PC Shipments Rise 12 Percent Worldwide

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Shipments of personal computers  in the third quarter rose 12 percent, driven by strong  corporate demand and ongoing strength in Europe, the Middle  East and Africa, a market research firm said on Monday.


Energy, Material Prices Hurt U.S. Profits (Reuters)

Reuters - 3M Co.  and American Standard\Cos. Inc.  cast a shadow of disappointment on Monday as\the busiest week yet of the corporate earnings period got under\way, and analysts cautioned not to expect the profit picture to\brighten soon.


Gas Tops  #36;2/gallon, 2.9 Cents from Record (Reuters)

Reuters - The average weekly retail price for\U.S. gasoline topped  #36;2 a gallon to reach the third-highest\level ever recorded by the government, the Energy Department\said on Monday.


Police Kill India's Most Wanted Bandit (Reuters)

Reuters - Police have shot dead India's\most wanted bandit, Koose Muniswamy Veerappan, accused of\killing more than 100 people, kidnapping, poaching and\smuggling from his jungle hideout, officials said on Tuesday.


Locust crisis 'could get worse'

The locust crisis that has devastated crops across West Africa may be even worse next year, experts warn.


E-Trade Profits Rise, Despite Weakness (AP)

AP - E-Trade Financial Corp.'s third-quarter profit rose 29 percent, despite a sharp drop in investor trading at its online brokerage and signs of weakness in its banking business. The company also raised its fourth quarter outlook a bit.


Target Sees Sales Growth Near 6 Percent (AP)

AP - Target Corp. now expects average October sales close to the top of its previous estimate of a 4 percent to 6 percent increase from last year, the discount retailer said Monday.


(Not So) Simple Simon (Forbes.com)

Forbes.com - Simon Lok is brash and brilliant and intense, a 26-year-old computer scientist with a teensy company and big, conqueror dreams. He has developed an elegant little networking box that shuts out intruders and costs 80 less than the gear hawked by the giants he despises--Cisco, Lucent, those guys.


Police kill country's most wanted bandit Veerappan (Reuters)

Reuters - Police have shot dead the country's most wanted bandit Koose Muniswamy Veerappan, accused of chopping up many of the more than 100 people he killed, officials said on Tuesday.


IBM Third-Quarter Net Flat After Charge

NEW YORK (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp.  IBM.N on Monday posted a flat quarterly net profit, weighed  down by the partial settlement of an employee pension lawsuit  and lackluster sales in its mainstay computer services  business.


Energy, Material Prices Hurt U.S. Profits

NEW YORK (Reuters) - 3M Co. MMM.N and American Standard  Cos. Inc. ASD.N cast a shadow of disappointment on Monday as  the busiest week yet of the corporate earnings period got under  way, and analysts cautioned not to expect the profit picture to  brighten soon.


Solar Minimum is Coming

Something strange happened on the sun last week: all the sunspots vanished. This is a sign, say forecasters, that solar minimum is coming sooner than expected.


Bush Signs  #36;33 Billion Security Budget (AP)

AP - President Bush signed legislation Monday that gives the Department of Homeland Security about  #36;33 billion to shore up the nation's borders, inspect incoming cargo, protect potential terror targets and train first responders.


Home Builder Optimism Rises in Oct-Report

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. home builder optimism grew in  October to its strongest level in 2004 on low mortgage rates  and heavy traffic of potential buyers, rebounding from a  decline in September, an industry report said on Monday.


TI Profit Up on Cellular, TV Chip Sales

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Texas Instruments Inc. TXN.N,  the largest maker of chips for cellular phones, on Monday said  quarterly profit rose about 26 percent on demand from handset  makers even as it struggles with a nagging inventory problem.


Toymakers Hit by Economy; Holidays Grim

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The two top U.S. toymakers posted  disappointing third-quarter results on Monday and softened  expectations for the crucial holiday season, citing a wobbly  economy and cautious retailers.


USAir Details Plan to Be Low-Cost Carrier

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bankrupt US Airways UAIRQ.OB  detailed plans on Monday for becoming a low-cost carrier,  saying it will overhaul its flight schedule and sharply boost  aircraft turnaround times beginning in February.


Darfur Rebels Use Human Shields -- Sudan

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's security chief said on Monday  rebels in the western region of Darfur have drawn army fire and  aerial bombardment on to Darfur villages by using them as cover  and as bases for military operations.


Police Kill India's Most Wanted Bandit

BANGALORE, India (Reuters) - Police have shot dead India's  most wanted bandit, Koose Muniswamy Veerappan, accused of  killing more than 100 people, kidnapping, poaching and  smuggling from his jungle hideout, officials said on Tuesday.


Anglicans Urge Ban on Gay Marriage, Gay Bishops

LONDON (Reuters) - Anglican leaders, striving to stop their  loose association of churches falling apart, urged North  American Episcopalians on Monday to ban same-sex marriages and  the consecration of gay bishops.


Manning throws 3 TDs to topple Titans

INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Despite Jeff Fisher #39;s best attempt, there doesn #39;t seem to be anything that can slow down Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.


Developer world: Poor nations on front line of computer wars

Countries like Brazil are shunning Microsoft's proprietary software in favor of open source Linux.


Astronomers Discover Planet Building Is Big Mess

Planets are built over a long period of massive collisions between rocky bodies as big as mountain ranges, astronomers announced today. New observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope reveal surprisingly large dust clouds around several stars.


Glazer increases stake in Man Utd

US sports tycoon Malcolm Glazer pays 17m to increase his stake in Manchester Utd for the second time in four days.


Democrat Wants High Court Nominee List (AP)

AP - President Bush should consult with Democrats on Supreme Court nominees to ensure a smooth path to Senate confirmation, incoming Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said Sunday.


Indian bandit 'killed by police'

Indian police say they have shot dead one of the country's most wanted men, the bandit Veerappan.


Blair defends new exam proposals

Tony Blair talks to business leaders about new proposals for a major shake-up of the English exam system.


Voters Cast Early Ballots as Candidates Trade Sharp Attacks

Scattered problems were reported in the balloting in Florida as early voting began in 10 other states.


Bin Laden's trail gone cold: Musharraf (AFP)

AFP - Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden's trail has gone cold, and US and Pakistani officials have no active leads on where he might be hiding, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said in a spate of interviews.


Iraq's Allawi Extends Arms-For-Cash Plan

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi announced plans Monday to extend a cash-for-weapons program for Shiite fighters in Baghdad's Sadr City to cities nationwide in an attempt to disarm the country.    The announcement came as fresh violence erupted in Baghdad and Mosul...


Democrats Signing Up More New Voters

The Democrats appear to be gaining the upper hand in the battle to sign up new voters in the all-important swing states, an Associated Press analysis suggests.    The AP analysis of the most up-to-date figures from across the country found that the Democrats have registered more new voters than the Republicans have in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and New Hampshire, while the GOP has done better in Iowa and appears to be holding its own in Florida...


Stocked Edge Higher As Oil Prices Retreat

NEW YORK - A sharp drop in oil prices gave Wall Street a modest relief rally Monday, with stocks edging higher on news that oil production had soared during the month of September.    Investors who have sold stocks for months as oil prices climbed reversed course Monday and started buying as the price of crude declined...


Bush Accuses Kerry of Scare Tactics

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE - President Bush accused John Kerry on Monday of employing "shameless scare tactics" on Social Security and the military draft just before voters go to the polls. In an interview with The Associated Press, Bush also said he'd be disappointed if the Iraqi people chose an Islamic fundamentalist government in free elections, "but democracy is democracy."  "If that's what the people choose, that's what the people choose," the president said, two weeks before facing his own re-election...


PeopleSoft awaits Delaware court ruling

The second and final week of a Delaware court trial relating to Oracle Corp.'s hostile takeover bid for PeopleSoft Inc. turned into an extended negotiating session between the two sides. Oracle executives criticized PeopleSoft's business in an apparent attempt to drive down PeopleSoft's selling price, while PeopleSoft rewrote for the sixth time the controversial "customer assurance program" (CAP) that could significantly increase Oracle's acquisition costs.


Red Hat drafts Sun exec for desktop Linux push

Java engineer Karen Tegan-Padir resigns to head up Red Hat's bid to get the open-source operating system on desktop systems.


Briefly: HP to sell Voltaire's InfiniBand switch

roundup Plus: PC shipments up, but revenue less so, study says...BEA mobilizes corporate data...Web services outfits merge...Microsoft sets holiday Xbox bundle...PalmSource settles Digeo patent suit.


Study: Online holiday sales merry, but not very

Researcher says U.S. shoppers will fork out \$13.2 billion online this season, but year-over-year increases are slipping.


Study finds dramatic loss of tech jobs

Third-quarter cuts in the tech sector shot up 60 percent from the previous quarter, an employment services company reports.


Spy agency investigates Libyan interest in weapons of mass destruction (Canadian Press)

Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - As Paul Martin plans a relation-thawing visit to Libya, a newly disclosed report shows Canada's spy agency was probing the North African country's interest in deadly weapons as recently as last spring.


PC shipments up, but revenue less so, study says

Makers of PCs will ship 191.4 million units in 2004, a 13.4 percent increase from a year ago, according to research company iSuppli.


HP to sell Voltaire's InfiniBand switch

Signs deal to resell cluster-related switches that employ the high-speed networking technology.


VoIP unplugged, as Wi-Fi meets Net phoning

Announcements by Vonage, Net2Phone, Boingo underscore collision course of Internet telephony and wireless broadband.


Dialing up better college test scores

Software sends SAT prep questions to your child's handset--and lets you check to see whether they're getting the answers right.


TVs, cameras top holiday plans

The Consumer Electronics Association predicts solid growth in gadget sales this year.


Cops track emergency call to malfunctioning TV

A flat screen TV started broadcasting a distress signal, drawing the attention of emergency and law enforcement officials.


An Odyssey of Wealth Destruction

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines odyssey as  quot;a long wandering or voyage usually marked by many changes of fortune. quot; For hospice care provider Odyssey Healthcare (Nasdaq: ODSY


Coke, Pepsi to list nutritional facts on labels

NEW DELHI: Even Coca-Cola and Pepsi are turning calorie-conscious. With obesity concerns getting shriller by the day and the recent row over pesticide traces in soft drinks posing several challenges, the two


Red Hat Hires Sun #39;s Tegan-Padir

As a founding member of Sun #39;s J2EE organization, Tegan-Padir managed the creation of specifications, compatibility test suites, blueprints and guided implementations of Java in the enterprise.


Microsoft Patches Windows Server 2003

Setting the stage for what it hopes will be a  quot;breakout year quot; for its server operating systems, Microsoft this week announced it will ship the first Release Candidate of its Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows Server 2003 by year #39;s end as well as a SDK


New Space Telescope Observations Upset Theories of Planet <b>...</b>

The leading theory of how planets form is being revised because of new observations from the US Spitzer Space Telescope. The process is not as smooth and quiet as once thought, but rather the result of violent collisions between massive space rocks.


