Hilton Profit Almost Triples on UK Bettors, Hotels (Update2) Hilton Group Plc, the operator of Hilton hotels outside the US, said first-half profit almost tripled, helped by gains at the Ladbrokes betting chain and a recovery in demand for hotel rooms.


MS, Intel Shepherd New Web Services Spec A host of companies led by Microsoft and Intel has revised and released a specification for making sure computer systems have a common way to communicate.


In Blow to Blu-Ray, Universal Backs HD DVD The HD DVD format has won a battle in its ongoing war with rival optical format Blu-ray with the announcement that Universal Pictures is backing the technology.


French state railways back in black in first half of 2004 (AFP) AFP - The French state-owned railway system was back in the black in the first half of 2004, posting a parent net profit of 43 million euros (52.4 million dollars) after losing 243 million euros in the first half of 2003, La Tribune economic news daily reported.


British Energy pre-empts Polygon by delisting shares The battle between British Energy and rebel shareholders seeking a better deal from the company #39;s 5bn restructuring plan intensified yesterday when the nuclear generator announced it was abandoning its London share listing.


ATI Xpress 200 Review November 08, 2004 - AnandTech have slapped up a great feature and review on ATI #39;s new chipset for AMD processors, which seems to give Nvidia a run for their money.


Image Flaw Exposes Users to Hacker Risk Because Internet Explorer is one of the programs vulnerable to a newly discovered Windows image flaw, it is possible that someone could fall victim to a virus written to exploit it just by visiting a Web site that uses JPEG images.


World Prize Still Within Henry #39;s Grasp Thierry Henry might find some consolation in the fact that the European Player of the Year has gone on to be crowned the worlds best only once in the last four years.


Singh Stays on Track for Fifth Win in Six Starts  FARMINGTON, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - World number one Vijay  Singh remained on course for his fifth win in six starts when  he shot a four-under-par 68 in the second round of the \$4.2  million Pennsylvania Classic Friday.


Dealing with higher rates The old adage  quot;three steps and a stumble quot; still has fans on Wall Street, but some analysts think it #39;s ready for the glue factory.


Trio 'to offer Iran nuclear deal' UK, France and Germany are to offer Iran incentives deal to give up nuclear its ambitions, US officials say.


No. 8 Georgia Beats Georgia Tech, 19-13 No. 8 Georgia Hangs on to Beat Georgia Tech, 19-13, After Collapsing in Second Half of Game. Georgia quarterback DJ Shockley evades Georgia Tech defender Gerris Wilkinson during the first quarter Saturday, Nov. 27, 2004 in Athens, Ga.


Oil Near \$49 as Iraq Violence Escalates LONDON (Reuters) - Global oil prices raced to fresh highs on Friday carrying US crude close to \$49 a barrel, driven by escalating violence in Iraq and unabated demand growth from China and India.


Injuries, frustration continue to mount in Miami Davie, FL (Sports Network) - The Miami Dolphins learned Monday that they could be without quarterbacks Jay Fiedler and AJ Feeley for this Sunday #39;s game against the Buffalo Bills.


Artful Software Spots Faked Masterpieces A new digital authentication technique supplies forensic art experts with a new tool to distinguish paintings by masters from those by imitators, scientists say.


Injuries Continue to Bedevil Cardinals (AP) AP - Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Kenny King needs surgery on his right wrist and probably will miss the season, the latest hit to a team struggling with injuries.


Scoring streak cheers Owen Real Madrid striker Michael Owen is delighted by the scoring streak which has brought him three game-winning goals in as many matches, news reports said Wednesday.


4 Firms to Vie for Army Intelligence Support Work Four companies were chosen to compete for work to be assigned under a five-year, \$209 million contract to provide information technology, management and intelligence support services to the Army Intelligence and Security Command.


NASA calls off launch of black hole-hunter CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- With just hours left in the countdown, NASA called off the launch Wednesday of a spacecraft that will hunt for emerging black holes.


USC-UCLA rivalry goes deep Growing up as a Southern California native, Jim Hardy wanted to play for USC since he was 8 years old. Many of the kids he grew up with and played football against would later become rivals of his at UCLA.


Game execs predict mergers, price cuts LOS ANGELES - Video game executives believe consolidation will be crucial to their future, but they also want further cuts to hardware prices to boost short-term growth, according to a report set for release this week.


IPod Music Player Winning Over Japan Fans When Sony Corp. President Kunitake Ando showed off the new Walkman meant to counter the assault by Apple's iPod portable music player, he held the prized gadget at the gala event upside down.


AOL to Support Sender ID E-Mail Standard America Online Inc. will support a new, modified version of the Sender ID e-mail authentication specification that is being submitted to the IETF for consideration Monday.


O #39;Neill hails heroes as Celtic earn vital point PERHAPS the most trying few days of his Celtic career so far would deepen the satisfaction Martin ONeill took from his teams extraordinary 1-1 Champions League draw with Barcelona at the renowned Nou Camp stadium last night.


N. Korea Economic Sanctions 'One Option' -- Japan (Reuters) Reuters - Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka\Machimura said on Thursday economic sanctions against North\Korea were "one option," but added that care was needed in\deciding whether Tokyo should take such a step immediately.


Donald Puddy, veteran NASA flight director Veteran NASA flight director Donald R. Puddy, who supervised Apollo, Skylab and early space shuttle missions from Mission Control, has died.


Martyn inspires Aussies #39; fightback MADRAS - Damien Martyn struck a valiant 104 to spark a remarkable Australian fightback in the second Test against India yesterday.


Woman claims Costco discriminates against female managers SAN FRANCISCO An assistant store manager at Costco filed a federal civil rights suit today in San Francisco. Shirley  quot;Rae quot; Ellis alleges she was passed over for a promotion because the retail chain #39;s policies discriminate against women.


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


Unions agree to Alitalia #39;s plan to split into two LONDON, September 24 (newratings.com) - Italian airline company, Alitalia (ALI.FSE), has reached an agreement with eight trade unions to support the plans to split the company into two separate entities, while the ninth and last union is expected to


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.


Police get cleric quiz extension Police have been granted more time to question radical cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri under the Terrorism Act.


US manufacturing expands Industrial output in the US has beaten forecasts in December, increasing for the 19th month in a row.


White Finalist for a Second Heisman Trophy (AP) AP - Jason White has a chance to join Archie Griffin as a two-time Heisman Trophy winner.


Syria, at UN, Says Israel Behind U.S. War on Iraq  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Syria on Monday accused Israel  of inciting the United States to invade Iraq to distract  attention from its own actions in the region, where it retains  its grip on the Palestinian territories won in a 1967 war.


Second-Ranked Auburn Downs Alabama TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (Sports Network) - Jason Campbell passed for 224 yards and a touchdown, Courtney Taylor caught four passes for 89 yards and a score, and No.


Burundi authorizes UN camp for Congolese refugees GENEVA, Aug. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- The government of Burundi has authorized the United Nations to set up a camp for newly-arrived Congolese refugees following the horrific attack on the Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi last Friday, UN officials said here ...


Net virus turf war resumes after rival #39;s arrest A new virus outbreak emerged on Thursday that packs a baffling message: a photograph of accused German virus author Sven Jaschan that security officials believe to be


At 4-1, they just might be Giants The New York Giants aren't just winning. They're doing the kinds of things winning teams do.


Final frontier: 'Star Wars Trilogy' on DVD (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Fans and retailers alike are preparing for the assault of the most anticipated DVD of them all: the Star Wars Trilogy.


Gurkha Soldiers Win Right to British Citizenship  LONDON (Reuters) - Gurkhas, who have served with British  army for nearly 200 years, won a landmark battle on Thursday to  be able to settle in the UK and gain British citizenship.


Martha is now inmate #55170-054 NEW YORK (CNNfn) - The Bureau of Prisons has assigned Martha Stewart an inmate register number, 55170-054, and its inmate locator Web site says Stewart is  quot;in transit.


Atari #39;s Sid Meier #39;s Pirates! Sails into Stores Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) and Firaxis Games announced today that the highly-anticipated sequel to one of the most popular and loved titles in gaming history has shipped to retail stores nationwide.


Dementieva wins title in Belgium Top-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva rallied Sunday to take a three-set win over Russian Elena Bovina in the final at the inaugural Gaz de France Stars.


#39;Highly critical #39; flaws fixed in RealPlayer RealNetworks Inc. recommends users download updates it released to patch multiple security holes in RealOne Player, RealPlayer and Helix Player.


Clinton Surgery Expected Early This Week Former President Bill Clinton's heart bypass, expected Monday or Tuesday, likely will be an ordinary replumbing of his ailing heart, not some new whiz-bang robotic or "keyhole" surgery, leading surgeons say.    And just as his operation is likely to be the same as the average American's, the delay in his surgery also suggests a problem typical for many patients: doctors and nurses off for the holiday weekend...


Daly-Donofrio wins LPGA champions tournament by 4 strokes Heather Daly-Donofrio holed out her second shot for eagle on the third hole and cruised to a four-stroke victory Sunday in the LPGA Tournament of Champions.


NYSE suspends Gold Fields trading The South African company Gold Fields Limited announced Friday that the New York Stock Exchange has suspended trading in its stock.


#39;Deserter #39; surrenders at US base US Army Sgt. Charles Robert Jenkins -- accused of defecting to North Korea 39 years ago -- is back on active duty Saturday after voluntarily turning himself at a military base in Japan.


Deutsche Bank Boosts Profit Through Cuts Deutsche Bank AG, Germnany #39;s largest bank, said Friday it increased its net profit by 18 percent in the third quarter by clamping down on costs and bad loans while increasing profit from trading securities.


Sony Ericsson posts 45 rise in profit Sony Ericsson, the Swedish-Japanese maker of cellphones, posted a 45 percent rise in net profit in the third quarter as a broadened product mix and the success of its camera phones bolstered sales.


Lens does away with blurry snaps \A specially shaped camera lens which means images are never out of focus could find its way onto camera phones.


Rio says he owes Sir Alex RIO FERDINAND plans to repay Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson for standing by him when he returns against Liverpool on Monday after an eight-month ban for missing a drugs test.


Sporadic gunfire in Najaf after aide says radical cleric orders fighters to leave Najaf shrine NAJAF, Iraq (AP) Sporadic gunfire echoed through Najaf on Friday after a night of heavy US bombing that saw radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr order his fighters to hand control of a revered Najaf ...


U.S., France on Top in Davis Cup Semis  LONDON (Reuters) - Andy Roddick cracked a 155 mph delivery,  two mph quicker than his own fastest serve record, to help push  the U.S. into a 2-0 lead over Belarus in their Davis Cup  semi-final on Friday.


Progress made over Iran #39;s nuke issue France says the European Union and Iran have made  quot;considerable progress quot; towards reaching a preliminary agreement on Tehran #39;s nuclear program at talks in Paris.


