Political correctness gone mad The decision by the European Parliament #39;s Civil Liberties Committee to reject the nomination of Rocco Buttiglione as European Commissioner for Justice and Security over his comments on homosexuality and marriage is very unfortunate.


Building a Medical Data Network Digital patient records could become building blocks in a nationwide biomedical computer network for assembling and distributing up-to-the-minute studies of disease.


Top UK Minister Blunkett Quits Ahead of Election (Reuters) Reuters - Senior British government minister David\Blunkett resigned on Wednesday, ripping a hole in Prime\Minister Tony Blair's team months before an expected general\election.


U2 online deal hastens last spin for the CD THE new album by the rock veterans U2 is called How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. An alternative could have been How To Kill The Compact Disc And Make Two Billion Dollars.


Korean Olympic Team Files Petition with CAS Koreas Olympic delegation filed a petition on Saturday, appealing for a correction of a scoring error committed during Yang Tae-youngs performance in mens gymnastics with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Shin Bak-je, the headperson of


Change Is Good as Woods Shoots Day's Best Score Tiger Woods shot a second-round six-under-par 64 at the Tour Championship and trails leader Jay Haas by three strokes.


Celtics Defeat Reeling Hornets 108-90 (AP) AP - Paul Pierce had 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his fourth career triple-double, and Raef LaFrentz had 14 points and 12 rebounds as the Boston Celtics defeated New Orleans 108-90 Monday night, sending the Hornets to their eighth consecutive loss.


Study uncovers ants #39; 60 degrees of navigation Ants use angled signposts and tiny scent markers to find their way home or follow the path into the wilderness, according to a study published in British science weekly Nature.


Magna subsidiary Decoma to close Toronto-area plant, post US\$36M <b>...</b> CONCORD, Ont. (CP) - Decoma International, a subsidiary of auto parts giant Magna International, is shutting down its anodizing plant just north of Toronto and posting \$36 million US in special charges for that move and restructuring in Europe.


Google set to list as soon as Wednesday (AFP) AFP - Google Inc.'s hotly anticipated share listing appears set to launch as early as Wednesday.


Park fires closing 65 for easy victory Grace Park won the CJ Nine Bridges Classic yesterday, shooting a 7-under-par 65 for a five-stroke victory yesterday. Park finished at 16-under-par 200.


PalmSource: Give or Take PalmSource cuts its losses in the first quarter, but lost business from Sony leaves the outlook uncertain.


Soccer: Souness can bring good times to Newcastle, says Shearer LONDON : Newcastle striker Alan Shearer believes Graeme Souness can bring the good times rolling back to St James #39; Park.  quot;All I keep hearing is that Souness will bring discipline to this club and I don #39;t doubt that that will be the case, quot; said Shearer.


Grokster Officals Settle Separate Copyright Case  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Officials with the Grokster  file-trading network have agreed to pay \$500,000 to settle  charges they operated a separate music download service without  permission, a recording-industry trade group said on Monday.


Private spaceship wins \$10M prize A stubby rocket plane powered its rockets and blasted through Earths atmosphere for a second time in two weeks today to capture a \$10-million prize meant to encourage space tourism.


China Pledges Stable Economic, Yuan Policies (Update1) China #39;s government said it would continue measures to slow economic growth and reaffirmed its commitment to a stable yuan policy as the nation #39;s leaders wrapped up their annual meeting in Beijing.


Fannie, Freddie Loan Cap to Rise in 2005  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal regulators on Tuesday  allowed U.S. mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac  to buy larger individual mortgages next year following a jump  in home prices, a move that would lower borrowing costs for  buyers of more expensive homes.


Marsh CEO sees Spitzer settlement The new boss of US insurance broker Marsh  amp; McLennan said he is confident of settling the charges brought by New York Attorney-General Eliot Spitzer.


