinching the red-hot Chicago Cubs a 2-1 victory over the host New York Mets in the National League Friday.


Raja Ramanna passes away Dr Raja Ramanna, the bellwether of Indias nuclear programme, passed away at Bombay Hospital in the early hours of Friday. He was 79.


NL Wrap: Cubs Maintain Wild-Card Lead with Win  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Derrek Lee's 10th-inning single scored  Mark Grudzielanek with the winning run, clinching the red-hot  Chicago Cubs a 2-1 victory over the host New York Mets in the  National League Friday.


Thousands in Fla. Told to Flee Hurricane FORT PIERCE, Fla. - About three-quarters of a million residents of Florida's east coast were urged to evacuate - again - as Hurricane Jeanne churned westward Friday and threatened the state with its fourth pounding in six weeks...


Navy Is Ready to Run Against Vanderbilt Navy vs. Vanderbilt
    Records:  Midshipmen 3-0; Commodores 0-2.
   When:  1:30 p.m.    Where:  Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.    Radio:  WRC-1260 (in progress), WNAV-1430.
   Off and Running:  After leading the nation in rushing with 323.2 yards per game in 2003, the Midshipmen are sixth in Division I-A after three games this season. Navy is averaging 310.3 yards, trailing Texas (386), Minnesota (359.3), California (339), Oklahoma State (333.7) and West Virginia (311). In their past 16 games, the Midshipmen are 9-2 when they run for 300 yards or more; 2-3 when they run for less than 300. The Commodores are 96th nationally in run defense, allowing 219.5 yards per game.


Canadian X Prize Team Postpones Launch A Canadian was forced to delay its first launch in the X Prize competition, an international race to put civilians into space. First prize is US\$10 million.


Australia makes it 3-0 with doubles win Australia has retained its place in the Davis Cup world group after outlasting a dogged Moroccan team in today #39;s doubles rubber at Perth #39;s Royal Kings Park.


Matsui finally gets to Martinez On paper, the matchup of Hideki Matsui against Pedro Martinez didn #39;t look like a good one for the Yankees. But, as Derek Jeter always says, that #39;s why they don #39;t play the games on paper.


Europe Is Said to Be Close to Allowing Bid by Oracle The European Union's competition commissioner is ready to allow Oracle to proceed with its \$7.7 billion hostile takeover bid for PeopleSoft, people close to the case said Friday


As With Other Chip Makers, Sales Begin to Stall at Philips Signaling a possible wider slowdown in the semiconductor industry, Royal Philips Electronics on Friday became the latest company to say that sales had begun to stall.


Senate #39;s Cellular Stand It #39;s been four months to the day since I last wrote on the subject of the cell phone industry #39;s plan to publish your unlisted cell phone number for all the world to see -- and charge you for the privilege.


AL Wrap: Hit Machine Ichiro Helps Seattle Edge Texas Ichiro Suzuki moved closer to the single-season record with two more hits as he led the Seattle Mariners past the Texas Rangers 8-7 in the American League Friday.


Dodgers 3, Giants 2 Shawn Green can sit out Saturday knowing he was a huge help to the Dodgers during their crucial series against San Francisco. Green hit a two-run homer in Los Angeles #39; 3-2 victory over the Giants on Friday


Gannon gets another shot at Buccaneers #39; tough defense The last time Rich Gannon saw defensive players wearing Tampa Bay uniforms he threw them the football five times. That, of course, was almost 20 months ago in the Buccaneers #39; 48-21 demolition of the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII.


The fate of Ken Bigley and the struggle against the occupation of <b>...</b> The fate of British hostage Kenneth Bigley has come to encapsulate the unbridgeable division between the political establishment and the democratic hopes and concerns of working people.


Army Floats a Trial Balloon The U.S. Army has leased a blimp from the nation's only airship manufacturer and outfitted it with sensors and cameras to determine how effective the electro-optical and infrared cameras are at detecting potentially threatening movements on the ground.


Boeing plant sale seen by year-end The Boeing Co. expects to sell its Wichita, Kan., fuselage and components plant by the end of 2004, Chief Executive Harry Stonecipher said yesterday.


Stocks creep higher in New York NEW YORKUS blue-chip stocks ended barely higher yesterday as a spike in oil prices to record closing levels pared earlier gains and renewed concerns about the effect of high energy prices on consumer spending and corporate profits.


Sony on Collision Course with Music Majors over MP3 including its own Sony BMG venture - over the MP3 song format. Sony is considering manufacturing devices that play digital


Chat with Jeremy Schaap On Saturday, Sept. 25, immediately following the premiere of ESPN #39;s new original movie, Hustle (ESPN, 9 pm ET), ESPN will air Hustle: The Pete Rose Debate, hosted by Jeremy Schaap.


A #39;s stretch AL West lead If anyone wasn #39;t quite sure whether 22-year-old A #39;s righty Rich Harden is ready for prime time, they got their answer on Friday night.


Arabs are not responsible for atrocities THE Western media is deceiving the world into thinking that the Arabs are responsible for the atrocities that have driven 1.3 million people out of their homes in Darfur, Sudan, according to a former member of the West Darfur parliament.


Howard dismisses Iraq letter row PRIME Minister John Howard today rejected claims warnings from a top weapons expert were ignored before Australia sent troops to war in Iraq.


China #39;s racing drivers closing on Formula One The dream of watching the Formula One Grand Prix with their own eyes on their home circuit has been realized as the F1 Chinese Grand Prix makes its China debut here on Sunday.


Trend Micro Gives Away Mobile Security Trend Micro on Monday followed in the footsteps of rivals like Symantec by introducing anti-virus and anti-spam software for handhelds and smart cell phones.


No. 21 Boise St. 28, BYU 27 Jared Zabransky threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to TJ Acree with 3:42 remaining and No. 21 Boise State held on, extending the nation #39;s longest winning streak with a 28-27 victory over Brigham Young on Friday night.


Baines: Movie on Rose strikes out Being a fan of the Cincinnati Reds #39; Big Red Machine in the 1970s, I was hoping for a little nostalgia when I watched a preview of ESPN #39;s Pete Rose movie this week.


Nation/world briefs NEW YORK - Oil prices neared \$49 a barrel Friday, capping a rise of 7 percent for the week, as Gulf of Mexico crude production rebounded at a slower-than-expected rate in the wake of Hurricane Ivan.


Next Space Station Launch Set for Oct 11 The blast-off in a Soyuz spacecraft from Russia #39;s Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan will deploy a replacement crew for Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka and NASA astronaut Michael Fincke, who have manned the orbital platform since April.


Yankees best Martinez again BOSTON -- They leaped off their benches like a couple of desperate heavyweights, sweat and mouthpieces flying. The Yankees and the Red Sox tried to knock some sense into each other.


Hustle #39; drops the ball on Rose story and it surely is not -- it isn #39;t for lack of a great story, compelling characters, and a capable director. Really, the


Musharraf calls meeting with Manmohan a success NEW YORK: President Pervez Musharraf has called his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh historic for India, Pakistan relations, in an interview to US television.


New Crew to Leave for Space Station on Oct. 11, NASA Says A new crew will be sent to the International Space Station next month, even though there are concerns about adequate oxygen and other supplies.


N.Korea Calls Missile Launch Reports 'Speculation' (Reuters) Reuters - A senior North Korean official dismissed\reports that the secretive country was preparing a missile\launch, calling them speculation, Japan's Kyodo news agency\reported on Saturday.


