Mellberg made to eat his words

IT IS A TRUTH UNIVERSALLY acknowledged that Jane Austen was probably not an Aston Villa fan, but she summed up the angst of the clubs supporters when she wrote: One has no great hopes from Birmingham.


Pilkadaris loses Asian Masters play-off

Australian golfer Terry Pilkadaris has finished runner-up in the Masters of Asia tournament in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.


Two Candidates Claim Romanian Presidency

Both candidates claimed victory in the Romanian presidential runoff vote Sunday, and exit polls showed Bucharest Mayor Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Adrian Nastase in a virtual tie.


First Popularly-Elected Afghan President Urges Iraqis to <b>...</b>

Less than a week after he was formally inaugurated as Afghanistan #39;s first popularly-elected president, Hamid offered words of advice for the people of Iraq, who are preparing to go to the polls next month.


Steelers Extend Win Streak to 11 Games (AP)

AP - On the day Jerome Bettis and Curtis Martin went over 13,000 yards rushing, Bettis will be remembered most for, of all things, his passing.


Spanish Leader Faces Grilling on Train Bombings (Reuters)

Reuters - Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero will become\the first Spanish prime minister to be questioned by a\parliamentary commission on Monday when he gives his version of\events surrounding the Madrid train bombings.


Rights Activists Denounce Putin's Reforms (AP)

AP - Hundreds of Kremlin critics gathered Sunday on Constitution Day to denounce what they call a retreat from democracy as President Vladimir Putin signed a bill scrapping gubernatorial elections.


Hartson shows worth to Celtic

The scene outside East End Park prior to yesterday #39;s encounter encapsulated Celtic #39;s current situation. Featured prominently on the myriad of Celtic souvenir stalls was an assortment of Henrik Larsson merchandise.


Chelsea Ties Arsenal, 2-2 (AP)

AP - Chelsea tied Arsenal 2-2 Sunday in a riveting meeting between two Premier League powerhouses.


Can video games really be blamed for violence?

Alex Dobin can take down a terrorist at 1,000 yards, rip up enemy ground forces with RPGs, and maneuver tanks, helicopters and jets bristling with America #39;s deadliest weapons.


Bettis Leads Steelers to Victory

Jerome Bettis flipped a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jerame Tuman after surpassing the 13,000-yard barrier early in the fourth quarter.


Novar close to 800m cash deal with US giant

Novar, the UK building supplies group, is today expected to announce that it has agreed to be acquired by the US industrial giant Honeywell in a cash deal worth more than 800m.


Tokyo Stocks Open Higher, Exporters Gain

Japan #39;s Nikkei share average opened 0.63 percent higher on Monday after a fall in the yen helped some exporters such as Toyota Motor Corp.


Mobile Games Get Fancier, More Social (AP)

AP - Who says "Solitaire" must be a lonely endeavor? Games tailored for cell phones are increasingly adding community-oriented elements, such as tournaments for top scores, head-to-head combat or chatting with other players.


Web Store Scores With One-Item-Only Sales (AP)

AP - Woot.com takes an unusual approach in the crowded field of Internet retailing. It sells just one item each weekday, starting at midnight local time in suburban Dallas, where the company is based, until it sells out.


Toshiba signals DVD format war

Sony, the Japanese electronics and entertainment group, has approached arch-rival Toshiba in an attempt to prevent a damaging format war over their next-generation DVDs.


Firefox surpasses 10 million download mark

com December 12, 2004, 2:25 PM PT. Firefox, the open-source challenger to Web browsing heavyweight Microsoft Internet Explorer, has surpassed 10 million downloads in a little more


Romania Anxiously Awaits Presidential Run-Off Count (Reuters)

Reuters - Romanians anxiously awaited an\official count on Monday to reveal who will be their next\president after exit polls from Sunday's run-off vote put Prime\Minister Adrian Nastase and centrist opposition leader Traian\Basescu neck-and-neck.


Chelsea Ties Arsenal, 2-2

Chelsea #39;s Eidur Gudjohnsen celebrates after scoring during the Premiership game between Arsenal and Chelsea FC, London, Sunday Dec. 12, 2004.


Palmer hobbling

FOXBORO, Mass. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer was on crutches after Sunday #39;s 35-to-28 loss to the New England Patriots.


Tokyo Stocks Higher; Dollar Up Vs. Yen (AP)

AP - Tokyo stocks opened higher Monday as investors welcomed the U.S. dollar's strength against the Japanese yen.


Run-off vote produces two Romanian presidents

The Romanian presidential election was too close to call last night as both candidates declared themselves the victor after a run-off ballot produced a statistical dead heat.


No. 8 N.C. Tops Loyola of Chicago, 109-60 (AP)

AP - Jawad Williams scored 17 points and was one of six North Carolina players in double figures Sunday as the eighth-ranked Tar Heels beat Loyola of Chicago 109-60.


Thieves Targeting Gardens With Rare Plant (AP)

AP - The thieves struck at night and knew just what they were after. In minutes, they ripped two plants from the lavish landscaping at a home in this Los Angeles suburb, then fled when the homeowner woke up and turned on a porch light. Total haul:  #36;3,500.


802.16: Medium distance wireless networking that could change the world?

The (sort of) new IEEE 802.16 Metropolitan Area Network standard (MAN) promises to break the cable modem/DSL monopoly on the "last mile" of Internet connectivity to peoples' homes.    With ranges up to 30 miles and speeds up to 70 mbps it seems like a pancea.    While I suspect the actual usable speeds and distances will be considerably less, my real question is where is it?  This standard has been in the works for years.


Airborne Cell-Phone Ban Likely to Remain for Now

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hopes -- and worries -- that U.S.  regulators will soon end the ban on using wireless phones  during U.S. commercial flights are likely at least a year or  two early, government officials and analysts say.


Sony PSP Draws Crowds and Lines on First Day

TOKYO (Reuters) - Game fans stood in lines through a chilly  Tokyo night to be among the first in the world to get their  hands on Sony Corp.'s PlayStation Portable, the consumer  electronics firm's first handheld game machine.


PluggedIn: Digital Cameras All the Rage This Christmas

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - When families and friends get  together for the holidays this year, many more of them will use  a digital camera to record those memories.


Bush Pays Tribute to U.S. Troops Abroad (AP)

AP - Christmas trees decorated with red bows, gold ornaments and white lights lined the hall at the National Building Museum for a holiday pageant attended Sunday by President Bush and his wife, Laura.


Blue Jays, Devil Rays Swap Two Players (AP)

AP - The Toronto Blue Jays acquired right-hander Chad Gaudin from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for catcher Kevin Cash in the first transaction completed Sunday at the winter meetings.


Indiana Wins 2nd Men's College Cup Title (AP)

AP - Jay Nolly saved two penalty kicks and Indiana won its second straight NCAA Men's College Cup title Sunday, beating UC Santa Barbara in a penalty kick shootout.


Tokyo Stocks Firmer, Exporters Gain (Reuters)

Reuters - Japan's Nikkei share average was up 0.64\percent in mid-morning trade on Monday after a fall in the yen\helped some exporters such as Toyota Motor Corp.


Tatupu Takes Long Way to Stardom at USC (AP)

AP - Linebacker Lofa Tatupu believed in his ability to play big-time football when few others did.


US Gives OK to China Furniture Duties

A US trade panel on Friday approved anti-dumping duties of up to 198 percent on \$1.2 billion worth of wooden bedroom furniture from China.


Chargers Top Buccaneers, Win 7th Straight (AP)

AP - Donnie Edwards intercepted Brian Griese's pass and returned it 30 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 4:09 left and the Chargers beat Tampa Bay 31-24 on Sunday, their seventh straight victory.


Packers Edge Lions, 16-13 (AP)

AP - The Green Bay Packers only led for two seconds Sunday, and that was enough to keep their stranglehold over the Detroit Lions, who haven't won in Wisconsin since 1991.


Dear Marwan: Don #39;t do it

It has been a very long time since we had an opportunity to talk, and I wish that I could meet you and see you face to face, as I would like to tell you some things on very personal level.


Abbas Set to Win Palestinian Vote

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Moderate Palestinian leader  Mahmoud Abbas's chances of winning a presidential election to  replace Yasser Arafat appeared to be sealed after his main  rival Marwan Barghouthi pulled out of the race.


Spanish Leader Faces Grilling on Train Bombings

MADRID (Reuters) - Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero will become  the first Spanish prime minister to be questioned by a  parliamentary commission on Monday when he gives his version of  events surrounding the Madrid train bombings.


Real Madrid Stadium Evacuated in ETA Bomb Threat

MADRID (Reuters) - Some 70,000 people were forced to  evacuate Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium minutes before  the end of a league match on Sunday after a bomb threat in the  name of ETA Basque separatist guerrillas.


Warriors' Fisher Goes on Injured Reserve (AP)

AP - Golden State placed guard Derek Fisher on injured reserve with a sprained right knee before Sunday night's game against the Charlotte Bobcats.


NFL Wrap: Manning Near Record as Colts Beat Texans

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Peyton Manning continued to close in  on the NFL record for single season touchdown passes on Sunday,  firing two TD strikes as the Indianapolis Colts eased past the  Houston Texans 23-14 to clinch the division title.


College Basketball Wrap: Washington Beats Loyola-Marymount

LOS ANGELES (Sports Network) - Nate Robinson scored a  game-high 28 points to lead 16th-ranked Washington to a 100-93  win over Loyola-Marymount at Gersten Pavilion.


Bengals' Palmer Hurt in Loss to New England

FOXBORO, Mass., (Sports Network) - Cincinnati Bengals  quarterback Carson Palmer left Sunday's 35-28 loss against New  England in the third quarter due to a left knee sprain.


Devil Rays Acquire Catcher Cash from Blue Jays

ANAHEIM, Calif., (Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Devil  Rays acquired catcher Kevin Cash from the Toronto Blue Jays on  Sunday in exchange for right-handed pitcher Chad Gaudin.


ABARE tips record commodity exports

The value of Australia #39;s commodity exports is expected to hit \$95 billion this financial year, with minerals and energy expected to drive the improvement.


Philippine Police Hunt Bombers After Market Blast (Reuters)

Reuters - Philippine police were searching for\clues on Monday on who was responsible for a bomb blast in a\market packed with shoppers that killed 14 people and wounded\65.


Probe Into Yushchenko Poisoning Reopens (AP)

AP - Ukrainian prosecutors Sunday reopened their investigation into allegations Viktor Yushchenko was poisoned after doctors treating the opposition leader confirmed he had been slipped the toxic chemical dioxin.


Samsung develops first graphic memory chip

South Koreas Samsung Electronics has developed the worlds fastest computer memory chip for graphics applications. Samsung said the 512-megabit graphics double-data-rate (GDDR) memory chip is the most


U.S. Strikes Fallujah; Two Troops Killed (AP)

AP - American warplanes pounded Fallujah with missiles Sunday as insurgents fought running battles with coalition forces in the volatile western Iraqi city. The U.S. military said two troops died in separate incidents.


Robinson Reflects on Washington Memories (AP)

AP - Frank Robinson is no stranger to Washington D.C., and his memories of the town are both pleasant and forgettable.