Tax Deductions for Home PCs You can deduct all or part of the costs of your home PC, depending upon its use. But put on your thinking cap before you tackle this gnarly issue.


FedEx Profit Jumps, Outlook Is Raised (Reuters) Reuters - FedEx Corp. , the world's top\air-express shipper, on Thursday said quarterly profit more\than tripled on strength in its international, ground and\freight businesses, and the company raised its full-year\earnings forecast.


Philippines' Little Vietnam dwindles as refugees move out (AFP) AFP - For years, Viet-Ville, a small community of Vietnamese refugees in the western Philippine island of Palawan, has stood as a symbol of local hospitality and tolerance.


Bankers fight Enron extradition Three former NatWest bankers are due in a UK court to face an extradition hearing in connection with the collapsed energy giant Enron.


Global Warming Has Doubled Risk of Fatal Heat Waves, Study Says Global warming caused by human activity has more than doubled the risk of summers as hot as in 2003, when thousands of people in Europe died of heat-related causes, according to a UK study published in the journal Nature.


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


Stores reconsider sales strategies after sluggish weekend (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - In spite of a burst of Friday spending, the holiday shopping season got off to a sluggish start, forcing retailers to reassess their strategies for luring buyers. Slow sales reported by three retail sales trackers on Tuesday were blamed on higher fuel costs and an overall lack of confidence in the economy.


Parties huddle in final push to strike deal A final decision on whether the Rev. Ian Paisley #39;s DUP and Sinn Fein can reach a deal this year to restore devolution and implement the Good Friday agreement should be known next week.


For gamers, a midnight wait in line for  #39;Halo 2 #39; In just a few minutes,  quot;Halo 2 quot; would officially be released, and these gamers couldn #39;t wait to get their first taste of the most marketed, and perhaps most anticipated, video game ever.


A trend seams to be back A disturbing trend has returned to South Carolinas secondary at the time the Gamecocks hate to see it the most. As happened so often in USCs embarrassing, 63-17


UN Calls on Iran to Freeze Nuke Enrichment Plans (Reuters) Reuters - The U.N. nuclear watchdog called on Iran\on Saturday to immediately halt activities related to uranium\enrichment, a process that can be used to make atomic weapons.


Minnows Make It on Major Soccer Stage (AP) AP - Liechtenstein is on a roll. Andorra finally has won a game. And make no mistake, Albania looks like a threat.


NASA Readies "Deep Impact" Craft for Comet Smash Scientists said the launch of NASA's Deep Impact mission has been delayed until at least January 12. The mission's goal is to smash a spacecraft into a comet on July 4, 2005.


Use PayPal on iTunes - Get Five Fre PayPal has launched a new promotion offering five free tracks from the iTunes Music Store. You can now use PayPal to securely and easily buy music from the massive iTunes catalogue, including lots of exclusive tracks and videos.


Online identity theft a growing criminal problem in Asia: IDC (AFP) AFP - Online theft of financial information from individuals has become one of the fastest-growing non-violent crimes in the Asia-Pacific region, technology research house IDC says.


USA gets silver in kayak singles Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - American Rebecca Giddens captured the silver medal today in the Women #39;s K1 kayak singles competition at the Summer Olympics in Athens.


Briefly: Data center firms settle cookie suit roundup Plus: nStor sells off telecoms management unit...Nortel lowers expectations...Microsoft connects with SAP...Autodesk updates hobbyist tool.


Fury over  #39;shoot JFK video game #39; A new computer game which recreates John F Kennedy #39;s assassination was branded despicable yesterday by late president #39;s family.


Open-source programmer rebuts charge Back-and-forth dance characterizes dispute over code released to open-source Mambo project.


Bangalore Crumbling World Economic Forum meets in New Delhi today to buy The Hot India Story. Foreign investors have poured a record \$7.3 billion into an economy fuelled by a city that is the countrys biggest global brand.


