Blair called upon to produce an official record of Iraqi deaths TONY EASTLEY: According to some news agencies, the US military passed a grim milestone this week, with 1,000 American troops killed in combat in Iraq.


YEARENDER: Phelps Shines Brightest on Biggest Stage  SYDNEY (Reuters) - It is lucky for Michael Phelps that he  is blessed with broad shoulders and an arm span like the wings  on a jumbo jet. Not only does it enable him to swim like a fish  but it also helps him to carry the burden of his own great  expectations.


S America to create single market South American leaders are set to create an economic and political bloc modelled on the European Union.


Some Cardholders Fight MNBA's Switch Cardholders have been surprised to find that the MBNA Corporation has switched their accounts from Visa or MasterCard to American Express, MBNA's new partner.


U.S. Board Close to Backing a Bidder for ATA Airlines The federal loan board that was created to oversee an airline industry bailout is about to play a key role in determining the next phase of industry competition.


IBM marks end of an era Two decades after it virtually invented the personal computer industry, IBM yesterday sold out to the Chinese government. The deal, which IBM hopes will leave


Update 5: Tokyo Stocks Mixed, Dollar Up Against Yen Tokyo stocks were mixed early Thursday amid profit taking and buying on the back of the US dollar #39;s strength against the Japanese yen.


Can Thunderbird ride the Firefox wave? The Mozilla Foundation is back at it. Following its recent launch of its Firefox 1.0 browser that ignited heavy interest, the organization this week launched the Thunderbird open-source e-mail client.


Chicken nuggets could save world A bird known by her wing band number, 256, is about to cause a huge flap in genetics, one which could change our understanding of human evolution and bird behaviour and help to prevent another global influenza pandemic.


Liverpool defy odds to secure progress The impossible was merely delayed. An opener from Rivaldo left Liverpool requiring to win by two goals to reach the next phase of the Champions League.


Padres ink Williams, Blum com. The Padres signed two players Wednesday, bringing back right-handed pitcher Woody Williams and adding infielder Geoff Blum. Both are one-year deals with Williams getting an option year in 2006.


Report: Harrison has new deal with Colts Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - The Indianapolis Colts and wide receiver Marvin Harrison have reportedly agreed to a new contract.


Klitschko feels weight of a nation With a laugh Vitali Klitschko admits he will never forget the day he met Danny Williams for the first time, at a bizarre press conference at the Labour Party #39;s Millbank headquarters to publicise a World Boxing Organisation title fight between the


Closing the curtain on a hard life Mr. Charles Jenkins on Tuesday arrived in Sado, Niigata Prefecture, together with his wife Ms. Hitomi Soga, a former abductee to North Korea, and their two daughters after serving a short sentence for desertion from the US Army.


Greek Farmer Finds 2,000-Year-Old Monument (AP) AP - A farmer tending a cotton field in central Greece has uncovered a stone monument marking the spot where the Roman army stopped a major westward offensive more than 2,000 years ago, a Greek archaeological official said Wednesday.


S America creates single market South American leaders create an economic and political bloc modelled on the European Union.


Libraries Reach Out, Online With downloadable books and information portals, the new reading room is anywhere and everywhere.


GDP revised downward to annual 0.2 The economy grew an annualized 0.2 percent in the July-September quarter, not the 0.3 percent stated in the preliminary report last month, the government said Wednesday after tweaking the nation #39;s gross domestic product under a new calculation method.


ATA Airlines gives rivals a shot at Chicago market Bankrupt ATA Airlines #39; withdrawal from Chicago #39;s Midway International Airport presents a juicy opportunity for another airline to beef up service in the Midwest


Altera Guides Lower Midquarter Chipmaker Altera (ALTR:Nasdaq - news - research) lowered fourth-quarter sales guidance after the bell Wednesday, citing a more severe decline in its communications segment.


Sony, Nvidia make PlayStation collaboration official TOKYO - Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) and Nvidia Corp. revealed that they have been collaborating for about two years to develop the graphics engine for SCEI #39;s next-generation game machine powered


Ajax Make UEFA Cup After Bayern Draw Ajax Amsterdam qualified for the UEFA Cup after a 2-2 Champions #39; League Group D draw with Bayern Munich at the Amsterdam ArenA on Wednesday evening.


Williams rejoins Padres rotation CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Free-agent pitcher Woody Williams rejoined the San Diego Padres more than three years after he was traded away.


Infineon To Build Production Plant In Malaysia  gt;IFX NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Infineon Technologies AG (IFX) said it will build a new front-end production plant in Kulim High Tech Park, Malaysia.


IBM-Lenovo Deal Shows China #39;s Growing Might For China, the country #39;s biggest computer supplier buying out a unit of IBM is more than just a business deal. Lenovo Group #39;s decision to purchase IBM #39;s PC group for \$1.75 billion could be


NVidia Will Supply Graphics Chip for New PlayStation NVidia will supply the graphics chip for the successor to the PlayStation 2 games console being developed by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.


European giants dash minnows #39; hopes at the death PARIS (AFP) - Multiple European Cup winners Real Madrid and Liverpool squeezed through to the last 16 of the Champions League after winning their respective final group matches.


Blair rejects tally of Iraq War dead British Prime Minister Tony Blair has rejected calls for an independent commission to calculate the number of civilians killed and injured since the US-led alliance invaded Iraq in March 2003.


Former CEO of China Aviation Oil (Singapore) returns to Singapore Chen Jiulin, former CEO of China Aviation Oil (Singapore) Corp., returned to Singapore on December 8 to help investigate the company #39;s huge-sum losses on derivatives trades.


DVD/HD-DVD Combo Developed December 08, 2004 - Memory-Tech Corp. and Toshiba have announced that they have developed a dual-layer disc that can store both standard DVD and HD-DVD formats, on different layers.


Siemens Claims Wireless Speed Record German vendor develops experimental system that transmits data at 1 Gbps using a new antenna system and OFDM. By Mobile Pipeline News.


Pavano Meets With Seattle Officials (AP) AP - Carl Pavano wrapped up talks Wednesday with the Seattle Mariners and moved on to Anaheim, where he's expected to attend the winter meetings later this week and visit the Angels.


Russia #39;s VimpelCom hit by \$158m claim for back taxes Russian authorities yesterday claimed \$158m (94m) in back taxes from VimpelCom, the country #39;s second-largest mobile phone company, raising fears of new political interference in business.


China Blocks World Meeting on Workers #39; Rights China on Wednesday abruptly blocked a meeting of global union and business leaders scheduled for next week that aimed to press Beijing to do more to protect workers #39; rights.


No. 10 Kentucky Drubs Morehead St. 71-40 (AP) AP - Kelenna Azubuike scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half to lead No. 10 Kentucky past intrastate rival Morehead State 71-40 on Wednesday night, the fewest points scored by the Eagles in 25 years.


Hubble repair mission  #39;exorbitant #39; The Hubble space telescope #39;s chances of survival were dealt a blow yesterday after the US National Academy of Sciences said plans for a robotic repair mission were both exorbitant and risky.


NASA Urged to Scrap Hubble Robot Rescue CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA should use astronauts, not a robot, to carry out a crucial life-prolonging mission to the acclaimed Hubble Space Telescope one last time, a National Academy of Sciences panel concluded Wednesday.


We #39;re closer to knowing why the chicken crossed the road THE enduring mystery of why the chicken really did cross the road has come a step closer to being solved definitively, following a detailed analysis of the birds genetic blueprint.


Chicken Genome Should Boost DNA Research In their first detailed and comprehensive look at the DNA of chickens, scientists have found that 60 percent of the bird #39;s genes have close cousins in humans.


Australia backs Annan against calls for his resignation as UN <b>...</b> Australia on Thursday backed UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan against calls for his resignation over the world body #39;s scandal-plagued oil-for-food program for Iraq.


US arms sale: India to express concern India will express strong concern over United States #39; proposed sale of surveillance aircraft and anti-tank missiles to Pakistan to the visiting US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.


EU wants big cut in North Sea About a fifth of cod fishing grounds in the North Sea would be closed for the whole of next year under draconian proposals by the European commission, published yesterday and designed to replenish seriously depleted stocks.


Fury in Japan as ashes found not to be remains of kidnapped girl NORTH Koreas solemn return of the remains of a 13-year-old Japanese girl they kidnapped decades ago have proved to be a cruel trick, a furious Japan said yesterday.


Nuggets Halt Wizards The Wizards are undone by Andre Miller's season-high 34 points and Denver's running offense in Wednesday's 111-105 loss.


Arrington Practices LaVar Arrington participated in his first practice since Oct. 25, when he aggravated a knee injury that sidelined him for 10 games.


Ravens Look Ahead The uncharacteristic performance of the Ravens' defense is still a touchy subject with linebacker Ray Lewis.


President Blasts Firing Notre Dame's outgoing president criticized the decision to fire Tyrone Willingham after just three seasons, saying he was surprised the coach was not given more time to try to succeed.


ND Stops Indiana Chris Thomas, Chris Quinn and Torin Francis each scored 13 points and Francis had 13 rebounds to lead Notre Dame past Indiana, 55-45.


Illini Could Be the 1 Illinois, off to a 7-0 start entering Thursday's game against Georgetown, felt all along it was the best team in the country.


Cavs Slip Past Furman After their first loss of the season, the 19th-ranked Cavaliers came away with a sluggish 70-67 victory over Furman at Alumni Hall on Wednesday night.


Christians in Egyptian Church Stone Police (AP) AP - Several thousand Christians who packed a cathedral compound in the Egyptian capital hurled stones at riot police Wednesday to protest a woman's alleged forced conversion to Islam. At least 30 people were injured.


Supreme Court challenges lawyer for Rwandan accused of triggering slaughter (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - A Supreme Court justice challenged a lawyer Wednesday who defended his Rwandan client's call in 1992 for the extermination of ethnic Tutsis prior to a bloody genocide in the African country.


Australia to Upgrade Embassy Security (AP) AP - Australia's foreign ministry said Wednesday it will boost security spending at its embassies by  #36;452 million after a terror attack on the U.S. consulate in Saudi Arabia left nine dead earlier this week.


U.S. Warns Iran Against Iraq Interference (AP) AP - The Bush administration cautioned Iran on Wednesday against trying to influence the outcome of Iraq's election, reacting to fears that Tehran is trying to produce a Shiite-dominated Islamic government in Baghdad.


Troops' Queries Leave Rumsfeld on the Defensive Iraq-bound troops complained that they were being sent into combat with insufficient protection and aging equipment.


Lockout in N.H.L. Puts Businesses on the Brink In the many smaller cities that are reliant on hockey to enliven downtowns at night, the loss of a season is a significant blow.


US group raises Kidde offer American engineering group United Technologies (UTC) yesterday moved a step closer to buying fire extinguisher maker Kidde. Kidde confirmed it was planning to open its books to UTC after receiving a revised 165p-a-share offer from the group.


Amazon burning makes Brazil a leading polluter has made the country one of the world #39;s leading polluters, a long-delayed government report shows. up to 30 percent of the planet #39;s animal and plant species.