U.S., Iraq Pressing for Electoral Conference -NYT  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Bush administration and interim  Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi are pushing several Western  and Middle Eastern countries, including Iran, to join in  holding a conference in October to boost Iraq's electoral  process, The New York Times reported on Saturday.


Brunei Parliament Reopens, But No Talk of Election  BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Reuters) - The monarch of oil-rich  Brunei reopened the tiny country's parliament for the first  time in 20 years on Saturday, but made no mention of elections  and warned his subjects not to get carried away.


Cricket: ICC trophy preview The Champions Trophy final against West Indies is England's biggest one-day match for 12 years.


Bad Air and Water, and a Bully Pulpit in China Pan Yue's job as deputy director of China's top environmental agency has given him the opportunity to put environmentalism on the national agenda.


House Democrats Decry GOP Intel Bill WASHINGTON - Some lawmakers are opposing a new intelligence bill prompted by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, complaining that Republicans refused to work with their Democratic colleagues to craft a balanced bill that would represent both viewpoints...


Thousands in Fla. Told to Flee Hurricane FORT PIERCE, Fla. - Hurricane Jeanne forced the evacuations of more than 800,000 residents Saturday as it bore down on Florida with winds near 105 mph and threatened to strengthen into a major storm...


Billionaires galore The Forbes list of the 400 Richest Americans includes the following men who claimed the top 10 spots: Bill Gates, top left; Warren Buffett, top center; Paul Allen, top right; Robson Walton, bottom


Red Hat pushes wider use of open-source computing One of the worlds largest providers of Linux software on Monday said the Philippines has great potential for developing open-source computing because Filipinos have a thorough understanding


Mac Night Owl interviews Mossberg The Wall Street Journal #39;s Personal Technology columnist Walter S. Mossberg often muses on the Macintosh, iPod and Apple #39;s latest doings -- recently he declared the iMac G5  quot;the most elegant


Company Offers Zero-Gravity Flights Starting Oct. 9, Zero Gravity will offer twice-a-month flights on planes that carry 27 passengers and are scheduled to fly out of its home base of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.


Yankees frustrate Red Sox, Pedro again Pedro Martinez came out to start the eighth inning against the Yankees and promptly coughed up a lead. His night was over after serving up five runs over 7 1/3 innings, and the Yankees wound up dealing the Red Sox a crushing blow.


Gagne is shaky in ninth In the never-ending and rarely successful quest to neutralize Barry Bonds, conventional baseball wisdom is about as useful as a fastball down the middle.


NL Highlights - CUBS 2, METS 1: At New York, Derrek Lee hit an RBI single in the 10th inning to give Chicago its fourth straight win to maintain the NL wild-card lead.


Israel Destroys Refugee Homes, Kills One A day after a mortar round killed an Israeli-American woman in a nearby settlement, the Israeli army charged into a Palestinian refugee camp Saturday, killing one person and tearing down 20 homes, witnesses said.


Ichiro Closes on Sisler's Hit Record (Reuters) Reuters - Japan's Ichiro Suzuki\is poised to break one of the oldest records in major league\baseball.


Ichiro Closes on Sisler's Hit Record  SEATTLE/ARLINGTON, Texas (Reuters) - Japan's Ichiro Suzuki  is poised to break one of the oldest records in major league  baseball.


Bill Gates on top, Bose is 278 Microsoft chief Bill Gates has topped the list of business magazine Forbes #39; 400 Richest Americans list for the ninth consecutive year, while India-born Amar Gopal Bose is ranked 278.


Rash of doping scandals makes it hard to believe anyone is clean Thursday was a relatively good day for US cyclist Tyler Hamilton. I say  quot;relatively quot; because Hamilton was informed by the International Olympic Committee that he will be allowed to keep the gold medal he won last month.


Liberty strike first to take series lead Elena Baranova scored 17 points to lead the New York Liberty over the Shock in Detroit last night in Game 1 of their first-round best-of-three series.


Army bulldozers flatten refugee homes close to Jewish settlement GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Witnesses in the Gaza Strip say the Israeli army bulldozed 35 homes in a Palestinian refugee camp today even as the two sides exchanged heavy fire.


Rescuing the orphans of Chechnya A decade ago, when Hadijat Gatayeva risked her life to pluck orphaned children out of the blackened ruins of her native Chechnya, she never imagined that the small, personal rescue operation would have no end.


Brigham seeks OK to expand \$315m plan calls for a new wing Brigham and Women's Hospital, one of the region's medical powerhouses and one of its most crowded, is proposing its largest expansion in two decades, including a new 13-floor wing connected to the main campus by tunnels and a bridge.


Ocean Spray buys competitor's assets  Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. purchased Northland Cranberries Inc.'s processing plant and inventory for \$28 million in cash to bolster its manufacturing and ingredient business.


Manufacturing seen stronger despite fall in durable goods WASHINGTON -- Orders to US factories for big-ticket goods dropped in August, largely weighed down by a sharp decline in demand for commercial airplanes.


Oil prices rise 7 for the week NEW YORK -- Oil prices neared \$49 a barrel yesterday, capping a rise of 7 percent for the week, as Gulf of Mexico crude production rebounded at a slower-than-expected rate in the wake of Hurricane Ivan.


Mutual funds saw tough 3d quarter NEW YORK -- Mutual funds suffered along with the rest of the stock market during a troubled third quarter, with growth and technology sector funds posting the worst returns.


SEC probes Morningstar  CHICAGO -- The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the investment research firm Morningstar Inc. for failing to properly correct inaccurate data it published about a mutual fund, the company disclosed yesterday.


Unions win a round vs. United  CHICAGO -- A federal bankruptcy judge ruled against United Airlines yesterday in a procedural dispute, siding with unions that said the company submitted unsubstantiated claims about how employees would be affected if pension plans were terminated.


US Airways to seek temporary pay cuts ARLINGTON, Va. -- US Airways chief executive Bruce Lakefield said yesterday the airline would, as expected, ask a bankruptcy judge to impose temporary pay cuts on its union workers to conserve cash during the slow fall travel season.


Unlikely lads fight for the right to party When Mike Gatting bumped into his umpiring nemesis Shakoor Rana some time after their finger wagging contretemps at Faisalabad in 1987-88, he was not best pleased.


Schumacher Leads Field In Final Practice For Chinese Grand Prix SHANGHAI, Sept 25 (AFP) - Ferrari posted the two fastest times in the final practice session for the first ever Chinese Grand Prix here Saturday, with Michael Schumacher quickest round the new circuit.


US Democrats target Iraq security as kidnappings increase The Egyptian foreign ministry has confirmed the abduction of six Egyptians employed by an Iraqi unit of the Egyptian telecom giant Orascom.


Redrawing the Middle East Two articles appeared side by side on September 21 in newspapers across America. The first contained an update on Irans efforts to produce enriched uranium for nuclear powered plants to meet its growing energy needs.


Giving a game a good score Game makers need to spend time to make sure that music adds to the playing experience.


Commerce One Headed For Liquidation (TechWeb) TechWeb - A high flyer in the heady days of the Internet boom, Commerce One has told federal regulators that its continuing losses may lead to the end of the software company.


