21:53 Sonny : ah voil la connexion au PC remarche

Dans une newsletter envoye  ses abonns, Electronic Arts a rvl une information trs intressante : un nouveau Command  amp; Conquer est en prparation.


Ogden injures knee

Baltimore All-Pro tackle Jonathan Ogden sprained his left knee late in the first quarter of the Ravens' 27-17 win over the New York Giants last night in East Rutherford, N.J., and was helped from the field.


UN backs Lebanon sovereignty call

The Security Council calls for foreign troops to leave Lebanon -  a move aimed at reducing Syrian influence.


He has been making his mark on defense

They threw Carlos Bocanegra into the deep end of the soccer field last December. A few days after Bocanegra arrived in London to play for Fulham FC, he was assigned to mark Newcastle United's forwards, including scoring machine Alan Shearer.


Risks on both sides seen in Kobe Bryant civil case

EAGLE, Colo. -- In pressing on with her civil suit against NBA star Kobe Bryant, the woman accusing him of rape will not have to meet the higher standard of proof required in a criminal case.


Frances postpones games

Florida State and Miami will still play in prime time, just four days later than planned.


Wildcat strike stuns Hens

One might assume there was little reason for optimism. The University of New Hampshire, a once-mighty Division 1-AA program that has posted just one winning record since 1997, entered last night's game against defending Division 1-AA national champion and top-ranked Delaware battling staph infections that sidelined many of its players.


UK jail suicides at record high

Figures seen by the BBC show that in August self-inflicted deaths in English prisons reached a new monthly high.


No softening on EU-US air subsidy row

A Trans-Atlantic row over European and American state subsidies to aircraft manufacturers has not softened after a first meeting between EU and US trade negotiators.


Low fat diets 'as good as Atkins'

Low fat diets are as good as the Atkins diet when it comes to losing weight over the long term, a study says.


Return man back for more

There wasn't much more Will Blackmon could have done for his Boston College teammates in last night's 19-11 victory over Ball State.


Rhodies form band

The secret, if there is one, cannot be found in the sea air. But if the Atlantic could be credited for the growing tidal wave of Rhode Islanders who have washed over the PGA in recent years, then Bristol's Billy Andrade figures the winning formula must be traced to the clams.  quot;Yeah, I'd say it's the littlenecks, quot; mused ...


Tennis: Agassi goes through

Andre Agassi goes through after Florian Mayer is forced to retire injured.


Kim states her case with 62

Christina Kim made 11 birdies and tied the tournament record of 10-under-par 62 yesterday for a two-shot lead after the opening round of the LPGA State Farm Classic in Springfield, Ill.


Baseball star's mother abducted

The Venezuelan mother of major league baseball pitcher Ugueth Urbina is kidnapped near Caracas.


Merrimack Valley Conference

ANDOVER Coach: Ken Maglio (ninth year, 37-46-2). Last year's record: 5-6. Returning starters (13): Mike Cerchione, OT/DT, 6-4, 255, Sr.; Buddy Farnham, WR/S, 6-0, 176, Jr.; John Fox, WR/DB, 5-10, 170, Sr.; Shaheen Ghandchi, RB/DB, 5-9, 177, Sr.; Mike Gustin, G/DT, 6-0, 253, Sr.; Matt Hennessey, RB/DB, 5-8, 193, Sr.; Kyle MacKenzie, G/DT, 6-0, 217, Sr.; Matt Martin, WR/DB, 5-9, ...


In serious condition

We have managed to keep the major pieces of our fabled Boston healthcare institutions more or less intact so far, but the relentless market keeps testing the system, looking for the weakest link.


Plenty of highlights on this trip

Nowhere does the rivalry between the Evil Empire and Red Sox Nation crackle more intensely than here, on the  quot;campus quot; of ESPN, built smack on the not-so-well-defined emotional boundary between New York and Boston.


Target to pay \$1m in item price suit

Target Corp. has agreed to pay \$1 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging it failed to stamp prices on merchandise, the fourth in a string of agreements over the past two years costing major retailers more than \$8 million in fees and millions more in compliance measures.


'Zippy' chipper despite loss

A couple of the somebodies around here are going to walk away from Flushing Meadow with a million bucks apiece in their petty cash stash. You can call them champ.


US Airways passengers check options

US Airways is dangerously close to its second Chapter 11 filing in two years, a bankruptcy that could cripple the airline and its frequent fliers if it fails to cut costs severely.


For local businesses, not much of a boost

NEW YORK -- Two blocks south of Madison Square Garden, in a microcosm of what New Yorkers have been experiencing all week in this busy midtown neighborhood, a few feet of pavement told a tale of two cities.


Today's schedule

Pro baseball: Texas vs. Red Sox at Fenway Park, 7 p.m.; International League -- Rochester vs. Pawtucket at McCoy Stadium, Pawtucket, R.I., 7 p.m.


Data mixed on economy

WASHINGTON -- A string of government reports yesterday offered a mixed picture of the US economy.


Intel lowers quarterly forecast

High-tech bellwether Intel Corp. lowered its financial outlook yesterday, providing the latest sign of the economy's doldrums.


Sharing is part of program

Thoroughbred racing will return to Rockingham Park for the first time since September 2002 when the Salem, N.H., track hosts three grass races Sunday. Rock will hold an 11-race card, with the first eight races harness contests. As far as the Rock publicity department can determine, it will be the first time standardbreds and thoroughbreds have shared a racing program.


In fund scandal wake-up call, investors hit snooze

A year after the mutual fund industry's biggest scandal, investors remain surprisingly ignorant of regulatory probes into trading schemes that bilked hundreds of millions of dollars from their portfolios, a survey said yesterday.


Transactions

BASEBALL Major League Baseball: Suspended Texas 3B coach Steve Smith two games and fined him an undisclosed amount for inappropriate actions and comments made to umpire Jerry Meals during an Aug. 25 game; suspended Chicago Cubs P Kent Mercker three games and fined him an undisclosed amount for inappropriate actions during an Aug. 27 game; suspended Houston manager Phil Garner ...


Some trade their privacy for car-insurance discounts

For two months, Jacob Sevlie's insurance company tagged along whenever he slid behind the wheel of his Honda Accord. An electronic monitor closely tracked Sevlie's driving time and behavior. If he had a heavy foot or was a sudden braker, the recorder would betray him.


Bank's investment unit names executive

Bank of America Corp.'s investment arm, Columbia Management , named Christopher Wilson head of mutual funds, replacing Kevin Connaughton, who will continue to work for the company. Connaughton held the position in an interim capacity, a spokeswoman said. He moved over from FleetBoston Financial Corp. , where he was head of mutual funds, in the companies' April 1 merger. The ...


Continental Airlines to cut 425 jobs

Continental Airlines Inc. said yesterday it would cut about 425 jobs, or 1 percent of its work force, through staff reductions, attrition, and elimination of unfilled vacancies as part of an effort to trim expenses by another \$200 million.


Cats may carry the bird flu virus

\The bird flu virus that can kill humans has the potential to be spread by cats, scientists have found.


Purchased unit mulled bribes, says Halliburton

HOUSTON -- Halliburton Co. says an internal investigation has found that a consortium it later took over had once considered bribing Nigerian officials to win an energy contract.


First black judge joining British High Court

Britain appointed its first black High Court judge yesterday and she predicted she would be ''the first of many. quot; The Department for Constitutional Affairs confirmed the appointment of Linda Dobbs, 53, the first black lawyer promoted beyond the ranks of circuit judges, who hear lesser cases. Joining the High Court will give her access to some of the country's most ...


Three Turkish hostages believed killed

BAGHDAD -- A Paris newspaper editor said there had been positive movement in the effort to free two captive French journalists yesterday, while a separate militant group said it had killed three Turkish captives.


Accused deserter set to face Army trial

TOKYO -- Responding to Sergeant Charles Robert Jenkins's pledge to surrender after spending four decades in North Korea, US military officials say they are ready to put the frail 64-year-old back in uniform, give him a haircut, set him up in on-base housing -- and then try him for desertion.


July Factory Orders Exceeded Forecasts; Productivity Pace Slows

July factory orders rose the most in four months, exceeding forecasts, and productivity gains slowed last quarter.


Qaeda link seen as bid to deflect criticism

MOSCOW -- President Vladimir V. Putin depicts rebels in Chechnya as part of the international terrorist threat spearheaded by Al Qaeda. But analysts say the Chechen insurgency remains largely a nationalist movement aimed at winning independence from Russia.


US eyes fight on Sadr home turf

BAGHDAD -- The fight with renegade Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is not over and the US military must retake his stronghold in Baghdad's Sadr City slum, a top US commander said yesterday.


Bold Strokes, Few Details

For a nation divided over his stewardship and dubious about the war with Iraq, President Bush had one overriding message: He's still the one.


Children's Place Is to Be Heard

The children's retailer turns in sparkling 21 same-store sales growth for August.


As Florida Braces for 2nd Big Storm, the Flight Begins

More than 2.5 million people along the water were asked to evacuate  the largest number in state history.


Xerces 2.6.1 and BOM

\\XML which is UTF-16 encoded is supposed to have a prolog (first two bytes)\called a BOM  of FF FE to signal that the feed you're about to parse is\multibyte.  The only problem is that (and get this) Xerces doesn't support this\prolog!\\"Exception in thread "main" org.apache.commons.feedparser.FeedParserException:\org.jdom.JDOMException: Error in building from stream: Content is not allowed\in prolog.: Content is not allowed in prolog."\\Sam Ruby was nice enough to put out a bunch of unit tests  for UTF-16 and\they won't even parse within Xerces.\\...\


Check Out Rojo

\\John Battelle blogs about Rojo :\\"Yesterday I hung out with Chris Alden, a founder of the original Red Herring\who has moved his focus to publishing in a Web 2.0 world (in other words, a\fellow traveler). He's putting the finishing touches on a new publishing\platform/feed reader called Rojo (think "mojo") that he and his team have been\working on for quite some time now. It's moved into invitation-only beta\recently, and he gave me a tour. I liked it quite a bit. Think of it as a\second-generation RSS aggregator with some subtle social networking,\recommendation, and republishing juice."\\I co-founded Rojo about a year ago with Chris Alden  and Mark Graham\(peace.net, iVillage, etc) after  ...\\


Agassi Plows Ahead

On a day when the French Open men's and women's champions lose and blame their defeats on fatigue, a bouncy, energetic Andre Agassi advances to the weekend for the 14th time in 19 U.S. Open appearances.


0-for-2 in World Cup

Russia outhustles the American squad and deals Team USA its second consecutive loss, 3-1, Thursday night.


FSU-Miami Postponed

Hurricane Frances forces the postponement of Monday's college football season opener between Florida State and Miami.