Pop-up Loophole Opens Browsers to Phishing Attacks Security firm Secunia has warned that most Web browsers are vulnerable to a simple  quot;phishing quot; technique that could make fraudulent content appear genuine.


United Finish Second After Fener Defeat An unfamiliar-looking Manchester United team slumped to their first defeat of this Champions League campaign as Uefa Cup-bound Fenerbahce won 3-0 in Istanbul.


6 Egyptians return back to their families, Azzam is grateful for <b>...</b> The 6 Egyptian students who arrived from Israel, arrived in their houses in the outskirts of Cairo, amid joys and happiness of their families after they had spent one full day of investigations with the Egyptian security and intelligence forces.


Karzai turns to war on drugs and insurgents Freshly installed Afghan Pres-ident Hamid Karzai was gearing up yesterday to address tribal leaders on the need to eliminate this war-ravaged country #39;s booming drug trade, an aide said.


5 Pacers and 5 Fans Are Charged in Fight No Pistons players were charged for the Nov. 19 brawl the brother of Detroit's Ben Wallace, was charged for throwing punches at the Pacers' Fred Jones.


Death toll in Asian quake disaster passes 144,000 (AFP) AFP - The number of people killed in the massive earthquake and tidal waves that hit Indian Ocean shorelines a week ago passed 144,000.


Browser phishing  #39;flaw #39; could hook users com December 8, 2004, 4:50 PM PT. A function built into all major browsers could be co-opted by attackers to fool Web site visitors into surrendering sensitive information, a security firm warned on Wednesday.


Skis Rossignol stock sizzles on Quicksilver (AFP) AFP - Shares in French group Skis Rossignol, the biggest manufacturer of ski equipment in the world, sizzled upwards by 12.66 percent in the first trading session of the New Year followiing a newspaper interview that US sports group Quicksilver was stalking a stake.


Garey Has the Answer Maryland's Jason Garey has the second-highest goal total in the country this season, and could emerge as the key figure in Friday's College Cup semifinal against defending champion Indiana.


Patriots Finally Prevail George Mason's 70-62 over Georgetown has everything a local rivalry should have: wild momentum swings, scrappy play and even a little blood.


Pistons Prevail in OT Richard Hamilton scores six of his 19 points in overtime as Detroit holds off Toronto, 90-86, Wednesday night.


I.B.M. Prepares Substitution for Pensions of New Hires I.B.M. is planning to close its employee pension plan to new employees at the end of the year and give all new workers a 401(k) plan instead.


Amazon's 'morning nightmare' lasts 11 days, and counting Peak-time woes bedevil merchants, customers


Snow to Remain Treasury's Chief, White House Says Treasury Secretary John W. Snow will remain in his job after weeks in which Republicans had talked openly about his impending departure.


Oracle to 'Oversupport' PeopleSoft Customer -Ellison  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Business software maker Oracle  Corp. ORCL.O will do everything it can to support PeopleSoft  Inc. PSFT.O customers, who are vital to the success of  Oracle's proposed \$9.2 billion takeover of PeopleSoft, Oracle  Co-Founder and Chief Executive Larry Ellison said on Wednesday.


HP Pressured to Sell PC Business After IBM Deal  SEATTLE (Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard Co. HPQ.N will be  under pressure to sell its personal computer business after  IBM's decision to sell its PC operations to China's top PC  manufacturer, but analysts said the No. 2 computer maker would  hold on to its \$25 billion PC division for now.


Ex-U.S. Cyber Security Chief Sees Curb on Phishing  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A former White House Web security  chief predicted on Wednesday that technology companies and law  enforcers could soon stamp out most Internet "phishing" scams  that aim to trick people into giving away personal and  financial information.


Chinese Companies Seen Following Lenovo-IBM Lead  NEW YORK (Reuters) - China, already a manufacturing  powerhouse, is flexing its financial muscles as companies based  there snatch up famous-name products from established companies  in the United States and Europe looking to divest low-margin  businesses.


South America Eyes EU-Style Integration  CUZCO, Peru (Reuters) - South American leaders on Wednesday  launched a regional integration pact they said would go beyond  rhetoric and usher in European-style unity, but only half the  future bloc's 12 presidents turned up to sign it.


Sun Plans to Call on Lenovo After IBM Deal-CEO  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Scott McNealy is looking forward  to making an early sales call on Lenovo's new CEO as soon as  the company's \$1.25 billion deal to buy IBM's PC business  closes, the Sun Microsystems CEO said on Wednesday.


Film Industry Sues DVD Jukebox Maker A film industry group has sued a high-end consumer electronics company, claiming its home theater jukebox system makes illegal copies of movie DVDs.


D.C.-Area Video Game Stores Targeted in Piracy Raid Federal authorities raided three Washington, D.C.-area video game stores and arrested two people for modifying video game consoles to play pirated video games, a video game industry group said Wednesday.


Groups Debate Slower Strategy on Gay Rights Gay rights leaders are debating if they should moderate their goals after 11 states approved constitutional amendments prohibiting same-sex marriages.


Pain of War Draws Bead on New York Region Since Nov. 7, 19 servicemen from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have been killed in Iraq.


Senate Approves Intelligence Bill The Senate vote, 89 to 2, ended a debate that began last summer with the release of the final report of the 9/11 panel.


Lenovo acquires IBM #39;s personal computing division Chinese PC vendor Lenovo announced its acquisition of IBM #39;s Personal Computing Division (PCD) for a combination of cash and stock totaling US\$1.25 billion.


Ellison: Oracle Will Ship PeopleSoft #39;s Next-Generation Products SAN FRANCISCOOracle Corp. will complete development and ship the next version of PeopleSoft #39;s flagship enterprise applications even if it ultimately succeeds in buying out its competitor.


Australian Nickel Miner Announces Upgrade Australian mining company WMC Resources Ltd. on Thursday forecast record profits for 2004 and announced plans to return up to 1 billion Australian dollars (US\$761 million; euro570 million) to shareholders


Steering California #39;s Fight on Emissions Fran Pavley, a soft-spoken, retired schoolteacher who went into California politics, probably never thought she would find herself defending the environmental credentials of Gov.


Panel Urges Shuttle Mission to Help Hubble Contradicting NASA policy in a long and bitter debate over science and safety, a panel of the National Academy of Sciences said Wednesday that the


Disney Picks Sony Format for DVD #39;s of Its Films The Walt Disney Company and its home video division, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, said yesterday that they would release films in the next-generation high-definition DVD format being developed


Astronomers Contemplate Icy Volcanoes in Far Places Hundreds of tiny worlds circling beyond Neptune have been thought of as frozen in time, almost unchanged since they formed at the birth of the solar system five billion years ago.


China Bans British Football Computer Game China has banned British computer game Football Manager 2005, saying it violated Chinese law by referring to Taiwan, Hong Kong and other regions claimed by China as separate countries.


5 Pacers and 5 Fans Are Charged in Fight Nearly three weeks after the brawl that left an indelible scar on the NBA, five Indiana Pacers and five Pistons fans were charged Wednesday with misdemeanor assault and battery.


Captain Gerrard Helps Liverpool Overcome Champions League Odds Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said he thought his team was heading out of the Champions League midway through yesterday #39;s match against Olympiakos.


Real Madrid beat Roma Two second-half goals from Luis Figo made sure Real Madrid put a recent bad streak behind them and qualified for the UEFA Champions League #39;s last 16 knockout round.


Redknapp unrepentant about move from Portsmouth to Southampton? <b>...</b> Harry Redknapp shocked Portsmouth two weeks ago by quitting to take a break from soccer. Now those same fans are in a rage _ he #39;s joined the one club they despise.


Juve draw showed Maccabi deserved place in elite - coach Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Nir Klinger said his side fully deserved their place in the Champions League despite finishing bottom of Group C after a 1-1 home draw with Juventus on Wednesday.


Karimi named AFC Player of the Year Iranian striker Ali Karimi was named 2004 Asian Player of the Year on Wednesday at the Asian Football Confederation awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.


No. 10 Kentucky 71, Morehead St. 40 A strong defensive effort helped Kentucky overcome poor shooting against instate rival Morehead State on Wednesday night. Kelenna Azubuike scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half


Iraqis may extend election amid violence Iraq may modify plans for its first free election to give people more time to vote next month, officials said on Wednesday as suicide bombers and gunmen again struck Sunni Muslim towns north and west of the capital.


NATO seeks to boost image in Middle East Middle East. But the results have been patchy, with many in the Arab world regarding it as a. and social reforms in the Middle East and Africa.


Knicks Swat Hornets 86-79 (AP) AP - Stephon Marbury had 22 points and nine assists to help the New York Knicks end a three-game losing streak with an 86-79 victory over New Orleans on Wednesday night, dropping the Hornets to 0-9 at home.


Pistons Stop Raptors 90-86 in Overtime (AP) AP - Richard Hamilton scored six of his 19 points in overtime as the Detroit Pistons held off the Toronto Raptors 90-86 on Wednesday night.


Boston Red Sox Sign Pitcher Matt Mantei (Reuters) Reuters - The World Series Champion Boston\Red Sox have signed relief pitcher Matt Mantei to a one-year\contract worth  #36;750,000.


Boston Red Sox Sign Pitcher Matt Mantei  BOSTON (Sports Network) - The World Series Champion Boston  Red Sox have signed relief pitcher Matt Mantei to a one-year  contract worth \$750,000.


Padres Sign Williams and Blum  ST. LOUIS, Mo., (Sports Network) - San Diego signed pitcher  Woody Williams and infielder Geoff Blum on Wednesday to  one-year, free-agent contracts.


Oracle mixes messages on PeopleSoft support At its user conference on Wednesday, Oracle continued sending mixed messages to PeopleSoft customers concerned about how Oracle will support their products if it succeeds in its \$9.2 billion takeover bid.


Oracle CEO: Centralizing data took 5 years Oracle's recently completed consolidation to a single, global system for enterprise data took five years, Oracle Chief Executive Officer Larry Ellison told OpenWorld attendees Wednesday during his keynote address at Oracle's user conference being held in San Francisco.


Giant Retailer Web Sites Hit With Outages Walmart.com, Amazon.com suffer site performance problems during holiday shopping.


NVidia Will Supply Graphics Chip for New PlayStation PlayStation 3 graphics chip will also be available for Sony digital consumer products.


Gazprom Gets \$10 Bln Loan, Plans Bond, Bankers Say (Update2) OAO Gazprom, the world #39;s biggest natural-gas company, will borrow \$10 billion from six banks led by Deutsche Bank AG to help finance a bid for OAO Yukos Oil Co.


Automakers draw battleline with California Toyota, General Motors and seven other automakers filed suit on Tuesday to block California #39;s new greenhouse gas regulation, which was approved by the state in its final form in September.


Mobile firms sign 'Super 3G' deal NTT DoCoMo, Vodafone and 24 other mobile phone firms and manufacturers join forces to develop the next generation of high-speed networks.