Rutan ready to realise vision As the first X-Prize flights go ahead, BBC News Online asks SpaceShipOne's Burt Rutan to explain his motivation to fly above the Earth.


Protection plea for reef fish A rare reef fish called the humphead wrasse should be guarded from the trade that is threatening its future, conservationists say.


Kidnappers Seize 6 Egyptians, 4 Iraqis (AP) AP - Kidnappers seized six Egyptians and four Iraqis working for the country's mobile phone company, authorities said Friday, and Muslim leaders in Britain announced plans to send negotiators to Baghdad in hopes of winning the release of hostage Kenneth Bigley.


U.S. Airstrike Targets Militants in Falluja  By Fadel al-Badrani  FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. aircraft launched a new  airstrike in the rebel-held city of Falluja on Saturday aimed  at killing supporters of a Jordanian militant who has led a  campaign of suicide bombings and kidnappings in Iraq.


India, Pakistan discuss joint project, Kashmir UNITED STATES NEW YORK -- The leaders of India and Pakistan yesterday hailed a new era in often-fraught relations between the two nuclear rivals and agreed to study a joint pipeline project and pursue solutions to the Kashmir conflict. The one-hour private meeting between President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India on the fringes of ...


Another 10 are taken Six Egyptians and four Iraqis working for the country's mobile phone company are the latest kidnapped, authorities say, and Muslim leaders in Britain announce plans to send negotiators to Baghdad to try to win the release of Kenneth Bigley. More than 140 foreigners have been taken in Iraq and 26 killed. Meanwhile, insurgents fire a rocket on a Baghdad street, ...


Iraqi judge dismisses case against Chalabi BAGHDAD -- A judge has dismissed counterfeiting charges against a senior political figure once considered a front-runner to become Iraq's leader, authorities said yesterday.


Kidnappers seize Egyptians, Iraqis  BAGHDAD -- Kidnappers seized six Egyptians and four Iraqis working for the country's mobile phone company, authorities said yesterday, and Muslim leaders in Britain announced plans to send negotiators to Baghdad in hopes of winning the release of hostage Kenneth Bigley.


Calif. OKs Toughest Auto Emissions Rules LOS ANGELES - California has adopted the world's first rules to reduce greenhouse emissions for autos, taking what supporters see as a dramatic step toward cleaning up the environment but also ensuring higher costs for drivers.    The rules may lead to sweeping changes in vehicles nationwide, especially if other states opt to follow California's example...


Flights Leave on Time at Strike-Hit Gatwick Flights out of Gatwick were leaving on time this morning despite the start of a 24-hour strike by hundreds of baggage handlers. The airport said scheduled flights


Morningstar fund data probed by SEC Morningstar, the research firm that tracks more than 16,000 mutual funds, is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission.


US Judge: Anti-Bootlegging Law Is Unconstitutional A federal judge dismissed charges against a New York record store owner on Friday who had been selling unauthorized recordings of concerts, saying a law against boot-legging was unconstitutional.


Burp vaccine cuts greenhouse gas emissions You cannot stop a sheep belching or farting, but you can make sure its eructations are less damaging to the environment. Belches and, to a far lesser degree, farts from sheep, cows and other farm animals account for around 20 of global methane emissions.


Sudanese troops search for coup plotters KHARTOUM, Sudan -- Sudanese troops set up roadblocks near the presidential palace and military headquarters in Khartoum after the government claimed to have uncovered a coup plot.


Eighth wonder In the dead of winter last January, Terry Francona faced the largest crowd of Red Sox fans since he succeeded Grady Little as the franchise's 44th manager. As more than 1,000 diehards applauded him at the annual writers dinner in a sprawling ballroom at the Sheraton Boston, Francona politely thanked his supporters and asked them to remember their affection for ...


Haunting memories have managed to reappear  quot;I'll be another ghost, fully capable of haunting. quot; -- Grady Little, shortly before he was let go as manager of the Red Sox


We've seen this swat team before If you're old enough to think you may have seen a Yankee lineup like this before, you have.


Dodgers get big lift from Green Shawn Green can sit out today knowing he was a huge help to the Dodgers during their crucial series against San Francisco. Green hit a two-run homer in visiting Los Angeles's 3-2 victory over the Giants last night, a day before the first baseman will miss a game to observe the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur.


NL notables Houston's Roger Clemens struck out a season-high 12 to surpass 200 in a season for the 12th time in his career.


Teammates go to bat for the ace after loss No Friday night miracles this time. The Red Sox, who boosted the hopes of their fandom with an inspired comeback victory over Mariano Rivera and the Yankees in the Bronx Sept. 17, were unable to repeat that feat last night.


Dolphins finally get a victory Former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams was ordered yesterday to repay the team more than \$8.6 million for breaching his contract when he suddenly quit before training camp.


Thrill of the chases for Revolution Pat Noonan is among the few part-time strikers to be leading a professional league in scoring. Noonan started the MLS season on the left wing for the Revolution and has lined up in midfield five times, most recently in an Aug. 28 game against D.C. United.


She has her priorities in order Taj McWilliams-Franklin, a center for the WNBA's Connecticut Sun, was not one of those kids who started playing basketball when she was 6, or played on an AAU team every year during high school.


Burying their Demons WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- They have not come here to trumpet their arrival to the Atlantic Coast Conference. No, that will come next year when Boston College officially becomes the ACC's 12th member. Instead, the Eagles have arrived at Groves Stadium for today's nonconference game (on ESPN2) against Wake Forest, an ACC opponent next season, with a more urgent matter on ...


Game day for UMass's Brown Massachusetts, which beat Division 1-AA runner-up Colgate earlier this year, gets a shot at the 2003 champion today when Delaware comes to McGuirk Stadium for an Atlantic 10 matchup of nationally ranked teams.


Medford's 4-year run in GBL ends For the last four years, the Medford boys' soccer team had not been beaten in the Greater Boston League. That streak ended yesterday when Everett handed the Mustangs a stunning 3-2 loss at Glendale Park in Everett.


Cambridge constructs comeback After All-Scholastic Matt O'Brien tossed a wayward pass into the arms of Arlington's Neil Rainford in the third quarter, Cambridge could see its season of hope slipping away almost before it had a chance to get started. Rainford returned the pick 50 yards for a touchdown to give Arlington a 14-10 lead over its Greater Boston League rival, ...


Chelmsford takes Lowell in stride Chelmsford could have approached last night's contest against Lowell with trepidation. The Lions hadn't managed their first win of the season and coach Bruce Rich was concerned about his players' confidence.


Lockheed Wins Navy Satellite Contract Worth \$3.3 Bln (Update2) Lockheed Martin Corp., the top US defense contractor, won a US Navy contract worth as much as \$3.3 billion to develop and build a group of satellites to provide communications for ground troops.


Protection plea for reef fish A rare reef fish called the humphead wrasse should be guarded from overfishing, experts have claimed. The WWF and the IUCN-World Conservation Union are set to ask an international trade watchdog to include the fish on its list of protected species.


Genesis at Lockheed Martin - 2 Large sections of the Genesis Sample Return Capsule that survived the hard impact landing in the Utah desert Sept. 8 were shipped to Lockheed Martin #39;s facilities in Denver, Colo.


Armstrong tackles Rockies CALGARY -- Kananaskis Country will take on a Tour de France feel tomorrow as its perennial champion Lance Armstrong leads a swarm of cyclists through the Rockies.