NASA Says Switches May Have Caused Genesis Crash

Problems with switches aboard NASA (news - web sites) #39;s Genesis solar probe may have kept its parachute from opening, which led to the craft #39;s crash-landing in the Utah desert, the US space agency said.


OSC panel delays hearing ATI Technologies insider-trading case <b>...</b>

TORONTO (CP) - A regulatory hearing into allegations of insider-trading by the chairman of ATI Technologies and others has been delayed for the second time, and now won #39;t be heard until five years after the events that sparked the case.


Two blocks too far to walk for coffee, Starbucks says

Java junkies must often journey more than two blocks to find a Starbucks, which the company sees as a problem, its chief executive said on Thursday.


Sharapova to face tough challenge from in-form Hantuchova

DANIELA HANTUCHOVA, of Slovakia, defeated Vera Douchevina, the Russian wild card, 6-1, 6-4 yesterday in the opening round of the Swisscom Challenge in Zurich.


Police Kill India #39;s Most Wanted Bandit

Police have shot dead India #39;s most wanted bandit, Koose Muniswamy Veerappan, accused of killing more than 100 people, kidnapping, poaching and smuggling from his jungle hideout, officials said on Tuesday.


IBM looks to restore iSeries' 'luster'

At a gathering of hundreds of iSeries users at at Common's Fall 2004 conference in Toronto, IBM officials agreed with users that the company needs to push the system's viability and versatility more.


Microsoft to deliver SP1 for Windows Server by year's end

Microsoft plans to ship the first release candidate of Service Pack 1 for Windows Server 2003 by year's end and will release a developer's kit for the high-performance computing version of Windows Server next month.


Blue Coat tool targets spyware

The tool from Blue Coat Systems detects spyware at the Internet gateway as well as the desktop and is designed to keep it from affecting network performance and security.


Q A: Red Hat exec talks of challenges to open-source

He discusses the dearth of developers, scaling problems and his public blog war with Sun's Jonathan Schwartz.


Brief: Job cuts in tech sector soar, report says

The U.S. high-tech sector suffered another major round of layoffs during the third quarter, with computer firms being the most aggressive at cutting jobs, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray   Christmas.


Cisco, Microsoft team up on network access security

Under the effort announced today, the two will share APIs and develop protocols to enable better interoperability between Microsoft's Network Access Protection technology and Cisco's Network Admission Control technology.


BladeLogic ships updated data center automation software

Version 6 of BladeLogic Operations Manager allows data center managers to make provisioning, change and compliance actions based on the services a company needs.


Liberty Alliance names first director, new members

The Liberty Alliance Project, a global consortium aimed at developing and promoting standards for managing user identities on networks, now has its first executive director: Silicon Valley IT consultant Donal O'Shea.


Blue Coat jackets networks from spyware

With concerns about spyware rapidly mounting, Blue Coat Systems is introducing a proxy appliance to combat the problem.


CA opens United Arab Emirates headquarters

NEW YORK - Computer Associates International Inc. (CA) is expanding its presence in the Middle Eastern region, announcing Monday that it has opened a regional headquarters in the United Arab Emirates.


Study: Software vendors, users at odds over licensing

Software publishers and users are at odds about software licensing, according a study released Monday.


PeopleSoft awaits Delaware court ruling

The second and final week of a Delaware court trial relating to Oracle Corp.'s hostile takeover bid for PeopleSoft Inc. turned into an extended negotiating session between the two sides. Oracle executives criticized PeopleSoft's business in an apparent attempt to drive down PeopleSoft's selling price, while PeopleSoft rewrote for the sixth time the controversial "customer assurance program" (CAP) that could significantly increase Oracle's acquisition costs.
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SBC Case Study: Crate   Barrel
What sold them on improving their network? A system that could cut management costs from the get-go. Find out more.


Microsoft pushes SQL Server 2005 back

Those users and developers anxious to get their hands on SQL Server 2005 will have to be anxious a little longer.


Can Laser Printers Fight Crime?

Emerging technology uses a printer's fingerprint to trace and verify documents.


Google Desktop Search versus Microsoft Windows Search\\Google Desktop Search Software can't find your lost keys or tell you where you left the Tivo remote control, or that your glasses are on top of your head, where you left them. But the beta software from Google Labs is nothing short of ...


Reeves Says EBay May Cause Identity Theft (AP)

AP - Martha Reeves, former lead singer of Martha Reeves  amp; the Vandellas, says eBay left her open to identity theft by posting a contract on its Web site that showed her Social Security number and signature.


Texas Instruments Posts Higher 3Q Profits (AP)

AP - Third quarter profits at Texas Instruments Inc. grew by  #36;116 million from a year ago due to rising demand for its chips used in high-end mobile phones and digital light processing systems for big-screen televisions.


IBM Third-Quarter Earnings, Revenue Rise (AP)

AP - International Business Machines Corp. reported a small gain in third-quarter profits Monday, as increasing revenues in almost every area of the business, including emerging markets such as Russia and China, helped offset expenses from a pension lawsuit.


Bush signs law pushing human rights, humanitarian aid in North Korea (AFP)

AFP - President George W. Bush signed a law to promote human rights in nuclear-armed North Korea and provide humanitarian aid to citizens and refugees of the Stalinist state, as well as making them eligible for asylum in the United States.


New Voters Sign Up in Battleground States (AP)

AP - A look at efforts by the Democrats and the Republicans to register new voters in battleground states:


Spain Seizes Islamic Militants Suspected of Plot

MADRID (Reuters) - Police arrested seven suspected Islamic  militants in raids across Spain on Monday to foil a planned  bomb attack on the High Court, judicial sources said.


International Space Station Astronaut to Vote From Orbit

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- The space station's newest astronaut will cast his ballot in the presidential election from 225 miles up, with NASA's help...


Darfur villagers 'facing famine'

The Darfur conflict in Sudan has unleashed a crisis on the scale of the African famines of the 1980s, the International Red Cross says.


Clarke: Using technology to secure IDs is vital

In the age of prevalent terrorism, identity needs stronger protection, says counterterrorism expert.


RIM shows off BlackBerry with Wi-Fi

The new BlackBerry device can support VoIP over an 802.11b-based wireless network.


Texas Instruments posts higher 3Q profits

DALLAS -- Third quarter profits at Texas Instruments Inc. grew by \$116 million from a year ago due to rising demand for its chips used in high-end mobile phones and digital light processing systems for big-screen televisions.


LeapFrog Warns on 3Q, Year Profit View

LeapFrog Enterprises Inc., a developer of technology-based educational products, on Monday lowered third-quarter and full-year profit expectations, citing difficult market conditions.


Hollywood Awaits Start of Ovitz Trial

Description: A shareholders #39; lawsuit against Walt Disney Co. board members begins Wednesday. The suit concerns the expensive hiring and firing of former Disney President Michael Ovitz.


Earnhardt Loses Appeal of 25-Point Penalty (AP)

AP - Dale Earnhardt Jr. lost his appeal of a 25-point penalty and  #36;10,000 fine for using a vulgarity during a postrace TV interview.


Neck Injury Ends Rich Gannon's Season (AP)

AP - Rich Gannon will not return to the field for the Oakland Raiders this season because of a broken vertebra in his neck. The quarterback, who turns 39 in December, saw four of the country's top neck and spine specialists over the past couple of weeks and was told he shouldn't try to play again this year. But Gannon didn't rule out a return next season and wasn't ready to say he's going to retire.


BoSox Lead Yankees 2-1 After Two Innings

BOSTON - The Boston Red Sox held a 2-1 lead over the New York Yankees after two innings of play Monday in Game 5 of the ALCS. After singles by Orlando Cabrera and Manny Ramirez in the first off Yankees starter


Cowboys Not Winners Any More for Parcells (AP)

AP - For the first time since Bill Parcells lost his Dallas debut in 2003, the Cowboys have a losing record.


Glazer raises Manchester United stake to 27.6 pct-sources

US sports tycoon Malcolm Glazer bought more shares in Manchester United on Monday, lifting his stake to 27.63 percent and heightening speculation that he will bid for the club, sources said.


Ferguson admits to flaws in his selection policy

FAR less predictable than the perennial sniping at Arsenal was yesterdays admission by Sir Alex Ferguson that he had been making errors in selection.


Two die at Beijing Marathon

BEIJING, Oct. 18. - Two runners - college student and a senior citizen  -d and eleven others were admitted to hospitals during the Beijing International Marathon, state media reported today.


Astros Sorry for Showing Tavarez Replay (AP)

AP - The Houston Astros apologized to the Cardinals on Monday, saying they erred a day earlier by showing a replay of St. Louis reliever Julian Tavarez's tantrum on the stadium scoreboard.


Veerappan shot dead by the STF

The operation was carried out by a team of Special Task Force of Tamil Nadu police at Papparapatti village in Dharmapuri district of the state.


US says Zarqawi loyalty to al-Qaida real

An Islamic Web site posting in which Abu Musab al-Zarqawi #39;s militants declare loyalty to Osama bin Laden has been deemed credible by US officials.


Macedonians Killed in Iraq; For What

The following story contains the latest information known as of 23:30 CET on Monday, and will be updated as new information comes in.


Bush Signs Law Expanding Rights of North Koreans to US Asylum

US President George W. Bush signed legislation expanding the rights of North Korean citizens to seek refugee status in the US and authorizing \$24 million a year in humanitarian relief through 2008.


Sportsview: BCS a Work Forever in Progess (AP)

AP - Don't be too dazzled by the new-and-improved model of the Bowl Championship Series coming to a newspaper or TV outlet near you. It will have to go back to the dealer soon enough.


Corretja, Davenport Warn of Burnout Dangers

MADRID (Reuters) - Women's world number one Lindsay  Davenport and former men's world number two Alex Corretja  warned on Monday that the intense pace of the tennis circuit  was taking a toll on even the top players.


Sox Still Breathing

If Pedro Martinez can help the Red Sox to a victory in Game 5, then this series will suddenly be exactly where everyone always thought it would be at this juncture.


Commercial Demand, Europe Drive PC Sales (AP)

AP - Worldwide shipments of personal computers grew nearly 12 percent in the third quarter, driven by strong European sales and rising commercial demand, according to IDC, a research company that tracks shipments.


India's most wanted bandit killed in jungle shootout after a 30-year run (Canadian Press)

Canadian Press - MADRAS, India (AP) - India's most wanted bandit, accused of murdering police officers, slaughtering elephants and kidnapping a movie star, was killed Monday in a jungle shootout with police after more than three decades on the run, authorities said.


IBM Net Flat; Says Confident on Outlook

NEW YORK (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp.  IBM.N on Monday posted a flat quarterly net profit, weighed  down by a legal settlement, but the world's largest computer  company sounded a confident outlook and its shares rose 2.3  percent after-hours.


Gas Tops \$2/Gallon, 2.9 Cents from Record

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The average weekly retail price for  U.S. gasoline topped \$2 a gallon to reach the third-highest  level ever recorded by the government, the Energy Department  said on Monday.