Becks bomb scare

DAVID BECKHAM was last night caught in a terrifying bomb scare at Real Madrids Bernabeu Stadium. England skipper Becks and his team-mates fled from the pitch three minutes before the end of their La Liga clash against Real Sociedad.


Alaska Oil Spill Crews Seize on Calmer Weather (Reuters)

Reuters - About 150 people were ready\to begin cleaning up an oil spill threatening endangered\animals on Sunday, four days after a ship broke apart and six\people died in a helicopter rescue attempt.


Philippine Police Hunt Bombers After Market Blast

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine police were searching for  clues on Monday on who was responsible for a bomb blast in a  market packed with shoppers that killed 14 people and wounded  65.


Redskins Trail, 17-14

The Redskins get off to a fast start -- scoring 46 seconds into the game -- but now trail the Eagles, 17-14, in the fourth quarter at FedEx Field.


Falcons Top Raiders, Win NFC South Title

T.J. Duckett set a team record by rushing for four touchdowns and the Atlanta Falcons clinched just the third division title in franchise history, wrapping up the NFC South with a 35-10 rout of the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.


Iron Ore Prices To Lift 19 For Australian Miners - Abare

SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--Continued strong steelmaking demand from China is expected to drive an 18.6 lift in iron ore prices for Australian producers into 2005, the government #39;s Australian Bureau of Agricultural  amp; Resource Economics said Monday.


Crisis warning from Bank as lenders add to risky investments

UK banks have built up a number of risky investment positions that could trigger a financial crisis if a shock caused a sudden rush to sell up, the Bank of England warned yesterday.


Cingular Sells 33 of Indian Cell Venture

Cingular Wireless, the largest United States cellphone service provider, has agreed to sell its 33 percent stake in Idea Cellular of India for about \$200 million to a Malaysian joint venture.


US gears up for another increase in interest rates

Washington - Casting aside fears about weak job creation and tepid holiday sales, the US appeared set to raise interest rates tomorrow for the fifth consecutive time.


Sony #39;s PSP Console Sells Out in Tokyo After Debut (Update1)

Sony Corp. #39;s new PSP portable game console sold out at Tokyo electronic retailers such as Yodobashi Camera Co. and Bic Camera Co.


NASA Chief Is Resigning After 3 Years, Officials Say

Sean O #39;Keefe, the NASA administrator who guided the agency through sweeping changes after the Columbia shuttle accident, will resign and pursue a job as chancellor


Tiger turns in best round this year

Tiger Woods turned in his most complete round of a difficult year, missing only two fairways and one green in closing with a 5-under-par 66 for a two-shot victory over Ireland #39;s Padraig Harrington in the Target World


Bomb Threat in Madrid

The Real Madrid soccer stadium was evacuated during a match on Sunday night after a bomb threat was delivered through the Basque newspaper Gara, which is often used


Henry happy as Gunners, Blues draw

LONDON (AFP) - Arsenal striker Thierry Henry was happy enough with a 2-2 draw against Chelsea here at Highbury yesterday despite twice putting the champions ahead only to see the Premiership leaders draw level each time.


Sutton and Petrov lift Celtic back to top

CELTIC returned to the top of the SPL yesterday with a convincing victory that was neither a hangover nor a backlash from their European exit in midweek.


Tiger Pounces to Win

Tiger Woods finishes a disappointing 2004 season with his second straight championship, closing with a 5-under 66 to win the Target World Challenge.


Al-Anbar Attacks Kill Seven US Marines, US Military Says

Attacks in Iraq #39;s al-Anbar province killed seven US Marines yesterday, the US military command said in an e-mailed statement. The soldiers died in two separate incidents while carrying


US officials deny that Saddam is on hunger strike

AMMAN/BAGHDAD - A year after former Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein was taken captive, US officials Sunday denied that the deposed leader was on a hunger strike and said he was in best of health.


IU Claims Soccer Title

Indiana defends its NCAA men's soccer title by edging UC Santa Barbara in penalty kicks on Sunday.


O #39;Keefe Reported Ready to Quit NASA

NASA administrator Sean O #39;Keefe, who has led the US space program through one of its worst tragedies and into one of its most ambitious endeavors, will likely resign this week to take a \$500,000


Icahn Accuses a Hedge Fund of Stock Manipulation

A suit against a large hedge fund filed by Carl C. Icahn, the billionaire financier, could shine a bright light on the largely unregulated hedge fund industry.


Getting a Piece of a DVD Windfall

The unexpected windfall from DVD sales have become the wild card in Hollywoods negotiations with the Screen Actors Guild.


Miramax Sues Ex-Chief in Italy, Saying He Had 2 Jobs

Miramax Films is seeking compensation from the former head of its Italian unit, claiming that the executive, a friend of the companys co-chairman, also held another job.


Dollar Dips as Market Tests Recovery (Reuters)

Reuters - The dollar slipped on Monday as market\players hesitated to push the currency much higher before\upcoming U.S. trade data and a Federal Reserve meeting.


OPEC Head Sees Oil Demand Dropping (Reuters)

Reuters - Demand for oil will decline by 1\million barrels per day (bpd) in the second quarter of 2005,\the head of the OPEC producers' cartel said on Monday.


Romanian presidential election too close to call

BUCHAREST - The presidential election in Romania is too close to call. Both candidates are claiming victory after exit polls showed a virtual dead heat.


Celtic beat Dunfermline 2-0

Celtic regained the top spot in the Scottish Premier League after a 2-0 victory away to Dunfermline. The result leaves Celtic top-of-the-table with 44 points from 18 games, a single point clear of arch-rivals Glasgow Rangers.


Duke's Krzyzewski Earns 700th Career Win (AP)

AP - On a court that bears his moniker, Mike Krzyzewski became the sixth active coach to reach 700 career victories, watching as Shelden Williams finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds to help No. 9 Duke beat Toledo 82-54 on Sunday night.


Inflation and growth on target, but deficit a problem for Turkey's economy (AFP)

AFP - Turkey has its endemic inflation under control and its growth rate is impressive, but experts say it must deal with a huge public deficit and knock its labyrinthine bureaucracy into shape if it gets the go-ahead Friday to start membership talks with the European Union.


7 Marines Killed in Iraq's Anbar Province (AP)

AP - Seven U.S. Marines were killed in two separate incidents in Iraq's restive Anbar province, the military said Monday, a day after American warplanes pounded Fallujah with missiles as insurgents battled coalition forces in the city.


Bryant Accuses Malone of Hitting on Wife (AP)

AP - The Kobe Bryant-Karl Malone feud has turned personal, with Bryant accusing Malone of making a pass at his wife at a game.


Motorola Gets China Unicom Contract (Reuters)

Reuters - Wireless technology company\Motorola Inc.  said on Sunday it had been selected by\China United Telecommunications Corp. (China Unicom) for a\project that will expand the telephone services company's\networks in 11 provinces.


Canucks' Bertuzzi Plays in Charity Game (AP)

AP - Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi returned to the ice Sunday for the first time since being suspended for attacking Colorado's Steve Moore, playing in a charity game that included more than 30 locked out NHL players.


Prime Minister Martin cool to idea of national referendum on gay marriage (Canadian Press)

Canadian Press - MONTREAL (CP) - Prime Minister Paul Martin was cool Sunday to the idea of a national referendum on same-sex marriage and said handling the controversial issue should be left to Parliament.


Kerry Lawyer Seeks Ohio Ballot Inspection (AP)

AP - Democrat John Kerry is asking county elections officials to allow his witnesses to inspect the 92,000 ballots cast in Ohio in which no vote for president was recorded, a Kerry lawyer said Sunday night.


Democrat Groups Raise More 'Soft Money' (AP)

AP - Whatever the reasons John Kerry and the Democrats lost the race for the White House, lack of money wasn't one.


Defeat Throws Doubts Into Outlook of Jets

With the victory, the Steelers clinched the A.F.C. North title and maintained their hold on the conference's top playoff seeding.


Ultimate Salesman, Pitching the Biggest Stars in Baseball

Scott Boras, the most successful agent in baseball history, tells players what they are worth, tells teams the same and waits for the financial outcome to satisfy him.


For Minaya, Lots of Wheeling, Not Much Dealing

Omar Minaya, the Mets' general manager, is prepared to leave the winter meetings without making a deal, with Carlos Delgado and Richie Sexson seemingly slipping away.


Firsthand Experience Not Ideal for Quarterback

The Giants might as well let Eli Manning start again next Saturday because they are not going anywhere anyway.


Political blow for Brazil's Lula

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio da Silva is weakened as two parties withdraw from his governing coalition.


Cricket: India win in Dhaka

India claim the last two Bangladesh wickets to seal an innings win in the first Test.


Migraines 'double' risk of stroke

People who have migraines are at twice as likely to have a stroke as people who do not, researchers estimate.


Pentagon Weighs Use of Deception in a Broad Arena

The Pentagon is engaged in bitter debate over how far it should go in managing information to influence opinion abroad.


Christian Conservatives Press Issues in Statehouses

Energized by electoral wins, conservative Christians are pushing ahead state and local initiatives on controversial issues.


Strain Is Seen in Giuliani Ties With President

The collapse of Bernard Kerik's nomination has strained a relationship that has long been more complicated than mere friendship.


For North Korea, Openness Proves a Two-Way Street

Before his defection 11 months ago, Kim, a 35-year-old with round-rimmed glasses and a self-assured air, enjoyed the relatively blessed life of the North Korean elite. The son of a ranking military officer in a nation where millions died of starvation during the 1990s, Kim owned a television, a refrigerator and larders brimming with savory white rice.


Brazil's Biggest Party Votes to Leave Government

 By Tiago Pariz

 BRASILIA, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil's biggest party votedto leave the governing coalition on Sunday in a move that couldcomplicate President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's reform agendaand pressure him to give the centrist party extra governmentposts.


World Bank Chief Likely to Leave in 2005 (AP)

AP - James Wolfensohn said Sunday he anticipates bowing out in 2005 as World Bank president and not serving a third five-year term, but would do whatever shareholders ask of him.


Canada Confirms Second Mad Cow Case

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - A final laboratory test has  confirmed an Alberta dairy cow had mad cow disease, the second  case Canada has found in its herd, the Canadian Food Inspection  Agency said on Sunday.


Chinese TV Maker Sets Sights on Europe

Urged on by China's government and armed with credit from state-owned banks and stock market listings, many Chinese manufacturers are going global.


Mind Over Matter

Neuroscientists and biomedical engineers have become increasingly adept at making devices that translate people's thoughts into actions -- a potential boon for paralyzed patients.


Nedved #39;s late strike keeps Juve four points clear

ROME (AFP) - Pavel Nedved scored with a superb free-kick four minutes from time to give Juventus a precious 1-0 win at Bologna. A slender victory enabled the 27-time champions to restore their four-point lead


Abbas Set to Win Palestinian Vote, Barghouthi Drops Out

Moderate Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas #39;s chances of winning a presidential election to replace Yasser Arafat appeared to be sealed after his main rival Marwan Barghouthi pulled out of the race.


Romanian exit polls predict dead heat

EXIT polls from Romanias presidential run-off yesterday showed the race between the Social Democrat prime minister, Adrian Nastase, and the opposition leader, Traian Basescu, was too close to call.