Holdsclaw Practices

Mystics forward Chamique Holdsclaw touched off more speculation Thursday by practicing with the team a day after being placed on the injured list.


Will Hurricane Frances Clip Retailers?

Chico's may be a hot retailer, but its Labor Day weekend looks threatened.


Mids Need Motivation

Coming off its third winning season in the last 20 years, Navy has looked sluggish on offense and uninspired overall during the last several weeks of practice.


Red Sox Sweep Angels

Derek Lowe pitches effectively into the eighth inning, and Boston takes control of the wild-card race Thursday night by completing a three-game sweep of Anaheim.


English Seasoning

For the Maryland Terrapins, however, it was hardly a routine preseason. The Terps spent 11 days in the birthplace of modern-day soccer, Britain.


Web services patents fetch \$15.5 million

SAN FRANCISCO--A mysterious bidder paid \$15.5 million Monday in a bankruptcy court auction of dozens of Internet-related patents--and then rushed out of the courtroom.


Red Sox Take Control of AL Wild-Card Race

The surging Boston Red Sox have seized control of the AL wild-card race - with an eye on winning their division. Derek Lowe (13-10) pitched effectively into the eighth inning and Boston completed a three-game sweep of the Anaheim Angels with a 4-3 victory Thursday night - the Red Sox's season-high ninth straight win...


Editor: Hostages in Iraq Given to Group

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A Paris newspaper editor said Thursday that two French journalists held by kidnappers were turned over to an Iraqi opposition group, raising hopes that they could soon be released. A separate militant group in Iraq said it had killed three Turkish captives...


Catholic Church Files for Bankruptcy

While the city of Spokane is racing to get out of federal court, the local Catholic Church is plunging head-long in, and now the fate of the Spokane Diocese rests in the hands of a federal judge.


Bush Pledges 'Nothing Will Hold Us Back'

NEW YORK - President Bush picked apart John Kerry's record on the Iraq war and tax cuts Thursday night and summoned the nation toward victory over terrorism and economic security at home. "Nothing will hold us back," he said in a Republican National Convention acceptance speech that launched his fall re-election campaign...


1,000 People May Be in Russian School

BESLAN, Russia - Heavily armed militants who seized a school three days ago are holding at least 1,000 students, teachers and parents hostage inside the building, far more than previously thought, a released hostage and a regional official said.    Russian officials had said that about 350 people were being held by raiders who seized the school in the North Ossetian city of Beslan on Wednesday...


Four China Aviation Execs Surrender Passports To Police-2

SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--China Aviation Oil Singapore Corp. (C47.SG) Tuesday said four executives have surrendered their passports to Singapore police as the investigation into Singapore #39;s worst financial scandal continues.


Turkish Captives in Iraq Executed, Videotape Shows

A militant group run by a Jordanian-born insurgent released a videotape showing its members killing three men identified as Turkish hostages, according to al-Jazeera television.


UPDATE: Intel lowers Q3 revenue estimates

SAN FRANCISCO - Citing lower than expected product sales, Intel Corp. on Thursday lowered its revenue expectations for the third quarter of its 2004 fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 25.


RNC - Stock options top tech lobbying list at convention

NEW YORK - While the prime-time speeches at Madison Square Garden occupy center stage at this week's Republican National Convention, much of the event's real politicking is taking place at hundreds of private receptions scattered throughout Manhattan. At two tech-focused gatherings Wednesday, industry companies, lobbying groups and politicians came together to network and consider the IT industry's legislative agenda.


Body and brain of gamers probed

The games industry could benefit from scientific "mood profiling" to develop hit games, researchers say.


Slack security for old computers

Less than 25 of old computers sold or given away by companies have had data removed, a survey suggests.


IBM Recalls 553,000 Laptop Power Units Worldwide

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - IBM said on Thursday it will recall  about 553,000 AC power adapters worldwide for several models of  its laptop computers because of potential fire and electrical  shock hazards.


Bribery Considered, Halliburton Notes Suggest

An internal Halliburton Co. investigation has uncovered handwritten notes suggesting that former employees considered offering bribes to Nigerian officials a decade ago to secure work


Allied Domecq Says Profit Rose on US Spirits Demand (Update2)

Allied Domecq Plc, the world #39;s second- largest liquor maker, said fiscal 2004 earnings rose on US demand for spirits including Malibu rum.


Rank to Sell Deluxe Movie Business After Profit Drop (Update3)

Rank Group Plc, a UK distributor of movies for half a century, plans to exit the film industry after losses at its DVD and cinema production business.


Southeast Asia Urged to Embrace Free Trade

The leader of Southeast Asia #39;s biggest country, Indonesia, on Friday urged economic ministers from the region to put aside their differences and work toward economic integration akin to the European Union #39;s.


US-CERT Urges All To Install XP SP2

The US Computer Emergency Response Team (US-CERT), the federally-funded security clearinghouse and alert center, put its two cents in this week and recommended that every Windows XP user install the Service Pack 2 update.


IBM recalls 500,000 melting notebook adapters

More than 500,000 notebook power adapters sold by IBM are being recalled to offset the threat of melting plastic and even fire. IBM and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall, saying


Myskina is toppled by Chakvetadze

NEW YORK, US -- Russian qualifier Anna Chakvetadze shocked lackluster French Open champion Anastasia Myskina by beating her 7-6 6-3 in the second round of the US Open in New York.


Davenport Finds an Open Win Is No Sure Thing

espite a four-tournament victory streak heading into the United States Open, Lindsay Davenport received a reminder today that her momentum could stop at any time.


Radke strikes out nine Rangers

Brad Radke, Torii Hunter and the rest of the Minnesota Twins were on the brink of contraction three years ago. Now they #39;re poised for a third straight division title.


PM welcomes Anwar #39;s release

OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Paul Martin joined world leaders and Malaysian opposition figures yesterday in welcoming the surprise release of former Malaysian deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim after six years in jail.


Palestinian Prisoners End Hunger Strike

Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails on Thursday have effectively ended an 18-day-old hunger strike after most of their demands for better conditions were met, a Palestinian cabinet minister said.


Indonesian police to question officer who treated Bali bomber to <b>...</b>

JAKARTA: An Indonesian police officer who treated a convicted Bali bomber to coffee in a Jakarta Starbucks is to be questioned over the incident, national police chief General Da #39;i Bachtiar said.


India cautions against breakthroughs at Pakistan talks

NEW DELHI: Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh has warned not to expect breakthroughs on disputed Kashmir during talks with his Pakistani counterpart this weekend, but said he will push a 72-point plan to boost peace between the neighbours.


Rivals Say Microsoft Online Music Store Falls Short

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp's. MSFT.O newly  launched MSN Music download service has a long way to go to  catch up with iTunes and other online services, competitors  said on Thursday.


Intel Cuts Back Projection For 3rd-Quarter Revenue

Intel Corp. lowered its revenue projections for its third quarter yesterday, citing slow consumer purchases across the globe.


Soya boom threat to South America

Some of South America's key areas are at risk from soya bean exports, campaigners say.


Alien Contact More Likely by "Mail" Than Radio, Study Says

A new study argues that intelligent alien life, should it exist, is more likely to communicate with Earth by sending artifacts, rather than radio waves.


Owls Use Dung to "Fish" for Beetles

Burrowing owls have been observed surrounding their nests with excrement from other animals, then waiting patiently for dinner to show up #151;dung beetles.


Scientists Plan to Map Known Universe

By FRANK GRIFFITHS    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- The radio telescope at Puerto Rico's Arecibo Observatory will begin mapping the known galaxy on Friday, scientists said.    The radio telescope, the world's most sensitive listening device that is powerful enough to hear planets forming several billion lights years away, received six more radio receivers to expand its range...


Health Highlights: Sept. 2, 2004

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:    -----     Injuries Rampant in U.S., Study Says       Injuries kill 18 Americans each hour, a new government report says.       That figure translated into 157,000 people in 2001 alone, with no age group, gender, or race exempt, said the first national report for both fatal and nonfatal injuries released Thursday by the U.S...


Apache, open-source groups wary of Sender ID

The Apache Foundation pulls support for the antispam technology because of Microsoft's license requirements.


Sun networking foray begins this month

Server and software company prepares new foray into market for dot-com infrastructure.


Study shows governments' open-source embrace

Dozens of government proposals arise, but never get off the ground.


Briefly: Microsoft tests Windows Marketplace

roundup Plus: Nortel delays financials again...Microsoft updates SharePoint...Overture heads toward automation.


Microsoft begins testing Windows Marketplace

The online shopping and download center for Windows-related stuff gets a public workout.


Outsourcers combine to take on IT services giants

IT services giants will come under pressure from outsourcing alliances, as companies team up to beat the big guns. \


Cell phone sales keep booming

Nokia holds on to its No. 1 position, as new buyers and upgraders stoke demand for handsets.


Retailer to follow RFID test with full rollout

Germany's Metro Group tested radio tag inventory control for a year and found it good enough to deploy--but not perfect.


Intel lowers third-quarter expectations

Tech bellwether cites drop in demand for PC processors and flash memory.


Disk storage outlook dimmer

A ray of second-quarter sunshine is overshadowed by clouds on the horizon, according to Gartner.


Computerworld names Betts executive editor, Connors, VP/GM for online

Computerworld has named Mitch Betts as its new executive editor and hired Martha Connors for the newly created job of vice president and general manager for the company's online business.


HP helps hospital group cut printing costs, increase efficiency

When it needed help managing its 3,300 printers and finding new ways to cut printing expenses, University Hospitals Health System turned to HP.


Longhorn cuts delay Microsoft Business Framework

Microsoft's decision to cut WinFS from its Longhorn release means another delay for the Microsoft Business Framework, which promises to make it easier for developers to write business applications for the Windows platform.


Stock options top tech lobbying list at GOP convention

At two tech-focused gatherings yesterday, industry companies, lobbying groups and politicians mulled over the IT industry's legislative agenda, including concerns about a move to force companies to expense stock options.


Red Hat names new CFO

Six weeks after it changed the way it books support subscription revenue, Linux vendor Red Hat Inc. has named Charles E. Peters Jr. as its new CFO.


Manhattan presents wireless security challenge for RNC

While physical security was tightened in New York for this week's GOP convention, IT security researchers uncovered an unsettling number of unencrypted wireless devices that could pose an information security nightmare for convention organizers and delegates.


Nortel again delays filing financial results

Embroiled in an accounting scandal that led to the firing of its CEO, Nortel Networks said today that its financial results for 2003 and the first half of 2004 won't be out until the end of October.


Oracle releases delayed security patches

Oracle Corp. released several high-risk vulnerabilities reported last month in its database software and other products, and urged customers to download and install them.


Problems bedevil massive EDS system in U.K.

A welfare case management and telephony system worth some \$806.5 million is in danger of being unplugged if the agency overseeing it cannot fix technical and procedural processes in the next several months.