Judge Allows Atlanta's Furcal to Play in Playoffs (Reuters) Reuters - Despite a probation\violation on a drunken- driving charge, Atlanta Braves\shortstop Rafael Furcal may participate in the playoffs.


Warehouse offers cut-price coffins A US discount warehouse chain known for piling  #39;em high, and selling  #39;em cheap, is offering cut-price coffins along with the buckets of sauce and tubs of ice-cream under a new pilot program.


Sun Services CTO talks up Next Generation Data Center (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - Hal Stern holds the titles at Sun Microsystems of vice president, Distinguished Engineer, and CTO for Sun Services. He also has co-authored technical books on networking and high-availability techniques and, prior to joining Sun, developed molecular modeling software. InfoWorld Editor at Large Paul Krill met with Stern to discuss Sun #8217;s  #8220;Next Generation Data Center #8221; concept and to talk about subjects such as security, utility computing, and how the company stacks up its services efforts against IBM Global Services.


Oil dealer facing bankruptcy The parent company of the Petro home heating oil company, which serves over 100,000 customers on Long Island and in New York City, said today that the division is facing a liquidity crisis due in part to its inability to pass on record high heating oil


Ford, GM report weak November; Toyota, Nissan, Chrysler up (Detroit-AP) Dec. 2, 2004 - The nation #39;s two largest automakers are reporting weak November sales and announcing plans to reduce production.


Lessons from Hollinger fiasco Hollinger International Inc. #39;s special committee #39;s report that details the apparent abuse by senior executives at the company, primarily Conrad Black and David Radler, is the latest in a series of scandals that have shocked corporate boardrooms across the


Communists in India oppose fuel price increase NEW DELHI: A key communist ally of Indias Congress party-led coalition urged the government on Friday not to raise retail prices of petroleum products if possible despite soaring global oil prices.


We've Created a Monster! Three programming geeks use monsters and metaphors to turn the Sci Fi Channel into the best little horror house in the movie business. By Gary Wolf from Wired magazine.


Rockets nip Kings as NBA travels to China Hometown hero Yao Ming scored 14 points to lead the Houston Rockets to an 88-86 win over the Sacramento Kings Thursday night in the first ever NBA game played in China.


Iran Reasserts Its Right to Enrich Uranium as Standoff Persists Iran #39;s foreign minister said Saturday that Iran had every right to keep, for research purposes, some of the centrifuges that could be used to enrich uranium, an indication


DC #39;s Ballgame The leaves are just turning in the nation #39;s capital but with a hint of spring, perhaps because Washington is getting a slice of Americana back: a baseball team of its very own.


FDA under fire First, Vioxx was pulled from the market. Now attention turns to five other drugs, which deserve scrutiny, a Food and Drug Administration scientist warned Congress this week.


Now piracy curse strikes GTA: San Andreas Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has become the latest big name title to fall victim to the determined efforts of the piracy scene as the PS2 Rockstar opus leaked onto illegal download channels today.


Hardie boycotts start to bite BOYCOTTS of James Hardie building products over the company #39;s handling of asbestos liabilities were beginning to hurt sales in Australia, the company said today.


Insurance broker says no to commission Insurance broker Coyle Hamilton Willis is to stop accepting controversial contingent commissions from insurers, according to a report this morning.


Sears Nov. Same-Store Sales Above Views Sears, Roebuck  amp; Co. on Thursday said comparable domestic store revenue rose 2.8 percent in November, surpassing analysts #39; expectations for a decline of 0.3 percent.


Yanks Qualify, and Elvis Has Left for Boston ven the most-heralded Yankee rookies are hazed. Last September, Hideki Matsui slipped into a leopard-skin suit with a matching wide-brimmed hat.


Beavers Suspend Four Oregon State suspends four players for the Insight Bowl against Notre Dame on Dec. 28.


Microsoft battles piracy with free software As part of its growing effort to thwart piracy, Microsoft is offering free photo slideshow software to customers who verify that they have a genuine copy of Windows.


Microsoft #39;s multicultural missteps Microsoft #39;s lack of multicultural savvy cost the Redmond, Wash., behemoth millions of dollars, according to a company executive.


Will More Power for Intelligence Chief Mean Better Results? Congress is close to approving a broad intelligence overhaul, but the changes that will matter most still lie ahead.


Growing plans: AC #39;s newest casino plans big addition A winner with gamblers, Borgata Hotel Casino  amp; Spa wants to make room to accommodate more of them. The 2,010-room casino hotel, which is to break ground on a \$200 million


Karzai warning over drugs trade Afghan President Hamid Karzai says the  rampant drugs trade poses a bigger threat than the Soviet invasion.


US and 13 Other States Agree on Push to Gather Methane Gas The United States and 13 other countries signed an agreement on Tuesday to explore ways to capture methane gas emissions. Methane, a heat-trapping gas, is the primary component of natural gas.


Turkey opens  quot;window of opportunity quot; with reform: OECD PARIS (AFP) - Turkey has opened up a window of opportunity with market reforms since a deep crisis four years ago and progress over EU membership would give a big boost, the OECD said in a report.


Federer and Roddick Ease Into Thailand Semi-Finals  BANGKOK (Reuters) - Top seeds Roger Federer and Andy  Roddick reached the Thailand Open semi-finals with  straight-sets wins on Friday.


Rout leaves Yanks #39; lead at 3 Royals gain control with 10-run 5th Against a nothing-to-lose team such as the Kansas City Royals, the Yankees #39; manager wanted his team to put down the hammer early and not let baseball #39;s second worst team believe it had a chance.


Cink eases to four-shot win at NEC Invitational Stewart Cink maintained his composure to register an even par final round score of 70 for a four-shot victory at the \$7 million WGC-NEC Invitational on Sunday, his second win of the season.


With Curt limping, swagger disappears BOSTON -- Curt was the subject on everyone #39;s lips, Curse was the subject on everyone #39;s mind. Two games into their showdown with the hated Yankees, the poor, bedeviled and favored Red Sox have suffered no less


Gains by Extremist Parties Troubling Germany woke up to fears that the political tremors sparked by state elections in Saxony and Brandenburg on Sunday could lead to deeper division within their country and scare off investors.


Diamondbacks Sign Shortstop Clayton  PHOENIX (Sports Network) - The Arizona Diamondbacks signed  free agent shortstop Royce Clayton to a one-year contract on  Tuesday. Financial terms were not released.


Shibui breaks Berlin Marathon record; Limo wins men #39;s race Japan #39;s Yoko Shibui overcame a run-in with an official to win the Berlin Marathon on Sunday in a race-record 2 hours, 19 minutes, 41 seconds, the fourth-best time for a woman at the distance.


US stocks mark time ahead of poll US shares closed just a tad lower last night as the amrket held its breath ahead of the US election. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 7.82 points adrift (0.


Gordon Strachan touted as Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp made the jump from Portsmouth to Southampton. Is Gordon Strachan about to move in the opposite direction? Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric said Tuesday he plans


Seven dead in Baghdad blast Interior Ministry officials had earlier said the blast on Tuesday was caused by a car bomb. At least five cars were ...


13 Dec, 2004 - Miller wins Val d #39;Isere Giant Slalom Hermann Maier faltered to give Bode Miller victory in the men #39;s Giant Slalom at Val d #39;Isre on Sunday. Maier had led after the first leg but, along with fellow Austrian #39;s Gruber and Raich, stuttered on the


Conference committee accepts sales tax deductibility WASHINGTON -- A provision that would allow residents of seven states, including Washington, to deduct sales taxes on their federal tax returns made it out of conference committee Wednesday and moved to the House and Senate.


Diet and Lose Weight? Scientists Say 'Prove It!' A new study finds little evidence that commercial weight-loss programs help people drop excess pounds.


Applied Materials Signals Caution Applied Materials (AMAT:Nasdaq - news - research) posted sharply higher net income in its fiscal fourth quarter but said it had seen demand decelerate recently.


Rob White acknowledges Spa is a tough test for the V10 Spa is among the most demanding circuits for the engine, and Rob White explains the challenge of this unusual circuit.


Bombs hit US, British targets in Turkish cities (AFP) AFP - Four bombs that went off simultaneously in separate Turkish cities targeting British and US interests caused material damage and left one man slightly injured, Anatolia news agency reported.


HENMAN WARY OF LJUBICIC #39;S POWER Tim Henman is well aware of the potential damage which his next opponent Ivan Ljubicic could cause in the third round of the Madrid Masters Series.


At Country Clubs, Gay Members Want All Privileges for Partners The hot topic at many golf clubs is one few members could have dreamed of talking about a decade ago.


Ten-Year-Old Grilled Cheese Sandwich Is Back On E-Bay E-Bay pulled the grilled cheese image of the Virgin Mary from its Web site, but reversed its decision Tuesday and put the 10-year-old sandwich back on the auction block.


Stocks Seen Lower as Oil Adds Pressure  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures trimmed early  losses but pointed to a lower market open on Monday, following  a broad sell-off on Friday, as oil prices set new records above  \$55 a barrel, fueling worries that soaring energy costs will  bite into corporate profits.


Two sides to Indonesian election JAKARTA A bomb in Jakarta 11 days before Indonesia #39;s presidential election may lead voters to decide a neck-and-neck race based on security concerns.


More for Dorrell LOS ANGELES UCLA football coach Karl Dorrell has been given a two-year extension, putting him under contract with the Bruins through the 2010 season.


Lenovo reveals IBM warranty costs rising steadily In detailing its agreement to acquire IBM's personal computing division, China's Lenovo Group revealed data about growing warranty costs for Big Blue's PC business, and in doing so raised questions about quality control issues.


Oracle Micro-Sizes App Prices For Small Businesses It #39;s pushing its Application Server Standard Edition One, a full-sized version of the Standard Edition app server, but priced at \$4,995.


UN officials say Palestinian girl shot by Israeli troops while in <b>...</b> GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip UN officials say a ten-year-old Palestinian girl is in critical condition after being shot in the head by Israeli forces while sitting in school.


British researchers trace John Kerry's family back to European royalty (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - LONDON (AP) - Senator John Kerry has blue blood from all the royal houses of Europe, with even more titled relations than President George W. Bush, Burke's Peerage said Monday.


Russian school siege: Your reaction Russian authorities are trying to negotiate with the armed group holding at least 200 hostages, many of them children. The heavily armed militants stormed the school in Beslan on Wednesday and are demanding


Update 2: Interbrew Shareholders Back Ambev Move Shareholders of Belgian brewer Interbrew SA on Friday backed the planned \$11.4 billion combination of their family company with Brazil #39;s Ambev in a deal that would form the world #39;s largest brewer by volume.


Haas, Cink Join Ryder Cup Team Jay Haas became the second-oldest player to be on the Ryder Cup team, joining Stewart Cink as the two captain's picks Monday for a U.S. team that will try to regain the cup from Europe next month.