News: New Google tool for searching computers a privacy risk on shared PCs

The Associated Press By Anick Jesdanun


US Retail Gasoline Prices Rise; Diesel Sets Record (Update1)

The average US retail price for regular-grade gasoline rose 4.2 cents the past week to \$2.035 a gallon and diesel reached a record as crude oil rallied to an all- time high.


UH MBA grad takes over as Kmart CEO

A graduate of the University of Houston #39;s master of business administration program has taken over the reins of Kmart Corp. as president and CEO.


Star Gas down on Pacific Exchange; warns of bankruptcy

NEW YORK (Dow Jones/AP) _ The stock of Star Gas Partners LP plunged 80 percent Monday after the distributor of heating oil and propane said its inability to pass on the full impact of high heating oil prices to customers may lead to bankruptcy.


MCI to Write Down Asset Values by \$3.5 Bln in 3rd Qtr (Update2)

MCI Inc., the second-largest US long- distance telephone company, will write down its assets by \$3.5 billion in the third quarter, reflecting their reduced value as calling prices tumble and demand declines.


UPDATE 1-IMF says Iraq has place for basic economic program

Iraq #39;s government has the capacity to proceed with a basic economic program, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday, even as authorities struggle to contain violence before elections set for January.


Cricket-Merriman says Kenyan cricket can learn from the Zimbabwe <b>...</b>

NAIROBI (AFP) - Australian cricket board chairman Bob Merriman said that the probe into racism in Zimbabwean cricket should serve as an impetus for Kenya in resolving its own internal conflicts.


EU ministers fail to resolve issue of transit camps

FLORENCE: Interior ministers from France and Spain on Monday shot down a German proposal to set up transit camps in North Africa to process asylum seekers before they reach Europe.


Nationality saved captured Aussie

A JOURNALIST kidnapped in Baghdad was probably released because he was Australian and there was no hatred of Australians in the country, Iraq #39;s national security adviser said today.


Briefly: RIM touts BlackBerry with Wi-Fi

roundup Plus: HP to sell Voltaire's InfiniBand switch...PC shipments up, but revenue less so, study says...BEA mobilizes corporate data.


Tech Job Cuts Leap 60

Announced job cuts in the technology sector soared 60 in the third quarter to 54,701, the highest figure since the fourth quarter of 2003 (82,328).


Space Station Astronaut to Vote From Orbit

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Oct. 18, 2004 - The space station #39;s newest astronaut will cast his ballot in the presidential election from 225 miles up, with NASA #39;s help.


HP #39;s Hall responds to Schwartz #39;s claims

While in Sydney last week for a sales conference and to visit local customers, Sun Microsystems #39; president and COO Jonathan Schwartz made a number of statements (Computerworld Online October 13, CW October 18, p4) regarding the strategies of its


Siemens Wins Malaysian 3G Deal

Siemens has been working with Malaysia mobile-phone carrier Maxis since 1995 as a supplier of 2G/GSM mobile technology. As of June 2004, Maxis had 5.12 million customers, giving it over 40


BoSox Lead Yankees 2-1 After Three Innings

Boston Red Sox #39;s David Ortiz is congratulated after scoring against the New York Yankees in the frist inning during game 5 of the ALCS Monday, Oct. 18 2004 in Boston.


Relieved Australia take break

A Test match that had looked to be building up into a great climax was ruined yesterday by a six-hour downpour that forced the final day to be abandoned without a ball bowled.


Costa, Corretja, Fish advance at Madrid Masters

Madrid, Spain (Sports Network) - Spanish favorites Albert Costa and Alex Corretja highlighted Monday #39;s opening round winners at the Masters Series Madrid.


Germany, Poland Fail to Resolve WWII Fight (AP)

AP - Top lawmakers from Poland and Germany failed Monday to bridge differences over World War II reparations claims that are weighing on relations between the two former enemies and new European Union partners.


IBM Net Flat; Says Confident on Outlook

NEW YORK (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp.  on Monday posted a flat quarterly net profit, weighed down by a  legal settlement, but the world's largest computer company  sounded a confident outlook and its shares rose 2.3 percent.


Recent Polls on the Presidential Race (AP)

AP - Results of recent polls on the presidential race. Listed above each set of results is the name of the organization that conducted the poll, the dates, the number interviewed, whether they were adults, registered voters (RV) or likely voters (LV) and the margin of error (MoE). Results might not total 100 percent because of rounding.


U.S. Stocks Gain as Oil Falls

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks closed higher on Monday  after a drop in oil prices eased worries about high energy  costs, although disappointing earnings from diversified  manufacturer 3M Co.MMM.N curbed gains on the blue-chip Dow.


Levi Strauss Scraps Dockers Sale

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Levi Strauss   Co. said on Monday  it has scrapped plans to sell its Dockers brand because  potential buyers would not meet the company's price for the  casual clothing line it had considered spinning off as part of  a turnaround plan.


Democrats Signing Up More New Voters

The Democrats appear to be gaining the upper hand in the battle to sign up new voters in the all-important swing states, an Associated Press analysis suggests.    The AP analysis of the most up-to-date figures from across the country found that, in every state where complete data is available, the Democrats have registered more new voters than Republicans...


Google's New PC Search Tool Poses Risks

NEW YORK - People who use public or workplace computers for e-mail, instant messaging and Web searching have a new privacy risk to worry about: Google's free new tool that indexes a PC's contents for quickly locating data.    If it's installed on computers at libraries and Internet cafes, users could unwittingly allow people who follow them on the PCs, for example, to see sensitive information in e-mails they've exchanged...


BoSox Lead Yankees 2-1 After Five Innings

BOSTON - The Boston Red Sox held a 2-1 lead over the New York Yankees after five innings of play Monday in Game 5 of the ALCS.    After singles by Orlando Cabrera and Manny Ramirez in the first off Yankees starter Mike Mussina, David Ortiz added another single to make the score 1-0...


Woolworths Has 16.6 Stake in Australian Leisure, Extends Offer

Woolworths Ltd., Australia #39;s biggest grocer, increased its stake in takeover target Australian Leisure  amp; Hospitality Group to 16.


IT Jobs Dwindle in US, Offshore Hiring To Surge

Challenger, Gray  amp; Christmas reports that the US information technology industry lost 54,701 jobs in the July through September quarter, which is an increase of 14 percent from the same quarter last year.


Japan Should Be Part of Aircraft Talks, EADS Says (Update1)

Talks between the US and European Union to rework the terms of government aid to aircraft makers should include Brazil, Canada and Japan, said Philippe Camus, co- chief executive of European Aeronautic, Defense  amp; Space Co.


Ortiz keeps Red Sox alive with timely home run in Game 4

10:12 pm: This is it. If the Red Sox are ever going to do something, it #39;s got to be now. It #39;s the bottom of the fifth inning in Game 4. Two outs.


Glazer in position for takeover

The spectre of a Manchester United takeover by American businessman Malcolm Glazer edged closer last night when sources close to the multi-millionaire said that he could trigger a


Zims status never under threat: ICC

INTERNATIONAL Cricket Council president Ehsan Mani and chief executive Malcolm Speed on Sunday said that Zimbabwe*s Test status was never under threat even though the Zimbabwe Cricket Union


Indonesian court to try Ba #39;ashir next week

The South Jakarta district court will begin next week to try Indonesian Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Ba #39;ashir who was allegedly implicated in deadly terror acts in the country, a court official said on Monday.


Yakubu makes Spurs suffer

Tottenham Hotspur wasted chances and the opportunity to move into fourth place after displaying typical weaknesses at Fratton Park last night.


Bill #39;s Henry to retain starting role when healthy

Once healthy, running back Travis Henry will regain his job as the Buffalo Bills starter despite Willis McGahee #39;s strong debut on Sunday.


Broken JI spawns even more deadly menace

THEY are the men who keep counter-terrorism experts awake at night, only too aware that a strike is being plotted even as you read this report.


Vonage and Boingo Wireless to market VoIP together

Boingo Wireless and Vonage Holdings Corp., announced a relationship to bring VoIP services to the market bundled with wireless offers.


Bono #39;s iPod

NEW YORK - Rock band U2 has cut a deal with Apple Computer to sell custom iPods promoting the band #39;s forthcoming album. Sources close to the group say the U2 edition of the popular digital music player will


Published by the group of companies

Maxis Communications Bhd targets to launch its third-generation (3G) mobile services in the first quarter of 2005, but it expects the number of subscribers to be less than 100,000 during the first year due to the expensive handsets.


FilePlanet Daily Download

Half-Life 2 Goes Gold (PC) Ladies and gents it #39;s official! Half-Life 2 goes gold and expected November 16! Almost six years to the date that Half-Life went gold, VUGames confirms that Valve #39;s Half-Life 2 has


JBoss Brings Open Source to BPM

JBoss has released a new version of its open-source business process management application, called  quot;jBPM. quot; It is the latest evidence that the open-source provider is serious about pushing


Smaller Boxes, Bigger Plans For IBM Storage

IBM #39;s new four-year storage strategy, laid out last week, came with a few surprises. First, the talk was all about gee-whiz hardware and lower costs, not related services.


Baby, you can network my car

com October 18, 2004, 4:37 PM PT. SAN FRANCISCO--Fasten your seatbelts--the next stop for the MP3 revolution is your car. That was the consensus of a group of mobile electronics executives


Q amp;A: Red Hat exec talks of challenges to open-source

OCTOBER 18, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - The biggest challenge for the open-source community is that there are too few open-source developers, according to Michael Tiemann, vice president of open-source affairs at Red Hat Inc.


Actional, Westbridge Merge

Actional and Westbridge have merged, bringing Westbridge #39;s security infrastructure expertise to Actional #39;s existing Web services management platform.


Micron To Build Chip Production Plant in China

Micron ranks fourth in the Chinese chip market, trailing Hynix, Samsung and Infinitron, according to a report from the consulting firm CCID.


Red Sox stay alive in ALCS

David Ortiz #39;s drive into the right-field bullpen set off a frenzy at Fenway and gave the Boston Red Sox a shot at pulling off the greatest comeback ever.


Mutu agent #39;s shock at drug claim

Adrian Mutu #39;s agent claims the Chelsea striker is  quot;absolutely shocked quot; at reports that he failed a drugs test. Newspaper allegations suggest that Mutu tested positive during a random check at Chelsea in September.


Oklahoma, No. 2 in Both Polls, Opens Third in BCS Ranking

The Bowl Championship Series released its initial ranking yesterday, based on a formula revised in the off-season to help ensure that the consensus No.


Gilly rejects  #39;pressure #39;

ADAM Gilchrist flew to Singapore last night for a mid-tour holiday urging people to stop fretting about the pressures that have swamped him on the Indian tour.


Belarus KGB Arrests U.S. Internet Specialist (Reuters)

Reuters - An American citizen specializing\in the Internet was arrested by the Belarus KGB for allegedly\mishandling funds, Belarus authorities reported on Monday.


