Mellor given chance to make Reds grade Neil Mellor #39;s sensational late winner for Liverpool against Arsenal on Sunday has earned the back-up striker the chance to salvage a career that had appeared to be drifting irrevocably towards the lower divisions.


Jobless Claims Down in Latest Week The ranks of Americans filing initial claims for jobless pay shrank by more than expected last week to 323,000, government data showed on Wednesday, while continued claims fell to a 3-1/2 year low in more good news for the US labor


Australian Dollar May Gain on Xstrata Bid for WMC Resources The Australian dollar may gain after Switzerland-based Xstrata Plc bid A\$7.4 billion (\$5.8 billion) for WMC Resources Ltd., stoking speculation it will have to buy dollars to pay shareholders.


Stocks Dip, Nasdaq Rises Before Jobs Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks finished little changed on  Thursday, pausing after Wednesday's sharp rally, as investors  were cautious about making large bets before Friday's closely  watched jobs report.


Linfield College QB Nears NCAA TD Mark (AP) AP - Brett Elliott started eight games for Utah before breaking his wrist early last season.


Australia's Gov't Targets Security in Election Bid (Reuters) Reuters - Australian Prime Minister John Howard\officially launched his government's campaign on Sunday for an\Oct. 9 election with billion-dollar promises to woo voters and\a defiant stand against terror.


Woolworths Increases Australian Leisure Takeover Bid (Update5) Woolworths Ltd., Australia #39;s biggest grocer, increased its offer for Australian Leisure  amp; Hospitality Group to A\$1.2 billion (\$877 million) to stop rival bidder Coles Myer Ltd.


Gunmen Kidnap Two Americans, Briton in Baghdad  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Gunmen snatched two Americans and a  Briton from a house in an affluent neighborhood of central  Baghdad on Thursday, the latest in a nearly six-month campaign  of abductions of foreigners in Iraq.


Global oil prices zoom to record highs Global crude oil prices, which shot up to record highs on Monday, continued to rule at the same level of close to \$54 a barrel. Following the nationwide strike that began in Nigeria to protest against high


Issue 65  News Hound: This Week In Gaming One man and his dog, went to mow a meadow. The dog got bored, ran back home and became a journo... November is here, George Bush has safely regained the rather frightening position of most powerful man on


Mutual fund assets fall 2 percent in July US mutual fund assets fell 2 percent to \$7.4 trillion last month, as declining equity markets reduced the value of stock funds, according to a survey conducted by the Investment Company Institute.


Can General Motors Design a Better Future? Style and design are not the only issues filling the days of Robert A. Lutz. Increasingly, much of his attention has also been focused on the cost side.


Clashes in Najaf threaten peace bid  NAJAF, Iraq -- Loyalists to Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr remained in control of the gold-domed Imam Ali shrine yesterday after failing to reach an agreement with representatives of Iraq's most senior Shi'ite leader on how to hand over the holy site.


EU Makes Final Nuke Offer to Iran Thursday-Diplomats  VIENNA (Reuters) - Officials from France, Britain and  Germany will meet Iran's top nuclear negotiator in Vienna on  Thursday to offer Tehran a final chance to halt uranium  enrichment plans or face possible U.N. sanctions, diplomats  say.


Bush Praises Colombia's Battle Vs. Drugs (AP) AP - Under a security web of warplanes, battleships and 15,000 troops, President Bush praised Colombia's battle against drugs and Marxist guerrillas Monday and pledged to keep U.S. aid flowing so "this courageous nation can win its war against narcoterrorists."


Funny Cide a Classic tale of redemption? Funny things happen when a horse knocks on the door to racing history and can #39;t get through. Smarty Jones, this year #39;s near-Triple Crown winner, is retired to a career as a stallion.


IBC files for bankruptcy early today Financially struggling Interstate Bakeries Corp. early today filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in the US Bankruptcy Court in Kansas City.


Boston Highway Project Said Full of Leaks BOSTON - The Big Dig - Boston #39;s newly opened \$14.6 billion highway tunnel project - has a seriously flawed wall that contractors knew about as early as 1999, and is riddled with hundreds of smaller leaks, consultants reported in another embarrassment for


Cairo security beefed up after Sinai blasts Cairo - Egyptian police were deployed in force around tourist attractions in Cairo on Saturday after a string of deadly bombings in the Sinai peninsula.


Real cites success of song sale; signs university deals (MacCentral) MacCentral - RealNetworks Inc. said on Tuesday that it has sold more than a million songs at its online music store since slashing prices last week as part of a limited-time sale aimed at growing the user base of its new digital media software.


Private Spaceship Designers Given \$10M Burt Rutan, Scaled Composite #39;s team leader, waves while being introduced in St. Louis, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2004. Rutan designed SpaceShipOne, the rocket plane financed by billionaire Paul Allen that won the


25 nations sign first constitution for EU In a splendorous ceremony atop a hill that was once the center of the Roman empire, 25 European heads of government signed the European Union #39;s first constitution Friday, but for


US Consumer Confidence Tumbles in August US consumer confidence fell sharply in August, breaking four straight months of gains, as a slowdown in job growth creation and rising oil prices weighed on sentiment.


A Sure-to-Be-Controversial Game Fulfills That Expectation Fully A video game, released last week with the 41st anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination, invites competitors to get behind Lee Harvey Oswald's sniper rifle and recreate the event.


Sachin saviour After two months of treatment, headlines, anxiety and frenzied speculation, Sachin Tendulkar was cleared finally to return to Test cricket yesterday.


Fortson keeps it  #39;simple #39; as Sonics stick it to Spurs Pink bubble gum popped from Danny Fortson #39;s mouth as he moseyed around the KeyArena court on Sunday night. Moving slower than traffic across the 520 bridge, the Sonics forward definitely travels at a different pace than his teammates do.


Aggression Pays Off for Buick Leader Funk  CROMWELL, Connecticut (Reuters) - PGA Tour veteran Fred  Funk's positive approach paid dividends when he carded a  one-under-par 69 to move one stroke clear of the field after  the third round of the \$4.2 million Buick Championship  Saturday.


Sarasota Spams, Mends Evil Ways Sarasota county wanted to use e-mail to let people know the area was unharmed by the summer's hurricanes. People were quick to point out a word for such activity. By Daniel Terdiman.


The Times Sells Its Headquarters to a Developer of Office Space Tishman Speyer Properties signed a contract Sunday night to buy the current home of The New York Times Company in Times Square for \$175 million and convert it to an office building.


In Challenge to EMC, IBM Introduces Smaller Servers With the proclamation that it intends to overtake EMC as the top enterprise storage supplier, IBM announced today the DS6000, a disk storage system slightly bigger than a VCR, and the TotalStorage


WRAPUP1-Juventus and Lyon qualify for knockout phase Juventus and Olympique Lyon joined Chelsea and Inter Milan in the last 16 of the Champions League after both scored late goals to seal their places on Wednesday.


Anti-government strike cripples Bangladesh Shops and schools were closed across Bangladesh on Tuesday after the country #39;s main opposition party called a general strike to protest a weekend grenade attack that killed 20 people and wounded more than 300.


Anwar fails to erase criminal record Malaysian rebel politician Anwar Ibrahim failed yesterday in a final court bid to erase his criminal record and to immediately rejoin active politics, leaving a royal pardon as his only way back.


Dell Takes Aim at Blade Server Market In a long awaited move, Dell has finally re-entered the blade server market with the release of the Dell PowerEdge 1855 server system.


David vs. Goliath vs. Goliath Laszlo Systems CTO David Temkin is taking an open-source gamble to woo Web developers from Macromedia and Microsoft.


Britain Approves Human Cloning By EMMA ROSS     LONDON (AP) -- Britain granted its first license for human cloning Wednesday, more than three years after becoming the first nation to authorize the technique to produce stem cells for medical research.    A team of researchers at Newcastle University hope eventually to create insulin-producing cells that could be transplanted into diabetic patients...


Greek archaeologists find 2,500-year-old pomegranates preserved in <b>...</b> ATHENS, Greece - A scientific dig has uncovered four pomegranates believed to be 2,500 years old preserved inside a woven basket nestled in a bronze vessel, a Greek archaeologist said Friday.


CA to name CEO in 30 to 45 days Computer Associates has been without a permanent CEO since Sanjay Kumar stepped down in April. Kumar was indicted last month on charges related to accounting scandal at CA and has pleaded innocent to the charges.


Climate control delegates talk global warming BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Delegates to a United Nations climate conference discussed new ways to combat greenhouse emissions after the current agreement expires as nearly 200 countries continued meetings Thursday on the effort to limit a gradual rise of


Axe-wielding passenger in psychiatric ward OSLO - An axe-wielding passenger who attacked two pilots aboard a Norwegian passenger plane in an apparent but failed bid to crash it has been taken to a psychiatric ward, police said yesterday.


Research in Motion sets Vodafone BlackBerry pact Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said it will introduce the newest version of its popular BlackBerry wireless email device in Europe and


Sadr caves in to avoid assault THE radical cleric Muqtada al Sadr yesterday demonstrated once again his aptitude for self-preservation when he appeared to blink first in the stand-off with Iraqi and US forces in Najaf.


Senate Panel Approves Spyware and Wireless Privacy Bills One bill safeguards wireless phone numbers; the other targets malicious snoops.


Ground boost for Liverpool Liverpool #39;s plans to build a new 60,000-seater have been approved by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. The Premiership club received planning approval in July but needed Prescott to rubber stamp the project


Ping-Pong politicking in Hong Kong HONG KONG More than three decades after China used Ping-Pong diplomacy to start resuming ties with the United States, Beijing is trying it again - this time in an attempt to influence elections in Hong Kong.


SingTel to launch 3G service SINGAPORE Telecommunications (SingTel) said it will commercially launch its high-speed third generation (3G) mobile service within months, putting it at the forefront of Southeast Asian telecoms firms looking to roll out the technology.


Inside the JPEG Virus The end of summer lull for viruses and worms continues. We #39;re still seeing new versions of RBots, and a new Bagle, but nothing with teeth.


Microsoft #39;s Russian Carrot Pity Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT). For all the grief we give the company about its failure to plug security holes in its software, its historical problems with the blue screen


AL notables Johan Santana has 200 strikeouts, the most for a Twins pitcher since Bert Blyleven #39;s 215 in 1986. Mike Jackson of the White Sox made his 1,002d appearance, tying Goose Gossage for eighth on the career list.


UK's Brown to Urge U.S. to Cut Deficits (Reuters) Reuters - British finance minister Gordon Brown\said on Thursday he would urge the United States to tackle its\current account and budget deficits, and warned that the weak\dollar was hurting the British and other global economies.