IBM tracking threats to computer networks IBM #39;s campus in Boulder has begun issuing a monthly report on threats to computer networks that has similarities to Uncle Sam #39;s system for warning citizens about the danger of terrorist attacks.


History not on UF #39;s side GAINESVILLE  Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey has facial hair. He weighs 235 pounds and stands 6 feet 6. By society #39;s physical standards, Harvey certainly is considered an adult.


Lebanese police release detained sisters of dead Al-Qaida detainee Police on Tuesday released two sisters of the alleged al-Qaida leader in Lebanon who died of a heart attack in custody, security officials said.


EU, India decide to forge strategic partnership The fifth summit meeting between the European Union (EU) and India, held on Monday in The Hague, decided to start forging a strategic partnership between the EU and India.


#39;Soft patch #39; not so soft, as US economic growth revised higher WASHINGTON : The US economy #39;s  quot;soft patch quot; was not as weak as initial estimates, according to government data Wednesday showing a 3.3 percent pace of expansion in the second quarter.


Terror Hearings Panelists Dismissal Urged (AP) AP - The presiding officer in charge of U.S. military commissions in Guantanamo Bay has recommended that two panel members be dismissed from hearing cases of suspected terrorists because they could be considered biased.


GeekTech: Picking Your Perfect PCI Express PC (PC World) PC World - Intel-based PCs are shipping now and AMD systems with the technology are on the way.


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


South Asia Balks at Kerry's Outsourcing Stance In their third and final debate this week, President Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry will turn to what Americans quaintly call "domestic" issues. Yet foreign interest couldn't be keener, especially in South Asia.


Beleaguered Blair faces attacks on all fronts at party conference TONY Blair is today preparing to fight the most potentially damaging threat to his leadership as Labour Party conference begins in Brighton.


How good is UK.gov at its own security agenda? Comment Joined-up thinker wanted


Ivan begins lashing Jamaica Waves two-stories high and torrential rains flooded eastern Jamaica and punishing winds knocked down trees and power lines as Hurricane Ivan slammed coastal areas


Blair backs Brown Tony Blair has given his staunch backing to Gordon Brown #39;s pre-Budget report, insisting that its spending pledges are  quot;fully-funded quot;.


SuperGen Tumbles, Intel Up Before Bell  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of SuperGen Inc. SUPG.O  dropped 17 percent before the bell on Monday after the company  said it withdrew an application to market its pancreatic cancer  treatment in the United States due to insufficient data.


Cardinals reach 100 victories Youth was served in a big way for the Cardinals at Miller Park on Thursday afternoon. Rookies Yadier Molina and Hector Luna combined for six hits and all four RBIs as St.


Jury says wife killer should die A California jury recommends that Scott Peterson should be executed for murdering his wife and their unborn son.


Alitalia Gets Crucial Deal With Pilots Alitalia reached a vital deal with its pilots on productivity improvements on Tuesday, a day ahead of a deadline to seal a rescue plan or face bankruptcy, union sources said.


Groton soldier killed in blasts in Iraqi capital A 40-year-old soldier from Groton died yesterday in an explosion in Iraq, apparently while delivering candy to Iraqi children during a government-sponsored celebration to inaugurate a sewage plant in Baghdad, according to family and news reports. The apparent car bombs reportedly left about 35 children dead. Army Staff Sergeant Darren Cunningham, a father of two, had been serving in Iraq ...


TCL Communication makes satisfactory debut in HKEX TCL Communication Technology Holdings Limited (TCL Communication), one of the leading mobile handset manufacturers in the Chinese mainland made its debut on HKEX (Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearings Limited) Monday.


India Says Will Study Pakistani Proposal (AP) AP - India will consider any formal proposal from Pakistan to settle their decades-old dispute over Kashmir, the Himalayan region at the center of two wars between the nuclear-armed neighbors, a top Indian official said Saturday.