Warriors Overpower Bobcats 99-87 (AP)

AP - Jason Richardson scored 24 points to help the Golden State Warriors keep the Charlotte Bobcats winless on the road with a 99-87 victory on Sunday night.


Suddenly, Patriots' Weis Has Two Jobs

The New England Patriots' offensive coordinator, Charlie Weis, will be introduced Monday as the coach of Notre Dame.


Greenspan Has Created More Transparent Fed

A master of mystery much of the time, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has vastly improved the central bank #39;s communications with Wall Street and Main Street over the past decade.


Miller wins World Cup giant slalom

Bode Miller won a giant slalom WorldCup in Val D #39;Isere, France on Sunday, his fifth victory of the season. Miller, fourth after the first leg, clocked his winning time oftwo minutes


In U.S. Market, Cellphone Users Are Often All Talk

After years of delays, U.S. wireless carriers are unveiling third generation phone networks. The carriers will soon find out whether the time and money were actually worth it.


Some Online Sites Falter During the Holiday Rush

Holiday slowdowns and crashes at Kmart.com, Amazon.com and others highlight the Web's persistent growing pains.


M.I.T. Technology Review Adopts More Serious Tone

The MIT Technology Review, which was introduced in 1899, is getting a makeover to help attract readers and advertisers.


Israeli soldiers  quot;killed in Gaza blast quot;

Jazeera said eight soldiers were wounded on Sunday and a ninth was missing in addition to the four dead. Israeli sources said there were.


After Years of Battle, Some '.md' Web Sites Are Going Online

A New Jersey company, MaxMd, recently acquired near-exclusive rights to market the ".md" domain, which technically belongs to Moldova.


In the Age of the Wireless Phone, a Louisiana Town Awaits the Real Thing

It's no secret what the 15 householders in Mink, La., want for Christmas: the same thing they have always wanted year round - telephones.


Humble Sandwich Gains In Stature

The Atkins diet frenzy slowed growth briefly, but the sandwich business is booming, with \$105 billion in sales last year.


U.S. Imposes New Curbs On Clothing Imports

Eighteen days before the end of a 30 year-old system restricting international trade in textiles and apparel, the Bush administration is imposing new barriers on imported clothing.


Dulles,  Clearly On Tech's Radar

Anchored by Dulles, the fifth-busiest airport in the United States for scheduled arrivals and departures, the Northern Virginia corridor has become a driving force in Washington's economy


Repair Posts Scramble To Meet Demand

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's intended transformation of the Army into a quick, mobile force has started to rub against the daily demands of patching enough tanks and trucks together to keep fighting the war.


Dodgers Continue Winter Trade Talks (AP)

AP - Tim Hudson might not be Los Angeles-bound after all. Dodgers general manager Paul DePodesta and his Oakland counterpart, Billy Beane, have talked extensively about Hudson at baseball's winter meetings.


Notre Dame names Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis as <b>...</b>

Notre Dame has tapped one of the NFL #39;s most successful units to fill its head coaching vacancy, signing New England Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis to a six-year contract, the school said Sunday night.


Saddam on hunger strike : US military denies

Former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and 11 top leaders of his regime have gone on hunger strike in their US detention centre, one of their lawyers said yesterday.


Teams Exercise Patience

With big-ticket free agents like Carlos Beltran, Richie Sexson and Carlos Delgado still on the market, baseball executives are playing wait-and-see.


Opening The Desktop

The Mozilla Foundation #39;s new Thunderbird E-mail client, released last week, is positioned as a simple-but-secure alternative to Microsoft #39;s widely used Outlook Express.


Mysterious Tremors Could Warn Of Future Earthquakes

BERKELEY, Calif. -- Mysterious tremors deep beneath the San Andreas Fault could portend future earthquakes, according to University of California, Berkeley scientists.


Holmes voted sports personality of year in Britain

Double Olympic gold medallist Kelly Holmes was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday. Holmes had been the hottest favorite ever to win the award after her exploits


Nedved gives Juventus late win

Bologna, Italy (Sports Network) - Czech striker Pavel Nedved scored off a free kick in the 86th minute Sunday to give Juventus a 1-0 win at Bologna.


Eagles Defeat Redskins 17-14 (AP)

AP - Andy Reid moved ahead of Joe Gibbs. Just barely. In a game much tighter than form would have predicted, the Philadelphia Eagles held off the Washington Redskins 17-14 Sunday night, winning their fifth straight and propelling Reid past Gibbs into first place in winning percentage among active coaches.


Real Madrid Soccer Match Abandoned After Bomb Threat (Update1)

Real Madrid #39;s home match yesterday against Real Sociedad was abandoned in the 87th minute after a bomb hoax, the Spanish soccer club said.


IBM in server joint venture with China Great Wall Computer (AFP)

AFP - China Great Wall Computer Shenzhen Co Ltd has signed an agreement to establish a new joint venture with IBM to produce computer servers for the Asian region, the company said.


Blast kills 15, injures 60 in Philippines

A powerful explosion in a crowded southern Philippines market killed 15 and wounded at least 60 on Sunday. The market was packed with Christmas shoppers when the explosion went off in the markets meat section


Oil Above  #36;41 as Saudi Cuts Supplies (Reuters)

Reuters - Oil prices climbed above  #36;41 a barrel\on Monday after Saudi Arabia cut January crude deliveries to\clients in Asia, confirming that the top exporter was adhering\to OPEC's agreement last week to curb excess supply.


IBM, AMD Speed Chips, Strain Wafers (Reuters)

Reuters - Researchers at IBM  and\Advanced Micro Devices Inc.  have improved a chip-making\technology called strained silicon, boosting  semiconductor\performance at a time when such gains are increasingly hard to\come by, the companies said on Sunday.


Johnson   Johnson and Guidant Hold More Talks on Acquisition

Johnson   Johnson, the health care conglomerate, continued its acquisition talks with Guidant, one of the nation's largest makers of devices to treat heart and circulatory illnesses.


Telekom Malaysia,Singapore, to buy Idea Cellular stake

The government of Singapore and Telekom Malaysia Bhd agreed to buy a 48 percent stake in India #39;s Idea Cellular from three companies for US\$390 million to tap into India #39;s wireless market.


Australian commodity exports set to increase 15 percent <b>...</b>

SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia #39;s commodity exports are forecast to increase by 15 percent to a record 95 billion dollars (71 million US), the government #39;s key economic forecaster said.


Word of Weis spreads quickly

Notre Dame, IN - When Willingham was let go a week and a half ago, the word spread quickly across Notre Dame #39;s campus. Now the news that a new coach is in place is all over campus too.


Sports Awards: Holmes wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year

If it came as a surprise that Kelly Holmes should win two gold medals at the Athens Olympics, her victory in White City last night, where she became the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, was a racing certainty.


OPEC sees 1 million barrels per day demand drop in 2005

JAKARTA (AFP) - Worldwide demand for oil is expected to drop by about one million barrels per day by the second quarter of 2005 after the northern hemisphere #39;s winter season ends, OPEC #39;s president said.


Telekom Malaysia Spreads Its Wings But No Quick Returns

KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones)--Telekom Malaysia Bhd. (4863.KU) has begun to spread its wings overseas, but it will be awhile before its Indian and Indonesian investments begin to pay off in substantially stronger earnings.


LSE Receives \$2.6 Billion Offer From Deutsche Boerse (Update2)

London Stock Exchange Plc, Europe #39;s third-largest exchange by market value, said it received a 1.35 billion-pound (\$2.6 billion) takeover offer from Deutsche Boerse AG, the second attempt


Lloyds TSB Says Profit Will Fall 23 After Unit Sales (Update2)

Lloyds TSB Group Plc, the UK #39;s fifth-largest bank by assets, said annual pretax profit may fall 23 percent, after earnings doubled last year on proceeds from the sale of its businesses in New Zealand and Brazil.


Bayer sells plasma unit to US consortium

Bayer continued with its strategic refocusing, announcing on Monday the sale of its plasma business to two US private capital funds.


How IBM and the PC changed the world

IBM transformed the world when it launched the personal computer back in 1981. Its decision last week to sell its PC business to Chinese IT supplier Lenovo shows how profound the changes it brought about really are.


#39;Do-not-call #39; law is about a year away

OTTAWA -- Federal officials hope to introduce new legislation today to establish a do-not-call registry for consumers who want to put an end to telemarketing pitches.


Reports: J amp;J, Guidant deal near

Health care and consumer products maker Johnson  amp; Johnson is close to finalizing its long-rumored \$24 billion cash and stock acquisition of medical-device maker Guidant Corp.


Layoffs ahead for meat workers

About 800 workers at the Swift  amp; Co. meat packing plant will lose their jobs four days before Christmas. The layoffs will take effect Dec. 20, 11 days before a contract expires


Opposition leads in Romania poll

Partial results put opposition candidate Traian Basescu narrowly ahead in the race to be Romanian president.


Wish you were here

Want a wireless, hand-held game player that plays movies, music, and more? Meet the Sony PlayStation Portable known as PSP. What about a


NASA administrator meeting with LSU committee

WASHINGTON NASA administrator Sean O #39;Keefe will meet Thursday with a committee searching for Louisiana State University #39;s next chancellor.


AMD, IBM Speed Up Chips With Strained Wafers

Researchers at IBM and AMD have improved a chip-making technology called strained silicon. Their announcement, of a new and unique strained silicon transistor technology, is aimed at improving processor performance and power efficiency.


Reefs set for rapid growth

Sydney - Coral reefs around the world could grow by up to a third because of rising ocean temperatures, according to a new Australian study which turns on its head the long-held theory that global warming is killing the reefs.


Mystery meteors slice sky tonight

Scientists disagree on the origins of the annual Geminid shower but agree that conditions this year favor a spectacular show. Shooting stars of mysterious origin promise a spectacular sky-show tonight for


Thomson Blurs Picture on High-Definition DVD

Adding weight to the notion that two high-definition DVD formats may co-exist, leading manufacturer Thomson today announced that it would manufacture HD DVD-compatible discs as well as Blu-ray versions in its Technicolor division.


Yahoo Plans Desktop Search

Yahoo will release a desktop search tool in early 2005, joining other search engines looking to catalog a variety of information beyond Web pages, the company said Friday.


ISS Crew Told To Ration Food

The ISS astronauts consume an average of about 3,000 calories during any given day in space. Under the current plan, Chiao and Sharipov will reduce their daily intake to a maximum of 2,700 calories.


Firefox e-mail program free and feature-packed

Q:I am now happily using Mozilla Firefox for Web browsing instead of Microsoft Internet Explorer. Now I wonder whether I should also switch to Mozilla #39;s free e-mail program.


Google offers a suggestion

Google has launched a new feature that tries to guess what users are looking for as they type queries into its search box. Google Suggest was quietly launched this week in the company #39;s Labs site, which showcases


Big Blue Takes On EMC With Storage Virtualization

The new storage virtualization software is designed with expanded support to virtualize and manage the complete line of currently available EMC disk storage systems.