Nigerian Strike Set to Drag Into Fourth Day (Reuters) Reuters - A general strike in Nigeria which has\raised fears over oil supplies was set to enter a fourth day\after a court rebuffed a government request to declare it\illegal on Wednesday.


Martha Stewart to serve time at West Virginia prison Martha Stewart will do her time farther from home than she had hoped, at a remote West Virginia prison where inmates sleep in bunk beds and rise at 6 a.m. to do menial labor for pennies an hour.


Shell: Gemstar-TV Guide Replaces CEO With Battista, Reportedly <b>...</b> Switching channels. Jeff Shell is out and Rich Battista is in as chief executive at Gemstar-TV Guide International (nasdaq: GMST - news - people ). According to the Los Angeles Times, Shell is resigning to


Concerns About Winter Push Oil to Record  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices broke into fresh record  territory above \$52 Thursday on heightened concerns that  supplies of heating fuels will prove inadequate during the  northern hemisphere winter.


Microsoft sues Web hoster over spam Microsoft has filed nine new lawsuits against those it says are responsible for spam, including a Web-hosting company that caters to people who send unsolicited e-mail, the software giant said Thursday.


Arafat Collapses As His Health Worsens (AP) AP - Yasser Arafat collapsed Wednesday night, was unconscious for about 10 minutes and remained in a "very difficult situation," Palestinian officials said. A team of Jordanian doctors was urgently summoned to treat the ailing Palestinian leader.


WiMax could be next big leap in technology When Scott Richards is at his home in Portland, Ore., he taps into the Internet using a broadband connection from his office about five miles away.


Giants men among  #39;Boys The Giants who endured the misery of the 2003 season still wince whenever last year is mentioned. They remember that they didn #39;t get their fourth win until the eighth game of that season.


In employees she trusts (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - Trust and freedom are words that come up over and over when you ask employees at the little Menlo Park marketing and communications company Tajima Creative to explain why they like their boss.


Iraqi Police Discover Five Decapitated Iraqis (Reuters) Reuters - Police have found five decapitated\bodies of Iraqis in northern Iraqi cities, police and hospital\officials said on Tuesday.


Music Services Score an A-Plus More colleges and universities are embracing music services for their students in an effort to cut down on peer-to-peer traffic that clogs school networks and puts students at risk for lawsuits. By Katie Dean.


Olympics: Greeks Dive for Joy, More Gold for Thorpe  ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece was plunged in national  self-satisfaction on Tuesday after its synchronized divers won  the host nation's first gold medal of the Athens Olympics.


Lunar Eclipse Expected Tonight Forecasts for mostly cloudy skies in the Washington area this evening could thwart hopes of seeing tonight #39;s lunar eclipse. But Elizabeth Warner, director of the University of Maryland Observatory


IOC Sets Up Probe Into Marion Jones Allegations International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge announced December 7, 2004 he had set up a disciplinary commission to investigate allegations made against US sprinter Marion Jones by BALCO chief Victor Conte.


Oil, Economic Growth Worry Investors  LONDON (Reuters) - Questions about the sustainability of  global economic growth held many markets hostage Friday as  crude oil prices bumped close to \$55 a barrel and investors  awaited a raft of U.S. data.


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


Slimmer PlayStation triple sales Sony PlayStation 2 #39;s slimmer shape has proved popular with UK gamers, with 50,000 sold in its first week on sale. Sales have tripled since launch, outstripping Microsoft #39;s Xbox, said market analysts Chart-Track.


Google Results Revive 'Dot-Com' Fervor  NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Shares of Google Inc.  rose as much as 20 percent on Friday, to trade at more than  twice the level of it cut-price IPO, after the Web search  leader posted strong quarterly results in its first reported  quarter as a public company.


Google gets a bounce, ends its first day up 18 percent Shares of Google leaped \$15.34, or 18 percent, to \$100.34 on the Nasdaq exchange yesterday in an opening day of trading that harkened back to the wild run-ups of the dot-com era.


Colorado Is Not Quite All Better The scene at the end of Colorado's victory Saturday night probably was not what the university was looking for after a tumultuous off-season.


EA game  #39;Madden #39; tops 1.3 million first week  quot;Madden NFL 2005, quot; the latest version of Electronic Arts #39; pro football video game franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first week of release, the company said Thursday, citing internal figures.


EU offers Iran incentives to halt nuclear program PARIS In an effort to stop Iran from producing a nuclear bomb, the 25 leaders of the European Union on Friday offered the country possible economic and political incentives if it suspends its production of enriched uranium.


Verizon, Qwest Ask Court to Block FCC  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc. VZ.N  and Qwest Communications International Inc. Q.N asked a  federal appeals court Tuesday to block temporary rules by the  U.S. Federal Communications Commission forcing the companies to  lease phone lines to rivals for at least another six months.


Why Are Killer Bees So Slow? The dreaded Africanized honey beebetter known as the  quot;killer bee quot;may be buzzing slightly northward. Entomologists believe that an Africanized swarm was responsible for an attack in Tipton, Okla.


Kmart Appoints Lewis New CEO, President DETROIT - The retailing company Kmart Holding Corp. has appointed Aylwin Lewis, formerly an executive at the restaurant operator Yum Brands Inc.


NCAA Game Summary - Fresno State At Washington Seattle, WA -- The Fresno State defense forced five turnovers, three of them being returned for touchdowns, as the Bulldogs defeated the Washington Huskies by a score of 35-16 in the season opener for both schools at Husky Stadium.


Wannstedt was one of the good guys Almost every single week I spend Monday morning reading the papers, watching TV and talking to my wife -- who is a great football fan.


Report: EU Close To OK #39;ing Oracle Takeover Of PeopleSoft Amid reports that the European Commission is poised to approve Oracle #39;s proposed takeover of PeopleSoft, a spokesperson for the European Union said Friday that the EU #39;s competition commissioner, Mario Monti, would like to finish the case before he leaves


RCN Outlines Bankruptcy RCN Inc., co-owner of Starpower Communications LLC, the Washington area television, telephone and Internet provider, filed a plan of reorganization yesterday that it said puts the company


'Jeopardy!' Whiz Mum on Rumored Defeat NEW YORK - "Jeopardy!" whiz Ken Jennings is not answering rumors that his streak is up, but he's not denying them either.    After a report posted on TV Week's Web site that the brainy software engineer lost in a show taped Tuesday (that would air this fall), Jennings fielded questions in an interview with Ellen Degeneres on her syndicated talk show...


Briefs Woods shares 1st-round lead at Deutsche Bank NORTON, Mass. - Tiger Woods shot a 6-under 65 at the Deutsch Bank Championship to tie for the lead with Ryan Palmer, one stroke ahead of Mark OMeara and two others.


Tunisia #39;s Ben Ali wins landslide victory Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali won a landslide victory over three rivals in the presidential elections, officials said Monday.


Stern: Sirius Wants Him Now, But No Plans To Jump Gun Early holiday wishes. Sirius Satellite Radio (nasdaq: SIRI - news - people ) is looking to unwrap its blockbuster gift a year ahead of schedule.


Brown: Ask and you will receive He has always done whatever they've wanted. Troy Brown has run back kickoffs, returned punts, caught passes. He has been the primary receiver, a decoy, a spot rusher. He has been asked to be a team leader, then asked to take a step back and be a team player.


Court Overturns Nigerian Woman's Stoning Sentence  NINGI, Nigeria (Reuters) - A young Nigerian mother  sentenced to death by stoning for having sex outside marriage  was acquitted and discharged by an Islamic appeals court on  Thursday.


Crude Oil Falls for 2nd Day on Larger-Than-Expected Supply Gain Crude oil futures fell in New York, extending the biggest decline in five months yesterday, after a jump in US inventories eased concern about a winter shortage.


Sluggish Frances Cuts Power to 2M in Fla. FORT PIERCE, Fla. - Potent but slow-moving Hurricane Frances snapped power lines and whipped the Atlantic coast with winds over 90 mph Saturday, knocking out electricity for about 2 million people and forcing Floridians to endure another day of waiting and worrying...


Shaukat Aziz elected as Pakistani prime minister despite boycott (AFP) AFP - Pakistan's parliament rubber-stamped the president's choice of prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, despite an opposition boycott and angry protests.


New England streak ends in Pittsburgh The Pittsburgh Steelers, who have waited since the 2001 AFC championship game to get the Patriots back in Heinz Field, ambushed the defending Super Bowl champions 34-20 on Sunday, snapping New England #39;s NFL-record 21-game winning streak.


FlexWiki: Microsoft #39;s Third Open Software Project Earlier than scheduled, Microsoft Corp. has gone public with its announcement of its third open-source code contribution to SourceForge.


Powell leaves on Asian tour for talks on NKorea, US troops, Taiwan WASHINGTON : US Secretary of State Colin Powell left here for a three-nation tour of north Asia focused on resolving the North Korean nuclear deadlock, China and Taiwan and the presence of US troops in Japan and South Korea.


Greenpeace Hails Bayer India GM Pullout (Reuters) Reuters - Environment pressure group Greenpeace\said on Monday it welcomed news that leading crop technology\company Bayer had pulled out of genetic modification trials in\India to focus on conventional plant breeding.


Al Qaeda's Uzbek bodyguards As Pakistan rounds up more Al Qaeda operatives in its cities, hundreds of Uzbek fighters remain in the tribal hills.


Taipei to Cloak City in World's Largest Wi-Fi Grid  TAIPEI (Reuters) - Dennis Tseng is an avid Web surfer who  loves to hang out in Taipei's upmarket Hsinyi district, where  wireless Internet access is freely available to all.


Apple blocks music sales to older iTunes On Wednesday, Apple will stop allowing people running version 4.2 to purchase songs from the iTunes Music Store.  quot;As of today, customers will need to use one of the three most recent versions of iTunes -- 4.7


Pound falls on hints that interest rates have peaked The pound tumbled to a nine-month low against the euro yesterday after the publication of October #39;s minutes of the monetary policy committee showed there had been no discussion of a possible rate increase, fuelling speculation that interest rates have


F. Poe dies from effects of stroke MANILA Fernando Poe Jr., the popular actor who challenged President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the presidential elections this year, died early Tuesday.


Russia Introduces Terror Resolution UNITED NATIONS - Russia introduced a draft resolution Monday calling for a new list of suspects who would be subject to extradition in a stepped-up global campaign against terrorism. China welcomed it but Pakistan and other Security Council members eyed the proposal with caution...


Markets skirt crude oil hikes Despite the price of oil settling above \$50 a barrel for the first time, Wall Street yesterday celebrated new data showing the nation #39;s manufacturing sector expand again last month.