NO NERVES FOR CONFIDENT ALMUNIA Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia insists he can handle the pressure if he keeps his place for Sundays Barclays Premiership showdown with Chelsea.


Gaza Settlers Seek to Keep Communities Residents of some Jewish settlements in the northern Gaza Strip have proposed that their entire communities be moved to locations inside Israel under Prime Minister Ariel


Gazprom board approves Yukos bid MOSCOW (AFP) - The Russian gas giant Gazprom said its board of directors had given its go-ahead for the state-controlled firm to bid for the main production unit of embattled oil group Yukos.


Cheaper flights to Britain VIRGIN Atlantic chairman Sir Richard Branson yesterday promised Australian travellers cheaper flights to Britain and attacked the cosy duopoly of Kangaroo route leaders Qantas Airways Ltd and British Airways.


Cheers Greet Rescuers in Aceh, Children Suffer  BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (Reuters) - U.S. helicopters shuttled  injured refugees, many of them children, out of some of the  worst hit parts of tsunami-devastated Aceh province, even as  reports surfaced of trafficking in orphans from the disaster.


Asia Tech Stocks Weak, Dollar Firm (Reuters) Reuters - Weak tech stocks dragged Asian shares\lower on Thursday, outweighing the positive impact on exporters\of a dollar rebound, and knocking 1.2 percent off Tokyo shares\to threaten the biggest one-day fall since Nov. 22.


Doubts raised about robots fixing Hubble The nation #39;s most prominent science advisers Wednesday urged NASA to send shuttle astronauts instead of robots on a repair mission to the aging Hubble telescope because humans have a substantially greater chance of fixing it.


Scientists Crack Chicken #39;s Genetic Code Scientists have cracked the genetic code of the chicken, showing it shares about 60 percent of its genes with humans and has a common ancestor that lived about 310 million years ago.


Amazon creates greenhouse gas THE burning and deforestation of Brazil #39;s vast Amazon rain forest causes nearly 3 per cent of the world #39;s greenhouse gas emissions, according to a government report released today.


Ministry of Culture bans Premier Manager 2005 Ministry of Culture recently demanded the various cultural departments across the country to ban a kind of computer named Premier Manager 2005, or Soccer Manager 2005.


Knicks swat Hornets 86-79 Stephon Marbury had 22 points and nine assists to help the New York Knicks end a three-game losing streak with an 86-79 victory over New Orleans on Wednesday night, dropping the Hornets to 0-9 at home.


IBM Reassures Workers After Milestone China Deal During an IBM employee meeting here Wednesday, a worker got up and asked a question that perhaps only 10 years ago would have been unthinkable: If he wanted


Auto Makers Sue to Block New California Emission Rule DALLAS -- Auto makers filed suit Tuesday to block California from forcing the companies to make cars and trucks that emit lower levels of global-warming gases.


Hospitals Use Technology to Aid Patients (AP) AP - Lucille Lamarca could feel her heart begin to beat at a worrisome pace as she lay there alone in the intensive care unit at Buffalo General Hospital with a heart condition. Then from a speaker came a reassuring voice.


IceRocket Launches RSS Feed Builder IceRocket Launches RSS Feed Builder\\IceRocket is at it again! The search engine that brought the world a hip alternative to Google along with news, blog, and MoBlog search has just added an excellent tool for web site publishers, an RSS Feed Builder. IceRocket's RSS Builder is an easy to use ...


Google AdSense to Introduce Animated Banner Advertising Google AdSense to Introduce Animated Banner Advertising\\Google has announced a number of changes for their Adsense advertising program that has become the mainstay of many blogs and websites. In what could be considered somewhat contriversial, Google has announced as part of an expansion of its image ad program they will ...


Search Engine Friendly Blog URLs and other Word Tricks Search Engine Friendly Blog URL's and other Word Tricks\\When writing a blog, particularly for the first time, the last thing many bloggers consider is the use of Search Engine Friendly (SEF) Blog URL's. SEF Blog URL's are an important tool for driving traffic to your blog utilising the billions of ...


Blingo Search Engine Offers Prizes To Users Blingo Search Engine Offers Prizes To Users\\Blingo is a new search engine offering users something extra along with their search results. Every time users search on Blingo, they also have a chance to win a prize instantly. Don't confuse Blingo with Plinko, the Price is Right game where we all ...


EffectiveBrand Showcases Travelocity Travel Search Toolbar EffectiveBrand Showcases Travelocity Travel Search Toolbar\\Busy travelers shopping for the right priced flights, hotel rooms, and car rentals have turned to Travelocity on many occassions for their online travel needs. Making Travelocity one of the premier online travel sites - compared with Yahoo Travel and MSN's Expedia. Such popularity in ...


Oracle piles Files, App Server and Collab Suite on users McNealy warns Ellison: 'Beware of our Redmond friends'


For Satellite Radio Fans, Northern Exposure Canadian musicians may get more exposure if satellite radio, with its hundreds of channels, is approved in Canada.


All This, and They Take Pictures, Too What will \$300 buy in a digital camera this year? A comparison of a dozen models to see how much quality (and how many megapixels) you can get.


Giving Gamers Another Window on Their World The newest piece of hardware in the video game wars, the Nintendo DS hand-held console, is out to prove that two is better than one.


Tom Swift's New Camera, Ready for Space and Spies Clifford Ross has invented a camera capable of producing negatives containing 100 times as much data as the average professional digital camera.


Campina and Arla churn up dairy merger Falling milk prices, evaporating European Union subsidies and tougher demands by supermarket chains yesterday nudged two of Europe #39;s leading dairy companies into the biggest merger in the continent #39;s dairy industry.


DreamWorks Animation delays release of Shrek 3 by six months DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., the studio behind the animated hit Shrek 2, said Wednesday that Shrek 3 will be released six months later than previously scheduled as the result in a shift in marketing strategy.


Economy expands, but only marginally The economic growth rate in the July-September period was revised slightly downward from an already weak preliminary report, the government said Wednesday.


UTC makes new offer for Kidde as deadline looms UNITED TECHNOLOGIES (UTC), which has just seven days left to launch a formal bid for Kidde, is likely to ask the Takeover Panel for a deadline extension, after raising its offer by 42 million to 1.39 billion yesterday.


Giving a little bit back Its mid-morning and a cold breeze scuttles leaves and small debris past Kenny Banks as he stands in the shade of Kmarts entrance, ringing his bell.


Supreme Court Limits Trademark Protection By Bloomberg News. The United States Supreme Court limited the scope of federal trademark protection yesterday, saying that rival companies in some cases can use proprietary terms even when that might cause confusion among customers.


Tech Buying Guide: DVD Players and Recorders DVD players: Buying a DVD player shouldn #39;t be a problem these days, but understanding all the features crammed into it may be.


MN to issue high-tech-driver #39;s licenses Minnesota will soon begin issuing new driver #39;s licenses that contain high-tech features to curb counterfeiting, as well as a  quot;status check quot; that will show a driver #39;s immigration status.


Shaq Leads Heat Past Bucks 101-96 (AP) AP - Shaquille O'Neal scored eight of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Miami Heat to a 101-96 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.


Raptors Carter Hurt; Pistons Roll in OT AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Dec. 8 (Ticker) -- Richard Hamilton scored 19 points, including six in overtime, as the Detroit Pistons outlasted the Toronto Raptors, 90-86.


Knicks Swat Hornets 86-79 New York Knicks #39; Stephon Marbury (3) fires over New Orleans Hornets #39; Dan Dickau (2) during the second half in New Orleans Wednesday night, Dec. 8, 2004.


Sands Eyes More Casino-Hotels in Macau (AP) AP - U.S. gaming company Las Vegas Sands Inc. wants to build six more hotels that include some casinos in an area of the southern Chinese gambling enclave of Macau it hopes to model after the Las Vegas Strip.


Singapore growth set to contract Singapore's economy grows by 8.1 in 2004,  as a surge in manufacturing demand drove its best performance since 2000.


Aborigines Accuse Gov't. of Humiliation (AP) AP - The Australian government has been accused of humiliating Aborigines plagued by a blinding infection after offering to provide their community with a gasoline pump if they agreed to make their children wash their faces twice a day.


College Basketball: Kentucky, Virginia Win  LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sports Network) - Kelenna Azubuike poured  in a game-high 21 points, Shagari Alleyne added 11 points and  Kentucky rolled past Morehead State, 71-40, in non-conference  play at Rupp Arena.


Billboard awards honour hitmakers R B stars Usher and Alicia Key  dominate the Billboard Awards in Las Vegas.


Attacks Sabotage Iraq Reconstruction While attacks on U.S. soldiers remain fairly random and opportunistic, insurgent fighters are targeting places that Iraqis rely on for assistance, frustrating politicians, police and U.S. Army officers.


Powell Urges Europe To Reconcile With U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell urged Europeans on Wednesday to put aside their differences with the United States over the Iraq war, arguing that Americans and Europeans have common values and face similar threats that should outweigh the controversies of recent years.


A Rousing Comeback For Home of the Beatles Two decades ago, when this seaport city was mired in a deep and seemingly endless recession, Mike Byrne, a local musician and businessman, sought public funds to help build an exhibition dedicated to Liverpool's most famous native sons, the Beatles.


Gunfire Wounds 14 as Venezuela Street Vendors Riot

 CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan police firingtear gas and shotgun pellets clashed with rioting streetvendors in Caracas on Wednesday and 14 people were treated forgunshot wounds, officials and witnesses said.


Halliburton Focuses on Brazil Project Halliburton Co. has finalized an agreement to resolve outstanding issues with a troublesome project off the coast of Brazil, the company announced Wednesday.


Halliburton Settles Brazil Oil Project

 HOUSTON (Reuters) - Oilfield services company HalliburtonCo. <HAL.N> on Wednesday said its KBR unit had settled alloutstanding issues with state-owned Brazilian oil companyPetrobras over the Barracuda-Caratinga project, which has beenplagued by delays and cost overruns.


Oil chief held over \$550m trading loss China Aviation Oil (Singapore) chief executive Chen Jiulin, who was suspended last week after the company lost about \$550 million (R3.16 billion) trading derivatives, was arrested on his return to Singapore from China, police said yesterday.


Brown to press for  #39;Marshall Plan for Africa #39; Gordon Brown has declared that the creation of a  quot;Marshall Plan for Africa quot; is at the heart of the government #39;s agenda for its presidency of the Group of Eight in 2005, seeking


Oil Prices Rise for Second Day in a Row (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices rose for the second day in\a row on Thursday with an Arctic blast forecast to hit the\United States next week, ramping up demand for heating fuels.


Nikkei Falls as Xilinx Hits Tech Shares (Reuters) Reuters - Japan's Nikkei stock average fell to a\one-week low by midsession on Thursday after some tech issues\were hit by a bearish outlook from U.S. chip maker Xilinx Inc.


Oil Prices Rise for Second Day in a Row  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices rose for the second day in  a row on Thursday with an Arctic blast forecast to hit the  United States next week, ramping up demand for heating fuels.