The download on digital

We will soon get more singles off the net than from the shops - and Apple #39;s iPod is leading the way. James Hall reports. It #39;s Wednesday lunchtime on London #39;s half-empty Regent Street and the sleek new store


UC researchers discover deep tremors under San Andreas Fault

BERKELEY - Mysterious tremors deep beneath the San Andreas Fault could portend future earthquakes, according to University of California, Berkeley scientists.


MP3 Sunglasses

OAKLEY THUMP is the world #39;s first digital music eyewear. Just high-performance optics forged with an integrated, state-of-the-art digital audio engine.


China 'no longer needs food aid'

\The head of the UN World Food Programme says China should start  giving, rather than receiving, food aid.


Crackdown urged on film piracy

The UK Film Council wants changes in the law to tackle the growing problem of film piracy and illegal DVDs.


Morrison benefits from Sorensen blunder

Clinton Morrison was recalled to the Birmingham City line-up for Sundays derby against Aston Villa, and took just nine minutes to find the net at Villa Park as the Blues continued their exceptional record in clashes with their rivals since their top


Kelly Receives Early Christmas Present

Kelly Holmes is looking forward to a well-deserved break at home with her family over Christmas after adding the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award to her double Olympic gold.


Files reveal 1953 Gibraltar row

Churchill denied that any promises were made to give Gibraltar to Spain, prompting a row, archived documents show


Dunfermline 0, Celtic 2

Celtic manager Martin O #39;Neill said last night he would be speaking to the agents of several players this week to get them to sign new contracts.


Peyton might seek revenge

He believes Sundays 37-14 dismantling of the New York Giants and rookie quarterback Eli Manning, in particular, might come back to haunt the Baltimore Ravens.


Peru Rebel Says Will Surrender Monday

LIMA, Peru (Reuters) - The leader of a 200-strong armed  group that killed four policemen and seized a police station  and part of a southern Peruvian town, to demand the resignation  of President Alejandro Toledo, said it would hand over its  weapons on Monday.


Defeat extremists with reform, Powell tells Arab leaders

ARAB leaders must introduce reforms to counter the growth of terrorism, Colin Powell, the outgoing American Secretary of State, told Islamic leaders yesterday.


Shunned, India's untouchables gather tsunami dead (Reuters)

Reuters - They are the "untouchables"; the lowest of the low in India's ancient caste system. No job is too dirty or too nasty, and they are the ones cleaning up the rotting corpses from last week's killer tsunami.


Putin Critics, Supporters Demonstrate in Russian Capital

Supporters and critics of Russia #39;s president are demonstrating in Moscow, with both groups calling attention to Kremlin plans to consolidate power.


Cheers, and Concern, for New Climate Pact

With the United States keeping to the sidelines, delegates from more than 190 countries have gathered here both to celebrate the enactment of the


European Ministers to Discuss Discuss Irans Long-Term Uranium <b>...</b>

Diplomats in Brussels say the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany will meet Iran #39;s top nuclear official Monday to discuss a long-term nuclear cooperation agreement.


Man Charged in UK Tsunami Death Email Probe (Reuters)

Reuters - British police said on Monday they had\charged a man with sending hoax emails to relatives of people\missing since the Asian tsunami, saying their loved ones had\been confirmed dead.


Deal to save Somali peace process

Somalia's new prime minister may by reappointed, and then put to a vote of confidence, officials say.


Ravens Beat Dolphins but Miss Playoffs (AP)

AP - The Baltimore Ravens did their part to get into the playoffs. It wasn't enough. After beating the Miami Dolphins 30-23 Sunday, the Ravens had to wait until the late afternoon games ended to learn their postseason fate.


Croatian President Forced Into Runoff (AP)

AP - Croatia's pro-Western president failed to win an outright majority for re-election on Sunday, forcing him to face a runoff vote against the conservative government's candidate in two weeks.


Sony PSP goes on sale in Japan

The company was able to ship 200,000 units throughout Japan and interestingly, the response from the consumership was phenomenal. Retailers carrying the unit opened their stores early in the morning and faced long lines outside their facilities.


IBM, AMD speed chips by straining silicon wafers

Researchers at IBM and Advanced Micro Devices have improved a chip-making technology called strained silicon, boosting semiconductor performance at a time when such


BETAMAX-STYLE DEATH MATCH FOR DVD

A high-tech DVD format battle for the hearts, minds and wallets of consumers is shaping up to be a 21st century version of the 1980s VHS/Betamax brawl.


Koskie good fit for Jays

TORONTO -- Some of his former teammates said he didn #39;t want to come. People close to the negotiations were doubtful he would come.


Broncos Beat Colts, Earn Wild-Card Spot (AP)

AP - The Denver Broncos took care of the Indianapolis 'B' team and earned the right to face Peyton Manning and the real Colts next week in the playoffs. Jake Plummer threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns Sunday to lift the Broncos to a 33-14 victory over the watered-down Colts and qualify for the AFC's final wild-card spot.


Cassini set for Titan return pass

The Cassini spacecraft makes one last flyby of Titan on Monday before it despatches the Huygens probe for a rendezvous with the Saturnian moon.


5 Israelis killed in tunnel attack

JERUSALEM -- Palestinian militants yesterday detonated an explosives-packed tunnel under an Israeli army base in the Gaza Strip and ambushed Israeli reinforcements, killing five soldiers and complicating efforts underway since Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's death last month to halt more than four years of fighting.


Violence, political feuds cloud Haiti's hopes

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Nine months after a bloody uprising unseated Haiti's elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, hopes for a peaceful road back to democracy have all but vanished.


New tax to be levied on some textile exports

BEIJING -- China said today that it will slap a tax on some of its textile exports in a nod to trading partners who fear that less expensive Chinese goods will flood their markets when global quotas on textiles expire next month. China will impose an export duty on certain, unspecified textile products, the English-language China Daily newspaper said, citing ...


Activists, politicians protest Putin policies

MOSCOW -- Hundreds of Kremlin critics gathered yesterday on Constitution Day to denounce what they call a retreat from democracy as President Vladimir V. Putin signed a bill scrapping gubernatorial elections.


In visit to Kuwait, Palestinian leader delivers apology

KUWAIT CITY -- Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas apologized to Kuwaitis yesterday for Palestinian support of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein during the 1990-'91 Gulf War, his latest gesture to mend fences with Arab nations offended by the late Yasser Arafat over the years.


Sketches From the Front: An Artist's Dispatches, Rendered in Ink and Paint

A New York painter, Steve Mumford, has been embedded with military units in Iraq on and off since April 2003.


7 Marines and a G.I. Are Killed in Separate Attacks in Iraq

Marine officials reported that seven marines had been killed Sunday while conducting security operations in Anbar.


Wish you were here

TOKYO -- Want a wireless, hand-held game player that plays movies, music, and more? Meet the Sony PlayStation Portable known as PSP.


In bid for more ads, America Online taking down walls

DULLES, Va. -- The walls surrounding America Online Inc.'s well-manicured gardens are crumbling: AOL is abandoning its strategy of exclusivity and will free much of its music, sports, and other programming to nonsubscribers, in hopes of boosting ad sales.


'House flipping' said to cheat minorities

ALBANY, N.Y. -- A four-bedroom, 1-bath colonial for only a \$450 monthly mortgage payment? How can you go wrong? Lots of ways. Fair housing advocates say the first-time buyer of that \$85,000 Syracuse, N.Y., home lost out in one of the many forms of  quot;house flipping, quot; or the fast resale of property at high profits.


Keep playing while you're charging

Popping a gadget into a cradle to recharge it used to mean downtime, but these days chargers are doing double duty, keeping your portable devices playing even when they're charging.


Some fear it's a passport to identity theft

It's December 2005 and you're all set for Christmas in Vienna. You have your most fashionable cold-weather gear, right down to the red maple leaves embroidered on your jacket and backpack, to conceal your American citizenship from hostile denizens of Europe.


6 Court-Martialed After Taking Vehicles

At a time when some U.S. troops in Iraq are complaining they have to scrounge for equipment, six Ohio-based reservists have been  court-martialed for taking Army vehicles abandoned in Kuwait by other units so they could carry out their own  mission to Iraq.


Racist Taunts Rattle European Soccer

Professional soccer teams, their national and international governing bodies and anti-racism groups have been grappling with a number of incidents around Europe over the last month.


A qualified success

FOXBOROUGH -- When a team is 12-1, clinching a playoff berth and the AFC East title (after the Jets lost to the Steelers) in spite of allowing almost 500 yards of offense, what else can one do but project this type of performance down the road to more meaningful games?


Sox may find out today on Martinez

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Restless to resolve his status, Pedro Martinez has indicated he wants to decide by today whether to re-sign with the Red Sox or bolt to the Mets, a source familiar with his thinking said last night.


These meetings are hardly meaty

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Put the executives of 30 major league teams, dozens of agents, and all of their assorted support staff -- we're talking sufficient manpower for three brigades -- and what do you get?


Manning, Colts keep up the pace

HOUSTON -- Peyton Manning broke one of Dan Marino's touchdown records, just not the one everybody has been talking about.


Defense delivers late for San Diego

SAN DIEGO -- LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees aren't the only ones who can win games for the resurgent San Diego Chargers. Their defense is pretty good, too.


Broncos slip by Dolphins

DENVER -- The Denver Broncos found a new running back, then lost him just as quickly. They kept their postseason hopes alive, but looked nothing like a playoff-worthy team.


Ugly victory saves Eagles

LANDOVER, Md. -- The Philadelphia Eagles held off the Washington Redskins, 17-14, last night, winning their fifth straight and propelling Andy Reid past Joe Gibbs into first place in winning percentage among active coaches.


Longwell gives Packers boost

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Ryan Longwell's 23-yard field goal gave Green Bay a 16-13 win over the Detroit Lions yesterday and lifted the Packers (8-5) into first place in the NFC North by a game over Minnesota.


Crown fits for Falcons

ATLANTA -- T.J. Duckett set a team record by rushing for four touchdowns and the Atlanta Falcons clinched just the third division title in franchise history, wrapping up the NFC South with a 35-10 rout of the Oakland Raiders yesterday.


Jaguars get jump on Bears

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Byron Leftwich threw two touchdown passes and the Jacksonville defense constantly harassed Chad Hutchinson in the Jaguars' 22-3 victory over the injury-depleted Chicago Bears yesterday.


Win was No. 1 priority

Many teams would gladly settle for a tie when playing shorthanded in the final minute of overtime against an unbeaten opponent. No. 1 Minnesota isn't one of them.


Hurricanes blow by UMass

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- After his team's dramatic victory over No. 7 Connecticut last week, Minuteman Anthony Anderson said,  quot;We've been saying this is our year. quot;


Woods answers challenge, gets his game back on target

names Tiger Woods turned in his most complete round of a difficult year, missing only two fairways and one green in closing with a 5-under-par 66 to take a two-shot victory over Padraig Harrington yesterday in the Target World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club in Sherman Oaks, Calif. It was Woods's second straight stroke-play title after going without one on ...


Celtics' defense is coming alive

LOS ANGELES -- After 14-plus years in the NBA, Gary Payton is an unapologetic realist. He has no use for morale-boosting optimism.