Microsoft issues Internet Explorer security update A critical flaw in Microsoft #39;s Internet Explorer Web browser could allow a hacker to take control of a computer, the world #39;s largest software maker said Wednesday.


'Music Is Not a Loaf of Bread' When Wilco released Yankee Hotel Foxtrot online for free in 2001, the album's popularity soared and Wilco became a commercial success. Front man Jeff Tweedy tells Wired News' Xeni Jardin why the music industry is dead wrong about file sharing.


Canada #39;s voice lost amid UN gnashing If you want to know what happens when a country cedes its foreign policy to the United Nations, as Canada has done, all you have to do is look at Sudan.


Programs: a Checklist for Tuning Up Your PC You change the oil in your car every 5,000 miles or so. You clean your house every week or two. Your PC needs regular maintenance as well -- especially if you #39;re using


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


Hero Kezman plays down missile strike ONCE again today the talk in football circles south of the border is all about mayhem among fans as English football suffered another night of shame.


Putin woos Ukraine with a Russian common market The choice in Sunday's presidential election: move closer to Europe or Russia?


LG.Philips: This Side Up The joint venture between Korea #39;s LG Electronics and the Netherlands #39; Philips (NYSE: PHG) reported an increase in year-on-year sales for its fiscal third quarter (up 12).


Patil reviews J amp;K situation with Army Chief New Delhi, Oct. 25. (PTI): A day after the militant attack on National Conference leaders in Kashmir, a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil reviewed the over-all situation in the state.


Eight terror suspects charged in UK British police have charged eight terrorist suspects with conspiring to commit murder and use radioactive materials, toxic gases, chemicals or explosives to cause  quot;fear or injury quot; in a case involving an alleged top al-Qaeda operative at the centre of a US ...


New Zealand a Noah's Ark for Conserving Bizarre Birds New Zealand has reached a major milestone in its 110-year effort to save many native birds from extinction and reintroduce them to their old mainland habitats.


U.N. Searches for Missing Aid Workers (AP) AP - U.N. workers searched by land and air Tuesday for eight Sudanese aid workers missing in rebel-controlled territory in the western Darfur region, officials said Tuesday.


Boeing, EADS Likely to Make Tanker Bids The Pentagon will hold a competition to replace its aging fleet of refueling tankers, potentially pitting aerospace giant Boeing Co. against its European rival in a multibillion-dollar military competition.


China Cos To Invest \$19.7B in Argentina Over Next 10 Yrs BUENOS AIRES (Dow Jones)--Argentine officials announced Tuesday night that Chinese companies have pledged to invest \$19.7 billion in Argentina over the next decade on projects ranging from railroad expansion to offshore petroleum projects.


Ex-Air Force buyer sentenced in scam Darleen Druyun, who was leaving to join Boeing, gets nine months for sweetening tanker deal. ALEXANDRIA, Va., (Reuters) - The former No.


India to build oil pipeline to Nepal India is to build a pipeline into Nepal to ensure smooth supply of petroleum products in the Himalayan nation torn by an increasingly violent Maoist insurgency, an oil official said on Thursday.


Sunday #39;s Golf Capsules Stewart Cink closed with an even-par 70 to beat Tiger Woods and Rory Sabbatini by four strokes Sunday at the NEC Invitational, becoming the first wire-to-wire winner on the PGA Tour this year.


U.S. Wrestlers Shut Out Daniel Cormier and Joe Williams of the United States each lose in Olympic freestyle wrestling, leaving America without a finalist in the three gold medal matches.


French victim's family come to UK The family of a French woman murdered in south-west London are travelling to the UK to meet detectives.


Samsung claims DRAM design-win in AMD low-cost  #39;PIC #39; SAN JOSE, Calif. - South Korean DRAM maker Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., said Thursday (Oct. 28) that it  quot;played an integral role in the development and manufacturing quot; of the Personal Internet Communicator (PIC), announced by Advanced Micro Devices Inc.


