Munch Theft Focuses on Museum Security OSLO, Norway - The brazen daylight theft of Edvard Munch's renowned masterpiece "The Scream" left Norway's police scrambling for clues and stirred a debate across Europe over how to protect art if thieves are willing to use deadly force to take it.    Some expressed fears that works of art are in increasing danger from violent raids - unless, as Norway's deputy culture minister put it, "we lock them in a mountain bunker."   Armed, masked robbers stormed into Oslo's Munch Museum in broad daylight on Sunday, threatening an employee with a gun and terrifying patrons before they made off with a version of Munch's famous painting "The Scream" and another of his masterpieces, "Madonna."   A day after the theft and despite many tips, police said they have no suspects, no trace of the paintings and no theory on a motive...


The Next Chapter for Toys  quot;R quot; Us Category killers don #39;t usually exit gracefully from the markets they establish. By revolutionizing the toy industry and driving every mom-and-pop store off the face of the earth


UPDATE 1-Oil troublesome but recovery intact -Fed #39;s McTeer Record oil prices are creating headwinds for the US economy but do not place its recovery at risk, Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Robert McTeer said on Monday.


Virus alert: Spies prize webcams #39; eyes A new worm has been discovered in the wild that #39;s not just settling for invading users #39; PCs--it wants to invade their homes, too.


Broadcaster Sues EDS Over CRM Contract AUGUST 23, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - The UK #39;s largest satellite TV broadcaster sued Electronic Data Systems Corp. last week over a \$109 million CRM development contract that was signed in late 2000 and then terminated two years ago.


P2P Networks Score Legal Victory Against Studios File-sharing applications Morpheus and Grokster were claiming legal victory after a US court said it was not responsible for protecting the copyrights of material swapped on its person-to-person network.


MSN music vs iTunes p2pnet.net News:- It isn #39;t much, but it #39;s all there is - for the corporate e-music community anyway. Real world music lovers swap and share music online in their billions - quite literally - as they wait for


May-Walsh beat McPeak-Youngs in Olympic semis The all-American matchup at the Olympic beach volleyball semifinals turned out to be no match at all. Top-ranked Misty May and Kerri Walsh made friendly rivals Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs scramble for every


Judge: No Iraq abuse photos ban A military judge at a pre-trial hearing in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal has denied a motion to suppress as evidence the photographs that first brought attention to it.


Scientists Focus on Algae in Maine Lake (AP) AP - Scientists would kill possibly thousands of white perch under a project to help restore the ecological balance of East Pond in the Belgrade chain of lakes in central Maine.


Shifting Channel May Benefit Lighthouse (AP) AP - A shifting channel eroding the end of a beach may be helping the threatened Morris Island Lighthouse.


Pakistan Won't Let Militants Disrupt Afghan Poll  ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf  promised visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday that  Pakistan would not allow Islamic militants to use Pakistani  soil to disrupt Afghanistan's October elections.


Straw to press Sudan over Darfur UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw arrives in Khartoum to discuss the problem of refugee security in the troubled region.


Virus alert: Spies prize webcams' eyes Rbot worm doesn't just tap your hard drive--it uses your camera to watch you.


Cisco beefs up broadband offering Networking giant buys start-up P-Cube, a maker of software for controlling, monitoring and billing for IP services.


Windows XP SP2 respite to end After a nine-day postponement, Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday plans to start pushing out Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) to PCs running Windows XP Professional Edition.


Lessons from Google IPO The recently concluded IPO by Google, the Internets most popular search engine, generated more buzz than usual for several reasons.


UPDATE 4-El Paso sees \$2.7 bln drop in oil, gas asset value El Paso Corp. (EP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday disclosed the full damage from its drastic cut in reserves earlier this year, saying


Flaws and a Delay for XP SP2 Just one day after Microsoft delayed the delivery of its Windows XP Service Pack 2 (XP SP2) update for the Professional Edition, a German research firm announced the discovery of two security flaws in the application.


Fat-reducing microwave unveiled Eyeing up that juicy steak but worried about your waistline? Japanese electronics maker Sharp Corp. said it has developed a new fat-busting microwave oven that can melt some of your worries away.


Yes, even if South Korea did not file a protest during the event 2) Do you believe the South Korean team #39;s assertion that they were told to file a protest after the meet? 3) Should videotape be used to review possible scoring errors?


Reciprocal Link Scams Reciprocal Link Scams\ \Reciprocal link scams are on the rise. It is no secret that most search engines count the quantity and quality of incoming links to a website when deciding how to rank it. In fact some give weight to the ratio of incoming links versus outbound links. This ...


Students Follow the Music to Apple Laptops Jefferson Graham writes for USA Today,  #147;Apple #146;s trendy iPod digital music player, which has revitalized the company, is giving laptop sales a boost during back-to-school season. Many students, after falling in love with the iPod, are packing for college with new Apple Macintosh computers. #148; Aug 23


Eagles Bring Back Dorsey Levens (Reuters) Reuters - Dorsey Levens has found\employment for the 2004 season after the veteran running back\signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on\Monday.


Boeing deal makes skies friendly for WiFi users (AFP) AFP - The Boeing Company's Connexion unit has teamed up with iPass Inc. to offer in-flight Wi-Fi access so "road warriors" can go online at 30,000 feet, the companies said in a joint statement.


Stanley Cup Disappears in Airport Mishap (AP) AP - The Stanley Cup spent Sunday night in luggage limbo.


Pakistan won't let militants disrupt Afghan poll (Reuters) Reuters - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf promised visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday that Pakistan would not allow Islamic militants to use Pakistani soil to disrupt Afghanistan's October elections.


Cisco to spend 200 million dollars for Internet phone firm (AFP) AFP - Internet networking giant Cisco Systems agreed to acquire closely held Internet protocol service provider P-Cube for 200 million dollars in cash and options.


U.S. Grabs the Gold in Softball  ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States softball team came  into Athens on a simple mission -- take home their third  straight gold medal or call the trip to the Olympics a failure.


El Paso Sees \$2.7 Bln Drop in Assets  NEW YORK/HOUSTON (Reuters) - El Paso Corp. EP.N on Monday  disclosed the full damage from its drastic cut in reserves  earlier this year, saying a long-awaited restatement will slash  the value of its oil and gas assets by \$2.7 billion.


Eagles Bring Back Dorsey Levens  PHILADELPHIA (Sports Network) - Dorsey Levens has found  employment for the 2004 season after the veteran running back  signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on  Monday.


Dollar Rallies on Oil Drop, Awaits Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar climbed across the board on  Monday, drawing support from a retreat in oil prices and hopes  that U.S. economic reports this week would provide positive  surprises.


Fed President Calls Oil Troublesome Record oil prices are creating headwinds for the U.S. economy but do not place its recovery at risk, Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Robert McTeer said on Monday.


Unions Protest New Overtime Regulations Several hundred union members marched outside the Labor Department to protest new overtime pay regulations taking effect Monday, with two senators pledging to roll them back when Congress returns from recess.


Eyeing a Discount on Hastings The multimedia entertainment retailer doubles earnings despite poor book sales and video rentals.


California's Casino Boom Deals with Native American tribes boost further expansion of gaming in the state.


GMA admits RP in fiscal crisis President Arroyo acknowledged for the first time yesterday that the Philippines is in a  quot;fiscal crisis quot; and urged the public to prepare for  quot;pain, quot; as economists warned of debt default within three years.


HBOS complains about Santander #39;s takeover bid for Abbey National LONDON, August 23 (New Ratings) - HBOS Plc (HB7.ETR) is reportedly planning on complaining to the European Commission about the continuing cross-shareholdings between Banco Santander Central Hispano (BSCH) and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBOS), despite the


Wal-Mart cuts August forecast In a potentially troubling development for retailers, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. warned Monday that sluggish back-to-school sales and the damage inflicted on Florida #39;s west coast by Hurricane Charley


Intel Seen Readying New Wi-Fi Chips (Reuters) Reuters - Intel Corp. (INTC.O) this week is\expected to introduce a chip that adds support for a relatively\obscure version of Wi-Fi, analysts said on Monday, in a move\that could help ease congestion on wireless networks.


Boeing Adds iPass to Wi-Fi Service (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Now that its in-flight Wi-Fi service is off the ground, Boeing (NYSE: BA) has hooked up with enterprise wireless-broadband access provider iPass to draw more customers to the aircraft manufacturer's Connexion offering.


Gateway Computers To Be Sold through Micro Center (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Computer manufacturer Gateway has added Micro Center to the list of retailers selling its new line of retail notebooks, desktops and monitors.


Oracle To Begin Monthly Patch Release (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) will start releasing patches for its software applications on a regular monthly schedule, the company says.


FedEx Boosts Profit Forecast, Stock Jumps  NEW YORK (Reuters) - FedEx Corp. FDX.N on Monday raised  its earnings forecasts, citing strong demand in several of its  businesses despite concerns about the slowing growth in the  U.S. economy.


Intel Seen Readying New Wi-Fi Chips  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp. INTC.O this week is  expected to introduce a chip that adds support for a relatively  obscure version of Wi-Fi, analysts said on Monday, in a move  that could help ease congestion on wireless networks.


Ex-Rebel Group Pulls Out of Congo Government  GOMA, Congo (Reuters) - Former rebels in the Democratic  Republic of Congo pulled out of a power-sharing government on  Monday, dealing a major blow to the peace process in a country  emerging from civil war.


Wariner Leads U.S. Sweep of 400 Meters Jeremy Wariner kept alive U.S. tradition in the 400 meters, winning gold Monday night and leading an American sweep of the medals.


Bush Denounces Ads by Outside Groups CRAWFORD, Texas - President Bush on Monday denounced campaign commercials aired by outside groups, including an ad that accuses John Kerry of lying about his combat record in Vietnam.   "That ad and every other ad" run by such groups have no place in the campaign, Bush said when asked about the commercial sponsored by Swift Boat Veterans For Truth that has roiled the race for the White House...


Abu Ghraib Soldier Admits to Some Charges HAGERSTOWN, Md. - The highest-ranking Army reservist charged with abusing Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison said Monday he will plead guilty to some offenses because "what I did was a violation of law."   Staff Sgt...


U.S. Increases Pressure on Najaf Rebels NAJAF, Iraq - U.S. tanks and snipers took up positions near the revered Imam Ali Shrine and engaged in fierce battles with militants Monday as the U.S...


Santander To Cut 3,000 Jobs at Abbey Spanish Bank Santander Central Hispano intends to cut about 3,000 jobs at Britain #39;s Abbey National if its proposed acquisition of the British bank is completed.


Eyeing a Discount on Hastings Wouldn #39;t it be great if someone could combine Barnes  amp; Noble (NYSE: BKS), GameStop (NYSE: GME), Blockbuster (NYSE: BBI), and Trans World Entertainment #39;s (Nasdaq: TWMC) FYE music?