Yankees give Boston more of the same It was about the Yankees taking care of business, or maybe it was about the Boston Red Sox not taking care of business -gain. One Red Sox fan outside the Yankees #39; clubhouse was


YOU MUST BE MAD ARSENE WENGER last night taunted Real Madrid by insisting he would take over at the Bernabeu only if he was homeless and unemployed.


Lucky 13 for Braves ATLANTA -- The cigars were bigger than ever, the champagne and beer just as cold. The scene in the joyous Atlanta Braves clubhouse showed that winning never gets old.


ICC Champions Trophy final today LONDON: England seeks to cap a successful summer with its first major one-day cricket tournament win when it faces the West Indies in the Champions Trophy final today at the Oval.


LA up 2-1/2 games in West Shawn Green can sit out today knowing he was already a huge help to the Los Angeles Dodgers during their crucial series against San Francisco.


Guess who #39;s still the richest man in America? Bill Gates kept his ranking as the richest person in the United States, boosting his worth to \$48-billion. But investor Warren Buffett has edged closer to the top of the rich list, Forbes magazine said on Friday.


Port Adelaide Beats Brisbane for 1st Australian Football Title Port Adelaide Power beat the Brisbane Lions by 40 points in the Australian Football League grand final to win its first premiership, ending the Lions #39; run of three titles.


Wonder Bread lovers in Canada rejoice: Weston confirms support for <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - Weston Bakeries Ltd. has assured Canadian consumers of Wonder Bread that the product #39;s availability will not be affected by the financial woes of the company that bakes it in the United States.


Spacecraft back in Jeffco Investigation into this month #39;s crash of the Genesis spacecraft entered a new phase last week inside a Jefferson County laboratory.


Throwing thinkerball Martinez is all flamboyance and defiance, black curls hanging out of his red cap, staring down batters, gesturing to his fielders, feeding off the energy of the Fenway Park crowd.


Keegan in awe of Gunners MANCHESTER City boss Kevin Keegan has hailed Premiership record-breakers Arsenal as the best-ever English club side. Keegan was part of the legendary Liverpool side that was just an FA Cup final defeat by


Willingham warns Irish to beware of Washington SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame will feel a little more at home today than the last time it returned from the road. Two weeks ago, the Irish were reeling as they entered the home opener after a season-opening loss at Brigham Young.


Brown #39;s available The Yankees were so encouraged after Kevin Brown threw a bullpen session Friday that they put off announcing their starter for Sunday #39;s game one more day.


More abductions in Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq - Six Egyptian engineers working for the mobile telephone company that provides service to central Iraq have been abducted in the past several days, prompting a company official to warn that the phone network would shut down if its remaining


Envoys head to Iraq to free hostage secure the release of a British engineer taken hostage by Muslim extremists eight days ago. The respected Muslim Council of Britain joined a growing campaign to rescue Kenneth Bigley, 62, originally from Liverpool


Sudan slams UN threats Sudan condemned UN threats of sanctions against Khartoum on Thursday, saying they would only undermine efforts to restore security in the devastated western region of Darfur.


Hepatitis Outbreak Laid to Water and Sewage Failures A virulent form of hepatitis that is especially lethal for pregnant women has broken out in two of Iraq's most troubled districts.


Braves Clinch 13th Straight Division Title ATLANTA - When the Atlanta Braves were six games under .500 in late June, it appeared their streak of division championships would end. Similarly, when the Braves trailed the Florida Marlins in the eighth inning Friday night, it seemed as if they'd have to wait at least one more day to clinch the National League East...


Dopers know heat is on The cleaning staff at the alpine chalet outside Soldier Hollow, the nordic venue for the Salt Lake City Olympics, noticed something odd that the last renters had left behind in February 2002.


Orange Unveils 3G Phones in Long-Delayed Launch Orange unveiled its third-generation (3G) mobile phones in a long-delayed commercial launch, with seven new handset models aimed at its key French


Press Review Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is currently in Brussels for an official visit, yesterday met with European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen to discuss Turkeys EU bid.


West Indies win toss, put England to bat London, September 25: West Indies captain Brian Lara won the toss and opted to field in the ICC Champions Trophy cricket tournament final against England on Saturday.


US Airways asks court to impose 23 percent pay cut ARLINGTON, Va. US Airways chief executive Bruce Lakefield says the airline will ask a bankruptcy judge to impose large temporary pay cuts on its union workers.


Glacier Melt Accelerating, Concern Over Sea Levels Rising In March 2002, a Delaware-size Antarctic Peninsula ice shelf collapsed. Since then, several glaciers in the region have accelerated.


FOOTBALL: THE BEST ON EARTH KEVIN KEEGAN has challenged his resurgent Manchester City side to end Arsenal #39;s unbeaten run today and claim the prized scalp of  quot;the best team in the world quot;.


Lions supporters lick their wounds Brisbane #39;s AFL fans gathered in their thousands all over the city with high hopes the Lions could win their fourth consecutive grand final.


Adds two more hits as Mariners trip up Rangers Ichiro Suzuki passed Ty Cobb on Friday night in his inexorable march to overtake George Sisler. And Raul Ibanez set one Mariners #39; record and tied another in an 8-7 victory over the Rangers.


BYU Hopes to Unseat Boise #39;s Bucking Broncos Friday Playing its first game in Idaho since 1954, BYU faces another non-conference opponent Friday when they travel to Boise to take on No.


Israel Destroys Refugee Homes, Kills One A day after a mortar round killed an Israeli-American woman in a nearby settlement, the Israeli army charged into a Palestinian refugee camp Saturday, killing


Hurricane Jeanne heads towards Florida Hurricane Jeanne, which has killed more than 1,000 people in Haiti, is now heading towards the northern Bahamas and Florida. In Haiti, around 1,200 people are still missing and the UN has said the number of


Brunei Parliament Reopens, But No Talk of Election The monarch of oil-rich Brunei reopened the tiny country #39;s parliament for the first time in 20 years on Saturday, but made no mention of elections and warned his subjects not to get carried away.


Putin, Jiabao discuss bilateral, international issues MOSCOW, September 24 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed satisfaction with the tempo of trade turnover growth between Russia and China.


Confident Customers Could Boost PeopleSoft I went into this week #39;s PeopleSoft Connect user conference expecting to find the shadow of Oracle #39;s hostile takeover bid casting a pall over the proceedings.


US Economy Seen on Solid Footing Orders for US durable goods fell unexpectedly in August but beat forecasts once transportation equipment was stripped out, government data showed on Friday in evidence the economy is again pumping strongly.


Adelaide win Grand Final Underdogs Port Adelaide won their first Australian rules football title, beating Brisbane Lions by 40 points in the Grand Final at the MCG.


Underdog Y. shows signs of life despite narrow loss Only six years ago, all of this was unimaginable. Brigham Young, playing football at Boise State as a three-touchdown underdog. The Broncos, ranked in the Top 25 with ambitions of going unbeaten.


Good feelings at India-Pakistan summit, but road to peace long <b>...</b> NEW DELHI: The leaders of India and Pakistan have brightened South Asia #39;s peace hopes with a feel-good first meeting but skirted away from tough issues such as their half-century old conflict over Kashmir, analysts say.