Nikkei Falls as Xilinx Hits Tech Shares  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei stock average fell to a  one-week low by midsession on Thursday after some tech issues  were hit by a bearish outlook from U.S. chip maker Xilinx Inc.


Dollar Extends Recovery Against Euro, Yen  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar rebounded for a second session  on Thursday as traders and investors took profits on bets  against the U.S. currency before the year draws to a close.


Fannie Mae Settles Case in Mortgage Scam Fannie Mae yesterday agreed to pay the government \$7.5 million to settle a case in which the Justice Department alleged that the giant housing-finance company knowingly accepted proceeds of a mortgage scam.


New DVD Has Dual-Layered Surface (AP) AP - Two Japanese companies said Tuesday they have developed a DVD that can play on both existing machines and the upcoming high-definition players, raising hopes for a smooth transition as more people dump old TV sets for better screens.


Scientists decode chicken DNA The latest creature to have its DNA fully decoded is the chicken. Scientists from 49 countries announce the completion of the International Chicken Genome Sequencing Project today in the science journal Nature.


Oracle, Dell, Intel, and EMC join to develop Megagrid SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--Oracle, Dell, Intel, and EMC are joining forces on a project aimed at combining their core technologies and technical resources to develop an enterprise grid computing


REVIEW: Waterproof IPod Housing All Wet (AP) AP - After you've joined the music revolution and plunked down  #36;250 for an Apple iPod mini, it's easy to become quite protective of the little gizmo.


U.K., Irish Leaders Unveil Peace Package (AP) AP - The British and Irish prime ministers unveiled a sweeping new Northern Ireland peace plan Wednesday that offered solutions to issues  #151; particularly Irish Republican Army disarmament  #151; that have bedeviled negotiations for a decade.


Congress Votes to Free Up E-Rate Funds (Reuters) Reuters - Legislation to free hundreds of\millions of dollars in subsidies for school Internet\connections that had been frozen by a change in accounting\rules won final approval on Wednesday from the U.S. Congress.


UN members give Annan standing ovation in first appearance after <b>...</b> UNITED NATIONS - Secretary General Kofi Annan received a standing ovation Wednesday from diplomats representing the 191 UN member states, a rare public display of support for the beleaguered UN chief following recent calls for his resignation from


Karzai turns attention to Afghanistans drug trade KABUL - Only two days after his inauguration, President Hamid Karzai is already trying to get the message out -- Afghanistan needs to stem its booming drugs trade if the country is going to move forward.


N-capable Hatf-IV test-fired ISLAMABAD, Dec 8: Pakistan successfully test-fired Hatf-IV (Shaheen-I), a nuclear-capable medium-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile, it was officially announced here on Wednesday.


Palestinian presidential candidate says Israeli soldiers beat him RAMALLAH - Palestinian presidential candidate Mustafa Barghouti said on Wednesday that Israeli soldiers had beat him at an army checkpoint south of Jenin in the West Bank.


Worldwide PC Market Is Expected to Grow (AP) AP - The global personal computer market is expected to grow at a modest pace in 2005 as the economic recovery slows, according to a report Wednesday by a market research firm.


Alamosa to Buy AirGate for  #36;392 Million (Reuters) Reuters - Alamosa Holdings Inc.  will\acquire AirGate PCS Inc.  for  #36;392 million in stock\creating the largest Sprint Corp.  wireless affiliate,\the companies said on Wednesday.


McNealy: Sun still strong on Oracle (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - SAN FRANCISCO -- Despite Oracle #8217;s strategic push for Linux- and Intel-based deployments, Sun Microsystems retains its position as the leading platform for Oracle, Sun Chairman and CEO Scott McNealy said Wednesday at the Oracle OpenWorld conference here.


Oracle's Ellison Confident in PeopleSoft (AP) AP - Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison reiterated his determination to prevail in a long-running takeover battle with rival business software maker PeopleSoft Inc., predicting the proposed deal will create a more competitive company with improved customer service.


HP Pressured to Sell PC Business After IBM Deal (Reuters) Reuters - Hewlett-Packard Co.  will be\under pressure to sell its personal computer business after\IBM's decision to sell its PC operations to China's top PC\manufacturer, but analysts said the No. 2 computer maker would\hold on to its  #36;25 billion PC division for now.


Apple pitches music industry on U2-style promos (MacCentral) MacCentral - U2 has been a familiar sight to iTunes Music Store visitors in recent weeks, with the online music store featuring everything from a U2-themed iPod to a digital boxed set of the Irish rock band's recordings. And if Apple has its way, other musical acts will enjoy a similar promotional push as part of an effort to bolster business at the online store, the director of iTunes product marketing told a gathering of music industry executives Wednesday.


Blair Seeks New Global Climate Pact with Bush -Paper (Reuters) Reuters - British Prime Minister Tony Blair is\trying to involve the United States in an new international\treaty on global warming, The Times newspaper said on Thursday.


Pygmy Chimpanzees on Brink of Extinction -WWF (Reuters) Reuters - Pygmy chimpanzees, one of\humanity's closest living relatives, have been pushed to the\brink of extinction in the war-battered Democratic Republic of\Congo, conservation group WWF International said on Thursday.


Astronauts, Not Robots Should Upgrade Hubble-Panel (Reuters) Reuters - Shuttle astronauts would do a better\job of upgrading NASA's aging Hubble Space Telescope than\space-faring robots -- with less risk, astronautical experts\reported on Wednesday.


NASA Urged to Scrap Hubble Robot Rescue (AP) AP - NASA should use astronauts, not a robot, to carry out a crucial life-prolonging mission to the acclaimed Hubble Space Telescope one last time, a National Academy of Sciences panel concluded Wednesday.


Pygmy Chimpanzee May Be Near Extinction (AP) AP - One of man's closest relatives, the pygmy chimpanzee, may be much closer to extinction than previously thought, a conservation group said Thursday.


Chicken Genome Should Boost DNA Research (AP) AP - In their first detailed and comprehensive look at the DNA of chickens, scientists have found that 60 percent of the bird's genes have close cousins in humans. They say such analysis should prove valuable in learning more about the human genome.


Summary: New Drug Fights Breast Cancer (AP) AP - THE REPORT: Doctors are reporting that a new breast cancer drug, Arimidex, and others in its class outperform the tried-and-true tamoxifen at preventing recurrence in older women.


Sox Meet With Martinez Pedro Martinez briefly meets with Red Sox owner John Henry and president Larry Lucchino while passing through the airport.


Alomar Signs With Texas Six-time All-Star catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. agrees to a one-year contract with the Rangers to be a part-time player next season.


The Season's Seesaw of Sales Shoppers expecting big, across-the-board price cuts in the run-up to Christmas may be in for an unpleasant surprise.


Chiron's  Suspension Extended British regulators have extended their suspension of Chiron Corp.'s license to manufacture flu vaccine, jeopardizing the company's ability to sell millions of flu shots in the United States next flu season.


Job Provision Born of Riggs Scandal  Congress's newly passed intelligence  bill contains a provision adopted in response to the Riggs Bank scandal: It requires senior federal bank examiners to wait a year before accepting private-sector jobs with financial institutions they regulated as government employees.


'Retired' Rapper Finds a Job Atop Def Jam Proving yet again that he is the hardest-working retiree in music, the rap megastar Jay-Z has agreed to become the president of Universal Music Group's Def Jam Recordings label.


NBC Gives Martha Stewart an After-Prison Show Martha Stewart will host an hour-long, daily syndicated show with a live audience when she gets out of prison, her company said today.


Top Russian Mobile Operator VimpelCom Handed \$157M Tax Bill Russias Federal Tax Service has presented the countrys second largest mobile operator VimpelCom with tax claims for 2001. The total amount of claims including fines and penalties is 4.4 billion rubles (\$157 million).


NBA Wrap: Timberwolves Rout Sixers by 35 Points (Reuters) Reuters - Eddie Griffin scored a career-high 27\points and Latrell Sprewell returned from suspension to score\24 as Minnesota clobbered the Philadelphia 76ers 119-84 in


Georgias Pollack wins Lombardi Award The schools all-time leader in sacks with 33, the senior defensive end added something even more prestigious to his legacy Wednesday as he was named winner of the Lombardi Award by the Rotary Club of Houston.


Grizzlies 97, Hawks 89 ATLANTA The Memphis Grizzlies beat Atlanta 97-to-89 tonight for their third win in four games under new coach Mike Fratello. Mike Miller and Stromile Swift added 13 points, and Lorenzen Wright and Earl Watson each had eleven for the Grizzlies.


BLAIR PEACE HOPES A HISTORIC deal to end IRA violence forever will be struck, Tony Blair insisted yesterday. The PM remained optimistic after Ulster #39;s politicians failed to come to a landmark agreement.


Nato Holds Key Talks with Israel and Arab States Nato has held unprecedented ministerial talks with Israel and six Arab nations aiming to strengthen ties with friends on the alliances volatile southern and south-eastern flanks.


Soccer: Real, Liverpool Advance in Champions League  LONDON (Reuters) - Former European champions Real Madrid  and Liverpool scored vastly contrasting victories to reach the  knockout round of the Champions League Wednesday.


Search Engine Optimization For Blogs Search Engine Optimization For Blogs  \\Blogging software is really a simple Content Management System (CMS) that easily adds new pages and integrates them into your site's navigational structure and linkage. Blogs and blog posts are naturally search engine friendly because they are text-rich, link-rich, frequently-updated webpages that use stylesheets ...


Campina, Arla agree to merge to form largest dairy cooperative LONDON, December 8 (newratings.com) - European dairy firms, Arla Foods AmbA (ARU.ISE) and Campina BV, have agreed to merge and form the worlds largest farmer owned dairy cooperative.


Sophos declares Netsky-P worst virus of 2004 com December 8, 2004, 9:37 AM PT. Netsky-P tops the list of the worst virus outbreaks in 2004--a year marked with nearly a 52 percent increase in new viruses, according to a report


Ajax make point to grab UEFA slot AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- Ajax Amsterdam qualified for the UEFA Cup after finishing third in Champions League Group C with a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.


Carter injured in Raptors OT loss CBC SPORTS ONLINE - The Toronto Raptors extended the defending NBA champion Detroit Pistons to overtime but to little avail, losing 90-86 and Vince Carter to injury.


No. 16 Minnesota 60, Wis-Green Bay 51 GREEN BAY, Wis. - Janel McCarville had her usual double-double down low, but it was two big outside shots from the guards that made the difference for No.


Differences on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus minor hiccup: Tarigami New Delhi, Dec. 8 (PTI): Terming the differences between India and Pakistan regarding the proposed Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service a  quot;minor hiccup quot;, CPI(M) leader from Jammu and Kashmir Yusuf Tarigami, said he was hopeful of the bus link starting soon.


Shares of PC maker Lenovo slump after IBM deal HONG KONG : Shares in China #39;s largest personal computer-maker Lenovo fell in Hong Kong trade, as they resumed trading after the company #39;s purchase of American IBM #39;s PC-making business.