Making the playoffs a rush for Dillon

FOXBOROUGH -- Before yesterday's kickoff, Corey Dillon spotted Marvin Lewis across the field, approached the Cincinnati coach, and gave him an embrace. As they brought their heads together, the Patriots running back told Lewis that his grudge against the Bengals finally would be gone. And the Cincinnati coach reciprocated, agreeing that after the game the hatchet would be buried forever. ...


Palmer's loss stifles Bengals

FOXBOROUGH -- The play did not look as bad as Rodney Harrison's hit that leveled Rudi Johnson in yesterday's 35-28 Patriots victory over Cincinnati at Gillette Stadium.


Home-Brew IPod Ad Opens Eyes

An animated ad for Apple's iPod made by a schoolteacher is thrilling buzz marketers. Forget word-of-mouth -- the future of advertising is in professional-looking ads that go viral. By Leander Kahney.


Chinese retail sales hold firm

Chinese consumers show little sign of reining in their spending, despite the first rise in core interest rates in nine years.


London Exchange rejects German bid

The London Stock Exchange (LSE) has rejected a proposed offer for the company from Deutsche Boerse valued at 530 pence per share in cash.


Unocal Corp. tentatively settles human rights lawsuits

LOS ANGELES A spokesman for Unocal Corp. says tonight the oil and gas giant has reached a tentative agreement to settle human rights lawsuits.


MONDAY MORNING

HSBC Bank planted its flag in Washington last week, opening its first branch in the District with hopes of becoming Riggs Bank #39;s replacement to the embassy community.


Sony launches portable games pad

Sony has launched its first handheld games console, the PlayStation Portable (PSP), which it hopes will challenge Nintendo in the portable games market.


Spouse says  quot;No iPod, quot; Getting rid of CDs, and Resurrecting a dead <b>...</b>

Ask iPodlounge offers readers the opportunity to get answers to their iPod-related questions from a member of the iPodlounge editorial team.


NASA telescopes spy planets under construction

Planet-building is dusty work, and now two space telescopes have captured images of cosmic construction materials: disks of dust circling stars about the same size as our sun.


PETROV WANTS BHOYS SIGNED UP

Celtic star Stilian Petrov has urged the Parkhead board to hand a number of top players new contracts before they live to regret letting them go.


SIX OF THE BEST FOR MILAN

Reigning Italian champions AC Milan handed out a lesson in quality finishing at the San Siro to hit outclassed Fiorentina for six of the best on Sunday afternoon.


ST Telemedia and Telekom Malaysia buy Idea stake

Singapore Technologies Telemedia and Telekom Malaysia are paying US\$390m-equivalent to acquire a 48 per cent stake in Idea Cellular, India #39;s fifth-largest mobile operator, after conducting due


Ericsson awarded GSM expansion contract by Guangdong Mobile Corp

Ericsson has been awarded an \$805m contract by Guangdong Mobile Communication Corporation Limited (Guangdong Mobile, a whole-owned subsidiary of China Mobile HK Holdings, to expand its GSM network in Guangdong Province, China.


US Dollar Falls Against the Yen

The dollar fell against the yen and the euro in Asia on Monday for the first time in three sessions as US hedge funds and Japanese exporters resumed selling the greenback on concerns about US economic imbalances.


Queues for PSP as Sony enter the fray (PSP)

It seems there #39;s no end to Japan #39;s love of handheld gaming these days. With Nintendo selling big with its hugely successful Nintendo DS launch, Sony have begun the counter attack with queues of up to 1500


Free Music for Your iPod

You #39;re probably already familiar with one of the most common questions we hear at iPodlounge:  quot;how can I load my iPod up with free music?


Apple iTunes in Grammy Award link-up

The US music industry is strengthening its embrace of music download services, with a unique Grammy Award/iTunes tie-up. The organisers of the Grammy Awards have reached a deal with Apple to


Blues held by Gunners

Eidur Gudjohnsen #39;s equaliser gave Chelsea a 2-2 draw with champions Arsenal at Highbury and took the Blues four points clear at the top of the Premiership table.


Knicks count on new math

If you take Isiah Thomas at his word and believe he #39;s not trading Allan Houston before the February deadline, then the Knicks have to hope that Houston-Jamal Crawford-Stephon Marbury isn #39;t the second coming of Houston-Latrell Sprewell-Glen Rice.


Suicide bomb blasts Green Zone

A SUICIDE car bomb has ripped through a line of vehicles at a checkpoint outside the Green Zone today, killing 13 people as Iraq marked the first anniversary of Saddam Hussein #39;s capture.


Online Groups Brag About Movie Piracy (AP)

AP - In not-too-secret online forums, Wesley Snipes' latest movie, "Blade: Trinity," is the subject of intense discussion and evaluation. But unlike typical movie fan sites, the chatter from visitors to Web sites like VCDQuality.com doesn't key on the vampire film's plot, acting or bloody visual effects. Instead, computer users dish out praise or criticism on the caliber of video and sound achieved by online groups whose sole mission is to make available unauthorized copies of Hollywood films within a day or two of a movie's debut, if not before.


Lamy Says France Proposed Him as WTO Chief (Reuters)

Reuters - France has formally proposed former\European Union Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy as a candidate to\become the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Lamy\said Monday. EU governments backed Frenchman Lamy as Europe's\candidate last week for the post of WTO director-general, which\former Thai deputy premier Supachai Panitchpakdi is due to\leave at the end of August 2005.


LSE rejects 1.35bn Deutsche bid

The London Stock Exchange today said it had rejected a 1.35 billion takeover approach from German rival Deutsche Boerse. Shares in the LSE have risen 25 per cent in recent weeks as investors anticipated a possible takeover bid.


IBM, AMD Speed Chips, Strain Wafers

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Researchers at IBM IBM.N and  Advanced Micro Devices Inc. AMD.N have improved a chip-making  technology called strained silicon, boosting  semiconductor  performance at a time when such gains are increasingly hard to  come by, the companies said on Sunday.


OPEC Head Sees Oil Demand Dropping

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Demand for oil will decline by 1  million barrels per day (bpd) in the second quarter of 2005,  the head of the OPEC producers' cartel said on Monday.


GLOBAL MARKETS-Exporters Gain

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Exporters such as Honda Motor Co. led  gains in Japanese shares Monday as a rebound in the U.S. dollar  eased concerns over corporate profits, but stocks elsewhere in  Asia slipped on rising oil prices.


Blog Creation, Readership Rise in 2004 (AP)

AP - Readership of online journals known as blogs grew significantly in 2004, driven by increased awareness of them during the presidential campaign and other major news events, according to a study released Sunday.


Saddam #39;s lieutenants on  #39;hunger strike #39;

Some of Saddam Hussein #39;s top aides are refusing meals in their secret US detention centre, the US army acknowledged on Sunday after a detainee #39;s lawyer said Iraq #39;s ousted leaders were on hunger strike.


Barghouti pulls out of election

Marwan Barghouti withdrew from the race to replace Palestinian President Yasser Arafat late last night. His withdrawal means there will be a smooth transition in the election on 9 January, with interim leader Mahmoud Abbas the clear favourite.


Central Banks Short-Circuit U.S. Savings?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Have Asia's central banks lulled  Americans into a false sense of security?


Nikkei Ends Up as Yen Helps Car Firms

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average closed  higher for the first time in three sessions Monday, as a weaker  yen against the dollar helped auto exporters such as Honda  Motor Co. Ltd.


IBM, AMD claim 24 per cent chip speed gains

IBM and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) have jointly developed a new method for implementing strained silicon technology on both positive and negative transistors, the companies are expected to announce today.


NASA Chief Is Resigning After 3 Years, Officials Say

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe is said to be pursuing a job as chancellor of Louisiana State University.


Second Delay for Rocket

Engineers sought to determine what caused a temperature control system to malfunction after an aborted launch Saturday.


Court Case Pits Google and Geico

A trademark infringement suit against Google may alter how the search industry makes a profit.


N.Korea Says Reconsidering Place at Nuclear Talks (Reuters)

Reuters - North Korea is seriously reconsidering\its role in talks on its nuclear plans because of what it sees\as a concerted campaign to topple the North's ruling system,\the North Korean Foreign Ministry said on Monday.


UAE Urges Radical Arab Reform from Within (Reuters)

Reuters - The United Arab Emirates urged fellow\Arabs Monday to implement radical political and economic\reform, saying history and their people would not forgive them\if they failed to do so.


Iraqi Leader Criticizes U.S.-Led Coalition (AP)

AP - Iraq's interim President Ghazi al-Yawer said in an interview broadcast Monday that the U.S.-led coalition was wrong to dismantle the Iraqi security forces.


Manning Comes Up Short of Marino's Mark (AP)

AP - No. 45 was a simple 3-yard floater to his favorite target. No. 46 was vintage Peyton Manning, a 12-yard bullet between two defenders.


Spain PM Testifies at Bombing Inquiry (AP)

AP - Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, testifying Monday before a parliamentary commission investigating Spain's worst terrorist attack, dismissed any link between his surprise election victory last March and the Madrid train bombings three days earlier.


Abandoned Africa HIV Orphans Struggle with Stigma (Reuters)

Reuters - Monica is 12, likes ice cream, thinks\boys are rough and dirty, and wants to grow up to be a flight\attendant "because they work hard and play hard."


Tiger Woods Wins Target World Challenge (AP)

AP - At this rate, Tiger Woods probably can't wait for the 2005 season to start. Woods turned in his most complete round of a difficult year Sunday, missing only two fairways and one green in closing with a 5-under 66 for a two-shot victory over Padraig Harrington in the Target World Challenge.


Giuliani Said Apologized to Bush Over Kerik (AP)

AP - Former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, at a preplanned dinner with President Bush, offered apologies for the abortive nomination of close associate Bernard Kerik as homeland security secretary, a Giuliani spokeswoman said.


Mobile multimedia slow to catch on

Mobile phone firms face a series of hurdles if they want to get their customers using their funky new handsets.


Hong Kong Shares Close Little Changed

The Hang Seng Index slipped 15.65 points, or 0.1 percent, to 13,886.16. On Friday, the index had slumped 107.01 points, or 0.8 percent.


Singapore #39;s Jetstar Asia becomes 5th budget airline to operate <b>...</b>

The Singapore #39;s budget airline, Jetstar Asia, will launch its daily service between Hong Kong and Singapore from Monday. Jetstar Asia will become the fifth budget airline


Sharon: Peace Depends on Palestinians

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Dec 13, 2004 - The new Palestinian leadership is not doing enough to restrain militants, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Monday, after attackers blew up an Israeli army outpost in Gaza and killed five soldiers.


Lawyer Urges Red Cross to Examine Saddam

A French lawyer representing Saddam Hussein asked Monday for the International Red Cross to look into reports that the jailed former Iraqi leader has begun a hunger strike.


China to Impose Tariffs on Some Textiles

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will impose tariffs on some  textile exports in a move that may ease frictions with the  United States and others over an expected flood of Chinese  products on world markets after a global quota system expires  at year's end.


China textile exports develop

BEIJING, Dec. 13 -- Three years after China #39;s entry into the World Trade Organization and the country #39;s quality of textile exports continues to improve.


