Shell Pleases City with Anglo-Dutch Merger Oil giant Shell swept aside nearly 100 years of history today when it unveiled plans to merge its UK and Dutch parent companies. Shell said scrapping its twin-board structure


Apple #39;s iPod Photo the next big thing SAN JOSE - Apple Computer has introduced its new iPod that allows users to view and share photos. At the same time it has opened nine new iTunes music stores in Europe, spurring its rivalry with Microsoft and others.


AMD digs into high growth markets with PIC AMD has teamed up with partners in India, Mexico and the Caribbean in an ambitious bid to equip half of the world #39;s population with internet connectivity and computing capabilities by 2015.


SanDisk ups capacity, again SanDisk has announced new, high-capacity versions of many of its flash card formats. New versions of both the miniSD and RS-MMC card formats now push the maximum capacity to 512 MB.


Australian govt #39;s senate win opens Telstra sale CANBERRA: Australia #39;s government cemented the most powerful mandate in nearly 25 years by winning control of the upper house, freeing it to push ahead with reforms such as the full sale of telecommunications group Telstra Corp Ltd.


Hawks Cut Lonny Baxter, Donnell Harvey (AP) AP - Forwards Lonny Baxter and Donnell Harvey were cut Thursday by Atlanta, reducing the Hawks' roster to 15 players.


Afghan vote count finally ends with Karzai a landslide winner (AFP) AFP - Afghanistan's protracted election vote count finally drew to a close with President Hamid Karzai the landslide victor, but an official declaration of his win still awaited the verdict of a fraud probe.


Less Drinking Hurts Coors, Molson Results  NEW YORK (Reuters) - North American brewers Adolph Coors  Cos. RKY.N and Molson Inc. MOLa.TO, which have agreed to  merge, reported lower-than-expected quarterly profits on  Thursday on weak sales in their home markets.


Infocus: Trends in Web Application Security This article discusses current trends in penetration testing for web application security, and in particular discusses a framework for selecting the best tool or tools to use for these increasingly common type of application.


London shares close higher, as Amvescap, Shell offset a slide in miners (AFP) AFP - Leading shares managed to close just above the gain line, as an eight percent rise in Amvescap together with an easing of the oil price, offset a slide in heavyweight miners and a weak showing in New York, dealers said.


Iran-EU Talks to Resume Nov. 5 as Deadline Looms  VIENNA (Reuters) - Nuclear talks between the EU and Iran  will resume in Paris on Nov. 5 with Tehran facing a looming  deadline to agree to freeze uranium enrichment or risk referral  to the U.N. Security Council, diplomats said on Thursday.


AOL 9.0 Packs Antivirus Protection McAfee VirusScan Online will come bundled with AOL 9.0 Security Edition.


Cavs Pick Up Option on Drew Gooden (Reuters) Reuters - The Cleveland Cavaliers\Thursday picked up the team's 2005-06 contract option on\forward Drew Gooden.


CNNfn Network to Close by Mid-December  NEW YORK (Reuters) - CNNfn, the financial news cable  network owned by Time Warner Inc. TWX.N, on Thursday said it  will cease business operations by mid-December due to the  growing competitive challenges.


Explosion Hits Islamabad Hotel, Causes Casualties (Reuters) Reuters - An explosion hit the Marriott Hotel\in central Islamabad on Thursday, causing several casualties,\witnesses said.


Marsh reported near settlement The bid-rigging case against Marsh  amp; McLennan Cos. likely will be settled for at least \$500 million, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.


DaimlerChrysler Returns to Profit; VW Reports Decline (Update1) DaimlerChrysler AG, the world #39;s fifth- biggest carmaker, reported a third-quarter profit as Chrysler #39;s US sales rose. Volkswagen AG #39;s earnings fell a seventh quarter in a row on higher sales incentives while Fiat SpA #39;s loss widened.


Battery Sales Power Gillette Net income rose 14 to \$475 million, or 47 cents a share, thanks to a 15 increase in sales at its Duracell battery unit, which benefited from the series of hurricanes that hit Florida and other parts of the Southeast US during the period.


DreamWorks Animation Shares Rise as Much as 41 (Update2) Shares in DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., the producer of the Shrek movies, rose as much as 41 percent as investors bet the company can use \$700 million of proceeds from its initial stock sale to challenge Pixar Animation Studios.


Update 1: Coca-Cola Enterprises #39; Profit Falls Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. said Thursday its profit fell 20 percent in the third quarter, as volume was hurt by bad weather, a sluggish retail environment and a turn away from regular soft drinks.


Viacom Pegs \$8 Billion for Buyback Viacom (VIAB:NYSE - news - research) reported 4 revenue growth for the quarter, increased its dividend and put a size on the stock repurchase program long promised by CEO Sumner Redstone.


1,000 spyware programs and he didn #39;t know INTERNET users at home are not nearly as safe online as they believe, according to a nationwide inspection by US researchers. They found most consumers have no firewall protection, outdated anti-virus software


Sox fans dress up to celebrate (Hartford-WTNH, Oct. 28, 2004 12:15 PM ) _ Connecticut Red Sox fans are already grabbing up those World Series shirts and hats. People are swarming local stores to get a piece of memorabilia.


Spanish pair claim Masters lead Sergio Garcia and Jose Manuel Lara lead the way after the first round of the Volvo Masters at Valderrama. The Spaniards carded four-under 67s to take a one-shot lead over England #39;s Brian Davis and Scot Alastair Forsyth.


Brazilian player collapses on field, game suspended Sao Caetano defender Serginho collapsed on the field after suffering an apparent cardio-respiratory arrest during the Brazilian championship match against Sao Paulo on Wednesday.


Valentine back in Japan for Autumn camp Lotte Marines manager Bobby Valentine is back in Japan to take part in his team #39;s Autumn training camp. Valentine, who had been mentioned as a possible candidate to replace Art Howe as manager


Leeds stall takeover Leeds United have asked for proof of funding after considering a 25 million takeover deal headed by Sebastian Sainsbury. The Leeds board met this afternoon to discuss a proposed deal from a British-American


China stops included in  #39;05 European Tour SOTOGRANDE, Spain -- The European Tour will feature three, and possibly four, tournaments in China next season. The new schedule, released Thursday at the Volvo Masters, begins Nov. 25-28 with the China Open in Shanghai.


Three Foreigners Kidnapped in Afghanistan Three foreign election workers were kidnapped by armed men in the Afghan capital Kabul on Thursday, government officials said. The workers were from Britain, the Philippines and Kosovo, the


AOL Files Lawsuit Against IM 'Spim' (AP) AP - America Online Inc. said Thursday it had filed a federal lawsuit accusing numerous unnamed defendants of violating federal and state laws by sending bulk messages known as "spim" to instant message accounts and Internet chat rooms.


AOL 9.0 Packs Antivirus Protection (PC World) PC World - McAfee VirusScan Online will come bundled with AOL 9.0 Security Edition.


Liz Claiborne Earns Up, Raises Forecast (Reuters) Reuters - Clothing maker and retailer Liz\Claiborne Inc. on Thursday posted a 14 percent increase in\third-quarter earnings, helped by its acquisition of ENYCE and\solid sales of brands such as Juicy Couture.


Liz Claiborne Earns Up, Raises Forecast  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Clothing maker and retailer Liz  Claiborne Inc. on Thursday posted a 14 percent increase in  third-quarter earnings, helped by its acquisition of ENYCE and  solid sales of brands such as Juicy Couture.


Kerry Hammers Away on Explosives as Bush Shifts Focus Both candidates are making their final blitzes through several swing states in the waning hours of the campaign, delivering punchier and sharper critiques.


Shareholders OK Wachovia-SouthTrust Merger Shareholders of Wachovia Corp. and SouthTrust Corp. overwhelmingly approved a \$14.3 billion deal for Wachovia to acquire the Alabama-based bank on Thursday.


Gateway Launches Photo MP3 Player (PC World) PC World - MP3 Photo Jukebox features 1.6-inch color LCD and 4GB of storage.


It #39;s black  amp; red and signed by U2 To fend off increasing competition from other players, Apple Computer has retaliated with a secret weapon. It has introduced a new larger-capacity iPod with a colour display as well as a first-of-its-kind digital compendium of the rock band U2 #39;s songs.


Ballmer: Linux Can #39;t Compare to Windows Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has made a  quot;pre-emptive strike quot; against Linux, which is fast becoming a bigger thorn in the software giant #39;s side.


Dreamworks shares surge on debut Shares in Dreamworks Animation, the creators of Shrek and Shark Tale, jump 30 on their first day of trading.


IDC: Handheld sales continue downward journey The firm attributes the overall decline to falling shipments from PalmOne and to the withdrawal of Sony and Toshiba from the U.S. market.


AMD debuts low-cost Net device Company's \$185 machine will debut in India, Mexico and Caribbean and feature browser, e-mail and word processor.


Photo 5 of 5: New forms for iPod rivals The PC maker is coming out with its own hard-drive-based MP3 player--a miniature unit that displays color photos. \


Delta chief warns that bankruptcy is possible Delta Air Lines #39; CEO is cautioning that a tentative pact reached with pilots for a billion dollars in concessions doesn #39;t guarantee the struggling carrier has avoided a possible bankruptcy filing.


New national check processing law takes effect Thurs. (New York-AP) Oct. 28, 2004 - Don #39;t write a check you can #39;t cover now. A new check processing system went into effect Thursday that speeds the time it takes for a check to clear.


US 30-,15-yr mortgage rates lowest since early Apr Interest rates on US 30-year and 15-year mortgages fell to their lowest levels since early April, spurring more consumers to purchase their own homes, mortgage finance company Freddie Mac said on Thursday.


GMH Communities, ELong, Build-A-Bear also debut NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- DreamWorks Animation traded about 30 percent above its increased offering price as the creator of the hugely successful  quot;Shrek quot; movies drew a warm reception on Wall Street on Thursday.


AOL 9.0 Packs Antivirus Protection Citing the urgent need to protect its users from online threats, America Online will begin bundling antivirus software from McAfee with the latest version of its software, AOL 9.0, according to a statement from the company.


Special edition: Bono shows off his U2 iPod beside a regular model You can listen to all your favourite music on it ... now you can use it to look at your favourite pictures as well. A new breed of iPod has been unveiled by Apple as it tries to maintain its grip on the digital music player market.


Yahoo follows Google with mobile search service Yahoo Inc. has followed Google into the mobile-search arena, launching a service that allows wireless users to query its search engine over their handsets.


Tech giants launch mobile security specifications Intel, IBM and NTT DoCoMo have launched a security technology for mobile devices which they claim will bolster m-commerce services.


Truth  amp; Rumors: Oct. 28, 2004 Vikings owner Red McCombs backed away from some of the comments he made to SI. Contrary to what he told SI, McCombs said he has made no decision regarding the 2005 option on coach Mike Tice #39;s contract.