Iraqi Government #39;s Peace Talks With Falluja Break Off

The chief negotiator for the city of Falluja said Monday that he had called off peace talks with the Iraqi government on the orders of guerrillas who control


Sharon resists calls for vote on Gaza

ARIEL SHARON, the Israeli Prime Minister, yesterday used the threat of early elections in an attempt to swing recalcitrant members of his Likud party behind his plan to evacuate all the Jewish settlements in Gaza.


Report: Macedonia workers beheaded

Two Macedonian construction workers kidnapped south of Baghdad have been beheaded, and the group claiming responsibility accused the men of working as spies for US forces in Iraq, the Arab television network Al-Jazeera has reported.


Indonesian court rules terrorism trial to start next week

JAKARTA - The trial of Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir on terrorism and criminal charges will begin on Oct. 28. An Indonesian court has confirmed the date and says a panel of five judges will be appointed for the trial.


Muslims held after Spanish raids

Judicial sources said Monday #39;s operations had foiled a planned bomb attack on the High Court. The interior ministry said further arrests could be made imminently, as police moved against what was described as an active Islamic militant group.


Spain Arrests 7 in Suspected Terror Plan (AP)

AP - Police arrested seven people Monday in nationwide raids targeting a suspected Islamic terror ring that was reportedly preparing for an attack.


Locust Likely to Descend on West Africa Again (Reuters)

Reuters - The desert locust infestation that\descended on West and Central Africa this year is likely to\return in 2005 and officials will have to be better prepared to\avoid major damage to crops, experts said on Monday.


Bush, Kerry Exchange Bitter Words on Iraq (AP)

AP - President Bush and Democratic rival John Kerry traded biting accusations over the war in Iraq on Monday as early Florida voting produced scattered complaints that stirred memories of the state's chaotic 2000 recount.


Colts crush Titans

The Titans, led by a backup quarterback and employing three straight on-side kicks, banged out three touchdowns and a field goal to own the opening quarter 24-17 in the RCA Dome today.


Gore: Bush Deceived Public on Iraq (AP)

AP - Al Gore on Monday accused President Bush of intentionally deceiving the public about the reasons for invading Iraq and said he is so ideologically driven that he refuses to admit  #151; or even learn from  #151; his mistakes.


Intel Cuts Prices on Laptop Computer Chips

Intel Corp. INTC.O cut prices on its chips for mobile computers by as much as 34 percent this week, a move that could lower PC prices from the likes of Dell Inc.


Scientists: New planets may take longer

It may take much longer than scientists have thought for violent turbulence to turn grains of space dust into new planets. A NASA telescope recently discovered evidence that


Maxis set to roll out 3G in 2005

MOBILE phone operator Maxis Communications Bhd expects to roll out its third generation (3G) technology in the local market from the first quarter of next year.


Westbridge Merger Is Where The Actional Is

Actional Corp. and Westbridge Technology Inc. on Monday announced the merger of the two companies, reflecting consolidation in the Web services market, as vendors try to provide a broader product portfolio to a larger customer base.


ICC: Test status for Bangladesh and Zimbabwe is safe

LAHORE: The International Cricket Council yesterday said that a review of the structure of the sport was never aimed at taking away the Test status of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.


Turf trip tempting for Board

Ouija Board, the winner of both the English and Irish Oaks this season, was yesterday confirmed as a definite runner at the Breeders #39; Cup meeting at Lone Star Park in Dallas on Saturday week.


Gold Fields chief calls 4.5bn bid  #39;inadequate #39;

The chief executive of Gold Fields, the South African gold producer, yesterday said he would urge the board to turn down an \$8.1billion (4.


Australian Oil-Related Stocks Drop; Australian Leisure Rises

Australian oil-related stocks fell, led by Woodside Petroleum Ltd., after crude futures had the biggest decline in more than a month.


Insurance scandal spreads to Britain

By James Daley in London and Katherine Griffiths in New York. The UK regulator for the insurance industry has said it attempted to launch investigations into several of its member firms earlier this year, after


Stewart: Kmart Exec Shuffle May Benefit Firm Martha Founded

Can #39;t keep a good woman down. Well, a woman with good taste, anyway; and more specifically, the company she founded. Shares of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (nyse: MSO - news - people ) trading on the New


Pressure eases on rates as housing begins to cool

YET more evidence emerged yesterday that British interest rates have either peaked, or are extremely close to doing so. House prices fell at their steepest pace in nine years in the three months to September.


MCI to Write Down Asset Values by \$3.5 Bln in 3rd Qtr (Update3)

MCI Inc., the second-largest US long- distance telephone company, will write down assets by \$3.5 billion in the third quarter, reflecting their reduced value as calling prices tumble and demand declines.


Check Point beats forecasts in Q3

Check Point CEO Gil Shwed, dressed in his usual black shirt and smiling as his custom, had every reason to be cheerful at yesterday #39;s press conference.


Dollar hit by investment fears

THE dollar was weaker yesterday, although off its lows, after the release of capital flows data that suggest foreign demand for US assets could be waning.


Ford: Automaker Inks Deal With Sirius Satellite Radio

quot;Thrilled quot;: Not everyone feels that way on Monday. But not everyone is Sirius Satellite Radio (nasdaq: SIRI - news - people ) Chief Executive Joseph Clayton.


US firm awarded extended contract for Antarctica work

AUCKLAND, Oct 19 (AFP) - A company that supports the US science programme in Antarctica has been awarded a 546 million dollar extension to its contract, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) said in a statement Tuesday.


US media executives rattled by Disney #39;s \$140m deal

Media executives in Hollywood and on Wall Street are nervously watching a court case involving Walt Disney that will test whether directors can be held responsible


Deadline for Black Watch to assess risk of operation

BRITAINS military forces have had less than ten days to assess the risks of sending The Black Watch battle group to fill in for US Marines south of Baghdad, it was confirmed yesterday.


Allawi vows steps to fight terrorism

Iraq is  quot;working 24 hours a day to ... stop the terrorists, quot; interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said Monday. Iraqis are pushing ahead with reforms and improvements, Allawi told


Indian police kill country #39;s  #39;most wanted #39; bandit

Police in southern India say they have killed the country #39;s most wanted bandit, Koose Muniswamy Veerappan, in a shootout. Veerappan, who is believed to have had ties with Tamil militants and accused of more


Karzai leads vote count

A doctor helping organise Afghan elections died on Monday along with four other civilians when an explosion tore through their vehicle, police said.


Peru Shining Path Head Faces Nov. 5 Retrial

LIMA, Peru (Reuters) - Peru will launch on Nov. 5 a  civilian retrial of Abimael Guzman, head of the Maoist-inspired  Shining Path rebel group that waged a brutal insurgency in the  1980s and 1990s, officials said on Monday.


UN Assembly Panel Backs Morocco on Western Sahara

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A U.N. General Assembly  committee dealt a heavy blow on Monday to Western Sahara's  hopes for a referendum on independence and energized Morocco's  push for new talks on the territory's future status.


French editor quits in Israel row

The head of news at a state-run French radio station resigns after an outcry over his criticism of Israel.


Muslims held after Spanish raids

Police hold seven suspected Islamic militants after raids across Spain, judicial sources say.


Yankees Lead BoSox 4-2 After Six Innings

BOSTON - Derek Jeter hit a bases-loaded double to give New York a 4-2 lead over Boston after six innings of play Monday in Game 5 of the ALCS as the Yankees tried again to close out Boston at Fenway Park.    Jeter's bases-clearing hit in the sixth off Boston starter Pedro Martinez with two outs gave New York a 4-2 lead...


SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp. INTC.O cut prices  on its chips for mobile computers by as much as 34 percent this  week, a move that could lower PC prices from the likes of Dell  Inc. DELL.O and Hewlett-Packard Co. HPQ.N


PC Shipments Rise 12 Pct Worldwide in 3rd Quarter

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Shipments of personal computers  in the third quarter rose 12 percent, driven by strong  corporate demand and ongoing strength in Europe, the Middle  East and Africa, a market research firm said on Monday.


Yanks, BoSox Tied 4-4 After 10 Innings (AP)

AP - Jason Varitek hit a sacrice fly and David Ortiz launched a massive solo homer in the eighth as Boston rallied to tie New York 4-4 after 10 innings of play in Game 5 of the AL championship series Monday.


Tavarez Breaks Hand After Leaving Game 4 (AP)

AP - St. Louis righty Julian Tavarez broke his left hand during a dugout tantrum in Game 4 of the NL championship series, and it was uncertain Monday when the reliever would pitch again.


Infineon Executives Guilty of DRAM Price-Fixing

Four executives at German memory vendor Infineon Technologies AG and its US subsidiary have pled guilty to charges of illegally setting prices for PC memory chips, the US Department of Justice announced Thursday.


Iverson ejected in pre-season victory over Raptors (AFP)

AFP - Allen Iverson was ejected from the bench in the second quarter before his Philadelphia 76ers teammates rallied for a 108-103 victory over Toronto in a National Basketball Association preseason game.


Ex-New York Rangers Cheerleader Sues (AP)

AP - A former captain of the New York Rangers skating cheerleading squad sued the owner of Madison Square Garden on Monday, saying she was fired after she told fellow cheerleaders she was sexually harassed by an MSG staff member.


Seahawks' Wistrom Suffers Broken Knee

KIRKLAND, Wash. (Sports Network) - Seattle Seahawks  defensive end Grant Wistrom will miss the next four-to-six  weeks due a fracture in his left knee.


Oklahoma, No. 2 in Both Polls, Opens Third in B.C.S. Ranking

Though it is early, the B.C.S. revisions have not quite worked out as planned. Southern California and Miami were ranked as the top two teams.


Jets' Edwards Avoids Bulletin Board Material

Even before the hype could begin for Sunday's game between the Jets and the New England Patriots, Coach Herman Edwards was insisting upon a measure of caution.


Without Mutombo, Knicks Hope the Center Will Hold

The Knicks are keeping their eyes fixed on Vin Baker and Nazr Mohammed, fervently hoping they can provide 48 quality minutes and a few blocked shots between them.


Briefly: Good Technology supported by HP, Samsung

roundup Plus: RIM touts BlackBerry with Wi-Fi...HP to sell Voltaire's InfiniBand switch...PC shipments up, but revenue less so, study says.


McNealy: Microsoft integration work slow going

The job of linking products from Sun Microsystems and Microsoft is "more complicated" than envisioned, Sun's CEO says.


Dell extends lead in PCs

The computer maker is pulling further ahead of second-place rival Hewlett-Packard, according to new third-quarter shipment figures.


Pension deal bites into IBM profit

The tech bellwether racks up a healthy rise in net income for the third quarter, despite taking a hit from a legal settlement.


Broadband to get power boost in Big Apple

EarthLink plans to begin testing power line broadband connections in Manhattan in November.


Good Technology supported by HP, Samsung

The company announces a new version of its wireless messaging and data access software.


MCI takes financial charge for Q3

MCIon Monday announced an approximately \$3.5 billion charge against its third-quarter financial results to reflect a decrease in the value of the company's assets.