UPDATE: Telekom Malaysia Spreads Its Wings

KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones)--Telekom Malaysia Bhd. (4863.KU) has begun to spread its wings overseas, but it will be awhile before its Indian and Indonesian investments begin to pay off in substantially stronger earnings.


Hong Kong #39;s Record \$2.7 Bln Property Trust IPO May Be Delayed

The trading debut of Hong Kong #39;s record \$2.7 billion property trust may be delayed because of a legal challenge, a government lawyer said.


IBM #39;s PC saga was two decades in the unmaking

until then the ruler of a still-nascent industry -an a cheeky advertisement greeting its new rival. The ad said:  quot;Welcome, IBM.


Oil giant makes peace in Myanmar

US oil giant Unocal Corp has agreed in principle to settle a lawsuit brought by Myanmar villagers who accused it of complicity in human rights abuses, including slave labour, during the building of a pipeline, a company spokesman said today.


Turning a setback into an opportunity

Minneapolis-based Target Corp. #39;s decision this fall to stop allowing Salvation Army bell ringers at its stores has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Lake County Salvation Army.


AMD e IBM introducono un nuovo processo produttivo

AMD e IBM hanno rilasciato congiuntamente un comunicato stampa, con il quale annunciano lo sviluppo di nuove tecniche di produzione per transistor strained silicon, che beneficia di una migliore gestione del consumo a parit di frequenza di clock.


Coral reefs may grow with global warming

Rising levels of greenhouse gases may not be quite as bad for coral reefs as was previously thought. A team of Australian scientists say that the damage done by increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the


Toshiba rejects Sony Truce in HD-DVD - Blu-Ray War

UK daily, The Guardian, is reporting that Sony executives have approached Toshiba in the last few weeks in an attempt to stave off the brewing next-gen format war.


Mforma makes Marvel-ous deal

Rather than tell you, Dan Kranzler chooses instead to show you how he turned Mforma into a worldwide publisher of video games, ringtones and other hot downloads for mobile phones.


Current Mozilla Foundation Projects

Well, for those of you who are interested, here #39;s my take on the Mozilla Foundation #39;s current, major projects. The Mozilla Foundation is a non-profit and open-source organization that develops Mozilla and all of its related apps.


Google Suggests the way to search

Google has launched a new feature that tries to guess what people are looking for as they type queries into a search box. Google Suggest quietly debuted this week on the company #39;s Labs site, which showcases


AOL Creates Its Own Browsing Software

As part of its reincarnation, America Online Inc. is creating its own software for browsing the Web and playing movies and songs. It #39;s a question of staying relevant in an increasingly broadband world.


Decoding Dusty Disks

The Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes each have found dusty disks around sun-like stars. Finding such rings of dusty debris around stars the size of the sun is difficult, because they are fainter and harder


After Williams, Klitschko to fight Lewis?

LAS VEGAS - KIEV, Dec.12-13 -mmediately after defending his WBC heavyweight title in the fight against Danny Williams in Las Vegas Saturday night, Vitali Klitschko headed to his native Ukraine to joint another battle  - fight for freedom in the


GOLF: NEIL STILL STANDING DESPITE PLAY-OFF DESPAIR

Briton Neil Cheetham came agonisingly close to claiming the Dunhill Championship in South Africa, before losing in a sudden-death play-off.


Chad pins picks, loss on himself

Chad Pennington took full blame for the Jets #39; loss yesterday and the numbers back him up. It was the second-worst performance of his outstanding young career.


Eagles 17, Redskins 14

With some of the focus on coach Andy Reid #39;s possible future spandex practice attire, the Philadelphia Eagles got an unexpectedly stiff challenge from the Washington Redskins on Sunday night in a 17-14 victory.


Twins lose Koskie to Jays

Anaheim, Calif. - There is a decidedly right lean to the three-time champions of the American League Central. In a span of 26 days, the Minnesota Twins lost the left side of their infield to free agency.


Weis signs a six-year contract at Notre Dame

Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis touched down in South Bend, Ind., last night and met with his new team, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.


Bears toe the playoff line

Chad Hutchinson #39;s linemen were like hotel doormen.  quot;Right this way, sirs, quot; they repeatedly said, welcoming Jacksonville defenders into the Bears #39; backfield.


NFL Wrap-Manning Near Record as Colts Beat Texans (Reuters)

Reuters - Peyton Manning continued to close in\on the NFL record for single season touchdown passes on Sunday,\firing two TD strikes as the Indianapolis Colts eased past the\Houston Texans 23-14 to clinch the division title.


Spanish Leader Faces Grilling on Train Bombings

Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero will become the first Spanish prime minister to be questioned by a parliamentary commission on Monday when he gives his version of events surrounding the Madrid train bombings.


NFL Wrap-Manning Near Record as Colts Beat Texans

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Peyton Manning continued to close in  on the NFL record for single season touchdown passes on Sunday,  firing two TD strikes as the Indianapolis Colts eased past the  Houston Texans 23-14 to clinch the division title.


Willingham Headed to Washington

SEATTLE (Sports Network) - The University of Washington has  named Tyrone Willingham its new head football coach. The school  will have a press conference at 2 p.m. (et) Monday to introduce  him.


Giants Still Need Big Bat Behind Bonds

ANAHEIM, Calif., (Sports Network) - San Francisco Giants  manager Felipe Alou answered several questions on Sunday at the  baseball winter meetings about the steroids issue and his super  slugger, Barry Bonds.


Notre Dame Makes Weis Decision

SOUTH BEND, Ind., (Sports Network) - The University of  Notre Dame has named New England Patriots assistant Charlie  Weis its 28th football coach. Weis, who will the fired Tyrone  Willingham, will be introduced at a press conference Monday at  11 a.m. (et).


China to Impose Tariffs on Some Textiles (Reuters)

Reuters - China will impose tariffs on some\textile exports in a move that may ease frictions with the\United States and others over an expected flood of Chinese\products on world markets after a global quota system expires\at year's end.


Bruce hails Heskey after derby win (AFP)

AFP - Steve Bruce paid tribute to the influence of England striker Emile Heskey after Birmingham moved away from the Premiership relegation zone with a 2-1 win away to arch-rivals Aston Villa.


Central Banks Short-Circuit U.S. Savings? (Reuters)

Reuters - Have Asia's central banks lulled\Americans into a false sense of security?


Darfur Peace Talks Overshadowed by Fighting (Reuters)

Reuters - Peace talks on Sudan's war-torn Darfur\region got under way Monday in Nigeria's capital, overshadowed\by fighting between rebels and government forces in the vast\desert area.


N.Korea Says Reconsidering Place at Nuclear Talks

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea is seriously reconsidering  its role in talks on its nuclear plans because of what it sees  as a concerted campaign to topple the North's ruling system,  the North Korean Foreign Ministry said on Monday.


Spain Defends Its Iraq Troop Withdrawal

MADRID (Reuters) - Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez  Zapatero Monday strongly defended Spain's withdrawal of troops  from Iraq after the March 11 Madrid train bombings that killed  191 people.


Romanian Opposition Head Scores Upset Victory

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania's centrist opposition leader  Traian Basescu scored an upset victory in a presidential race  against leftist Prime Minister Adrian Nastase, partial official  results showed Monday.


Malaysia, Singapore Jumpstart Stalled Relations

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (Reuters) - Malaysia and Singapore  agreed Monday to work on resolving long-standing disputes in  what could be a milestone in relations between the two  quarrelsome Southeast Asian neighbors.


Dutch watch Van Gogh's last film

The last film by slain director Theo van Gogh - whose death convulsed the Netherlands - is premiered.


China to Tax Textile Exports to Ease US, EU Concern (Update2)

China said it will tax some textile exports and curtail investment in its domestic industry after the US and European Union threatened restrictions on an expected flood of Chinese clothing when quotas expire Jan. 1.


Honeywell to Buy Novar to Expand in Building Products (Update6)

Honeywell International Inc., the world #39;s largest supplier of building controls and thermostats, agreed to buy Novar Plc of the UK for 798 million pounds (\$1.53 billion) to expand in security, fire and ventilation systems.


A Whole Lot to Swallow

Squeezed at home, China #39;s biggest computer maker, Lenovo, is buying IBM #39;s money-losing PC business. But venturing abroad is fraught with risk.


Building surge forecast to transform Indy area

By 2030, 4 in 10 homes will be under 30 years old, study says. By Matthew Tully. The Indianapolis metropolitan area will be reshaped dramatically in the coming decades as new residential, industrial and commercial


Microsoft desktop-search announcement due

Microsoft #39;s MSN division is expected to announce a test version of its long-awaited desktop-search software this morning in a conference call with reporters.


Firefox hits 10-million mark

Firefox, the open-source challenger to market heavyweight Internet Explorer, has surpassed 10 million downloads in a little more than a month since the browser was released in November.


AOL to let nonsubscribers in

In a move both risky and essential, AOL is abandoning its strategy of exclusivity and will free much of its music, sports and other programming to nonsubscribers in hopes of increasing ad sales.


TARGET CHALLANGE GOLF LATEST BETTING ODDS NEWS

The golf season finally enters its winter break this week, and there will be no more action on either the US PGA Tour or the European Tour until January.


Isiah Thomas Speaks, and Declares Support for Houston

Isiah Thomas emerged from the Madison Square Garden shadows yesterday morning, gushed about his team #39;s break-even pace and swatted away the trade rumors that have chased the Knicks through the first quarter of the season.


Spain Defends Its Iraq Troop Withdrawal

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero Monday strongly defended Spain #39;s withdrawal of troops from Iraq after the March 11 Madrid train bombings that killed 191 people.


Twenty-one die as  #39;petrol bus #39; explodes after collision

Twenty-one Iraqis were killed when a bus carrying petrol exploded in a fireball after colliding with a car north-east of Baghdad, a hospital official said today.


Progress on Bilateral Talks between Singapore and Malaysia

Leaders from Singapore and Malaysia said talks have been successful after they agreed to move forward on outstanding bilateral issues.


Target made rational choice about Salvation Army

Just because Target has changed policy on allowing the Salvation Army bell-ringers this year doesn #39;t mean they don #39;t deserve our patronage  quot;Target doesn #39;t care about us, I don #39;t care about it, quot; Dec. 7.


US university tells 80,000 to  #39;ditch IE #39;

US university Penn State has advised its 80,000 students to ditch Internet Explorer, citing that browser #39;s well-reported security vulnerabilities.


KING #39;S IDEA: A TOURNAMENT

The ballroom at Mandalay Bay was decorated late Saturday night for an elaborate post-fight conference where Vitali Klitschko was to celebrate his eighth-round technical knockout over Danny Williams.


Tiger wins - and charity scores \$1m

Tiger Woods shot a bogey-free five-under-par 66 to overtake a fading Colin Montgomerie and win the \$5,25-million Target World Golf Challenge in California.


Quick free angers Mourinho

CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho said he was  quot;more than unhappy quot; after Arsenal striker Thierry Henry #39;s second goal was allowed to stand at Highbury today.