Report: Backman tabbed as new Diamondbacks manager Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - The Arizona Diamondbacks have called a news conference for today at 1 pm (et), when they are expected to introduce Wally Backman as their new manager.


Tense Moments During Trailblazing Private Space Flight MOJAVE, CALIFORNIA - In a mission that could herald a new era of space tourism, a privately built, three-person rocket ship flew to space and back today in a mission that frightened those who watched from the ground and on a live webcast.


La Liga Preview: GetafeValencia The Che are gasping for air in the turbulent waters of La Liga. Now they must fight to ensure their next breath is not their last in the quest to retain the Championship when they travel to new boys Getafe.


Patriots are leaders in high-tech field, too In August, 1.2 million users visited the Patriots' website, www.patriots.com. Chances are, those who returned to the team's Internet home this week noticed only minor cosmetic changes, not the complete overhaul that has been done behind the scenes over the past seven months.


US faces criticism in British government human rights report LONDON : The United States faced rare criticism over human rights from close ally Britain, with an official British government report taking Washington to task over concerns about Iraq and the Guantanamo Bay jail.


Bellevue dominates dream matchup against De La Salle At almost noon yesterday, the Bellevue High School linebacker was just waking up from a deep slumber, the kind a body dives into after extreme physical exertion.


Pakistan to withdraw troops PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- The Pakistan Army said yesterday it will withdraw hundreds of troops from a tense tribal region near Afghanistan where Osama bin Laden and his top deputy were believed to be hiding.


Muslim suspects in Gujarat freed Two Muslims charged over the 2002 train attack on Hindu pilgrims that sparked religious riots in Gujarat are freed.


Operators wake up to mobile enterprise needs Analysis Starmap points the way forward


Japan #39;s Supreme Court clears way for MTFG and UFJ merger TOKYO : Japan #39;s Supreme Court cleared the way for UFJ Holdings and Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group to merge by rejecting a bid to halt the deal by Sumitomo Trust and Banking, a court spokeswoman said.


KPMG hit with record 10 million dollar SEC fine over Gemstar <b>...</b> WASHINGTON : The US Securities and Exchange Commission said that accounting firm KPMG had agreed to pay a record 10 million dollar sum to settle its  quot;improper quot; audits of Gemstar-TV Guide International.


UPDATE 2-US appeals court turns down ABB #39;s asbestos deal A US appeals court on Thursday turned down ABB #39;s (ABBN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) (ABB.N: Quote, Profile, Research) proposed \$1.2 billion settlement of an asbestos lawsuit involving the Swiss engineering group #39;s Combustion


Hard drives to accelerate into gadgets A report predicts one third of all hard drives will be in consumer electronics devices by 2008.


Survey: Political Parties Seen As Corrupt (AP) AP - Political parties are the public institutions most marred by corruption, an international watchdog group said Thursday in a new global survey marking the United Nations' first International Anti-Corruption Day.


Microsoft to share Office code Microsoft Corp would share the underlying software code for its Office programme as part of its efforts to make governments more confident in the security and compatibility of the worlds largest software makers products.


Taco Bell boosts Yum #39;s August sales Yum Brands Inc. said Thursday sales at US restaurants open at least a year, or same-store sales, rose 5 percent in the four weeks ended Sept.


Israel's Sharon Confronts Party Rebels Before Vote  TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon confronted  Likud party rebels with a pledge to put the good of Israel  first Wednesday as he battled to avoid an embarrassing defeat  over his Gaza pullout plan.


Update 5: Hewlett-Packard Income Surges 27 Percent Record revenue growth across all of Hewlett-Packard Co. #39;s business units, particularly in its consumer electronics division, helped generate strong fourth-quarter earnings for the computer giant.


Kobe Rebounds From the beginning, Eagle County, Colo., district attorney Mark Hurlbert insisted that the sexual-assault charge he filed against Kobe Bryant had nothing to do with the celebrity of the Los Angeles Lakers #39; star.


Bankers fight extradition Three former Natwest bankers appeared in court yesterday to fight extradition to the United States, where they are facing fraud charges for a multi-million pound deal involving disgraced US energy company Enron.


Cashing in on an advance ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz couldn't care less that his team finished .500. Somehow, it is in the playoffs.


Ramsey Is Likely Starter Redskins backup quarterback Patrick Ramsey took an abundance of the snaps during practice Tuesday and remains likely to start Monday's game against Dallas at FedEx Field.


A More Efficient Way to Produce Hydrogen Nov. 30 - So far they #39;ve done the recipe only on a small scale in an Idaho laboratory. The ingredients are water, electricity and extreme heat.


More Internet Users Surfing Away From Microsoft #39;s Explorer Like millions of computer users, Bob Davis found out the hard way that Microsoft #39;s Internet Explorer has security flaws.  quot;My computer was taken over with viruses and spyware and so, unfortunately, I had to reformat my entire hard drive, quot; Davis said.


Samsung Pips Motorola in Cellphone Ranking (Reuters) Reuters - South Korea's Samsung\Electronics overtook Motorola as the world's second-biggest\mobile phone maker in the third quarter as the market continued\to boom, a survey showed on Wednesday.


The man alone few hours before the vote in the Knesset, now expected to be 65 in favor of disengagement and 55 against - a large enough majority for Sharon to continue rejecting the referendum being demanded by disengagement opponents -he conventional wisdom is


Botswana elections to hand victory to party in power since <b>...</b> GABORONE (AFP) - Queues of voters in diamond-rich Botswana waited patiently to cast their ballots in elections that are expected to hand victory to the party in power since independence in 1966 in one of Africa #39;s most stable countries.


Bowden, at Least, Is Certain to Make Moves The meetings of Major League Baseball #39;s general managers officially open today in Key Biscayne, Fla., though Jim Bowden -- the GM of the franchise that is supposed to depart Montreal for Washington


Families of Bali Bombing Victims Mark Second Anniversary Families of the 202 victims who died in the bombings of two nightclubs in Bali have marked the second anniversary of the attacks with emotional ceremonies on the Indonesian resort island and in Australia.


More questions than answers in Symantec, Veritas deal Security company Symantec's acquisition of Veritas Softwarehas the potential to benefit customers and shareholders of both companies, but details of the \$13.5 billion deal leave some important questions unanswered, according to interviews with executives and industry experts.


Hong Kong #39;s former Gurkhas angry over British nationality move Former Nepalese-born Gurkha soldiers who helped defend Hong Kong under British rule are fuming at London #39;s decision to exclude them from a new law giving the crack fighters British citizenship, a spokesman said Thursday.


Internet service providers file more spam lawsuits In a second round of lawsuits announced on Thursday, four major U.S. Internet service providers (ISPs) are taking on senders of e-mail spam and unwanted commercial messages sent via instant messaging.


Eagles Clinch Division Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook lead a 20-point second half to deliver a 27-6 win over the Giants, securing the Eagles' fifth straight trip to the playoffs.


Vote Audit Confirms Chavez Recall Win Fair-Official  CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - An audit done by  international observers has confirmed that President Hugo  Chavez beat a recall referendum and that the vote was fair, an  electoral council official said on Saturday.


VeriSign to fight on after ICANN suit dismissed A US federal judge yesterday tossed a crucial lawsuit between VeriSign Inc. and the Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers, but VeriSign vowed to continue the legal battle in a different jurisdiction.


News: Search News - Yahoo Partners With Adobe Adobe Systems Inc., and Yahoo! today announced a partnership aimed at providing access to Yahoo! Search through Adobe Reader and a co-branded toolbar featuring Adobe Services.


Bosnian Serbs issue apology for massacre BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina -- The Bosnian Serb government issued an apology yesterday for the 1995 massacre of 7,800 Muslim civilians in Srebrenica, saying it ''shares the pain quot; of the victims' families.


First impressions of Firefox 1.0 preview release Firefox is my second choice for a web browser. Opera comes first. No doubts about that. But Firefox in itself is a pretty decent browser.


Report: Notre Dame Contacts Meyer Utah Head Coach Urban Meyer hollers to his team during the first half of a game against Utah State in this Sept. 18, 2004 file photo in Logan, Utah.


Sun offers pay-as-you-go computing service Sun Microsystems Inc. will offer utility computing services priced at less than a dollar per node per hour, it announced Tuesday.


IBM project puts supercomputer on a chip (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - IBM today plans to disclose details of a project to put a supercomputer on a chip.


Digital music a long way from displacing CDs It #39;s going to be a long time before digital music downloads challenge CD sales, even in the online world. That #39;s the conclusion of a report by market watcher Informa Media Group (IMG), published this week.


Shibui Has Record Run at Berlin Marathon (AP) AP - Japan'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.


Jamaica's Police Commissioner Resigns (AP) AP - Jamaica's embattled police commissioner resigned following last year's record number of homicides in the Caribbean country, authorities said.


Kiwi gold beats Mactier #39;s effort SARAH ULMER gave New Zealand its first ever Olympic cycling gold medal and only their second gold of the Athens Games overnight. And she broke her own world record for the women #39;s 3km individual pursuit.


Fastest man! ATHENS: The true worth of Justin Gatlins stunning Olympic 100m victory could be measured by who was left in his considerable wake.


Man Utd hopefuls face a rising challenge A successful bidder for Manchester United could have to pay more than 300p a share, City sources suggested yesterday. The stock rose 13.


Bush Stands His Ground, Sets Himself Apart President Bush #39;s speech before the UN General Assembly on Tuesday was the verbal equivalent of a  quot;greatest hits quot; album, repackaging and summarizing the key foreign


Blockbuster Offers  #36;700M for Rival Chain (AP) AP - Blockbuster Inc., facing new attacks from big retailers and online operators, has offered  #36;700 million for rival Hollywood Entertainment Corp. in a bid to combine the two biggest players in the movie-rental industry.


HP puts choke hold on virus throttling product After unveiling cutting-edge technology for choking off the spread of viruses in March, Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) is quietly shelving the project, citing conflicts with Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system, a company executive said.


Microsoft Leaves UN Standards Group pk2000 writes  quot;Microsoft withdrew from a United Nations software standards group for commerce. quot;  #39;Unfortunately, for now, we have made the decision to stop participating in UN/Cefact for business reasons and this serves as notification of our immediate


Summit attracts top tech leaders A host of high-tech big wheels, from information technology leaders to inventors and visionaries from across the region, are slated to converge for a summit in Portsmouth on Oct. 14 and 15.


Update 3: Mattel #39;s 3Q Profits Fall on Lower Sales Mattel Inc., the world #39;s biggest toymaker, said Monday its third-quarter profit fell 5.2 percent due to lower worldwide sales of its flagship Barbie doll line and its Hot Wheels and Matchbox toy car brands.


Serbia sends general for war crimes trial Serbia yesterday signalled the start of greater co-operation with the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague, surrendering a former Bosnian Serb general whose troops held Sarajevo under siege during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war.