Gartner ITxpo spotlights security, wireless

Enterprise IT executives attending this week's Gartner Symposium ITxpo  in Orlando, Fla., got a peek at several forthcoming products for security, CM (content management), wireless, and SOAs (service-oriented architectures).


Wavelink introduces all-in-one Wi-Fi management

In preparation for the coming tidal wave of Wi-Fi-enabled devices, Wavelink on Monday introduced Wavelink Managed Security, an integrated platform for the management of IEEE 802.11x networks, devices, and security.
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SBC Case Study: Crate   Barrel
What sold them on improving their network? A system that could cut management costs from the get-go. Find out more.


MCI to Record  #36;3.5 Billion in Charges (Reuters)

Reuters - MCI Inc. , the No. 2 U.S.\long-distance company, said on Monday it would record noncash\impairment charges of about  #36;3.5 billion in the third quarter,\mostly for property, plant and equipment.


Businesses keep Q3 PC growth on track

PC shipments have started to ease off, as expected, but the worldwide PC market remained fairly strong in the third quarter, according to research from IDC and Gartner Inc. released Monday.


IBM Net Flat; Sees Strong Fourth Quarter

NEW YORK (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp.  IBM.N on Monday posted a flat quarterly net profit, weighed  down by a legal settlement, but said fourth-quarter results  would be better than expected, and its shares rose 2.3 percent.


A Look at Lawsuits, Voting Problems (AP)

AP - Many states are facing legal challenges over possible voting problems Nov. 2. A look at some of the developments Monday:


Marsh Reveals What's at Stake in Probe

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Marsh   McLennan Cos. revealed what's  at stake in the probe into its behavior by New York Attorney  General Eliot Spitzer, saying it generated \$845 million of fat  fees from a practice at the center of a bid-rigging scandal.


Analysts Expect Strong Google Quarter

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Analysts who follow Google Inc.  GOOG.O expect the Web search leader to report strong gains in  third-quarter revenue and earnings on Thursday when the  notoriously tight-lipped company announces results for the  first time as a public company.


TI Profit Up on Cellular, TV Chip Sales

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Texas Instruments Inc. TXN.N,  the largest maker of chips for cellular phones, on Monday said  record demand for its handset and television chips boosted  quarterly profit by 26 percent, even as it struggles with a  nagging inventory problem.


Dollar Inches Up as Oil Prices Ease

TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar edged up on Tuesday as weaker  oil prices helped it to recover losses made on data showing  overseas demand for U.S. assets may have stalled. U.S. light  crude traded around \$53.21, easing from a fresh record high of  \$55.33 hit in New York and helping to keep the dollar away from  near eight-month lows hit overnight.


Astros recover from Oswalt #39;s poor start

Roy Oswalt was one worry the Houston Astros hadn #39;t counted on against the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL championship series. The league #39;s only 20-game winner.


Ontario to look at splitting OSC while pushing for single national <b>...</b>

TORONTO (CP) - The Ontario Securities Commission #39;s days may be numbered as both police officer and judge in cases of financial-market wrongdoing.


rebels pin hopes on Bevan

Zimbabwe #39;s rebels are pinning their hopes on Richard Bevan, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers #39; Association, the England players #39; union, as a last resort in their battle with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union.


Pompey #39;s Yakubu Gets The Better Of Spurs

Portsmouth deservedly beat Tottenham 1-0 at Fratton Park on Monday night as their forwards Yakubu and Lomana LuaLua came out on top against the previously watertight Tottenham defence.


Death threat to Aussie reporter

AN Australian journalist has told how he was threatened with death by militants who captured him in Iraq. John Martinkus was interrogated for more than 20 hours after the group kidnapped him outside a Baghdad hotel.


Aussie journalist seized in Iraq, interrogated for over 20 hours

An Australian journalist was interrogated for more than 20 hours after being seized outside a Baghdad hotel, his employer said yesterday.


Head of french radio RFI resigns due to anti-Israeli argument

Alain Menargues, deputy director-general in charge of news at the French state-owned Radio France International (RFI), has resigned.


IN THE SPOTLIGHT MICHAEL EISNER

The reflection in the rear-view mirror to be afforded by a trial due to open in Delaware on Wednesday will not be a pretty sight. It is expected to show in slow motion, during a hearing expected to last four


Singapore probes China firm

Singapores white-collar crime unit on Friday launched an investigation into the financial scandal at China Aviation Oil (CAO), the Chinese jet-fuel importer that revealed this week the loss of US\$550 million in derivatives trading.


Credit Suisse to unveil revamp

Credit Suisse will on Monday announce a wide restructuring that will integrate its volatile Credit Suisse First Boston investment banking operation much more closely into the parent


Detroit City Council passes modified measure to create black <b>...</b>

The City Council passed a modified version of a controversial plan to use public funds to create a black business district in the city.


Rice traded to Seahawks for 7th-round pick

A living legend #39;s next chapter will be in Seattle. FOXSports.com has learned that the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks have agreed to a trade for Jerry Rice, the greatest receiver in football history.


Scientists: New planets may take longer

It may take much longer than scientists have thought for violent turbulence to turn grains of space dust into new planets. A NASA telescope recently discovered


Iraq to Widen Arms-for-Cash Program

BAGHDAD, 19 October 2004 - Buoyed by the apparent success of a Baghdad arms-for-cash program, Iraqs interim government yesterday announced plans to extend it to all of the country ahead of scheduled January elections.


India's Most Wanted Bandit Killed in Shootout (Reuters)

Reuters - India's most wanted bandit,\Koose Muniswamy Veerappan, was killed Monday in a shootout with\police who have for years been hunting the smuggler who killed\more than 100 people and kidnapped a movie star.


Bush Wants Cargo Planes to Aid Sudan (AP)

AP - President Bush on Monday told the Pentagon to make two U.S. transport planes available to aid African peacekeeping forces seeking to end a humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of western Sudan.


Kerry Appeals to Haitian Immigrants in French (Reuters)

Reuters - Democratic presidential nominee\John Kerry, condemned by some Republicans as "French looking,"\promised on Monday to help Haitian immigrants in Florida,\saying: "Je vais aider les Haitiens."


India's Most Wanted Bandit Killed in Shootout

BANGALORE, India (Reuters) - India's most wanted bandit,  Koose Muniswamy Veerappan, was killed Monday in a shootout with  police who have for years been hunting the smuggler who killed  more than 100 people and kidnapped a movie star.


Techs Lead Tokyo Stocks Higher

TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average was up 0.81  percent by mid-morning on Tuesday with gains on Wall Street and  a slip in crude oil prices encouraging investors to scoop up  bargains following seven straight days of losses.


A New Look at How Planets Are Formed

New infrared observations of the disks of dust and rock around young stars reveal that many planets apparently form in an environment more violent and chaotic over a longer period of


IBM Shark Sales Sink

IBM last week announced new high-end and midrange systems that executives said could double the company #39;s market share in external disk by 2008 (see IBM #39;s New Shark Tale).


US stocks gain as oil falls

US stocks closed higher on Monday after a drop in oil prices eased worries about high energy costs, although disappointing earnings from diversified manufacturer 3M Co.


MCI writes down value of telephone network by \$3.5 billion <b>...</b>

MCI Inc. plans to write down the value of its assets by \$3.5 billion to reflect the decreased worth of the company #39;s telephone network as its consumer business shrinks.


Iamgold Falls as Gold Fields Takeover Thrown in Doubt (Update1)

Iamgold Corp. shares fell 8.5 percent after South Africa #39;s Gold Fields Ltd. received an unsolicited takeover bid, threatening to scuttle its plan to acquire the Canadian gold producer.


GM to cut 430 British jobs, union says

A union said that General Motors Corp. plans to cut about 430 jobs at its British Vauxhall operation as part of sweeping cutbacks around Europe.


Dollar takes a tumble

THE dollar reversed yesterday #39;s modest gains to open more than half a US cent weaker today, weighed down on news Axa Asia Pacific had knocked back a takeover proposal from its French parent.


Ernie Els Interview

Editors Note: Following his record-setting six victory in the World Match Play championship, Ernie Els sat down with the media and discussed his accomplishment.


Probe clears Zimbabwe

The International Cricket Council has found no signs of racism in Zimbabwe following a probe into the southern African country. An ICC hearing was held after 15 white players were sacked by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union.


Rice could be headed north to join Seahawks

The disgruntled receiver asked for a trade last week, and Holmgren confirmed Monday the Seahawks were looking into ways to acquire him from the Oakland Raiders.


Olympic heroes on parade in London

Britains 2004 Olympic and Paralympic medallists will take part in a parade through central London this lunch time. Beginning near the Ritz Hotel in Piccadilly at around 1.30pm, the parade - which includes


Portsmouth vs Tottenham match preview

I don #39;t know about you, but this season really doesn #39;t feel like it #39;s started yet. You just about get into the groove of a couple of matches in a row, and then some sodding international match pops up and that #39;s it - everything goes on hold for two weeks.


Israeli Demolitions Deemed Excessive

Israeli troops have destroyed hundreds of houses and left thousands of Palestinians homeless in the southern Gaza Strip in operations that far exceeded military security


Iran prepared to suspend some nuclear activities

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran said yesterday it is prepared to suspend some nuclear activities but would not surrender its right to enrich uranium.


PM talks up Indonesia ties

PRIME Minister John Howard today reassured Indonesia that Australia was unlikely to launch a pre-emptive attack on its nearest neighbour to take out a terrorism target.


Villagers hold Nigeria oil plants

Representatives of a remote community in southern Nigeria's Delta region take over three oil installations.


Sony to Open More Stores, Worrying Others (AP)

AP - Few people took notice when Sony Electronics Inc. opened a tiny storefront last year here at South Coast Plaza, a swanky mall south of Los Angeles. As it turns out, the small store would represent a big change in how Sony sells its televisions, DVD players and other gear.


New Modem May Offer On-Road Connectivity (AP)

AP - A top networking gear producer plans to offer a speedy new cellular technology that's an alternative to DSL and cable Internet access with the added advantage of being available on the road.


Online Resources To Buy N.J. Firm (washingtonpost.com)

washingtonpost.com - Online Resources Corp., a McLean Internet banking and bill payment company, agreed to buy Incurrent Solutions Inc. of Parsippany, N.J., for  #36;15 million in cash and stock.


Netflix Sticks to Guns in Online DVD Rental Fight (Reuters)

Reuters - Online DVD renter Netflix Inc.\ on Monday pledged to stick to a costly plan to double\its subscriber base by next year despite a price war with rival\video chain Blockbuster Inc. that analysts warn could\threaten its future.


Gartner ITxpo spotlights security, wireless (InfoWorld)

InfoWorld - Enterprise IT executives attending this week's Gartner Symposium ITxpo  in Orlando, Fla., got a peek at several forthcoming products for security, CM (content management), wireless, and SOAs (service-oriented architectures).


Update: Study shows software vendors, users at odds over licensing (InfoWorld)

InfoWorld - Software publishers and users are at odds about software licensing, according a study released Monday.