Israeli troops wounded in Gaza attack

At least two Israeli occupation soldiers are receiving medical treatment after a bomb, said to be planted by the Palestinian resistance, exploded near an Israeli army base in the central Gaza Strip.


IBM recalls notebook power adapters

SAN FRANCISCO - IBM Corp. is recalling power adapters that shipped with certain models of its ThinkPad notebooks sold between January 1999 and August 2000.


Appeals court revives Oracle shareholder case

NEW YORK - While Oracle Corp. awaits a judge's decision on whether it can continue in its quest to acquire PeopleSoft Inc., the company faced a setback in an unrelated case. An appeals court on Wednesday ruled that a three-year-old shareholder lawsuit charging Oracle and several of its top executives with misleading investors about Oracle's performance may proceed, overturning a lower court's dismissal.


Red Hat names new CFO

Two months after announcing the resignation of its chief financial officer and six weeks after it changed the way it books support subscription revenue, Linux vendor Red Hat Inc. has named a new CFO.


US government, companies warn of critical Oracle flaws

BOSTON - The U.S. government's Computer Emergency Response Team (US-CERT) and software security companies have issued warnings about a number of security vulnerabilities in versions of Oracle Corp.'s software.


US government agencies aim for software assurance

WASHINGTON - U.S. government agencies need to better understand the vulnerabilties of the software they're buying, said IT workers from several government agencies during a software assurance forum in Washington, D.C., this week.


RNC - New York firms use VOIP to avoid convention crowds

WASHINGTON - Some New York businesses are using a voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) feature to avoid the crowds at the Republican National Convention at Madison Square Garden.


3amLabs delivers free remote access management tool

Bolstering its lineup of remote access management offerings, 3amLabs on Thursday debuted three products including a free version of its flagship product, LogMeIn, that helps IT managers locate and manage remote access products.


Storage revenues increase in Q2

The latest storage numbers are in and -- big surprise -- storage spending is up.


News In Brief

New this month: Office 2003 gets tweaked; Sidekick gets thinner and flashier; more powerful wireless networking is on the way; and hard-drive-based digital music players offer long battery life and lots of storage.


Tiny Drives With Big Brains

It's hard to resist these increasingly handy devices. But should you try?


The Playlist: What's Wrong With Digital Music Stores?

Though digital music has come a long way, today's online music stores still have significant problems. Here's my fix-it wish list.


New York Firms Call on VoIP

Net phones--and their portable phone numbers--help business avoid RNC crowds.


Logitech Launches Laser-Tracking Mouse

Device is the first of its kind and can work on most surfaces, company claims.


Insurance Companies Try Out Auto Black Boxes

By MATTHEW FORDAHL    (AP) -- For two months, Jacob Sevlie's insurance company tagged along whenever he slid behind the wheel of his Honda Accord.    An electronic monitor the size of a matchbook closely tracked Sevlie's driving time and behavior...


July Factory Orders Exceeded Forecasts; Productivity Pace Slows

July factory orders rose the most in four months, exceeding forecasts, and productivity gains slowed last quarter, two government reports released yesterday showed.


Allied Domecq sees earnings growing

Allied Domecq, the world #39;s second-biggest spirits company, says its annual earnings will show growth, led by a strong performance of its top spirit brands.


US Chamber of Commerce sues SEC

The US Chamber of Commerce filed suit Thursday against the Securities and Exchange Commission over the independent-chair rule for mutual fund boards.


Investors Ignore Mixed Data to Focus on Next Job Report

Stocks moved higher in a late-session buying surge yesterday, as oil prices stepped back from their highs and investors shrugged off mixed economic data, focusing with renewed optimism on the government #39;s upcoming jobs report.


Lamy to reassure ASEAN on EU expansion

BRUSSELS (DPA): European Union trade chief Pascal Lamy heads off to Jakarta for a meeting with economic ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Saturday, EU officials said on Thursday.


Starbucks beverage prices to rise by end of the year

Starbucks, the largest US chain of coffee shops, plans to raise its beverage prices by year #39;s end to cover higher costs for milk and health insurance amid slowing sales.


Apache Rejects Sender ID

hexene writes  quot;In an open letter to the IETF MARID Working Group, the Apache Software Foundation has rejected the patent-encumbered Sender ID specification.


Is portable video ready for its closeup?

A few years ago, when MP3 players were establishing themselves as the hot cool thing, the next step seemed clear: What if you could take along not only music but movies, television programs


Strong message from Boss keeps paying off

One day after taking on the role of team motivator, George Steinbrenner was the team psychic. For one night, he actually was able to foresee the Yankees #39; future.


Yankees return the favor

The Yankees figure there is no sense looking backward, either at a bad loss or the team behind them in the standings. That is the way they have approached the whole week and it was the way


The Palestinian hunger strike ends

ighteen days after they began a hunger strike demanding improved humanitarian conditions, Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails resumed eating last night.


Paul Krugman: A no-win situation in Iraq

PRINCETON, New Jersey  #39;Everyone wants to go to Baghdad; real men want to go to Tehran. quot; That was the attitude in Washington two years ago, when Ahmad Chalabi was assuring everyone that Iraqis would greet US troops with flowers.


Ancient tomb discovered on Giza pyramids site

Egypt #39;s antiquities chief on Thursday revealed a 2,500-year-old hidden tomb under the shadow of one of Giza #39;s three giant pyramids, containing 400 pinkie-finger-sized statues and six coffin-sized niches carved into granite rock.


Wotbox Launches Eight National Search Engines\\Wotbox is an independent Search Engine mainly known for its advanced geo-targeting technology. Wotbox, which displays a flag of the country of origin next to each result on its search pages, is growing and has launched a new search engine for eight major countries. It ...


Wal-Mart Enters the Online Music Store Mix\\Wal-Mart Stores Inc. launched an online music store that works with Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Media Player. Wal-Mart, which began offering music downloads in March, said that its new store will offer downloads at 88 cents per song and is somewhat of an affiliate of ...


Bioinformatics Award Winners

Meet five people whose breakthroughs make the progress of science real. Chosen from hundreds of applicants to Apple #146;s Bioinformatics Award Program, they are shaping our health and our world through their research in biotechnology  #151; and the help of Apple #146;s Workgroup Cluster for Bioinformatics. Sep 2


Mysteries of San Andreas Fault Are Explored by a Drill

Dubbed by the National Science Foundation as a modern-day journey to the center of the earth, a \$250 million project uses a drill to explore the San Andreas fault.


I.B.M. Offers \$10,000 to Owners of Contaminated Houses

The company is willing to pay \$10,000 each to the owners of nearly 500 contaminated homes in an upstate village if the owners give up their right to sue over pollution.


Equipment Donated to Convention Is Passed to Schools

Telephones and computers that were donated for use at the Republican National Convention will now be used to improve security and enhance New York City public schools.


Maldives political reforms cosmetic - opposition (Reuters)

Reuters - The chief political opponent of Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on Friday accused Asia's longest serving ruler of continuing to stifle democracy despite his pledges of reform.


IMF to lower French growth forecast (AFP)

AFP - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will lower its 2005 French economic growth forecast from 2.5 percent to 2.3 percent, the financial daily Les Echos said, without quoting its sources.


U.S. Open: Serena Set to Steal Spotlight

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Serena Williams fashion show will  take center stage at the U.S. Open Friday as the former  champion takes on French teen-ager Tatiana Golovin for a place  in the fourth round.


Thatcher Posts Bail to End S.Africa House Arrest (Reuters)

Reuters - Mark Thatcher, arrested\in South Africa last week on suspicion of financing an\attempted coup in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, was released from\house arrest Friday after posting 2 million rand bail.


Nine Killed as Ugandan Army Disarms Pastoralists (Reuters)

Reuters - Six Karamojong warriors and three\government troops were shot dead during an operation to disarm\the pastoralist nomads in remote northeastern Uganda, the army\said on Friday.


Freed Anwar Maneuvers to Re-Enter Politics (AP)

AP - Former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim savored his first full day of freedom in six years Friday after his dramatic release from prison and he tested the waters for a comeback in Malaysian politics.


Halliburton considered bribing Nigerian officials to win contracts

NEW YORK, September 3 (New Ratings) - An internal investigation into Halliburton Co (HAL.NYS) reportedly revealed that the company had considered bribing Nigerian officials to win contracts a decade back.


Sony leans on discount retailers

Japanese electronics firm looks to expand agreements with Wal-Mart, Costco to boost total sales. TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan #39;s Sony Corp.


Intel lowers quarterly forecast

Intel Corp., the world #39;s biggest maker of semiconductors, reduced its third-quarter revenue forecast Thursday, blaming lower-than-expected demand for flash memory and PC chips.


Futures Point to Pain for Stocks

Reduced revenue guidance from Intel (INTC:Nasdaq - news - research) had stocks under pressure Friday ahead of the key August employment report.


Most Hospitals Posting Data on Care

More than 98 percent of hospitals in the United States are reporting quality-of-care data for treating heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid said yesterday.


Myanmar slams British interference

Military-ruled Myanmar has said Britain is interfering in the internal affairs of its former colony, jeopardising relations between Europe and Asia.


Nortel Financial Statements to Be Delayed

The Nortel Networks Corporation, which is restating results back through 2001, said yesterday that it would not have financial statements for last year and the first half of 2004 ready until the end of October, a month later than planned.


US Chamber Asks Court to Overturn Rule on Mutual Fund Boards

The United States Chamber of Commerce said on Thursday that it had asked a federal court to overturn a rule requiring mutual fund boards to have independent chairmen and majorities of independent directors.


Rank Group mulls break-up

Shares in Rank Group have rallied after the leisure group said it might hive off its Deluxe film and video businesses to focus on its gaming and restaurant operations.


Nokia handset sales recover slightly

NOKIA #39;S SALES SLIDE has been halted according to figures released by the Gartner Group. The analysts predict Nokia #39;s share of the global market crept back to almost 30 per cent.


Microsoft Windows Media Player 10

Windows Media Player (WMP) no longer feels like a freebie utility thrown in with the OS (think Notepad), but is an application you #39;ll actually want to use.


Editorial: A planet just like home

For however many millennia mankind has peered at the heavens, no one had ever identified a planet outside the solar system, and, being prone to extrapolating, many assumed no one ever would.


IBM recalls 500,000 Thinkpad adaptors

NEW YORK, September 3 (New Ratings) - IBM (IBM.NYS) has reportedly recalled more than half a million notebook power adapters due to the threat of melting plastic, and electric shock and fire hazards.


Apache glitch for Microsoft-backed anti-spam technology

The open source Apache Software Foundation (ASF) is refusing to adopt technology promising to curtail the rising tide of spam, citing restrictions with Microsoft Corp.