EU Ministers Nix Punishment Proposal (AP) AP - European Union finance ministers gave a cold shoulder Saturday to France's contentious proposal to cut off development funds for EU newcomers unless they agree to stop luring Western companies  #151; and jobs  #151; with low tax rates.


Retailers' Nov. Same-Store Sales Sluggish  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Major U.S. retailers reported tepid  November sales on Thursday, as discounting lured customers, but  high energy prices and nagging concerns about a soggy job  market kept buying in check.


VERIZON CATCHES \$3B NEXTWAVE November 6, 2004 -- Verizon Wireless will buy NextWave Telecom Inc. #39;s airwaves for \$3 billion, increasing capacity in New York and 22 other cities, as part of efforts to reclaim the No.


Ballet Flats? Walking Shoes? Nah. It's Round Toes and High Heels. A noticeable trend this fall is the full-fledged arrival of round-toed, high-heeled shoes like the ones Ginger Rogers wore when she danced with Fred Astaire - only higher.


Some Drug Makers Find That Vaccines Are Good Business Some have explained the flu vaccine shortage by saying that the vaccines business holds little allure, but vaccines, it turns out, can make for good business.


Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Found Innocent of Treason (Update5) Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of Zimbabwe #39;s opposition and the strongest ever challenger to the 24-year rule of President Robert Mugabe, was found not guilty of treason by the country #39;s High Court.


Notre Dame wins National Championship on penalty kicks Cary, NC (Sports Network) - Notre Dame won its second women #39;s soccer title Sunday as it edged UCLA, 4-3 on penalty kicks. The two teams were tied at one after 110 minutes of regulation and two  quot;golden goal quot; overtime periods.


Pool Queen Celebrates with a Beach Party  ATHENS (Reuters) - Her tumble-turn mightn't be as fast as  it once was but when it comes to turning heads, Inge de Bruijn  is still queen of the pool.


Microsoft Renews Play for Digital Home Microsoft #39;s (Quote, Chart) newest digital entertainment campaign got some play today, as the company announced its latest move into your home on the back of Windows XP Media Center 2005.


US Construction Spending Down in Nov  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. construction spending fell  unexpectedly by 0.4 percent in November, as a cooling in  residential construction overpowered a small rise in public  spending, a government report showed on Monday.


Experts Calculate Risk of Uncontrolled Hubble Re-entry (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - If NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (HST) fireballs into Earth's atmosphere on its own, the reentry of that massive orbiting observatory violates the space agency's own safety standard.


AP: Saddam Abused Oil-For-Food Program (AP) AP - Interviews with dozens of former and current Iraqi officials by congressional investigators have produced new evidence that Saddam Hussein micro-managed business deals under the U.N. oil-for-food program to maximize political influence with important foreign governments like Russia and neighboring Arab states.


Bells #39; video gamble com November 22, 2004, 4:00 AM PT. Wired  amp; Wireless continues its reign as the top IT priority among IT managers due to widespread IP telephony deployment and other network infrastructure upgrades.


Magnets make sure pigeons fly home Homing pigeons carry out their long-range navigational feat thanks to tiny magnetic particles in their upper beaks, scientists confirm.


Five eye Sicilian bridge contract Five groups will compete for a contract to build a long-awaited bridge linking Sicily with mainland Italy, reports from Italy say.


China gives bullet-train contract to Japan BEIJING - A consortium of Japanese firms led by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. won a \$12 billion contract to provide high-speed trains to China, Xinhua news agency said on Monday.


My Blog as a Time Machine \\I'm starting to realize that my blog is a bit of a time machine.  For example I\can create a blog entry to warn myself about something that WILL happen in the\future.  \\My current NTP  blog entry is a good example.  I wrote this for myself as\much as for the people who read my blog (or find me via Google).\\I know for sure that NTP on Debian is going to bite me sometime in the future\and I'm going to forget WHY.  Then I'm going to (of course) go to Google or my\aggregator and search for NTP and then find my blog post.  \\I've done this about a dozen times now and its saved me a TON of time!\\


The mother of all sponsorships Emirates Airline and Arsenal Football Club have signed the biggest club sponsorship in football history, collectively worth about 100 million (Rs 816.


Photos: Handheld fever grips Japan Consumers get psyched for the release of Nintendo and Sony gaming devices.


I lied, says sacked PeopleSoft chief Craig Conway, former PeopleSoft CEO, admitted he misled investors when he said people had  quot;lost interest quot; in Oracle #39;s bid for his company.


Darfur talks on ambitious peace path The African Union has set an ambitious agenda for a political solution to the two-year-old Darfur conflict at the opening of peace talks in Nigeria, but says continued fighting is poisoning the atmosphere.


Apple's iPod a Huge Hit in Japan The iPod is proving a colossal hit on the Japanese electronics and entertainment giant's home ground. The tiny white machine is catching on as a fashion statement and turning into a cultural icon here, much the same way it won a fanatical following in the United States.


Mittal Family Forges \$17.8 Bln Steel Deal  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Lakshmi Mittal, one of the UK's  wealthiest men, will merge his steel assets and buy  International Steel Group Inc. in a deal worth \$17.8 billion to  form the world's largest steel company.


Stocks Edge Higher on Retail Report Stocks rose steadily in late trading Friday as Wall Street welcomed a new retail sales report that showed an increase in consumer spending.


Japan: Participation, Not Pledges, Key in Iraq Meet (Reuters) Reuters - Japan hopes new pledges to rebuild Iraq\will emerge as international donors meet in Tokyo from\Wednesday, but it sees broader participation in stabilizing the\war-torn country as even more important than fresh funds.


More powerful American tug takes over towing of stricken Canadian <b>...</b> HALIFAX (CP) - A more powerful American navy tug took over the towing of a disabled Canadian submarine Saturday, moving up its expected arrival in Scotland to late Sunday.


Compete against your friends, SI experts and celebrities in this <b>...</b> On Wednesday, Joe Gibbs kept rubbing his eyes when he spoke after practice, as if in need of a late afternoon nap. On Friday, his answers were short and void of any emotion.


Pfizer Affirms Celebrex Safety The news report, based on voluntary spontaneous event reporting to Canadian Health authorities, is misleading. The story is not supported by any clinical or epidemiological studies and has the potential to


Congress seeks to end rule that favors banks  WASHINGTON -- Congress is trying to end a practice that unintentionally has allowed banks to take in billions of dollars meant to help students pay for college.


Jailed uprising leader Barghouti will seek Palestinian presidency Jailed uprising leader Marwan Barghouti has decided to run for Palestinian Authority president in a Jan. 9 election, seeking to succeed the late Yasser Arafat


Nike Profit Up on Strong U.S. Demand  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Nike Inc. NKE.N, the world's  largest athletic shoe company, on Monday reported a 25 percent  rise in quarterly profit, beating analysts' estimates, on  growing demand for its namesake products in the United States.


Rivers's holdout is over Rookie quarterback Philip Rivers ended his lengthy holdout, agreeing to terms on a six-year contract with the San Diego Chargers last night.


Bahrain Activist Pardoned by King Bahrain #39;s king pardoned a human rights activist who convicted of inciting hatred of the government and sentenced to one year in prison Sunday in a case linked to criticism of the prime minister.


Teresa Kerry may bring African roots to the White House (AFP) AFP - In a villa overlooking the Indian Ocean, Teresa Simoes Ferreira grew up in the segregated privilege of Portuguese-ruled Mozambique where she accompanied her father on medical rounds in poor rural areas.


US should not have hyphenated ties with India, Pakistan : New York, Sep 23 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the US should not have a  quot;hyphenated relationship quot; between India and Pakistan as ties with New Delhi had its own dynamics and ought to develop independent of the geopolitical compulsions that led


#39;Tankan #39; sees first slide in 21 months; recovery past peak Business confidence at Japan #39;s large manufacturers in the October-December quarter worsened for the first time in 21 months, and the outlook for next quarter is even dimmer, according to the


Fallen student, fan mourned Victoria  quot;Torie quot; Snelgrove, the college student fatally injured by a pepper-spray projectile during a Red Sox celebration last week, was laid


Landslide buries Chinese village A landslide engulfs a village in southern China, leaving 65 people missing, state media reports


Some bank credits included on Parmalat list An Italian judge has included some of Parmalat #39;s debts owed to banks on an official list of creditors but excluded some others, court documents showed on Friday.


LOTS OF HOOP-LA IN HARLEM EVICT SUIT November 5, 2004 -- A Harlem community group says the National Basketball Players Association has unleashed a full-court press to try to bounce them out of their offices.


McAfee takes on more spyware McAfee Inc. on Monday plans to announce an add-on for its enterprise antivirus products to offer increased protection against spyware.


State of the Search Marketing Industry Danny Sullivan's wide-ranging keynote address at Search Engine Strategies San Jose prodded several raw nerves in the industry, sparing neither search marketers nor the search engines themselves, reports Andrew Goodman.


Lockheed Wins Navy Satellite Contract Worth \$3.3 Bln (Update2) Lockheed Martin Corp., the top US defense contractor, won a US Navy contract worth as much as \$3.3 billion to develop and build a group of satellites to provide communications for ground troops.


Filipino Rescuers Pull 4 Storm Survivors (AP) AP - At least four survivors were pulled Thursday from a building that collapsed in mudslides 10 days ago, while the death toll from devastating storms in the Philippines' northeast rose to at least 842, with more than 750 people missing.


Intel's Barrett takes on the 'power challenge' CEO tells why the move to multicore chips is a necessary one, and how Intel "ate crow." Also: the Microsoft and AMD factors.


Al-Qaeda sanctions  #39;ineffective #39; UNITED NATIONS (BBC) -- A UN committee has found that sanctions imposed against al-Qaeda and the former Taleban have had little impact on the groups #39; operations.


Toyota #39;s 2nd-Qtr Profit Shrinks on Yen, Units #39; Slump (Update5) Toyota Motor Corp., the world #39;s second- largest carmaker, had an unexpected drop in quarterly profit as earnings at its truck making unit fell and a stronger yen cut the value of its overseas sales.


Bush to Thank Canadians for Post-9/11 Aid (AP) AP - When the United States closed its airspace after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, more than 200 airliners were diverted to airports across Canada, where stranded travelers were welcomed into homes.


Update 3: CEO: Altria Preparing to Break Up Company Tobacco and food giant Altria Group Inc. is moving ahead with preparations to break itself up into two or three businesses, the company #39;s chairman and CEO said Thursday.


Music Industry Is Trying Out Digital-Only Releases Record labels are looking to digital sales as a first step on the road to the larger music marketplace after years of infighting over how to sell music online.


Sirius Names Mel Karmazin as Its CEO In the latest coup for the fledgling satellite radio industry, Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. on Thursday named former Viacom Inc. President Mel Karmazin as its chief executive officer.