Verizon Wireless launches CDMA EV-DO services in the US Based on a CDMA EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized) 3G network, Verizon #39;s BroadbandAccess promisses speeds of 300-500kbps. The company announced BroadbandAccess will be available in 13 major metropolitan markets


Bangladesh to tackle corruption A new anti-corruption watchdog for Bangladesh has been welcomed by global anti-graft campaigners.


Yukos Subsidiary Tomskneft Gets \$114 Million Tax Bill Russian authorities have assessed a new tax claim for \$114 million on one of Yukos' smaller subsidiaries, the Interfax news agency reported Thursday, in the latest legal assault against the embattled Russian oil giant.


Russian terrorism prompts power grab MOSCOW - In the aftermath of a wave of terror attacks, President Vladimir Putin yesterday announced fundamental political changes that will further concentrate power in the Kremlin and erode Russia #39;s fragile democracy.


Recall Toolbar: Searches your visited websites Recall Toolbar: Searches your Visited Websites\\I have seen and tried a lot of toolbars for Internet Explorer. Most of them have nothing new to offer on the basic functionality front. Only the value added services made them different from the other toolbars in the market. Viewpoint Toolbar was a good ...


Sept. 11 DVDs Present Nation in Mourning LOS ANGELES - One film provides a positive message of unity. Another dramatizes the president's difficult days...


Businesses Bet on Ukraine #39;s Future If Russian businesses are helping fund the election campaign of President Vladimir Putin #39;s favored candidate in Ukraine #39;s presidential election at the Kremlin #39;s behest, as some political analysts suspect, those businesses may be better off betting on the


Consummate Bruin Bourque is enshrined among NHL #39;s finest For 22 years, Ray Bourque had been preparing for last night. As he played each game of his National Hockey League career, he wasn #39;t cognizant


Sun Capital, TDR Buy HHG Units for 1.03 Bln Pounds (Update3) Sun Capital Partners Inc. and TDR Capital LLP, private equity buyout firms, agreed to pay 1.03 billion pounds (\$1.98 billion) for HHG Plc #39;s UK-based life insurance units, their first investment in the industry.


U.S. Forces Keep Sh'ite Militants Guessing  NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. forces appeared to keep Sh'ite  militants guessing in the city of Najaf overnight, firing off  sporadic rounds as a military aircraft flew overhead.


Barcelona coach urges caution despite victory over Madrid Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard urged caution following an emphatic 3-0 victory over Real Madrid, maintaining the Spanish league title race is still far from decided.


Venture investing dives 57 in NE Venture capital investing, a key barometer of the entreprenerial economy, unexpectedly tumbled 26 percent to 4.3 billion nationally in the third quarter, from


Microsoft seeks to suspend EU antitrust ruling Microsoft Corp. fought yesterday for a suspension of a landmark European Union antitrust ruling pending its appeal, arguing that being forced to share its closely guarded software codes with rivals now would do it irreversible damage.


NBA: Minnesota 83, Dallas 82 Kevin Garnett made two free throws with five seconds remaining Monday to give the Minnesota Timberwolves an 83-82 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.


Kyoto protocol comes in from the cold The Russian government has approved the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, which sets formal targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and sent it to the country #39;s parliament for ratification.


Browns' Winslow Buys Dad's Jersey Number Kellen Winslow Jr. already had his Hall of Fame father's soft hands. Now he's got his number, too.


Sony to Disclose Details on Computer Chip Sony Corp. plans in 2006 to begin selling home servers for broadband and high-definition TV systems powered by a revolutionary new computer chip, the Japanese electronics and entertainment giant said Monday.


UN calls for Suu Kyi #39;s release UN secretary-general Kofi Annan led international demands for the swift release of Burma #39;s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose house arrest has been extended for another year by the military regime.


Shhh ... Do You Hear Gunfire? Police departments around the country turn to sound-analysis technology to detect and report gunshots. By Amit Asaravala.