Red Hat appoints new CFO

Linux distributor Red Hat Inc. has appointed a new chief financial officer following the resignation of former CFO Kevin Thompson and the recent restatement of its revenue after an accounting policy change.


There may be alien life out there after all

London - An unexplained radio signal from deep space could just be contact from an alien civilisation. New Scientist magazine reported the signal on Thursday, revealing that it comes from a point between the Pisces and Aries constellations.


Security alert identifies Oracle holes

Software security companies and US-Cert, the US government #39;s computer monitoring body, have issued warnings about security vulnerabilities in Oracle software.


Plus: Virtual Farm Game

According to a new research study by the non-profit Pew Internet and American Life Project, so-called Instant Messaging (IM) is what #39;s really hot when it comes to electronic communication now.


Second quarter sees rise in storage revenue

Worldwide external controller-based disc storage revenue totalled \$3.2bn (1.8bn) in the second quarter, up 5.1 from the \$3.1bn recorded in the same period last year.


Wi-fi nets get security makeover

The update uses stronger encryption and does a better job of letting only authorised users join wireless nets. The improvements have been made to re-assure businesses that wi-fi networks can be made safe enough to be really useful and widely deployed.


Gerrard injury scare

Steven Gerrard faces a late fitness test today after giving England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson a scare ahead of tomorrow night #39;s 2006 World Cup qualifier in Austria.


Fallon back in saddle after posting bail

LONDON - Champion jockey Kieron Fallon and colleagues Fergal Lynch and Darren Williams were back in action yesterday after their arrests over allegations of race-fixing.


quot;El Gato quot; Romero still climbing the leaderboard at 50

Veteran Eduardo Romero continued to defy Old Father Time by powering into contention for his third European Masters title in 10 years on Friday.


Woodward slams English rugby and committs to Lions

Clive Woodward gave English rugby a hammer blow over the game #39;s structure on Friday before declaring himself 100 per cent ready for next summer #39;s British Lions tour of New Zealand.


Lions run over Bills

(09/03/04) The Lions closed out their exhibition season with a 20-17 win over Buffalo Thursday at Ford Field. The victory came at a price.


Urbina heads to Venezuela after mother reportedly kidnapped

Detroit Tigers closer Ugueth Urbina, whose father was killed in a robbery 10 years ago, rushed back to Venezuela on Thursday after his mother was apparently kidnapped at a home Urbina owns in his native country.


Magath says Bayern honeymoon is over after poor start

Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath, who criticised his new players for the time they spent putting on hair gel, warned on Friday that his honeymoon period is over and he plans to get tougher with the squad.


Roundup: Ravens get scare when Ogden hurt

Take away the seemingly minor knee injury to seven-time Pro Bowl tackle Jonathan Ogden, and the Baltimore Ravens had a perfect exhibition finale against the New York Giants last night.


ASU punishes UTEP in Price debut

Unable to settle into a rhythm, sophomore quarterback Jordan Palmer resembled a wide-eyed freshman, squeamish about playing under the lights.


Russian Troops Storm School as Hostages Break Out (Update1)

Russian troops stormed a school in the country #39;s south, after hostages started fleeing the building where armed terrorists had been holding as many as 1,500 people captive for two days in Beslan, North Ossetia.


Iraqi president delays trip to France over hostage crisis

Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawar, who was due in Paris on Sunday to start a European tour, has postponed his visit to France due to the ongoing hostage drama involving two French journalists, Arab diplomats said Friday.


Kashmir summit builds peace hopes

India and Pakistan are preparing for high-level talks this weekend to build on a fledgling peace process. Top foreign ministry officials will meet in Delhi on Saturday followed by talks between the two foreign ministers over the next two days.


Australia complains about Bali bomber #39;s coffee break

SYDNEY (DPA): Australia on Friday complained to Indonesia over Bali bomber Ali Imron being allowed out of jail to have a Starbucks coffee in a plush Jakarta shopping mall in the company of top police official Brig.


Sadr army becoming potent political force

For a moment this week, it looked as if Moqtada al-Sadr - the leader of a Shiite rebellion against the US presence in Iraq - might


Invitation to a Titanic sinking?

It is difficult to convey the shock I felt on reading the allegations that Conrad Black, David Radler, and the rest of the Hollinger insiders had helped themselves to 95.


Rank mulling sale of film unit

Leisure group Rank has said it is thinking of selling its Deluxe film and video business as the firm announced a sharp drop in half-year profits.


Glass looks half empty for JD Wetherspoon

PUBS group JD Wetherspoon today said a sales slowdown in the second half had taken the fizz out of its annual profits. The city centre pub and bar operator, which runs around 650 outlets including The Standing


Windows XP service pack 2: Major upgrade is not for everyone

WASHINGTON - Windows XP Service Pack 2 is the first major upgrade to the world #39;s most popular operating system in well over a year.


Wi-Fi products get security certificate

The Wi-Fi Alliance got its next certification program off to a flying start, issuing WPA2 badges to a bunch of products that comply with the 802.


Image Gallery of Indian hostages back home

Freed Indian hostages Sukhdev Singh, Antaryami and Tilak Raj were back home on Friday. The three truckers, freed in Iraq after a six-week ordeal, arrived to a rousing welcome from a huge crowd at New Delhi


Before-the-Bell: Intel Shares Fall (Reuters)

Reuters - Shares of Intel Corp.  fell\more than 7 percent before the opening bell on Friday, a day\after the technology bellwether slashed its quarterly sales\outlook.


Pfizer to Take Asbestos-Related Charge (Reuters)

Reuters - Pfizer Inc.  on Friday said it\will take a pretax charge of  #36;369 million in the third quarter\for a settlement with plaintiffs who allege they were harmed by\products containing asbestos and harmful minerals once sold by\a Pfizer subsidiary.


At Least 7 Dead in Russia School Siege (AP)

AP - At least seven people were killed and 310 others wounded Friday, reports said, after commandos stormed a school in southern Russia where hundreds had been held hostage for three days by Chechen rebels strapped with explosives.


Amazon.com Inks Deal with Private DNS Firm (Reuters)

Reuters - Privately held UltraDNS Corp.\says it had struck a deal to provide domain name system\services to online retailer Amazon.com Inc. .


EU commission proposes new interpretation of eurozone budget rules (AFP)

AFP - The European Commission said it had adopted a plan to adapt eurozone rules intended to control budget deficits in order to improve the way they work and their credibility.


New on DVD (USATODAY.com)

USATODAY.com - This week, your DVD choices range from Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ to Federico Fellini's I Vitelloni.


Cruise in Britian for 'Collateral' (AP)

AP - Tom Cruise mingled with about 3,000 fans at the British premiere of "Collateral," chatting on their cell phones, posing for photos and signing autographs for more than two hours outside a theater in Leicester Square.


Sri Lanka government offered elusive majority (Reuters)

Reuters - A small Sri Lankan party offered its support to the island's coalition government on Friday, which would give the ruling alliance a working majority in parliament, but it stopped short of joining the government.


Before-the-Bell: Intel Shares Fall

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Intel Corp. INTC.O fell  more than 7 percent before the opening bell on Friday, a day  after the technology bellwether slashed its quarterly sales  outlook, and other technology stocks moved lower in tandem.


Bush, Kerry Ready New Ads for Fall Blitz (AP)

AP - President Bush vows to "spread ownership and opportunity," "make our economy more job friendly" and help lower health care costs in a fresh wave of campaign ads meant to lay out a sweeping second-term agenda as he emerges from the Republican convention.


Lloyds to spend nearly \$1 billion on broadband network

European banking giant Lloyds TSB has tapped IBM to assemble a voice and high-speed Internet network connecting branch branches, call centers and cash machines, the two companies said Monday.


Enron CEO's Firm Seeks 'Success Fee'

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The firm led by Enron Corp.'s  ENRNQ.PK acting chief executive asked a bankruptcy judge for  a \$25 million "success fee" for its efforts in shepherding the  collapsed energy trader through nearly three years under  Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a court filing shows.


Prison Probe Raises Questions About CIA (AP)

AP - The latest Army investigation into the Abu Ghraib scandal is raising new questions about whether the CIA, operating outside military rules, contributed to the breakdown of military discipline at the prison.


Stocks to Watch on Friday, September 3

INTEL CORP.INTC.O:


Omega Buys Two Firms, Raises \$285 Million

NAZARETH, Belgium (Reuters) - Belgian drugs distributor  Omega Pharma boosted its presence in Italy and Scandinavia on  Friday, buying two local firms after raising \$285 million in  debt finance in the United States.


Intel Warning Counters Jobs Data Hopes

LONDON (Reuters) - Speculation that August's U.S. jobs  report could surprise on the upside has lent sagging global  stock markets some support this week and dampened buoyant bond  markets.


Libya Signs to Pay \$35 Mln to Berlin Bomb Victims

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya signed a deal on Friday to pay  \$35 million in compensation for more than 160 victims of a  Berlin nightclub bombing in 1986, taking another major step  toward ending its international isolation.


Dollar Is Calm Before Payrolls Storm

LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar shuttled in narrow ranges  against other major currencies on Friday as investors awaited  upcoming U.S. jobs data for clues on the future path of  interest rates.


Oil Holds Firm as Dealers Digest Iraq

LONDON (Reuters) - World oil prices held firm on Friday  after pipeline sabotage in northern Iraq kept up supply fears  that have revived a powerful price rally.


Iraq's Survival Still at Stake, Report Warns

LONDON (Reuters) - Iraq could splinter into civil war and  destabilize the whole region if the interim government, U.S.  forces and United Nations fail to hold the ring among factions  struggling for power, according to a British thinktank.


Taliban and Afghan Forces Clash, Several Dead

KABUL (Reuters) - Several Taliban fighters were killed in a  firefight with Afghan security forces in the southeast province  of Khost near the border with Pakistan, the U.S. military said  on Friday.


Lebanon to Extend President's Term, Defying U.N.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's parliament is going ahead with  a vote to extend the term of Syrian-backed President Emile  Lahoud Friday despite a U.N. Security Council resolution  warning Damascus against interfering in Lebanon.


Markets brace for fresh hurricane

Hurricane Frances sends commodity prices soaring and depresses insurance stocks as it heads for the Florida coast.


German bank sells Odeon holding

German bank WestLB sells its 43.4 percent stake in the UK's Odeon cinema chain to a private equity firm.


Stocks poised to drop

US stock futures pointed to a sharply lower start Friday as Intel Corp. #39;s disappointing third-quarter revenue and margin forecast sent chip stocks tumbling overseas.


Rank May Exit Movie Business, Sell Unit, After Losses (Update4)

Rank Group Plc, a UK distributor of movies for half a century, plans to exit the film industry after losses at its DVD and cinema production business.


In pictures: Russian school battle

A battle erupts in North Ossetia as Russian troops storm a school where hundreds of children had been taken hostage.