Watson out, Gillick interested in GM role Bob Watson has taken his name off the list of potential general manager candidates for the Washington baseball club. Watson says he met with Major League Baseball president Robert DuPuy on Wednesday and declined


CNNfn Network to Close by Mid-December  NEW YORK (Reuters) - CNNfn, the financial news cable  network owned by Time Warner Inc., on Thursday said it will  cease business operations by mid-December due to the growing  competitive challenges.


Washington's Arrington, Hall Doubtful for Sunday  ASHBURN, Va. (Sports Network) - Washington Redskins  linebacker LaVar Arrington and kicker John Hall are listed as  doubtful for Sunday's game versus the Green Bay Packers.


India unveils policy to help make nation 'Internet superpower' (AFP) AFP - India announced the creation of a national Internet service hub to connect all service providers and boost web traffic in the country of one billion people.


Explosion in Islamabad's Marriott hotel, injuries: hotel employee (AFP) AFP - Several people were injured in a  quot;big quot; explosion at the Marriott hotel in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, a hotel employee told AFP.


Kerry Uses Bush's Own Words to Call Him Unfit (Reuters) Reuters - Democratic challenger John Kerry\turned President Bush's own words into a weapon on Thursday and\said it was the Republican incumbent who had jumped to\conclusions in Iraq, disqualifying him from being commander in\chief.


Hitchhiker gets 1m web listeners A million people have listened to internet repeats of Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the BBC says.


PwC: Firms see mixed results in outsourcing Survey of U.S. and European companies finds that less than half consider outsourcing financial functions to be cost effective.


Natural gas modestly lower after weekly US data SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Crude-oil futures fell under \$52 for the first time in more than two weeks Thursday, reflecting concerns that China #39;s first interest-rate hike in nine years will ease energy demand.


China announces hike in interest rates for the first time in nine <b>...</b> China announced Thursday it will raise interest rates for most deposits and loans by more than a quarter point - the first rise in nine years - in a move to cool down the torrid Chinese economy.


Congressional act shortens check  #39;float time #39; Congress recently passed the  quot;Checks for the 21st Century Act quot; - also known as  quot;Check 21 quot; - and it goes into effect today.


DaimlerChrysler posts \$1.27 billion US profit after loss last year Automaking giant DaimlerChrysler AG said Thursday it earned nearly \$1.2 billion US in the third quarter on good performances from its financial services division and its US Chrysler arm, rebounding from a big loss a year ago when it had a


AMD debuts low-cost Net device Advanced Micro Devices on Thursday formally announced a low-cost Internet device targeted at emerging markets. As reported earlier, AMD #39;s Personal Internet Communicator is designed to provide Net connectivity


ICANN Approves .post and .travel October 28, 2004 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- Two new domains, .post and .travel could appear next year after ICANN (icann.org), the organization that oversees the Internet address system, announced their preliminary approval on Wednesday, according


No More Curse, But No Windfall Either NEW YORK - The curse is dead. Last night #39;s 3-0 win by the Boston Red Sox ended 85 years of World Series futility. Fans celebrated into the early morning, as they no longer have to endure chants of  quot;1918 quot; (the year of their last World Series win).


Leeds: No deal yet Leeds United #39;s board have asked for proof of funding after considering a 25million takeover deal headed by Sebastian Sainsbury.


Australia take firm grip on third Test against India : Sports India: Cricket  gt; Nagpur, Oct 28 : Australia Thursday took a firm grip on the third Test against India as the home bowlers looked completely ineffective, allowing the visitors to build an overall lead of 415 runs with two days still to go.


International charity CARE closes Iraq operations AMMAN, Oct 28 (AFP) - The international charity CARE has shut down its operations in Iraq following the abduction last week of its director there, Briton Margaret Hassan, spokesman Arnoud Hekkens said in Jordan Thursday.


Japan races against clock to free hostage in Iraq TOKYO, Oct 28 (AFP) - Japan raced against the clock Thursday to free a young Japanese hostage in Iraq but had little reason for hope hours before the deadline set by al-Qaeda-linked kidnappers for his killing.


Probe launched into fatal Russian mine blast An official inquiry has been launched into the deaths of 13 miners in an explosion at a pit near Russia #39;s border with Mongolia.


Gay Ordination: Obasanjo Backs African Bishops President Olusegun Obasanjo has praised Anglican bishops from Africa for what he called their principled stand against homosexuality.


Arafat to Fly to France for Medical Treatment  RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Ailing leader Yasser  Arafat, the icon of the struggle for a Palestinian state, has  agreed to be flown to France on Friday for medical treatment,  Palestinian officials said.


Exxon Mobil Profit Up 56 Pct, Stock Off  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest  publicly traded oil company, on Thursday said quarterly profit  surged 56 percent, driven by soaring oil prices and strong  results from refining operations.


CNNfn Network to Close by Mid-December  NEW YORK (Reuters) - CNNfn, the financial news cable  network owned by Time Warner Inc. TWX.N, on Thursday said it  will cease business operations by mid-December, after fighting  a losing battle against the far larger rival CNBC.


Stocks Down After China Raises Rates  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Thursday as  investors took a breath after yesterday's broad-based rally and  a decision by China's central bank to raise interest rates for  the first time in nine years hit shares of companies that have  benefited from its rapid growth.


DreamWorks IPO opens at \$39.50 On Wednesday, the company #39;s shares (NYSE: DWA) were priced at \$28, according to media reports. That was above the \$23 to \$25 range predicted.


Update 6: DaimlerChrysler Posts 3Q Profit DaimlerChrysler AG reported third quarter profits of almost 1 billion euros on Thursday, rebounding from a year-earlier loss, thanks to a strong performance from a Chrysler division rejuvenated by new models like the 300C sedan and Dodge Magnum wagon.


Mercedes Dulls DaimlerChrysler's Profit  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - An earnings stumble at  DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes flagship tarnished higher profits at  the world's fifth-biggest automaker on Thursday and stoked  questions about the loss-making Smart compact's future.


Apple Share Price Tops \$50 Apple Computer #39;s stock price hit its highest level in four years, passing the \$50 mark. The company recently announced that it shipped more than two million of its wildly popular iPod music


Yahoo Builds New Mobile Portal Yahoo! has announced the debut of a new suite of search services for mobile users at the CTIA conference. This new search offering enables mobile consumers to search for local information, images and Web resources on mobile devices.


George Bush Site Rejecting Visitors October 28, 2004 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- According to reports by research and analysis firm Netcraft (netcraft.com), earlier this week the official Web site for President George W. Bush began rejecting visitors from outside the United States


AMD Introduces Low-Cost Net Access Device in India  BOMBAY (Reuters) - U.S. chip maker Advanced Micro Devices  Inc. AMD.N has introduced a low-cost Internet access device  that could cost just a few hundred dollars, aimed at first-time  technology users in the developing world.


Aussies dominate in Nagpur A knock of 99 from Simon Katich lifted Australia into a commanding position in the third Test against India in Nagpur. At the close of play on day three, Australia were on 202 for the loss off three wickets


I Can See My House From Here Google buys a mapquest of its own. Also: Sharp takes us to the future of television in 3-D   hellip;.  PayPal finds a way to make amends for mistakes   hellip;. and more.


Redskins Rookie Taylor Arrested on DUI Charges (Reuters) Reuters - Washington Redskins rookie\safety Sean Taylor was arrested on charges of driving under the\influence of alcohol and also refusing to take a breathalyzer\test.


AMD Introduces Low-Cost Net Access Device in India (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. chip maker Advanced Micro Devices\Inc.  has introduced a low-cost Internet access device\that could cost just a few hundred dollars, aimed at first-time\technology users in the developing world.


New Technology Powers Fuel Cells (PC World) PC World - Smaller, cheaper, more robust notebook fuel cells could be available in 2006.


CNNfn Network to Close by Mid-December (Reuters) Reuters - CNNfn, the financial news cable\network owned by Time Warner Inc. , on Thursday said it\will cease business operations by mid-December, after fighting\a losing battle against the far larger rival CNBC.


Deutsche Bank Board Member Quits (AP) AP - A long-serving member of Deutsche Bank AG's supervisory board announced he was quitting Thursday in a dispute over strategy, Germany's biggest bank said.


Israeli Soldiers Kill Palestinian Girl (AP) AP - Israeli troops on Thursday shot and killed an 8-year-old Palestinian girl who was on her way to school in a Gaza Strip refugee camp, while Palestinian militants fired mortars at a Jewish settlement, injuring nine people, witnesses and officials said.


Tennis Star Magnus Norman Retires (AP) AP - Magnus Norman retired from tennis Thursday because of hip and knee injuries after a career in which he reached No. 2 in the rankings and was the 2000 French Open runner-up.


Supporters say Truscott has been an inspiration of calm, quiet strength (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - It's the apparent absence of any bitterness or anger that makes Steven Truscott remarkable, his supporters say.


Redskins Rookie Taylor Arrested on DUI Charges  ASHBURN, Va. (Sports Network) - Washington Redskins rookie  safety Sean Taylor was arrested on charges of driving under the  influence of alcohol and also refusing to take a breathalyzer  test.


Sweden's Former French Open Finalist Norman Retires  STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden's former French Open finalist  Magnus Norman announced his retirement Friday, citing a string  of injuries for his decision.


Arafat's Health Reported to Improve Doctors were arriving from Arab countries to treat the ailing Yasir Arafat at his West Bank compound today, though associates said his condition was stable.


Henman Battles Into Basel Quarterfinals  BASEL, Switzerland (Reuters) - British second seed Tim  Henman came through an unexpectedly tough second round match  with South Africa's Wesley Moodie to reach the quarterfinals of  the Swiss Indoors tournament Thursday.


Barely a Contest Among 53 House Races (AP) AP - The five candidates vying to unseat Democratic Rep. Sam Farr of California have little in common  #151; except their office address and the likelihood they will lose.


India farmers may be Africa bound The government of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh considers plans to send farmers to East Africa.


IDC: Handheld sales continue to slide The research firm cites a decline in shipments from PalmOne and the withdrawal of Sony from the U.S. market.


As iPod evolves, rivals strive to keep pace roundup \Gateway switches on a combo music-photo device two days after Apple debuts its own image-ready iPod.


New Technology Powers Fuel Cells Smaller, cheaper, more robust notebook fuel cells could be available in 2006.


Delta trading takes off after pilots give up \$1 billion Shares of Delta Airlines are taking off in record trading on the New York Stock Exchange Thursday morning, after the company and its pilots agreed to a deal the parties hope will signal a return to better times.


Yahoo Expands Search Wars to Mobile Service Yahoo COO Dan Rosenweig called the mobile effort a  quot;crucial step quot; in the development of relevant search products and said it is intended to take advantage of the growing base of its existing


Sony Pegs PSP Price Under US\$200 Ken Kutaragi, an executive with Sony #39;s game business, denied that competition from Nintendo DS influenced the low PSP price. He said the price was possible because about half of PSP #39;s parts, including the main computer chip, are produced internally.