Stocks Off as Employment Data Disappoints  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks slipped on Monday, reversing an  early rally, after disappointing U.S. employment data rekindled  investor worries about weak economic growth and lackluster  corporate profits.


OPEC May Decide Oil Price Target in Sept. OPEC may set a new target range for oil prices next week and would like to see crude down from current lofty levels closer to \$30 a barrel, the head of the producers #39; cartel said on Wednesday.


No. 5 Cowboys #39; physical defense punishes Orange The rough and tough Oklahoma State Cowboys pushed Syracuse around for most of the game and then used a late push to beat the Orange 74-60 in the Jimmy V Classic here at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.


Napier's Chessboard Calculator Isn't Napier the logarithm guy? Yes indeed. A man of varied  talents, he popularized the modern decimal point notation and argued  that the Pope of 1593 was the Antichrist.    And created one of the first devices to automate binary  arithmetic. Using nothing more than a chessboard and some counters, he  developed ways to multiply, divide and even find the square roots of  binary numbers.


Red Bull target Coulthard Red Bull Racing say they want to sign David Coulthard so that they have an experienced driver for their first Formula One season next year.


HK Disneyland Theme Park to Open in September  HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong's Disneyland theme park  will open on Sept. 12, 2005 and become the driving force for  growth in the city's tourism industry, Hong Kong's government  and Walt Disney Co. said on Monday.


The Next Giant Leap Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, talks space and the future with James Cameron for Wired magazine.


COASTAL BUSINESS US Airways and its pilots union broke off talks on reduced pay and benefits, the Bloomberg news service reported Monday. US Airways, Myrtle Beach International Airport #39;s busiest carrier, is seeking concessions to avoid a bankruptcy filing.


Premier faces Bucharest mayor in Romania Romanians returned to the polls Sunday for a presidential runoff between their leftist prime minister, formerly a member of the communist elite, and the capital #39;s Western-leaning mayor.


APEC shows power as primary regional forum The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) has shown again its power as the primary economic forum in the Pacific Rim, as 21 top leaders from its member economies


Stelco Loses Contract to Supply GM Steel  VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - Stelco Inc.  STEa.TO has lost a contract to supply steel to General Motors  Inc. GM.N, its biggest customer, because the insolvent  Canadian steelmaker failed to strike a deal with its workers,  the union at Stelco said on Monday.


Half-Life 2 Set for Mid-November Release Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) has confirmed that Half-Life 2, developed by Valve Software, has gone gold with a planned retail street date of November 16, 2004.


Loooking for some fight for Irish The good news for Boston College senior quarterback Paul Peterson is that he completed 32 passes for 367 yards, both career records, and two touchdowns as the Eagles marched up and down the field against Pittsburgh last Saturday for 423 yards of total offense. The bad news is the Eagles stalled when they got close to the goal line, scored ...


Citigroup to Revamp Japan Operations -WSJ (Reuters) Reuters - Citigroup is to revamp its\Japanese private banking unit, creating a local committee to\oversee operations, the Wall Street Journal reported.


UBS Net Slips on Weak Trading Income Swiss banking giant UBS posted weaker third-quarter net profit on Tuesday, just missing market expectations, hurt by a seasonal fall in trading revenue despite a strong showing by its flagship private bank.


Australia turn the screw against India (Reuters) Reuters - Glenn McGrath finished with four wickets as Australia quashed Indian hopes of a fightback by establishing a big first-innings lead in the first test on Friday.


SuperSonics Activate Kutluay (AP) AP - The Seattle SuperSonics activated guard Ibrahim Kutluay before Tuesday night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers, and placed guard Mateen Cleaves on the injured list with a strained left shoulder.


Fast Arctic Thaw Threatens People, Polar Bears (Reuters) Reuters - Global warming is heating the Arctic\almost twice as fast as the rest of the planet in a thaw that\threatens the livelihoods of millions of people and could wipe\out polar bears by 2100, an eight-nation report said on Monday.


Ethics in Practice In debate, participants often present ethics as an overriding consideration.  nbsp;Sometimes, ethics is referenced by several  nbsp;participants in support of contradictory positions.  nbsp;When this happens debate tends to stall, as participants lack a framework for resolving their varying ethical valuations.  nbsp;In the interest of keeping K5 flamewars running smoothly, below is an attempt to outline what such a framework might look like.


Nokia plans new, lighter version of Communicator Trying to regain some of its lost market share, Nokia Corp. is hoping to woo both enterprise and consumer customers with a lighter, sleeker version of its high-end Communicator handset that will be released worldwide at the beginning of next year, the company announced Wednesday.


Ahold Settles with Dutch Prosecutors  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Retailer Ahold reached an 8 million  euros (\$9.85 million) settlement with Dutch public prosecutors  over charges of publishing false accounts.


High Court Puts Limit On Lender Liability The Supreme Court overturned a five-figure damage award for an auto dealer's alleged loan scam, ruling that a federal appeals court had wrongly interpreted a federal fair-credit law when it upheld the award last year.


Short-term T-bill rates rise Interest rates on short-term Treasury securities rose in yesterday's auction. The Treasury Department sold \$19 billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 2.155 percent, up from 2.075 percent last week. An additional \$17 billion was sold in six-month bills at a rate of 2.365 percent, up from 2.280 percent.


Edwards Positions Himself for 2008 (AP) AP - Democrat John Edwards lost the election for the vice presidency this week and will lose his Senate seat in January. But he's hardly going away. He's positioned himself for a full-out presidential run in 2008, a campaign that in a way he's already begun.


Despondent Brown: 'I Feel Like a Failure' (AP) AP - Larry Brown was despondent, the head of the U.S. selection committee was defensive, and Allen Iverson was hanging up on callers who asked what went wrong. A day after their first Olympic loss in 16 years, the Americans were experiencing varying degrees of distress.


FCC Proposes Record \$1.2 Million  Fine Against Fox Federal regulators proposed a record indecency fine of nearly \$1.2 million Tuesday against Fox Broadcasting Co. for an episode of its reality series "Married by America" that included graphic scenes from bachelor and bachelorette parties.


Video Cameras at Movies Would Be Crime Using video cameras to record films in movie theaters would become a federal crime punishable by up to six years in prison under a bill passed Tuesday by the House.


U.N. Nuclear Inspectors Ready to Return to Iraq  VIENNA (Reuters) - U.N. inspectors, barred from most of  Iraq since last year's invasion, are ready to return to probe  the disappearance of equipment that could be used in atomic  weapons, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday.


Google SMS is good for the Company and the Users I have tested Google search on WAP and it works fine. But considering Google has around 4.2 Billion pages (as per their homepage), finding information on a mobile phone is not fun.


Insurgents Quit Mosque in Najaf After Peace Deal Guerrillas loyal to Moktada al-Sadr ceded control of the holy site to the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, but did not give up their guns.


India test-fires BrahMos BHUBANESHWAR: India carried out its sixth test-fire of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile on Wednesday, defence officials said.


Before the Bell: Connetics Falls (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of Connetics Corp. \fell 15.5 percent before the opening bell on Wednesday after\the drugmaker said the U.S. health officials concluded that its\drug for treatment of seborrheic dermatitis was not effective.


HP, others bolster future storage Storage vendors Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, EMC, and Microsoft are trumpeting new products this week that foreshadow the near future of storage.


EverQuest II begins its retail sojourn North American retailers first to receive Sony #39;s PC MMORPG; Standard and Collectors Editions should start arriving in stores tomorrow.


Williams to meet Klitschko for title British heavyweight Danny Williams , who knocked out Mike Tyson in the fourth round July 30, will meet Vitali Klitschko Dec. 11 at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino in Las Vegas for the World Boxing Council version of the heavyweight title . . . Willie Randolph interviewed for the Mets' managerial job, and stressed that his many years with the Yankees ...


Athens police fire pepper spray at Powell protesters ATHENS - Greek police on Friday used pepper spray on a crowd of demonstrators protesting against the weekend visit of US Secretary of State Colin Powell.


Linux and Identity Services Key for Novell Linux and identity management will be Novell #39;s biggest strengths, according to its chief executive Jack Messman. Messman told delegates at this year #39;s Novell Brainshare Europe event in Barcelona


#39;Arms photo reasonable #39;: Ahern British and Irish Government proposals for photographic evidence of IRA decommissioning were reasonable, the Irish premier has said.


Voller throws in the towel RUDI Voller had quit as coach of Roma after a 3-1 defeat away to Bologna, the Serie A club said today. Under the former Germany coach, Roma had taken just four league points from a possible 12.


Britain  #39;did not disclose warning of coup plot #39; The British Government was told of an alleged plot to overthrow Equatorial Guinea #39;s government months in advance, it was reported yesterday.


Apple whistles a happy iTunes This week's earnings report is expected to shed light on the impact of iTunes for Windows, which launched one year ago.


Stocks mixed as oil prices lift TSX, add to earnings warnings woes <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto stock market was higher Monday morning as energy stocks benefited from the world crude oil price #39;s move above \$46 US a barrel.


Lehman named as American Ryder captain Tom Lehman has been given the job of leading the 2006 American Ryder Cup team as the try to restore some pride after their heaviest ever Ryder Cup defeat.


Spain: Terror suspect planned devastating attack MADRID, Spain Spanish authorities say the suspected leader of a Muslim cell plotted to blow up a truck outside the country #39;s National Court in downtown Madrid.


CIA Documents Show Struggle Over China (AP) AP - The CIA is offering a rare glimpse into its successes and failures at trying to understand China during its first communist decades in a huge cache of newly declassified documents released this week in Washington.


Rulon Gardner Says Goodbye To Olympic Wrestling Rulon Gardner, who had already left a big mark in the world of Olympic wrestling, left his shoes on the mat to signify his retirement from the ancient sport.


Rochus runs aground in 5-set loss to Hrbaty The Little Engine That Could simply couldn't any longer. Olivier Rochus, who stood much taller than his 5-foot-5-inch frame in two big five-set victories here, ran out of steam against Dominik Hrbaty and squandered a two-set lead, falling, 2-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-0.


Reasons to Like Four Seasons The luxury hotel manager doubles earnings for the second straight quarter.


2 UN peacekeepers wounded in Haiti shootouts PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Two UN peacekeepers were wounded in shootouts with supporters of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in Port-au-Prince and civilians believed to be Aristide opponents in flood-ravaged Gonaives - the first casualties of the


Official: Puerto Rican failed drug test Puerto Rican wrestler Mabel Fonseca tested positive for a steroid in an initial doping test, a wrestling official said Saturday. Michel Dusson, secretary general of the International


Ravens #39; Secondary To Get First-Rate Test So much of the Baltimore Ravens #39; identity is built around their swaggering defense, and their pride in not allowing 100-yard rushers and not giving up big plays.