Southwest to cut 88 flights Southwest Airlines of Dallas said Monday it will eliminate 88 scheduled flights to free up planes for more profitable routes. The discount carrier said the schedule change should


S amp;P upgrades India currency rating outlook INTERNATIONAL rating agency, Standard and Poor #39;s (S amp;P) has upgraded India #39;s BB #39; long-term foreign currency rating outlook to  quot;positive quot; from stable.


Truckers #39; strike to continue NO SOLUTION YET: The Revenue Secretary, Ms Vineeta Rai, with Mr JM Saksena (2nd from left), Secretary General, All-India Motor Transport Congress, and other transport operators at a meeting in the Capital on Monday.


Cisco Systems to acquire P-Cube Cisco Systems Inc. of San Jose, Calif., Monday acquired privately held P-Cube Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif. P-Cube develops service control platforms, which help service providers


Macromedia Releases Flex Builder When Macromedia #39;s Flex was released, the company noted that it reflected the emergence of a push toward services-oriented architectures (SOAs), which resulted in applications that are


Morpheus Wins Legal Victory The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on August 19th that Grokster and StreamCast could not be held responsible for copyright infringement, because they exercised no control over the


Exhausted Massu rallies past Fish to claim gold Doing everything he could to buy time and beat exhaustion, Chile #39;s Nicolas Massu got past American Mardy Fish 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in an error-filled Olympics men #39;s singles tennis final last night that lasted four hours.


Russians deny Everton bid Boris Zingarevich #39;s company have denied the Russian millionaire #39;s son is planning to invest 20m in Everton.  quot;Anton is a student at business school, he has not yet finished, quot; said Svyatoslav Bychkov, a spokesman for Ilim Pulp, Zingarevich #39;s company.


Andy Gray on Arsenal Arsenal are one game away from history - and Andy Gray will be hoping they make it. The Sky Sports pundit told viewers of his new Last Word slot that Arsene Wenger #39;s side deserved to be remembered as the best this country has ever seen.


Judge Urges US to Speed Abu Ghraib Case MANNHEIM, Germany Aug. 23, 2004 - An Army reservist charged with abusing Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison said Monday he will plead guilty to some offenses, acknowledging he broke the law and saying he accepts responsibility for his actions.


N. Korea calls Bush  #39;political imbecile #39; A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman described US President George Bush as an political imbecile, the BBC reported Monday. The unidentified spokesman made the remarks to the KCNA state news agency, adding


Iraqis risk death to bury the dead Fighting between the US and Sadr #39;s militia continued Monday, but families still arrive in Najaf for burials. By Scott Baldauf  Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor.


Intel Seen Readying New Wi-Fi Chips  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp. INTC.O this week is  expected to introduce a chip that adds support for a relatively  obscure version of Wi-Fi, analysts said on Monday, in a move  that could help ease congestion on wireless networks.


Intel Seen Readying New Wi-Fi Chips This Week  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp. INTC.O this week is  expected to introduce a chip that adds support for a relatively  obscure version of Wi-Fi, analysts said on Monday, in a move  that could help ease congestion on wireless networks.


Some Twists in Music Piracy Lawsuits A woman in Milwaukee and her ex-boyfriend are under orders to pay thousands to the recording industry. A man in California refinanced his home to pay an \$11,000 settlement. A year after it began, the industry's legal campaign against Internet music piracy is inching through the federal courts, producing some unexpected twists.


Briefly: HP inks deal with energy firm roundup Plus: Holiday Inn welcomes Priceline...More colleges get cheap online music...Glitches hit some EarthLink-hosted sites...More money for fuel cells.


HP inks deal with Finnish energy firm Eventually, the computing giant will support data center, servers and workstations for all of Fortum's operations worldwide.


Bush, Kerry camps spar over new overtime pay rules (AFP) AFP - New rules governing overtime pay kicked in, sparking a politically charged debate over the impact of the new regulations on US workers.


Phillipines in Fiscal Crisis, May Face Economic Collapse President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said Monday that she is studying the feasibility of declaring a state of economic crisis to ease pressure on public finances.


A New \$3Bln Tax Claim Looms Over Yukos Reports of a new tax claim dealt a blow to Yukos on Monday, as the embattled oil major announced it would cut this year #39;s oil output forecast and defer certain tax payments because of a lack of cash.


FedEx Boosts Profit Forecast, Stock Jumps FedEx Corp. (FDX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday raised its earnings forecasts, citing strong demand in several of its businesses despite concerns about the slowing growth in the US economy.


Trucking Firm Takes a Tumble Less-than-truckload shipping specialist SCS Transportation (Nasdaq: SCST) has found itself in unwanted territory -- the largest Nasdaq percentage loser.


Kmart/Home Depot close the deal Kmart and Home Depot have finalized the terms of their deal which will see the sale of 18 Kmart stores to the home-improvement super chain for \$271 million in cash.


Stocks Open Slightly Higher as Oil Eases US stocks showed small gains at the open on Monday as easing oil prices alleviated investors #39; worry about the effect of higher fuel costs on corporations and consumers.


Boeing deal makes skies friendly for WiFi users CHICAGO : The Boeing Company #39;s Connexion unit has teamed up with iPass Inc. to offer in-flight Wi-Fi access so  quot;road warriors quot; can go online at 30,000 feet, the companies said in a joint statement.


Postal Service to use SAP SAP America Inc. won a \$35 million contract to replace the US Postal Service #39;s 25-year-old human resources software. The contract covers \$14 million in license and maintenance fees for the MySAP Business Suite


== Wariner #39;s gold leads US to sweep in men #39;s 400 meters === Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - American Jeremy Wariner led the United States to a sweep of the medals in the men #39;s 400 meter sprint Monday night at the Olympics.


Sports Fund Denies Zingarevich in Bid for Everton The Fortress Sports Fund, set up to acquire a 40 percent stake in English soccer club Everton for \$36.4 million, said Monday that neither Russian pulp magnate Boris Zingarevich nor his son Anton had invested money in the fund.


Hungary #39;s Fazekas breaks Olympic record to win discus gold Hungary #39;s Robert Fazekas won the discus with an Olympic-record toss of 232 feet, 8 inches (70.93 meters) on Monday, beating the past two gold medalists.


Security upgrade for airports EIGHT north-west airports will be issued with passenger screening equipment to boost security at regional airports, as part of a \$48 million package announced by the Federal Government yesterday.


Celebs Aiding Anti-Bush Web Campaign (AP) AP - "Bourne Supremacy" star Matt Damon, "Lost in Translation" actress Scarlett Johansson and other celebrity artists are donating their talents  #151; not just their cash  #151; to an online effort to unseat President Bush.


Berlusconi visit to Libya to proceed despite Islamist threats (AFP) AFP - No changes are being made to the programme for Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's visit to Libya this week despite Islamist threats, Italian government sources said.


Blue Chips End Lower, Wal-Mart Weighs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blue chips ended lower on Monday  after a disappointing sales forecast from the world's biggest  retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT.N, overshadowed a two-day  pullback in oil prices.


Can 2 Wrongs Make Cingular Right? One lousy wireless service provider buys another. It might not be all bad, though.


New Overtime Rules are in Effect WASHINGTON - New federal overtime rules are in effect today, stripping overtime rights from some workers and granting them to others.


Update 8: Wal-Mart Lowers Sales Forecast for August Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world #39;s largest retailer, lowered its sales forecast for August, citing slow back-to-school sales and the effects of Hurricane Charley.


Cisco Grabs P-Cube for \$200 Million Cisco will pay approximately \$200 million in cash and options. The acquisition of P-Cube is subject to various standard closing conditions and is expected to close in the first quarter of Cisco #39;s fiscal year 2005.


Intel lops Pentium 4 prices Intel dropped prices on a range of Pentium 4 processors by up to 35 percent on Sunday. The fastest version of the chip, the 3.6GHz Pentium 4 560, dropped by 35 percent from \$637 to \$417.


McMann loses in finals as US women #39;s wrestlers settle for two <b>...</b> For five minutes, Sara McMann wrestled well enough to get a gold medal. For one final minute, she didn #39;t. That left a tearful McMann with the silver, and at least four years for the only American finalist


May/Walsh advance to gold-medal match Elaine Youngs and three-time Olympian Holly McPeak entered the semifinal of the Olympic beach volleyball tournament with a 0-13 record against compatriots Misty May and Kerri Walsh dating back to Sept.


Washington #39;s recipe for lawlessness The Palestinians have taken a double hit this week with the news that Washington has quietly softened its opposition to growth in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and Israel #39;s announcement of plans to build 530 new settler homes in the


Kadyrov #39;s Birthday Celebrated Russian and Chechen officials commemorated the birthday of slain Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov on Monday, six days before an election to replace him as leader of the republic.


Deepest Image of Exploded Star Uncovers Bipolar Jets Chandra X-Ray Observatory -- A spectacular new image of Cassiopeia A from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory released today has nearly 200 times more data than the "First Light" Chandra image of this object made five years ago. The new image reveals clues that the initial explosion caused by the collapse of a massive star was far more complicated than suspected...


Kraft Foods Orders Up Healthier Array of Snacks By DAVE CARPENTER    NORTHFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- These are the times that try cookie makers' sales...


Googles Googly Despite Wall Streets carping in recent weeks and having landed in trouble (for failing to register as many as \$3 billion worth of shares), Googles young founders have landed on their feet.


Oil Prices Cool As Iraqi Crude Flows World oil prices fell Monday on easing supply fears, as crude exports from Iraq #39;s southern pipelines resumed close to normal levels, analysts said.


A Primer on Stagflation What happened to the economic recovery? The economy is supposed to be creating more jobs than are being revealed in the monthly non-farm payroll reports.


Longaberger reduces layoff plans to 784 The Longaberger Co. is reducing the size of a planned layoff to 784 employees, down from its July estimate of 970. The Newark-based basket maker said the jobs will end Sept.


Cisco pays \$200 million for software IP developer P-Cube LONDON - The shopping spree continues at Cisco Systems Inc., which said Monday (Aug. 23) it would buy privately-held P-Cube Inc., a developer of IP service platforms.


iPass Adds In-Flight Access To Portfolio Communications aggregator iPass said Monday that it is adding in-flight Internet access to its access portfolio. Specifically, iPass said it will add access offered by Connexion by Boeing to its list of access providers.


Macromedia offers Flex Builder SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 23 - Macromedia has introduced a new addition to the Flex product line, Flex Builder, a product designed to accelerate all aspects of rich Internet application development including interface


New Worm Hijacks Webcams A new worm can spy on users by hijacking their Web cameras, a security firm warned Monday. The Rbot.gr worm -- the latest in a long line of similar worms; one security firm estimates that more


Pilots to pluck space capsule from air The Genesis space capsule carrying solar wind particles will be plucked from nearly a mile above the Utah desert by stunt helicopter pilots whove replicated the retrieval, without fumbles, in nearly a dozen practice runs.


Judge warns US government to speed up Abu Ghraib probe MANNHEIM, GERMANY - A military judge hearing evidence about the abuse of prisoners at Iraq #39;s Abu Ghraib prison warned the US government on Monday to speed up its investigation or risk derailing the case against at least one of the accused soldiers.