ID BIOMEDICAL ENTERS INTO AGREEMENTS WITH LEADING US FLU VACCINE <b>...</b>

ID Biomedical Corp. signed long-term agreements with three of the largest US flu vaccine wholesalers, causing the firms shares to climb 9.2 percent.


Chaos as battle grips school

BBC correspondents report scenes of chaos as a battle erupts at the besieged school in the Russian town of Beslan.


#39;100pc #39; committed

Sir Clive Woodward today revealed he quit as England rugby union coach because he was not able to take his World Cup-winning team forward the way he wanted.


Sudan rejects Darfur peace force

Sudan will not accept a peacekeeping force in the troubled Darfur region but may agree to extra monitors being deployed, its foreign minister says.


Sudan talks stall on security issues

PEACE talks between the Sudanese government and rebel groups from the troubled region of Darfur have stalled. The talks, brokered by the African Union, are being held in Nigeria, are deadlocked over disarmament and other security issues.


Caution urged on French hostages

French PM Jean-Pierre Raffarin urges caution on reports that two French journalists held in Iraq may soon be freed.


SA man charged for 'nuclear bomb'

A South African businessman is charged with trafficking nuclear material to Asian countries, in particular Pakistan.


Swiss group 'helped 22 Brits die'

A Swiss group may have helped more British people bypass the UK ban on euthanasia than previously thought.


Two Palestinians killed in Gaza

Two Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, apparently when explosives they were carrying were set off.


Meet The Team: Race Team Spares Man

Geoff Simmonds is in charge of managing all the spare parts at the races. Its a key role  heres an explanation of what it involves


Soldiers Storm Russian School; Fate of Hostages Is Unclear

Russian forces today stormed a school where heavily armed fighters held hundreds of people hostage, provoking fierce gunbattles.


Roddick, Capriati Highlight U.S. Open

NEW YORK - Andy Roddick, Serena Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Lleyton Hewitt and Amelie Mauresmo are all in action Friday at the U.S. Open...


Nevada Stages Huge Rib Cook-Off

SPARKS, Nev. - Some 300,000 people are expected to pig out on about 130,000 pounds of pork ribs...


Fla. Highways Jammed Ahead of Frances

MELBOURNE, Fla. - Fleeing what could be the most powerful storm to strike Florida in more than a decade, residents and tourists jammed highways and shelters Friday as Hurricane Frances churned toward the Atlantic coast, where the state's second pummeling in three weeks could begin as soon as Saturday...


At Least 7 Dead in Russia School Siege

BESLAN, Russia - At least seven people were killed and 310 others wounded Friday, reports said, after commandos stormed a school in southern Russia where hundreds had been held hostage for three days by Chechen rebels strapped with explosives.    Troops killed five of the hostage-takers but 13 others escaped, the ITAR-Tass news agency said...


Libya Agrees to Pay \$35 Million to Berlin Bomb Victims

TRIPOLI, Libya (Reuters) - Libya signed a deal Friday to  pay \$35 million in compensation to more than 160 victims of a  Berlin nightclub bombing in 1986, taking another major step  toward ending its international isolation.


Forces Storm Russia School With Hostages

BESLAN, Russia - Commandos stormed a school in southern Russia where hundreds of hostages had been held for three days, and dozens of hostages fled the building, some bloodied and screaming.    Exchanges of gunfire rang out and a large plume of smoke rose over the school as troops clashed with the militants...


Samarra Becomes Latest No-Go Zone in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Over the past few months, insurgents in Samarra have deposed the U.S.-picked leaders and put to death people suspected of collaborating with them, making the northern Iraqi city the latest no-go zone for Iraqi and American troops.    With preparations beginning for Iraq's nationwide general election, scheduled for January, the attacks in Samarra and other cities where officials cannot safely travel could present a major barrier to carrying out a credible poll...


Business, Pleasure, or Both?

Corporations and government contractors have been lubricating their relationships with the region's state officials all week in New York.


Microsoft Warns Spyware Could Bungle Update

Though Microsoft Corp.'s new security update package is all about protecting systems from worms, viruses and spyware, it can't do much about what's already on computers - and that could pose a problem.


Disney Eyes Video-On-Demand Partnerships

The Walt Disney Co. has postponed an expansion of its video-on-demand service while it explores partnerships that could result in a deal to include the service in set-top boxes, computers or other devices.


Sony in Talks to Sell Products at Wal-Mart

The electronics and entertainment giant Sony Corp. is talking with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corp. in an effort to boost sales by shipping to U.S. discount chains with which it previously did little business.


Calif. Schools Warned of Identity Theft

California university officials have warned nearly 600,000 students and faculty that they might be exposed to identity theft following incidents where computer hard drives loaded with their private information were lost or hacked into.


Insurance Cos. Try Out Auto Black Boxes

For two months, Jacob Sevlie's insurance company tagged along whenever he slid behind the wheel of his Honda Accord.


Cassini Reveals Saturn's Cool Rings

The Cassini spacecraft has taken the most detailed temperature measurements to date of Saturn's rings. Data taken by the composite infrared spectrometer instrument on the spacecraft while entering Saturn's orbit show the cool and relatively warm regions of the rings.


Tension-Filled Nights Loom for Europe #39;s Big Guns

The remaining seven vacancies in the first knockout stage of the Champions League will be decided this week with some of Europe #39;s biggest clubs anxiously considering their fates.


Europeans, Hopeful on Growth, Leave Rates Unchanged

The European Central Bank is sounding markedly more confident these days than it had earlier this year about the economic recovery in the 12 countries that use the euro.


Nortel delays release of financial results

Blaming the complexity of the task, Nortel Networks Corp. is delaying the release of long-awaited financial results by another month, to late October, and may seek another delay of its annual meeting.


Phone sales show no sign of slowing

That #39;s according to research outfit Gartner, which on Thursday said that second quarter global mobile phone shipments hit 156.


Red Hat Names New CFO

There #39;s a new CFO in town at Red Hat Inc., and while the company continues to be perceived as one of the leading Linux providers, he #39;s got his work cut out for him when it comes to restoring investor confidence.


Do You Remember Henin-Hardenne? Didn #39;t Think So

S if the lingering effects of a viral infection and a more recent cold weren #39;t bad enough, Justin Henin-Hardenne couldn #39;t quite shake her Olympic hangover, a 31-year-old Israeli journeywoman


Cricket: Smith withdraws from Windies squad

LONDON - Allrounder Dwayne Smith has pulled out of the West Indies cricket squad for this month #39;s ICC Champions Trophy event in England because of injury.


Giants Struggle Yet Again to Protect Warner

Kurt Warner #39;s first preseason as the Giants #39; quarterback ended ominously as he was sacked twice more Thursday night, when the team faced the Baltimore Ravens


Commandos Storm Russian Siege School As Children Flee

Russian special forces stormed a school Friday ending a three-day hostage crisis and freeing hundreds of children, parents and teachers held without


Hopes rise for French hostages in Iraq

Hopes that Islamic militants will soon free two French hostages in Iraq are rising, despite confusion over which group is now holding them.


Malaysia press relieved at Anwar release

Malaysia #39;s press is breathing a collective sigh of relief at the release of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim. Commentators see the move as turning a new page in Malaysia #39;s political life, arguing


UN resolution calls for immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces <b>...</b>

New York (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The UN Security Council narrowly approved a US-French resolution late Thursday aimed for an immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces - an indirect reference to 17.


Empty Stomach Battle Ends, Some Demands Met

GAZA CITY , September 3 (IslamOnline.net  amp; News Agencies) - Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails have decided to call off an 18-day hunger strike after most of their demands for better conditions were met, according to a Palestinian cabinet minister.


Syria on offensive as Israel threatens to avenge bombings

Israel #39;s threats against Syria after the Beersheba suicide bombings would  quot;exacerbate the deteriorating situation in the region, quot; the Syrian foreign minister said yesterday.


Cleaning Up After Ourselves

Though banned in the 1970s, toxic PCBs persist in high concentrations around the world. Now a Stanford team says it may have the solution: carbon. By Amit Asaravala.


Microsoft Flexes Music Muscle

The software giant's new pay-per-download service offers an easy-to-use interface and above-average sound quality. But some critics wonder if the MSN Music service will foster a widening rift in digital music security standards. By Xeni Jardin.


Fans Keep Newton in Motion

The first gathering of the Worldwide Newton Association this weekend in Paris promises a surprise that may extend the life of the aging but much-loved Apple handheld platform. By Leander Kahney.


Slice of Heaven in the Desert

Sure, there's plenty of fire at this year's Burning Man festival, but celestial tributes dominate the playa. Daniel Terdiman reports from Black Rock City, Nevada.


Bold New World for Bald Mice

Scientists find a way to grow hair follicles on furless mice using stem cells. Now, they hope to extend the research to humans. By Kristen Philipkoski.


Why Hybrids Are Hot

Have you seen gas prices? Purists can wait for hydrogen. The market can't. By James Surowiecki from Wired magazine.


Music Fans, Beware the Big Bass

Doctors report several cases of collapsed lungs apparently caused by loud music. They theorize that lungs may start to vibrate in the same frequency as the booming bass, which could cause a small rupture.


Job Picture Brightens with August Hiring

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. job market brightened in  August as employers added 144,000 workers to their payrolls and  hiring totals for the two prior months were revised up, the  Labor Department reported on Friday.


Stock Futures Whipsaw After Jobs Data

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures fell on Friday then  quickly rebounded, after a U.S. report showed job growth in  August came in slightly below expectations.


Oil Firm as Dealers Digest Iraq Sabotage

LONDON (Reuters) - World oil prices held firm on Friday  after pipeline sabotage in northern Iraq kept up supply fears  that have revived a powerful price rally.


Rate Futures Fall After Payroll Data

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Short-term interest rate futures fell  modestly on Friday after U.S. jobs growth for August was in  line with Wall Street expectations, cementing the prospects for  further monetary policy tightening.


Goss: Interrogations Key to War on Terror (AP)

AP - Porter Goss, nominated to be the next CIA director, took a hard line on interrogations in the war on terror earlier this year, saying "Gee, you're breaking my heart" to complaints that Arab men found it abusive to have women guards at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp.


IAEA Probes S. Korean Nuclear Experiment (AP)

AP - The U.N. nuclear watchdog is investigating a secret uranium-enrichment experiment that South Korean scientists conducted four years ago, U.N. and South Korean officials said Thursday.


Economy Adds 144K Jobs in August

America's payrolls picked up in August, with the economy adding 144,000 jobs, slightly less than economists were forecasting and highlighting the slow and uneven recovery in the labor market that jobseekers have braved.