White House Predicts Slower Growth in 2005 The Bush administration predicted on Friday that economic growth would slow next year but still be strong enough to reduce unemployment slightly.


Liverpool V Bayer Leverkusen Key Battles Liverpool seem to have been handed one of the easier last-16 draws after the group phase of the Champions League. But Rafael Benitez will be careful not to under-estimate the experienced


Egypt Air and Gulf Air sign strategic alliance (AFP) AFP - Egypt Air and Gulf Air signed a strategic alliance to boost their cooperation, especially in the Middle East.


Best of times, worst of times The smiles should be wider than the Wasatch Mountains this week at The Y., as they call Brigham Young University. The Cougars are coming off a triumph of Biblical proportion over Notre Dame, in


RFID Signal Strong in 2005 Radio Frequency Identification technology is going to ring in the new year in more ways than one.


Pulitzer Hired Banker to Explore Sale  PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Newspaper publisher Pulitzer Inc.  confirmed on Sunday it hired a financial adviser to help it  explore strategic options, including a possible sale of the  company.


Europe Left Cold By Portable Video European consumers want music not video or games on their portable gadgets. According to Jupiter Research only a lowly five per cent of people would like a music player which could also play films.


Panel Urges Shuttle Mission to Help Hubble A panel said that NASA should send astronauts to repair the Hubble Space Telescope rather than rely on a robotic device.


Al-Qaeda suspect detained in Germany German authorities on Friday detained a Syrian-born German businessman who is wanted by Spain for allegedly supporting the al-Qaeda terrorist network.


Adelphia to allow Time Warner/Comcast dual bid-WSJ Bankrupt cable operator Adelphia Communications Corp (ADELQ.PK: Quote, Profile, Research) will allow cable companies Time Warner Inc.


Spam Is Finally a Crime Siblings are the first ever to be convicted for sending boatloads of junk e-mail pushing bogus products. Also: Microsoft takes MSN music download on a Euro trip....  Nokia begins legal battle against European counterparts.... and more.


Judge in sponsorship scandal says he needs help from Parliament to bend rules (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - The head of a public inquiry is appealing to Parliament to help him get to the bottom of the federal sponsorship scandal.


22 rebels said killed, including key figure MOSCOW -- Chechen security forces killed 22 separatist rebels, including the alleged organizer of the assassination of the republic's president, a top republic official said yesterday, according to news reports. Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov was quoted as saying the rebels were killed in an operation in the Vedeno region, about 30 miles southeast of Grozny, the Chechen capital. The ...


Bush Ties Attack in Saudi Arabia to Iraqi Elections President Bush tied Monday's deadly assault on a U.S. consulate in Saudi Arabia to the upcoming elections in neighboring Iraq, depicting it as part of a broader campaign by Islamic extremists to drive Americans out of the Middle East.


Jewel-Osco impacted by Calif. strike Albertsons Inc., the No. 2 US grocer, Tuesday reported a substantial drop in its quarterly profit as heavy promotions to revive its Southern California sales after a strike bit into its profit.


US Marine killed in Iraq #39;s western Anbar province One US Marine was killed in action Saturday in Iraq #39;s volatile western Anbar province, the military said. The Marine, who was assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, was killed  #39; #39;while


Microsoft distributes XP security update Microsoft says it has distributed about 106 million copies of its major security update for the Windows XP operating system. Microsoft completed work on the update


Cox directors look at proposed buyout Cox Communications Inc. is a step closer to going private, with the cable giant #39;s board of directors forming a special committee of independent directors to consider the Cox Enterprises Inc. proposal to take the company private in a \$7.9 billion buyout.


Seagate seeks system builder support for 100GB notebook drive Ideal for barebone laptops, apparently


Eye on IT The Office of Government Commerce #39;s report into the viability of using open-source software in the public sector was toned down in its praise of Linux security before release, silicon.


#39;Halo 2 #39; Has Game Fans Excited  quot;San Andreas quot; likely will outsell  quot;Halo 2 quot; because there are at least 10 million more PlayStation 2 units sold than Xboxes, which are in about 14 million homes.


Wall St. Outlook: Bull Market with Legs? (Reuters) Reuters - Stock investors next week should get\more clues on whether the bull market has long enough legs to\drive gains to year end, as many market pros now expect.


Bank of Canada missing  #36;10,000; employee fired, charged with theft (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - The Bank of Canada has fired an employee after  #36;10,000 in cash went missing from its Toronto bank-note facility -a rare breach in an institution that prides itself on tight security.


A winter of promise for J amp;K? There is an air of optimism about the Kashmir talks to be held during Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz #39;s forthcoming visit to Delhi.


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


Plan for refuge would turn farmland back to marshes and mudflats NISQUALLY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, Wash. -- Farmland that was drained and diked more than 100 years ago would turn back into salt marshes and mudflats for migrating salmon under a 15-year plan for the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.


General Electric Sells 60 of Indian Back-Office Unit G.E.'s sale may set off a trend as other multinational companies move from owning back-office units to outsourcing to independent companies.


More than 80 Protesters Dead as Thai Government Cracks Down on <b>...</b> Thai security forces have begun large-scale detentions in the predominately-Muslim south of the country following a clash with demonstrators Monday that left more than 80 protesters dead.


Microsoft to step up SP2 downloads com September 21, 2004, 4:05 PM PT. This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been improving or obtaining CRM and ERP software for the past year and a half.


Newsview: Political Rhetoric Has Price (AP) AP - President Bush says politicians should say what they mean. But doing so can sometimes be an invitation to disaster, as Arlen Specter, John Kerry, John Snow and Bush himself can attest.


Nortel delays financial report--again Accounting scandal continues to drag out as company once again delays reporting results for first half of 2004 and all of 2003.


Space racers set sights on orbital frontier It might sound like a space-age case of sour grapes, but Rod and Randa Milliron say they #39;re glad they don #39;t have to think about the \$10 million Ansari X Prize anymore.


2D Metal Slug offers retro fun Like some drill sergeant from the past, Metal Slug 3 is a wake-up call to today's gamers molly-coddled with slick visuals and fancy trimmings.


Microsoft, Intel Want To Bring  #39;Digital Joy #39; To The Home Joy during the holiday season usually comes from family and friends, but this year Microsoft Corp. and Intel Corp. want it to also come from the PC.


Willingham firing a winning thing Notre Dame was fortunate to have a man like Tyrone Willingham at the helm. He #39;s a class act and a quality person. The young men who played for him have benefited from his leadership and example.


Packers seek local rule THE weather forecast promises a top temperature of 6C (42.8F) for Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Sunday, which is relatively balmy by comparison with the record low for an NFL game, registered at the home of the Green Bay Packers on New Years Eve in 1967


Body of NBC TV exec #39;s son believed found GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - Moments after surviving a horrific plane crash, Charles Ebersol frantically begged bystanders for help in rescuing his kid brother from the wreckage:  quot;Can you please help get him


Zee looks on as BCCI, Govt fight it out at apex court NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 30: Chances of a judicial intervention before the start of the India-Australia cricket series receded today, as the Supreme Court remained engrossed in the legal debate on whether the BCCI should be treated as an authority of


New Google Service May Strain Old Ties in Bookselling Allowing consumers to search the content of books online could shift the balance of power between companies that produce books and those that sell them.


Dollar Ignores Data, Creeps Lower vs. Yen  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar dropped against the yen on  Friday, as the market ignored a mostly positive report on  October U.S. retail sales and remained focused on the record  U.S. current account deficit.


It's a first for Woods BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- As for choosing a leadoff man, how did European captain Bernhard Langer come up with Paul Casey to go against Tiger Woods ?


Not all great apes were swingers The fossil of an ancient species of ape, discovered at a construction site in western Spain, has revealed that great apes went through more evolutionary stages than previously thought.


Fantasy Leagues Attract Money From Advertisers DVERTISERS have uncovered a world of young men with plenty of time on their hands and money to spend - a highly coveted demographic - in an unlikely place.


Opec to cool crude boil with additional gallons : Opec on Wednesday lifted oil supply quotas by one million barrels a day, 4 per cent, in a renewed bid to force down stubbornly high world crude prices.


Grid Pioneers To Launch Company The creators of the widely-used Globus Toolkit have formed a company to provide commercial software, services and support for the open source software that has become the de facto standard for grid computing.


Four rescued from mine blast FOUR workers were pulled out alive from a mine in north China today, leaving 166 colleagues trapped and feared dead after a gas explosion, local officials said.


Federal investigators continue looking for cause of Hendrick plane <b>...</b> PATRICK SPRINGS, Va. Airport officials in Virginia say pilots of at least 20 other planes decided it was too dangerous to land at the airport near where a Hendrick Motorsports plane went down.


DETTORI-LED WILKO RUNS PAST YOUNG FIELD AT 28-1 Roger, wilco and out went enough Breeders #39; Cup Pick 6 tickets to burn down Lone Star Park yesterday when Euro-invader Wilko, dismissed at 28-1 in a field of eight, rolled


But seriously folks Being at home isn't what you think in the NFL. Heading into the weekend, 10 teams remain undefeated at home, but we're only talking two or three games. Let the season play out, but don't be surprised if that figure is less than what it was a year ago (four unbeatens at home).


Govt wants to slow global warming The Federal Government says it is interested in slowing global warming, even though it has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.


Steelers, Bettis overwhelm undefeated Eagles PITTSBURGH 27, PHILADELPHIA 3 -- PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers celebrated the 25th anniversary of their Super Bowl XIV title team.


A hero, a monster, a Mideast icon As peace between Israel and the Palestinians waxed and waned over the decades, there was one constant amid the tumult: Yasser Arafat was at its centre.


U.S. Soldier Dies in Truck Crash in Iraq (AP) AP - A U.S. soldier was killed in a truck accident north of the Iraqi capital on Wednesday, a military spokesman said.


Choose and cut farms thrive as fake trees gain market share As Kevin Houde wielded the saw, his 4-year-old son Cameron squatted on the ground beside him. Working as a team, they made a clean cut at the base of the 7-foot tree that will mark the Christmas season in their home this year.


Pampling in command after second day of centenary Australian Open SYDNEY, (AFP) - Australian golfer Rod Pampling shot his second consecutive 67 around the notoriously difficult Australian Golf Club here to find himself well in charge after the second day of the centenary Australian Open.


More Iraq civilian deaths seen in study  WASHINGTON -- The first nationwide survey of Iraqi deaths since the US-led invasion concludes that about 100,000 people have died as a result of the war, including many women and children killed in coalition airstrikes.