Equatorial Guinea Prosecutor Wants Death For S. African  #39;mercenary <b>...</b> MALABO, Aug 23 (AFP) - Equatorial Guinea #39;s attorney general said Monday he will call for the death penalty for South African Nick Du Toit, accused of leading a group of alleged mercenaries who plotted to oust President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.


German bank customers victims of Internet fraud (AFP) AFP - German banks Postbank and Deutsche Bank said that their customers had been recent victims of Internet fraud via copycat web sites.


Amcor ousts CEO in cartel scandal 07/12/2004 - Amcor, the worlds top manufacturer of plastic bottles, has ousted its chief executive after former staff in Australia were suspected of being involved in an illegal operation to drive up box prices.


Head of Danish festival jury calls for pan-European distribution firms (AFP) AFP - Oscar-winning Hungarian director and head of Copenhagen's second international film festival jury Istvan Szabo called for the creation of several pan-European distribution companies that could help break Hollywood's hegemony in Europe.


Cards' Eldred Likes Relief Pitching Role (AP) AP - Over time, Cal Eldred has learned to embrace the bullpen.


Winnipeg couple charged with kidnapping, sexually assaulting niece, 12 (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - WINNIPEG (CP) - A 12-year-old girl is trying to recover from a six-month nightmare during which police say the child's aunt and common-law husband drugged her, sexually assaulted her and threatened to kill her if she reported the abuse.


Olympics Wrap: U.S. Sweeps 400m, Holmes Wins Gold  ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States swept the Olympic  medals in the men's 400 meters Monday and Briton Kelly Holmes  ended years of frustration to beat friend and foe Maria Mutola  in the women's 800 meters.


N.Y. Touts Its Convention Security (AP) AP - The pileup of events in the city next week, including the Republican National Convention, will add to the security challenge for the New York Police Department, but commissioner Ray Kelly says, "With a big, experienced police force, we can do it."


SAS Says 2.5M Passengers Flew in November Scandinavian Airlines, which is part of travel conglomerate SAS AB, said Tuesday it flew 2.5 million passengers last month, an increase of 1.6 percent compared to November 2003.


Peterson's Ex-Mistress Cross-Examined REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - Scott Peterson's former mistress Amber Frey took the witness stand Monday for her much anticipated cross-examination by Peterson's lawyer, who began with a little kidding around...


Study: 1 in 3 Adults Has Hypertension DALLAS - As Americans get older and fatter, the number of adults with high blood pressure has climbed to almost one in three over the past decade, putting more people at risk of a stroke, heart attack or kidney failure, government researchers said Monday.    A little more than a decade ago, the number was closer to one in four...


Oil rebounds above \$47 Oil prices rebounded quickly from a brief fall late last week as fierce fighting in the Iraqi city of Najaf overshadowed Iraq #39;s resumption of full exports following a two-week disruption.


Union: US Air Talks with Pilots Break Off Talks between US Airways (UAIR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and the airline #39;s pilots union over a new round of concessions broke down on Monday, the union said.


Sun Is Closer Than We Thought The solar particles are sealed inside the Genesis sample return capsule, a disk about the size of a truck tire, that will drift toward Earth #39;s surface beneath a parachute.


Olympic Track Wrap: Holmes Ends Mutola #39;s Dream Briton Kelly Holmes extinguished training partner Maria Mutola #39;s dream of consecutive Olympic titles Monday with an agonizingly close win in the women #39;s 800 meters final.


Russians deny interest in Everton Russian timber tycoon Boris Zingarevich #39;s company denied on Monday reports that he or his 23-year-old son was bidding for Premier League club Everton.


Sorry Sonia Trails in Last Sonia OSullivan, who claimed silver for Ireland in Sydney four years ago, struggled home in last place in the 5,000m final in Athens tonight.


Death demanded for South African  #39;mercenary #39; in E Guinea coup bid MALABO : The prosecutor in the case of South African alleged mercenary leader Nick du Toit, who has admitted a limited role in a coup bid in Equatorial Guinea, called for him to be sentenced to death.


Blue Chips Slip as Wal-Mart Disappoints  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blue chips ended lower on Monday  as a disappointing sales forecast from Wal-Mart Stores Inc.  WMT.N cast a pall over sentiment, overshadowing a two-session  pullback in oil prices.


Flames' Kiprusoff Wins Arbitration Case (AP) AP - Calgary Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff was awarded  #36;2.95 million in arbitration Monday for the upcoming season.


Cude Oil Prices Flat Crude oil prices were flat Monday, after briefly touching \$49 a barrel Friday, amid a spate of record contract highs. The benchmark US crude added 2 cents to \$47.


Financial markets KAREN TSO: Brokers have upgraded their recommendations for Woolworths after the company reported a 13 per cent jump in net profit for the year, to \$688 million.


Blue Chips End Lower, Wal-Mart Weighs US blue chips ended lower on Monday after a disappointing sales forecast from the world #39;s biggest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.


Google #39;s IPO: Success or failure? After all the sound and fury about the initial public offering of on-line search kingpin Google Inc. - a decidedly bumpy process filled with gaffes, and accompanied by oceans of commentary -nvestors are left with two major questions.


Amcast sells aluminum castings business to Park-Ohio Amcast Industrial Corp. has sold its Automotive Components Group, including its operations in Cedarburg, to Park-Ohio Holdings Corp.


US dollar moves in tight range against major currencies in Asian <b>...</b> SINGAPORE : The US dollar moved in a narrow range against the yen and euro in Asia on Monday as investors awaited US economic data and a speech by Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan later this week.


Kmart sells 18 stores to Home Depot Discount retailer Kmart Holding Corp. Monday announced that it finalized a transaction to sell 18 stores to Home Depot Inc. for \$271 million in cash.


Macromedia Ships Flex Development Tool Macromedia Monday shipped Flex Builder, an integrated development environment (IDE) for Web applications built on the company #39;s XML-based Flex application platform.


New Worm Hijacks Webcams A new worm can spy on users by hijacking their Web cameras, a security firm warned Monday. The Rbot.gr worm -- the latest in a long line of similar worms; one security firm estimates that more than 4,000 variations


US Online Retail Sales Expected To Double In Six Years Online retail sales in the US are expected to double by 2010, accounting for 12 percent of the total retail sales, a market research firm said Monday.


USC  #39;s First 2004 Olympic Medalist Athens, Greece - USC senior Otis Harris became the school #39;s first 2004 Olympic Medalist today as he won the silver in the men #39;s 400m.


City: Cubs Ballpark Is OK To Play Chicago #39;s Buildings Commission is letting baseball take place as scheduled Monday night at Wrigley Field. The commission says inspectors found  quot;no evidence of shoddy repairs quot; at the Cubs #39; ballpark.


Captive American Journalist Freed in Iraq An aide to rebel Iraqi Shi #39;ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr says an American journalist kidnapped in Iraq more than a week ago has been freed.


Sun partners for high-speed Ethernet Sun Microsystems will integrate drivers for S2io #39;s Xframe 10 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter into the Solaris operating system for Sparc, AMD Opteron, and Intel Xeon servers.


Norwegian police hunt for motive, robbers in Munch art theft (AFP) AFP - Norwegian police hunting for two world-famous paintings by artist Edvard Munch, stolen at the weekend in the country's first-ever armed museum robbery, said they had no clue what the thieves were going to do with their priceless bounty.


Ex-Hornets Executive Sentenced for Fraud (AP) AP - Spencer Stolpen, former president of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets, was sentenced to 15 months in prison Monday for scheming to defraud banks to pay off his mounting debts.


Witnesses: U.S. Warplanes Bomb Fallujah (AP) AP - U.S. warplanes bombed the volatile city of Fallujah early Tuesday, and flames and plumes of smoke rose from its southern neighborhoods, witnesses said. The U.S. military had no immediate comment.


Air India case: roommate of Crown star witness forgets previous testimony (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - VANCOUVER (CP) - The former roommate of a star Crown witness became the latest in a number of defence witnesses for an accused Air India bomber who has had trouble remembering things.


Layton says he and Martin agree they must co-operate in House (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - NDP Leader Jack Layton says he and Prime Minister Paul Martin agree they must co-operate to make Parliament work this fall. Layton and Conservative Leader Stephen Harper each met privately Monday with Martin, the same day the Liberals began their annual summer caucus.


Negative Attacks Often Prove Effective (AP) AP - While politicians decry negative advertising and personal attacks, the bottom line is that such tactics often work.


GOP Convention a Stage for George Pataki (AP) AP - When George Pataki welcomes thousands of Republican stalwarts to their national convention in New York City, more than a few will be sizing up the three-term New York governor as a national party leader.


U.S. Airways Pilots Say Labor Talks Break Down Talks between US Airways Group Inc. and the union representing pilots have broken down, the Air Line Pilots Association said Monday.


Study Shows 1 in 3 Adults Has Hypertension By JAMIE STENGLE    DALLAS (AP) -- As Americans get older and fatter, the number of adults with high blood pressure has climbed to almost one in three over the past decade, putting more people at risk of a stroke, heart attack or kidney failure, government researchers said Monday.    A little more than a decade ago, the number was closer to one in four...


Briefly: Friendster hires ex-AOL ad exec roundup Plus: HP inks deal with energy firm...Holiday Inn welcomes Priceline...More colleges get cheap online music.


Virus targets 64-bit Windows Digital pest prototype infects files only found in early Windows code for AMD 64-bit Opteron processors.


U.S. Forest Service to cut IT jobs The U.S. Forest Service is cutting the equivalent of 500 full-time IT jobs as part of a reorganization of its IT department.


Intel seen readying new Wi-Fi chips In a briefing later this week, Intel is expected to announce the availability of a "tri-mode" Wi-Fi chip that supports the 802.11b wireless standard and its speedier cousin, 802.11g -- as well as the less-used 802.11a.


SAP to deliver HR upgrade for U.S. Postal Service The U.S. Postal Service is about to get a \$35 million Web-based human resources application makeover, based on the mySAP Business Suite from applications vendor SAP AG.


Windows XP SP2 rollout to resume Wednesday After a nine-day postponement, Microsoft on Wednesday plans to start pushing out Windows XP Service Pack 2 to PCs running Windows XP Professional Edition.


Cartel inquiry claims Amcor chief The boss of Australian packaging company Amcor quits his post amid a growing scandal over allegations of price-fixing.


Big German banks hit by phishing attacks Two of Germany's biggest banks, Postbank and Deutsche Bank, were the targets of coordinated phishing attacks last week.


HP to manage IT for Finnish energy giant Finnish energy giant Fortum Corp. has signed a five-year agreement with Hewlett-Packard to manage its IT infrastructure and support about 10,000 users across Europe.


Cisco, Microsoft merge IP telephony with CRM Cisco Systems plans to offer a tool to help small and medium-size businesses use Microsoft CRM software in combination with a Cisco IP communication system.


Sun partners for high-speed Ethernet Sun Microsystems will integrate drivers for S2io's Xframe 10 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter into the Solaris operating system for Sparc, AMD Opteron, and Intel Xeon servers. In addition, S2io will partner with Sun to develop a TCP/IP offload engine with remote direct memory access functionality to enhance performance and scalability in intense computer and server environments.