Stargazers enjoy total lunar eclipse The Earth #39;s last total lunar eclipse for nearly two and a half years didn #39;t disappoint. Baltimore resident Davis Sherman visited the Maryland Science Center with his 15-year


Smaller, more powerful PC fuel cell is on the way A new fuel cell for notebook PCs, more compact and powerful than competing technologies, could be on the market in early 2006 at a price of around US\$90, its Japanese inventors said Tuesday.


MySQL Version 4.1 Certified as Production Ready MySQL AB, developer of the world #39;s most popular open source database, today announced the general availability of MySQL 4.1.


Brazilian ace dies Brazilian defender Serginho today died in hospital after collapsing during a match between his team Sao Caetano and Sao Paulo. Serginho fell to the ground in the 60th minute with the ball at the other end of the pitch.


Parker #39;s contract negotiations on hold The Express-News #39; Johnny Ludden reports that Tony Parker has ended his contract talks with the Spurs. The Spurs have offered Parker a six-year, \$64 million contract, but he is holding out for a better deal.


Watson doesn #39;t want to be DC team #39;s GM Bob Watson does not want to be the Washington baseball team #39;s interim general manager, despite the efforts of Major League Baseball officials to convince him to take the job.


Shrek Maker Dreamworks Charms Wall Street  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Star-struck Wall Street gave a  dazzling welcome to DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. DWA.N on  Thursday, sending shares of the animated film maker up more  than 35 percent in their market debut.


EU Treaty Signing Overshadowed by Buttliglione Crisis Tony Blair will tomorrow join other European Union leaders in Rome amid the growing crisis over the appointment of a new Brussels Commission.


British-Irish Woman Kidnapped in Afghanistan A UN election worker with dual British and Irish nationality was among three foreigners kidnapped in Afghanistan today. The three were seized at gunpoint in the capital Kabul this morning sparking fears of Iraq-style atrocities.


Israel #39;s Gaza pull outplan Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon might feel relieved at the support of his party members and largely his opponents in the parliament to the controversial Gaza pullout plan, but whether it means the end of violence in the region is a worry that will


Kidd Cleared to Do Some Work on Court (AP) AP - Jason Kidd was cleared for individual noncontact drills to get his surgically repaired left knee ready for the Nets' season.


Arctic Birds Use Scent to Find Their Mates (AP) AP - Antarctic birds returning to a nesting colony after feeding at sea sniff out their mates, literally. Researchers studying the behavior of birds called Antarctic prions found the musky-smelling birds were able to discern the scent of their mates.


Blast at Marriott hotel in Pakistan's capital, several injured (AFP) AFP - Several people were injured in a  quot;big quot; explosion at the Marriott hotel in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, a hotel employee told AFP.


Framing the Electoral College The framers of the Constitution may not have created the perfect system for electing a National Executive, but the Electoral College works. However, just as we still debate the virtue of a Direct Election today, so too did the framers at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.  Among the framers that spoke on the subject were James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, James Wilson, Gouverneur Morris, and Charles Pinckney. The latter three served on the committee responsible for discussing the powers of and the election of the National Executive. What did they have to say about a Direct Election and how did they come to choose the Electoral College instead?


CNNfn Shutting Down CNN said Thursday it will shut down its struggling CNNfn financial news network in mid-December, giving up its attempt to compete with CNBC after nine years.


Henman Battles Into Basel Quarter-Finals  BASEL, Switzerland (Reuters) - British second seed Tim  Henman came through an unexpectedly tough second round match  with South Africa's Wesley Moodie to reach the quarter-finals  of the Swiss Indoors tournament Thursday.


USC-UCLA Notebook: Killeen comes through in the clutch for the <b>...</b> If USC was going to have an off day in special teams play, fans would be quick to predict it would be their third-year kicker as the culprit.


Delta dodges bankruptcy with labor deal Deal cuts pilots #39; pay by one third, saves \$1Ba year, avoids bankruptcy at No. 3 airline -- for now. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Delta Air Lines #39; pilots union said early Thursday it had reached a tentative agreement


JetBlue #39;s profit plunges on fuel prices, competition NEW YORK (Dow Jones/AP) -- JetBlue Airways Corp. said Thursday its profit plunged 71 percent in the third quarter, cut sharply by industry competition, record-high fuel prices and the effects of hurricanes.


CNNfn network to close CNNfn, the financial news cable network owned by Time Warner Inc., said Thursday it will cease business operations by mid-December due to growing competitive challenges.


Auburn likely bound for Sugar Bowl The Georgia Dome was a sea of orange Saturday night, thanks to the school pride being donned by fans of both Auburn and Tennessee.


Today's Pop Stars in It for the URLs (Reuters) Reuters - British rock band Marillion has gone a step further. Since\striking off on its own in 2000, the group has used its online\site, http://marillion.com, to raise over 500,000 pounds\( #36;913,200) from fans to finance its last two albums and support\its first North American tour since 1995.


You're from WHERE!!!!???? When I recently called up my local DSL provider, there was no doubt about the location of the person at the other end of the line. Offshoring blog


Hartson double boosts Celts A double from top scorer John Hartson - his 14th and 15th goals of the Scottish Premier League season - fired Celtic back to the top of the SPL table for 24 hours at least on Saturday afternoon.


U.S. Eases Some Travel Rules for Nepal (AP) AP - The State Department on Tuesday relaxed departure rules for nonessential U.S. Embassy employees and their families in Nepal but reiterated its advice for Americans to defer travel to the Himalayan country.


Arafat to Be Flown for Treatment in France  RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Seriously ailing  Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat agreed on Thursday to be  rushed to a French hospital as fears grew for the icon of the  struggle for a Palestinian state.


DreamWorks stock soars on Wall Street LOS ANGELES - DreamWorks Animation Inc., the film studio behind  quot;Shrek quot; and  quot;Shark Tales, quot; went public Thursday on Wall Street, and its new stock immediately shot up 36 percent.


US Airways Reports \$232 Million Loss ARLINGTON, Va. -- Bankrupt US Airways says it lost \$232 million dollars July through September, more than twice as much as a year ago.


JetBlue Profit Tumbles, Misses Estimates JetBlue Airways Corp. (JBLU.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said third-quarter earnings plunged 71 percent, missing analysts #39; lowered estimates, as it struggled with skyrocketing


Viacom Profit Rises on CBS Ads; Plans \$8 Bln Buyback (Update9) Viacom Inc., the third-largest US media company, said third-quarter profit from continuing operations rose 12 percent, boosted by advertising gains at CBS and MTV.


Sony Announces PlayStation Portable Price The PlayStation Portable, or PSP, goes on sale in Japan on December 12th. Prices for the United States and Europe are still undecided, although overseas sales are


Bush Campaign Web Site Blocking Foreign Access  quot;Last week #39;s simultaneous outages of GeorgeWBush.com and RNC.org prompted speculation that an electronic attack may have occurred, as the two sites are hosted on separate Web servers, quot; Netcraft analyst Rich Miller said.


Henman Battles Into Basel Quarterfinals British second seed Tim Henman came through an unexpectedly tough second round match with South Africa #39;s Wesley Moodie to reach the quarterfinals of the Swiss Indoors tournament Thursday.


Backman no longer interested in job com. Wally Backman, whom New York general manager Omar Minaya was scheduled to interview Thursday in St. Louis, withdrew his name from consideration for the Mets #39; vacant managerial position.


AMD introduces low-cost Net access device in India (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. has introduced a low-cost Internet access device that could cost just a few hundred dollars, aimed at first-time technology users in the developing world.


Three Iraqis were killed in Falluja, London studies hostage #39;s <b>...</b> The American army killed three persons today at dawn in a raid launched by its warplanes against al-Golan quarters in Falluja to the west of Baghdad.


Lots Of Interest in Lucene Desktop \\I've made a few passive mentions of my Lucene  Desktop prototype here on\PeerFear in the last few days and I'm amazed how much feedback I've had.  People\really want to start work on an Open Source desktop search based on Lucene.\\* Current Status *\\I have a prototype implemented that runs from the console and accepts a given\directory to index and writes it to /.lucene-desktop.  It then has a console\searcher that returns the output in grep format:\\file:rank\\I'm trying to get keyword in context to work but I haven't had a chance to hack\on this recently.  I need another 30 minutes to integrate the Lucene Highlighter\and then I should be done.\\At this point I will return:\\file:rank:hit ...\\


Review: 'Konga' Great for House Parties (AP) AP - Nintendo has created what could be the ultimate house party video game with "Donkey Konga." It's the first title designed to work with the company's new DK Bongo controller. The plastic device looks like a real bongo drum and up to four of them can be plugged into a GameCube.


AOL Files Lawsuit Against IM Spam America Online Inc. said Thursday it had filed a federal lawsuit accusing numerous unnamed defendants of violating federal and state laws by sending bulk messages known as "spim" to instant message accounts and Internet chat rooms.


Millions in Americas Watch Lunar Eclipse (Reuters) Reuters - Millions of people in the Americas\stayed up on Wednesday to observe a total lunar eclipse that\bathed the moon in a coppery red glow and gave scientists a\chance to study the Earth's atmosphere.


Scientists Hope to Find More Tiny Indonesia Hominids (Reuters) Reuters - Australian scientists who found a new\species of hobbit-sized humans who lived about 13,000 years ago\on an Indonesian island said on Thursday they expect to\discover more new species of hominids on neighboring islands.


Ancient Star Dust May Point to Human Origins-Study (Reuters) Reuters - Star dust found deep beneath the\Pacific Ocean has led German scientists to speculate that a\supernova explosion 3 million years ago might possibly have\helped bring about human evolution.


Scientists Mystified by Images of Titan's Surface (Reuters) Reuters - NASA scientists studying images\from the Cassini spacecraft's encounter with Saturn's moon\Titan, said on Wednesday they were mystified by masses of\bright and dark material and surprised at the celestial body's\apparent youthful surface.


Royal Dutch/Shell Announces Merger (AP) AP - The Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Cos. unveiled plans Thursday to merge its two holding companies after nearly a century apart, a response to a scandal over its downgrading of oil reserves. The company, which posted third-quarter profits double those of a year ago, also warned it might further reduce its proven oil reserves.


Iraq Expected to Dog Next U.S. President (Reuters) Reuters - The Iraq war that might have been\President Bush's defining glory may instead turn out to be his\Achilles heel -- or Democratic candidate Sen. John Kerry's\complex inheritance.


Mauresmo Joins Zvonareva in Linz Quarterfinals  VIENNA (Reuters) - World number two Amelie Mauresmo  shrugged off a thigh strain to cruise into the last eight of  the Linz Open with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Marta Domachowska  Thursday.


quot;Hobbits quot; Found In Indonesia Exploding through the newsnets is the discovery of the remains of seven members of a tiny, previously unknown human species that survived until at least 13,000 years ago, and perhaps co-existed with modern humans right up to the present day.  Adult Homo Florensiensis, nicknamed "Hobbits" by the dig workers who helped uncover the remains at the Liang Bua cave on the island of Flores in Indonesia, were about the size of a three-year-old modern human child, but had a brain one-third the size. Stone tools and pygmy elephant bones found at the site indicate that these "Hobbits" hunted co-operatively together in groups, meaning that they must have had language. "The whole idea that you need a particular brain size to do anything intelligent is completely blown away by this find," commented Dr Henry Gee of Nature magazine to the BBC.