Colgate-Palmolive cuts back Colgate-Palmolive, the consumer products company, said yesterday that it would close about a third of its factories and cut more than 4,400 jobs over the next four years as part


High Court decants controversial cases over direct shipment of <b>...</b> On Dec. 7, wine became an issue in the halls of the US Supreme Court. Oral arguments were heard in two cases that challenge bans on interstate, direct-to-consumer wine shipments in Michigan and New York, meaning


Oh, Christmas Tree For the past five years, Margaret and Phillip Moore have been making the three-hour drive up from Atlanta to choose and cut their own Christmas tree from Ds Trees, a farm located on Cane Creek in Cullowhee.


South America Eyes EU-Style Integration (Reuters) Reuters - South American leaders on Wednesday\launched a regional integration pact they said would go beyond\rhetoric and usher in European-style unity, but only half the\future bloc's 12 presidents turned up to sign it.


US Special Forces Punished for Iraq Prisoner Abuse (Reuters) Reuters - Four U.S. troops serving on an elite\special operations task force have been disciplined for abusing\prisoners in Iraq, including unauthorized use of Taser\electric-shock weapons, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.


Benitez Laughing All the Way to the Bank Rafael Benitez won a prized reputation in Spain as a lucky manager...and hes certainly brought all that good fortune with him to Liverpool.


Woods give up number one to Vijay Fame is nice. Fame gets you money, women and if you just so happen to be an athlete, your name in video games. Thousands of professional and college athletes around the country participate in these video games


Car Bomb Blast Near Allawi HQ in Baghdad Kills 2  BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters) - A suicide car bomber targeted a  police checkpoint on a road leading to the headquarters of  Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's party in western Baghdad on  Monday, killing at least two people, officials and witnesses  said.


Tsunami Aid Faces Destruction and Possibly Pirates  BANGKOK, Thailand (Reuters) - The massive Asian tsunami  relief operation faces absolute chaos and "a wall of  devastation" in Indonesia as well as the threat of pirates  plundering aid, relief groups struggling to help thousands in  camps said on Monday.


Missile test will not affect dialogue process with India: Pak : Islamabad, Dec 8 : Pakistan said today #39;s test-firing of its nuclear-capable ballistic missile, having a range of 700 km, will not affect the ongoing dialogue process with India and create a tense atmosphere between the two countries.


British court orders release of files in Britain-Indonesia probe (AFP) AFP - A British court has ordered the release of files disclosing payments by a leading British arms company to the daughter of former Indonesian president Suharto, the Guardian newspaper reports.


Australian government offers Aborigines petrol if they wash their children (AFP) AFP - Australia's conservative government has offered to supply a remote Aboriginal township with fuel if parents agreed to wash their children, under a controversial plan to end health problems plaguing indigenous communities.


US Special Forces Punished for Iraq Prisoner Abuse  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Four U.S. troops serving on an elite  special operations task force have been disciplined for abusing  prisoners in Iraq, including unauthorized use of Taser  electric-shock weapons, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.


Twenty Filipinos Found Alive in Rubble After Storm  MANILA (Reuters) - About 20 survivors were found on  Thursday in a building that collapsed 10 days earlier during a  fierce storm and landslides that devastated Real town in the  northern Philippines, a radio station quoted rescuers as  saying.


US and EU hail Ukrainian reforms The US and the EU welcome reforms approved by Ukraine's parliament which pave the way for a new election


Sale of IBM unit doesn #39;t mean ThinkPads will cease to exist This week, IBM said it is selling off most of its PC division to Lenovo, China #39;s No. 1 PC maker. The news is likely to rattle IBM customers - but it may end up benefiting them long term.


Saudi Arabia questions need for Opec action on cutting oil supply CAIRO - Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali Al Naimi said yesterday that world oil stocks were not building too fast and questioned the need for Opec to act on supply with prices still above the groups formal target.


Don #39;t Stop Dealmaking It has been a long and tortured courtship. For years, health-care giant Johnson  amp; Johnson (JNJ ) has held on-again, off-again acquisition talks with medical-device maker Guidant (GDT ). Now Wall Street sources say the companies are talking again.


Campina merger forms largest diary co-operative AMSTERDAM - Dutch diary company Campina announced on Wednesday it would merge with Danish-Swedish firm Arla Foods to create the world #39;s largest farmer-owned diary corporation with an annual turnover of EUR 10 billion.


DreamWorks postpones  #39;Shrek 3 #39; SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- DreamWorks Animation SKG said after the bell Wednesday that it has decided to postpone the release of  quot;Shrek 3 quot; to May 2007 from the original target date of November 2006.


Congress to back aid for Internet schools WASHINGTON -- Congress guaranteed the flow of Internet aid to schools and libraries and provided federal funds to upgrade emergency 911 services for calls from mobile phones in a communications bill approved Wednesday and sent to the president for his


Fannie Mae to forfeit millions WASHINGTON -- In a deal with the government, the mortgage company Fannie Mae has agreed to forfeit \$7.5 million after being accused of accepting money it knew had been lost by a federal agency in a fraud scheme.


South Korea to curb hostile foreign takeover bids (AFP) AFP - South Korea has introduced new rules to help domestic firms protect themselves from hostile takeover bids by foreign investors.


Disney Sides With The Blu-ray Disc Assocation The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) today announced that The Walt Disney Company will become a member of the Board of Directors of the BDA, and will begin releasing content non-exclusively in the Blu-ray Disc format when Blu-ray hardware launches in North


Panel questions hubble mission A leading panel of experts handed NASA #39;s leadership a sharp reproof Wednesday, concluding that the space shuttle should be used to service the Hubble Space Telescope and


The chicken and the genome Scientists have analyzed the genetic makeup of chickens, and it is providing valuable information about how human genes work. Washington University Genome Sequencing Center led a group of international researchers


Enigmatic deep-space object may have a hot secret A giant rock spotted on the fringes of the Solar System has frozen water crystals on its surface, an intriguing discovery that suggests it may harbour volcanic activity, a study says.


Nintendo is shipping more DS game units Nintendo Co. said it is boosting holiday shipments of its new Nintendo DS dual-screen hand-held gaming device to 1.4 million in North America, from the previously announced 1 million, to help alleviate shortages and meet consumer demand for the device.


Cat gets MBA degree in US online scam In an expanding worldwide market of e-learning, an online university in the United States is being sued for allegedly selling bogus degrees, including an MBA degree awarded to a cat.


Mantei #39;s up in bullpen The Red Sox stats, schedule #39; starting rotation still has two significant spots to be addressed, but the bullpen is near completion with the addition of veteran Matt Mantei.


UNDATED: LSU (708). Janel McCarville had 16 points and 12 rebounds to lead Minnesota over previously unbeaten Wisconsin-Green Bay. It was the sixth straight victory for Minnesota (7-1), which got 12 points


Annan gets ovation at UN despite US attack The whiff of scandal has been swirling around the UN for months. But now Kofi Annan himself, the man handpicked by the Americans to lead the organisation seven years ago, is on the ropes.


Japan Extends Iraq Troop Deployment One Year  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan approved an extension of its troop  deployment in Iraq Thursday for up to a year, a decision  opposed by most voters, who want to end the nation's riskiest  military mission since World War II.


Sooners Come Through Kevin Bookout scores all 12 of his points in the second half to lead Oklahoma to a 66-48 victory over Purdue.


Merck Gets a Breather -- for Now The beleaguered drug giant #39;s lowered forecast isn #39;t as bad as Wall Street expected. But investors still await the long-term prognosis.


Orioles Sign Utilityman Gomez to Bolster Bench The Baltimore Orioles strengthened their bench yesterday, signing veteran infielder Chris Gomez to a one-year minor league deal. Gomez, who hit .282 with three home runs last season as a reserve for the Toronto


Three survive 11 days under collapsed building Two adults and a three-year-old girl have been pulled out alive after 11 days buried under a collapsed two-storey building in the Philippines #39; storm-hit town of Real, the local military commander said.


Nikkei at 5-Week Closing Low  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei stock average fell 1.51  percent to a five-week closing low on Thursday as poor  machinery orders data followed sluggish growth figures that  undermined confidence in the economy a day earlier.


Infineon to build a fab in Malaysia to build chips for cars and <b>...</b> Infineon Technologies will build a fab in Kulim High Tech Park, Malaysia, to produce power supply and logic chips used in cars and industrial power applications, the firm announced on December 8. Infineon


Technology ; Oracle to  #39;oversupport #39; PeopleSoft customer - Ellison  quot;(A merged company) will invest more in (business software) applications than Oracle and PeopleSoft could do independently and we #39;ll give SAP a good run, quot; Ellison said.


Stockland Buys Lensworth From Foster #39;s for A\$825 Mln (Update1) Stockland bought the Lensworth property development business from Foster #39;s Group Ltd. for A\$825 million (\$624 million), becoming Australia #39;s biggest residential property developer.


Ukraine's Opposition Sees Path to Victory (Reuters) Reuters - Ukraine's opposition presidential hopeful\Viktor Yushchenko said on Wednesday parliament's vote to root\out cheating in elections opened the way for him to win a\re-run of a rigged poll.


Allen: Baseball must act quickly Sen. George Allen, R-Va., says Major League Baseball needs to move fast to toughen its steroids-testing policy in order to avoid congressional action.


Blair weary but not downhearted A disappointed but determined prime minister said last night he had not given up hope of reaching a lasting settlement in Northern Ireland.


NATO Seeks to Boost Image, Presence in Middle East (Reuters) Reuters - NATO foreign ministers held\unprecedented talks with ministers from Israel and six Arab\states on Wednesday as part of the alliance's bid to improve\its image and ties in the region.


Japan OKs Plan to Keep Troops in Iraq (AP) AP - Japan's Cabinet on Thursday approved a plan to keep Japanese troops in Iraq for another year, the trade minister said.


Nintendo Ups DS Console Shipment Target  TOKYO (Reuters) - Nintendo Co. Ltd. raised its 2004  shipment target for its DS handheld video game device by 40  percent to 2.8 million units on Thursday after many stores in  Japan and the United States sold out in the first week of  sales.


Blair 'pressing US on climate' Tony Blair tries to persuade the US to cut greenhouse gases amid concerns over climate change.


Ballerina Markova is remembered The funeral of one of the last century's greatest known ballerinas, Dame Alicia Markova, is held in Bath.


IBM agreement fuels nation #39;s foreign growth Lenovo Group #39;s takeover of IBM #39;s personal computer business is a giant step in a multibillion-dollar foreign expansion by China, which is buying auto, television and telecommunications companies abroad.


Stockland pays A\$825m for Fosters property unit Fosters, Australias largest beer and wine maker, has been trying to sell Lensworth, aiming to focus on its beverage business.


Dynegy falls on forecast 2005 loss SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) - Shares of energy company Dynegy plunged 10 percent Wednesday after the company slashed its 2004 earnings estimate and warned investors it faces losses that could go as high as \$391 million next year.


An open letter to the Linux community from PalmSource The following is a verbatim copy of a open letter to the Linux community issued by PalmSource. Read on for more information about the new acquisition and FAQs about how PalmSource will use the new resources and the new Palm OS Cobalt version of Linux.