IBM Net Flat; Sees Strong Fourth Quarter (Reuters)

Reuters - International Business Machines Corp.\ on Monday posted a flat quarterly net profit, weighed\down by a legal settlement, but said fourth-quarter results\would be better than expected, and its shares rose 2.3 percent.


Scientists: New Planets May Take Longer (AP)

AP - It may take much longer than scientists have thought for violent turbulence to turn grains of space dust into new planets.


Scientist Envisions Small-Scale Hydropower (AP)

AP - A scientist says the United States could more than double its hydropower supply by harnessing the energy of smaller streams.


MCI to Take \$3.5 Billion Charge in 3rd Quarter

MCI Inc. reported Monday that it will take a \$3.5 billion non-cash charge in the third quarter to reflect the severe downturn in its consumer long-distance telephone business.\
-The Washington Post


Online Resources to Buy N.J. Firm

Online Resources Corp., a McLean Internet banking and bill payment company, agreed to buy Incurrent Solutions Inc. of Parsippany, N.J., for \$15 million in cash and stock.
\-The Washington Post


Anglicans Criticize U.S. Church on Gays (AP)

AP - An Anglican church commission on Monday urged the U.S. Episcopal Church not to elect any more gay bishops and called on conservative African bishops to stop meddling in the affairs of other dioceses.


Gagliano aide had misgivings about sponsorships, inquiry told (Canadian Press)

Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - The political interference in the federal sponsorship program was so pervasive that it even prompted complaints from Alfonso Gagliano's former right-hand man, a public inquiry was told Monday.


GM cuts 430 jobs as Ford plans new plant

Britain #39;s motor industry suffered a day of mixed fortunes yesterday with news of fresh job losses balanced by a 115m investment on Merseyside.


FSA monitors investigation into US insurance industry

BRITAIN #39;S main financial regulator yesterday confirmed it is monitoring developments in a high-level probe into corruption in the US insurance industry.


Property market faces up to 12 months of stagnation

Home buyers and owners were warned yesterday by two separate surveys of the property market that house prices were continuing to fall.


Disney shareholders to get their day in court

Walt Disney Co. shareholders are to finally get their day in court, seven years after suing the company for allegedly wasting corporate assets by buying out the contract of former president Michael Ovitz for 140 million dollars.


Future for Kraft is less sweet

Kraft Foods last night posted a 3.8 drop in quarterly profit, weighed down by higher marketing spend and increased costs for cheese, coffee and other materials.


Cairn owes millions to India

The British oil exploration firm Cairn Energy may owe the Indian government more than \$6.9m (3.8m) in a dispute over an Indian oilfield, the company said yesterday.


Cards, Astros Scoreless After Four Innings (AP)

AP - Houston starter Brandon Backe was perfect through four innings of Game 5 of the NL championship series Monday night, and the game was scoreless because St. Louis' Woody Williams was pretty stingy, too.


Rams, Bucs Tied 7-7 After First Quarter (AP)

AP - The St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Bucs both got off to a fast start Monday night, scoring on their first possessions and they were tied 7-7 after the first quarter.


Cisco, Microsoft bridge security gap

Cisco Systems and Microsoft have announced a collaborative effort designed to bridge a divide between their emerging network access-control architectures.


Half-Life 2 is Gold

We #39;ll give you a moment to sit down, take a breath, or catch a breath, or whatever you need to do. But yes, it #39;s as true as it can be, as we received official word from Vivendi Universal Games just moments ago.


For the Red Sox, a Series of Trials and Teases

The Yankees wanted to swat it before it become a downright menace, a phalanx of mosquitoes, bearing the West Nile Virus of baseball, which is a shift in momentum.


Beltran and Pujols Playing  #39;Can You Top This? #39;

Houston Astros center fielder Carlos Beltran and St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols meet near the batting cage before every game of the National League Championship


Rams, Bucs Tied 7-7 After First Quarter

St. Louis Rams wide receiver Torry Holt heads for the endzone for an opening drive touchdown receiption from Quarterback Marc Bulger during the opening drive of the Rams against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in St.


Troops Await Decision on US Back-Up Plea

British soldiers are waiting today to learn if they will be ordered to relieve US troops in Iraq. US military commanders have asked their British allies for help outside their normal areas of operation.


UN accuses Israel of excessive force during Gaza offensive

A United Nations official has accused Israel of  quot;gross violations quot; of international law in a recent offensive in which more than 100 Palestinians died in the northern Gaza Strip.


Passing Game Stalls

The Redskins are still waiting for quarterback Mark Brunell to get into gear. Brunell on Sunday produced one of the least productive games of his 12-year NFL career.


Ruffin Grabs Attention

Forward Michael Ruffin is impressing Wizards coaches with his rebounding and rough play under the basket.


Groh Warns Defense

Upset by his team's embarrassing showing against Florida State, Virginia Coach Al Groh has told his starting defenders they will have to earn back their jobs in practice this week.


Nikkei Up 1.16 Pct; Fujitsu Jumps

TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei stock average rose 1.16  percent by midday on Tuesday as gains on Wall Street and a slip  in crude oil prices encouraged investors to scoop up bargains  following seven straight days of losses.


Israeli Demolitions Deemed Excessive

Israeli troops have destroyed hundreds of houses and left thousands of Palestinians homeless in the southern Gaza Strip in operations that far exceeded military security requirements during the past four years, the New York-based organization Human Rights Watch said in a report issued Monday.


Brazil and UN Try to Solve Nuke Impasse

 By Andrei Khalip

 RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) - The United Nations andBrazil moved on Monday to break a months-long deadlock overinspections to verify Latin America's largest nation is notdiverting enriched uranium for weapons.


Peru's Shining Path Leaders to Face Trial

Peru plans to hold a new trial next month before a civilian court for imprisoned Shining Path founder Abimael Guzman and 17 other top leaders of the Maoist insurgency, court officials said Monday.


Web services outfits merge

com October 18, 2004, 8:32 AM PT. 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.


A Blackberry for WLANs is fruit of RIM research

Research In Motion (RIM) is demonstrating a new model of its Blackberry handheld device, the Blackberry 7270, that integrates Support for both voice and data capabilities on 802.


DOA Ultimate goes gold

Xbox Live-enabled version of Tecmo #39;s premiere fighting game series bounces off to the factory, will store shelves later this month.


In Return, P. Johnson Signs With the Ravens

Wide receiver Patrick Johnson was smiling when he walked into the Baltimore Ravens #39; locker room after practice on Monday afternoon.


African leaders reject foreign intervention in Darfur conflict

Calling the bloody humanitarian crisis in Darfur an  quot;absolute African issue, quot; Sudan #39;s president and four African counterparts rejected all foreign intervention Monday.


Veerappan killed, Jaya pats STF

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has congratulated the STF for their  #39;sterling achievement #39; in killing forest brigand Veerappan.


Insurers Feel Pressure, Drop Commissions

In the four days since New York Attorney General Eliot L. Spitzer alleged that brokers and corporate insurance carriers were engaged in bid-rigging and secret payoffs


Bond Sales Feed Worries

On Sept. 9, as it must frequently do, the US government turned to Wall Street to raise a little cash, and Paul Calvetti bet that demand for \$9 billion worth of long-term Treasury bonds would be  quot;huge.


Disney Heads to Court in Georgetown

GEORGETOWN - Walt Disney company officials will appear in the Court of Chancery in Georgetown starting Wednesday. Shareholders are suing Disney and former president Michael Ovitz.


Ford to Offer Sirius Radio as an Option in More Cars

The Ford Motor Company plans to announce on Monday that it will offer Sirius Satellite Radio in more of its cars and trucks and that it will begin installing the satellite


After a long, messy process, a planet is born

Earth-size planets form around other stars in a process that #39;s considerably longer and more violent than previously believed, a team of astronomers using NASA #39;s Spitzer Space Telescope announced Monday.


Micron Technology to Build Chinese Factory

US memory chip maker Micron Technology Inc. plans to build its first factory in China, to assemble and test semiconductors, the company said Monday.


Large Binocular Telescope Dedicated in Arizona

A troubled, 20-year journey to create the world #39;s most powerful optical telescope is nearing an end, with astronomers hoping to begin using the instrument to look for heavenly breakthroughs early next year.


Intel Slashes Notebook Computer Chip Prices

If you #39;re in the market for a new notebook computer it #39;s your lucky day, Intel has announced a major price cut on its chips for mobile notebooks.


Telescope Can See a Future

PHOENIX -- A troubled, 20-year journey to create the world #39;s most powerful optical telescope is nearing an end, with astronomers hoping to begin using the instrument to look for heavenly breakthroughs early next year.


Thank heaven for Arsenal, the sunshine boys

IF IT wasn #39;t for Arsenal - thank heaven not for little girls but for Arsenal, Maurice Chevalier would have crooned had he cared for the beautiful game - the Premiership might already be in the process of being re-named.


Sooners Bumped Back By BCS

The voters say Oklahoma is still the number-two team in the nation. The computers say otherwise. The Sooners check in at third in the initial edition of the BCS standings, taking a backseat to a Miami team


LONDON CALLING TO THE IOC

The national and international promotion of London #39;s bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games began yesterday with 200,000 people lining the streets of the capital and partying in Trafalgar Square.


Johnson had two picks vs. Ole Miss

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Defensive back Brandon Johnson, who had two interceptions for Tennessee (No. 13 ESPN/USA Today, No. 11 AP) at Mississippi, was suspended indefinitely Monday for violation of team rules.


Camby locks onto puck fans

Marcus Camby is a hockey fan. He wasn #39;t happy when his hometown Hartford Whalers bolted to North Carolina in 1997. But the Denver Nuggets center realizes the NHL lockout can benefit his team.


Souness to act on foul-mouthed Bellamy

London - Newcastle manager Graeme Souness was to study video evidence before deciding whether to punish Craig Bellamy who was caught by TV cameras abusing him after being substituted during Sunday #39;s 1-1 draw with Charlton.


Models steal Masters spotlight

But fashion models turned as many heads as the tennis by replacing the traditional ball boys and girls on the main court. Costa, ranked 50th, claimed a 6-2 5-7 7-5 victory to advance to a second meeting with top-seeded Tim Henman.


No Longer A Rumour...

In a move likely to raise many eyebrows and many hopes around the Emerald City, the Seattle Seahawks have acquired Jerry Rice from the Oakland Raiders for a conditional seventh-round draft pick.


Israeli Troops Kill Four Arab Terrorists Near Gaza Military Camp

Israeli troops shot and killed four Arab terrorists in separate incidents in and around the northern Gaza Strip. Israel Radio reports Israeli troops shot and killed two terrorists who managed to slip across


Another typhoon near Japan, 260 flights cancelled

TOKYO - Another strong typhoon was approaching Japans southwestern-most prefecture of Okinawa Tuesday morning, causing the cancellation of 260 domestic flights, authorities said.


German border police convicted over Sudanese death

FRANKFURT - Three German border policemen who suffocated to death a Sudanese asylum seeker they were trying to deport received nine month suspended jail terms from a German court on Monday.