Delta Air Lines averts bankruptcy with pilot deal, faces more <b>...</b> NEW YORK (AFP) - Delta Air Lines appeared to have averted imminent bankruptcy with a cost-saving deal with its pilots union, but still faces challenges ahead, analysts said.


The  #39;Float #39; Is Gone As  #39;Check 21 #39; Goes Into Effect SEATTLE - Next time you write a check, be prepared for the money to come out of your account in record time. A new law gives banks access to your money within hours.


UPDATE 1-UAL posts narrower third-quarter net loss Bankrupt UAL Corp. (UALAQ.OB: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday reported a narrower third-quarter net loss. The parent of United Airlines posted a loss of \$274 million, or


UPDATE 3-ArvinMeritor to divest \$1 bln in operations Automotive parts supplier ArvinMeritor Inc. (ARM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said it plans to sell two businesses that account for about \$1


CNNfn going off the air CNN has reported plans to shut down its CNNfn network in mid-December, cutting 60 jobs in the process. Some of the financial news network #39;s programming will shift over to CNN.


Polish PM refuses talks on Iraq kidnapping Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka said Thursday his country would not enter into negotiations with the kidnappers of a Polish woman in Iraq.


Militants  #39;kill 11 Iraqi guards #39; An Islamic militant group has claimed on its website to have killed 11 Iraqi national guardsmen it kidnapped near Baghdad last week.


Kerry and Bush Congratulate Red Sox (AP) AP - Count Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts among those Boston baseball fans who have waited a lifetime to see the Red Sox win the World Series. President Bush says he's excited, too.


DreamWorks IPO Surges DreamWorks #39; IPO was expected to raise more than US\$812 million in the first IPO by a major movie studio in seven years. Earlier this month, the company debuted  quot;Shark Tale, quot; and it has become a hit generating


Carling Cup has its uses For some the Carling Cup is a dull and meaningless sideshow during the English football season and there would be no tears if it was scrapped off the calendar.


Owens keeps focus amid endless sideshows Press conference day. The cameras line up and point at Terrell Owens and there Owens sits with a smile on his face, baseball cap on backwards with terrellowens.


Lafleur says locked out league should declare bankruptcy, start <b>...</b> DARTMOUTH, NS (CP) - Hockey legend Guy Lafleur believes the National Hockey League should declare bankruptcy and start over again.


PM #39;s Senate win opens Telstra sale CANBERRA - Australia #39;s Government cemented the most powerful mandate in nearly 25 years by winning control of the Upper House, freeing it to push ahead with reforms such as the full sale of telecommunications group Telstra.


Remorse-stricken Norwegian pays hotel bill 24 years late (AFP) AFP - A remorse-stricken Norwegian has finally settled a hotel bill 24 years after he decamped without paying, the management of the Hotel Clarion in the city of Kristiansand said.


DreamWorks Animation Charms Wall Street  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Star-struck Wall Street gave a  dazzling welcome to DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. on Thursday,  sending shares of the animated film maker up more than 35  percent in their market debut.


CNNfn Network to Close by Mid-December  NEW YORK (Reuters) - CNNfn, the financial news cable  network owned by Time Warner Inc., on Thursday said it will  cease operating by mid-December, after fighting a losing battle  against the far larger rival CNBC.


OPEC asks US to tap its reserve OPEC #39;s president said yesterday the United States should tap into its emergency petroleum reserve to help lower oil prices.  quot;We have asked the United States to use their oil reserves


UPDATE 2-UAL posts narrower loss despite higher fuel costs Bankrupt UAL Corp. (UALAQ.OB: Quote, Profile, Research) parent of United Airlines, on Thursday reported a narrower third-quarter net loss even though fuel costs rose more than 56 percent for the world #39;s No.


Yahoo Takes Search to the Airwaves (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) is rolling out wireless search capabilities, extending the Internet portal's desktop services to the mobile masses and attempting to hold off the challenge from search-engine giant Google.


Apple Share Price Tops  #36;50 (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Wall Street apparently has rewarded Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), both for its fiscal 2004 fourth-quarter numbers and for its latest iPod and iTunes offerings: Apple's share price as of midday Thursday is just over US #36;50, its highest price in four years, and almost  #36;12 higher than its average share price the previous month.


Ballmer: Linux Can't Compare to Windows (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - With CEO Steve Ballmer as the point man, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) has taken the\offensive in its ongoing confrontation with Linux and the open-source\community.


Novell responds to Microsoft email Novell, responding to Steve Ballmer #39;s latest attack on Linux, is accusing Microsoft of selectively using biased reports to back up its claims.


Low Price Set for Sony Games Console Sony has set a price of 19,800 yen (US\$186) for its new multimedia handheld games console, the Playstation Portable -- a much lower price than analysts had predicted.


New Video Game Stirs Up Controversy It #39;s a long way from pac-man.  quot;Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas quot;, the latest installment of the popular criminal craze video game, is now on the streets firing up new debate.


SOE to launch web-based community service Station Players will allow Sony #39;s online MMO customers to meet and greet online; set to launch alongside EverQuest II. Sony Online Entertainment today announced a Web-based service that will allow players


Individual acts undermining union #39;s argument In a pitched battled with the league #39;s owners over a new collective bargaining agreement, NHL players have, for the most part, presented a strong, united front that suggests it will be a very


Arafat to fly to Paris for urgent medical treatment Ramallah, West Bank: Ailing Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is to fly to France from his West Bank headquarters to treat what doctors have described as a potentially fatal blood disorder.


Coors' Glass Half Full The brewery, struggling with domestic weakness, falls short of its earnings target.


Cardinal's Good News: No News Cardinal Health took a major step toward rehabilitating itself with the release of its 10-K.


Is Verizon's Call Waiting? Wireless revenues make up for lackluster landlines, but the industry at large is still on hold.


Asking Is Too Much for Jeeves An unsatisfactory conference call and disappointing forecasts send the search engine's shares tumbling.


CNNfn Network to Close by Mid-December  NEW YORK (Reuters) - CNNfn, the financial news cable  network owned by Time Warner Inc. TWX.N, on Thursday said it  will cease operating by mid-December, after fighting a losing  battle against the far larger rival CNBC.


Delta: Workers Sigh With Relief Workers at Delta Air Lines breathed a sigh of relief Thursday after hearing the news the airline #39;s pilots union agreed to \$1 billion in wage and benefits concessions.


ArvinMeritor to sell some operations ArvinMeritor Inc. (NYSE: ARM), a Troy, Mich.-based auto parts manufacturer, announced Thursday that it plans to divest its interest in two businesses.


Cassini Probe Illuminates Saturn #39;s Moon The photos sent back from the international Cassini spacecraft were taken during a flyby that took it within 745 miles of Titan. Scientists at NASA #39;s Jet Propulsion Laboratory declared themselves


ICANN Moves To Approve  #39;.travel #39; and  #39;.post #39; The two new names reflect a bit of a shift in the naming structure, since they are designed for specific business or interest groups.


EverQuest II dated Sony Online Entertainment today announced that EverQuest II, the long-awaited sequel to SOE #39;s massively multiplayer online role-playing game, will ship simultaneously to North American and European retail stores on November 8. Four years in development


Schilling coming to Verizon with President Bush Red Sox pitching ace Curt Schilling will accompany President George W. Bush to his campaign stops in Manchester and Portsmouth on Friday.


Kezman Vows to Hit the Goal Trail Mateja Kezman believes he can go on a goalscoring spree after finally opening his account for Chelsea. The former PSV Eindhoven striker scored the matchwinner in the 57th minute


Henman manages to see off Moodie Britain #39;s Tim Henman had to work hard before overcoming South African Wesley Moodie in the second round of the Swiss Indoors in Basle.


Redskins #39; Taylor Arrested on DUI Charge Photo released Thursday, Oct. 28, 2004 by the Fairfax County, Va. Police Department of Washington Redskins rookie Sean Taylor who was arrested Thursday on charges of driving under the influence and refusing


Iraq ; Margaret Hassan calla upon Britain to quit Iraq Iraq News, DUBAI - Iraqi-British hostage Margaret Hassan has again urged Britain to withdraw its troops from Iraq and also to free Iraqi women prisoners, Al Jazeera television reports.


Zim parly upholds jail sentence Harare - The Zimbabwean parliament on Thursday voted to uphold a prison sentence on leading opposition white lawmaker Roy Bennett for shoving Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa to the ground during a heated debate in May.


Oil Slumps Below \$51 a Barrel  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices extended a two-day slide on  Thursday that has sliced more than 8 percent from the cost of a  barrel, as rising U.S. crude supplies eased fears of a winter  fuel crunch and China moved to slow its runaway economic  growth.


Liquid 'suggested' on Titan Scientists examining pictures sent back from the Cassini spacecraft think they may be closer to showing there is liquid on Saturn's moon Titan.


China Hikes Interest Rates China's central bank on Thursday raised interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade, signaling deepening unease with the breakneck pace of development and an intent to reign in a construction boom now sowing fears of runaway inflation.


Flaws found in Windows-based media players Microsoft Windows users need to watch out for several flaws in non-Microsoft media players.


Brazil Race Debrief: Fernandos sterling drive Once more, the eighteenth race of the season provided a perfect illustration of the young Spaniards tenacity and never-say-die spirit. Heres how


Turmoil Clouds EU Constitution Ceremony (AP) AP - Incoming European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Thursday sought to ease conflict over his proposed executive team, as the turmoil threatened to cloud solemn ceremonies for the signing of the European Union's proposed constitution.


Ivory Coast Rebels Warn War Could Start Again  BOUAKE, Ivory Coast (Reuters) - Rebels in Ivory Coast said  on Thursday they were withdrawing from a long-delayed  disarmament process, warning that the war that broke out in the  world's top cocoa grower in 2002 could start again soon.


AOL, E-Mail Companies Sue Spammers The nation's largest e-mail providers today filed a new round of lawsuits against Internet spammers allegedly responsible for shoveling millions of junk e-mail messages into computer users' in-boxes and their instant messaging screens. -washingtonpost.com


Spitzer Denies Wall Street Journal Report  NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Attorney General Eliot  Spitzer, who is suing insurance broker Marsh   McLennan Cos.  MMC.N on fraud and bid-rigging charges, said on Thursday  negotiations with the company have just begun and no settlement  value has yet been discussed.


Delta still not out of the woods in terms of avoiding bankruptcy Delta Air Lines Inc. has a tentative pilot deal on concessions and much-needed breathing room. But it has not detailed the progress of its key debt restructuring efforts.