HOW IT WORKS Giving Gamers Another Window on Their World THE newest piece of hardware in the video game wars, the Nintendo DS hand-held console, arrived in stores last month, out to prove that two is better than one, in more ways than one.


ON SOCCER 82,000 empty seats greet Madrid, Roma When Roma and Real Madrid took to the field Wednesday at the 82,000-seat Olympic Stadium in Rome, they walked into an empty stadium.


Talks to resume N. Ireland peace collapses No agreement has been reached in the negotiation between Northern Ireland #39;s Democratic Unionist Party, or DUP and its rival Sinn Fein, to resume peace talks.


Twenty Filipinos Found Alive in Rubble After Storm About 20 Filipinos were found alive in the rubble of a collapsed building on Thursday, 10 days after a fierce storm and landslides devastated several eastern and northern provinces, a radio station reported.


Nikkei Hits 5-Week Closing Low  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei stock average fell 1.51  percent to a five-week closing low on Thursday as poor  machinery orders data followed sluggish growth figures that  undermined confidence in the economy a day earlier.


CSFB Asia Unit Rebounds After Defections  HONG KONG (Reuters) - Credit Suisse First Boston is  targeting Asia for growth while cutting elsewhere, as its  regional team springs back from high-profile defections to  boost its M A and debt financing business.


HP pressured to sell PC business after IBM SEATTLE, DEC 9: Hewlett-Packard Co will be under pressure to sell its personal computer business after IBM #39;s decision to sell its PC operations to China #39;s top PC manufacturer, but analysts said the No 2 computer maker would hold on to its \$25 billion PC


Studios juggle release dates of animated films DreamWorks, Pixar and Disney have each rescheduled high-profile films in ways that could dramatically affect their earnings flow and status in


Auto industry sues over California air plan Carmakers, dealers want to block rule to cut carbon dioxide emissions, saying only the feds can decide fuel economy. By Jeff Plungis / Detroit News Washington Bureau.


IRA Says Disarmament Pictures 'Never Possible' (Reuters) Reuters - The Irish Republican Army said on\Thursday it would never provide photographic proof of\disarmament as demanded by its Northern Ireland Protestant\opponents.


Coulthard tests for Red Bull David Coulthard #39;s Formula One prospects have received a boost with news of a test with the Red Bull team at Jerez in Spain. Coulthard, who has no confirmed seat for 2005 after


NHL players, owners will meet to seek ways to save season The day after a caucus convened in Toronto to brainstorm ways to reinvigorate hockey, the brain trust in charge of the league descends on the game #39;s de facto capital with hopes of reviving the hockey season.


IRA Says Disarmament Pictures 'Never Possible'  BELFAST (Reuters) - The Irish Republican Army said on  Thursday it would never provide photographic proof of  disarmament as demanded by its Northern Ireland Protestant  opponents.


WMC says moves are  #39;business as usual #39; The chief executive of WMC Resources has denied the company #39;s share buyback and the sale of part of its business is designed to undermine a takeover offer from Swiss-based Xstrata.


Australia Stockland Pays A\$825M For Foster #39;s Lensworth-2- SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--Stockland (SGP.AU) said Thursday it will pay A\$825 million, plus working capital of A\$21 million, for Lensworth, the property development business of Foster #39;s Group Ltd.


Merck #39;s stock rises despite cloudy outlook The big drug maker yesterday told Wall Street that the recent withdrawal of its Vioxx painkiller will dampen 2005 earnings even more than previously expected.


OUR OPINION Target #39;s decision to ban The Salvation Army bell ringers from stores has sparked a backlash, according to news reports from around the country.


Automakers Challenge CA CO 2 Regulation in Court As expected, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers has joined a group of automobile dealers in Californias Central Valley to file suit against Californias new regulation of CO 2 emissions.


Sales soar in aerospace industry WASHINGTON -- After three dark years, the sun finally peeked through yesterday at the Aerospace Industries Association #39;s annual year-end review.


Toshiba Develops Dual-Format DVD Toshiba with NEC and Sanyo, are backing the next-generation DVD #39;s called HD-DVD or High-Definition DVD. According to Toshiba and a disc maker, they have developed a dual-layer ROM disc which stores data in


Watch out Outlook, here comes Thunderbird THE Open Source Mozilla Project is on a roll and attracting favourable attention and interest right now. Its Firefox 1.0 browser, officially launched last month, has created enough buzz judging from the number of downloads to date.


Volcanic Activity Possible on Object Beyond Neptune A large planet-like object out in the realm of Pluto shows signs of either a relatively recent collision or perhaps volcanic activity, astronomers said today.


China Bans Video Game for Breach of Sovereignty China, sensitive about issues of national sovereignty, has banned a computer sports game that classifies Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and Tibet as countries and has threatened to fine Web sites that supply the game and net cafes that let


Siemens sets up 1Gbit/s wireless link Siemens has claimed a world first for its transmission of data at a rate of 1Gbit/s over a wireless link. To achieve this rate, which is 20 times faster than today #39;s 50Mbit/s wireless LANs, researchers at


Gritty Sonics roll on SAN ANTONIO -- Antonio Daniels scowled and every muscle in his body seemed steel-cable taut as he walked toward the Sonics #39; bench.


Former US Marine in Iraq tells Canadian board some comrades became <b>...</b> A former US Marine in Iraq, testifying Wednesday at a hearing for an American military deserter seeking asylum in Canada, said several men


Reports: Allawi says Iraq could spread out elections Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi says national elections scheduled for Jan. 30 could be staged over two or three weeks so that the military can protect voters in dangerous places.


Dollar Extends Rebound Against Euro, Yen  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar rebounded for a second session  against the yen and the euro on Thursday as traders and  investors took profits on bets against the U.S. currency before  the year draws to a close.


Computershare Says No Wrongdoing in Probe  MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Computershare Ltd., the world's  largest share registry, said on Thursday a New York division  subpoenaed by U.S. market regulators investigating stock  surveillance firms had not broken any laws.


Oil Prices Rise for Second Day in a Row  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices rose for the second day in  a row on Thursday with an Arctic blast forecast to hit the  United States next week seen ramping up demand for heating  fuels.


Swiss insurer sells UK life unit Swiss Life, Switzerland's largest insurer, sells its UK life assurance business for 205m.


An investing slam-dunk Leslie Alexander has led the kind of life people in the investment world dream about.


Aerospace firms' sales, jobs climb The aerospace industry bounced back this year with record sales and the first upswing in employment in five years as a result of  quot;robust quot; defense spending, according to an industry analysis released yesterday.


Snow to remain Treasury secretary Just days after the Washington rumor mill had John Snow leaving his job as Treasury secretary, President Bush yesterday said Snow was staying on.


Support builds for minimum wage hike Union leaders and advocates for the poor are uniting behind an effort to raise the state's \$6.75-an-hour minimum wage for the first time since 2001 and to tie future increases to the inflation rate, a move that would make Massachusetts only the fourth state in the nation to establish that link.


Drumbeat grows for OPEC cuts The possibility of a cut in OPEC production grew stronger yesterday after the oil minister of Saudi Arabia indicated he was aware of majority sentiment in favor of a reduction.


Merck slashes '05 forecast, citing Vioxx The withdrawal of painkiller Vioxx means Merck  amp; Co. will miss the already diminished expectations of Wall Street analysts for 2005, the drug maker said yesterday.


Growth of global PC market forecast to ease The global personal computer market will grow at a more modest pace in 2005 as the economic recovery slows, according to a report by a market research firm.


Retailers' accuracy high on toy pricing Massachusetts retailers are doing a good job of charging the correct prices for toys, according to a survey released by state regulators that found an accuracy rate of 99.5 percent at eight retailers. The state Division of Standards checked 6,493 toys at 65 stores and found 6,304 of them scanned at the correct price and 189 at an incorrect price. ...


Jury rules for franchisees in Shell trial A federal jury awarded more than \$3 million to eight Massachusetts gas station operators after finding Shell Oil Co. used unfair tactics that were effectively intended to drive them out of business.


SEC probes auditor's link to fund trustees TIAA-CREF, the largest US retirement fund, said the Securities and Exchange Commission is conducting an informal inquiry into a relationship between auditor Ernst  amp; Young LLP and two former fund trustees.


Women's apparel store shifts into high gear ARLINGTON -- Despite a fear of heights and her claim to be  quot;the most unathletic person out there, quot; Becky Carriveau of Medford said she was inspired to sign up for a beginner's indoor rock-climbing class through the Wild Women Outfitters retail store in Arlington as a challenge for the coming year.


Vivendi to Sell 15 Stake in Veolia to Cut Debt (Update2) Vivendi Universal SA, owner of the world #39;s largest music company, said it will sell a 15 percent stake in Veolia Environnement SA to cut debt and focus on its media business.


Aerospace firms #39; sales, jobs climb The aerospace industry bounced back this year with record sales and the first upswing in employment in five years as a result of  quot;robust quot; defense


Ah, the whiff of a very old yolk It is one of the world #39;s oldest questions: Why did the chicken cross the road? It might seem like a  #39;poultry #39; subject to weigh on the minds of hundreds of scientists, but research published yesterday has brought us a little closer to the answer.


Longest-serving astronaut to retire HOUSTON -- The longest-serving astronaut in history, who flew twice to the moon and commanded the first space shuttle mission, has announced his retirement after 42 years at NASA.


Lucent shines a little brighter It #39;s been a good two weeks for Lucent. Just when it looked like the troubled vendor was set to come in behind the pack in the 3G contract race, the carrier jumped ahead with two gigantic contract wins.


Two China Banks Uncover Fake Web Sites (Reuters) Reuters - Two of China's leading banks have\identified fake Web sites in recent days and reported them to\the country's public security organs, bank officials said on\Thursday.


EU sees no lifting of China arms ban The European Union and China agreed to boost relations yesterday, but the EU made clear there can be no early lifting of its 15-year-old


Japan extends troops mission in Iraq Japan #39;s cabinet decided Thursday to extend the Self-Defense Forces #39; (SDF) humanitarian assistance operation in Iraq by one year until Dec. 14, 2005.


UN General Assembly welcomes Annan #39;s call for reform The UN General Assembly has given Secretary-General Kofi Annan a symbolic show of support in the face of calls by some US lawmakers for his resignation.


United States Blanks Mexico 5-0 (AP) AP - The security guards were trying to hustle Mia Hamm off the field, but she was having none of it. Making a U-turn, Hamm headed directly to a group of young fans seated in the stands who were screaming for her autograph.


Lenovo shares slump after IBM deal (AFP) AFP - Shares in China's largest personal computer-maker Lenovo fell in Hong Kong trade, as they resumed trading after the company's purchase of American IBM's PC-making business.


Timely Iraq Vote a Point of Pride (AP) AP - For an administration that likes to make the trains run on time, the Jan. 30 elections scheduled in Iraq are light at the end of a dark and violent tunnel.