#39;Why Does the War Keep Chasing Us? #39;

Dinka men once danced in a green field here in Darfur. A weave of drum rhythms would rise with the smoke of their twilight bonfires.


Porter will adjust his exchange rate

Look for the exhibition-season substitution habits of Milwaukee Bucks coach Terry Porter to change soon. Coach Terry Porter says he will start to change his substitution pattern.


Typhoon approaches mainland Japan

The Japanese mainland is under threat from another typhoon - the second in less than two weeks. Typhoon Tokage has been lashing the southern Okinawa islands with heavy rain and winds gusting above 140 kilometres an hour.


Darfur rebels use human shields

same mistake in the country #39;s east, where tensions are rising along the border with Eritrea. crises. The United States has called the violence in Darfur genocide.


Newcastle and Charlton battle to draw

EUROPEAN FOOTBALL: Newcastle climbed just one place to eighth instead of five spots to fourth because of a 1-1 tie with Charlton. Rangers beat Motherwell 2-0.


Jailed lifestyle guru Stewart finds fellow inmates nice

Things arent so bad at Camp Cupcake after all, according to Martha Stewart, who has posted her first public comments to supporters since she began serving a five-month prison sentence ten days ago for lying about a stock sale.


Ford to expand Sirius satellite radio offerings

Ford Motor Co. said Monday it will begin offering Sirius Satellite Radio as a dealer-installed option in four more vehicles by year #39;s end and is targeting up to 20 vehicle


Bid to be the world #39;s biggest gold firm

Harmony Gold Mining Co, South African gold firm, has made a \$8.2 billion bid to acquire its much bigger rival -- Gold Fields. If the acquisition or the merger goes through, it would create the world #39;s largest gold producing company.


AXA rejects takeover bid as stock falls

AXA Asia Pacific shares dropped 44 cents or 10 per cent in early trading this morning following an announcement the group had terminated talks with its French parent AXA SA over a proposed minority buyout deal.


Barcelo Crestline to Acquire Missouri-Based Hotel Group

Barcelo Crestline Corp., a privately held McLean hotel company, said yesterday it plans to acquire a Missouri-based firm that is one of the country #39;s largest independent owners and operators of hotels.


VERITAS extends its reach, support and solution sets with Volante

Sydney, Australia, October 19, 2004 VERITAS Software, the leading provider of enterprise storage software, has signed an Elite Partnership agreement with leading Australian owned IT Company, Volante.


Rumors of Shakeup in Military-Ruled Myanmar (Reuters)

Reuters - Months of tension in Myanmar's junta\appeared to break into the open on Tuesday amid rumors Prime\Minister Khin Nyunt may have been arrested, Thai officials and\diplomats said.


Official: Border Terror Fears Overblown (AP)

AP - The new head of Mexico's federal police force said Monday he doesn't see the U.S.-Mexico border as a terror target and that while terrorists may try to use this country to sneak into America, there's no evidence they have yet done so.


Three Germans Sentenced for Refugee Death (AP)

AP - Three German border police officers were sentenced to nine months probation for the 1999 death of a Sudanese refugee.


Fla. Senate Candidates Have Opposing Views (AP)

AP - Republican Mel Martinez, hoping to become the first Cuban-American senator, criticized his opponent Monday for saying she would not have voted for the war in Iraq "knowing what I know now." The first debate between Martinez and Democrat Betty Castor comes as a new poll found Castor had erased the small gap between them.


Brazil says nuclear deal reached

UN nuclear inspectors abandon demands for unlimited access to Brazilian facilities, the country says.


The man who killed Veerappan

It is perhaps appropriate that the man who has killed the most-wanted brigand in the country should be called K Vijay Kumar. The 1975 batch police officer from the Tamil Nadu cadre had volunteered in 2000


Yield on Bonds and baseball: dropping?

The slugger #39;s testimony on steroid use raises sharp questions about integrity of baseball and all pro sports. By Mark Sappenfield  Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor.


Oil fall greases Wall St rise

A SHARP drop in oil prices helped US stocks post modest gains on Wall Street overnight. Investors who had sold stocks as oil prices climbed reversed course and started buying as the cost of crude declined.


Now, Yanks are on hot seat

All the heat and pressure are on them for a change now, and if they lose the next two games and this playoff series to Boston, we may witness two unique phenomena simultaneously: the reversal of an 84-year-old Curse and George Steinbrenner #39;s head


Insurance Investigation Widens to Include a Look at Costs

The New York attorney general is pursuing reports of payoffs that may increase coverage costs for tens of millions.


Iraq's Allawi Extends Arms-For-Cash Plan

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi announced plans Monday to extend a cash-for-weapons program for Shiite fighters in Baghdad's Sadr City to cities nationwide in an attempt to disarm the country.    In Fallujah, the focal point of the Sunni rebellion, hopes that peace talks could resume there quickly were dashed when the city's chief negotiator, Sheik Khaled al-Jumeili, ruled out restarting talks soon despite his release Monday from U.S...


Astros Beat Cards 3-0 to Take NLCS Lead

HOUSTON - On a night when pitching suddenly took over the NL playoffs, someone was bound to get a hit. Fortunately for the Houston Astros, Jeff Kent stepped up...


Yanks, BoSox Tied 4-4 After 13 Innings

BOSTON - The New York Yankees and Boston were tied 4-4 after 13 innings Monday night with the Red Sox trying to stay alive in the AL championship series.    Boston tied the game with two runs in the eighth inning on David Ortiz's solo homer, a walk to Kevin Millar, a single by Trot Nixon and a sacrifice fly by Jason Varitek...


Terrorist Zarqawi Swears Allegiance to Bin Laden

The U.S. intelligence community considers authentic a message on an Islamic Web site in which Abu Musab Zarqawi was announced to have sworn his network's allegiance to Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, a senior administration official said on Monday.


African Town Compromise

A much-debated plan to create  quot;African Town quot; in Detroit got the go-ahead from the city council Monday, but this resolution is different from the one that some called unconstitutional.


Sources: Few details to be ironed out

While a swap had not yet been consummated Monday evening, there is mounting circumstantial evidence that Oakland Raiders wide receiver Jerry Rice will be dealt to the Seattle Seahawks before the league #39;s Tuesday trade deadline.


Sudan says Darfur rebels using human shields

Sudan #39;s security chief has said rebels in the western region of Darfur have drawn army fire and aerial bombardment on to Darfur villages by using them as cover and as bases for military operations.


Politicians enter fray as Opel workers drive wildcat strikes into <b>...</b>

Workers at German car maker Opel halted production at a factory in Bochum for a fifth consecutive day yesterday in protest at plans by US parent General Motors (GM) to slash thousands of jobs in Europe.


Panel delays latest ALH bid

WOOLWORTHS went on a shopping spree last night, trying to grab 20 per cent of pubs owner Australian Leisure  amp; Hospitality in its bid to thwart rival Coles Myer.


Dell extends lead in PCs

com October 18, 2004, 4:57 PM PT. ZDNet #39;s survey of IT professionals in October kept upgrading hardware at number two on the businesses radar throughout the year.


Watchdog: TSA overpaying Boeing for airport security contract

WASHINGTON An internal audit found the Transportation Security Administration overpaid Boeing on a contract to install explosive detection equipment at commercial airports.


Astros Beat Cards 3-0 to Take NLCS Lead (AP)

AP - On a night when pitching suddenly took over the NL playoffs, someone was bound to get a hit. Fortunately for the Houston Astros, Jeff Kent stepped up.


AMD, Intel Stick with Speed for Gamers

Both AMD and Intel are preparing to unveil new, ultra high-end processor refreshes later this month that will push the 3.5 GHz mark.


Amd64 Journeys to Shangri-La with Mark Knopfler

SUNNYVALE, Calif. - (BUSINESS WIRE) -ct. 18, 2004  - (NYSE:AMD) today announced that guitar superstar Mark Knopflers latest album Shangri-La was recorded in high-resolution 24-bit/96kHz


Red Sox Stay Alive with Epic 14th-Inning Win

David Ortiz drove in three runs, including the game winner in the bottom of the 14th inning, to lead Boston to a rallying 5-4 victory over the New York Yankees which kept the Red Sox #39;s postseason hopes alive Monday.


Savor Beltran while he #39;s hot

HOUSTON -- The attitude of every team in the postseason is: concentrate on today and let tomorrow take care of itself. That would be a good strategy for baseball-watchers, too, especially when they watch Carlos Beltran.


USC, Miami atop first BCS rankings

When the Bowl Championship Series committee set out in the summer to reorganize the formula by which the BCS standings are calculated, it decided to give more weight to the human polls than the computer rankings.


One player suspended, another dismissed by Fulmer

Defensive back Brandon Johnson, who had two interceptions for Tennessee at Mississippi, was suspended indefinitely Monday for violation of team rules.


Jets' Edwards Avoids Bulletin Board Material

Even before the hype could begin for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots, Jets Coach Herman Edwards was insisting upon a measure of caution.


Red Sox Extend Season

David Ortiz saves the Red Sox for the second straight game, singling home the winning run in the 14th inning to give the Red Sox a 5-4 win to force Game 6 in New York.


Astros Take Lead

Jeff Kent ends a pitcher's duel with a three-run homer in the ninth Monday that lifts the Astros over St. Louis, 3-0, for a 3-2 edge in the NLCS.


Seattle Acquires Rice

Seattle Coach Mike Holmgren confirmed rumors on Monday, trading for the disgruntled Jerry Rice from the Oakland Raiders.


Rams and Bucs tied after three quarters

Will Heller caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Brian Griese that lifted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into a 21-21 tie with the St. Louis Rams after three quarters on Monday night.


PM rules out extra troops for Iraq

Australia was unlikely to extend its role in Iraq but would keep its troops in the war-torn nation until the job was done, Prime Minister John Howard said.


About 260 air flights cancelled because of Typhoon Tokage

TOKYO, October 19 (Itar-Tass) - About 260 air flights have been cancelled in Japan on Tuesday because of Typhoon Tokage, which currently rages in the country #39;s south.


Indian minister hits out at textbook praising Hitler (AFP)

AFP - An Indian minister said a school text-book used in the violence-prone western state of Gujarat portrayed Adolf Hitler as a role model.


PlayStation 3 chip to debut in IBM desktop

Sony revealed new details on Monday on the chip that will power the next PlayStation and said development is on track to deliver products based on the chip next year.


Kerry Courts Jews With Hebrew Stickers (AP)

AP - John Kerry boasts of flying an Israeli jet and calls out in Hebrew during Florida campaign stops, trying to keep the state's large Jewish population from straying to President Bush.


Nikkei Up One Percent, Fujitsu Jumps

TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei stock average rose 1.16  percent by midday on Tuesday as gains on Wall Street and a slip  in crude oil prices encouraged investors to scoop up bargains  after seven straight days of losses.


TSA Deal Overpaid Boeing, Report Says

Boeing Co. received at least \$49 million in excessive profits on a \$1.2 billion contract to supply explosives-detection systems to hundreds of the nation's airports, the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general reported Monday.