Two Israelis die tackling bomber Two Israeli policemen died preventing a female suicide bomber from entering a packed Jerusalem bus shelter yesterday, probably saving many other lives.


Bank sees \$320M in losses as it girds for higher rates SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Fifth Third Bancorp cut profit forecasts late Thursday as the bank alters its balance sheet to prepare for higher interest rates.


Iowa Upends No. 12 Louisville 76-71 (AP) AP - Jeff Horner scored 11 points in a 4 1/2-minute span of the second half, part of a nine-minute stretch when Iowa held No. 12 Louisville without a field goal in the Hawkeyes' 76-71 victory Monday in the opening round of the Maui Invitational.


New Battalion  #39;Told to Prepare to Go to Iraq #39; A British battalion of 600 infantry have been told to make ready for deployment to Iraq, the Conservatives claimed today. The soldiers, understood to be from the 2nd


CNN Hires Former CBS Exec to US Post NEW YORK - CNN has a new boss for the second time in 14 months: former CBS News executive Jonathan Klein, who will oversee programming and editorial direction at the second-ranked cable news network.


UK hopes for Iraq hostage contact Britain says it is doing all it can to free UK hostage  Kenneth Bigley, but rules out deals with Iraqi militants.


Virgin Digital Online Music Store Is Open For Business! Virgin is all over the map. Yesterday morning, Sir Richard Branson introduced to the world that he was ready to make astronauts of us all by 2007.


Infogrames sells Civilisation franchise for \$22.3m French publisher Infogrames has announced its results for the first half of FY 2005, revealing in the process that the firm has sold off the lucrative Civilisation franchise to an as-yet unknown purchaser.


Revamped US squad dumps Slovakia CBC SPORTS ONLINE - After suffering two straight defeats at the World Cup of Hockey, US coach Ron Wilson overhauled his lineup Friday with hopes of getting his team a victory.


Education Helping More Seniors Get Online A growing number of older Americans are discovering the Internet. Across the country, programs have sprouted at senior centers and libraries to help people master the Internet, which advocates say is an important tool for seniors trying to overcome isolation and stay independent.


Oil Tumbles as Winter Fuel Stocks Rise  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices slid more than \$3.50 a barrel  on Wednesday, the biggest drop since September 2001, as a  larger-than-expected build in U.S. heating stocks soothed  worries about a winter fuel deficit.


Nepal Confirms Its Nationals Kidnapped in Iraq  KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal confirmed on Monday that 13 of  its citizens had been kidnapped by an Islamic group in Iraq and  appealed for their release.


ADV: The New York Times Home Delivery Uncover financial insights for your business daily with The New York Times - the authority on market trend news and analysis. Now delivered to your home or business starting at \$2.40/wk.


Liverpool slur puts Tory on back foot BORIS Johnson, editor of British magazine The Spectator, might well pad his trousers with copies of the conservative journal when he travels to Liverpool this week to apologise for insulting the city and its people.


Mob sets train on fire in Bangladesh DHAKA: An angry mob set fire to a passenger train in central Bangladesh Sunday, injuring at least 20 people after a grenade attack on an opposition rally that killed 18 people and wounded hundreds, police said.


U.S. Marine Killed in Anbar Province U.S. Marine killed in Iraq's Anbar province<br>BC-Iraq-Military Death,0115


Lleyton Hewitt beats Gilles Muller to win title in Washington Lleyton Hewitt strong first serve and excellent court coverage ended the best week of Gilles Muller #39;s career. Hewitt beat the Luxembourg player 6-3, 6-4 Sunday in the final of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.


XBox Owner Sues Microsoft drusoicy writes  quot;Reuters is reporting that Sean Burke has filed suit against Microsoft because his XBox system stopped reading discs (games or otherwise) after less than one year of use.


#39;Medicine is for people, not profits #39; Dodge Ball, the game in which children try to avoid getting hit by a rubber ball, may seem to have nothing in common with the business of developing medicines.


Oklahoma, No. 2 in Both Polls, Opens Third in BCS Ranking The Bowl Championship Series released its initial ranking yesterday, based on a formula revised in the off-season to help ensure that the consensus No.


Netflix, TiVo Make Deal Official (AP) AP - Netflix Inc. and TiVo Inc. made official Thursday their deal to create a service that will use high-speed Internet connections to pipe DVD-quality movies into the homes of their mutual subscribers.


Howard to attend Yudhoyono inauguration Prime Minister John Howard will travel to Indonesia later this month to attend the inauguration of new Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.


Tiger out of tourney line-up Changes over the past 11 months should also force golfers to deal with a bear of a course. But to the sure lament of golf fans, a once-promised Tiger will no longer be part of the show.


This week in security news Phishing is one of the fastest-growing forms of personal fraud in the world. While consumers are the most obvious victims, the damage spreads far wider--hurting companies #39; finances and reputations and potentially


Wilkinson sidelined for England test series New England captain Jonny Wilkinson looks set to miss his country #39;s autumn games against Canada, South Africa and Australia as a result of his latest injury.


Mutual Funds Reveal Shareholder Votes Vanguard Group Inc. voted in favor of a shareholder proposal demanding that Intel Corp. expense stock options. Putnam Funds and Fidelity Investments voted to dump Walt Disney Co. Chairman Michael D. Eisner. Vanguard voted to keep him.


Sun Launches Solaris 10 At its Network Computing  #39;04Q4 launch today, Sun Microsystems, Inc. (sun.com) launched the much anticipated Solaris 10 Operating System (OS), addressing the enormous waste of resources forced upon customers


A's Trade Pitcher Tim Hudson to Braves (AP) AP - Tim Hudson was traded from the Oakland Athletics to Atlanta, a blockbuster deal Thursday that further bolstered the Braves' revamped rotation.


Russia Beats U.S. Men for Volleyball Bronze  ATHENS (Reuters) - Russia, silver medallists in Sydney, won  the Olympic bronze medal in the men's volleyball competition on  Sunday, beating the United States in straight sets.


PSA Peugeot Citroen to fall short of sales target in China PSA Peugeot Citroen China #39;s unit is expected to miss its full-year car sales target due to intense competition and slumping sales.


Bunkers, Human Remains Found In Fallujah US soldiers have discovered a series of underground bunkers in the Iraqi city of Fallujah . That word comes from a CNN correspondent embedded with a unit of the First Infantry Division.


Algonquin Power, Microcell, Telus: Canadian Equity Preview The following is a list of companies whose shares may make gains or losses in the Canadian market. This preview includes news that broke after markets closed Tuesday.


News: SCO hacked in apparent IP protest Visitors to SCO's website this morning were treated to a rare moment of corporate self-awareness after hackers apparently replaced an image linking to the undoubtedly scintillating "Extending Legacy Applications and Databases to the Web and Wireless Devices with SCOx Web Services Substrate" with a graphic bearing the rather more promising "We own all your code - pay us all your money"\


Turkish Company to Leave Iraq, After Driver Kidnapped A Turkish shipping company says it is withdrawing from Iraq, after militants kidnapped one of its drivers and threatened to behead him.


NEC licenses Honeywell LCD tech Honeywell #39;s legal action against 34 electronics and computing companies for allegedly infringing one of its LCD patents has yielded its first public licensing agreement.


Convicted Sex Offender Can Stay on Ballot (AP) AP - A Green Party candidate for Congress can stay on the ballot despite being on probation for a sex offense conviction, the state attorney's general office said Friday.


Palace interlopers are released on bail LONDON Two campaigners for fathers #39; rights who penetrated Buckingham Palace dressed in Batman and Robin costumes were released on bail Tuesday, the police said.


Carter is Grounded Toronto star Vince Carter will miss at least two games with a strained left Achilles' tendon, suffered Wednesday in a loss to Detroit.


REGGINA BURST CAPELLO BUBBLE The Old Lady was finally humbled as Lady Luck teamed up with 10-man Reggina to bring coach Fabio Capello #39;s unbeaten run to an end with the Juventus team he inherited from Marcello Lippi in the summer.


NSF Announces Two Cybersecurity Centers To Study Internet <b>...</b> The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced 33 new projects from its \$30 million Cyber Trust program, including two new cybersecurity research centers that will focus on eliminating plagues of Internet worms and viruses and on building better


'Biological' kidney implant hope The first human trial of an artificial 'bio' kidney offers \hope of a working implant for patients, say experts.


Alonso thinks of what might have been The young Spaniard was leading when he spun into retirement on lap 12 of the Belgian Grand Prix. He talks about his race


Government, rebels might swap prisoners Reviving hopes for an exchange of jailed rebels for kidnapping victims, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said his government is prepared to meet with the country #39;s main guerrilla group about a swap, but said he wants some kidnap


China Bans a New Computer Video Game SHANGHAI, China Dec 9, 2004 - China has banned a new computer game for referring to Taiwan and other regions claimed by China as separate countries.


Henin Blasts Her Way to Gold  By Ossian Shine  ATHENS (Reuters) - Justine Henin-Hardenne blasted her way to  Olympic gold Saturday, beating Amelie Mauresmo 6-3, 6-3 in a  clash of the world's top two players.


Bush Finished Campaign With Millions (AP) AP - President Bush's record campaign fund raising left him with millions of dollars to spare, allowing him to donate  #36;11 million to the Republican Party and even send a few checks to the White House Historical Association.


Global Markets: Stocks Up Despite Oil  LONDON (Reuters) - European stocks shrugged off new peaks  in crude oil prices and moved slightly higher on Thursday with  technology firms leading the advance, while bonds and the  dollar were steady.


Mass. Electric seeks 10 rate hike Blaming recent run-ups in the prices of natural gas and oil, Massachusetts Electric Co. sought permission yesterday to raise rates by nearly 10 percent for 425,000 of its customers starting in November.


Fuel Prices Likely To Go Up From Tomorrow New Delhi, Oct. 31(NNN): As international oil prices continued to soar, petrol and diesel prices are likely to be hiked from Monday (November 1).


Matsui finally gets to Martinez On paper, the matchup of Hideki Matsui against Pedro Martinez didn #39;t look like a good one for the Yankees. But, as Derek Jeter always says, that #39;s why they don #39;t play the games on paper.


Martinez's Series Win Has Boston Buzzing (AP) AP - He has been loved and revered, maligned and smeared.


Oil prices fall as storm worries wane LONDON : Oil prices fell back as worries about the impact of tropical storm Frances subsided. The price of benchmark Brent North Sea crude oil for delivery in October lost 11 cents to 40.


Wal-Mart lowers August sales forecast Wal-Mart is reducing its forecast for same store sales for the month of August. It is blaming store closures caused by Hurricane Charley last week.