Atkins Diet May Bring Side Effects

Dieters on the popular high-fat, low-carb Atkins approach lose just as much body fat as those on low-fat diets, but the annoying low-carb side effects could mean problems down the road, according to a scientist who reviewed five dozen diet studies.


Stem Cells Found in Hair Follicles

Researchers say they could be used to treat burn wounds, skin injuries    HealthDayNews -- Cells in the hair follicles of the skin appear to be stem cells that may offer potential new ways to treat burn wounds and other skin injuries, as well as hair loss.    That's the promising conclusion of a study in the Sept...


Cats Can Spread Bird Flu

By LAURAN NEERGAARD    WASHINGTON (AP) -- Cats not only can catch the deadly bird flu but can spread it to other felines, Dutch researchers said in a report Thursday that raises important questions about the pets' role in outbreaks.    So far, cats have not been implicated in the spread of avian flu to people, said Dr...


TOKYO (AP) -- The electronics and entertainment giant Sony Corp. (SNE) is talking with Wal-Mart Stores Inc...


Microsoft Warns on Spyware's Impact on Update

By ALLISON LINN    SEATTLE (AP) -- Though Microsoft Corp.'s new security update package is all about protecting systems from worms, viruses and spyware, it can't do much about what's already on computers - and that could pose a problem.    The company is warning users of the Windows XP operating system to check for spyware before downloading the free massive security update, called Service Pack 2...


California Schools Warned of Identity Theft

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- California university officials have warned nearly 600,000 students and faculty that they might be exposed to identity theft following incidents where computer hard drives loaded with their private information were lost or hacked into.    Since January, at least 580,000 people who had personal information about them stored in university computers received warnings they might be at risk...


Acacia Lowers Streaming Video Royalties Demand

By JUSTIN POPE    (AP) -- A California company that claims it owns the patents for streaming video over computer networks is lowering its royalty demands of the nation's colleges and universities.    Newport Beach, Calif.-based Acacia Media Technologies Corp...


Oil Holds Firm as Dealers Digest Iraq

World oil prices held firm on Friday after pipeline sabotage in northern Iraq kept up supply fears that have revived a powerful price rally.


Stock Futures Whipsaw After Jobs Data

US stock futures fell on Friday then quickly rebounded, after a US report showed job growth in August came in slightly below expectations.


Coke, EU near antitrust settlement

Sources say agreement bars Coca-Cola from manipulating retailers to give its products an edge. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Coca-Cola and the European Commission were poised to settle a long-running antitrust case Friday, people familiar with the situation said.


Cell phone sales keep booming

Despite a practically saturated Western European market, cell phone sales are still booming worldwide, driven by longtime owners clamoring to update their phones and new buyers wanting to get on the phone-owning ladder, according to a new report.


IBM, Intel open up their  #39;blades #39;

Computer, chip maker will license much of the technology behind their compact servers -- for free. NEW YORK (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp.


Dyson Masters Swiss Course

Englishman Simon Dyson took advantage of the excellent conditions at the stunning Crans-sur-Sierre course in Switzerland to move to the top of the leaderboard on the second morning of the Omega European Masters.


A Little Middle East Maneuvering In Downtown Manhattan

Lebanon #39;s ambassador to Washington, Farid Abboud, who traveled to New York to observe part of the Republican National Convention, was on double duty this week in the back halls of the United Nations.


Judge appoints lawyers to defend Milosevic, over his objections

Overriding the defendant #39;s objections, the UN war crimes tribunal appointed two lawyers to represent Slobodan Milosevic yesterday, hoping


Released Indian hostages return back home

After living under fear of death for 42 days, three Indian truck drivers released by their Iraqi captors today returned home to an emotional welcome by their families here.


Stocks Set for Lower Open After Jobs Data

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were set to open lower on  Friday, after August payroll data came in slightly below  expectations.


Pfizer to Take \$369 Mln Asbestos Charge

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc. PFE.N on Friday said it  would take a third-quarter pretax charge of \$369 million for a  settlement with plaintiffs who allege they were harmed by  products containing asbestos and other minerals once sold by a  Pfizer subsidiary.


Bloody Shootout Ends Russian School Siege

BESLAN, Russia (Reuters) - Russian troops stormed a school  Friday in a chaotic battle to free hundreds of parents,  teachers and children who had been held hostage for two days by  Chechen separatists.


Treasuries Slip on Payroll Data

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury debt prices slipped on  Friday as the long-awaited August jobs report showed enough of  a rise to cement market expectations for further rate hikes  from the Federal Reserve.


Dollar Rallies on Jobs Numbers

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar rallied across the board  early  on Friday, after a widely anticipated U.S. payrolls  report came in nearly in line with expectations, something of a  relief to a market fearing another bad number.


Cal Reaches New Five-Year Agreement With Jeff Tedford

BERKELEY, CA - In recognition of an historic season and the remarkable turnaround of the school #39;s football program, the University of California has reached a new five-year agreement with Head Coach Jeff Tedford through the 2009 season, Athletic Director


U.S. Economy Added 144,000 Jobs in August

The unemployment rate for August fell to 5.4 percent from 5.5 percent, the lowest since October 2001, the government reported today.


Global mobile handset sales up 35 in second quarter

Worldwide mobile phone sales surpassed 156.4m units in the second quarter of 2004, a 35 per cent increase on the second quarter of 2003, according to market research group Gartner, Inc.


Total recall for IBM ThinkPad adapters

IBM has recalled 553,000 ThinkPad AC power adapters after receiving reports that some have overheated, melting the adapter housing and charring the circuit board inside.


IBM and Intel go public with design specs of the BladeCenter <b>...</b>

IBM and Intel have announced that they are to open up the design specifications of their BladeCenter platform. The partners say that the publishing of the specs is intended to enable third parties to design and build compatible kit and grow the market.


Red Hat changes accounting procedures

Red Hat has announced it is changing the way it books support subscription revenue, based on a recommendation from its auditors. The accounting changes prompted the Linux supplier to correct and restate its


Owls use dung to  quot;fish quot; for beetles

A clever species of owl, baits its lair with dung to attract tasty beetles. The burrowing owl has long been known for its preference for dung beetles; the insect accounts for nearly two-thirds of the bird #39;s diet.


Tennis: Venus Williams, Henin-Hardenne, Davenport advance at US <b>...</b>

NEW YORK : Four-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams, the 2000 and 2001 champion, overcame four double faults and 25 unforced errors to defeat Shikha Uberoi 7-5, 6-1 in the second round of the US Open.


49ers #39; top draft pick catches on

He promptly caught what appeared to be a 27-yard touchdown pass from Ken Dorsey, but the play was nullified by a penalty. On the next play, he made his first catch as a pro, an


Beirut rejects UN resolution ahead of Lahoud vote

BEIRUT : Beirut rejected a UN Security Council resolution calling for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon, as lawmakers prepared to vote to change the constitution to allow pro-Damascus president Emile Lahoud to serve another term.


The Stealth Toy Giant

Quick -- what #39;s the world #39;s largest toy distributor? Nope, it #39;s not Toys  quot;R quot; Us (NYSE: TOY). (Toys  quot;R quot; Us, while indeed a large toy vendor, is actually exiting the toy business to a large degree, opting to


Keeping how the net works open to all

Plans to combat spam are in trouble because Microsoft wants too much power, argues technology analyst Bill Thompson. The internet relies on a large number of technical standards which define in precise and


Pre-Lucy creature walked upright

WASHINGTON - A human ancestor the size of a chimp walked upright six million years ago - about three million years earlier than Lucy, the famous bipedal hominid, researchers say.


Redden injury has Gretzky worried #39;

Wayne Gretzky will nervously watch Canada #39;s game against Russia tomorrow night and, after seeing two defencemen go down in two games, is hoping he doesn #39;t lose another blueliner.


UN Security Council Tries to Stop Syrian Meddling in Lebanon

The United Nations Security Council approved a rare resolution against an Arab state -- without naming names -- late Thursday. The resolution is intended to stop Syrian meddling in Lebanese politics and affairs.


Job Picture Brightens with August Hiring (Reuters)

Reuters - The U.S. job market brightened in\August as employers added 144,000 workers to their payrolls and\hiring totals for the two prior months were revised up, the\Labor Department reported on Friday.


Oil Firm as Dealers Digest Iraq Sabotage (Reuters)

Reuters - World oil prices held firm on Friday\after pipeline sabotage in northern Iraq kept up supply fears\that have revived a powerful price rally.


Pistons miss Wallace, but in good shape

The conventional wisdom dictates that repeating as NBA champs is an extremely difficult undertaking. And so it is. However, in the past seventeen seasons, only one NBA titlist did NOT accomplish consecutive


IBM Recalls Notebook Power Cords (PC World)

PC World - Certain ThinkPad power adapters pose a fire danger, company warns.


Job Picture Brightens with August Hiring

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. job market brightened  modestly in August as employers added 144,000 workers to their  payrolls and hiring totals for the two prior months were  revised up, the Labor Department reported on Friday.


Bernie #39;s Brit GP  #39;deadline

The owner of British grand prix track Silverstone has forty eight hours to save the historic race, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone declared Monday.


Russian Forces Storm School; 7 Killed

BESLAN, Russia - At least seven people were killed and 310 others wounded Friday, reports said, after commandos stormed a school in southern Russia where hundreds had been held hostage for three days by rebels strapped with explosives.    Troops killed five of the hostage-takers but 13 others escaped, the ITAR-Tass news agency said...


Florida Braces for Monster Storm

MELBOURNE, Fla. - Bracing for a monstrous storm, residents and tourists clogged shelters or made last-minute preparations Friday as Hurricane Frances churned toward the Atlantic coast, where the state's second pummeling in three weeks could begin as soon as Saturday...


Intel rolls back outlook; widespread weakness feared

No. 1 chipmaker Intel (INTC) on Thursday dramatically lowered its revenue estimates for the current quarter, a sign that the tech industry #39;s rebound may be slowing.


Hollinger Paid For Lord Black #39;s Costly Hubris

press baron, financier, philanthropist, member of the global elite. But as we learned this week from a Hollinger International investigative


Analysts mull production cuts, disappointing sales

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) - Shares of leading automakers closed on a positive note Thursday, one day after General Motors and Ford Motor posted soggy sales results for August and announced plans to scale back production.


Update 1: ASEAN Economic Ministers Work on Community

Economic ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed Friday to liberalize 10 sectors as a first step toward the creation by 2020 of a regional economic community akin to the European Union.


Job Picture Brightens, More Aug Hiring

The US job market brightened modestly in August as employers added 144,000 workers to payrolls and weak hiring tallies for the two prior months were revised up, the Labor Department said on Friday.


Progress in US Airways Talks

Negotiations between US Airways #39; (UAIR:Nasdaq - news - research) management and pilots continued to show progress, with the pilots union expected to give the company another proposal Friday afternoon.