Colgate Plans to Cut About 4,400 Jobs Colgate-Palmolive, which makes consumer products including Ajax detergent and Irish Spring soap, plans to cut its work force by about 4,400 jobs as part of a restructuring plan aimed at boosting its sales and profits around the world.


New Web Site Helps Compare Gasoline Prices By MICHAEL RUBINKAM     PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Hate it when you fill 'er up and, five minutes later, spot another station selling gas for a nickel a gallon cheaper?    Jason Toews, a 30-year-old computer programmer from the Minneapolis suburbs, hated it even more when he couldn't find an easy way to shop around.    "I even tried calling up some of the stations to find out what their prices are and they usually didn't like to tell you over the phone," he said...


Some Strange Twists in Music Piracy Lawsuits By TED BRIDIS    WASHINGTON (AP) -- A woman in Milwaukee and her ex-boyfriend are under orders to pay thousands to the recording industry. A man in California refinanced his home to pay an \$11,000 settlement...


Los Angeles Imposes Regulations on Cybercafes LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A new city law designed to prevent violence at cybercafes quietly took effect Saturday, but authorities had no inspections planned to check for compliance with the tighter rules.    The ordinance requires 30 parlors in Los Angeles to enforce a curfew for minors and install surveillance cameras...


Oil prices cool Oil futures cooled on Monday, giving investors a brief reprieve from record-high prices amid word that Iraqi oil exports have returned to normal for the first time in two weeks.


HBOS Sounds Alarm over Santander-Abbey Deal Britain-based HBOS says it will file a complaint to the European Commission against Spanish bank Santander Central Hispano (SCH) in connection with SCH #39;s bid to acquire British bank Abbey National


Bush, Kerry camps spar on overtime WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- New rules governing overtime pay kicked in Monday, spurring a politically charged debate over the impact of the new regulations on American workers #39; time cards and paychecks.


Redesigned Saturn VUE Passes Rollover Test The redesigned Saturn VUE passed the government #39;s rollover test with a score similar to other sport utility vehicles, federal regulators said Monday.


US Airways Talks with Pilots Collapse Talks between US Airways (UAIR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and its pilots union over a new round of concessions collapsed on Monday, the union said.


ARM Grasps Artisan for Embedded Chips p gt;Semiconductor design firm ARM (Quote, Chart) is took a major leap into the embedded microprocessor space by acquiring Artisan Components (Quote, Chart), producer of embedded memory, standard cell, input/output, analog and mixed-signal components.


US to sell \$24 billion in 2-year notes on Wednesday CHICAGO (CBS.MW) -- US Treasurys retreated Monday, with a stabilizing oil market undercutting prices as well as speculation that higher energy costs will undermine the nation #39;s economic recovery.


SAP to deliver HR upgrade for US Postal Service AUGUST 23, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - The US Postal Service is about to get a \$35 million Web-based human resources application makeover, courtesy of Germany-based applications vendor SAP AG.


BEA Systems Ships All-In-One App Platform For ISVs BEA Systems Inc. on Monday unveiled an all-in-one package of products that make it easier for independent software vendors to build and install web applications on BEA #39;s Java-based platform.


Cisco Ties Microsoft CRM to Your Phone System In an effort to integrate its IP-based communications products with Microsoft customer relationship management software, Cisco Systems today announced the Cisco CRM Communications Connector.


Introducing Playlist The transformation of my musical life happened slowly. I used to bring an envelope of CDs to work and play them through my computer #39;s CD-ROM drive.


Gold medal for Cuban Yumisledi Cumb ATHENS (PL). Unexpectedly, but justly so, shot putter Yumisleidi Cumb has become the first gold medalist for Cuba at the 28th Olympic Games in Athens after Russian Irina Korzhanenko tested positive for drugs.


Wariner claims superb gold Rookie Jeremy Wariner proved a worthy successor to Michael Johnson when blazing to the Olympic 400 metres gold medal on Monday night in Athens.


Sebrle soars as Americans struggle in first day of decathlon Reigning world champion Tom Pappas suffered from a crisis in confidence Monday as he faded from the medal picture in a tough first day of the Olympic decathlon.


Sources: Israelis have plans for more housing units Israeli officials, who are already seeking bids to build 1,001 new housing units in the West Bank, have plans for another 450 units, government sources said Monday.


Google Launches Beta Version of its own GMail Notifier Google Launches Beta Version of its own GMail Notifier\\So, there are already a thousand applications out there which notify you of a new email on your GMail account... but may be like me you too avoided all of them for fear of them getting redundant with time. Google thought so ...


Lycos Releases Two New Search Tools Lycos Releases Two New Search Tools\\People Search is a rebranding of WhoWhere.com offering telephone and other data sources including direct links (labeled "professional profile") to the Eliyon.com database. Eliyon aggregates data from a variety of open web sources. Be careful as some of these profiles might contain old, outdated info.\\The ...


FaganFinder Search Engine Launches URLinfo FaganFinder Search Engine Launches URLinfo\\Another great tool from Michael Fagan via his already VERY useful Fagan Finder search page. Michael pinged us today to inform us about his new URLinfo resource that makes finding info about a specific web page/site from a variety of sources just a click or two ...


Chinese handset makers lose ground (FT.com) FT.com - International mobile phone manufacturers such as Nokia and Motorola have halted the rapid rise of local rivals in the crucial Chinese market, a victory won largely by revamping distribution chains and introducing new handset designs, market analysts and foreign industry executives said.


U.S.-Brazil Vie for Gold in Women's Soccer  ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States beat world champions  Germany 2-1 in a fierce struggle Monday to reach the final of  the Olympic women's soccer tournament.


Migrating Storks Die in Israel Chemical Waste Pool (Reuters) Reuters - Some 200 storks migrating from Europe\to Africa flew to their deaths in Israel Monday, landing in an\acid-filled pool of waste outside a chemical plant, veterinary\officials said.


Karzai Meets With Musharraf Over Economy, Terrorism Afghan President Hamid Karzai met with Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on Monday for talks on economic cooperation and fighting terrorism, a foreign ministry official said.


Google: The Scorecard In the end, we have another public company, one of 6,000 or so. For all of the yammering about the meaning, strength, and success or failure of the Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) IPO, at the end of the day we have


Putin says Russian oil companies are increasing production Russian President Vladimir Putin told President Bush on Monday that Russian oil companies are increasing oil production and exports and will continue to do so, the White House said.


Ontario court OKs Air Canada restructuring Air Canada has been cleared for take-off. An Ontario court judge approved the battered airline #39;s restructuring plan, and the company could emerge from bankruptcy protection as early as Sept.


Small Index Gains Across The Board Chips are being credited with keeping the Nasdaq and, by extension, our InformationWeek 100 above water at the close. But in reality, the Nasdaq passed most of Monday much higher than the mean sea level.


Gene Tweaking Turns Couch Potato Mice Into Racers Altering a single gene turned ordinary mice into marathon racers that could run for hours and eat huge amounts of food without getting fat, a team of researchers reported on Monday.


Cisco and Microsoft CRM Team for Medium Businesses Integrated <b>...</b> August 23, 2004 - (HostReview.com) - Cisco Systems, Inc. (www.cisco.com) today announced, with the support of Microsoft, the Cisco Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Communications Connector developed for Microsoft Business Solutions CRM.


Sophos: Worm Spies on Innocent Computer Users Sophos believes that the W32/Rbot-GR worm is evidence of a growing trend of more and more malware spying on innocent home computer owners and poorly-protected businesses.


US Online Sales To Top \$300 Billion By 2010 Forrester Research projects US online retail sales will more than double over the next six years, reaching \$316 billion by 2010. According to a new report from Forrester Research, Inc.


Logicalis Acquires IBM Business Partner STI For \$90 Million BLOOMFIELD HILLS - Logicalis, an international IT integration company, has acquired for \$90 million Solution Technology, a privately held IBM solution provider and one of IBM #39;s top 10 Business Partners.


AOL IM becomes  #39;Millionaire #39; friend LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) --  quot;Who Wants to Be a Millionaire quot; will soon be the only syndicated TV series to add a real-time interactive element during production tapings.


Ahead of the pack ATHENS - He kicked so hard before he was born that his parents joked he was running in his mother #39;s womb. He used to dash down the streets in New York -ever walk  - hurdle every fire hydrant he passed.


Volkswagen lays gauntlet at German union #39;s feet WOLFSBURG: Volkswagen challenged its workers with a tough wage plan yesterday ahead of talks seen as a gauge of their readiness to favour job security over pay rises, a swap that could make Europe #39;s biggest economy more competitive.


Colombia, rebels spar over prisoner swap BOGOTA, Colombia - Colombias main rebel group on Monday criticized a government proposal to swap jailed guerrillas for kidnapped politicians, soldiers and three American contractors, saying any deal should allow its freed comrades to return to the


Cisco to acquire P-Cube for \$200 million NEW YORK - Cisco Systems Inc. said Monday it has agreed to acquire Sunnyvale, California, software developer P-Cube Inc. in a cash-and-options deal Cisco valued at \$200 million.


Wi-Fi brings broadband to rural Washington SAN FRANCISCO - Technologies that extend the range of Wi-Fi wireless LANs are making that low-priced technology an option for broadband Internet access in U.S. rural areas with limited broadband options.


Wal-Mart spooks US traders A DISAPPOINTING sales forecast from Wal-Mart Stores Inc sent US stocks mostly lower today as investors worried that oil prices, which stabilised after last week #39;s highs, would


Call Of The SMB: Cisco Ties VoIP To Microsoft CRM Cisco Systems #39; collaboration with Microsoft to target the SMB market is starting to bear fruit as the networking vendor Monday launched a new application that integrates Microsoft CRM with its VoIP platform.


Logicalis Goes On Buying Binge Logicalis, one of Hewlett-Packard #39;s largest enterprise server and storage solution providers, Monday reached an agreement to acquire Solution Technology Inc.


AOL glitch causes info mix-up Some people who tried to access their personal pages on America Online this weekend found themselves looking at a completely different page instead, the Web giant confirmed on Monday.


Wariner leads US sweep in 400 With Jeremy Wariner leading the way, the United States pulled off the first medal sweep of the Olympics Monday night in the 400-meter run.


Varitek Drops Appeal of Suspension (AP) AP - Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek dropped his appeal Monday of a four-game suspension for his part in a bench-clearing brawl with the New York Yankees last month.


US dismisses North Korea's personal attacks on Bush as "inappropriate" (AFP) AFP - The United States dismissed as inappropriate North Korea's unusually strong personal attacks on President George W. Bush, but remained confident Pyongyang would attend talks to resolve the nuclear crisis in the Korean peninsula.


Federal parties strike deal on overhauling Supreme Court nominations (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - The federal parties have struck a deal for a new process to overhaul in the way Supreme Court justices are selected, NDP Leader Jack Layton said Monday.