Cracking start to quest, but no sign of Holy Grail TWO veteran code-breakers from Yorkshire have received a worldwide response to their request for solutions to an enigmatic message on a monument in Staffordshire reputed to say where the Holy Grail is hidden.


Fidels fall fails to get US call Havana, Oct. 22 (Agencies): Fidel Castro wont allow himself to be put under general anaesthesia and America wont say get well soon.


Cell Phones Increasingly Attractive To Hackers (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Early this month, several Web sites began offering software promising ringtones and screensavers for certain cell phones. But those who downloaded the software found that it turned every icon on their cell phones' screens into a skull-and-crossbones and disabled their phones, so they could no longer send or receive text messages or access contact lists or calendars.


Marlins soar to  #39;home #39; win The Florida Marlins ignored their unusual surroundings to record a 6-3 win over the Montreal Expos on Monday. Hurricane Ivan forced the Marlins to play the match at Chicago White Sox #39;s home stadium, the first


Making Your Insurer Pay If Hurricane Charley blows your house down, how can you make your insurance company pay?


Ghana Gets a Fab Lab Fab Labs -- facilities built by MIT researchers to provide technology to make just about anything -- are springing up worldwide. At the newest one, in Ghana, newcomers were most enthused by the ability to make pink plastic key chains. By Michelle Delio.


The Genesis Payload: Just How Dangerous are its Contents? When NASAs Genesis solar-wind sample return capsule skyrockets from space next week and drops into the Utah Test and Training Range, that landmark in civilian space draws upon a once classified satellite snooping program.


IE Strategy Backfires It #39;s official. Microsoft recently stated definitivelyand contrary to rumorsthat there will be no new versions of Internet Explorer for users of older versions of Windows.


AL Wrap: Schilling Helps Red Sox Keep Heat on Yankees Curt Schilling won his major league leading 18th game and David Ortiz hit his 35th home run as the Boston Red Sox edged the Texas Rangers 6-5 in American League at Fenway Park Sunday.


US Airways Says Not Selling Aircraft  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - US Airways UAIRQ.OB said on  Saturday it has no current plans to reduce its fleet of  aircraft, disputing postings on the Internet that the bankrupt  carrier has put planes up for sale.


Wireless pioneer reflects on roots, looks to WiMax SAN FRANCISCO--Cell phone pioneer Craig McCaw on Wednesday discussed Cingular Wireless #39; acquisition of AT amp;T #39;s wireless division, harking back to the 1994 sale of his company to Ma Bell.


Court ditches Qantas-Air NZ deal A planned tie-up between Australia #39;s Qantas and Air New Zealand has been thrown out by New Zealand #39;s High Court. The decision ends a two-year effort by the airlines to fight off low-cost carriers by combining forces.


#39;Weightless Wonder #39; Makes Final Flight HOUSTON Oct 29, 2004 - The NASA turbojet notoriously known as the  quot;vomit comet quot; for its use in training astronauts for weightlessness made its final flight Friday.


New biography describes Audubon #39;s magnetism, obsession He was the 19th-century version of a performance artist, a buckskin-clad faux-frontiersman whose lean and hungry look set drawing-room society all atwitter.


Database Demand Gives Oracle 16 Profit Rise Just as lawyers are preparing to defend Oracle's hostile bid to acquire PeopleSoft, Oracle reduced its all-cash offer for the company from \$26 to \$21 per share.


Rockets Activate Lue from Injured List  HOUSTON (Sports Network) - The Houston Rockets activated  guard Tyronn Lue from the injured list prior to Wednesday's  game against the Hawks.


Blue Chips Off, S P 500 Up on Oil Retreat  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The blue-chip Dow slid back into  negative territory on Monday, but the broader Standard   Poor's  500 index rose after a fall in oil prices eased worries about  corporate profits.


Crude oil prices breach 51 dollars in New York Crude oil futures jumped above 51 dollars a barrel Tuesday amid concern that hurricane damage to production in the Gulf of Mexico would keep supplies from rising enough to meet winter needs.


Iraq Parties Join Forces to Avert Defeat (AP) AP - In the months before the invasion of Iraq, the United States groomed exiled opposition groups as the nucleus of a future government to replace Saddam Hussein. Now with elections approaching, the parties still enjoy little support among ordinary Iraqis who view them as corrupt puppets of Washington.


Jordanian employer of hostage agrees to pull out of Iraq AMMAN, Sept. 15. - The owner of a Jordanian truck company announced today that he had ordered its Iraq operations stopped in a bid to save the life of a driver held hostage by a militant group.


Carnival Profit Up Sharply After Merger Carnival Corp. (CCL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world #39;s biggest cruise group, on Friday said quarterly earnings rose sharply, citing the merger with P amp;O Princess Cruises last year.


More Pain Coming at Tenet Tenet (THC:NYSE - news - research) continued to test the nerves of its daring shareholder corps Monday, predicting a wider-than-expected fourth quarter loss, a billion-dollar writedown and another weak year in 2005.


Ex-Kosovo rebels face first war crimes trial AMSTERDAM -- The first international war crimes trial of Kosovo Albanians began yesterday, with three former rebels accused of abducting and killing suspected collaborators and Serb civilians during the 1998-to-'99 conflict.


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


Oil Clings to \$50, Fuel Stocks to Fall Oil prices hugged \$50 a barrel on Wednesday on worries of potential supply disruptions and with US crude inventories expected to fall due to the lingering effects of Hurricane Ivan.


Legal fees add to James Hardie #39;s troubles PETER CAVE: The disgraced building products firm James Hardie has revealed softer first half profits as a result of costs related to an inquiry into its asbestos compensation fund.


Steelers #39; Roethlisberger gets baptism by fire Steelers head coach Bill Cowher was hoping to bring rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger along slowly, allowing him to learn from veteran Tommy Maddox in his initial campaign.


Classmates Online sells for \$100 million Classmates Online founder Randy Conrads was feeling good yesterday after the company he started nine years ago in the basement of his Kent home was sold for \$100 million in cash to United Online Inc.


Microsoft files suits against smut spammers Microsoftis again using the courts to pursue individuals allegedly responsible for spam e-mail campaigns, this time going after those who send out unsolicited and sexually explicit e-mail.


India's most wanted fugitive shot dead in police trap (AFP) AFP - India's most wanted criminal Koose Muniswamy Veerappan, accused of more than 100 murders and on the run for decades, has been shot dead after driving into an elaborate police trap, officials said.


US Airways Seeks Court Approval To Cut Union Pay - Report US Airways will ask a bankruptcy court judge to impose emergency pay cuts of 23 percent on its major unions, according to a newspaper report late on Thursday.


Equatorial Guinea Wants to Quiz Thatcher in S. Africa (Update1) Equatorial Guinea prosecutors have asked South Africa for permission to question Mark Thatcher, who was arrested in Cape Town last week on suspicion of bankrolling a failed plan to overthrow


Heart Disease Awareness May Create High Anxiety By DAVID HAMMER     LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- The attention that former President Clinton's heart surgery has drawn to problems of the circulatory system could have a negative side, experts say...


Dimon to Acquire tobacco Leaf Rival Standard Commercial Dimon to acquire tobacco leaf rival Standard Commercial


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


Economy picking up steam The US economy is gaining momentum, bolstered by home building, shipping, and even the beleaguered manufacturing sector, the Federal Reserve said yesterday in a newly upbeat assessment.


Williams in Position for Return, But Likely Not to Miami NEW YORK - The bizarre journey of Ricky Williams will end right where it started - back in the NFL. But it #39;s unlikely he will return to the Dolphins.


European Winters Could Disappear by 2080 - Report (Reuters) Reuters - Europe is warming up\more quickly than the rest of the world, and cold winters could\disappear almost entirely by 2080 as a result of global\warming, researchers predicted Wednesday.


3Com to buy TippingPoint for \$430M DECEMBER 13, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - 3Com Corp. became the latest company to scoop up technology for preventing attacks on computer networks, announcing today that it is acquiring Austin-based TippingPoint Technologies Inc.


Collins, Raiders Crush Buccanneers 30-20 OAKLAND, Calif. - Kerry Collins, the amiable backup quarterback who has repeatedly promised to be ready when needed, replaced injured starter Rich Gannon and calmly directed the Oakland Raiders to an emotional 30-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night...


Treasuries Skid, Yields Hit Fresh Highs (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. Treasury debt slid for a second\session on Tuesday as data showed the U.S. economy expanded at\a slightly faster pace than first thought in the third quarter,\though inflation remained subdued.


Bombers target Iraqi security forces BAGHDAD - Two powerful car bombs exploded simultaneously Saturday near Baghdad #39;s most heavily guarded area, killing at least seven police officers and wounding 59 others.


Asian Stocks Ease After China Rate Rise  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - China's surprise interest rate rise  weighed down Asian stocks on Friday as investors sold shares of  miners, shippers and other firms whose fortunes have been  closely linked to the country's rapid growth.


America West Posts Loss, More Losses Loom  CHICAGO (Reuters) - America West Holdings Corp. AWA.N on  Wednesday posted a third-quarter loss and forecast losses going  forward as soaring fuel prices, weak revenue and excess  industry capacity broke a stream of profits at the parent of  America West Airlines.


Macromedia Launches Flex Builder Tool Macromedia has launched Flex Builder, a development tool for its Flex application-development platform. The new tool will help speed creation of rich Internet applications, including visual data


Do Newspapers Make Good News Look Bad? Two economists argue that economic reporters slant the news unequivocally in favor of the Democrats.


Forum: Should India bat first or bowl first? A barren, grassless wicket in the middle of rain-soaked Bangalore promises a riot of spin. Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble will lead India #39;s slow bowling attack.


Turin Winter Games Organizers Sign Peace Deal  ROME (Reuters) - A political row over the 2006 Turin Winter  Olympics has been solved with a power-sharing agreement between  Italy's right-wing government and the left-wing head of the  local committee, organizers said Thursday.


Anthony supplies win, atonement Boston - Three key Nuggets redeemed themselves Wednesday at the FleetCenter in the time it takes to microwave popcorn. That allowed Denver to atone for its mistake-laden loss at Philadelphia the previous night


Microsoft CFO: Expect us to make more big acquisitions PALO ALTO, Calif. --Microsoft Corp. may make more large acquisitions than it has done historically and become a more distributed company as opposed to moving key employees to its Redmond, Washington, headquarters, Chief Financial Officer John Connors said Monday.


In a Battered Pensacola, 'It Was Bad Everywhere' People in the Gulf Coast city of Pensacola, Fla., emerged to find backyards flooded and light posts bent at right angles. Still, many said it could have been worse.


You Can Pay for College (The Motley Fool) The Motley Fool - Did you know that September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month? Well, it is. It's also National Head Lice Prevention Month. But perhaps of most interest to us financially minded Fools, it's College Savings Month -- so says the College Savings Plan Network (CSPN) of the National Association of State Treasurers.