Report: HP to Stop Using Intel Itanium Chip Printer and PC maker Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ.N: Quote, Profile, Research) will stop offering desktop workstations based on Intel Corp.


Canada #39;s Environmental Record Bad-Official Report The Canadian government is not doing enough to protect the environment because of a lack of leadership and political will, a senior official said in a scathing report released on Tuesday.


Australian opposition leader to leave hospital SYDNEY: Mark Latham, leader of Australia #39;s opposition Labor party, will leave hospital today and plans to be back at work next week after suffering an inflammation of the pancreas just months out from a general election.


Gopher trio is golden The Harvard women's hockey team faced the question every top team in the nation will try to answer this season: How to stop Minnesota's quick-shooting, sharp-skating top line.


PeopleSoft CEO:  #39;We will not blink #39; in fight against Oracle PeopleSoft (PSFT) CEO Craig Conway isn #39;t about to go down without a fight in his company #39;s takeover tussle with rival Oracle (ORCL).


#39;Hobbit #39; Skeleton Could Rewrite Prehistory The tiny humans may have been hunted by large lizards -- bigger versions of the Komodo dragons that still roam the island and which have been known to eat people.


Trio in ALCS spotlight I #39;m one of those people who believe there is an aura around this Red Sox team that will enable Boston to prevail over the Yankees in the latest postseason showdown between these two bitter rivals.


Filmmakers Examining the 'What Ifs' of Nuclear Power Documentaries on the effects on children of the Chernobyl nuclear accident and the Indian Point power plant will be broadcast back-to-back by HBO.


Waterford Crystal #39;s B sample missing The international equestrian body, the FEI, has been informed that the  quot;B quot; sample of Waterford Crystal was stolen in Cambridgeshire last month.


Venus: Inhabited World? by Harry Bortman    In part 1 of this interview with Astrobiology Magazine editor Henry Bortman, planetary scientist David Grinspoon explained how Venus evolved from a wet planet similar to Earth to the scorching hot, dried-out furnace of today. In part 2, Grinspoon discusses the possibility of life on Venus...


New atrocities in Sudan as UN deadline looms DAMNING new evidence of fresh atrocities in Sudan has emerged with less than a week to go until the United Nations deadline for a halt to the killing.


US Airways posts wider 3rd-qtr loss US Airways Group Inc. (UAIRQ.OB: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday reported a wider third-quarter net loss as storms and high fuel prices penalized results.


Skype takes VoIP software to the Mac The Net phone-calling provider is testing a version of its software and service for Apple fans.


ICANN Clears Way for Mobile, Job Domain Extensions Because of speed restrictions, mobile devices often have trouble downloading Web pages that are designed to provide the optimum experience for high-speed Internet users.


Hague Court Appoints Defense Lawyers for Milosevic UN judges Friday appointed two British lawyers to run the defense for former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to prevent further delays to his war crimes trial because of his poor health.


Don #39;t bank on double-digit returns from funds Most investors envy Jack R. Meyer with his double-digit returns over the past year, but even he says he will have trouble making much money in the years to come.


Botswana goes to polls People in Botswana, where more than a third of the population is HIV positive, go to the polls today in elections that were expected to be dominated by the ruling party - like every other vote since the southern African country gained independence


Top 10 are taking shape It was after her heroics in Athens that I posed the question  quot;Is Kelly Holmes this nation #39;s greatest female athlete? quot; Did her middle-distance Olympic double nudge her ahead of Mary Rand (ne


All this, and no Jamal Lewis, too? And it #39;s a large shadow hanging over the Baltimore Ravens. A shadow big enough to cover 5-11, 245 pounds. A shadow big enough to blot out the Jacksonville sun.


Sony net profit more than doubles; Spider-Man 2 a boost (AFP) AFP - Global consumer electronics giant Sony said its interim net profit more than doubled to 76.5 billion yen (720 million dollars), thanks in part to its popular movie Spider-Man 2.