Group Unveils Genetically Engineered Mice (AP) AP - Researchers on Monday unveiled genetically engineered mice that can run farther and longer than their naturally bred brethren, bringing the "genetic doping" of elite athletes a small step closer.


Government: Gasoline Rose to \$1.884/gal  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. consumers paid more at the pump  as the average national price for gasoline rose 0.9 cent per  gallon during the past week to \$1.884 per gallon, the first  increase in more than a month, the U.S. government said on  Monday.


Calgary's Kiprusoff Wins Big in Arbitration  TORONTO (Sports Network) - Calgary Flames goaltender Miikka  Kiprusoff will receive a huge increase in salary for the  upcoming season after an arbitrator Monday awarded the Vezina  Trophy finalist \$2.95 million.


E. Europe's low costs erode Germans' 35-hour workweek Small German firms follow phone giant Siemens by pushing for five more hours per week - without pay.


Macey surges into fourth Britain's Dean Macey lies in fourth place after five events of the decathlon.


Netgear, Vonage gear up for VoIP over Wi-Fi The companies team up to develop broadband telephony products due in time for the holidays, sources familiar with deal say.


With nowhere better to go, hedge funds stay in oil Hedge funds have fueled oil #39;s meteoric rise to record highs near \$50 a barrel, but deprived of profit opportunities elsewhere, they look set to stay in the commodity for now, analysts said Monday.


RP already in midst of fiscal crisis -- Arroyo FOR THE first time, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo acknowledged yesterday that the country was in a fiscal crisis, a move meant to rally the public behind her tax reform and cost-cutting measures to avert an Argentina-like financial meltdown in the


Wal-Mart warning dents Wall Street rally NEW YORK Stocks rose Monday as investors cheered a drop in oil prices but a disappointing sales forecast by Wal-Mart Stores stoked concerns about a slowing economy.


Court OKs Air Canada restructuring An Ontario court approved Air Canada #39;s restructuring plan today, while one of Canada #39;s major banks sold off its debt in the airline.


UPDATE 2-SBC Communications files \$15.5 bln mixed shelf SBC Communications Inc. (SBC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) filed on Monday to sell up to \$15.5 billion of debt and stock, mainly to fund the purchase of AT amp;T Wireless Services


Southwest to cut flights to increase profits NEY YORK Southwest Airlines, the largest US discount carrier, said Monday that it would eliminate 88 scheduled flights and free up planes for more lucrative markets to increase revenue.


SAP gains \$35 mln Postal Service deal LOS ANGELES (CBS.MW) -- SAP won a multi-year deal to provide technology to overhaul the US Postal Service #39;s human-resources system, the German corporate software giant said Monday.


Report says Virtually All Big Companies Will Outsource Security By <b>...</b> A Yankee Group report suggests that the need to stay ahead of hackers will drive a move to outsource security to managed service providers.


Chips help techs inch higher New Wi-Fi chip from Intel and a positive day for most bellwethers offset big loss at ARM. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - News on a new chip from Intel helped balance out an acquisition by ARM that sent its stock reeling


Transportation IT Spending Projected To Grow Government-intelligence firm Input says state and local spending on transportation IT systems should rise from \$1.8 billion in fiscal 2005 to \$2.


Intel Slashes Processor Prices Intel Corp. is slashing the prices on many of its Pentium 4 chips by as much as one-third, as well as other desktop, mobile and server processors.


Advertisers find a demographic gold mine: fantasy sports Advertisers have uncovered a world of young men with plenty of time on their hands and money to spend - a highly coveted demographic - in an unlikely place.


Voyeur Virus p2pnet.net News:- W32/Rbot-GR is a Windows worm that lets others access your computer. It steals information, uses its own emailing engine, reduces system security, records keystrokes and installs itself in the registry.


A hunter is hunted down in 800 ATHENS Kelly Holmes has spent more than a decade chasing Maria Mutola. On Monday, when it mattered, she finally caught her. Since her first world title in 1993, Mutola, 31, has been the great predator of women #39;s middle distance running.


Athlete Analysis The big story is Roman Sebrle, Mr. Consistency. He has four decathlons over 8,800 points his last four times out. He looks good. Tom Pappas of the US, on the other hand, looked shakier than he did at the Olympic Trials.


Seahawks linebacker Chad Brown breaks ankle; out for eight weeks CHENEY - The Seahawks lost Chad Brown, a defensive leader and starting outside linebacker, for at least eight weeks after he broke his left ankle today.


Bird Flu Will Take Several Years To Contain In Asia PENANG (MALAYSIA), AUG 23: The deadly H5N1 strain of Bird Flu will take several years to contain, the WHO warned on Monday, adding that claims in China that the virus was found in pigs is a worrying new development.


Monday #39;s Commodities Roundup Crude futures in New York settled 1.4 percent lower Monday, as Iraq #39;s resumption of some oil exports gave cause for mild profit-taking.


President Gloria Arroyo: Philippines in Midst of Fiscal Crisis President Gloria Arroyo said the Philippines is already in the midst of a fiscal crisis, and urged the people to be prepared to make sacrifices for the nation #39;s well-being.


ARM Buys Artisan With the acquisition of Artisan, ARM will be able to deliver a broad portfolio of system-on-chip intellectual property to its customers, says ARM chief executive Warren East.


Holmes takes brilliant gold Britain's Kelly Holmes storms to a sensational Olympic 800m gold in Athens.


U.S. Forces Step Up Pressure on Rebels in Najaf U.S. tanks and snipers took up positions near the revered Imam Ali Shrine and engaged in fierce battles with militants.


Blue-Chip Stocks, Bond Prices, Oil Drop  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blue chips ended lower on Monday  as stock investors shrugged off lower oil prices to focus  instead on a disappointing sales forecast from Wal-Mart Stores,  but the cheaper crude sent bond and gold prices lower.


Toy firm enjoys return to profit Toys R Us has returned to profit in its second quarter only weeks after revealing that it could sell its core toy business.


Democrats criticize new overtime pay rules BOSTON - Contentious and confusing federal rules governing overtime pay went into effect Monday, prompting former US Labor Secretary Robert Reich to note that businesses will likely exploit what he calls new loopholes in the regulations.


Update 1: Vote Set on Deal Between BFGoodrich, Labor BFGoodrich Tire Manufacturing agreed to spend \$150 million on improvements at four North American plants and dropped demands for concessions under a new two-year deal with labor, Canadian union members said Monday in approving the pact.


Microsoft Offers Second Method To Block XP SP2 Updates Aug. 23, 2004. Microsoft has offered up yet another way for businesses to block the automatic update of Windows XP to the big-deal Service Pack 2 (SP2) upgrade.


iPass Takes Flight with Boeing iPass (Quote, Chart), an aggregator of hotspots for business users is moving beyond the hotels, cafes and even its many airports with wireless connections to tackling the sky itself.


Intel Seen Readying New Wi-Fi Chips This Week Intel Corp. INTC.O this week is expected to introduce a chip that adds support for a relatively obscure version of Wi-Fi, analysts said on Monday, in a move that could help ease congestion on wireless networks.


Spies prize webcam #39;s eyes A new worm has been discovered in the wild that #39;s not just settling for invading users #39; PCs - it wants to invade their homes, too.


Paula undecided on 10,000 finals after marathon cry-out ATHENS, AUGUST 23: World marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe will delay making a decision on whether or not she will run in the Olympic 10,000 metres after dropping out of Sundays marathon.


Seahawks #39; Brown breaks his leg, expected to miss four games Seattle Seahawks linebacker Chad Brown, a three-time Pro Bowl selecltion, broke his left leg during practice Monday. Head coach Mike Holmgren said doctors believe Brown likely will miss the first four games of the regular season.


Israel accelerates settlement drive as Sharon pushes on with Gaza <b>...</b> JERUSALEM : The Israeli government was accelerating its settlement program with plans to build hundreds of new homes in the West Bank, bolstered by a US softening of opposition to new construction projects.


Richardson to Appeal Lawsuit Dismissal (AP) AP - Former Arkansas basketball coach Nolan Richardson will appeal the dismissal of a discrimination lawsuit he filed against the university.


US Airways Talks with Pilots Collapse  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Negotiations between US Airways  UAIR.O and its pilots union over a new round of steep  concessions collapsed on Monday, heightening pressure on the  carrier as it tries to avert insolvency.


Gymnastics: 'People Power' Stops Games Event  ATHENS (Reuters) - "People power" stopped a gymnastics  competition for 10 minutes on Monday when the crowd booed and  jeered the judges for a poor score that destroyed Russian  Alexei Nemov's chance of a 13th Olympics medal.


Wariner Leads U.S. Sweep in 400 ATHENS, Greece - After his stunning victory in the Olympic 400 meters, Jeremy Wariner seemed as cool as he did cruising down the stretch in sunglasses, two earrings and a jingling necklace. Picking up where Michael Johnson left off, Wariner became the sixth straight American to win the Olympic 400 title, leading a U.S...


Group Creates Engineered 'Marathon Mice' SAN FRANCISCO - Researchers on Monday unveiled genetically engineered mice that can run farther and longer than their naturally bred brethren, bringing the "genetic doping" of elite athletes a small step closer to reality.    The creation of the so-called marathon mice, announced Monday, follows earlier genetic engineering work that created "Schwarzenegger mice," rodents that bulked up after getting injected with muscle-building genes...


U.S. GIs Step Up Pressure on Najaf Rebels NAJAF, Iraq - U.S. infantrymen engaged in fierce battles with cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militants Monday and U.S...


Cingular, AT amp;T Settle Branding Deal Cingular Wireless LLC said Monday that AT amp;T Corp. and AT amp;T Wireless have extended their licensing agreement in preparation for Cingular #39;s acquisition of the telecom giant #39;s former unit.


Gatlin ushers in a new era ATHENS, Aug. 23. - In a shade under ten seconds Justin Gatlin went from a hyperactive boy who used to jump off his parents TV set dressed in a Batman cape to the holder of the most prized title in track-and-field.


Richardson deciding whether to appeal Former Arkansas basketball coach Nolan Richardson faced a deadline Monday to file an appeal of a decision tossing out his discrimination lawsuit against his old school.


Bangla Opp march attacked, 25 hurt DHAKA, Aug. 23. - At least 25 people, including two TV cameramen, were injured when unidentified men attacked a Awami League protest march here today.


Militants Hold Out in Najaf Explosions and gunfire shook Najaf on Monday amid fierce battles between US forces and Shiite militants, who remained in control of a revered shrine here as negotiations


Google Will Change Little on Wall Street With shares of Google (GOOG:Nasdaq - news - research) soaring ever higher, the popular Internet search engine is winning praise for sticking with guns and using an unconventional auction system to sell its shares to the public.


Toys R Us posts operating loss, sales decline NEW YORK: Toys R Us, which is considering getting out of the toy business, yesterday posted a second-quarter operating loss on poor sales of video games and markdowns on older merchandise.


UPDATE 2-US Airways talks with pilots collapse - union Negotiations between US Airways (UAIR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and its pilots union over a new round of steep concessions collapsed on Monday, heightening


#39;); //-- gt; Eye On Stocks Cingular Wireless said it reached an agreement with AT amp;T (nyse: T - news - people ) resolving a branding dispute for the AT amp;T name.