Spanish leader Barcelona draws 1-1 with Athletic Bilbao on <b>...</b> Samuel Eto #39;o took his scoring total to eight this season as FC Barcelona drew 1-1 with Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish league on Saturday.


SQL Server pros aren #39;t charmed by open source They are curious about the growing number of open source database products on the market, but some SQL Server DBAs say they remain doubtful that companies will adopt it for the long haul.


Tata Consulting Services makes successful IPO Indian software and services giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) made its stock market debut today, jumping 16 per cent over the day as investors piled money into the firm.


Tesco sees profits jump to 822m Supermarket giant Tesco sees first half profits jump 24.2 to 822m (\$1.47bn) and said its sales of non-food items continues to grow.


The men who could replace Arafat Analysts say securing the popular vote is key for the credibility of new Palestinian leadership.


Rupe tries roadblock Rupert Murdoch wants to put up another gate to keep media mogul John Malone from buying a bigger stake in his kingdom. One week after adopting a poison pill to protect his News Corp.


Fannie Mae Says Regulator Finds Accounting Missteps (Update10) Fannie Mae #39;s federal regulator found the largest US mortgage finance company violated accounting rules, raising doubts #39; #39; about the validity of earnings.


North Beaches CAPE CANAVERALShuttles in good shape, but VAB loses more panels. NASA #39;s three space shuttles are just fine, but the already damaged Vehicle Assembly Building lost more of wall panels to Hurricane Jeanne.


Bush: Kerry's Plans Would Require Tax Hike COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - President Bush told supporters Tuesday in the conservative heart of Colorado that John Kerry cannot pay for the domestic programs he is proposing unless taxes are raised on the middle class...


Another victory for Miller World Cup leader Bode Miller won the slalom yesterday at Sestriere, Italy, to join Marc Girardelli as the only men to win races in all four disciplines in a season. Miller, of Franconia, N.H., won for the sixth time in 10 World Cup races by finishing two runs down the 2006 Olympic course in a combined 1 minute 39.03 seconds. ...


Mars Hills, Crater Yield Evidence of Flowing Water LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The hills of Mars yielded more tantalizing clues about how water shaped the Red Planet in tests by NASA #39;s robotic geologist, Spirit, while its twin, Opportunity, observed the deep crater it climbed into two months ...


Religious Meeting in Indonesia Aims to Blunt Radicals  YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (Reuters) - Indonesia's president  will open an international religious conference in the world's  most populous Muslim nation on Monday aimed at sending a  message of moderation in the region's battle against violent  religious radicalism.


Mozilla Updates Firefox Browser Mozilla has released a preview version of its open source FireFox Web browser. FireFox 1.0PR includes some bug fixes and many new features, including Live Bookmarks, a new Find toolbar and better IE compatability.


Policeman 'saw fatal train crash' An off-duty policeman watched a train plough into a car on a level crossing  in Berkshire, killing six people.


BlackBerry Maker #39;s Patent Suit Upheld A US appeals court upheld a patent infringement finding against BlackBerry e-mail device maker Research In Motion Ltd. on Tuesday, but struck down part of the ruling and


US Women's NBA stars get the message - gold or failure (AFP) AFP - Hours before the United States women's basketball Dream Team routed Greece 102-72 to reach the Olympic semi-finals, US captain Dawn Staley gathered the squad to make sure they knew the stakes.


Gunmen seize Brit and two Americans The Iraqi Interior Ministry today said the men were seized from their house in the al-Mansour neighbourhood at dawn. Reports said that there was no fighting during the incident but neither the Foreign Office


U.S. Stocks Gain as Oil Eases  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks made gains in light volume  on Friday as investors were encouraged about the prospects for  corporate profits after oil prices eased from their peak.


Purdue Wants to Win for Keady This Season (AP) AP - In Gene Keady's 24 years on the Purdue sideline, few have been more trying than last season. His Boilermakers were flying high after winning the Great Alaska Shootout, but it was mostly downhill from there. Losses, injuries and academic ineligibility plagued the team, as it limped to a 17-14 finish and missed the NCAA tournament for the third time in four years.


Haiti Won't Yield to Rebel Demands, President Says  PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Reuters) - Haitian President  Boniface Alexandre said on Thursday his administration would  not give in to rebels who took over a southern town six days  ago to back demands for the reestablishment of the army.


Abbott to buy nutrition company Abbott Laboratories Monday said it has agreed to pay \$320 million in cash to acquire EAS, a privately held company that sells nutritional products including AdvantEdge low-carbohydrate nutrition bars.


HAMAS FIEND SURRENDERS IN HIS SKIVVIES JERUSALEM - A terrorist commander who had sent homicide bombers to blow themselves up surrendered meekly in his underwear yesterday after Israeli paratroopers surrounded his West Bank hideout.


IBM creates fastest super model in the world International Business Machines Corp (IBM) said it created the world #39;s fastest supercomputer and is using it as the model for smaller, less costly systems due next year that can handle trillions of calculations a second.


Defense Lawyers in Disney Trial Try to Discredit a Witness Defense lawyers in the Walt Disney trial on Friday tried to undermine the credibility of a witness who testified that company directors neglected their oversight


Afghan Vice President Survives Attack  KABUL (Reuters) - An Afghan vice president survived an  assassination attempt Monday when a remotely controlled device  was detonated near his convoy, while two soldiers from the  U.S.-led coalition were killed in a separate gunbattle.


No BC in BCS Adios, Fiesta. Sayonara, Sugar. Bye-bye, Bowl Championship Series. Gator, why don't you give a call?


Developing nations, coal users to account for growth: IEA WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- If current government policies stay as they are, emissions of carbon dioxide from energy production activities will grow by about 60 percent between now and 2030, a report released by the International Energy Agency on Tuesday said.


Newfound Star Cluster may be Final Milky Way 'Fossil' Jet Propulsion Lab -- Just when astronomers thought they might have dug up the last of our galaxy's "fossils," they've discovered a new one in the galactic equivalent of our own backyard.     Called globular clusters, these ancient bundles of stars date back to the birth of our Milky Way galaxy, 13 or so billion years ago...


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


S.Korean industrial output growth slides to nine-month low South Korea #39;s industrial output growth plunged to a nine-month low with 5.7 percent growth rate in October due to cooling exports and protracted weak consumer spending, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said Monday.


Glen Johnson: More Than  quot;The Other Guy quot; Fighting Roy Jones <b>...</b> In any aspect of life you would like to think that eventually - in some way, shape or form - that justice will be done, that the right thing would happen to the right people.


Taiwan denies plutonium testing TAIPEI - Taiwan denied that the island #39;s nuclear weapons programme - abandoned in the 1980s - involved experimenting with separating plutonium.


Judge gives lawyers more time to review evidence in Regina election challenge (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - REGINA (CP) - A judge has given lawyers for former NDP MP Dick Proctor more time to pore over federal voter lists as they try to force a byelection that could, if successful, ultimately shift the balance of power in the House of Commons.


Zarqawis Al-Qaeda Allegiance Intelligence Work: Expert The alleged allegiance of Al-Tawheed wal Jihad group in Iraq to Al-Qaeda network of Osama Bin Laden pledged in an unverified statement


SEC Chief: Vote Near on Market Crackdown  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange  Commission will vote soon on new governance and disclosure  rules for the groups that oversee America's stock markets, SEC  Chairman William Donaldson said on Thursday.


FAO Schwarz back in play On a 22-foot-long piano keyboard, dancers jumped on giant keys, each step setting off a note of  quot;Chopsticks. quot;. Over by the soda fountain, blue-shirted servers learned to make the Volcano, a


Are steroids as bad as we think they are? IT MAY NOT HAVE been the most substantive line in President Bush #39;s State of the Union address last January, but it had to be the least controversial.


Education Unit, TV Hike Wash Post Profit  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Washington Post Co. WPO.N said on  Friday that quarterly profit jumped, boosted by results at its  Kaplan education unit and television broadcasting operations.


UPDATE 4-Pakistan crumble for 179 as Woolmer fumes Australia, buoyed by Justin Langer #39;s 191, skittled Pakistan for 179 on the second day of the first test in Perth to take total control of the match.


U.S. Seeks to Keep UBS Cup Streak Alive (AP) AP - The Americans have never lost the UBS Cup, which returns to South Carolina this week for the fourth competition in the Ryder Cup-style event.


RP, MILF agree on JI inspections The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front agreed yesterday to conduct a joint inspection of MILF-held areas suspected to be hosting training camps of the regional terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in Mindanao.


Back to work Wall Street #39;s long vacation comes to an end, with a lot of old news to chew on. Oh, and the Fed. by Mark Gongloff, CNN/Money senior writer.


U.S. Ambassador Appeals to Some Taliban (AP) AP - The top U.S. official in Afghanistan called Thursday on the Taliban to give up their three-year insurgency against American forces, pledging "non-criminal" fighters will left in peace if they acknowledge the authority of President-elect Hamid Karzai.


Continental Airlines Elects Jeff Smisek to Its Board of Directors HOUSTON, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continental Airlines (NYSE:CAL) today announced the election of Jeff Smisek, executive vice president and president-elect of Continental Airlines, Inc.


Official: War on Drugs at 'Tipping Point' (AP) AP - Amid record seizures of cocaine and massive spraying of coca plantations, a senior U.S. official says the "tipping point" in the war on drugs has finally been reached. But skeptics are unconvinced and say the war remains unwinnable.


Tigers torment Miss. St. BATON ROUGE, La. -- Alley Broussard ran for a career-high three touchdowns in the first 17 minutes and No. 13 Louisiana State held Mississippi State to seven first downs and 130 yards in a 51-0 blowout yesterday.


Turmoil in Jerusalem as Sharon breaks up coalition. . . ARIEL SHARONS shaky government was in turmoil last night after the Israeli Prime Minister sacked the junior partner from his ruling coalition.


Bomb blasts, firing kill 44 in Nagaland, Guwahati GUWAHATI: At least 44 persons were killed and 100 others wounded in firing and series of bomb blasts in Indian eastern states Nagaland, Assam, and Guwahati here on Saturday.


Mass. tops life science ranking Massachusetts is better poised to capitalize on biotechnology and pharmaceuticals than any other state, according to a study to be released today by the Milken Institute, an independent economic think tank.


Scotsman praised as media urged to keep Dafur in spotlight POLITICIANS and aid agencies yesterday stressed the importance of the media in keeping the spotlight on the appalling human rights abuses taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan.


Cisco plans to invest \$12m in Japanese R amp;D centre Cisco Systems, Inc. has announced its intent to open a research and development centre in Tokyo, Japan. The company informs that the facility will open in February, 2005, and will represent an initial \$12


PeopleSoft: Oracle's Offer Is Inadequate (AP) AP - Oracle Corp.'s  #36;21-per-share hostile takeover bid for PeopleSoft Inc. isn't good enough for shareholders to accept, PeopleSoft director A. George "Skip" Battle said Wednesday.