Russia #39;s Putin defends move to centralize power Russian President Vladimir Putin, responding to international criticism that he #39;s reinstalling an authoritarian government in the Kremlin, insisted yesterday there #39;ll be  quot;no turnabout quot; from a democratic nation, but he said he won #39;t retreat from tough


Four US Marines Killed in Attacks in Iraq Four US Marines were killed in action in Iraq on Friday in three attacks west of Baghdad, the American military said on Saturday. US marines are based in the volatile Anbar province, which


U.S. Airstrike Targets Militants in Falluja  FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. aircraft launched a new  airstrike in the rebel-held city of Falluja on Saturday aimed  at killing supporters of a Jordanian militant who has led a  campaign of suicide bombings and kidnappings in Iraq.


Pro-hunt demo at Hain's home A demonstration by pro-hunt campaigners is being held outside Peter Hain's home in south Wales.


Braves Win NL East; Dodgers Top Giants (AP) AP - The Atlanta Braves celebrated another division title in style. Shawn Green powered Los Angeles past San Francisco in an NL West showdown. Roger Clemens helped the Houston Astros keep pace in the wild-card race with another vintage pitching performance.


Massive Merger of Galaxies is the Most Powerful on Record Scientists have now officially witnessed the perfect cosmic storm. Thanks to the European Space Agency #39;s XMM-Newton observatory, they watched a nearby head-on collision between two galaxy clusters.


Mets battle Cubs on FOX com. Aaron Heilman will continue to state his case for consideration in next season #39;s Mets rotation picture as New York meets the visiting Chicago Cubs for the second game of a three-game weekend series Saturday.


Baseball to Try to Finalize Expos' Move (AP) AP - As far as Washington is concerned, the negotiations with Major League Baseball are essentially done. Now it's a matter of waiting for a 33-year drought to end.


Palestinian attack kills woman in Gaza settlement A Palestinian mortar bomb slammed into a house in a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip on Friday, killing a woman and fueling settler anger over Prime Minister Ariel Sharon #39;s plan to pull Israelis out of the occupied region.


Website claims hostage is dead A POSTING on an Islamic Internet site today said that an al-Qaeda-linked group had killed British hostage Kenneth Bigley. The claim could not immediately be verified, but surfaced on a website usually used


How to Aid Democracy in Ukraine I want to thank The Post for the Sept. 17 editorial  quot;More Straight Talk quot; about the critical events that will take place next month in Ukraine and Belarus.


Koubek Beats Henman, Gives Austria Lead (AP) AP - Austria's Stefan Koubek defeated ATP world No. 4 Tim Henman in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 Saturday to give the hosts a 1-0 lead in the World Group relegation playoff.


Today's schedule Pro baseball: New York Yankees vs. Red Sox at Fenway Park, 7 p.m. College field hockey: Framingham St. at Fitchburg St., 10 a.m.; Bridgewater St. at Worcester St., 10 a.m.; Bryant at Franklin Pierce, 10:30 a.m.; UNew England at Endicott, 11 a.m.; WNEC at Elms, 11 a.m.; Wheaton at Springfield, 11 a.m.; Tufts at Amherst, 11 a.m.; Colby at Trinity, ...


Suffolk plans to lighten load Suffolk Downs must apply to the state commission for 2005 racing dates by Oct. 1, and management intends to seek a schedule similar to this year's, with some modifications.


Roddick applies heater to Belarus Speeding again. But neither caught nor arrested. That was the  quot;Meteor Man, quot; Andy Roddick, burning rubber tennis balls and scorching the green South Carolina pavement of Daniel Island, a remote neighborhood of Charleston, thereby spicing his credentials as the heaviest-handed server in the game.


Lakers to start camp shorthanded Karl Malone's return to the NBA could be months away -- if he comes back at all. The Los Angeles Lakers said yesterday they don't know if the 41-year-old forward will play this season. Malone, who had surgery on his right knee in June, is a free agent and reportedly is being pursued by several teams. The Lakers will also ...


Reheating Big Bang's Leftovers Astronomers say they have found some of the earliest galaxies, which will help to piece together the history of the early universe. Some suspect galaxies took longer to form than previously thought. By John Gartner.


Da Vinci Team Delays Launch A Canadian team vying for the \$10 million X Prize is scrounging for parts, while the heavy favorite, Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne, is ready for a launch next week. By Dan Brekke.


Koubek gives Austria 1-0 lead in Davis Cup playoff Austria #39;s Stefan Koubek defeated ATP world No. 4 Tim Henman in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 Saturday to give the hosts a 1-0 lead in the World Group relegation playoff.


West Indies win toss London - West Indies captain Brian Lara won the toss and put England in to bat in cool, cloudy conditions in the final of the Champions Trophy one-day tournament at the Oval on Saturday.


Oh No, Not Again BOSTONThe stakes were lower and the setting was different. But the rest of the Red Sox eighth inning scenario Friday night at Fenway Park was painfully reminiscent of Game Seven of last years American League Championship Series.


Rewind: Dodgers vs Giants, Game #1 The San Francisco Giants faced long time rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers in tonights game. The Giants hoped to cut down the Dodgers lead in the West by .


Website says Bigley killed An Islamist website which has posted unsubstantiated claims about hostages in the past says that a group led by al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has killed British construction engineer Ken Bigley.


Coup for Lockheed Lockheed Martin won a contract worth up to \$3.27 billion Friday to build a new communications satellite network for the US military, using spacecraft that will be assembled at the firm #39;s huge campus in Sunnyvale.


Jeanne forces mass evacuation Florida - Hurricane Jeanne forced the evacuations of more than 800 000 residents on Saturday as it bore down on Florida with winds near 170 kph and threatened to strengthen into a major storm.


Question about file-name color has a black-and-white answer Q: Any idea why when I open folders in Excel or Word some of the file names are in blue and others are in black? Is it a function of when they were created or in what version of Office they were saved?


Taking the SMS gamble As chief marketing officer of UK mobile phone giant O2, Kent Thexton was in charge of convincing subscribers to gobble up wireless data.


FIRED-UP RUSEDSKI SETS SIGHTS ON MELZER Greg Rusedski expressed his burning desire to end a year of turmoil by leading Great Britain back into the Davis Cup World Group. Rusedski convinced captain Jeremy Bates he deserved the chance to play Austria #39;s


Calgary Sun Kananaskis Country will take on a Tour de France feel Sept. 26 as its perennial champion, Lance Armstrong, leads a swarm of cyclists through the Rockies.


Mussina outduels Pedro as Yanks roll It was about taking care of business, or maybe it was about the Boston Red Sox not -gain. The Yankees didnt play their best game, but because the Red


Major League Baseball News Ichiro Suzuki stroked two more hits Friday night to pass Ty Cobb in his inexorable march to overtake George Sisler. Raul Ibanez reached base five more times


Raiders-Bucs: Blackout lifted The Oakland Raiders needed a 24-hour extension and some behind-the-scenes maneuvering to make it happen, but managed to avoid what would have been the most embarrassing television


Germany backs Turkey in EU bid If the Commission gives a positive judgement on October 6, then the government will come out in favour at the European Union summit in December for the beginning of accession talks, said Bela Anda, a spokesman for the German government.


Iraqi PM asks UN for rebuilding help UNITED NATIONS - Iraqs interim prime minister appealed for a major infusion of foreign troops and international aid to help his country hold elections by January, saying a failure to achieve democracy would be a victory for terrorism.