Notebook: Breeders #39; Cup gives title hope to several The landscape has changed since Smarty Jones #39; meteoric rise from obscurity to stardom last spring, when the colt from Pennsylvania appeared to be


Linksys, Vonage team up on VOIP Cisco Systems Inc.'s Linksys division is set to enter the consumer VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) space on Tuesday through a deal with Vonage Holdings Corp. to provide customer equipment for that company's Internet-based telephone service.


Inuit Seek to Pressure U.S. to Slow Arctic Thaw (Reuters) Reuters - Inuit hunters threatened by an\accelerating thaw of the Arctic want to amend a U.N. convention\to put pressure on Washington to do more to slow global\warming, an Inuit leader said on Thursday.


USC and Miami Atop First BCS Standings Southern California took the top spot Monday in the season's first Bowl Championship Series standings, but surprisingly Miami is ahead of Oklahoma in a close race for the second spot.    Oklahoma is No...


News: Download.Ject-style worm spreads via IM A Download.Ject-style worm which spreads through instant messages is spreading across the Net, according to intrusion prevention firm PivX.\


Tentative Alaska Land Swap Raises Drilling Fears (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. officials on Wednesday\announced a tentative land swap that they say would enlarge an\Alaska wildlife refuge but that critics charge would open up\the area to oil and gas development.


Calpers reveals risky investments #39; cost Calpers, the largest pension fund in the United States, has disclosed for the first time how much it paid the venture capitalists, hedge fund managers and others who handle its riskiest specialized investments, and how well those investments performed in


Disappointing Earnings Send Stocks Lower Disappointing earnings from Morgan Stanley and a new spike in oil prices sent stocks lower in early trading Wednesday as investors #39; worries over third-quarter earnings increased.


Porn pics further poisoned with virus USENET PROVIDER Easynews says that it has turned up postings of porn pictures that are laced with a program that exploits the Windows JPEG glitch.


Denver loses as gold-mining merger scuttled Denver lost out on becoming headquarters of the world #39;s seventh-largest gold company Tuesday after shareholders defeated a proposed \$2.9 billion international mining merger between Canada #39;s Iamgold and South Africa-based Gold Fields Ltd.


Israel Says Gaza Incursion Was a Success (AP) AP - Israel's military said Saturday that its 17-day incursion into the northern Gaza Strip struck a heavy blow against Palestinian militants routinely firing makeshift rockets into the country's southern region.


Wall Street hears static on the radio Analysts #39; roasting began before Stern #39;s departure; can congloms fix medium? By Matthew Flamm Published on October 11, 2004.


Government Legislation: A Bad Idea for Baseball Following the revelation that Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi used steroids, some government officials began demanding that major league baseball adopt a stricter steroid policy.


Loeb set for record rally win FRENCHMAN Sebastien Loeb is set to celebrate his inaugural world championship in style, taking a sizeable lead into the final day of the Rally of Australia.


Oracle plans content management splash The database software giant is expected to launch Tsunami, a competitor to products from IBM and Microsoft, later this year.


Cuban Tobacco Farmer Hopes Ivan Turns West (AP) AP - Cuba's top tobacco farmer predicted Monday that Hurricane Ivan's sudden turn to the west would ensure the storm causes only minimal damage to the island's key tobacco growing region.


Iraq, Afghanistan seek continued aid NEW YORK-The Iraqi and Afghan leaders both asked Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to continue assisting their war-ravaged countries, Japanese officials said Tuesday.


High street rings up shock sales rise A shock rise in retail sales last month contradicted signs that the economy is slowing down, official figures showed today. The Office for National Statistics said sales volumes were up 1 in September - the fastest increase since January.


MAN IN THE NEWS A Firebrand on Drug Safety Every few years, a whistle-blower arrives on Capitol Hill and shakes up a federal agency with charges of incompetence and misfeasance.