Stocks Extend Rally As Oil Prices Plummet Stocks extended their rally for a second session Wednesday as investors expressed relief over plummeting oil prices following a government report that showed a build in crude inventories.


China raises interest rates for first time in nine years Beijing, Oct. 28 (PTI): China today raised its interest rates for the first time in nine years to consolidate macro economic adjustment and ensure healthy growth of the economy, the apex bank said here.


Ovitz: Disney Execs Knew of Agency Pact GEORGETOWN, Del. - Michael Ovitz, Walt Disney Co. #39;s former president, said Thursday it was  quot;common knowledge quot; while he was at Disney that he was receiving payments for selling his stake in the talent agency he co-founded.


DaimlerChrysler reports \$1.2 billion profit after loss last year Bolstered by strong sales of new models, Chrysler earned \$269 million in the third quarter, up from \$171 million a year ago, outperforming its larger US rivals in North America.


Fiat #39;s Overall Loss Widens Fiat SpA #39;s overall net loss widened in the third quarter, and the company #39;s key auto unit slightly narrowed its losses, the Italian automaker said Thursday.


Yahoo Mobile Offers Search on the Go Yahoo #39;s new Mobile Internet service lets users obtain localized search results on specific businesses, access maps, and make calls from the results page.


AMD Hopes PIC Unlocks High-Growth Markets  quot;The PIC is being sold to consumers through service providers, like VSNL, which is a different approach for computing devices, quot; said Shane Rau of IDC.


WiMax: Latest trend, or hype? SAN FRANCISCO: At virtually every turn, Intel Corp executives are heaping praise on an emerging, long-range wireless technology known as WiMAX, which can blanket entire cities with high-speed Internet access.


Intel, IBM , DoCoMo push mobile device security LONDON - Japanese mobile operator NTT DoCoMo, Intel and IBM have started promoting a jointly developed specification for increasing the security of mobile commerce applications.


Enjoy it while you have it, Red Sox Nation It looks like the Ghost of the Babe can now sleep forever. Last night the Boston Red Sox fully exorcized The Curse of the Bambino.


2005 Tour route is announced With a single individual time trial on the penultimate day in St Etienne and fewer finishes at high altitude, July #39;s Tour could be a little less demanding than in recent years and give the likes of Jan Ullrich and Joseba Beloki more recovery time.


Sixers exercise Salmons #39; option PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) - Guard John Salmons had his fourth-year option exercised by the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, keeping him with the club through the 2005-06 season.


Coaches share mutual respect New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has won two of the past three Super Bowls, but he may be the only coach in the NFL who has motivated his team by employing Boston Celtics great Bill Russell and cartoon characters.


Mum #39;s the word The tantalizing topic of Terrell Owens was dangled before the Ravens #39; ravenous defense Wednesday. Instead, they focused on facing an Eagles offense that #39;s eating the league alive.


New Washington Stadium Will Cost More, Mayor Told (Reuters) Reuters - A new stadium for Major League\Baseball in Washington D.C. will cost around  #36;90 million more\than the mayor expects, the city's independent chief financial\officer told the City Council Thursday.


Russian mine explosion kills 13 Thirteen miners have been killed in an explosion in a coal mine in Siberia, according to Russian officials. The Emergencies Ministry said 90 miners working in the Listvyazhnaya mine in the Kuzbass coalfield had now been rescued, including 23 injured.


Zimbabwe MP arrested over brawl A Zimbabwe opposition MP who assaulted a minister in parliament has been arrested trying to leave the country. A parliamentary committee recommended on Wednesday that Roy Bennett be jailed for a year after


Delta's Stock Takes Off After Pilot Deal   ATLANTA (Reuters) - Shares of Delta Air Lines Inc. DAL.N  jumped on Thursday after the company and its pilots union  reached a tentative contract that will save the cash-strapped  carrier \$1 billion a year.


Mauresmo, Sugiyama Reach Quarterfinals (AP) AP - Top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo reached the quarterfinals of the Generali Ladies Open by beating Polish teenager Marta Domachovska 6-4, 6-0 Thursday.


Strong inventories send crude oil prices lower the steepest one-week plunge since the post September 11 period -- caught energy market observers by surprise. Speculators, who


Investors Stirred, Not Shaken by China (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. investors, spooked early on\Thursday by fears that China's first interest rate hike in\nearly a decade would cool the country's booming economy,\recovered their nerve in midday trading on the view that any\threat to American manufacturers would be short-lived.


Big Hurt Remaining with White Sox for 2005  CHICAGO (Sports Network) - Chicago White Sox slugger Frank  Thomas will remain with the team for 2005 after he exercised an  \$8 million option in his contract.


Kerry and Bush Tangle on Explosives, Character (Reuters) Reuters - Democratic Sen. John Kerry attacked\President Bush's "shifting explanations" on missing explosives\in Iraq on Thursday, but Bush said Kerry lacked the conviction\and consistency to lead the nation at a time of war.


Arafat to Be Flown for Treatment in France  RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Gravely ill Palestinian  leader Yasser Arafat agreed on Thursday to be rushed to a  French hospital as fears grew for the icon of the struggle for  a Palestinian state.


CNNfn going off the air NEW YORK - CNN will shut down its CNNfn financial news network in mid-December after nine years on the air. Available to about 30 million US households, CNNfn could also be seen in Canada by viewers with grey market satellite dishes.


Ballmer Takes Anti-Linux Campaign to IT Executive E-mail List Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took the company #39;s anti-Linux campaign to its IT executive e-mail list on Wednesday afternoon, with a 2,600-word message that restated Microsoft #39;s well-worn case against open source software.


French Market Watchdog Weighs Vivendi (AP) AP - France's market watchdog questioned the current and former heads of Vivendi Universal SA on Thursday in a final hearing before it decides on sanctions for misleading financial communications allegedly published by the company between 2000 and 2002.


Informer (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Xinhua Financial Network, affiliate of the Chinese government's Xinhua propaganda arm, has asked a New York federal court to block an InternalRevenue Service summons for records concerning Loretta Fredy Bush (no kin to W.), an expatriate U.S. entrepreneur from Utah who has overseen XFN's overseas expansion (Feb. 16). The summons seeks records from United Business Media, the British parent of PRNewswire, which also owns part of XFN. ...


Location, Location, Location (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - The latest Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances shows that Americans invest their taxable accounts and their tax-deferred accounts--their 401(k)s and Individual Retirement Accounts--almost identically, devoting just over two-thirds of each to stocks. Those who do this are stupid. They should put bonds into the sheltered accounts and stocks into the taxable accounts.


Penny-Pinched (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Faced with a choice between quality and quantity, FAMILY DOLLAR (27, FDO) chose the latter. The decision isn't paying off. A fast-growing, 5,500-store retailer that sells most of its wares (food, housewares, toys) for less than  #36;10, Family Dollar suffers from  understocked and disheveled outlets.


Other Comments (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - China is embarking on its first full-fledged United Nations peacekeeping mission. A group of 125 Chinese police officers will soon arrive in Haiti. The Carib-bean-bound officers of the People's Armed Police were rigorously chosen. During their three-month training, they were given lessons in French (but not Creole, the language most commonly used in Haiti). More importantly, they were brought up to speed on international norms of peacekeeping, with instructions on how to maintain order, diplomatic protocols and human rights.


The Good Old Days (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - My favorite gadget isn't to be found in the collection featured on the cover. Bruce Upbin, who put these vignettes together, wanted something newfangled, and the Singer model 201 sewing machine I got from a second-hand shop didn't qualify. But it's quite a marvel of mechanical ingenuity and as deserving of a testimonial as those cell phones and iPod docking stations (see p. 72).


Dialing for Tech Dollars (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Selling a  #36;1 million server software requires more finesse than selling a Crock-Pot, right? Maybe not. Some of the biggest names in technology, like Cisco Systems, Microsoft, BEA Systems and PeopleSoft, now use a tactic traditionally reserved for unwitting consumers after 6 p.m.: the cold call.


Nigerian soldiers head to Sudan's troubled Darfur region (AFP) AFP - A US Air Force transport plane landed at El-Fashir airport in northern Darfur bringing the first Nigerian contingent of a reinforced African Union truce-monitoring force to the troubled region, officials said.


Bench-Pressed (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Benchmarks are a big part of how investors make decisions. Each quarter investors pore over the results from individual stocks, mutual funds and other types of portfolios--and then compare them to an index, a broad basket of stocks in their category. If a stock or fund trails the benchmark's performance for only a quarter, a distressing number of investors sell. Bad idea.


Stocks Inch Up, Oil Drop Offset by China  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks finished marginally higher  on Thursday after a drop in crude oil prices to near \$50 a  barrel was offset by China's first rate increase in nine years,  which triggered a sell-off in metals and mining stocks.


Brain Scans May Unlock Candidates' Appeal (AP) AP - Applying some of the same brain-scan technology used to understand Alzheimer's and autism, scientists are trying to learn what makes a Republican's mind different from a Democrat's.


Daimler-Chrysler Waiting for Mercedes No. 5 automaker hurt by slow Mercedes sales, but Chrysler remains steady.


All That Glitters Isn't Gold at Newmont A massive gold producer makes money off of oil, copper, and a global distrust of the dollar.


Digging In at Phelps Dodge Big copper has provided big results, but what's next for the share price?


RIAA files 750 new file-trading lawsuits The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on Thursday announced it has filed 750 new lawsuits against alleged file-traders using peer-to-peer (P-to-P) software.


Still undecided? Web site aids voters to make choice on presidential election For those U.S. residents still unsure which presidential candidate to vote for -- and there appear to be quite a few who can't make up their minds less than a week before the election -- there's a new Web-based tool that can help voters match their positions to those of the major presidential candidates.


News.com Extra: When Hilary and Larry didn't come to blows Also: Get your Ashlee Simpson karaoke iPod.


BellSouths RealPages to Sell Google AdWords BellSouth's RealPages to Sell Google AdWords\\RealPages.com from BellSouth yellow pages and Google today announced an agreement whereby RealPages.com will become the first yellow pages publisher authorized to sell advertising through Google AdWords(R) to small and medium-sized local businesses. Under the multi-year agreement, BellSouth will include Google AdWords as an integral ...


Update 12: Delta Chief: Bankruptcy Still Possible Delta Air Lines Inc. has a tentative pilot deal on concessions and much-needed breathing room, but hasn #39;t detailed the progress of its crucial debt restructuring efforts.


Update 3: AP: CNNfn Will Shut Down After 9 Years CNN will shut down its struggling CNNfn financial news network in mid-December, giving up its attempt after nine years to compete in a market dominated by CNBC.


AOL, E-Mail Companies Sue Spammers (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - The nation's largest e-mail providers today filed a new round of lawsuits against Internet spammers allegedly responsible for shoveling millions of junk e-mail messages into computer users' in-boxes and their instant messaging screens.