#39;Sudan foils coup plot #39; Khartoum - Sudan foiled a plot by supporters of jailed Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi to overthrow the government on Friday, hours before they carried it out, the interior ministry said.


NASA Genesis space sample shipped to Calif. lab LOS ANGELES - Scientists in California Friday began examining for the first time samples of solar wind particles collected by the spacecraft Genesis, which crashed earlier this month in the Utah desert when its parachutes failed to open on landing.


Brunei Convenes Legislature After 20 Years (AP) AP - Brunei's absolute ruler convened the tiny oil-rich sultanate's legislature for the first time in two decades Saturday to mull constitutional amendments that are expected to further strengthen his rule.


India-Pakistan peace hopes lifted The leaders of India and Pakistan have revitalised a flagging peace process, analysts say, a day after the two met in New York for their first face-to-face talks.


Price of Oil Rises Despite Loans From US Reserve The price of crude oil rose to a record high yesterday even as the Bush administration agreed to tap the nation #39;s emergency oil stockpile because of supply problems caused by Hurricane Ivan.


Ferrero Win Boosts Spain to 1-1 Vs. France (AP) AP - Juan Carlos Ferrero beat Fabrice Santoro on Saturday 6-3, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 in a match that was suspended the day before due to darkness, and lifted Spain to a 1-1 tie with France in the Davis Cup semifinals.


Hurricanes Blow Economy Off Radar (Reuters) Reuters - Back at the start of the year the\stock market's big players had the October employment report\circled in red.


Lockheed Martin Defends Polish Investment Lockheed Martin Corp. defended itself Friday against criticism it was moving too slowly in investing \$6 billion in Poland - a commitment that helped win the US company an order for 48 F-16 fighter jets over its European competitors.


Browser Wars, Part II? Back in the mid- #39;90s, they called it the Browser Wars: Netscape Navigator vs. Microsoft Internet Explorer. But that score was settled long ago, when America Online ironically bought out Netscape while using IE as its default browser.


Redmond Aims, Fires at Spammers #39; Accomplices Microsoft (Quote, Chart) fired another shot in its war on spam with a lawsuit against a Web hosting company that claimed to help spammers avoid being shut down.


UH professor reports cosmic collision A team of astronomers, whose leader teaches at the University of Hawaii, has observed a head-on collision of two galaxy clusters, in which trillions of stars have been smashed together.


Microsoft urges browser security upgrade - at a cost The software giant will stop offering security upgrades of its troubled Internet Explorer Web browser to users of older Windows operating systems.


Storms bring more misery to Haiti A thunderstorm drenched homeless people living on rooftops and sidewalks in Haiti Saturday, adding to the woes of victims of Tropical Storm Jeanne, who are looting aid trucks and attacking food distribution centers in desperation


Iraq #39;s Oil Ministry hit by explosions Several explosions went off in the Iraqi Oil Ministry compound in central Baghdad on Saturday and witnesses said the explosions were probably caused by a mortar attack.


Pearson to relocate employees to Boston Boston #146;s educational publishing cluster will be growing as Pearson #146;s school publishing group prepares to move 500 employees from Needham to 100,000 square feet of renovated space on the top two floors of the Newbry building at 501 Boylston St. in the Back Bay.


Mass. Electric seeks 10 rate hike Blaming recent run-ups in the prices of natural gas and oil, Massachusetts Electric Co. sought permission yesterday to raise rates by nearly 10 percent for 425,000 of its customers starting in November.


Phase 1 for a city within a city Two modern residential buildings with moderately priced condominiums and an elongated 5-acre park will be built as the first phase of the large NorthPoint project in East Cambridge, the developers said yesterday.


Bay State home prices keep rising at strong pace even as sales ease A drop in the pace of home sales was not enough to keep housing from getting even more expensive across Massachusetts last month.


Alitalia reaches union deal on splitting co-sources ROME: Italy #39;s loss-making Alitalia has reached a deal with eight of nine unions to split the state-controlled airline in two to try to save it from collapse, three union sources said yesterday.


Vaccine Planned for Sheep, Cow Emissions Sept. 22, 2004 - Belching and farting sheep and cattle, blamed by doomsters for driving the planet towards climate catastrophe, may have met their match.


Kuznetsova beats Sharapova in China Open In an all Russian semi-final on Saturday, US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova beat reigning Wimbledon queen Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-2 in the inaugural 585,000 dollar China Open.


#39;Hustle #39; neglects passion for game First, we had Pete Rose betting on baseball. Then we had Pete Rose betting on baseball, the report. Then we had 14 years of Pete Rose denying that he bet on baseball.


Washington needs to stop Notre Dame running game SOUTH BEND, Ind. Notre Dame tailback Darius Walker couldn #39;t help but smile when asked about playing against Washington #39;s suddenly porous defense.


Reporter in palace breach An investigation was launched yesterday after a journalist posing as a surveyor sparked a security scare at the Queen #39;s official residence in Scotland.


Four US Marines killed in Iraq Four US Marines were killed in three separate incidents west of Baghdad, the US military said. The four were assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and were killed Friday while conducting security operations in Anbar province, the military said.


Top Nuclear Scientist Raja Ramanna Is Dead Mumbai, Sept. 24 (NNN):One of India #39;s most eminent nuclear scientists and the scientific mastermind behind the country #39;s first atomic test, Dr Raja Ramanna, passed away in Mumbai early this morning after a cardiac arrest.


Iran Tests 'Strategic Missile' (AP) AP - Iran said Saturday it successfully tested a "strategic missile" and delivered it to its armed forces, state-run radio reported.


Two Huge Galactic Clusters Are Colliding Millions of Light-Years <b>...</b> Astronomers have spotted two monster galactic clusters slamming together in one of the biggest collisions ever recorded. The smash-up poses no danger to Earth -- it is about 800 million light-years away, and


EA guns to become No. 1 Sony supplier Electronic Arts Inc., the top US video-game maker, aims to be the biggest supplier for Sony Corp. #39;s handheld console, expanding its share of the \$2 billion global market for handheld games.


Kuznetsova beats Sharapova in all-Russian semifinal Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova suffered a major defeat by newly US Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova in the  quot;Russian Derby quot; semi-final of the 585,000 US dollars China Open WTA tour here on Saturday.


Lara Proves the Undoing of Flintoff Brian Laras brilliance undermined Englands ICC Champions Trophy victory bid at the Oval this morning. West Indies captain Lara, who earlier won the toss, inflicted a major


Prez shuts down Giants The Dodgers #39; starter limits San Francisco to three hits as Los Angeles opens a 2 1/2-game lead. By Nick Peters -- Bee Staff Writer.


Shell clears Nigeria bases OIL giant Royal Dutch/Shell has evacuated two platforms in Nigerias southern region, following clashes between troops and militia fighters.


VeriSign Touts Childrens' Online Identity Token (Reuters) Reuters - VeriSign Inc.  and a\children's safety group unveiled a new technology on Thursday\that they said would make it easier for children to avoid child\predators online.


Web Retailers Facing Pre-Holiday Changes (Reuters) Reuters - It's a great time to be an\Internet shopper, but the same search technology that is\transforming the Web into a bargain-hunter's paradise is\putting the squeeze on online retailers doling out discounts\and incentives to lure customers.