Lebedeva makes amends in long jump Tatyana Lebedeva led a Russian 1-2-3 in the Olympic women #39;s long jump final as Marion Jones of the United States missed out on a medal.


Time Warner #39;s profit declines NATIONAL COMPANIES The world #39;s largest media company set aside a \$500 million reserve in anticipation of settling government investigations into its bookkeeping.


Insurers paying for rural health project Patients in rural communities across Georgia soon will have quick access to big-city medical specialists thanks to a live-video hookup that will serve 36 rural hospitals.


#39;Seattle Times #39; writer admits plagiarism A business columnist at the Seattle Times in the United States has resigned after admitting he copied the work of other journalists.


Netflix stock drops 41 percent Investors hit the rewind button on Netflix Inc. shares Friday, sending the DVD rental company #39;s stock down 41 percent amid an intensifying price war.


Studies confirm findings Clinic from 3 years ago Three years after cardiologists at the Cleveland Clinic warned of the dangers of the popular arthritis drug Vioxx, subsequent studies have found that the medication puts patients at greater risk of heart attacks and strokes.


How the ferocious T rex revealed its fluffy side The image of the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex may never be the same again after a study published today suggests that it was probably fluffy, being covered with a downy covering


Murphy Acquitted of Sexual Abuse Charges NBA Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy was acquitted Monday of charges he sexually abused five of his 10 daughters more than a decade ago.


Afghanistan says hopes rise for release of UN workers Get INQ7 breaking news on your Smart mobile phone in the Philippines. Send INQ7 BREAKING to 386. KABUL, Afghanistan -- Afghanistan #39;s government said Tuesday that progress had been made towards freeing three


Bush Asks McCain to Help the Fight Against Political Ads President Bush says he wants to join Republican Senator John McCain in the fight against political ads by outside groups. The announcement comes just weeks after McCain called for Bush to condemn an anti-John


Fake email targets Red Hat Linux LINUX distributor Red Hat has warned about an email scam designed to lure users of its open source software to download a fake update.


Gas Prices Continue Slide, Down to \$1.93/gallon  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. average retail gasoline prices  fell over the last two weeks and are poised to slip even  further as crude oil prices continue to tumble, an industry  analyst said on Sunday.


USA beats Australia For three quarters the US Men #39;s Olympic Team (2-1) chased Australia (1-2) and still heading into the final 10 minutes the Americans trailed 67-65. Stepping up its defense, the US reeled off 10 consecutive points to take control of the game and went on to ...


Duffield:  Oracle's skewing facts on stock sales PeopleSoft's CEO fires back at rival, saying it's wrong about his stock transactions. Both companies scramble ahead of Friday deadline.


Here Comes the Sun America #39;s space program owes an unexpected debt to Batman - as well as to Seabiscuit, the Hulk and dozens of other movie projects.


US Trade Deficit No Cause for Alarm-Evans  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Secretary Don Evans on  Tuesday brushed off financial market concerns about America's  massive trade deficit and stressed that a recent sharp uptick  was fueled in part by surging energy prices.


NASA Tracks Three Space Bursts, Says Stellar Explosions Imminent (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - Three powerful bursts of energy from different regions of space could presage \  spectacular explosions of huge stars, astronomers just announced.


Kiely on hand to save the day for Addicks CHARLTON goalkeeper Dean Kiely produced a fine performance at The Valley last night - his stunning save from Southampton #39;s Rory Delap #39;s second-half screamer was right out of the top drawer - while some swift reactions also bailed the Addicks out of


Croats Vote in Presidential Election (AP) AP - Croats voted Sunday whether to give President Stipe Mesic a second term in an election that was not monitored by international observers, an indication of the former Yugoslav country's democratic progress since it gained independence in a bloody 1992 war with a rebel Serb minority.


Britain Charges 8 in Terror Plot Tied to U.S. Alert  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain charged eight terrorism suspects  Tuesday and said one had plans which could be used in terror  attacks on U.S. financial targets in New York, New Jersey and  Washington.


Traditional MBA programs receiving fewer applications A shrinking pool of young adults, a dearth of international students and a tight job market are reducing demand for traditional, two-year master of business administration programs across the country.


Trinidad #39;s sights on Hopkins In the wee hours yesterday morning, promoter Don King stood at a podium inside Madison Square Garden and -- in the midst of a bombastic assault on his


NASA  #39;Scramjet #39; Soars Almost 7,000 Mph In this photo released by NASA, the X-43A  quot;scramjet quot; is seen attached to a modified Pegasus rocket under the wing of a B-52 aircraft before its release off the Southern California coast Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2004.


Koizumi Says Japan Will Stay in Iraq (AP) AP - Japan's prime minister, a staunch U.S. ally in Iraq, refused on Wednesday to withdraw Japan's troops from the country, taking a tough stance in the face of demands by militants threatening to behead a Japanese hostage unless the soldiers leave.


Martens not guilty, says her days in assisted suicide movement are over (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - DUNCAN, B.C. (CP) - Evelyn Martens, found not guilty Thursday of helping two British Columbia women commit suicide, said her days in Canada's assisted suicide movement are over.


Delta to sell planes, spare engines to FedEx Delta Air Lines (DAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said it reached a deal with FedEx Express to sell eight McDonnell Douglas MD11 aircraft and four spare engines for delivery in 2004.


Three major music labels tie up with P2P service Three major music labels have signed up to allow their music to be used by the Peer Impact peer-to-peer (P2P) service, according to a report from the Reuters news agency.


Pakistan's PM says peace with India hinges on Kashmir (Reuters) Reuters - Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Wednesday he remained hopeful that sustainable peace could be achieved with India after a friendly meeting with his counterpart Manmohan Singh.


#39;Oil price set to fall #39; Global oil prices should soon fall, partly because of expected supply increases from Iraq, the head of the Opec cartel forecast today.


American Bowl returns to Tokyo in 2005 The Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts will begin the preseason Aug. 6 in the American Bowl in Tokyo, the record 12th time an NFL game will be played in the city.


BellSouth, SBC in new JV; to buy YellowPages.com NEW YORK, November 4 (newratings.com) - SBC Communications Inc (SBC.NYS) and BellSouth Corporation (BLS) have agreed to acquire the online directory publisher, www.


Three fans banned for racially abusing Yorke Three men have been banned from football matches for five years after Birmingham City striker Dwight Yorke was racially abused at Blackburn Rovers last month, a court official said on Thursday.


Linux release features Windows support Release makes use of technology from CodeWeavers to let customers run applications from Microsoft.


HBOS in talks to fund 8bn Abbey bid HBOS is said to be in talks with potential financial backers over how to fund an 8bn takeover bid for Abbey National in a move to break up a takeover plan from Spain #39;s Banco Santander Central Hispano.


Microsoft releases patch to plug IE vulnerability Microsoft today released an out-of-cycle security bulletin and patch for a critical hole in Internet Explorer that is already being widely exploited by attackers.


Wilkinson to raise the bar Sir Clive Woodward yesterday joined the chorus of acclaim that greeted Jonny Wilkinson #39;s return to action on Tuesday night after eight months on the sidelines with a neck injury.


Rocket attack stops presidential visit Afghan President Hamid Karzai aborted a trip to a provincial capital today after a rocket hit near the landing site for his helicopter.


New York Hopes to Win Olympics by Dividing Votes The people behind New York City's bid for the 2012 Summer Games think they have a chance to beat the four competing European capitals.


Niners' Lloyd Inactive for Seahawks Game (AP) AP - San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Lloyd was inactive for Sunday's game at Seattle because of a strained groin.


Red Crescent aid convoy enters Fallujah A Red Crescent convoy of emergency supplies entered Fallujah on Saturday amid fears of a growing humanitarian crisis in the Iraqi battle zone as a massive US led offensive against rebels entered its sixth day.


Take the trouble to block WiFi poachers If you have wireless Internet access at home, your next-door neighbor could have it as well, without paying for it. He can just use yours. No problem if he's just shopping on Amazon.com or e-mailing Grandma. But what if he's sending spam messages or downloading kiddie porn?


Gillette posts \$475M US profit in quarter on strong sales of <b>...</b> Gillette Co. said Thursday its third-quarter profit rose 14 per cent as customers traded up to its premium-line shaving and dental care products and it sold more Duracell batteries due to the recent hurricanes.


NCAA Game Summary - Illinois at Arkansas Illinois leads the all-time series, 5-0, including wins in each of the last four seasons...Illinois has made a three-pointer in 234 straight games...The Illini were coming off an impressive 91-73 victory over top-ranked Wake Forest on Wednesday.


Lawyer Advising Vets Quits Bush Campaign WASHINGTON - One of President Bush's top lawyers resigned from his campaign Wednesday, a day after disclosing that he had given legal advice to a veterans group airing TV ads challenging Democrat John Kerry's Vietnam War service. The guidance included checking ad scripts, the group said...


Guinness World Records Recognizes NASA X-43A Speed Record NASA -- Guinness World Records has recognized the world speed record set by NASA's hypersonic X-43A aircraft earlier this year in an experimental flight over the Pacific Ocean.     Using a scramjet engine, the unpiloted, 12 foot-long aircraft achieved Mach 6.83 -- almost seven times the speed of sound - - or nearly 5,000 mph, in a March 27 flight...


More protection urged for rare toothfish toothfish, dubbed the  quot;white gold quot; of the sea, which is being driven to extinction by rampant poaching. other threatened species, quot; the US-based National Environment Trust (NET) said in a report on Thursday.


Ford Cuts Production as Sales Fall Again (Reuters) Reuters - Ford Motor Co.  on Wednesday said\it was setting first-quarter North American production below\the 2004 quarter's levels as U.S. sales fell again in November.


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


Microsoft to back customers in infringement cases Borrowing a line from Allstate Insurance, Microsoft says it wants customers to know they are in good hands when they choose its software.


Likely many of this rank could soon be filing The championship euphoria has hardly abated. However it's never too early to start thinking about free agency. Not so much who's coming, but which Red Sox may not be around to bask in the Fenway love when the 2004 World Series flag is raised in April.


ELI EASES INTO ROLE AS SAVIOR November 19, 2004 -- ELI MANNING is The Prince summoned to make the Giants kings of the NFL again, and New York hasn #39;t hyperventilated over a quarterback like this since Joe Namath rode into town on his white horse and white shoes 40 years ago.


THEY CUT ME OUT Hollywood dealmaker Michael Ovitz spun his own drama of his ouster from Walt Disney - he was knifed in the back, carved  quot;out like a cancer quot; and pushed from a headquarters window.


MLB: Angels Take One Game Lead in American West Division In Major League Baseball action Wednesday, the Anaheim Angels took a one-game lead in the American League West Division by beating the Texas Rangers, 8-7.