Mauresmo, Sugiyama reach quarters in Linz _Top seed Amelie Mauresmo reached the quarterfinals of the US\$585,000 (euro483,255) Generali Ladies Open at the Intersport Arena on Thursday, beating Poland #39;s Marta Domachovska 6-4, 6-0.


Top seed Suarez loses at SEAT Open Spain #39;s Anabel Medina Garrigues eliminated Paola Suarez in the top-seeded Argentine #39;s opening match at the US\$225,000 (euro176,000) SEAT Open, rallying to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday and reach the quarterfinals.


TESTING FORTNIGHT FOR STEELERS The New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles may be on a collision course for Super Bowl XXXIX. The Pittsburgh Steelers will host the NFL #39;s lone remaining unbeaten teams in the next two weeks.


Productivity's Battleground (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - At its Twinsburg, Ohio plant (below), Rockwell uses its own Logix controllers to make the 2.5 million circuit boards per year that power them. On one line, sensors scan boards as they move along a conveyor; if a match is found, a controller inches the conveyor forward. The same controller tracks the temperature of an oven used to cure the glue between the electronics and the board, adjusting the speed of the oven's conveyor based on the reading. All the controllers are lashed to an enterprise-management program that spits out productivity readings every two hours and looks for bottlenecks. ...


A Marvelous 2005 and 2006 Marvel issues its 2005 guidance and offers an impressive list of projects for 2006.


Expanding economy confirmed With the economy continuing to rank as a top factor in the upcoming election, the latest  quot;beige book quot; confirms that economic activity continued to expand through early October.


Mortgage Rates Hit 6-Month Low Freddie Mac said Thursday that 30-year mortgages have dropped to the lowest level since April 1, providing more of a boost to the housing industry.


Lexmark loses ink cartridge battle Printer makers can #39;t be very happy, as Lexmark has just lost what could have been a landmark case for its profits and the future of printer ink cartridges.


Football fans clash with police Eleven fans were arrested after clashing with police during Chelsea #39;s 1-0 win over West Ham at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.


Armstrong keeps Tour guessing LANCE ARMSTRONG has left the question marks hovering over his participation on next year #39;s Tour de France. Armstrong claimed a record sixth yellow jersey in July when he eclipsed Tour legends Miguel Indurain


Astros decline option on Kent Craig Biggio will return for 2005 with the Houston Astros, but the ballclub decided not to sign Jeff Kent for another season. The local Major League Baseball franchise on Thursday said it picked up an option to bring back Biggio for the 2005 season.


Molik stays hot; Suarez bows out in Luxembourg Kockelscheuer, Luxembourg (Sports Network) - Aussie Alicia Molik began her quest for a second title in two weeks on Thursday, while top-seeded Argentine Paola Suarez was among the second-round upset victims at the \$225,000 Seat Open Luxembourg.


Salmons has fourth-year option picked up PHILADELPHIA - John Salmons had the fourth-year option on his contract picked up by the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. Salmons, a 6-foot-7 guard, has averaged 4.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per


IAEA Says It Warned U.S. About Explosives (AP) AP - U.S. officials were warned about the vulnerability of explosives stored at Iraq's Al-Qaqaa military installation after another facility  #151; the country's main nuclear complex  #151; was looted in April 2003, the U.N. nuclear agency said Thursday.


Militants slaughter 11 Iraqi soldiers abducted south of Baghdad <b>...</b> Insurgents slaughtered 11 Iraqi soldiers, beheading one, then shooting the others execution-style, and declared on an Islamic militant Web


Poll Watchers to Crowd Voting Venues (AP) AP - Tens of thousands of poll monitors, challengers, lawyers and other activist observers are expected to clog voting precincts in battleground states Tuesday in what will probably be the most scrutinized U.S. election in at least 40 years.


Kidnappers Demand Foreign Troops Quit Iraq  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Militants piled more pressure on  Washington's military allies in Iraq on Thursday, seizing an  Iraqi-Polish woman and holding a Japanese man under threat of  death.


Glaxo's Mild Depression British drug maker Glaxo sees increased generic competition for its anti-depressant drugs.


Don't Cry For SUV's (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - A kibitzer said I should write about the decline of the truck market. He figured I would be ahead of the curve in saying that this market has peaked from oversaturation, changing consumer tastes, rising gas prices and the recent appearance of some very attractive sedans and wagons.


Viacom Posts Profit; Sets \$8 Bln Buyback  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Viacom Inc. VIAb.N<VIA.N> on  Thursday said its quarterly profit from continuing operations  rose 12 percent on higher cable network advertising sales and  announced a larger-than-expected stock repurchase, sending its  shares up 3 percent.


The Troll Under The Bridge (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - The main border between the U.S. and Canada, our number one trading partner, stretches for 5,500 miles. The most precious fraction is tucked into the middle of the Great Lakes, where the Detroit River bisects the U.S. and Canadian auto industries. Between Detroit and Windsor, Ont., at the river's narrowest point, lies a ribbon of reinforced concrete roadway, 47 feet wide and less than 2 miles long, laid on suspended steel joists:the Ambassador Bridge. ...


Top-Seed Suarez Upset at SEAT Open (AP) AP - Top-seeded Paola Suarez was upset in her opening match at the SEAT Open, losing 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Anabel Medina Garrigues on Thursday.


Giddy Red Sox Fans Savor Lifting of 'Curse'  BOSTON (Reuters) - Millions of bleary-eyed New Englanders  on Thursday savored a feeling lost generations ago: the joy of  a Red Sox World Series victory that ended an 86-year drought  and, some say, lifted a legendary curse.


PC distributor puts RFID tags in goods A Singaporean IT products distributor is introducing radio tags to track inventory and delivery.


Agassi Brushes Bjorkman Aside in Stockholm  STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Andre Agassi brushed past Jonas  Bjorkman 6-3, 6-4 at the Stockholm Open Thursday to set up a  quarterfinal meeting with Spanish sixth seed Fernando Verdasco.


Apple shares barrel past \$50 on iPod juice A small bite of Apple has become a mouthful--the iPod has helped the stock double since January.


Burress: Pats Still Roughing Up Receivers (AP) AP - Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress suggests there are two sets of pass coverage rules in the NFL these days  #151; one for the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, another for the rest of the league.


Not Hungry for Applebee's Although earnings met expectations, the restaurant's comps and Q4 outlook are lacking.


Business Investment Too Narrow At the risk of repeating ourselves, it is worth bearing in mind that this recovery has been different from other recoveries. While much of the attention paid to the economy has focused on the sluggish jobs


SAIC signs deal to buy shares of S.Korean auto maker Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC), the biggest saloon car producer in China, signed here contract with creditors of South Korean Ssangyong Motor Co.


Viacom swings to loss due to Blockbuster spinoff NEW YORK, Oct 28 (AFP) - Media-entertainment group Viacom said Thursday it posted a net loss of 487.6 million dollars in the third quarter as a result of its spinoff of its struggling Blockbuster video unit.


Common fertility condition linked to migraines A common condition affecting fertility in women may be linked to migraine, new research reveals. The work could also help scientists understand the origins of migraine.


No help for Lexmark from DMCA The US Federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday that Lexmark cannot prevent Static Control Components from manufacturing printer toner cartridges that operate with


Security Standards Pushed To Encourage M-Commerce  quot;This collaboration directly enhances hand-held architectures to provide the trusted capabilities vital for widespread adoption of mobile commerce and enterprise usage, quot; Sean Maloney, an Intel vice president, said.


Agassi rolls back the years Stockholm - Evergreen Andre Agassi continued his career-long stranglehold over fellow veteran Jonas Bjorkman on Thursday when he beat the Swede 6-3 6-4 to move into the quarter-finals of the Stockholm Open.


Koubek topples third-seeded Gaudio Austria #39;s Stefan Koubek toppled French Open champion Gaston Gaudio of Argentina 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the Swiss Indoors.


Judge sends ex-Baylor athlete to mental hospital A judge on Thursday ruled that a former Baylor basketball player charged with gunning down his teammate is incompetent to stand trial.


Hrbaty, Andreev upset at St. Petersburg Open Ivo Karlovic pounded 11 aces Tuesday and knocked off second-seeded Dominik Hrbaty 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-4 in the first round of the St. Petersburg Open.


Blast rocks Islamabad Marriott A powerful explosion rocked the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan, Thursday, the BBC reported. The number of casualties was not yet known, but a BBC correspondent


After the Bell: Shares McAfee on the Rise  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of software maker McAfee Inc  MFE.N. were on the rise in extended trading on Thursday after  it reported third-quarter financial news, and raised its  revenue projection for the fourth quarter.


Hawaii QB Chang Goes for Passing Record (AP) AP - Ask Hawaii's Timmy Chang about the 94 touchdowns he has thrown, and he talks about his great receivers and blockers. Ask about his 14,791 yards passing, and he credits his coaches for believing in him.


Chinese Muslims Held at Gitmo to Be Freed (AP) AP - Defense officials have authorized the release of a majority of the 22 Chinese Muslims being held at the Guantanamo Bay naval base, the State Department said Thursday.


Gateway's Quarterly Loss Narrows  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Personal computer maker Gateway  Inc. GTW.N on Thursday posted a net loss that narrowed from a  year earlier and bettered its own forecast, helped by higher PC  sales and lower costs.


The Dollar Weakens Broadly  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar weakened broadly on  Thursday, reversing a short-lived rally on news that China had  raised interest rates as the market decided Beijing's move did  not radically change dollar-bearish market fundamentals.


Film unit helps Sony post profit TOKYO Sony on Thursday reported a 61 percent jump in net profit for the most recent quarter as  quot;Spider-Man 2 quot; pulled in money for the company #39;s movie division, helping to conceal slides in its consumer electronics and video game businesses.


UPDATE 4-Viacom posts profit; sets \$8 billion buyback Viacom Inc. (VIAb.N: Quote, Profile, Research) (VIA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said its quarterly profit from continuing operations rose 12 percent


Seattle Suspends Pepper Gun Used in Boston Death The Seattle Police Department said on Thursday that it would suspend use of pepper-ball guns to control crowds after a college student was killed by one in Boston last week when police broke up a crowd of rowdy baseball fans.


DoubleClick Says Quarterly Profit More Than Doubles (Reuters) Reuters - Internet marketing company DoubleClick\Inc.  on Thursday said quarterly profit more than\doubled with one-time gains, but its shares fell after hours on\a fourth-quarter view that fell short of Wall Street\expectations.


Business leaders see election affecting offshoring In Meta Group study, nearly half of managers surveyed predict offshore outsourcing will decline if Kerry elected.


Burned again, Kyocera recalls more phone batteries A renegade supplier may have flooded U.S. market with up to a million bogus batteries.


Yahoo Goes Mobile with Search and Images Yahoo Goes Mobile with Search and Images\\Yahoo yesterday unveiled their latest weapon in the search engine wars with Google and Microsoft - their mobile phone Yahoo. Nevermind desktop search or free email accounts, Yahoo is now bringing their search, local listings, and even images to mobile phones and portable devices. ...