Turkey back on track for EU membership Turkey #39;s long battle for EU membership was back on track yesterday, after Ankara pledged to press ahead with key reforms and backed down over plans to criminalise adultery.


US Airways seeks court OK of wage and cost cuts US Airways (UAIRQ.OQ: Quote, Profile, Research) has asked a bankruptcy judge to approve temporary wage and other cost cuts from its unions, saying it only has enough cash to survive through January 2005.


Boston Red Sox Team Report - September 25 (Sports Network) - Tim Wakefield hopes to stop a personal three-game losing streak this evening when the Boston Red Sox continue their three-game set with the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.


Prem Preview: Liverpool-Norwich City Anfield is one of the stadiums the players, officials and fans of Norwich dreamed of revisiting as they put their promotion-winning campaign together last season.


Irish identify with must-win Huskies The Notre Dame players have heard them all around campus this week, and theyre not listening to any of it. After all, wasnt it just a couple of weeks ago the same sort of negative


BENITEZ PREPARES FOR BRAZILIANS Rafael Benitez accepts he must plan to stop a Brazilian double act if Liverpool are to emerge unscathed from their European examination in Greece.


Programs: New 'Silent Hill' Is Gruesome and Awesome  PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Reuters) - I hope the tenants at South  Ashfield Heights are getting cheap rents. The place is a mess:  The hallways aren't just filthy, they're splattered with blood.  Bloody handprints mark the walls opposite Room 302, which is  also the source of some verrrry strange noises.


Presidential Debate, Consumer Data Eyed (Reuters) Reuters - The first U.S. presidential debate\next week and a load of data on consumer spending will settle\some questions that have been hanging over U.S. stocks, and\equity strategists and traders say the decreased uncertainty\could draw buyers back to the market.


Funds: Warning Signs for Fund Investors (Reuters) Reuters - Of the more than 8,000 funds\available to investors, some are downright stinkers.\Fortunately, it's usually easy to identify the worst of them.


Kuwait posts 4.8 billion dollar surplus in last fiscal year (AFP) AFP - Oil-rich Kuwait posted an actual surplus of 4.8 billion dollars in the 2003/2004 fiscal year that ended March 31, its fifth consecutive windfall, on the back of high oil prices and output, a specialist report said.


Wal-Mart Holds Sales View (Reuters) Reuters - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. , the\world's largest retailer, said on Saturday it still anticipates\September U.S. sales to be up 2 percent to 4 percent at stores\open at least a year.


Wal-Mart Holds Sales View  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT.N, the  world's largest retailer, said on Saturday it still anticipates  September U.S. sales to be up 2 percent to 4 percent at stores  open at least a year.


Funds: Warning Signs for Fund Investors  PORTLAND, Maine (Reuters) - Of the more than 8,000 funds  available to investors, some are downright stinkers.  Fortunately, it's usually easy to identify the worst of them.


Hedge Funds Ponder New Ways to Make Money  LONDON (Reuters) - Hedge funds, faced with falling profits  and fading opportunities, are pondering fresh ways to make  money, with one new strategy involving trading a company's debt  against its equity, analysts said.


Munder's Cook Keeps Eyes on Net  NEW YORK (Reuters) - About a decade ago, Paul Cook, a  technology officer at Munder Capital, spent so many late nights  at the office studying to become a certified financial analyst  that his wife suspected he was having an affair.


Davis Cup: US lead Belarus The USA took a 1-0 lead in their Davis Cup semi-final tie against Belarus when Andy Roddick defeated Vladimir Voltchkov 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in Charleston, South Carolina on Friday.


Kuznetsova struggles to advance to quarters in China Open US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova overcame a strong effort by Chinese qualifier Li Na and an opposing crowd to reach the quarterfinals of the China Open with a 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-3) victory on Thursday.


Israeli Army Flattens Rows of Houses in Gaza Raid  GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli forces stormed into a Palestinian  refugee camp on Saturday, killing one man and flattening rows  of houses in a growing cycle of violence that threatens to  complicate Israel's plan to withdraw from Gaza.


N.Korea Silent as Japan Raises Missile Issue-Kyodo  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan expressed "serious concern" to  North Korea on Saturday about its reported plan to test-fire a  ballistic missile but the Koreans did not respond, the head of  Japan's delegation at talks in Beijing was quoted as saying.


Arms plan sparks Taiwan protests Thousands take to the streets of Taiwan's capital, Taipei, in protest at plans to buy \$18bn in arms from the US.


Web Posting Claims British Hostage Killed BAGHDAD, Iraq - An Internet posting claimed Saturday that an al-Qaida-linked group has killed British hostage Kenneth Bigley. The claim could not immediately be confirmed, and Britain's Foreign Office described the site where it appeared as "discredited."   Bigley was kidnapped Sept...


Beastie Boys Embark on Traveling 'Pageant' LONG BEACH, Calif. - The members of Beastie Boys are flashing liquor and cash while betting on a street-level parlor game - with a Jewish twist...


Iran Tests 'Strategic Missile' TEHRAN, Iran - Iran said Saturday it successfully tested a "strategic missile" and delivered it to its armed forces, state-run radio reported.    The report did not say whether the missile was the previously announced new version of the Shahab-3 rocket, which already was capable of reaching Israel and U.S...


Williams Advances to China Open Final (AP) AP - Serena Williams overcame problems with her serve to defeat Russia's Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 6-3 Saturday, advancing to the China Open final against U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.


Green #39;s homer lifts Dodgers over Giants SAN FRANCISCO -- Shawn Green can sit out today knowing he was a huge help to the Dodgers during their crucial series against San Francisco.


Anaheim Angels Team Report - September 25 (Sports Network) - Jarrod Washburn tries to put the brakes on a personal three-game losing streak this evening when the Anaheim Angels continue their critical three-game series with the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium.


Russia Crushes Thailand 3-0 to Stay in World Group  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Marat Safin and Mikhail Youzhny trounced  twins Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 in the  doubles to give Russia an insurmountable 3-0 lead over Thailand  in their Davis Cup World Group playoff tie on Saturday.


China Makes Debut as Villeneuve Returns  SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Formula One goes back to the future on  Sunday with former champion Jacques Villeneuve making his race  return in the first grand prix held in China.


Pat Symonds looks at Shanghai strategy The teams and drivers have spent two days learning the Chinese circuit, but there are still plenty of questions ahead of tomorrows race


Pascal Vasselon: Two different approaches According to Michelins F1 chief, the two tyre manufacturers have gone for very different approaches at Shanghai. It could make the race interesting.


Sweden's H and M in talks to buy Portugal's largest retail chain (AFP) AFP - Swedish fashion retailer Hennes and Mauritz is in talks to buy all 35 shops belonging to Macmoda, Portugal's largest clothing retail chain.


Former CA chief indicted; company reaches accord Computer Associates International #39;s former chief executive was indicted on criminal charges related to fraudulent accounting practices, and the company on Wednesday agreed to pay \$225 million to settle with federal prosecutors.


Trescothick Ton Lifts England Marcus Trescothick maintained his consistent form in the ICC Champions Trophy with a century as favourites England totalled 217 against West Indies in todays final at The Oval.


Sharapova comes out a winner in China Open semifinal Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova set up an intriguing semi-final showdown with fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova at the China Open after her opponent Jelena Jankovic retired hurt on Friday with an ankle injury.