Schwartzel delights the home supporters with maiden victory

IF YOURE South African, young and very promising, with an eye on a long and successful career around the world, you would be delighted to win your maiden event in your home country as near as possible to where you were born, which is exactly what Charl


Niners blow lead, survive scare from Cards in OT

Dennis Erickson may not have much time left as San Francisco #39;s coach. If this was his last game, though, he will go out a winner, thanks to an unlikely pair of stars -- Ken Dorsey and Maurice Hicks.


Denver returns to old habits

In the third quarter of an interactive Sunday matinee at Madison Square Garden, a fan sitting behind the Denver basket shouted a question to Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony.


Eli building trust

In Eli Manning #39;s eyes, it has become a trust issue between him and his teammates. In a four-game string of declining performances, lowlighted by yesterday #39;s 4-for-18, 27-yard


Eight US marines killed in western Iraq

Fierce fighting in Fallujah forces US marines to call in both tanks, fighter jets for back up. By Pierre Celerier - FALLUJAH, Iraq.


Saddam #39;s Cause Remains Strong Without Him

Even though a year has passed since former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was arrested, terrorism continues to escalate. Saddam was assumed to be organizer of the resistance in Iraq and was arrested on December 13 of last year on his farm in Tigrit.


Oracle Posts Higher Second-Quarter Profit (Reuters)

Reuters - Business software maker Oracle Corp.\ on Monday posted a higher quarterly profit on firm\demand for its market-leading database software.


Fiber Pact: China Textile Dominance Spooks Asian Rivals

BEIJING (Dow Jones)--China #39;s likely emergence as the world #39;s textile and garment superpower after 30 years of global quotas end Dec. 31 has spooked rival producers across


Novar Agrees on 798M Takeover

Building supplies-to-cheque printing group Novar today agreed to be taken over by US giant Honeywell for 798 million. The deal sent shares in Novar up more than 14 and is


Singapore Shares End Flat, But Chinese Stocks Volatile

SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--Singapore shares ended flat Monday, although many Chinese stocks fell on renewed fears about corporate governance sparked by a newspaper report containing unconfirmed allegations about a businessman linked to Singapore-listed United


Nippon Steel to pay double for coal next year

Nippon Steel, Japans leading steelmaker, has agreed to pay a record price of more than \$120 per tonne for coking coal from next spring to Australias BHP Billiton Mitsubishi


Qantas Not Lifting Fuel Surcharge On Tickets - CEO

SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--Qantas Airways Ltd. (QAN.AU) isn #39;t ready to lower the fuel surcharge on its tickets although oil prices have retreated from highs, the Australian airline #39;s chief executive Geoff Dixon said Monday.


Legislation expected today to set up do-not-call registry

OTTAWA -- Tired of rushing to a ringing phone only to hear telemarketers pitching insurance products, exciting new job opportunities or cable TV packages?


AOL abandons exclusivity in favor of ad-supported model

In a move both risky and essential, AOL is abandoning its strategy of exclusivity and will free much of its music, sports and other programming to non-subscribers in hopes of boosting ad sales.


Klitschko defends WBC heavyweight title

Vitali Klitschko will defend his WBC heavyweight title tonight against Danny Williams in Las Vegas. Klitschko is 34-and-2 with 33 knockouts heading into his first title defense.


Report: Jays front-runners to sign Koskie

The Toronto Blue Jays are close to signing Canadian third-baseman Corey Koskie and hope to have a deal done by Monday.  quot;We #39;re still talking, and hopefully we #39;ll know something soon, quot; Blue Jays general manager JP Ricciardi told TSN on Sunday night.


The Best in The Business

Charlie Weis will be named the next head football coach at Notre Dame tomorrow during a Monday morning press conference. The New England Patriots offensive coordinator is known as one of the rising stars in


COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Reed #39;s 23 leads WMU to 5-2

CHARLESTON, SC -- Ben Reed scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Western Michigan beat the College of Charleston, 69-56, on Sunday.


China's Hu Moves to Further Consolidate Power (Reuters)

Reuters - China's Communist Party chief, Hu\Jintao, pulled a close political ally out of a problem-plagued\province Monday in an apparent further consolidation of power\after assuming the top job in the military in September.


Suicide attack kills 13 in Baghdad

A suicide car bomber killed 13 people today next to the heavily fortified area in central Baghdad housing the interim government and US embassy, and eight US Marines died in combat in western Iraq.


EU Ministers Prepare Disputed Turkey Decision

EU foreign ministers met on Monday to make final preparations for a landmark decision later this week to open entry talks with Turkey amid renewed evidence of strong


N Korea warns US to stop smear campaign

In a long statement in its trademark colourful language, the Korean Central News Agency issued its clearest indication since the US elections in November on the prospects for the stalled multilateral negotiations.


Arabs sent home from Afghan hunt

US troops expel a group of Arab businessmen visiting Afghanistan to hunt a rare species of bustard.


Cingular to sell 33 stake in Idea to ST Telemedia and Telekom <b>...</b>

NEW YORK, December 13 (newratings.com) - Cingular Wireless, a joint venture between SBC Communications (SBC.NYS) and BellSouth Corporation (BLS), has agreed to sell its 33 stake in Indias fifth-largest mobile operator, Idea Cellular, to Singapore


UK annual house price growth down

The monthly figures may provide some relief however, that the UK housing market is not showing signs of a sustained downward trend after last month #39;s figures showed a drop in prices of 0.1pc from August.


Rumblings far beneath Earths crust may predict quakes

Deep rumblings many kilometers (miles) below the San Andreas fault in California could offer a way to predict earthquakes, according to US scientists.


Pennington still needs a big game

As a team, the Jets have an awful lot to prove. And as a quarterback, Chad Pennington is still trying to cement his reputation as a big-game performer.


Knicks best with Houston

Allan Houston started the game on the bench, and finished it on the bench. In between he was so-so, with more than a couple of shots that rattled around inside the rim before


Another Giant Disaster

In the time it took the ball to tumble from kick returner Derrick Ward #39;s arms, the New York Giants #39; chances of beating the Baltimore Ravens evaporated Sunday.


Pedro poised for his big decision

The clock kept ticking on the Pedro Martinez stats, news-Red Sox stats, schedule negotiations last night, with all signs pointing to the ace hurler making up his


Israeli forces launch air raid on Gaza city

Israeli forces fired rockets at the Gaza City on Monday, responding to an earlier attack launched by Hamas movement against an army post.


Turkish EU entry opposed by many French and Germans

Spain showed Spain was the only country with a large majority in favour of Turkey #39;s accession. poll of 4,813 people conducted between November 25 and December 3 and published by Le Figaro newspaper on Monday.


For North Korea, Openness Proves a Two-Way Street

Before his defection 11 months ago, Kim, a 35-year-old with round-rimmed glasses and a self-assured air, enjoyed the relatively blessed life of the North Korean elite.


WORLD MARKET NEWS

Oil prices climbed above \$41 a barrel on Monday after Saudi Arabia cut January crude deliveries to clients in Asia, confirming that the top exporter was adhering to OPEC #39;s agreement last week to curb excess supply.


Stake in India cellphone operator to be sold

The government of Singapore and Telekom Malaysia have agreed to buy a 48 percent stake in Idea Cellular of India from three companies for \$390 million to tap into India #39;s wireless market.


Lamy Says France Proposed Him as WTO Head

France has formally proposed former European Union Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy as a candidate to become the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Lamy said Monday.


Update 1: Ericsson Lands \$805M Contract From China

Telecommunication equipment maker Telefon AB LM Ericsson said Monday it received a \$805 million (euro609.3 million) contract from Guangdong Mobile Communication Corp.


Canada Confirms Second Mad Cow Case (Reuters)

Reuters - A final laboratory test has\confirmed an Alberta dairy cow had mad cow disease, the second\case Canada has found in its herd, an industry source briefed\by veterinary officials said on Sunday.


Basescu Leads Romania Presidential Runoff (AP)

AP - Reformist opposition candidate Traian Basescu was winning Romania's presidential runoff in a tight contest, according to partial official results released Monday.


Sony handheld wins customers

Sony Corp. said on Monday retailers had almost completely sold out of the Play Station Portable on its first day in Japanese stores, marking a strong start for the company #39;s first handheld game machine.


Meteor Shower: Free Sky Show

It #39;s a celestial event and scientists say the annual Geminid Meteor Shower is the best astronomy show of the year, with meteors shooting across the sky in all directions.


Clinton Stumps for Newest Search Engine (Ziff Davis)

Ziff Davis - Ex-president Bill Clinton last week delivered the keynote address at the launch of a new business-focused search engine.


More schools offer cheap music downloads for students (USATODAY.com)

USATODAY.com - More college campuses are adopting deeply discounted - and legal - digital music as the latest amenity for students. Several top schools began offering these services in September, either free or highly subsidized.


Bernabeu Clash To Finish On January 5

Real Madrid will play the last six minutes of their match with Real Sociedad on January 5 after yesterdays encounter was abandoned because of a bomb scare.


Nedved strike keeps Juve four points clear

Pavel Nedved scored with a superb free-kick four minutes from time to give Juventus a precious 1-0 Italian Serie A win at Bologna on Sunday.


Bettis #39; TD pass sparks Pittsburgh

Running back Jerome Bettis flipped a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jerame Tuman three plays after surpassing the 13,000-yard barrier early in the fourth quarter, fooling what had been a nearly impenetrable New York Jets defense and sending the Pittsburgh


Jaguars blitz Bears #39; playoff hopes

With a chance to legitimize their postseason aspirations Sunday, the penalty-prone and offensively challenged Bears came up flat in a 22-3 loss to the Jaguars.


Russia Defense Minister in China Cooperation Talks (Reuters)

Reuters - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov\met Chinese military leaders in Beijing Monday to discuss\cooperation between China, a fast-rising military power, and\its main foreign arms and weapons-technology supplier.


Sprint, Nextel could make deal this week (USATODAY.com)

USATODAY.com - Sprint and Nextel Communications could announce a  #36;35 billion merger this week in a deal that would forge a third goliath in the quickly consolidating wireless industry.  The union would complete Sprint's transformation from perennial also-ran in the troubled long-distance business.


Sun License Thumbs Nose at GPL (Ziff Davis)

Ziff Davis - Sun's open-source license proposal for Open Solaris will surely be unpopular.


Russia Defense Minister in China Cooperation Talks

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov met Chinese military leaders in Beijing Monday to discuss cooperation between China, a fast-rising military power, and its main foreign arms and weapons-technology supplier.


PeopleSoft Relents, Agrees Oracle Bid (Reuters)

Reuters - Oracle Corp.  on Monday said\rival business software maker PeopleSoft Inc.'s  board\has accepted a sweetened purchase offer of about  #36;10.3 billion,\ending a long and bitter hostile takeover battle.


Oracle Signs Merger Deal With PeopleSoft (AP)

AP - Oracle Corp. announced Monday that it has signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire PeopleSoft Inc. for approximately  #36;10.3 billion.


Daschle packs up after 26 years on Hill (USATODAY.com)

USATODAY.com - His elegant, red-walled Capitol office is filled with boxes of memorabilia and photos and artwork in bubble wrap. At the end of this week, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., will close the doors for the last time and leave behind the view of the National Mall that he has enjoyed for a decade.