Eagles Rusher Levens Gets Starting Nod (AP) AP - Dorsey Levens was ready to call it a career. He barely played last year with the Giants and there was little demand for a 34-year-old backup.


Titans CB Rolle Gets Antacid Gag (AP) AP - Tennessee cornerback Samari Rolle doesn't think the joke was very funny. Someone, he suspects a coach he won't identify, placed a bottle of Pepto-Bismol in his locker along with a photo of Cincinnati receiver Chad Johnson featuring the words: "There ain't a corner in the league that can hold me."


Delta, pilots agree to full \$1B reductions Delta #39;s pilots union said today that it has tentatively agreed to the full \$1 billion in wage and benefit reductions the airline said it needs to help it avoid bankruptcy.


NY Fed-Slower cenbank buying would hit dlr, rates US interest rates would rise and the dollar would fall if Asian central banks slowed their recent heavy purchases of US assets, the New York Federal Reserve warned in a report on Thursday.


Update 8: Crude Oil Prices Fall Below \$51 a Barrel Crude oil futures prices dropped below \$51 a barrel on Thursday as supply concerns ahead of the Northern Hemisphere winter eased after an unexpectedly high rise in US inventories.


US Airways, UAL #39;s United Post Big Losses UAL (UALAQ.OB:OTC BB - news - research) and US Airways (UAIRQ.OB:OTC BB - news - research) weighed in with hefty third-quarter losses Thursday as industry overcapacity and stratospheric fuel prices continued to generate red ink while the carriers operated


Google taps BellSouth for help selling ads This priority retains its ranking at number five as more and more companies deploy Web Services to share business logic, data and processes with each other and with clients.


quot;Serious shortcomings quot; seen in security at Russian nuclear plants Security at three Russian nuclear power plants has  quot;serious shortcomings quot; despite steps to improve security levels, Russia #39;s deputy prosecutor general, Vladimir Kolesnikov, said Thursday.


Agassi wins in straight sets again STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Andre Agassi had little trouble reaching the Stockholm Open quarterfinals, beating Jonas Bjorkman 6-3, 6-4 Thursday.


Olson: Hoping to preserve the joy of Sox Since early adolescence, I #39;ve had a dream. OK, two dreams. But I should probably stick to talking about the one that doesn #39;t involve Elle MacPherson.


Boston Plans Parade for Red Sox on Sat. Boston Red Sox fans cheer as their 2004 World Series Champion team returns to Fenway Park in Boston, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2004. The team returned home early Thursday after sweeping the St.


Show us your money, say Leeds THE Leeds United board today demanded proof of funding after considering a  amp;pound25 million (\$61.58m) takeover deal headed by Sebastian Sainsbury.


Iraq group says holding Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi drivers: Al-Jazeera (AFP) AFP - The Islamic Army in Iraq has announced it abducted a driver from Sri Lanka and another from Bangladesh who work for a Kuwaiti company, Al-Jazeera television said, showing footage of the pair.


The Dollar Weakens Broadly The dollar weakened broadly on Thursday, reversing a short-lived rally on news that China had raised interest rates as the market decided Beijing #39;s move did not radically change dollar-bearish market fundamentals.


DreamWorks #39; share price soars in debut trading NEW YORK, October 28 (newratings.com) - DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc (ticker: DWA), the creator of famous animation films including Shrek and Shark Tale, witnessed a robust rally in its share price this morning, during its debut trading at the Wall


DoubleClick Says Quarterly Profit More Than Doubles Internet marketing company DoubleClick Inc. (DCLK.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said quarterly profit more than doubled with one-time gains, but its shares fell after hours


Local Search; Still A Long Way To Go You know, it has not ceased to amuse me watching the various search engines fall over themselves and each other, in their march towards offering  #39;local search.


Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith For Handhelds Developed by Ubisoft #39;s Montreal studio, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith on PSP, DS, and GBA will fully leverage the strengths of each handheld platform.


Injured Ganguly not yet certain for Mumbai Test NAGPUR, OCTOBER 28: After all the spin and counter-spin, its official: Sourav Ganguly is injured, its not serious but his participation in the Mumbai Test is still uncertain.


UN paying attention to Arafat #39;s health: spokesman The United Nations is closely following the situation in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is reportedly ill, a UN spokesman said Thursday.


HP announces new low-end server ProLiant ML150 G2 offers a Xeon chip or two for small and medium-sized businesses.


Recording Industry Files More Downloading Suits The recording industry on Thursday filed another round of copyright infringement lawsuits against people it said were illegally distributing songs over the Internet.


Anti-terro measures at Russian nuclear facilities insufficient <b>...</b> A Russian prosecutor pointed out Thursday that some of Russia #39;s nuclear power plants and petrochemical enterprises do not have sufficient safeguards against terrorist attacks, the Interfax news agency reported.


Edmonton in, Vancouver out of Champ Car CBC SPORTS ONLINE - The Champ Car World Series is coming to Edmonton. But not Vancouver. Local organizer Greg Macdonald confirmed Wednesday that Edmonton was named the fourth Canadian stop on the CCWS circuit


EU #39;s Barroso Promises Commission Changes Incoming European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso says he will make changes in his proposed commission, one day after withdrawing his slate in the face of a likely European Parliament veto.


US Begins Airlifting African Union Troops into Darfur The State Department says it hopes the US military airlift of more African Union peacekeepers into Sudan #39;s Darfur region will help end continuing violence there.


Rossley Fine With His Reduced Role (AP) AP - Packers offensive coordinator Tom Rossley says he's fine with his reduced role after being been stripped of his play-calling duties for health reasons.


Titan Rich in Carbons That Gave Life to Earth --NASA (Reuters) Reuters - Saturn's mysterious moon Titan\appears to have an environment rich in the carbon-based\molecules that spawned life on Earth and winds that etched\streaks into its icy surface, NASA scientists said on Thursday.


Gateway Posts Operating Profit  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Personal computer maker Gateway  Inc. GTW.N on Thursday posted its first operating profit in  nearly three years as its retail strategy gained traction and  costs fell, sending shares up 11 percent.


FBI Investigates Halliburton's No-Bid Contracts The FBI has begun investigating whether the Pentagon improperly awarded no-bid contracts to Halliburton Co., seeking an interview with a top Army contracting officer and collecting documents from several government offices.


UN Condemns US Cuba Embargo The US economic embargo of Cuba jumped to the top of the Castro governments agenda on Thursday. For the 13th year in a row, the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution condemning the US embargo.


One Shell boosts Eurostocks The oil company #39;s plans to move to a unified corporate structure extend rally into third day. LONDON (Reuters) - European shares rose for a third straight session Thursday, led by Royal Dutch/Shell on news


Far Eastern Economic Review calls it a day AFTER 58 years, the Far Eastern Economic Review will stop operating as a weekly news magazine. Instead, the regional magazine will be relaunched as a monthly magazine of issues and ideas - largely written


Sony Springs From  #39;Spider-Man #39; Web Sony Corp. on Thursday reported a big boost in profits in the second quarter, due to the success of box office hit  quot;Spider-Man 2. quot;.


Update 2-Federated Investors report lower earnings Asset manager Federated Investors (FII.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday reported lower quarterly profits as the firm #39;s assets declined in difficult market conditions.


Scientists search for more human species SYDNEY - Following the spectacular discovery of a new species of human on the remote island of Flores in Indonesia, scientists said yesterday they expect to discover more species of hominoids on neighbouring islands.


Ballmer settles on scary penguin costume for Halloween Given that we #39;re in the final days before a big election, Steve Ballmer could have picked a quieter time to do his campaigning.


Voters checking out other sides #39; sites Are right-leaning voters spending all their online time on Rushlimbaugh.com? Are left-leaning voters locked into the like-minded Talkingpointsmemo.


IDC: Handheld sales continue downward journey The global market for handheld devices continued to dwindle. The industry has recorded a year-over-year fall for the third successive quarter, according to data released by IDC this week.


Deep Sea Sediment Might Have Sparked Evolution German scientists, sifting through dust on the ocean #39;s floor, have discovered stardust that may have helped initiate human evolution.


Dragonshard Beta Details October 28, 2004 - Atari and Liquid Entertainment today announced the opening of the Dragonshard closed beta sign-up period. Here #39;s your chance to help test the Dungeons  amp; Dragons-based real-time strategy title based in the new D amp;D universe, Eberron.


Juve restore five-point lead JUVENTUS maintained their unbeaten run and restored their five-point Serie A lead with this hard-fought win today. Alessandro Del Piero opened the scoring with a low drive just after the half-hour and Marcelo


Sports: Indians reach terms with Elarton CLEVELAND Pitcher Scott Elarton has agreed to a one-year, 850-thousand-dollar contract with the Cleveland Indians. He #39;d been eligible for free agency.


Koubek beats Gaudio; Henman struggles through Stefan Koubek beat French Open champion Gaston Gaudio 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the Swiss Indoors. Second-seeded Tim Henman struggled to get through to the quarterfinals for the


Blast in Marriott Hotel #39;s lobby leaves one killed, over 10 injured ISLAMABAD: A blast that occurred in the Marriott hotel killed one and left at over ten people injured including four foreigners at 9:35 pm at the entrance to the hotel on Thursday, sources said.


Jordan pledges help to release Japanese hostage in Iraq Jordan #39;s King Abdullah II on Thursday pledged efforts to help release the Japanese hostage in Iraq as soon as possible, Jordanian TV reported.


IRAN WOULD NOT ACCEPT LONG-TERM SUSPENSION OF NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES TEHRAN, 28 Oct. (IPS) Ayatollah Ali Khameneh #39;i, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran announced Thursday that Iran would not accept long-term suspension of enriching uranium.


Gateway Loss Narrows on Higher PC Sales Quarterly losses narrowed to \$59 million, or 16 cents per share, from \$139 million, or 43 cents per share, a year ago. Excluding about \$63 million in restructuring, transformation and integration costs, the


UAL posts narrower loss despite higher fuel costs NEW YORK - Bankrupt UAL parent of United Airlines, on Thursday reported a narrower third-quarter net loss even though fuel costs rose more than 56 per cent for the world #39;s second largest airline.


Exxon Mobil Profit Soars  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp. XOM.N, the world's  largest publicly traded oil company, on Thursday said quarterly  profit surged 56 percent, driven by soaring oil prices and  strong results from refining operations.


Cubs Cut Loose Alou, Grudzielanek  CHICAGO (Sports Network) - The Chicago Cubs Thursday  declined to pick up the 2005 options on outfielder Moises Alou  and second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, making the two veterans  free agents.


Chinese Central Bank Increases Rates for First Time in 9 Years The move is expected to dampen prospects for a long list of companies that have focused on taking advantage of the Chinese market.


South Dakota Sen. Race Deemed Most Costly (AP) AP - The South Dakota race that will determine whether Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle stays on Capitol Hill is the costliest congressional election so far this year.