Ready or not, UW gets Irish SOUTH BEND, Ind. - This isn #39;ta good sign: Washington players have spent the week saying they #39;re not in awe of Notre Dame, while the Fighting Irish have spent the week saying they #39;re not overlooking the Huskies.


Pakistan must stop terror: PM tells Musharraf NEW YORK: Upbeat over his meeting with President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he did raise the issue of terrorism with him and made it clear that Pakistan has to control the menace as a  quot;pre-condition quot; for moving forward on the


Turkey #39;s EU Bid Back on Course After Damaging Row Turkey #39;s bid to join the European Union was back on course Thursday after Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan backed down in a row with the bloc over attempts to ban adultery in his Muslim nation.


Cabinet pledges anti-terror measures ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Wednesday resolved to take any measures required to eliminate militancy and terrorism in Pakistan and reiterated the governments pledge to defend the countrys sovereignty, integrity and security.


judge strikes down bootleg law A judge has struck down a law which bans the sale of bootleg recordings of live music in the United States. Judge Harold Baer Jr, sitting in New York, dismissed charges against a Manhattan-based record dealer which had been brought under the law.


Chinese firm in talks for Noranda Government-controlled minmetals. Exclusive talks to buy Canadian mining giant that has a market value of \$6.7 billion. Noranda CEO Derek Pannell said he is encouraged by discussions with Minmetals, although


Brookfield Buys Rosslyn, Virginia, Office Tower for \$106 Mln Brookfield Properties Corp., which owns 48 commercial sites including the World Financial Center in New York, bought a 19-story office tower in Rosslyn, Virginia, from Deutsche Immobilien Fonds AG for \$106 million.


Web Site Takes Aim at 'Arms Race of Spin' (AP) AP - Everywhere Duke University graduate student Brendan Nyhan and his partners in the political Web site spinsanity.com look, they see spin.


Rusedski Drags Britain Back into Davis Cup Tie Greg Rusedski produced one of his finest clay-court performances to haul Great Britain level in their Davis Cup clash with Austria in Portschach.


Cricket: Sri Lanka success to inspire Australia in India Test <b>...</b> BOMBAY : Stand-in captain Adam Gilchrist has said Australia will seek inspiration from their success in Sri Lanka as they attempt to win the first Test series in India in more than three decades.


New York Goes Deep, Gets Jump on Detroit The Liberty tied a franchise playoff record with nine three-pointers Friday night in a 75-62 victory over the Detroit Shock in Game 1 of the opening round of the WNBA playoffs.


Well, this really is it for Port faithful AS the roar of their fans swept over the Port players in yesterday #39;s Grand Final parade, the enormity of the occasion finally hit.


Nine Afghan soldiers killed in attacks Suspected Taliban militants have launched a string of attacks on security posts in southern Afghanistan, killing nine soldiers, an official said.


Ape Learning Center Welcoming 'Students' (AP) AP - Azy and Indah are about to go off to school, but they certainly are not ordinary students. They're orangutans, long-limbed, long-haired, bright-eyed primates who will become the first residents of the Great Ape Trust of Iowa, where Rob Shumaker and his associates will study their behavior and learning capabilities.


Tiny Quakes Reported at Mount St. Helens (AP) AP - Hundreds of earthquakes too small to be detected by humans have been reported at Mount St. Helens, but they are probably not a prelude to an eruption, a state seismologist said Friday.


Wal-Mart Holds Sales View for September  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT.N, the  world's largest retailer, said on Saturday it still anticipates  September U.S. sales to be up 2 percent to 4 percent at stores  open at least a year.


Biggest cosmic collision An international team of scientists have discovered a head-on collision of two galaxy clusters, one of the most powerful collisions ever documented, China Radio International reported Saturday.


Late Drogba strike gives Chelsea 1-0 win at Middlesbrough Didier Drogba struck nine minutes from time to give Chelsea a 1-0 win at Middlesbrough that took them to provisional top spot in the Premier League on Saturday.


Ricky still in frame SACHIN Tendulkar yesterday worshipped at the feet of an elephant-headed statue but does not expect his prayers to be answered in time to play Australia next week.


Germany Plans New Camp in Afghanistan Ahead of the next general elections in Afghanistan, Germany #39;s army intends to build a military camp south of Kabul to boost security at the start of the next year, a defense ministry spokesman said Saturday.


Barrichello grabs inaugural pole in Shanghai Shanghai, China (Sports Network) - Rubens Barrichello won the pole for Sunday #39;s Grand Prix of China Formula One race. The No.2 Ferrari driver circled the 3.387-mile, 14-turn Shanghai International Circuit in one minute, 34.


England end at 217/10 London, Sep 25. Put into bat by West Indies captain Brian Lara, England managed to score just 217 with two balls to spare in their allotted overs during their ICC clash here today.


The  #39;gentle #39; doctor of Gah Honest, sincere and a man of integrity - the most common definition for the man whom many call an  #39;accidental politician #39;.


Iraqi PM may receive invite to Australia Prime Minister John Howard says he would consider inviting Iraq #39;s interim Prime Minister to visit Australia. Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi is visiting America, where he has addressed a joint sitting of the United States Congress.


Hurricane Jeanne batters Bahamas The Bahamas are lashed by howling winds and rain as a hurricane roars through the islands on its way to Florida.


Pro-hunt demo ends at Hain's home A demonstration by pro-hunt campaigners outside Peter Hain's home in south Wales comes to a peaceful end.


Hurricane Hits Abaco Island in Bahamas FREEPORT, Bahamas - Hurricane Jeanne lashed the Bahamas with violent winds and torrential rains Saturday, making a direct hit on Abaco island and threatening the country's second-largest city, Freeport. Hundreds of people took refuge in emergency shelters...


Iraq Strikes Kill 8; U.S. Soldier Killed BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. warplanes, tanks and artillery units struck the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah on Saturday, killing at least eight people and wounding 15 in a day that saw new violence across the country...


Lara the man to restore Windies pride and passion Brian Lara, equally sledged and celebrated for the role he has played in West Indian cricket, brought the horns of Brixton to life with a stirring performance against England in the final of the Champions Trophy at the Oval.


No doubts for Mourinho Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho insisted victory over Middlesbrough was never in doubt after Didier Drogba grabbed a winner 10 minutes from time at the Riverside Stadium.


Knocked Down By An Egg: TV Shows Attack On Ukrainian Premier KIEV, (AFP) - Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, who was briefly hospitalized after being knocked down during an election campaign scuffle on Friday, was in fact hit by nothing more dangerous than an egg, according to TV pictures.


Serena Williams, Kuznetsova reach China Open final Serena Williams overcame problems with her serve to defeat Russia #39;s Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 6-3 Saturday, advancing to the China Open final against US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.


Middlesbrough V Chelsea Player Ratings Mark Schwarzer: A commanding presence for Boro throughout but had little chance of stopping Drogbas winning strike. 8. Stuart Parnaby: Solid performance, proved strong in the air


Port storm home for first flag PORT Adelaide claimed its first AFL flag and stopped the Brisbane premiership juggernaut with a stunning upset Grand Final win at the MCG yesterday.


Nervous Clarke awaits Test debut He might long have been hailed as Australian cricket #39;s next big thing, but Michael Clarke knows he will be a nervous wreck if selected to replace Ricky Ponting in Australia #39;s first Test in Bangalore, starting on Wednesday week.