More Than 400 Iowans Haven #39;t Received Tax Refunds DES MOINES, Iowa -- Federal officials say more than 400 Iowans who haven #39;t received their 2003 federal tax refunds still have a chance to claim them.


College Basketball: Michigan Pounds Nicholls State EAST LANSING, Mich. (Sports Network) - Maurice Ager scored 19 points and pulled down six rebounds, as 10th-ranked Michigan State crushed Nicholls State, 102-52, at the Breslin Center.


AMD Launches Mobile Video Processor (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Chip manufacturer AMD (NYSE: AMD) today introduced a processor designed to handle\the demands of multimedia content on mobile devices. The latest\iteration of AMD's Alchemy product line, dubbed Au1200, promises to\provide video entertainment for consumers on the move, much like what\MP3 players deliver to music fans.


U.S. Land of Potatoes Aims to Be High-Tech Hotbed  NAMPA, Idaho (Reuters) - Jeffrey Moeser and his company are  aiming to change the future of home entertainment.


Credit Tete-a-Tete Two credit junkies talk about couples and credit, the real FICO, and conspiracies.


Modernisation plan transforms Britain's Royal Mail (AFP) AFP - Just two years ago the Royal Mail was losing over one million pounds (1.4 million euros, 1.9 million dollars) every day.


Once-Proud Niners, Dolphins Flounder (AP) AP - Bill Walsh and Don Shula might want to avert their eyes from this one. Twenty seasons after the San Francisco 49ers and the Miami Dolphins faced each other in two of their 10 combined trips to the Super Bowl, they've become the NFL's two most miserable franchises.


Product Review: SMC 2804WBRP-G Wireless Barricade G Router (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - SMC's new 802.11g wireless router likely will spark considerable interest because of its inclusion of a USB print server. This feature is attractive to residential households or small businesses that would like to use a single printer across multiple computers.


Auburn's Defense Might Be Tops, at Least (AP) AP - Auburn's defense, at least, made a decent case for No. 1.


Cendant closes in on deal for Orbitz Cendant Corp., owner of Arapahoe County #39;s CheapTickets.com and many other travel properties, is close to a deal to buy Internet travel agency Orbitz Inc.


Heating fuel supply seen ample; oil futures fall under \$46 SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Natural gas futures closed under \$7 for the first time in over seven weeks, with the first decline in US inventories since late March not influential enough to spark concerns over winter heating-fuel supplies.


Europe Seeks New Accords With US to Address Global Warming The European Union is seeking new agreements with the US to slow climate change apart from the Kyoto Protocol that President George W. Bush withdrew from.


EU To Persist in Case Against Microsoft The European Commission says it will go forward with its antitrust case against Microsoft, despite the software giant #39;s recent settlements, which led to Novell and the Computer and Communications


Red Star names Dostanic new coach Troubled Serbia-Montenegro champion Red Star Belgrade on Saturday named Ratko Dostanic its new coach, signing him on for a three-year contract, the club said.


Sonics Storm Past Nets SEATTLE, Nov. 26 (Ticker) -- Despite Rashard Lewis #39; injury, Danny Fortson kept the Seattle SuperSonics on their surprising roll.


McDonald's Bell Steps Down Due to Cancer  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - McDonald's Corp. said on Monday  that Charlie Bell, its 44-year-old president and chief  executive, had stepped down to focus on battling cancer just  seven months after assuming the top post at the world's largest  fast-food company.


Rwanda Entered Congo Briefly -- Diplomatic Sources (Reuters) Reuters - Rwanda troops pushed briefly into\Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to attack Hutu rebels early\this week but have since returned home, diplomatic sources in\Africa's Great Lakes region said on Friday.


Five seriously injured in Tilt Train derailment At least five people have serious injuries after a high-speed train derailment in south-east Queensland. A Tilt Train commuter service with 157 passengers and seven staff on board came off the tracks north of Bundaberg just after midnight.


Scientists sift wreckage of Genesis Scientists are sweeping, vacuuming and picking at the mangled wreckage recovered from the Genesis spacecraft that crashed into the Utah desert on Wednesday.


Questions and Praise for Google Web Library When Randall C. Jimerson, the president of the Society of American Archivists, heard of Google #39;s plan to convert certain holdings at Oxford University and at some of the leading research


Hu #39;s on First Even though he has been China #39;s president for two years, Hu Jintao wasn #39;t given the powerful position of military commander until Sunday.


Titans Stifle Dolphins Tennessee made three interceptions, including one in their own end zone and another returned 37 yards for a touchdown by Lamont Lamont Thompson.


Crude Oil Futures Fall a 3rd Day as Iraq Increases Shipments Crude oil futures fell for a third day as Iraq, the sixth-largest supplier to the US, increased shipments to tankers for the first time in two weeks.


Pakistani Forces Pound Alleged Hideout (AP) AP - About 1,000 Pakistani soldiers backed by helicopter gunships, mortars and artillery Wednesday pounded a mountainous region near the Afghan border where a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner who masterminded the kidnapping of two Chinese engineers is believed to be hiding.


US  #39;keeper Kasey Keller joins Southampton on loan US goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who lost his starting job at Tottenham, joined Southampton on Friday in a four-week loan deal. Keller has played in only two games for Spurs this season after being


Crude Breaks \$50 on Nigerian Supply Fears  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures broke through  \$50 to a new record on Tuesday, on worries over supply  disruptions from Nigeria and other major producers.


SUPER BOWL ADS PRICIER October 12, 2004 -- THE asking price of a TV commercial on next year #39;s Super Bowl is going up again. Fox, which has the rights to football #39;s ratings-busting showcase, is seeking a record \$2.


Two engines recently replaced on cargo jet HALIFAX -- The cargo jet that crashed in flames off the end of a Halifax International Airport runway last week had two engines replaced in the weeks leading up to the accident, investigators revealed yesterday.


No Better Than Two-Bit Hustlers Marsh   McLennan's expertise apparently included convincing clients to overpay for insurance. Not good.


New blow for Unilever SALES at consumer goods giant Unilever slumped 4 in its latest quarter, heaping yet more bad news on long-suffering investors. Just weeks after a devastating profit warning braced the markets for grim tidings


Congress Back to Face Unfinished Business Lawmakers returned to the Capitol on Saturday in a mad dash to finish up their legislative business for the year.


Haiti Storm Jeanne Floods Toll Rises To 100 Port-u-Prince, Sept. 20 (NNN): Nearly 100 people in Haiti have died due to devastating floods in the wake of tropical storm Jeanne, which swept through the Caribbean in recent days.


Cisco to acquire Perfigo Cisco Systems has announced its intention to buy privately-held Perfigo, but while waiting for the acquisition to close, Cisco has licensed Perfigo #39;s technology in an OEM deal.


Job Openings Rise, Hires Fall in July  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More U.S. jobs were available in  July though fewer people were hired, the Labor Department said  on Wednesday.


Private Spaceflight Closer to Reality Hoping to build on the momentum sparked by a private rocket plane #39;s dash into space, supporters of opening the heavens to civilians are turning the


Australia mulls Telstra bulk sale CANBERRA Australia #39;s government wants to sell its 51 percent stake in Telstra in a single public offering, Finance Minister Nick Minchin said.


Microsoft, Polycom work on collaboration apps Companies to create real-time, rich-media collaboration for Windows Messenger users and later for Office Live Meeting users.


Humans raise odds of extreme weather This week #39;s issue of Nature features the first study to demonstrate a link between greenhouse gas emissions and an extreme weather event - in this case, the unusually high temperatures in Europe during the summer of 2003 that led to 14,000 deaths more


Clinton Morrison sidelined with knee injury Ireland and Birmingham City striker Clinton Morrison needs knee surgery and will be sidelined for a month, his Premier League club said Monday.


Check out the world #39;s leading libraries on Google Google is adding the books and papers owned by some of the world #39;s leading libraries to its database in the latest step of its mission to make every piece of information available online.


Fired Willingham blames only himself SOUTH BEND, Ind. - One day after being dismissed as Notre Dame football coach, Tyrone Willingham admitted that he failed to live up to his own expectations.


Panthers, Pats Meet in Super Bowl Rematch (AP) AP - The last time the Carolina Panthers played the New England Patriots the Super Bowl was on the line. On Saturday night, they meet again with absolutely nothing at stake.


BRIAN CLOUGH 1935-2004: I WOULDN #39;T SAY I WAS THE BEST BOSS IN THE <b>...</b> BRIAN CLOUGH didn #39;t want an epitaph. But the football legend seemed to write his own every time he opened his mouth. Old Big  #39;Ead, who guided the unlikely stars of Nottingham Forest to back-to-back


Symantec solutions provide comprehensive derense for new HP <b>...</b> Symantec Corp., the global leader in information security, today announced that its Norton Personal Firewall and Norton AntiVirus solutions will be preinstalled on all new HP Pavilion and Presario desktop PCs, expanding protection to consumers across the


Google Up in Market Debut After Bumpy IPO NEW YORK/SEATTLE (Reuters) - Google Inc. shares jumped 18 percent in their long-awaited stock market debut on Thursday, after a scaled-down \$1.67 billion IPO marked by missteps and lackluster market conditions.


GE Posts Higher Quarterly Profit (Reuters) Reuters - General Electric Co.  on Friday\reported higher third-quarter earnings as strength across many\of its financial and industrial businesses outweighed\hurricane-related insurance losses.


LEONARD FRUSTRATED FOR WILKINSON Jason Leonard, the former England prop, declared it would be  quot;a crying shame quot; if Jonny Wilkinson #39;s injury denied him the chance to captain his country in next month #39;s internationals against Canada, South Africa and Australia.


Liberals Celebrate as Ukraine Waits Poll Result (Reuters) Reuters - Thousands of supporters of Ukraine's\opposition leader, Viktor Yushchenko, celebrated on the streets\in the early hours on Monday after an exit poll showed him\winner of a bitterly fought presidential election.


Some Firms Avoid Dent From Scandal (Investor's Business Daily) Investor's Business Daily - Despite a year of negative headlines, the investing public doesn't understand the mutual fund scandal, couldn't care less and hasn't lost much confidence in the fund families where they invest, says a new study released this week.


EU Makes Final Nuke Offer to Iran Thursday-Diplomats Officials from France, Britain and Germany will meet Iran #39;s top nuclear negotiator in Vienna on Thursday to offer Tehran a final chance to halt uranium enrichment plans or face possible UN sanctions, diplomats say.


Drug withdrawal gives Merck palpitations By Rosie Murray-West, City Correspondent (Filed: 01/10/2004). US pharmaceutical giant Merck lost about a quarter of its value yesterday after it pulled arthritis drug Vioxx owing to concerns over heart attacks as a side-effect.


Seven killed, 13 wounded in Baghdad suicide attack A suicide car bomber killed seven people when he struck a checkpoint at Baghdad #39;s Green Zone early Tuesday, the second attack in two days at the district that houses Iraq #39;s interim government and foreign embassies, officials said.