Red Thai Vegetable Curry

This week I purchased the ingredients for Red Thai Curry, a fantastic dish I was first introduced to at Bangkok Pavilion in my wonderful home of Kansas City. It has fantastic, varied texture, a medley of rose-tinted colors, and a scent sure to get any curry enthusiast's saliva glands working overtime.  After returning from the grocery store with my bag of goodies, I wasted no time in preparing my meal.  My shopping list included:    1 bag sticky sushi rice  1 can coconut milk  Red Thai curry paste  fresh basil leaves  fresh anise leaves  1 green bell pepper  1 red onion  1 tomato  1 bag frozen peas  lemon grass  Total time from preparation to serving is about 45 minutes, so set aside at least an hour just in case there's an unforeseen complication.


Hey Ann, Just Try It!

On a recent political round table on CNN, Ann Coulter took a swipe at Canadians, saying that we should consider ourselves "lucky that we are allowed to exist on the same continent" as the US.     Alright, Ann, this isn't the first time that an American has denied our right to exist. It's been going on for most of US history. But let's say, for the sake of argument, that we exist at the USA's continued sufferance. If we're that much trouble, why not do what your implications in those statements suggest.    Invade. You're bound to do better than you did before.    Just remember that last time, someone  burned the White House down.


Local URLs

\\Right now if I want to show you a resource local to my desktop I'd have to copy\it to an HTTP server and then provide you with the updated URL.\\While most geeks can do this easily enough its pretty hard for most users.  Its\also very confusing.\\I guess IM is moving in this directly.  If you want to give them a file just\drag it into your IM session.\\URLs might be overkill because you'd never want to put a local URL into an HTML\document or blog post.\\Then again it would be cool to have my own burtonator: URI scheme!\\


Siemens to sell mobile phone biz to China - report

Chinese distributor lined up as 'potential buyer'


ID checks could have stopped cockler deaths, says Blunkett

Or more properly, could have lost them their jobs


IBM, AMD, Sony boost chip speeds by 24

Chip-making technique to fuel AMD64, PowerPC, 'Cell' production


Mobile cashpoints coming soon

Bank customers may soon be able to check their balances on mobile phone screens in an initiative from the Link cash machine network and Morse.


PeopleSoft Relents, Agrees Oracle Bid

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oracle Corp. ORCL.O on Monday said  rival business software maker PeopleSoft Inc.'s PSFT.O board  has accepted a sweetened purchase offer of about \$10.3 billion,  ending a long and bitter hostile takeover battle.


GLOBAL-MARKETS-Dollar on Ropes, Shares Up

LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar was under pressure again  Monday, snapping last week's rebound ahead of a key week of  U.S. data and Tuesday's meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve on  interest rates, but European shares got a lift as oil prices  hovered near-five month lows.


WTO Agrees Entry Talks with Iraq

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Trade Organization (WTO)  agreed Monday to begin accession talks with Iraq and  Afghanistan, but the United States again blocked any such  negotiations with Iran, diplomats said.


O'Keefe Reported Ready To Quit NASA

NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe will likely resign this week to take a \$500,000-a-year job as chancellor of Louisiana State University's Baton Rouge campus, university officials said on Sunday.


'Pirates of the Internet' Is New Class Lesson

Iris Beckwith uses a 5-foot-tall robot to help teach elementary school students why it is illegal to download movies and music from the Internet.


This Just In, From The Guy Next Door

Mark Potts, a self-described "recovering journalist," says with a bit of understatement: "It isn't Woodward and Bernstein stuff."


An Optimistic Hiring Forecast

Chief executives in the Washington-Baltimore region are more optimistic in their hiring plans for the year ahead than are their colleagues across the nation, according to a survey released last week.


Oracle buys PeopleSoft for \$10 billion

Ening a bitter battle, PeopleSoft's board has finally approved a deal worth around \$10 billion Oracle says.


Beijing set to impose own tariffs on textiles

HONG KONG The Commerce Ministry in China plans to impose tariffs on some textile exports, a step that could avert a trade war with the United States and the European Union over a new influx of low-cost Chinese garments that had appeared likely to flood


LSE rejects Deutsche Boerse bid

Deutsche Boerse has made a 1.3 billion (\$2.49 billion) approach for the London Stock Exchange, and the LSE #39;s rejection of it on Monday left observers doubting a much better offer would emerge.


Retail Sales Edge Up Slightly, Cars Down

US retail sales rose 0.1 percent in November, the Commerce Department said on Monday in a stronger-than-expected report that cemented views the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates again this week.


IBM Seeks To Minimize Disruption With PC Sale

Ken Andre, CIO at packaging company Greif Inc. and an IBM customer, says he #39;s not worried about IBM #39;s sale of its PC business to China #39;s Lenovo Group Ltd.


Hilfiger to Buy Lagerfeld Trademarks

Clothing company Tommy Hilfiger Corp. said Monday that it agreed to purchase the trademarks of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, including Lagerfeld Galleries and other Lagerfeld collections, for an undisclosed cash amount.


DaimlerChrysler, GM team on hybrids

DaimlerChrysler and General Motors will jointly develop new hybrid motors to compete against Japanese rivals on the fuel-saving technology that reduces harmful emissions, the companies said Monday.


Computer Sciences to Sell DynCorp Assets

Computer Sciences Corp. late Sunday said it has agreed to sell DynCorp International and related assets to private equity firm Veritas Capital for \$850 million.


Iron Ore Prices to Jump 20 Percent in 2005

Iron ore prices will probably rise another 20 percent in 2005 after increasing 19 percent this year, the top executive of the world #39;s biggest ore exporter said Monday.


Australian Livestock Exports May Hit A\$13 Billion

Australia #39;s chief commodities forecaster, the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics, said Monday livestock exports will be nudged higher in the current economic year as overseas markets retain their appetite for Australian beef and lamb.


Dollar #39;s decline concerns UK bank

LONDON The possibility of a further slide in the dollar and a decline in demand for US assets has become a potential risk to financial stability, the Bank of England said on Monday in its semiannual Financial Stability Review.


Lawsuit plunges \$3bn HK Reit into chaos

The listing of the worlds largest real estate investment trust (Reit) by Hong Kongs Housing Authority descended into chaos on Monday after the agencys lawyers admitted


Sony #39;s PlayStation Portable sold out on its first day!

Sony #39;s anticipated PlayStation Portable (PSP) has virtually sold out on its debut day in Japan - the launch outside Japan will follow next year.


Space agency chief  #39;to resign #39;

The head of the US space agency (Nasa), Sean O #39;Keefe, is preparing to resign, according to US newspaper reports. Mr O #39;Keefe will meet with a committee seeking to fill the job of chancellor at Louisiana State


AMD, IBM announce semiconductor manufacturing technology <b>...</b>

AMD and IBM today announced that they have developed a new and unique strained silicon transistor technology aimed at improving processor performance and power efficiency.


Four NFL Teams Clinch Division Titles (AP)

AP - Four teams took the first big step toward the Super Bowl by clinching division titles, joining the Philadelphia Eagles, who already wrapped up the NFC East crown.


Meteor shower peaks tonight

The Geminid meteor shower is one of the annual meteor showers that pull professional and amateur astronomers alike out into the cold night air.


Week #39;s delay for Delta launcher

Boeing #39;s new heavy-lift Delta 4 rocket must wait a further week before making its maiden flight from Florida, US. All the technical issues on the 70m-tall (230ft) vehicle that delayed its weekend blast-off


Think Before You Click to Avoid Viruses and Scams

One phenomenon that has become quite obvious from the vast numbers of virus victims over the last year is that people click first and ask questions later.


Improved Opera Browser Competing with Explorer, Firefox

All Mozilla browsers, including Firefox, boasted a combined share of 7.35 percent, a five-percent increase since May. Jakob Snilsberg, Opera Software #39;s manager of global distribution, gamely


Newham chooses HP to build MS Exchange infrastructure

Newham Council has signed a \$27m (16m) 10-year deal with Hewlett-Packard to provide a Microsoft Windows and Exchange 2003-based IT infrastructure.


The iPod v. the Zen Micro

It #39;s no wonder portable digital music players are one of the hottest gadgets this holiday season, as they carry hundreds or even thousands of songs, they #39;re compact enough to bring anywhere and getting music on to the player is as easy as two mouse clicks


TVland a little bewildering

Buying a new television used to straightforward: It was simply a matter of deciding how large you wanted the screen to be. Today, however, the purchase process has become much more complex as the 107-year-old


Sharman witness: Tech can protect copyright

Sharman Networks has called former Napster expert witness Justin Tygar to give his testimony during the ongoing trial against the peer-to-peer software provider for alleged copyright infringement.


Samsung unveils thumbnail mobile phone memory

Samsung today unveiled a small, low-power multimedia memory card (MMC) designed for mobile phones. At just 12 x 14 x 1.1mm, Samsung #39;s MMCmicro device is one-third the size of today #39;s common reduced-size multimedia cards.


SingTel teams up with Samsung to tap the Korean market

Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) and Samsung Networks, an IP communications service provider in Korea, have signed an IP-VPN (Internet Protocol - Virtual Private Network) distribution agreement.


Tiger roars in again

TIGER WOODS again showed the world he #39;s back in business by winning his own golf tournament, the Target World Challenge in California.


Bomb scare at Real Madrid stadium

More than 70,000 people were forced to leave Real Madrid #39;s Bernabeu stadium on Sunday following a bomb scare. David Beckham and other Real Madrid players had to leave the pitch three minutes before the end of their 1-1 match against Real Sociedad.


Klitschko a  #39;Cut #39; Above the Rest

Chris Byrd, John Ruiz, Lamon Brewster, and Vitali Klitschko all hold a fraction of the undisputed heavyweight crown, but which of these pugilists can claim legitimately that he is the one true champion?


Rock steady Blues keep title in sight

NERVES - no problem. That #39;s the verdict of Jose Mourinho today after his Chelsea side gave a resolute display of character at Highbury.


Stop the talking and start spending

FOR Celtic chairman Brian Quinn there is simply no hiding place from reminders of what has to be done. That includes when he is sitting watching his side win 2-0 at Dunfermline to reclaim top spot in the SPL.


Serie A round-up: Milan to make Crespo bid

Champions Milan have said they will make Chelsea an offer to sign on-loan striker Hernan Crespo.  quot;We are already in talks with Chelsea, quot; confirmed Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani.


Smith to join Redknapp at Saints

New Southampton boss Harry Redknapp plans to bring Jim Smith in as his assistant in time for Saturday #39;s Premiership clash against Tottenham.


Porto Wins European/South American Cup

Porto FC of Portugal won the European/South American Cup, beating Once Caldas, from Colombia, 8-7 on penalty kicks after the game, including the additional time, ended in a 0-0 draw.


Jays sign Canadian Koskie: report

CBC SPORTS ONLINE - The Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly lured Corey Koskie back to Canada. The third baseman from Anola, Man., has reached a preliminary agreement with the Jays on a three-year, \$17-million US contract, according to the Globe and Mail.


He #39;s ND #39;s darling now, but jobs at football factories are risky

Maybe I #39;m out of the loop, but I don #39;t remember when it was normal for a football coach to work for two teams at the same time.