U.S. Signals Flexibility on Israeli Settlement Growth  CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - The Bush administration  signaled on Saturday that it may accept limited growth within  existing Israeli settlements in the West Bank in a shift that  could help embattled Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.


#39;Russian roulette #39; Olympics death A Greek policeman is being questioned after a soldier providing Olympic security was shot dead, apparently after playing Russian roulette.


Los Alamos Scientist Says He Was One Fired (AP) AP - A senior scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory says he is one of two employees being fired over an accident this summer in which an intern was injured by a laser.


Fire Damages Historic German Library Thousands of priceless books have been destroyed or damaged in a fire at one of Germany #39;s most historic libraries, housing about one million rare books and manuscripts.


NYMEX Crude Near Highs Off \$54  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - NYMEX crude kept close to record  highs near \$54 early on Tuesday as global oil supplies remained  hounded by disruptions, magnifying concerns over U.S. heating  oil stocks ahead of the winter, traders said.


Alcatel Bolsters U.S. Presence (Reuters) Reuters - Alcatel  has expanded its\foothold in the key North American market with the acquisition\of a mobile software provider and a conference technology\business for  #36;277 million.


Russia, France cruise into Fed Cup final Moscow, Russia (Sports Network) - Russia and France cruised into the Fed Cup final Thursday, completing 5-0 shutouts over opponents Austria and Spain after taking commanding early leads in the semifinals.


Sox agree to terms with Hermanson com. He liked the  quot;juice of the ninth inning, quot; according to White Sox general manager Ken Williams.  quot;But the eighth innings can be just as important, quot; added Williams during a Wednesday


Server Shipments Defy Pessimism in the Market Global server sales rose nearly 8 percent in the second quarter, compared to the same period last year, according to new data from Gartner.


Henman rises up rankings Tim Henman #39;s journey to the semi-final of the US Open has seen him rise from sixth to fourth in the world rankings, matching his previous highest position.


French Firms Sagem, Snecma Plan Merger (Reuters) Reuters - French companies Snecma and Sagem \announced a planned 7 billion euro ( #36;8.9 billion) merger on\Friday, in a deal that analysts said was driven by political\rather than shareholder interests.


REVIEW: Sunglasses Player Not a Bargain (AP) AP - It seems like a cool idea  #151; sunglasses with a built-in digital music player and speakers. No headphone cables to untangle as with most portable players. Music actually riding on your ears. Zero retinal damage from ultraviolet radiation.


Microsoft Funded Study Deciding Factor in 10yr Deal Genevish writes  quot;According to an article in the Register, Microsoft and the Newham Council in London have signed an agreement making Microsoft the preferred vendor for the council, instead of the original hybrid MS / Open Source plan. The council was very ...


Pacers Hang Tough Minus Suspended Players (AP) AP - Using a makeshift roster a night after brawling with fans, the Indiana Pacers pressed the Orlando Magic until the very end. Limited to just six players because of suspensions and injuries, the Pacers stayed close before dropping an 86-83 decision to Orlando on Saturday night.


IBM puts PC business up for sale IBM, the company that invented the PC, has put its PC business up for sale, according to the New York Times, and is in discussions with China #39;s largest maker of personal computers, Lenovo Group (formerly Legend Group), and at least one other potential


Consumers Anxious About Lack of Hiring  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. consumer confidence sank in  August while Chicago-area business activity slowed, according  to reports on Tuesday that added to worries the economy's patch  of sluggish growth may last beyond the summer.


Dollar Starts 2005 Firm, Awaits U.S. Data  LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar started 2005 on a strong note  on Monday, gaining more than a cent from last week's record  lows against the euro as investor selling paused on  expectations of a firm batch of U.S. economic data this week.


Nine Russians missing, at least one dead after Egypt blasts: Russian consul (AFP) AFP - Nine Russians are still missing following the deadly car bomb attacks on tourist resorts along the Egyptian-Israeli border which left 33 people dead last week, including at least one Russian national, Russia's consul in Egypt said.


Pitcairn OAP on rape charge A 78-YEAR-OLD man has been accused of twice raping a woman more than 30 years ago, amid an alleged culture of sex attacks on the tiny island of Pitcairn.


China takes a great leap backwards for Deng IN LIFE he was feared and revered, but in death the father of Chinas 20-year economic miracle and crusher of Tiananmen Square had assumed iconic status.


Malden Mills workers accept contract A union representing about 700 textile workers at Malden Mills Industries Inc. voted to accept a contract offer, averting a possible strike. Paul Coorey, president of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees Union, Local 311, said workers voted 301-136 to accept a three-year pact that included annual wage increases of 2 percent, 2 percent, and 3 percent. But ...


Excited Boston Ready to 'Play Ball'  BOSTON (Reuters) - Boston was tingling with anticipation on  Saturday as the Red Sox prepared to host Game One of the World  Series against the St. Louis Cardinals and take a step toward  ridding themselves of a hex that has hung over the team for  eight decades.


NASA Delays Plans to Fly Shuttle Soon NASA has abandoned plans to resume flying the space shuttle next March because of the impact of four hurricanes on space agency centers and work schedules.


#39;I cannot be on the losing side #39; In the clickety-clack of football shoes trudging into the bowels of Giants Stadium, in the blur of blank, numbed West Point faces marching toward the losing locker room, his was the unforgettable face.


Colleges to kids: Clean up those PCs Many of you can't be trusted with your own computers. Stupidity isn't the problem. It's laziness, mostly, combined with a penny-wise stinginess that resents the \$40 price of a good antivirus program.


Park has 4-stroke margin PALM DESERT, Calif. -- Grace Park followed her sensational first round with a steady, 5-under 67 Friday and opened a four-shot lead midway through the Samsung World Championship.


Advice to Microsoft: Learn to love Linux Business guru tells Microsoft to invest in Linux for handhelds or risk missing out on the next big thing in software sales.\


High Court rules against Ecclestone in F1 case The High Court ruled on 6 December in favour of the three banks which own 75 per cent of F1 #39;s commercial rights being permitted to appoint directors to Formula One Holdings.


Oil Jumps More Than \$2 on Winter Worries Oil prices climbed more than \$2 higher on Friday on renewed concern over supplies of distillate fuels in all main consuming centers before the Northern Hemisphere winter.


Washing your hands with soap could damage the environment Washing your hands with soap may clean them for you, but according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, toxic chemicals used in hand soaps, cleaners and other personal care products to kill germs are deposited and remain ...


Ukraine court annuls poll result Ukraine's top court annuls the result of the second round of the disputed presidential poll, paving the way for fresh elections.


Oracle warns of exploits for latest DB flaws Oracle Corp. is warning customers to apply software patches it released in August, citing the availability of malicious code that can exploit unpatched vulnerabilities in its software.


At lest 22 die in north Iraq clashes, curfews slapped on <b>...</b> MOSUL, Iraq, Nov 10 (AFP) - At least 22 people were killed in a wave of violence in northern Iraq Wednesday, prompting the government to slap curfews on the Sunni Muslim cities of Mosul and Baiji.


Raiders can #39;t hold on OAKLAND - Let us bypass for a moment all that is debatable about yet another lost Raiders on Sunday. Let #39;s forget the for-now unforgettable, unprecedented and bizarre referee #39;s flag on rookie tackle Robert


GOP Voter Drive Accused of Tossing Cards (AP) AP - In several battleground states across the country, a consulting firm funded by the Republican National Committee has been accused of deceiving would-be voters and destroying Democratic voter registration cards.


Baseball star used bum and tum jabs JASON Giambi had baseball at his feet when he was named the Major Leagues Most Valuable Player in 2000. The exceptional slugger attracted the attention of the New York Yankees, who offered a contract worth


As steel prices soar, developers scramble Just five months after ground was broken on the Trilogy luxury apartments in the Fenway, the \$130 million construction price tag has jumped to \$138 million.


South Korea fears infiltration by North SEOUL - South Korea tightened security north of the capital Seoul Tuesday after finding signs that North Korean agents may have infiltrated the country.


Stocks Dip as Focus Goes to Rates, Dollar  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks edged slightly lower on Monday  as interest rates and a weakening dollar took center stage now  that the presidential election is over and investors took  profits after last week's rally.


Bollore to Raise Havas Stake; Won #39;t Seek Short-Term Control French financier Vincent Bollore said he plans to lift his stake in Havas SA, the world #39;s sixth- largest advertising company, from the current 10.


Moon will play hide and seek with us tonight To tune in, turn off that TV and head outside about 8:45 tonight, because the best show of the evening is going to be hanging in the sky.


Hostage drama shatters city routine It was rush hour and a young police constable, working a pay-duty shift outside the Royal York Hotel, spotted 45-year-old Sugston Anthony Brookes just minutes before


Arafat #39;s wife sends message to leaders Paris - Yasser Arafat #39;s wife on Sunday despatched a key Palestinian official to the West Bank with a mysterious message for the leadership concerning the health of her husband and its political consequences.


Westinghouse Electric poised to bid two projects China and the United States are close to ending a 15-year-old dispute over nuclear technology transfers that has prevented US companies from selling nuclear reactors


Inauguration Gives GOP Fund-Raising Chance (AP) AP - The GOP is hoping to capitalize on President Bush's swearing-in ceremony next month, offering donors special inaugural packages that include access to lawmakers, a parade and galas.


Iraq: US claims to kill al-Zarqawi aide in Fallujah The US military said Tuesday that an aide to Jordanian activists Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in an airstrike in Fallujah.  quot;The 3 am strike hit a known safehouse being used by al-Zarqawi #39;s terrorist network


Can Prayers Heal? Critics Say Studies Go Past Science's Reach The government has spent \$2.3 million in the past 4 years to study something that critics say has nothing to do with science.


Quick-thinking driver helps cops save the day Nashville - Thanks to a quick-thinking robbery victim and his camera-equipped cellphone, police had a photo of the suspect and tracked him down in 10 minutes, police said.


Assam strike over rebel attacks A general strike called by students in the state to protest against rebel bombings brings life to a standstill.


Japan presses Pyongyang on six-party nuclear talks Japan urged North Korea on yesterday to return to six-way talks on the North #39;s nuclear weapons program in a third day of meetings focusing on the fate of missing Japanese citizens kidnapped by Northern spies, Japanese officials said.


Putnam to pay \$40m to settle SEC probe Putnam Investments will pay \$40 million to settle yet another regulatory probe, while corporate parent Marsh  amp; McLennan Cos. yesterday said it would cut 3,000 jobs in the fallout from the price-fixing and bid-rigging scandal enveloping its insurance brokerage unit.