Lomu Says Kidney Transplant Working, Targets Rugby World Cup Jonah Lomu, the leading try scorer in rugby World Cups, said he #39;s returning to full health after a kidney transplant six weeks ago.


Cognos buys Sweden #39;s Frango for US\$52.2M Ottawa #39;s Cognos Inc. announced a US\$52.2-million deal on Tuesday to acquire a Swedish maker of financial reporting software. Cognos said it will acquire Stockholm


German Leader Seeks New Start From Bush Germany #39;s interior minister said it was time to put aside differences with the United States over Iraq and look to the future as President Bush won a second term, but another


France Proposes Ex-EU Trade Chief Lamy to Head WTO

 By Timothy Heritage

 PARIS (Reuters) - France has formally proposed formerEuropean Union Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy as a candidate tohead the World Trade Organization (WTO), Lamy said on Monday.


Nations to Strategize on Iraq, Italian Foreign Minister Says   F   ranco Frattini , Italy's foreign minister, said a two-day international meeting on Iraq in late November will examine ways to stabilize the country and develop plans for an exit strategy for the U.S.-led occupation force there.


Product Review: Decent Debut for MyFi (AP) AP - It was when Vanilla Fudge's "You Keep Me Hanging On" came blasting through my earphones that I began to see the appeal of the MyFi, the new portable satellite radio from XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and Delphi Corp. with a built-in digital recorder.


Valuations Seen Intact For Oracle, PeopleSoft S amp;P Equity Research maintained ratings for PeopleSoft (nasdaq: PSFT - news - people ) and Oracle (nasdaq: ORCL - news - people ). On Saturday, 61 of PeopleSoft shareholders tendered their stock in favor of Oracle #39;s offer of \$24 a share for the company.


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


AOL Enters the Online Travel Market (PC World) PC World - New service will compete with sites like Travelocity.com and Expedia.


SpaceShipOne Soars to Space for \$10M Prize MOJAVE, Calif. - A stubby rocket plane soared off a Mojave desert runway Monday strapped to the belly of a carrier plane, shooting for the edge of the Earth's atmosphere and a \$10 million prize...


Clijsters to Return in Gaz De France (AP) AP - Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain rallied past ninth-seeded Jelena Kostanic of Croatia 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 Monday at the Gaz de France Stars, where Kim Clijsters will make her comeback this week from a five-month injury layoff.


New Delhi scraps POTA NEW DELHI: The Indian government has repealed a stringent anti-terror law after complaints of misuse and has replaced it by amending the existing Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.


Parker signs long-term deal with Spurs Before last season, the San Antonio Spurs wanted to push Tony Parker aside to make room for Jason Kidd at point guard. This week the Spurs made a big commitment to the 22-year-old Frenchman: a six-year contract extension reportedly worth \$66 million.


Nigerian oil flows, for now The threat of violence in petroleum-rich Nigeria this week, followed by a spike in oil prices, underscored yet again that country #39;s importance and danger to companies that work there.


Holocaust denier Zundel loses appeal in Canada (AFP) AFP - Canada's Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from German Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel, who faces deportation to Germany.


Koizumi #39;s approval rating rises, pension reform tops concern The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi #39;s cabinet edged up slightly on a latest survey, with the unpopular pension reform program advocatedby him remaining


MINE FIRE KILLS 19 IN TURKEY A huge fire has swept through a copper mine in northern killing at least 19 workers and injuring another 17 according to local officials.


France: Headscarf law will be applied French government refuses to yield to Iraqi kidnappers of two French reporters on law banning headscarves. By Hugh Schofield - PARIS.


Citi sues Italian authorities over Parmalat restructuring Citigroup has sued Italian governmental authorities overseeing the Parmalat restructuring, arguing that their formula for paying off debt tramples creditors and investors rights.


Coventry will buy First Health for \$1.8 billion First Health Group, which manages health-care benefits for employers and unions and which has struggled lately, will be acquired by Coventry Health Care in a \$1.


IBM bets on sensor unit IBM was to announce on Monday that it would invest \$250 million over the next five years and employ a thousand people in a new business unit to support products and services related to sensor networks.


Israel Kills 4, Including 9-Year-Old, in Gaza  JABALYA, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - Israeli forces thrust into  Gaza's largest refugee camp on Thursday, killing four  Palestinians including a 9-year-old boy, as the army tightened  its grip on the northern part of the coastal strip.


UA graduate places 19th on mountain bike ATHENS - Todd Wells, a graduate from the University of Arizona who still trains in Tucson during the winter, equaled the best performance by an American man in Olympic mountain biking Saturday.


US trade deficit declines as exports increase WASHINGTON The US trade deficit narrowed 9 percent in July from the record of the previous month as exports rose and a decrease in oil shipments led to the first decline in imports in 11 months, the Commerce Department said Friday.


Foulke's closing act deserving of ovation When general manager Theo Epstein was putting the pieces of this Red Sox team together last winter, he asked then-managerial candidate Terry Francona about Keith Foulke, one of the prized relievers on the free agent market.


Embarcadero enhances SQL Server backup Embarcadero Technologies on Monday is unveiling its DBArtisan Workbench 8.0 database administration tool, featuring enhanced backup capabilities for Microsoft SQL Server databases and support for performance metrics in the Oracle10g database.


US job cuts reach 8-month high A Chicago outplacement firm says planned job cuts announced by employers hit an eight-month high of 107,863 in September. Challenger, Gray  amp; Christmas, in a report released Tuesday


Egypt's Mufti Approves Synchronized Call to Prayer  CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's highest authority on Islamic law  endorsed Saturday a controversial government plan to  synchronize the call to prayer in Cairo's mosques and put an  end to the present haphazard system based on the timekeeping of  each individual establishment.


Capital and GWR agree on terms of 711m merger deal LONDON - Capital Radio and GWR have agreed the terms of their proposed 711 merger, which will create the UK #39;s biggest radio company controlling 40 of the radio advertising market.


Global Markets: European Shares Dip  LONDON (Reuters) - European shares failed to extend their  six-month highs, despite a pullback in the record-breaking  euro, as investors prepared for a soft Wall Street open and  paused for breath after a sizzling post-election U.S. rally.


Xbox #39;s  quot;Halo 2 quot; video game expected to be blockbuster (National) Nov. 9, 2004 -  quot;Halo 2, quot; the Microsoft Xbox game released on Tuesday, has been promoted like a box office blockbuster.


Plus: CNet, Netflix report; Apple #39;s downloads hit 150 mln SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- In its bid to displace Microsoft in controlling the desktop, Google on Thursday unveiled its long-awaited desktop search toolbar.


Iran Says U.N. Nuclear Ban 'Illegal' (AP) AP - Iran said Sunday that demands from the U.N. atomic watchdog agency that it freeze all work on uranium enrichment  #151; technology that can be used for nuclear weapons  #151; were "illegal."


PM backs violent game inquiry Tony Blair said children need protecting from violent video games, blamed for the murder of a schoolboy.


US Economy Adds 144,000 Jobs in August WASHINGTON Sept. 3, 2004 - America #39;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.


Red Sox seek to reverse the curse The Boston Red Sox are the American League champions because of a history-making win against the New York Yankees. But when the World Series starts Saturday night in


Arsenal Beats Manchester City 1-0 to Top Premiership (Update1) Arsenal remains atop English soccer #39;s Premiership after a 1-0 victory at Manchester City extended its unbeaten league record to 47 matches.


USPTO trims FAT from Microsoft patents Plans by Microsoft Corp to charge royalties on a library of patents are looking uncertain after the US Patent and Trademark Office rejected a key software patent claimed by the company.


Troubled HP server group sees profit in Q4 Several key executives in that group were fired during the quarter following a botched order-processing system migration. HP CEO Carly Fiorina said the problems with the system have been resolved.


Harrington fires back in response to Siragusa #39;s comments Tony Siragusa is right: Joey Harrington isn #39;t his kind of guy. But being a Siragusa kind of guy was never high on Harrington #39;s priority list anyway.


Amazon.com May Be Losing Its Dot-Com Glitz  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc.'s AMZN.O days as a  hot-shot dot-com may be behind it as the Internet retailer's  slowing growth makes its business suspiciously similar to that  of its brick-and-mortar peers.


Conference Board sees world economy faltering if oil prices stay <b>...</b> OTTAWA (CP) - World economic growth will weaken next year if oil prices remain at record-high levels far into next year, the Conference Board of Canada says in its latest outlook report.


Mugabe rival urges reconciliation Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says his treason acquittal could help heal deep political divisions.


Induce Act remains locked up in Committee Yesterday we reported that the Senate Judiciary Committee would be taking up the Induce Act once again. They did so this morning, and the bill failed to advance because of strong opposition from the technology


Cornell moves into the driver #39;s seat for Mars rovers ITHACA, NY Control of the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity has gradually shifted from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, to Cornell University in upstate New York.


Nesterenko Takes Gold Yuliya Nesterenko ends two decades of American dominance in the 100 meters with a closing surge to catch Lauryn Williams.


Nations demand study of quotas Governments from nearly 30 countries demanded Friday that the World Trade Organization undertake an urgent review of what might happen when textile quotas end Jan. 1. The


Netscape #39;s Andreessen Predicts New Browser Wars Ahead Alternative Web browsers like Safari and Firefox will grow in popularity and force Microsoft to respond by improving Internet Explorer, predicts Marc Andreessen, founder of Netscape Communications.


New York Leads US in Taxes, Tennessee Is Last New Yorkers pay the highest state and local taxes in the nation, shelling out nearly \$131 for every \$1,000 of income in 2002, according to a new study.


Britain Stands Firm as Iraq Hostage Pleads for Life The British and Iraqi governments said on Thursday they would not bow to the demands of militants threatening to kill a British captive, despite a video message from the hostage pleading for his life.


Lenovo Mulling Purchase of IBM PC Business Lenovo Group stayed silent Friday about reports it is talking with IBM Corp. about buying the US company #39;s personal computer business, but an executive hinted that the Chinese company is looking to expand its PC operations.


Cricket: Kenya v Pakistan match abandoned for the day BIRMINGHAM, England : Play in the ICC Champions Trophy Pool C match between Kenya and Pakistan at Edgbaston here was abandoned for the day because of rain without a ball being bowled.


UPDATE: Origin #39;s Bid For NZ Contact Isn #39;t Fair - Adviser WELLINGTON (Dow Jones)--New Zealand Contact Energy #39;s (CEN.NZ) independent directors Monday recommended that shareholders not accept a takeover offer from Australia #39;s Origin Energy Ltd.


Worlds First 5-Megapixel Camera Phone A true digital convergence product that combines a gamut of innovative technologies including a true color LCD (16 million colors), Text-To-Speech conversion capability, as well as, a 5-megapixel CCD camera.