Tightest finish in Olympic history AMERICAN Maurice Greene was the sentimental favourite, his chance to repeat his Sydney 2000 feat and grab the gold in the 100m sprint.


Angry fans in gymnastics protest They were expressing their frustration at what turned into the latest of several Games gymnastics judging controversies. In a surreal scene unlike anything gymnastics veterans had ever encountered, jeers and


China denies pigs have lethal strain this year BEIJING - China said yesterday that a deadly strain of bird flu was found in pigs last year but denied that the animals had the disease this year.


Vick Misses Practice With Tight Hamstring (AP) AP - Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick missed practice Monday because of tightness in his right hamstring.


Ex-Worker Sues RNC for Discrimination (AP) AP - A former field director is accusing the Florida Republican Party of racial discrimination in a federal lawsuit.


On red planet of life, blue screens of death Evidence from busy rovers suggests one-time presence of water, but system reboots almost dried up the sea of data.


Netgear, Vonage gear up for VoIP The companies team up to develop broadband telephony products due in time for the holidays, sources familiar with deal say.


Oil price drops after Iraqi production resumes Exports of crude have resumed from oil fields in the north and south of Iraq, driving down prices on global markets overnight. After going just shy of \$US50 a barrel at the end of last week, the key oil futures


Seattle Times Writer Admits Plagiarism, Resigns A business columnist at the Seattle Times resigned after admitting that he copied the work of other journalists, the newspaper #39;s executive editor said in a front-page article published at the weekend.


Postal Service Turns To SAP For HR Very few organizations have as many feet on the street as the US Postal Service. To better get a handle on those feet, the Postal Service said Monday it #39;s implementing SAP Human Capital


AT amp;T Partners with Best Buy To Push VoIP AT amp;T CallVantage Service will be available in Best Buy stores beginning this fall. According to the companies, Best Buy and AT amp;T will promote AT amp;T CallVantage Service through in-store


Fantasy Leagues Attract Money From Advertisers DVERTISERS have uncovered a world of young men with plenty of time on their hands and money to spend - a highly coveted demographic - in an unlikely place.


Documentum ECI Steps Up Content Management EMC Corp. on Monday announced the availability of its new Documentum Enterprise Content Integration (ECI) Services, enabling end-users to expand the discovery and management of content from internal and external data sources.


Southampton look to Houllier after Sturrock is shown the door Southampton are planning to appoint a director of football to work alongside the new head coach, Steve Wigley, after the abrupt sacking of Paul Sturrock yesterday.


Cavs assistant coach dies at 41 Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Mark Osowski passed away Sunday due to complications from pancreatitis, the team announced Monday afternoon.


Rain drowns Australian-India at Amstelveen triangular Torrential rain forced officials to abandon Australia #39;s one-day match against India in the Amstelveen triangular tournament on Monday, wasting Australia #39;s innings of 175 for seven and awarding both sides three points for


North Korea Says Talks with U.S. Are Pointless (Reuters) Reuters - North Korea described President Bush on\Monday as a tyrannical political imbecile who put Adolf Hitler\in the shade and said Pyongyang could see no justification for\talks with his administration.


Security review to focus on threats to parliamentarians, judges, staff (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - The government plans a sweeping examination of potential terrorist threats to federal politicians and judges, The Canadian Press has learned.


Olympics: 'People Power' Stops Games Event, Holmes Wins  ATHENS (Reuters) - "People's power" stopped a gymnastics  contest when judges' scoring destroyed Russian Alexei Nemov's  medal chances on Monday, while Briton Kelly Holmes shattered  Maria Mutola's dream of consecutive 800 meters titles.


Cisco buys IP provider P-Cube CISCO Systems agreed to acquire closely held internet protocol service provider P-Cube for \$US200 million (\$281 million) in cash and options.


Hewitt beats Muller to take 3rd title of season WASHINGTON: Australias Lleyton Hewitt further fine-tuned his game ahead of the US Open with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 win on Sunday over Gilles Muller to capture the \$500,000 Legg Mason Classic.


Blue screens on red planet Evidence from busy rovers suggests one-time presence of water, but system reboots almost dried up the sea of data.


HP readies TVs, media hub products with DRM Hewlett-Packard exec promises "very cool" media hardware--with Hollywood-friendly copyright protection built in.


Oil Won't Derail U.S. Expansion -Bernanke (Reuters) Reuters - Rising oil prices will weigh on U.S.\economic growth but the increases seen so far will not derail\the expansion, Federal Reserve Board Governor Ben Bernanke said\on Monday.


Red Roof Inns to Get Wi-Fi Hotspots (AP) AP - Accor North America has reached an agreement with T-Mobile USA Inc. to install wireless Internet access throughout all of its Red Roof Inns over the next year, officials said.


Bucks Re-Sign Forward Toni Kukoc (AP) AP - The Milwaukee Bucks on Monday re-signed forward Toni Kukoc after two productive seasons with the team.


Kostanic Upsets Maleeva at Pilot Pen (AP) AP - Jelena Kostanic outlasted Magdalena Maleeva on long rallies and took advantage of her opponent's mistakes to score an upset at the Pilot Pen tennis tournament Monday.


Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment Off Ballot (AP) AP - A proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Michigan failed Monday to win certification that would put the issue before voters in November.


IOS changes could alter face of Cisco routers Companies can expect to see more modularity and features in Cisco'sIOS software over the next several quarters, as the elements of technology it recently introduced for carriers trickles down to business customers.


Wal-Mart Lowers Sales Forecast for August LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, lowered its sales forecast for August, citing slow back-to-school sales and the effects of Hurricane Charley...


Google critics wrong to label IPO  quot;disaster quot; In terms of herd behavior, the only group that rivals Wall Street investors is Wall Street reporters. One moment, the guys at Google can do no wrong -reat company, great


Shares fall nearly a fifth as microchip designer struggles to <b>...</b> ARM Holdings, the microchip designer, unveiled its biggest acquisition so far when it agreed yesterday to buy the American company Artisan for \$913m (504m).


Toys  #39;R #39; Us still selling toys Retailer posts wider operating loss; revenue slips from year earlier, as US same-store sales fall. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Beleaguered toy retailer Toys  #39;R #39; Us, in the midst of a major restructuring of its


Court Approves Air Canada Restructuring A Canadian court approved Air Canada #39;s plan of arrangement with its creditors on Monday, clearing the way for the airline to emerge from bankruptcy protection at the end of September.


Vote set on tentative deal between BFGoodrich, labour Union members at four BFGoodrich Tire Manufacturing plants will vote this week on a tentative contract that would avoid a strike by about 3,400 US workers and end a walkout about 1,100 more employees in Canada.


GM  #39;marathon #39; mice break distance records Mice which can run almost twice the distance of normal mice have been genetically engineered by US scientists.  quot;This is the first animal engineered for increased endurance, quot; says Ronald Evans of the Salk Institute


VoIP Discovers SPIT (Spam over Internet Telephony) Internet telephony, or Voice over IP (define), is picking up steam, as telcos get wise to the benefits of turning speech into packets to be delivered via the Internet.


Franchitti peaks in Colorado DARIO Franchitti won his second Indy Racing League event of the season in Colorado on a day of dominance by British drivers. The Scot was the man to beat all day in the Indy 225 at Pikes Peak, and only Mexican


United States upsets Germany to move to soccer semifinals Deep into overtime, and maybe the last time for the Fab Five of US women #39;s soccer, the breaks were going against them. A last-gasp goal that stole victory in regulation, a wide-open shot that bounced off the goal post.


Davenport wins fourth straight title Top-seeded Lindsay Davenport won her fourth consecutive championship on Sunday, defeating second-seeded Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 6-4 in the Western and Southern Women #39;s Open finals.


Beach Volleyball: US Unbeaten, Brazil Chase Double Americans Misty May and Kerri Walsh continued their unbeaten streak to win their Olympics women #39;s beach volleyball semi-final on Monday and will face an experienced Brazilian team in the gold medal match.


New atrocities in Sudan as UN deadline looms DAMNING new evidence of fresh atrocities in Sudan has emerged with less than a week to go until the United Nations deadline for a halt to the killing.


Pakistan says kills militants as Karzai visits Pakistan said its forces killed four foreign militants in a border area on Monday as Afghan President Hamid Karzai visited to discuss the battle against Islamic


Volkswagen rules out pay rises for two years Volkswagen demanded a two-year wage freeze for the 170,000-strong workforce at Europe #39;s biggest car maker yesterday, provoking union warnings of imminent conflict at key pay and conditions negotiations.


Dozens dead in Chechnya GROZNY: Dozens of people were killed in a weekend Chechen rebel offensive on the eve of a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin, officials said on Monday.


Guantanamo hearings to give only restricted view of Bin Laden <b>...</b> GUANTANAMO: Only a sanitised glimpse of Australian David Hicks life as a Taliban fighter or what it was like for Salim Hamdan to be Osama Bin Ladens personal driver and bodyguard will be given when their military trials open on Tuesday.


Mexican Judge Halts Extradition of ETA Suspects (Reuters) Reuters - A Mexican judge has temporarily\halted the extradition of six Spaniards arrested a year ago on\suspicion of having links with the Basque separatist group ETA,\their lawyer said on Monday.


Oil Won't Derail U.S. Expansion -Bernanke  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rising oil prices will weigh on U.S.  economic growth but the increases seen so far will not derail  the expansion and need not fuel a troubling inflation, Federal  Reserve Board Governor Ben Bernanke said on Monday.


Key Alaska Senate Initiative Placed on Ballot (Reuters) Reuters - Alaska's Supreme Court has\resurrected a ballot initiative that would allow voters to\abolish the governor's power to appoint a U.S. senator, a\high-profile issue in Alaska ever since Republican Gov. Frank\Murkowski named his daughter Lisa to the post in 2002.


HP readies TVs, media hub products Hewlett-Packard executive promises "very cool" media hardware--with Hollywood-friendly copyright protection built in.


HBoS fires broadside at Spanish galleon Banking group HBoS has been given access to Abbey National #39;s books it emerged yesterday as the owner of the Halifax said it would complain to the European Commission about Banco Santander #39;s bid for Abbey.


The Investment Column: Chief goes but S amp;F remains a buy John Hodson, the chief executive of Singer  amp; Friedlander, yesterday announced his retirement from the banking and fund management group after 35 years with the company.


Best Buy plans to sell AT amp;T VoIP service Best Buy, the technology chain store, starting this fall will retail AT amp;Ts residential VoIP service through 628 stores nationwide and online.


Micro Center to sell Gateway products PC maker Gateway Inc. announced on Sunday that its recent line of laptop computers, desktop computers, and monitors will be available to customers at Micro Center.


Canon launches 8.2megapixel SLR digital camera Canon has unveiled its latest digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, the semi-professional EOS 20D, claiming that it gives better picture quality than traditional film-based cameras.