Sharon Warns of Snap Elections Without Likud Backing  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon  urged his Likud party on Thursday to vote for a governing  alliance with the Labour Party, warning that failure to do so  would force snap elections and derail his Gaza withdrawal plan.  Internal polls predict victory for Sharon in a crucial ballot  by the rightist Likud's Central Committee on whether to allow  him to open talks with center-left Labour on joining a unity  coalition to shore up his shattered government.


Rivers: It starts with stops Doc Rivers was on the defensive following practice yesterday at The Arena, though purely in a basketball sense, which had nothing to do with the frustrations of Paul Pierce or the ongoing constructive criticism of Gary Payton.


Brady is passing the true test Tom Brady in a slump? It's hard to imagine after a 24-3 win over Baltimore and a 42-15 romp over Cleveland the last two weeks.


Lieber goes to the Phillies Jon Lieber agreed to a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, Al Leiter returned to the Florida Marlins, and Woody Williams went back to the San Diego Padres as major league teams moved quickly to grab starting pitchers yesterday after the first free-agent deadline of the offseason passed.


Free agents offered arbitration Players offered arbitration have until Dec. 19 to either accept or reject. Players who reject arbitration may sign with former club until Jan. 8 (or after May 1).


NHL players to put new offer on table Any hope of saving the NHL season hinges on whether the next proposal by the Players Association stirs serious negotiating.


Knicks snap out of it Stephon Marbury had 22 points and nine assists to help the New York Knicks end a three-game losing streak with an 86-79 victory over New Orleans last night, dropping the Hornets to 0-9 at home.


Creamer already appears to be rising to top She couldn't accept the \$6,000 first-place prize, but no big deal. Paula Creamer had known that going into the tournament. But the free ticket from American Airlines? That was OK -- and quite amusing to the 18-year-old.


Sharon seeks coalition go-ahead Israeli PM Ariel Sharon's Likud party is to  vote on whether to invite the opposition Labour Party into the coalition.


Laptops may damage male fertility Men who use laptop computers may inadvertently be risking their fertility, experts believe.


Chess masters bloom in ancient desert city BEERSHEBA, Israel -- Beersheba is a city of humble origins. Once known as a biblical oasis, it became in its later incarnation a desert backwater.


Reform vote eases crisis in Ukraine KIEV -- The bitter political crisis that has gripped Ukraine for more than two weeks eased dramatically yesterday as parliament overwhelmingly approved a compromise package of laws strengthening safeguards against electoral fraud while weakening presidential powers.


Putin plan to appoint governors is approved MOSCOW -- President Vladimir Putin's plan to end the election of governors by popular vote passed its final hurdle yesterday, when the Russian parliament's upper chamber approved the bill. The law -- part of a package that has been assailed by opposition parties and human rights monitors as an attempt by the Kremlin to strengthen its authority at the expense ...


US consulate attack  JIDDA, Saudi Arabia -- The five men who attacked the US consulate are being vilified by some Saudis as criminals, not lauded as heroes, even though they targeted the offices of a country that remains unpopular among many Arabs.


Brazil a leading world polluter, report says BRASILIA -- Burning of the Amazon and other forests accounts for three quarters of Brazil's greenhouse gas emissions and has made the country one of the leading polluters in the world, a long-delayed government report said yesterday.


N. Korea head purges key official SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Il recently purged his brother-in-law from the government, removing a powerful party official who was thought to be a possible rival to Kim and his sons, South Korean intelligence officials have reported.


4 soldiers disciplined in abuse case WASHINGTON -- At least four members of a special operations task force in Iraq have been disciplined in connection with an investigation of the abuse of prisoners, a Pentagon spokesman said yesterday. In at least one case the violation involved a Taser stun gun.


Federal judge orders soldier back to Iraq WASHINGTON -- A soldier who challenged an Army policy requiring him to serve past the date of his enlistment contract must return for duty in Iraq while his lawsuit is under review, a federal judge ruled yesterday.


Plea to the democratic world: Ukraine needs your support Ukraine needs your support. On Sunday December 26, 2004, a re-vote of the run-off for the Presidential Election in Ukraine is planned.  nbsp;Anyone who is over the age of 18 and a citizen of another country (i.e. other than Ukraine) can become an international observer.  nbsp;(Ukrainian citizens can be local observers)  nbsp;The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC), in cooperation with the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), has organized international election observers for the first two rounds and are now seeking observers for round three.  nbsp;You do not need to be Canadian to register through the UCC, you may be a citizen of any country except Ukraine.  nbsp;You can make a contribution to democracy in Ukraine and spend the most interesting Christmas ever by coming to Ukraine to observe the elections.


Disney Backs Sony's Blu-Ray for New DVD Format  LOS ANGELES/TOKYO (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co. said on  Wednesday it would support the Blu-ray standard for  next-generation DVDs backed by Sony Corp., but kept open its  options for a rival format championed by Toshiba Corp.


IBM Reassures Workers After Milestone Deal IBM will sell its once vaunted personal computer business to Lenovo Group Ltd., the leading computer maker in China.
-The Washington Post


On Local Sites, Everyone's a Journalist Several notable ventures have launched or raised money this year to create local news sites online in which readers contribute all or most of the news.-Leslie Walker


Use Shuttle To Fix Hubble, NASA Is Told The space shuttle should be used to service the Hubble Space Telescope and can do the job  without posing unacceptable risks to the astronauts, NASA's leadership was told Wednesday.-The Washington Post


Filipino Rescuers Pull 4 Storm Survivors (AP) AP - At least four survivors were pulled Thursday from a building that collapsed in mudslides 10 days ago, while the death toll from devastating storms in the Philippines' northeast rose to at least 842, with more than 750 people missing.


Kraft Sells UK Desserts Unit for \$135 Mln  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Kraft Foods Inc. said on Thursday it  has agreed to sell its UK desserts unit to Premier Foods Plc  for \$135 million in a bid to focus on larger-scale businesses.


For Young Armenians, a Promised Land Without Promise An independent Armenia has proved too constricting and its promise too distant for the next generation's ambitions.


The Terminator takes on Detroit Nine automakers, led by Toyota and General Motors, have sued to block California #39;s new greenhouse gas regulation, which would require a 30 percent cut in emissions from cars and trucks sold in the state by 2016.


Ellision: Oracle to  #39;oversupport #39; PeopleSoft customer SAN FRANCISCO - Business software maker Oracle Corp. will do everything it can to support PeopleSoft Inc. customers, who are vital to the success of Oracle #39;s proposed \$9.2 billion takeover of PeopleSoft, Oracle


Target getting bum rap for ending  #39;ringer #39; favoritism Target Corp. is being treated as the Grinch who stole Christmas because it bent its rules to play Santa Claus for Salvation Army bell-ringers for years -- to the tune of about \$9 million a year.


Will Blu-ray Zap a Rival DVD Format? Three major movie studios have signed on for Sony #39;s high-definition technology for the discs. But a competitor has drawn big support, too.


Orange Bowl will showcase four of five Heisman Trophy finalists LOS ANGELES - As Reggie Bush neared the goal line on the first of his two jaw-dropping long-distance touchdowns runs, the University of Southern California game-breaker went airborne.


Japanese Troops Authorised to Stay in Iraq Japans Cabinet today approved a plan to keep Japanese troops in Iraq for another year. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, a vocal supporter of the US-led invasion of Iraq, had argued the dispatch was needed


Barghouti still in PA race Jerusalem Fatah leader Ahmed Ghanem, a close associate of Marwan Barghouti, was appointed with Barghouti #39;s approval to head the jailed Fatah leader #39;s election campaign for PA chairman.


Panel Urges Shuttle Mission to Help Hubble A panel said that NASA should send astronauts to repair the Hubble Space Telescope rather than rely on a robotic device.


Astronomers Contemplate Icy Volcanoes in Far Places A discovery now has some astronomers entertaining visions of icy volcanoes roiling on some of the tiny worlds circling beyond Neptune, at least at one time.


Buying Bowl Tickets Is a Game in Itself Tickets to your favorite bowl game are readily available, for a price.


Report urging manned Hubble mission praised Colorado astronomers hailed a National Academy of Sciences report Wednesday that urges NASA to send shuttle astronauts - not a robot - to save the aging Hubble Space Telescope.


Middle East ; Twenty Filipinos found alive in rubble after storm Middle East News, MANILA, About 20 Filipinos have been found alive in the rubble of a collapsed building, 10 days after a fierce storm and landslides devastated several eastern and northern provinces, a radio station has reported.


#39;Unknowns #39; stirring Palestinian race In an election dominated by a jailed intifada leader and a moderate veteran negotiator who both come from the ruling


Nintendo's DS beats sales target Japanese computer games firm Nintendo raises its sales target for the DS handheld  games console after strong early sales.


Ellison #39;s take on PeopleSoft, datahubs San Francisco  ITWeb, 9 December 2004 - Oracle CEO Larry Ellison has reaffirmed his company #39;s commitment to datahubs and hinted of a merged product line after the PeopleSoft buyout.


Hyatt to Buy AmeriSuites Hotel Chain Hyatt Corp. has agreed to buy the AmeriSuites hotel chain from affiliates of private equity firm The Blackstone Group, Hyatt said on Thursday.


Infineon to Build \$1B Malaysian Fab Infineon Technologies AG today said it would build a new front-end production plant in Kulim High Tech Park, Malaysia, at a cost of \$1 billion.


Premier Delight at buy from Kraft PREMIER FOODS today emerged victorious in the bidding for another slice of British gastronomic history. The owner of Ambrosia creamed rice has.


Oil, chips to crimp stocks Rise in oil prices ahead of OPEC meeting, sales forecasts by 2 chipmakers send futures lower. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Stocks will struggle early Thursday due to another rise in oil prices ahead of Friday #39;s


General Motors to Save \$664 Mln Through European Cuts (Update2) General Motors Corp., the world #39;s biggest carmaker, will save 500 million euros (\$664 million) annually after cutting 11,500 jobs and reorganizing its European division.


Tribune to stop charging for Spanish-language paper The Chicago-based media giant plans to turn Hoy, its Spanish-language daily, into a free newspaper in two of the three cities where it is sold, executives said Wednesday.


Amazon launching DVD rentals The Amazon.co.uk is launching a DVD rental service, the online retailer #39;s first foray into a market that was pioneered by US-based Netflix.


Vioxx Withdrawal to Reduce Merck Earnings The withdrawal of painkiller Vioxx means Merck  amp; Co. will miss the already diminished expectations of Wall Street analysts for 2005, the huge drug maker said Wednesday.


Disney backs Blu-ray Sony has won Disney #39;s support for its Blu-ray Disc (BD) hi-definition video optical format. Disney #39;s home video operation, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, said it will ship  quot;popular new releases and classic


PalmOS Goes Linux PalmSource, the makers of the PalmOS are looking to acquire Chinas MobileSoft. MobileSoft will provide PalmSource with a solid footing in the lucrative Chinese and Asian markets, as well as providing valuable


Pop-ups Spoof Into Your Money The firm has rated the flaw as moderately critical. It demonstrated the flaw on its site, with options for both users who use pop-up blockers and those who don #39;t.