Indian state-run gas giant eyes 10 percent stake in China Gas (AFP) AFP - India's state-run Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) said it is considering buying a 10 percent stake in China Gas Holdings Ltd, which has sole rights to distribute gas in 42 Chinese cities.


Opposition Party Heads for Win in Lithuanian Election An opposition party led by an ethnic Russian businessman appears headed for victory in Sunday #39;s Lithuanian parliamentary election.


Raising Canes in ACC title chase CHARLOTTESVILLE - The Miami football team isn #39;t out of the race for the Atlantic Coast Conference title yet. Running back Frank Gore had 28 carries for 195 yards, and quarterback Brock Berlin completed 18


House, Senate Agree on Corporate Tax Bill  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate and House of  Representatives negotiators agreed on Wednesday on a huge  corporate tax bill that will repeal export subsidies that  violate global trade rules and give manufacturers a new tax  break.


NBA Game Summary - LA Clippers at New Orleans Lafayette, LA (Sports Network) - Rookie JR Smith scored 22 points to lead four Hornets in double figures, as New Orleans topped the Los Angeles Clippers, 105-95, in preseason action.


Will New Mayor Sweep Away Vice? You Could Bet on It For Jorge Hank Rhon - gambling tycoon, racetrack operator and Tijuana's new mayor - scandals seem to swirl like mosquitoes.


SpaceShipOne wins \$10MX Prize SpaceShipOne has completed its second suborbital flight in five days, securing the \$10 million Ansari X Prize. SpaceShipOne is the first privately built, manned vehicle to reach space.


Standards for Anthrax Tests Developed (AP) AP - Scientists working for the government have developed standards to measure the accuracy of anthrax detection tests, hoping to steer first responders away from tests that have delivered too many false readings.


Space tourism industry takes off One short flight for man, or the start of a long voyage for rich men. That #39;s one way of looking at Monday #39;s historic jaunt of the revolutionary spacecraft SpaceShipOne, which crossed the brink of space for the second time in six days.


Mexico Churches Wage High-Tech War on Cell Phones  MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Some Mexican churches are  using state-of-the-art technology developed by Israeli  electronic warfare experts to silence cell phones that ring  during mass, church officials said on Tuesday.


Bomb in Tel Aviv Market Kills 3, Wounds 32 Police and rescue workers said the blast tore through the open-air Carmel market in Tel Aviv. Witnesses described a chaotic scene with the bodies of the dead and wounded shoppers scattered among the debris of wrecked market stalls.


Dollar Extends Recovery for 2nd Session  LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar strengthened against major  currencies for a second session on Thursday, as investors  continued to take profits on bets against the long-suffering  U.S. currency.


Prince Charles to reopen British Consulate The Prince of Wales is expected to reopen today the British Consulate General which was restored after last year #39;s suicide bomb attack in the heart of Istanbul which long with three other similar attacks killed dozens of people.


Hernandez, Indians Agree to One-Year Deal (AP) AP - Infielder Jose Hernandez and the Cleveland Indians agreed to a  #36;1.8 million, one-year contract Monday.


Egypt to Host Military Funeral for Arafat  CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt, where Yasser Arafat began his  political life and where biographers say he was born, on  Thursday prepared a funeral for the Palestinian president, who  was declared dead in Paris in the early morning.


A's, Angels Set for Winner-Take-All Series (AP) AP - The biggest home run in rookie Bobby Crosby's career gave the Oakland Athletics a dramatic victory and set up a winner-take-all AL West showdown with the Anaheim Angels.


Crowd roars for absent Kenteris THE defiant taunts cascaded down from the Olympic stadium grandstands for minutes.  quot;Hellas, Hellas, quot; followed by  quot;Kenteris, Kenteris quot; - an angry display that held up the main event of Thursday #39;s athletics program.


Sudan Questions WHOs Darfur Death Toll KHARTOUM, 17 October 2004 - Sudan yesterday questioned UN estimates that up to 70,000 people had died from hunger and disease in its remote Darfur region since a rebellion began 20 months ago.


Sharpe Comments Cause Stir in Denver (AP) AP - Never one to hold back his feelings, former Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe criticized Mike Shanahan, saying the Denver coach's decision to make Jake Plummer his quarterback was a failed, ego-driven effort to turn a mediocre player into something better.


Seven young men arraigned in stabbing death of 19-year-old Quebec teen (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - LAVAL, Que. (CP) - Seven young males were arraigned in court on Friday in the stabbing death of a 19-year-old man last month.


Scientists confident liquid water once flowed on Mars After studying thousands of images from Mars, scientists now are convinced that liquid water once flowed on the surface of the red planet, increasing the odds that life may have existed there in the distant past.


Sun doubles UltraSparc performance Sun Microsystems has announced an upgrade to its UltraSparc IV processor with further use of chip multithreading. UltraSparc IV is a dual core design fabricated by Texas Instruments on its 90nm process.


General Mills' Latest Trix The packaged food outfit is taking some important steps that should contribute to improved results down the road.


Aid agencies' warning on climate Climate change threatens to undo the world's attempts to eradicate poverty, a coalition of aid agencies warn.


Souness set for Newcastle Blackburn have confirmed Souness has left Ewood Park and the BBC has confirmed he has agreed terms to succeed Sir Bobby Robson. Newcastle had targeted Birmingham #39;s Steve Bruce and Aston Villa manager David


Guilty, guilty, guilty atoning for HIH sins RAYMOND Reginald Williams, who had previously claimed he could have saved HIH from collapse, yesterday pleaded guilty to three criminal charges arising from his management of the failed insurer.


Marlins Beat Brewers 5-3 in 10 Innings (AP) AP - Luis Castillo tied the score with a ninth-inning single, and pinch-hitter Damion Easley hit a two-run double in the 10th inning that led the Florida Marlins over the Milwaukee Brewers 5-3 Sunday.


Google shares fall as staff sell Shares in Google have fallen 6.7 as employees and early investors in the web search take advantage of the first chance to sell their holdings.


US team #39;s class clown grip-and-rips #39; his way to a pole vault <b>...</b> He #39;s a California surfer dude, an air guitar virtuoso -- and the US Olympic team #39;s resident class clown. Toby Stevenson also happens to be very good at what he does: the pole vault.


ATHENS OLYMPICS 2003 / Hayes captures bizarre 100-meter hurdles <b>...</b> As the American sliced to victory in Tuesday night #39;s final of the women #39;s 100-meter hurdles at the Athens Olympics, a crash early in the race had taken out two of her main rivals.


Dollar Vulnerable, Stocks Rise Overseas  LONDON (Reuters) - The euro was near two-month highs  against the dollar Friday as key U.S. data loomed and as  traders awaited a Group of Seven meeting of finance ministers,  while oil-fired inflation fears lifted gold close.


VoIP gaining ground, despite cost concerns The voice-over-IP market is growing, and by next year, 50 of all lines installed in the U.S. are expected to rely on VoIP technology -- despite continuing concerns that installations can be costly.


A Slowed Hurricane Jeanne Slams Into Florida, on Way to Tampa The National Hurricane Center said that Jeanne was slightly calmer, but still packing a wallop for storm-weary Floridians.


Treasury Yields Hit 5-Month Lows (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. benchmark Treasuries yields broke\beneath 4.0 percent on Wednesday for the first time in\five-months, driven in part by a jump in oil prices and a slide\in equities.


Indonesia police identify suicide bomber Police named the bomber as Heri Kurniawan, alias Heri Golun. They said on Friday he had sent a. would become a martyr. Golun was married last year.


BHP confident of China demand The world #39;s largest miner, BHP Billiton, yesterday said that high oil prices were affecting spending worldwide but China #39;s demand for commodities over the longer term was heartening.


Thieves Grab 'The Scream' From Museum OSLO, Norway - Armed, masked thieves burst into a lightly guarded Oslo museum Sunday and snatched the Edvard Munch masterpiece "The Scream" and a second Munch painting from the walls as stunned visitors watched in shock.    It was the second time in a decade that a version of the iconic "Scream," which depicts an anguished, opened-mouthed figure grabbing the sides of its head, had been stolen from an Oslo museum...


Software helps users fight spammers THE spammed can now hit back at the spammers with new software from Lycos called Make Love, Not Spam. The software sits on your PC and when the machine is not in use, it generates traffic on the sites of known


Muslim mole panics Dutch secret service THE Dutch secret service has been infiltrated by an Islamic extremist linked to the killer of Theo van Gogh, the Dutch film-maker whose murder has accelerated Hollands transformation from one of Europes most tolerant countries into a society


Delta 4 Liftoff Delayed For At Least Week CAPE CANAVERAL -- Weather and technical conflicts scrapped three planned attempts this weekend to launch the first Delta 4 Heavy from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, according to a report.


MPAA to serve lawsuits on BitTorrent servers The Motion Picture Ass. of America (MPAA) will today launch a legal attack on BitTorrent users in a bid to prevent ripped DVDs being shared across the network.


Radio's Stern reality I'll be back with the news about Howard Stern's planned departure to satellite radio. But first, this endless block of commercials and station promotions.


UK Conservatives Pounce on Trust Issue Oct. 5, 2004 - BOURNEMOUTH, England Conservative Party leader Michael Howard tried to turn next year #39;s expected national elections in Britain into a battle of trust and credibility, accusing Prime Minister


Friday Olympic Preview: How will Marion do? Daily diversions: Birgit Fischer won her first Olympic gold medal in flat-water kayaking as a teenager in 1980 for East Germany. In Athens, at 42 and the single mother of two teenagers, she goes for her eighth gold medal.


JBoss unveils work flow engine The product represents the next stage in the company's strategy to build a full open-source middleware stack.\


Wannstedt steps down Dave Wannstedt resigned yesterday as Miami Dolphins coach, forced from the job by lousy luck, relentless speculation about his future, and eight losses in nine games.


IBM Offers Disk-Storage Servers IBM is aiming to take a larger share of the \$60 billion data-storage market with the introduction of two new disk-storage servers.


Cisco fabric switches optimized for SAN extension Cisco Systems has added two products to its award-winning Cisco MDS 9000 Family of Multilayer Intelligent directors and fabric switches optimized for transporting storage area network (SAN) traffic outside of the data center, which make them ideally


Browns continue to pluck Ravens Quarterback Jeff Garcia and center Jeff Faine were placed on injured reserve, and the Browns continued to pluck talent from the Baltimore Ravens in a flurry of roster moves Tuesday.


Car bomb kills 20 in Kirkuk A suicide attacker yesterday detonated a car bomb outside an Iraqi police academy, killing 20 people and wounding 36 in the latest attack designed to thwart US-backed efforts


Oil Finishes Week Below \$50 Per Barrel Crude futures prices fell slightly on Friday, capping off a 5 percent decline from a week ago, as worries about low winter fuel inventories dissipate amid rising oil supplies.