On red planet of life, blue screens of death The presence of a particular type of hematite, a mineral mostly associated with water, along with large, sandy areas, indicates that the red planet once had water, said Robert Denise, a scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a member of the flight


Lowe is ruthless and clueless The more English football sees of Rupert Lowe, the less appealing he becomes. Southampton #39;s chairman has made himself look utterly foolish over his handling of the demise


North Korea Nuclear Talks Still Planned, US Government Says The US is working with China and other nations to hold another round of talks with North Korea on dismantling the communist country #39;s nuclear program, the State Department said.


Focus on Asian bird flu outbreaks, not pigs: WHO BEIJING - International health experts are downplaying reports that a strain of bird flu has been found in pigs, saying outbreaks among poultry in Thailand and Malaysia are more worrisome.


Abortion ship sails for Portugal Pro-choice Dutch medics set sail for Portugal, where they hope to provide women with advice on abortion.


Woolworths H2 earnings jump 12 on cost savings SYDNEY: Australian supermarket group Woolworths Ltd reported a better-than-expected 12 gain in second-half profit on cost savings, and forecast a rise of up to 15 in 2005 earnings despite increased competition.


Cisco, Microsoft Target SMBs with CRM Tool Cisco has rolled out the first product to result from its collaboration with Microsoft, targeting the SMB market. The new CRM Communications Connector ties Cisco #39;s IP contact-center applications


Canon #39;s digital delight Almost a year old, the Canon Powershot A80 is due to hit the stock-clearance bins soon, offering great value for a 4.0 Megapixel top-name digital camera.


Mars Odyssey to voyage into future NASA #39;s Mars Odyssey mission, originally scheduled to end on Tuesday, has been granted a stay of execution until at least September 2006, reveal NASA scientists.


Event of the Day -- Women #39;s beach volleyball Why you should watch: The athletes are impossibly tanned and fit, the setting couldn #39;t be more beautiful and the competition will be fierce.


Rangers hit as Rae loses out Rangers go into tomorrow night #39;s Champions League qualifier against CSKA Moscow at Ibrox without vice-captain Alex Rae, whose appeal against a five-match ban was dismissed by UEFA #39;s appeals tribunal yesterday.


Slater tumbles in beam final Australia #39;s Allana Slater finished last as the women #39;s gymnastics beam final was won by Romania #39;s Catalina Ponor this morning.


People and Politics / How to win the Jewish vote When Yitzhak Rabin coined the phrase  quot;political settlements quot; (the opposite of  quot;security settlements quot;), he was referring to settlements outside the settlement blocs that more or less abut the Green Line.


Hong Kong passion for mobile phones could end dating woes (AFP) AFP - Hong Kongers famously told a survey last year they were too busy with work for relationships; now a new technology will enable them to go dating using their famous passion for mobile phones.


US stocks mostly lower on disappointing Wal-Mart sales forecasts Wall Street stocks moved mostly lower Monday on a disappointing sales forecast from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. as investors worried that oil prices would cut consumer spending and hurt companies #39; third-quarter profits.


Helping or Hurting Workers? Paychecks all over the country could be going up or shrinking as a result of new changes to the nation #39;s overtime pay rules. The new laws took effect August 23.


New computer virus for voyeurs the malicious program is capable of switching on webcams, allowing the author to literally peek into victims #39; lives.


#39;I felt I #39;d let everyone down. But nobody was hurting inside as <b>...</b> The search for the reasons behind Paula Radcliffe #39;s disastrous performance in the Olympic marathon moved yesterday to a medical laboratory in Athens, where blood samples taken from the 30-year-old athlete were being analysed in the hope of discovering


Holmes grabs gold in nick of time Kelly Holmes came from the back of the pack to take Olympic gold last night in a thrilling 800 metres final. Holmes was second to last going into the second of the two laps.


American women win softball gold  then look human If they could have made the shutout last just one more inning, the unbeatable American softball team would have wound up with not only a third straight gold medal, but a feat that years from now will seem mythological.


Conner Sounds Off On Hamm Medal Dispute OKLAHOMA CITY -- An Oklahoma Olympic legend spoke out Monday on the controversy surrounding the gold medal won last week by American gymnast Paul Hamm.


Ructions in Australian rowing eight Members of the Australian women #39;s rowing eight face disciplinary action after publicly criticising team-mate Sally Robbins for her failure to complete the Olympic final.


Darfur crisis: Will new peace talks succeed? Rebel groups and Sudan #39;s government are attending talks to try to end the conflict in the troubled Darfur region. Delegates from both sides are in the Nigerian capital Abuja for the discussions, which will


Suspected mercenaries on trial in Equatorial Guinea A trial is underway for 14 suspected mercenaries accused of plotting to topple the Government of Equatorial Guinea, an oil-rich country in west Africa.


Australian Terrorist Suspect Hicks Faces US Military Tribunal David Hicks, an Australian charged with training with al-Qaeda, becomes one of the first Guantanamo Bay detainees to face a US military tribunal when he appears before a panel tomorrow, his military lawyer said.


Army commandos launch operation against militants MIR ALI: Helicopters dropped Pakistani commandos into North Waziristan on Monday, to launch an operation near the Afghan border against suspected Taliban forces that were chased into Pakistan


Briefly: AOL signs up for Omniture traffic tool roundup Plus: Friendster hires ex-AOL ad exec...HP inks deal with energy firm...Holiday Inn welcomes Priceline.


AOL signs up for Omniture traffic tool The three-year, \$15 million deal is for Omniture's SiteCatalyst traffic analysis service.


On Mars, no life yet, but plenty blue screens of death Evidence from busy rovers suggests one-time presence of water, but system reboots almost dried up the sea of data.


Mud the New Menace at Diana Fountain (AP) AP - Just when tourists thought it was safe to go back to the Princess Diana memorial fountain, the mud has struck.


Ogunleye Joins Bears With Eye Toward Sacks (AP) AP - With recorders and cameras rolling, Adewale Ogunleye gave the obligatory pronunciation of his name on his first day with the Chicago Bears.


Olympics: 'People Power' Stops Games Event, Holmes Wins  ATHENS (Reuters) - "People's power" stopped a gymnastics  final when judges' scoring destroyed Russian Alexei Nemov's  Olympic medal hopes on Monday, while Briton Kelly Holmes  shattered Maria Mutola's dream of consecutive 800 meters  titles.


Oil Won't Derail U.S. Expansion -Bernanke  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rising oil prices will weigh on U.S.  economic growth, but the increases seen so far will not derail  the expansion and need not fuel a troubling inflation, Federal  Reserve Board Governor Ben Bernanke said on Monday.


Nikkei Opens Higher on Lower Oil Prices  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average edged up 0.29  percent at the opening on Tuesday, with a second day of falls  in oil prices easing fears about the global economy and  prompting buying in exporters such as Sony Corp.


Oil Won't Derail U.S. Expansion -Bernanke (Reuters) Reuters - Rising oil prices will weigh on U.S.\economic growth, but the increases seen so far will not derail\the expansion and need not fuel a troubling inflation, Federal\Reserve Board Governor Ben Bernanke said on Monday.


Nikkei Opens Higher on Lower Oil Prices (Reuters) Reuters - Japan's Nikkei average edged up 0.29\percent at the opening on Tuesday, with a second day of falls\in oil prices easing fears about the global economy and\prompting buying in exporters such as Sony Corp.


Judge Urges U.S. to Speed Abu Ghraib Case (AP) AP - An Army reservist charged with abusing Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison said Monday he will plead guilty to some offenses, acknowledging he broke the law and saying he accepts responsibility for his actions.


Group Creates Engineered 'Marathon Mice' (AP) AP - Researchers on Monday unveiled genetically engineered mice that can run farther and longer than their naturally bred brethren, bringing the "genetic doping" of elite athletes a small step closer to reality.


More Troops Leave El Salvador for Iraq Amid Threats  SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (Reuters) - El Salvador has sent  the last 80 soldiers of a new contingent of troops to join the  U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, the army said on Monday, despite  repeated retaliation threats from Islamic militants.


NBA Today: Jefferson, Kidd Rock Raptors EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ --Richard Jefferson scored 26 points and hit a go-ahead jumper with seven seconds left to lift the New Jersey Nets to an 88-86 win over the Toronto Raptors at Continental Airlines Arena.


Yukos Forced to Slash Production Russia #39;s troubled Yukos oil company says it is being forced to slash production and expenditures because the government has frozen its assets.


UPDATE 1-Court clears Air Canada restructuring plan A Canadian court approved Air Canada #39;s (AC.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) plan of arrangement with its creditors on Monday, clearing the way for the world #39;s 11th largest airline to emerge from bankruptcy protection at the end


Wigley replaces Sturrock at Saints SOUTHAMPTON, England: English Premiership side Southampton announced yesterday the resignation of their manager Paul Sturrock - the first managerial casualty of the new season.


Everton Rejects Newcastle #39;s 20 Million Pound Offer for Rooney Everton rejected a bid of 20 million pounds (\$36 million) from English Premiership soccer rival Newcastle United for teenage striker Wayne Rooney.


Overtime cut undermines workers Yesterday, the biggest pay cut in American history took effect: The Bush administration #39;s overtime pay cut became official. It #39;s a new federal rule that could strip up to 6 million workers of overtime pay


AT amp;T Wireless name to disappear Cingular Wireless will drop the AT amp;T brand six months after it acquires Redmond-based AT amp;T Wireless Services Inc., the telecommunications companies announced Monday.


Fastest man! ATHENS: The true worth of Justin Gatlins stunning Olympic 100m victory could be measured by who was left in his considerable wake.


Cink wins NEC Invitational AKRON, OHIO - Stewart Cink led all the way in winning the NEC Invitational by four shots. He #39;s the first player on the PGA Tour to win wire to wire this year.


Hewitt in 5th gear LLEYTON Hewitt stepped up his preparation for the US Open with a convincing 6-3 6-4 win over Gilles Muller in the final of the Washington Open yesterday.


Equatoguinean  quot;mercenary quot; trial starts without Zimbabweans afrol News, 23 August - The trial against 14 foreigners, allegedly plotting a  quot;mercenary invasion to overthrow President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, quot; started today in Equatorial Guinea #39;s capital Malabo.


Oil Won't Derail Expansion -Fed Officials (Reuters) Reuters - Near-record oil prices will slow\U.S. economic growth but won't be enough to derail a\self-sustaining expansion, U.S. Federal Reserve officials said\on Monday.


Dollar Holds Gains, Fed Comments Help (Reuters) Reuters - The dollar held on to the previous day's\gain on Tuesday, supported by a retreat in oil prices and\upbeat comments on the U.S. economy from Federal Reserve\officials.


Tokyo Stocks Higher; Dollar Up Against Yen (AP) AP - Tokyo stocks inched up Tuesday morning, nudging aside Wall Street's broader losses and taking encouragement from a rise in U.S. technology stocks. The dollar was trading higher against the Japanese yen.


Oil Won't Derail Expansion -Fed Officials  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Near-record oil prices will slow  U.S. economic growth but won't be enough to derail a  self-sustaining expansion, U.S. Federal Reserve officials said  on Monday.