Hutchison arm rules out dividends

Hutchison Telecommunications International Limited (HTIL), a telecom arm of Li Ka-shing-controlled Hutchison Whampoa seeking a listing in Hong Kong and New York, said it has no plan to pay dividends as it has racked up HK\$5.


US textile industry leans on White House

WASHINGTON Leaders of the US textile industry plan to petition the US government this month to block the flood of Chinese imports that is expected next year after global quotas on textiles and apparel are lifted.


Microsoft: Linux may mean price cuts, fewer sales

Microsoft has filed a report with the US Securities and Exchange Commission warning that 2005 could be challenging, as Linux continues to steal business and PC sales remain sluggish.


IPO will be golden for farmers

Chicken cooperative Gold Kist Inc. appears only days away from hatching into a public company -- a move intended to put more cash in the hands of farmers and increase Gold Kist #39;s own ability to raise money.


Sony #39;s Cheap Trick

It #39;s no secret that rivalry in consumer electronics is heating up, and today the Associated Press reported that Japan #39;s Sony (NYSE: SNE) is  quot;more aggressively quot; pursuing


Worldwide mobile phone market posts healthy gains

Worldwide mobile phone sales exceeded 156.4 million units in the second quarter of 2004, a 35 percent increase over the second quarter of 2003, according to a report released this week by Gartner Inc.


IBM recalls 225,000 ThinkPad power adapters due to fire hazard

SEPTEMBER 03, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - IBM is recalling about 225,000 AC power adapters for its laptop computers due to concerns about possible fire and electrical shock hazards.


Rocky Road: Planet hunting gets closer to Earth

Astronomers have discovered the three lightest planets known outside the solar system, moving researchers closer to the goal of finding extrasolar planets that resemble Earth.


IBM, Honda deliver in-car speech-recognition navigation system

SEPTEMBER 03, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - IBM and Honda this week announced that they have jointly developed a hands-free and natural-sounding in-vehicle speech-recognition system.


IBM Hits New Low In Storage

IBM is hitting an all-time low -- for itself, that is -- in the storage market with a new series of entry-level arrays. The new arrays, including its first iSCSI array and an entry-level Fibre Channel model


HP bags orders from 7-Eleven, Publix

Hewlett-Packard said Friday that it has won a \$55 million, five-year contract from retailer 7-Eleven to upgrade the technology at the convenience store chain.


#39;We started to walk six million years ago #39;

WASHINGTON: Based on recent fossil evidences, American scientists have claimed that a chimp-sized hominid walked upright on two legs in Kenya #39;s Tugen Hills over six million years ago, nearly three million years earlier than currently believed.


Hurricane Frances could destroy space shuttles

Hurricane Frances, predicted to hit land 100 kilometres (62 miles) south of NASA #39;s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, could cause catastrophic damage to the space shuttles and spacecraft stored there, meteorologists predict.


Apache Project Rejects Sender ID

September 2, 2004 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- The Apache Project (apache.org) has rejected the Sender ID proposal for email user authentication because of the incompatibilities between Microsoft #39;s (microsoft.


EMC taps longtime IBM veteran Jeffrey Nick for CTO position

SEPTEMBER 03, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Storage vendor EMC Corp. today named Jeffrey Nick as its chief technology officer. Nick is an IBM veteran who helped design the company #39;s on-demand computing initiative and led its grid computing strategy.


Astronauts Prepare For Final Space Walk

Space station astronauts Gennady Padalka and American Mike Fincke are scheduled to make the final spacewalks of their mission today.


Google May Face Another Lawsuit

A federal judge in Virginia has ruled that a trademark infringement suit filed by the Government Employees Insurance Co. (GEICO) against Internet search giants Google and Overture Services can proceed.


Hard drive with 23,000 Social Security numbers disappears

SEPTEMBER 03, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - The disappearance of a laptop hard drive in the California State University (CSU) system has triggered a year-old state law requiring anyone whose personal information might have been stolen to be notified.


Workers Think Positive, Negative About IM

com. Eleven million Americans use instant messaging at work, a survey released Thursday said, but some at-work IMers would like nothing better than to toss the technology.


Demand for chips remains strong, says China #39;s SMIC

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) is expanding production capacity at its chip fabrication plants (fabs) in an effort to keep pace with growing semiconductor demand, the company #39;s chief operating officer (COO) said Friday.


Expert: Writing Best for Contacting Aliens

Sept. 3, 2004 - Writing, rather than phoning, is probably the best way to contact aliens, US scientists say. So instead of phoning home, it could have been more energy efficient if ET had inscribed information


Lights, Camera, ACTION...NO it #39;s Not Sven #39;s Private Life

As Sven-Goran Eriksson appeared in Viennas Intercontinental Hotel, dozens of camera flashes went off and one caused the Swede a slight moment of surprised discomfort


Ferrari #39;s high-tech tune-up

Driving a race car takes more than good hand-eye coordination and the stomach for G-forces. It also takes a truckload of high-tech gear.


Solberg takes the lead on Day One

Petter Solberg was here not just to compete but also to discover the beauty of the terrain. At least this is what he said on Thursday.


Open-Hewitt hits top gear, Mauresmo storms on

Former champion Lleyton Hewitt bristled, battled and eventually blossomed as he took another step towards a second US Open title with a second-round victory over Moroccan Hicham Arazi on Friday.


Russia dominant in win over US

A supposedly disorganized and uninspired Russian team that arrived for the World Cup of Hockey without some of its top stars suddenly looks like a contender.


Graves activated; Padilla claimed off waivers

Graves, a right-hander, was out with back spasms. He leads the Reds with 37 saves. Matthews, a left-hander, had surgery in July to remove bone chips in his elbow.


Flintoff, Collingwood lead England to win

Andrew Flintoff hit a typically brutal 99 and took the final wicket Friday as England cruised to a comfortable, series-clinching victory over India in the second one-day cricket international at the Oval.


Liverpool showdown looming for Wayne

WAYNE Rooney will have a scan today which will determine whether he makes his Manchester United debut against Liverpool on September 20.


St. Louis Cardinals Team Report - September 3

(Sports Network) - A possible National League Division Series preview will take center stage this evening in St. Louis, as the MLB-best Cardinals host the Los Angeles Dodgers for the opener of a their three-game set at Busch Stadium.


Intel Cuts Back Projection For 3rd-Quarter Revenue

Intel Corp. lowered its revenue projections for its third quarter yesterday, citing slow consumer purchases across the globe. The world #39;s largest chipmaker reported that it expects revenue for the three-month period ending Sept.


Higher wood prices welcome Frances

NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Though Hurricane Frances is still days away from potential landfall in the southeastern United States, those without window shutters are busy boarding up their houses with plywood -- if they can find any.


Apparel makers, retailers question textile quota focus

Conspicuous by their silence, US retailers and apparel makers are waiting on the sidelines while domestic textile companies take what may be their last stabs at preserving limits on imports of garments made in China.


Microsoft: Linux is a threat, it may mean prices cuts and less <b>...</b>

Microsoft has filed a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) - and it looks like the Redmond giant could be in for a lean year ahead, even going as far as to hint that Linux and other open-source rivals might be to blame.


Sony to Boost Sales at US Discount Retailers

Japan #39;s Sony Corp. said on Friday it was in talks to sell more electronics goods in North America through discount retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc.


Seoul, Others Should Send Clear Message on Nukes -US

The White House said on Friday that South Korea and other nations should send a  quot;clear message quot; to North Korea of their commitment to a nuclear-free peninsula after Seoul admitted government scientists had enriched uranium to nearly


Annan welcomes release of Anwar Ibrahim from Malaysian jail

3 September 2004 - Secretary-General Kofi Annan today hailed the decision of a Malaysian court to overturn the sodomy conviction of the country #39;s former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and release him from jail.


Iraqi Sunni Leaders Aim to Build on Shia Peace Gains

It has been a week since a peace deal was struck in the Iraqi city of Najaf, bringing an end to three weeks of fighting and opening the predominantly Shia city up to millions of dollars in reconstruction aid.


Thatcher Posts Bail to End S.Africa House Arrest

Mark Thatcher, arrested in South Africa last week on suspicion of financing an attempted coup in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, was released from house arrest Friday after posting 2 million rand bail.


Pakistan foreign secretary arrives for talks

Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar arrived in New Delhi on Friday night to hold talks with his Indian counterpart Shyam Saran.


IBM Launches Low-Cost Storage Server

IBM (Quote, Chart) moved to undercut its rivals Friday by offering an entry-level storage server for about a third less than the street cost of EMC #39;s (Quote, Chart) and HP #39;s comparable products.


Honda, IBM enhance in-vehicle, speech-recognition system

Honda Motor Co., with help from partner IBM Corp., is preparing to introduce an improved speech-recognition system that will allow drivers to get voice navigation guidance without having to manually punch in any information or take their


EMC taps IBM veteran for CTO job

EMC Corp. announced Friday the appointment of former IBM fellow Jeffrey Nick to the position of senior vice president and chief technology officer.


Astronauts Float Outside for Bit of Spacewalk Maintenance

Two astronauts are floating outside the international space station on their fourth and final spacewalk. The American and Russian team is ending the 6-month mission with some installation and repair projects.


Can Microsoft Change Its DNA?

Microsoft is in a throw-it-off-the-train state of mind these days in regard to its Windows operating system features. It #39;s announced that Longhorn will ship by 2006 -- but without its much-ballyhooed WinFS subsystem.


SHAHEEN LOWERS WORLD RECORD

Kenyan-born Saif Saaeed Shaheen - now representing Qatar - smashed the world 3,000 metres steeplechase record in Friday night #39;s IAAF Golden League meeting in Brussels.


United Reach Rooney Agreement

Manchester United have announced they have reached an  quot;outline agreement quot; for the transfer of Wayne Rooney from Everton.


Syria under Security Council Scrutiny ... A Gift from Syria to <b>...</b>

Syria has turned herself into cannon fodder in the campaigns directed against her during the American presidential election battle-a result of her miscalculations in the Lebanese presidential elections.


PM: No meddling in Anwars hearing

Kuala Lumpur: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said there will be no political interference in a Federal Court ruling today (Thursday) on whether to free former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when it decides on his final


Japanese PM revives dispute over islands

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, right, on board a patrol boat off the Hokkaido coast. Picture:Reuters. Japan #39;s Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has defied Russian objections to sail


The Week #39;s Business: Putting Black behind bars or recovering money <b>...</b>

Even in the context of current outrage against corporate malfeasance, the tone of a report released this week detailing financial self-dealing by Conrad Black and his top lieutenant at Hollinger International Inc.


Space Station Crew Conducts Final Spacewalk of Mission

The crew of the International Space Station is conducting the fourth and final spacewalk of its six-month mission Friday to install and replace equipment.