Nintendo President Shrugs Off PSP Following on from the hugely successful launch of the Nintendo DS across America and Japan, Satoru Iwata President Nintendo Co. has today shrugged off the challenge of the impending release of the Sony PSP.


China Bans a New Computer Video Game SHANGHAI, China Dec 9, 2004 - China has banned a new computer game for referring to Taiwan and other regions claimed by China as separate countries.


Space flight pro Young honored for NASA years NASA #39;s most experienced astronaut, John Young, was honored by NASA Tuesday night at the National Air  amp; Space Museum for his 42 years of service as he prepares to retire.


Sun #39;s McNealy talks about open source, Microsoft Get INQ7 breaking news on your Smart mobile phone in the Philippines. Send INQ7 BREAKING to 386. SAN FRANCISCO, California, United States of America -- Months after it surprised the industry by


Amazon Burning Makes Brazil a Leading Polluter Burning of the Amazon and other forests accounts for three quarters of Brazil #39;s greenhouse gas emissions and has made the country one of the world #39;s leading polluters


Lonesome whale #39;s high-pitched voice baffles biologists A LONE whale with a mysterious voice that matches no other species has been discovered roaming the Pacific, it was revealed yesterday.


IBM signs seven-year deal with Lloyds TSB IBM Corp has signed a seven-year deal to manage the voice and data services of London, UK-based financial institution Lloyds TSB. The contract is estimated to be worth \$972.5 million.


NBA players and supporters charged Five memebrs of the National Basketball Association #39;s Indiana Pacers and seven supporters have been charged over the melee that broke out at the end of a nationally televised game against


More Southampton Stories New Southampton manager Harry Redknapp has confirmed coach Kevin Bond will join him at St Mary #39;s. Bond will make the switch from Portsmouth on Thursday and Redknapp #39;s former Pompey assistant Jim Smith could also be joining him.


Becks relieved after Roma win Rome - David Beckham said Real Mardrid had done what they needed to after defeating Roma 3-0 here on Wednesday to book their place in the last 16 of the Champions League.


Last chance for NHL season TORONTO - The public mud slinging and name calling over the National Hockey League lockout fell to a hush Wednesday ahead of the first meeting between the league and its union since the deadlock began three months ago.


Chittagong cleared for second Test The Ministry of External affairs has cleared Chittagong as venue for the second Test between India and Bangladesh after the assesment by the Indian security delegation.


Singh showdown for Tiger For the first time, Tiger Woods will not be the reigning PGA Tour Player of the Year when the Target World Challenge begins on Thursday at Sherwood Country Club in California.


Fergie stands by selection policy Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson insists he has no regrets about fielding a second-string side against Fenerbahce. Sanli Tuncay #39;s second-half hat-trick consigned the Red Devils to a 3-0 defeat in Istanbul


It #39;s a wrap for Hamm and fellow legends On the night that some of the greatest names in women #39;s soccer retired -amm, Foudy, Fawcett  -re was a new one on the US team when it took the field for the second half against Mexico at The Home Depot Center.


British confident of Grand Prix deal Silverstone racing track owners are confident they will reach an agreement with Formula One rights holder Bernie Ecclestone for a British Grand Prix next July.


Leicester keeper set for Gunners recall Taylors one-month loan at the Walkers Stadium is set to end shortly and Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is keen to bring him back to Highbury to battle for the goalkeeping jersey with Jens Lehmann and Manuel Almunia.


Multi-faceted Duncan is NBA #39;s best So here #39;s this guy, Tim Duncan, who #39;s got credentials galore - including six All-Star game appearances, five All-NBA citations, three MVPs, two gold rings, and probably even a partridge in a pear tree.


Tyson arrested for damaging car Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after he allegedly jumped on to the bonnet of a car.


SuperSonics Top Spurs 102-96 (AP) AP - Ray Allen scored 29 points, including a pair of 3-pointers late in the game, as the Seattle SuperSonics ended San Antonio's 21-game home winning streak with a 102-96 victory over the Spurs on Wednesday night.


Texans Want No Part of Manning's History (AP) AP - The Houston Texans were plenty embarrassed when Peyton Manning threw five touchdown passes against them in a 35-point rout.


US Defense Secretary Says Military Ties With India Will Strengthen US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has paid a visit to the Indian capital New Delhi for discussions on how to improve military relations between the two nations.


Four pulled from Philippines rubble after ten days Rescuers in the Philippines today pulled at least four survivors from a building that collapsed in mudslides ten days ago. The four survived by drinking  quot;any kind of liquid that


EU Could Lift Arms Embargo on China by Next Year The European Union Wednesday held out the prospect of lifting a 15-year-old arms embargo on China, possibly by next year. Washington firmly opposes


Group Criticizes Coleman For Calling On Annan To Resign A left-leaning Minneapolis think tank says Senator Norm Coleman was, quote,  quot;reckless, quot; unquote, by calling for United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to resign.


Contentious race for power Cars circle the roundabout in the center of Ramallah in no particular order, and groups of young Palestinian men hang out on a steel structure in the middle.


South American leaders vow to create an EU-styled political union With the European experience in their minds, South American leaders meet this week in Cuzco, the millenarian capital city of the Inca #39;s Empire in Peru, in an attempt to set the basis of the political unification of the continent and speed up the


Furious Japan seeks action against NKorea for lying about <b>...</b> TOKYO : Japan is enraged at North Korea for allegedly lying about the deaths of two of its citziens the Stalinist state kidnapped, with commentators warning the deception has set back the chances of reconcilation with the outside world.


Kremlin targets another oligarch Alarm in Russian markets yesterday at the authorities #39; \$158m tax demand from Vimpelcom, the mobile operator, underlines nervousness after the assault on Yukos.


Hyatt to buy AmeriSuites, consolidate holdings LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Hyatt Corp. said it will buy the 143-unit AmeriSuites hotel chain from The Blackstone Group for an undisclosed sum and will consolidate all of the Pritzker family #39;s hospitality holdings into one company called Global Hyatt.


Infineon to Invest \$1 Billion in Malaysian Factory (Update4) Infineon Technologies AG, Europe #39;s second-largest maker of semiconductors, plans to invest about \$1 billion in a new factory in Malaysia to expand its automotive chip business and be closer to customers in the region.


UPDATE: Australia #39;s WMC Ups Stakes In Xstrata Battle PERTH (Dow Jones)--Trying to derail Xstrata Plc. #39;s (XTA.LN) hostile takeover bid, WMC Resources Ltd. (WMR.AU) Thursday said it will return up to A\$1 billion to shareholders


Shrek 3 Moved To 2007 Dreamworks Pictures has announced they will delay the release of Shrek 3 from November 2006 to May 2007.  quot;We believe there are more than a half a dozen strong release windows available annually


DPI buys CSX terminal business for 1.15 bn dollars DUBAI (AFP) - Dubai Ports International (DPI), a leading world port operator, announced it had acquired the international terminal business conducted by CSX World Terminals (CSXWT) for 1.15 billion dollars.


Many states altering rules on insurance Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the Northridge earthquake in 1994 were two watershed natural disasters that prompted significant changes in homeowners #39; insurance.


Scientists pluck the details from chicken-genetics map In a step forward for biology and agriculture, scientists yesterday unveiled the first, detailed analysis of the genetic blueprint of the chicken - revealing few surprises, but suggesting


Mozilla launched Thunderbird 1.0 On Mozilla web site you can find the newest version of the e-mail client Thunderbird 1.0. Mozilla expects this software to be more competitive than Microsofts Outlook Express.


Sun Plans to Call on Lenovo After IBM Deal-CEO Scott McNealy is looking forward to making an early sales call on Lenovo #39;s new CEO as soon as the company #39;s \$1.25 billion deal to buy IBM #39;s PC business closes, the Sun Microsystems CEO said on Wednesday.


Trojan programme exploits anti-spam sentiment Chennai, Dec.9: An alert for a data-stealing Trojan horse programme that installs itself on computers by offering to fight spam has been sounded on the Internet, the New Scientist news service reported today.


Singh on top of the world, and he got there quietly THOUSAND OAKS -- Anonymity is only a problem if you want it to be, and it is obvious Vijay Singh doesn #39;t want it to be. Let others chase fame.


SPORT * RUSSIA * FRANCE * FOOTBALL * CSKA PARIS/MOSCOW, December 8 (RIA Novosti #39;s sports analyst Mikhail Smirnov) - Footballers of the Moscow Central Army Sports Club (CSKA) had their last and best game of the season in Paris, confidently outplaying local PSG (Paris Saint-Germain).


US areas lag behind in keeping up with races BEAVER CREEK, Colo. -- As the World Cup rolls on to Europe after its brief moment of glory in North America, one can't help but remember when New England hosted such events, last put on by Tommy Corcoran at Waterville Valley.


BU's Bourque finds himself in select company On Monday morning, when Chris Bourque glanced at his cellphone to see his coach was calling, he had a good idea of what Jack Parker was going to tell him. That day, USA Hockey was informing 10 players that they had been selected to represent their country at the 10-team World Junior Championship later this month in Grand Forks, N.D.


ND's president speaks his mind A turbulent situation at Notre Dame became even more stormy yesterday when outgoing president Rev. Edward Malloy, speaking at a panel discussion in New York, criticized the school's decision to fire football coach Tyrone Willingham last week.


Infineon to invest \$1bn in Malaysia to produce chips for cars LONDON, December 9 (newratings.com) - Infineon Technologies (IFX.ETR) announced yesterday its plans to invest about \$1 billion in Malaysia to build a factory to manufacture chips used in cars and industrial power applications.


Oil, Dollar, Chips to Weigh on Wall St. A rise in crude oil prices for a second day, a stalled recovery in the dollar and a crop of warnings in the chip sector were set to push Wall Street lower at Thursday #39;s opening.


#39;Shrek 3 #39; Hibernating Until  #39;07 DreamWorks Animation Studios said Wednesday it would postpone the release of  quot;Shrek 3 quot; to May 2007 from November 2006. The announcement came a day after


Dubai Ports International Buys CSX #39;s Ports Dubai Ports International is buying the foreign port operations of US railroad company CSX Corp. for \$1.15 billion in cash, the companies announced Thursday.


Vivendi to Sell 15 Stake in Veolia to Reduce Debt (Update3) Vivendi Universal SA, owner of the world #39;s largest music company, plans to sell a 15 percent stake in Veolia Environnement SA to cut debt and focus on media and mobile-phone businesses.


Merck slashes  #39;05 forecast, citing Vioxx The withdrawal of painkiller Vioxx means Merck  amp; Co. will miss the already diminished expectations of Wall Street analysts for 2005, the drug maker said yesterday.


BC doubles up Fordham Basketball games are most often decided by a crucial run, but last night was simply a runaway as the Boston College women's team routed Fordham, 82-40, before a crowd of 630 at Conte Forum.


Washington pursues O'Brien for vacancy The courtship of Boston College football coach Tom O'Brien moved east yesterday when University of Washington athletic director Todd Turner and president Mark Emmert flew east and met with O'Brien.