Microsoft, Others File More Anti-Spam Lawsuits  SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. MSFT.O and other  Internet access providers filed three new lawsuits on Thursday  to stop the spread of unsolicited e-mail messages touting  everything from home refinancing to miracle health cures.


Shiver Me Timbers! Brazil Full of PC Pirates --Study  SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil should end the year at  the top of the list of countries with the highest rate of  pirated personal computers in its market, outranking China for  the first time, according to a study released on Thursday.


Xbox Owner Sues Over Defective Disk Drives  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A video game fan upset over a  failed disc drive in his Xbox video game console has sued  Microsoft Corp. MSFT.O on behalf of all Xbox owners across  the United States..


SBC slashes DSL prices in phone bundle SBC Communications said it will cut DSL prices to just \$19.95 a month for people who sign up for its full unlimited local and long-distance phone plans. Broadband Blog


Palestinians consider life after Arafat A decline in Yasser Arafat's health puts focus on future leadership.


Behind Fallujah strategy The US hopes a hard strike on the city will send a message to Iraqi militants, nationwide.


India and Pakistan balk at bold Kashmir peace plan Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf this week urged steps to end the bitter dispute.


At wireless conference, silly services rule reporter's notebook Concerned about coverage? It's a good thing you didn't go to CTIA; people there were busy playing "Swordfish."


SBC offers \$19.95 DSL with a catch SBC Communications unveiled a \$19.95 price for its DSL service, but only if customers buy a wire line phone service for \$48.95.


Gateway trims loss in third quarter PC maker sees potential profit at the end of the tunnel, boosted by new sales strategy.


Sox Fans Buy Souvenirs, Wonder About 2005 (AP) AP - The line at the souvenir store curved around the corner, about the length of a Mark Bellhorn homer into Pesky's Pole. Thousands of fans yearned to wear the words "Boston Red Sox" and "World Series Champions" on the same shirt. One of them wasn't sure what he wanted on the back.


Oracle sets applications suite release for Nov. 8 Oracle plans to finally ship its E-Business Suite 11i.10 on Nov. 8, company executives said today.


Panthers Release Safety Cooper (AP) AP - The Carolina Panthers waived special teams standout Jarrod Cooper on Thursday after police issued an arrest warrant alleging he gave false information to an officer.


Cavaliers Pick Up Gooden 2005-06 Option (AP) AP - The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up Drew Gooden's contract option for 2005-06, hoping the forward will take the spot vacated by departed free agent Carlos Boozer.


Secret Service busts online organized crime ring In what it called an "Information Age undercover investigation," the U.S. Secret Service has arrested 28 people from eight U.S. states and six countries allegedly involved in a global cybercrime ring.


Q A: IAITAM President Barbara Rembiesa on asset management issues The International Association of Information Technology Asset Managers is planning to work with software publishers next year to help simplify the language in software contracts, says President Barbara Rembiesa.


U.K. report cites merits of open-source Open-source software advocates got a potential boost from a report by the U.K.'s Office of Government Commerce, which cited advantages on the server side and a growing maturity on the desktop front.


Brief: I2 reports Q3 profit Although revenue slipped during the past quarter, rising software license sales and higher earnings have i2 Technologies Inc. officials hopeful about the future.


Dell touts in-home services Dell offers to install its PCs, televisions and networks, and provide extra phone support for stopping viruses and spyware.


Toledo schools may resurrect stalled PeopleSoft apps The public school system in Toledo, Ohio, is eyeing the resurrection of a \$4.3 million PeopleSoft accounting and HR software installation abandoned five years ago.


IDC sees continuing decline in PDA market For the third straight quarter, shipments of handheld devices fell as some prominent vendors decided to pull back from the market, according to research firm IDC.


Smaller, more powerful PC fuel cell is on the way A fuel cell for notebook PCs that is smaller and more powerful than competing technologies could be on the market in early 2006 at a price of around \$90, its Japanese inventors said this week.


Kyocera recalls counterfeit cell phone batteries SAN FRANCISCO - Kyocera Wireless Corp. on Thursday launched a voluntary recall of potentially counterfeit batteries for its KE/KX 400 Series, 3200 Series and Slider Series cell phones, cautioning users that the batteries were not approved by the company for use in its phones.


Oracle sets Nov. 8 date for applications suite release REDWOOD SHORES, CALIFORNIA - Oracle Corp. plans to finally ship the next version of its E-Business Suite of enterprise applications on Monday Nov. 8, company executives said Thursday.


Google, BellSouth Ink Local Advertising Deal (Reuters) Reuters - In a bid to further expand its\reach, Google Inc. said on Thursday it authorized BellSouth\Corp.'s  online Yellow Pages unit RealPages.com to sell\Google's Web search ads to small and mid-sized businesses in\the southeastern United States.


Shiver Me Timbers! Brazil Full of PC Pirates --Study (Reuters) Reuters - Brazil should end the year at\the top of the list of countries with the highest rate of\pirated personal computers in its market, outranking China for\the first time, according to a study released on Thursday.


U.N. Urges U.S. to End Embargo Vs. Cuba (AP) AP - For the 13th straight year, the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly urged the United States to end its more than four decade trade embargo against Cuba, rejecting Washington's argument that Fidel Castro is "a tyrant" who denies basic human rights to Cubans.


China Pledges Stable Policies  BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese leaders closed a key economic  meeting on Sunday with pledges to maintain stable fiscal and  monetary policies in 2005 and keep a tight lid on fixed-asset  investment, state radio said.


Gateway trims loss in third quarter update Gateway on Thursday posted a narrower third-quarter loss, helped by cost cuts and an increase in PC unit shipments, that could allow it to climb ever closer to turning a profit.


UPDATE 2-Alliance Capital profit rises in third quarter Alliance Capital Management Holdings LP (AC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , one of the biggest US money managers, on Thursday said its profit rose in the third quarter


Ottawa provides \$1.5B in loan guarantees for Bombardier OTTAWA - The federal government has approved loan guarantees to a maximum of \$1.5 billion to allow Air Canada to buy up to 45 regional jets from Bombardier Aerospace.


Microsoft, Others File More Anti-Spam Lawsuits Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and other Internet access providers filed three new lawsuits on Thursday to stop the spread of unsolicited e-mail messages touting everything


Tennis: Good to be back, says relieved Mauresmo LINZ, Austria : Recently deposed world number one Amelie Mauresmo shrugged off any doubts over her fitness by beating Poland #39;s Marta Domachowska 6-4, 6-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the WTA tournament here.


Donnie Nelson moves to front office Avery Johnson is retiring as a player to focus on his new role as Don Nelson #39;s lead assistant, league sources told ESPN.com #39;s Marc Stein.


India and Pakistan balk at bold Kashmir peace plan Within hours of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf #39;s dramatic proposal this Monday to demilitarize the disputed region of Kashmir, both India and Pakistan demurred.


Police Arrest 28 in Online ID Theft Scams (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Federal authorities have arrested 28 individuals accused of operating public Web sites designed to help people steal, sell and forge credit cards and identification documents.


Justice Thomas Hopes for Smooth Election (AP) AP - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said Thursday he would prefer not to face another election-related lawsuit, but defended the high court's decision to get involved in the contentious dispute over the 2000 presidential vote in Florida.


Police Arrest 28 in Online ID Theft Scams Federal authorities have arrested 28 individuals in the United States and several other countries who are accused of operating public Web sites designed to help people steal, sell and forge credit cards and identification documents. -washingtonpost.com


Castro turns screws on his own people HAVANA - In the heart of Old Havana, at a corner of Plaza de Armas, probably the city #39;s most beautiful ancient square, a plaque on a building on a street bearing the unlikely name O #39;Reilly declares an unexpected affinity.


Far Eastern Economic Review converts to monthly HONG KONG - The Far Eastern Economic Review, a leading newsweekly in the region, will be published as a monthly after its Nov 4 issue following after six years of losses, its publisher Dow Jones said Thursday.


Check 21 Places Demands on Banks #39; Customer Relations, Too On 28 October 2004, the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act (Check 21) takes effect in the United States. This legislation creates a new legal instrument called the substitute check - defined as  quot;a paper


Federated Investors Buys Cash Business Asset management company Federated Investors Inc. on Thursday said it will buy Alliance Capital Management Holding LP #39;s cash management business.


Ballmer weighs in on Windows vs. Linux The controversy rages on. Which offers a better  quot;value proposition quot; -- Windows or Linux? Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has issued an executive email outlining case studies and analyses making the case for Windows over Open Source Linux or proprietary Unix.


Armstrong short on summits in quest for new peaks IN THE brasseries of the Etoile quarter of Paris yesterday lunchtime, the talk was of how many more years the locals would have to endure Lance Armstrongs domination of their cherished Tour de France.


Brazilian soccer mourns Serginho #39;s death Brazilian soccer was in mourning on Thursday after the death of Sao Caetano defender Serginho, who collapsed during the previous night #39;s match against Sao Paulo after suffering an apparent heart attack.


O #39;Malley in touch with Spanish leaders Australian golfer Peter O #39;Malley is two shots off the pace after the first round of the European Tour event in Valderrama, Spain.


Kezman vows to hit the goal trail Mateja Kezman believes he can go on a goalscoring spree after finally opening his account for Chelsea. The former PSV Eindhoven striker scored the matchwinner in the 57th minute to give Chelsea victory over


Cubs cut loose Alou, Grudzielanek Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - The Chicago Cubs Thursday declined to pick up the 2005 options on outfielder Moises Alou and second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, making the two veterans free agents.


Del Piero, Zalayeta score in home win MILAN -- Leaders Juventus moved five points clear at the top of Serie A as goals by Alessandro Del Piero and Marcelo Zalayeta gave the club a 2-0 win over AS Roma on Thursday.


Comeback win delights Mauresmo The recently deposed world No.1 beating Poland #39;s Marta Domachowska 6-4 6-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the Generali Ladies Linz WTA tournament.


Astros exercise Biggio #39;s option, decline Kent #39;s Craig Biggio will be back with the Houston Astros next season. If Jeff Kent returns, it will be at a reduced rate. Biggio #39;s \$3 million option was exercised Thursday by the Astros


Leeds stay cool about Sainsbury takeover bid FIRST there was development interest from Asda, now a Sainsbury wants to buy Leeds United. Sebastian Sainsbury, great-grandson of the founder of the supermarket chain, yesterday emerged


Deadline passes in Japanese hostage crisis in Iraq BAGHDAD - The 48-hour deadline set by a group of Islamic militants for Japan to agree to withdraw its troops from Iraq expired Thursday night, with the group threatening to behead a 24-year-old Japanese hostage if Tokyo ignores its demand.


More Than 160 Taken Hostage in Iraq (AP) AP - Insurgents in Iraq have kidnapped more than 160 foreigners. Those held are:


Lukoil Plans Investment With Venezuela Russian oil giant Lukoil Holdings is planning a \$1 billion joint investment with Venezuela's state-run oil company, a top Lukoil official said Thursday.