Documentary Focuses on Kerry in Vietnam (AP) AP - John Kerry's former crew mates vouch for his Vietnam war heroics in a documentary being released in the midst of a campaign debate about his actions as a swift boat skipper.


Scientists to Study the Genes of Soybeans (AP) AP - Indiana University has received a three-year,  #36;2.6 million grant to study genes that make soybean plants resist disease.


Oil Won #39;t Derail Expansion -Fed Officials Near-record oil prices will slow US economic growth but won #39;t be enough to derail a self-sustaining expansion, US Federal Reserve officials said on Monday.


Athletics: 800m winner urges fellow Brit Radcliffe to try again ATHENS - Kelly Holmes was not meant to win an Olympic title in Athens and Paula Radcliffe was. Holmes, try as she might, could still not grasp the way things had turned out on Monday for the two British team mates.


Women grapple with cultural shift The first woman ever to win gold in Olympic wrestling screamed with delight, subsided into floods of tears and leapt into the arms of an astonished referee.


All roads to Nepal #39;s capital end here KATHMANDU: The Maoist blockade, which entered its sixth day on Monday, has effectively closed all roads linking the hill-ringed capital city of Kathmandu with the rest of Nepal.


Web Site Helps Compare Gasoline Prices (AP) AP - Hate it when you fill 'er up and, five minutes later, spot another station selling gas for a nickel a gallon cheaper?


Calif. Lawmakers Vote to Switch Primary (AP) AP - Lawmakers have agreed to return California's primary to its traditional date of June, ending the state's eight-year experiment with a March primary.


Paul Hamm Waits Out Boos, Then Wins Silver ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- For 10 minutes, the crowd booed and whistled, creating a deafening roar. Paul Hamm sat around and waited to start his routine. A week's worth of controversy in gymnastics boiled over into the stands Monday during a bizarre, extraordinary evening. Hamm was able to block out the noise and win a silver medal on high bar, and four-time Olympic gold medalist Alexei Nemov finished fifth, much to the chagrin of the crowd.


Arm shares fall 18pc after US acquisition Arm Holdings shares slumped 18pc yesterday after the semiconductor designer unveiled a surprise cash and shares deal to buy US technology firm Artisan Components.


Coeur makes tender offer for all Wheaton River shares Coeur d #39;Alene Mines Corp. on Monday formally launched a \$2.1 billion effort to buy all the outstanding common shares of rival Wheaton River Minerals Ltd.


Netgear, Vonage gear up for VoIP over Wi-Fi Vonage and Netgear have teamed up to develop broadband telephony products due in time for the holidays, according to sources familiar with the deal.


Ethiopia #39;s Defar wins women #39;s 5,000m gold Ethiopia #39;s Meseret Defar won the women #39;s 5,000 meters gold medal at the Olympic Games in Athens on August 23. The 20-year-old, women #39;s 3,000m winner in this year #39;s world indoor championships in Budapest, clocked 14 minutes 45.


North Korea denounces  #39;tyrant #39; Bush North Korea yesterday called President Bush an  quot;imbecile quot; and  quot;a tyrant that puts Hitler into the shade quot; in a stream of insults that seemed to rule out any progress on nuclear disarmament talks before the US presidential elections.


ARM falls 18 on US deal Chip designer ARM Holdings yesterday made its biggest ever acquisition, buying US rival Artisan Components for \$913m (502m). But investors balked at the high price and sent its shares crashing more than 18.


US Airways pilot talks collapse The pressure on US Airways mounted last night after talks with its pilots aimed at cutting nearly \$300m (163m) in costs broke down.


IBM eyes Web hosting as growth engine IBM widened its lead last year in the US market for Internet hosting services as it won a greater share of the midsize-business market, according to data recently published by market researcher IDC.


I don #39;t know why I stopped, says Radcliffe The torment engulfing Paula Radcliffe after her failure to finish the Olympic marathon was plain yesterday as she tried to explain what went so horribly wrong in the burning heat of Athens.


US women power to final American pair Misty May and Kerri Walsh continued their unbeaten streak to reach the final of the women #39;s beach volleyball competition.


Nikkei Flat in Nervous Trade (Reuters) Reuters - Japan's Nikkei average was flat by late\morning trade on Tuesday as falls in oil-related stocks offset\gains in some exporters including auto makers after a retreat\in oil prices eased fears about the global economy.


Winning Iraqi Soccer Team Rare Cause for Joy  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - When Iraq's Olympic soccer side beat  Costa Rica nine days ago en route to their semi-final clash  with Paraguay later on Tuesday, Hussein Allawi jumped so high  with joy he cut his hand in the ceiling fan.


Dollar Holds Gains, Fed Comments Help The dollar held on to the previous day #39;s gain on Tuesday, supported by a retreat in oil prices and upbeat comments on the US economy from Federal Reserve officials.


US Women Wrap Up Softball Gold The US women #39;s softball team has finished a dominating performance at the Olympics by capturing the gold medal. The Americans had little trouble with Australia in the final Monday, cruising to a 5-1 victory.


China, Japan, Ukraine Take Women #39;s Wrestling Golds China #39;s Wang Xu captured gold in the 72-kilogram category, defeating Russian Gouzel Maniourova in the final Monday. Kyoko Hamaguchi of Japan took the bronze.


MOTOR RACING: IT #39;S TWO IN A ROW FOR DARIO DARIO FRANCHITTI scored a scorching second Indy Racing League race of 2004 on a triumphant return to Pikes Peak. The Scot finished fourth at the Colorado track last year but this time he led the race four


Roundup: US beats US Misty May and Kerri Walsh were feeling the pressure before their beach volleyball semifinal against fellow Americans and friendly rivals Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs.


US Soldier Vows to Plead Guilty to Charges in Abu Ghraib Scandal One of the US soldiers charged in the Iraq #39;s Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal says he will plead guilty to some of the charges.


Oil Won #39;t Derail US Expansion -Bernanke Rising oil prices will weigh on US economic growth but the increases seen so far will not derail the expansion and need not fuel a troubling inflation, Federal Reserve Board Governor Ben Bernanke said on Monday.


Sale helps deliver Foster #39;s Group profit boost The big brewer and winemaker, Foster #39;s Group, has announced a full-year result of \$799 million which has been significantly boosted by the sale of its Australian Leisure and Hospitality business.


MG Rover says stake not part of talks MG Rover #39;s talks with Shanghai Automotive Industry (SAIC) over a cooperation agreement do not include the Chinese carmaker buying or taking


Cisco to Acquire P-Cube in \$200M Deal Networking giant Cisco Systems Inc. said Monday that it agreed to acquire Sunnyvale, Calif.-based P-Cube Inc. for about \$200 million in cash and stock options.


SAP Lands \$35 Million Post-Office Deal SAP has won a \$35 million contract to install its human resources software for the US Postal Service. The NetWeaver-based system will replace the Post Office #39;s current 25-year-old legacy application


WOMEN #39;S MARATHON The Pain of Defeat Is Still Fresh Crushed by her failure to finish the women #39;s Olympic marathon Sunday, Paula Radcliffe broke down twice yesterday as she struggled to explain how her dreams were shattered.


Selig: MLB stars unlikely to play in Olympics Don #39;t count on seeing any major league stars in the Olympics while Bud Selig is baseball commissioner. Selig, who last week received a three-year extension through 2009, said Monday that


VIEW: No monopoly on terrorism Rashed Rahman Pakistan, or for that matter any other country in the world, has no monopoly on being a victim of terrorism. In Dhaka to attend a conference of the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA), I was a witness


Booker Gives Dolphins Needed Offensive Help (AP) AP - Marty Booker spent Monday meeting new teammates and getting used to his new surroundings.


Congo VP Boycots National Unity Government (AP) AP - One of Congo's four vice presidents announced Monday he was boycotting the country's national unity government, saying genocide was being committed against his ethnic Tutsi kinsmen and questioning the success of peace accords ending the country's civil war.


Taiwan Braces for Typhoon Aere, Markets Close (Reuters) Reuters - Typhoon Aere, packing strong winds and\heavy rains, churned toward Taiwan on Tuesday, disrupting air\and sea traffic and forcing financial markets, schools and\businesses in capital Taipei and nearby counties to close.


Nikkei Eases, Lower Oil Prices Help  TOKYO (Reuters) - The Nikkei average edged down 0.25  percent by midsession on Tuesday as falls in recent gainers  such as banks and oil stocks offset gains in some exporters  after a retreat in oil prices eased fears about the global  economy.


Taiwan Braces for Typhoon Aere, Markets Close  TAIPEI (Reuters) - Typhoon Aere, packing strong winds and  heavy rains, churned toward Taiwan on Tuesday, disrupting air  and sea traffic and forcing financial markets, schools and  businesses in capital Taipei and nearby counties to close.


Bonderman Ks 14 As Tigers Maul White Sox DETROIT - Jeremy Bonderman struck out a career-high 14 and scattered eight hits in his first career shutout, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 7-0 victory over the slumping Chicago White Sox on Monday night.    Bonderman (7-10) threw his first career complete game to win for the first time since July 7...


Fosters H2 profit slumps on wine charges Fosters said that fiscal 2005 would be a year of consolidation with moderate earnings growth, but the company aimed to achieve double-digit growth in fiscal 2006.


'Killer Apps' Demand Computer Upgrades This is turning out to be the year of the upgrade for many computer gamers, thanks to the arrival of blockbuster game titles such as Doom 3 and Half-Life 2, on its way to retail shelves after a year's worth of delays. -The Washington Post


Carlos aide acquitted of France raids : A German court acquitted Johannes Weinrich, suspected right-hand man of international guerrilla Carlos the Jackal, today of charges that he took part in three bomb attacks in France more than 20 years ago.


RCN Outlines Reorganization Plan RCN Inc., co-owner of Starpower Communications LLC, the Washington area television, telephone and Internet provider, filed a plan of reorganization Monday that it said puts the company on track to emerge from bankruptcy by the end of the year.
-The Washington Post


Neri: RP far from declaring default on debts Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri on Tuesday said the Philippines is far from declaring default on its debts.  quot;We are not yet in that situation (bankruptcy), quot; Neri told dzMM when asked if the Philippines


US Team #39;s  #39;91ers Get One More Kickaround AMERICA #39;S original soccer mamas put off the next stage to their lives last night because it wasn #39;t time for Mary Tyler Moore #39;s hat to fall from the sky just yet.


Day 10 roundup: Ryu denies China 3rd clean sweep But this time in Athens, they have to accept the bitter fact that South Korean Ryu Seung Min was a better player in the pulsating men #39;s singles final against Chinese Wang Hao.


SI.com TORONTO (Ticker) -- Ted Lilly responded to the challenge of facing Pedro Martinez with a powerful performance. Lilly struck out a career-high 13 in a dominant three-hitter to outduel Martinez and lift the


Overwhelming Militiamen, Troops Push Closer to Shrine American forces sharply intensified fighting here early on Tuesday morning, as troops attacked rebels loyal to Moktada al-Sadr from three