Barcelo Crestline to Acquire Missouri-Based Hotel Group

Barcelo Crestline Corp., a privately held McLean hotel company, said yesterday it plans to acquire a Missouri-based firm that is one of the country's largest independent owners and operators of hotels.


Regulator Stops Sale Of Thrift

Federal regulators have rejected the second of two suitors for Independence Federal Savings Bank, leaving the money-losing District institution pursuing a strategy to survive as an independent thrift.


Watergate Co-op Owners Win Ruling

A Delaware judge ruled yesterday that co-op owners at the Watergate East were within their rights when they voted this summer to reject the offer of a D.C. developer to purchase property as part of a plan to convert the Watergate Hotel into more luxury co-ops.


A New Trial of Celebrex, and Questions on Its Timing

Pfizer said that it would sponsor a major clinical trial of Celebrex, its prescription arthritis pain medication, to assess the cardiovascular benefits of the drug.


3M Posts Higher Profit

The results for the current quarter came in slightly below expectations and the company sounded a note of caution on the global economy.


Pfizer Says It Will Do Study of Possible Benefits of Celebrex

Pfizer said today that it would sponsor a major clinical trial of Celebrex, its prescription arthritis pain medication, to assess the cardiovascular benefits of the drug.


Microsoft math: dual core licensed as one chip

Siding with chip makers, Microsoft said it won't charge double for its per-processor licenses when dual-core chips come to market next year.


Intel's dual-core Xeon due in 2006

A competing chip from rival Advanced Micro Devices will likely arrive several months earlier.


IBM pushing wireless through partnerships

The computing giant is stepping up its wireless efforts through partnerships, looking to sell to municipalities, hospitals and colleges.


Search Marketing Off the Beaten Track

Opportunities for effective, inexpensive search marketing are abundant when you and 'think outside the (Big Search) box' and look to vertical or specialized content sites.


Gold Fields, Harmony dominate JSE

Gold miners Harmony (HAR) and Gold Fields (GFI) dominated activity on the JSE Securities Exchange South Africa (JSE) on Monday, with the former taking a knock after announcing a hostile bid for the latter.


Germany: Opel cuts over 10,000 auto jobs

Workers at Opel auto plants in Bochum walked out Thursday as soon as the parent company, General Motors, announced it was cutting 10,000 jobs in Germany.


IBM #39;s 3rd-Quarter Profit Beats Analysts #39; Predictions

I.BM, a barometer of trends in the computing business, delivered a solid quarterly performance yesterday that pointed to modest if uneven improvement in the corporate technology sector.


Technology ; PC Shipments Rise 12 Pct Worldwide in 3rd Quarter

Good growth in notebook shipments during the back-to-school season coupled with desktop replacements among businesses and consumers sustained another strong quarter in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, IDC said.


Hammons merger eyed

John Q. Hammons is cooperating with a proposal by a Spanish company to take over the hotel magnates public business in a deal worth an estimated \$64 million.


Yum executive quits for Kmart

Yum! Brands Inc. operations chief Aylwin Lewis has resigned from the Louisville restaurant company to become president and chief executive officer of discount retailer Kmart.


Rams 28, Buccaneers 21

Looks like the Greatest Show on Turf is in high gear -- on offense and defense. Torry Holt caught two long touchdown passes and Adam Archuletta returned a fumble 93 yards Monday night, keying the Rams #39; 28-21 victory over Tampa Bay.


Firefox Gets Ready for Ad Splash (Ziff Davis)

Ziff Davis - Mozilla is kicking off a campaign to promote Firefox and its supporters in a New York Times advertisement. Meanwhile, downloads keep climbing for Web browsing alternatives to Internet Explorer.


Karnataka CM compliments STF on killing Veerappan

Karnataka Chief Minister N Dharam Singh on Tuesday expressed happiness over the gunning down of forest brigand Veerappan, saying his menace had ended.


Karzai leading in Afghan polls

PESHAWAR, Oct 18: Afghan President Hamid Karzai continued to maintain his lead over his rival candidates in the presidential elections.


Boston Beats Yanks 5-4 in 14 Innings

BOSTON - Just like the game that seemed it would never end, Boston's season just won't end. David Ortiz's RBI single on the 471st pitch of the game with two outs in the 14th inning capped a second straight amazing comeback in less than 24 hours Monday night and gave the Red Sox a 5-4 victory over the New York Yankees in the AL championship series...


Drop in oil prices spurs rally in stocks

A sharp drop in oil prices gave Wall Street a modest relief rally yesterday, with stocks edging higher on news that oil production had soared during the month of September.


Small Business, Ill-Defined

You may not have heard my name mentioned, but I was a hot item of discussion during the Bush-Kerry debates. How can that be, given that the words  quot;Allan Sloan quot; passed the lips of neither Kerry nor Bush?


Healthy house prices in Scotland

Property prices in Scotland are still looking healthy, despite the steepest fall in nine years across the rest of the UK. The latest survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors shows that while


Stretching out

Jonathan Neal, 24, bought a \$400,000 condo in Northwest this past summer, while high housing prices have forced many of his friends to live with their parents.


Businesses keep Q3 PC growth on track

PC shipments have started to ease off, as expected, but the worldwide PC market remained fairly strong in the third quarter, according to research from IDC and Gartner released Monday.


Hoping for a miracle on grass

The Red Sox trotted out Berge Avadanian to make the ceremonial  quot;Play Ball quot; announcement before Game 5 of the American League Championship Series last night at Fenway Park.


Houston now in control

HOUSTON - From the start, Game 5 of the National League Championship Series was unlike any of the previous four. But in the end, it was decided by another home run, this one from Houston #39;s Jeff Kent with


ACC Unveils New Football Division Names, Logo

Conference expansion means many things: new schools, new rivalries, new divisions and, as it turns out, a new logo. The ACC -- which this year added Miami and Virginia Tech, and next year welcomes Boston College


Car Navigation Units Keep Business Trips on Course

In-car navigation systems in rental cars have made navigating unfamiliar cities much easier for business travelers who drive rather than fly.


I.B.M.'s 3rd-Quarter Profit Beats Analysts' Predictions

I.B.M. delivered a solid quarterly performance that pointed to modest if uneven improvement in the corporate technology sector.


MCI Planning to Write Down Phone Assets

MCI said it planned to take a \$3.5 billion charge in the third quarter to better reflect the loss in value of its phone and data networks, mirroring similar steps by AT T and Sprint.


Telstra Corp. Appoints Akhurst to Head Sensis Advertising Unit

Telstra Corp., Australia #39;s largest phone company, appointed Bruce Akhurst as chief executive of its Sensis publishing and classified advertising arm, as part of its third executive shuffle in two years.


Powell Tells Paper U.S. Working on Iraq Election (Reuters)

Reuters - The United States is doing\everything it can to put in place conditions that will allow\Iraqis to conduct elections due by Jan. 30, Secretary of State\Colin Powell said in an interview published on Tuesday.


Shares Edge Higher as Price of Crude Oil Drops Sharply

By The Associated Press. A sharp drop in oil prices gave Wall Street some relief yesterday, with stocks edging higher on news that oil production soared in September.


Fast-Food Chains #39; Executive Is Appointed Chief of Kmart

Less than 18 months after emerging from bankruptcy protection, Kmart announced yesterday that it was replacing its president and chief executive with an outsider whose background is in the fast-food restaurant business.


Shares in Hospice Company Plunge

Shares of Odyssey Healthcare, which provides hospice care for people nearing death, plunged yesterday after the company reduced its profit forecasts and announced that the Justice Department


SBC offering \$2 Wi-Fi access

WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- SBC Communications said Monday it will offer high-speed wireless access for \$2 a month to customers of the company #39;s DSL Internet service.


Tavarez Breaks His Hand in Outburst

In what must now be considered an epidemic, yet another pitcher involved in this postseason has broken his non-throwing hand during a tantrum that followed a poor performance.


Rams 28 Buccaneers 21

ST. LOUIS Marc Bulger threw an early fourth-quarter 36-yard touchdown pass to Tory Holt as the St. Louis Rams held off the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28-to-21.


After two decades, Veerappan saga ends (update):

India News: Chennai, Oct 19 : Tamil Nadu #39;s security forces were triumphant Tuesday after dramatically killing forest brigand Veerappan, ending a gory criminal saga as well as the country #39;s longest manhunt.


Kent Gives Astros 3-2 Series Lead Over Cards

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Jeff Kent's three-run homer in the  ninth inning gave Houston a 3-0 win over the St Louis Cardinals  Monday to move the Astros within one game of reaching the World  Series for the first time in their 43-year history.


Raiders Trade Rice to Seahawks

Jerry Rice, the most productive receiver in N.F.L. history, got his wish Monday night when the Oakland Raiders traded him to the Seattle Seahawks.


Profit-taking pushes oil prices downward

Oil prices fell sharply yesterday in what traders described as a wave of profit-taking after futures hit a new high above \$55 a barrel and after gasoline futures fell sharply on indications of declining demand.


Macquarie Bank trading halt

MACQUARIE Bank Ltd announced a suspension of trading in its shares after the market closed today. Paterson Securities adviser Michael Heffernan said the trading halt could be related to two issues - the


US Airways to boost number of flights

US Airways, operating in bankruptcy, will increase service from Charlotte, NC, and Philadelphia and spread flights during the day, boosting its schedule 7 percent without adding aircraft.


Update 6: Ace, AIG End Commissions Eyed in Probe

The company at the center of a probe into insurance brokerage fees says it took in more than \$1.2 billion in incentive payments over the past 18 months and that its decision to stop using such fees will reduce operating income.


IBM profits hit by \$320m pensions settlement

Technology industry bellwether IBM has reported a healthy rise in net income in the third quarter, but its overall results were hampered by a \$320m legal settlement related to its employee pension plan.


Sainsbury takes profit hit to boost sales

Sainsbury says it will take a 550 million pound hit to profits this year as it invests to boost sales and reverse falling market share.


MCI to write down assets of \$3.5 billion as sales fall

MCI, the second-largest US long-distance telephone company, will write down assets by \$3.5 billion in the third quarter, reflecting their reduced value as calling prices tumble and demand declines.


ESCALADE TOPS  #39;HOT #39;-ROD LIST

The flashy Cadillac Escalade EXT, the favorite ride of rappers and movie stars, is the newer-model vehicle car thieves are most likely to steal, according to a study released yesterday.


Local PC sales remain strong

AUSTRALIA and India have remained the stand out markets for PC growth in the Asia Pacific region, growing 30 and 19 per cent respectively in the third quarter, according to new research.


Detroit soft-pedals African Town plan

The City Council backtracked Monday on its African Town economic empowerment zone, striking down a controversial proposal that loans be given only to black business applicants.


Microsoft, Cisco Partner on Security Improvements

Microsoft and Cisco Systems today said they will share security and network health technologies in an effort to stop, isolate and eliminate viruses and other malicious software on Windows-based networks.