Thousands of irreplaceable books feared lost in German library <b>...</b>

WEIMAR, Germany German officials are trying to determine exactly what was lost in a blaze at a library housing some the country #39;s most prized books.


Mauresmo, Sugiyama reach Open #39;s fourth round; Massu fined

Amelie Mauresmo played much more like someone serious about winning her first Grand Slam title and reaching No. 1. Showing little of the rust or fatigue displayed in her previous match, the second-seeded Mauresmo easily beat No.


Czech Republic Crushes Germany in World Cup Hockey

The Czech Republic #39;s vaunted offense finally roared to life, erupting for five unanswered goals in the second period on the way to a 7-2 thrashing of Germany at the World Cup Friday.


Sabres and Vanek agree to deal

Buffalo, NY (Sports Network) - The Buffalo Sabres have agreed to terms with 2003 first round draft choice Thomas Vanek on a three year entry-level contract.


Analysts: Malaysian PM, Society Benefit From Anwar Release

The release of Malaysia #39;s best known political opposition figure, Anwar Ibrahim, after six years in jail, has brought widespread praise for Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who one year ago succeeded Malaysia #39;s long-time leader, Mahathir Mohamad.


UN Court Formally Appoints Defense Lawyers for Milosevic

The UN War Crimes Tribunal has named two lawyers to defend former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, despite his adamant objections.


Oil holds firm above \$44

Oil prices held firm Friday after pipeline sabotage in northern Iraq kept up supply fears that have revived a powerful price rally.


One police officer killed in clashes with militants north of Saudi <b>...</b>

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - One policeman was killed and three others wounded in clashes with militants in a town northeast of Riyadh, a Saudi Interior Ministry official said Friday.


German fire destroys 30,000 rare books

A fire in one of Germany #39;s most historic libraries has destroyed up to 30,000 rare books.  quot;The destruction of many thousands of books, particularly from the 16th to 18th centuries


UPDATE: HK Hutchison Gears Up For \$2B HK, US Telecom IPO

HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Thursday approved Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. #39;s (0013.HK) application for a US\$2 billion initial public offering of its non-third-generation


Report: BofA job cuts total 1,365

American Banker reports Ken Lewis, chief executive of Charlotte-based Bank of America Corp. says the bank has laid off 1,365 former FleetBoston Financial Corp.


Current bridge plan urged Single-tower span now quickest, cheapest <b>...</b>

An audit made public Thursday says that the quickest and cheapest way to protect motorists on the eastern span of the Bay Bridge from major earthquakes is to stick with the plan to build the costly single-tower suspension span that has generated so much


IBM Recall AC Adapters for Notebook Computers

The adapters can overheat, cause damage to the circuit board and melt through the housing, which poses a fire and electrical shock hazard to consumers.


Apache Rejects Microsoft #39;s Sender ID Standard

The Apache Software Foundation (ASF), creator of the open-source Apache Web server, noted that it will not support the proposed antispam standard, called Sender ID, because Microsoft #39;s


Golf: Sergio Garcia Leads Omega European Masters

Spain #39;s Sergio Garcia has a one-stroke lead over countryman Miguel Angel Jimenez after the second round of the Omega European Masters golf tournament in Switzerland.


Sabres agree to terms with 2003 first-round pick Vanek

----- BUFFALO, New York (Ticker) - The Buffalo Sabres locked up a piece of their future Friday, agreeing to terms with left wing Thomas Vanek on a three-year contract.


US  #39;beats drug cheats #39;

USA Track and Field chief executive officer Craig Masback today declared victory over dope cheats. At the group #39;s annual meeting, he said  quot;our clean athletes took the sport back from the cheaters quot;.


Witness says Kazaa activity can be monitored

A witness in the ongoing civil trial against peer-to-peer software provider Sharman Networks has added weight to testimony that logs can be maintained to trace users who are exchanging unlicensed music online using the Kazaa software.


French Hostages in Iraq Are Out of Danger, #39; Islamic Group Says

Two French reporters held hostage in Iraq for the past two weeks are out of danger #39; #39; and may be freed soon, an Islamic group in France said on its Web site, citing a French Muslim leader who #39;s been seeking their release.


EU Plans to Help Iraq Hold Elections, Train Police

The European Union discussed proposals on Friday to help stabilize Iraq and organize elections there despite lingering differences among member states over the US-led war that ousted Saddam Hussein.


IBM Recalls Notebook Power Cords

IBM is recalling power adapters that shipped with certain models of its ThinkPad notebooks sold between January 1999 and August 2000.


Haas puts Grosjean in the shade

NEW YORK: Comeback kid Tommy Haas upset 12th seed Sebastien Grosjean to move into the third round of the US Open on Friday. The German former world number two, who missed the whole of last season after shoulder


Carmelo can #39;t believe he rode

DENVER - Carmelo Anthony spent many nights at the Olympics in his hotel room depressed and wanting to go home. The Denver Nuggets star was demoted to the bench during the Athens Games, in which the NBA players


Can Lebanon weather possible economic sanctions?

BEIRUT: Will Lebanon be able to weather any possible US and European economic sanctions in the future if the US Security Council pushed for sanctions against this country in the coming months?


Pace for Wireless Number Switches Quickens (Reuters)

Reuters - The number of U.S. wireless\subscribers who are switching providers while keeping their\telephone numbers is accelerating, the Federal Communications\Commission said on Friday.


Pole Vault, Steeplechase World Marks Set (AP)

AP - Pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia and steeplechaser Saif Saaeed Shaheen of Qatar set world records at the Van Damme Memorial meet Friday.


Hurricane Delays Second Cubs-Marlins Game (AP)

AP - The Florida Marlins postponed Saturday's game against the Chicago Cubs as Hurricane Frances moved closer to the east coast of Florida.


Did Apple Offer Sony an ITunes Deal? (PC World)

PC World - The companies could have been partners, but are now music rivals, report says.


Wine.com Raises Another  #36;20 Million in Funding (Reuters)

Reuters - Online retailer Wine.com has\secured another  #36;20 million in venture capital funding and\could go public as soon as next year, Chief Executive Officer\George Garrick said on Friday.


Rare 1929 Mercedes become world's second most expensive car (AFP)

AFP - An ultra-rare 1929 Mercedes has become the second most expensive car the world has ever seen after selling at a British auction on Friday for 4.18 million pounds (6.16 million euros, 7.43 million dollars).


Unemployment Drops to 5.4 Percent (AP)

AP - Employers stepped up hiring in August, expanding payrolls by 144,000 and lowering the unemployment rate marginally to 5.4 percent. While the figures didn't amount to a national job fair, analysts said, they did hold out the promise of stronger growth following the summer lull.


IBM Recalls Notebook Power Adapters (NewsFactor)

NewsFactor - IBM (NYSE: IBM) is recalling some 553,000 power adapters used with the company's\ThinkPad laptop computers sold worldwide between January 1999 and August 2000.


Global Mobile-Phone Sales Set New Records (NewsFactor)

NewsFactor - Sales of mobile phones took off in the second quarter, fueled in large part by replacement purchases in some regions of the world and a growing number of new users in developing markets, according to research firm Gartner.


The Frugal Investor (Forbes.com)

Forbes.com - Why do mutual funds charge so much? The smaller, newer ones argue that they need high fees to get started. The theory is that, once they attract a wad of assets, economies of scale will bring down the fee in percentage terms. Alas, this doesn't happen very often. Fund-tracker Lipper calculates that the average size of diversified domestic equity funds has doubled over the past ten years to  #36;1.4 billion, but still the average expense ratio hasn't gone down a whit. AllianceBernstein Growth  amp; Income doubled its assets in the past five years (to  #36;7. ...


Red Hat Names New CFO (NewsFactor)

NewsFactor - Linux provider Red Hat (Nasdaq: RHAT) announced the appointment of Charles E. Peters Jr. as executive vice president and chief financial officer.


Victims of Other Sudan Wars Neglected (AP)

AP - While the world focuses on the crisis in Darfur, three times as many people have been suffering for many more years in two other conflicts involving the Sudanese government.


Yankees' Giambi Treated for Tumor in Pituitary Gland (Reuters)

Reuters - New York Yankees first baseman\Jason Giambi has been receiving treatment for a benign tumor in\his pituitary gland.


Napster Launches Music-To-Go Service (NewsFactor)

NewsFactor - U.S. music-downloading service Napster has launched a preview version of its Napster To Go portable music service, which incorporates \Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) latest digital-rights management software, Janus.


UPS Says Gov't Approves China Epansion (AP)

AP - UPS Inc. says the government has given it the green light to triple its number of flights to China, a key international market in the shipping giant's growth plans.


Global Bond (Forbes.com)

Forbes.com - Balanced Funds\European Funds\Foreign Funds\Global Funds\Index Funds\Municipal-Long-Term\Municipal-Medium-Term\Municipal-One-State\Municipal-Short-Term\Pacific Funds\Stock Funds\Taxable-Ginnie Mae\Taxable-Junk\Taxable-Long-Term\Taxable-Medium-Term\Taxable-Short-Term\Taxable-U.S. Treasury


Former IBM Executive Takes EMC Position (AP)

AP - EMC Corp., the data storage company, named a former executive from rival IBM Corp. on Friday as its chief technology officer.


Report: Apple offered Sony iTunes deal (MacCentral)

MacCentral - Apple Computer Inc. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Steve Jobs offered Nobuyuki Idei, chairman and group CEO of Sony Corp., the chance for Sony to come aboard Apple's iTunes Music Store service, the Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun newspaper reported in its Sept. 2 edition. The offer would have allowed for joint operation of the service, the newspaper said.


Czechs Rout Germany in World Cup of Hockey (AP)

AP - The Czech Republic scored three goals in three minutes during the second period and routed Germany 7-2 Friday in the World Cup of Hockey.


Businesses Batten Down for Frances

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hurricane Frances threatens to dampen  sales, and possibly earnings, for a slew of companies -- from  insurers to airlines -- as business activity screeches to a  halt only three weeks after Hurricane Charley hit Florida.


Bush, Kerry Clash Over Latest Jobs Report (AP)

AP - President Bush hailed a slight decline in unemployment Friday as reason for his re-election, evidence the "economy is strong and getting stronger." Not so, said Sen. John Kerry, countering that the administration's term will end with a net loss of jobs.


Massu Fined  #36;1,000 for Throwing Racket (AP)

AP - Nicolas Massu was fined  #36;1,000 at the U.S. Open on Friday for throwing his racket during a loss to Sargis Sargsian in which the double Olympic gold medalist forfeited the opening game of the fifth set.


Spacewalking Astronauts Replace Equipment (AP)

AP - Leaving their orbiting outpost unmanned, the international space station's two astronauts floated outside on a spacewalk Friday and plugged in new antennas and replaced a worn-out piece of cooling equipment.