Arms, Cars Top Schrders China Trip German Chancellor Gerhard Schrder arrived in Beijing on Monday for a three-day visit focusing on expanding trade ties and the European Unions ban on arms sales to China.


Report: Compensation for 9/11 victims totals \$38.1 billion (WASHINGTON) - 9/11 victims have collected more than \$38 billion in compensation from insurance companies, the government and charities.


BCS Bound; Utah Remains Undefeated  SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (Sports Network) - Steve Savoy scored  three times and Alex Smith accounted for two more touchdowns as  No. 5 Utah did its best toward becoming the first non-BCS  program to claim a spot in a BCS bowl game by pounding Mountain  West rival Brigham Young, 52-21, at Rice-Eccles Stadium.


Bomb Kills Venezuela Prosecutor, Gov't Swipes at US  CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - A Venezuelan prosecutor  probing a 2002 coup against President Hugo Chavez was killed by  a car bomb that the government blamed on Friday on radical  opponents it said were training in the United States.


Moss Has Slight Tear in Hamstring  EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (Sports Network) - Minnesota Vikings  wide receiver Randy Moss will not play at full speed for a few  weeks after an MRI Thursday revealed a slight tear in his  injured right hamstring.


News bytes JibJab.com, the site with the cartoon animation of President Bush and Sen. John Kerry trading barbs to the tune of  quot;This Land Is Your Land, quot; seems to be in the clear.


Opec considers fresh output rise A meeting of the oil producers' group in Vienna will consider whether to boost output to rein in price rises, Saudi officials say.


Abu Hamza accused of inciting hate and murder ABU HAMZA AL-MASRI, the radical Muslim cleric, was charged yesterday with 16 offences of encouraging murder, stirring up race hatred and possessing a terrorist document.


Alitalia pursues rescue talks with unions MILAN - Alitalia headed into eleventh-hour talks with unions today, a putative deadline for clinching plans to avoid bankruptcy, after winning a key deal with pilots.


Cricket-Queensland fight back in Sheffield Shield cricket  Cricket-Ponting hails mighty Aussie turnaround for huge win over Kiwis 11-21-2004, 08:14 BRISBANE, Australia (AFP) - Ricky Ponting hailed two outstanding days of pressure cricket for delivering one of Australia #39;s biggest Test victories over New


Salt Lake Taps Ellinger Laurel native and Freddy Adu mentor John Ellinger  becomes the first coach of the MLS expansion team in Salt Lake City.


Canadian rocket bid put on hold Less than 10 days before its scheduled rocket launch, the da Vinci Project says its bid to win the \$10 million Ansari X Prize is on hold for the next couple of weeks.


Broncos DT Elliss to Miss Sunday's Game (Reuters) Reuters - Denver Broncos veteran defensive\tackle Luther Elliss is listed as out for Sunday's game at New\Orleans with a calf injury.


Pepsi, Coke updating labels with more nutritional data No more math required to figure out how many calories are in that 20-ounce bottle of pop. Revised labels will calculate it for you starting next year.


Shuttle schedule clouded by hurricanes Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan have cost NASA a least a weeks worth of work and upset its tight schedule for resuming shuttle flights, throwing into doubt the


Spirit of St. Louis: Five home runs Larry Walker is back in the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade, and he #39;s making the most of his second shot. In the Cardinals #39; playoff National League opener, the three-time batting champion led the hit parade.


Japan alert for N. Korean rocket test SEOUL Citing intelligence from spy satellites and radio interceptions, the Japanese prime minister #39;s office said on Thursday that North Korea might be preparing a test launching of a Rodong ballistic missile.


PeopleSoft Discounts New Licenses SAN FRANCISCO--PeopleSoft Inc. opened the second day of its user conference here Wednesday with good news for itself and its customers: upgrade discounts and a significant licensing deal.


Second Bomb Injures 9 in Thai South - Witnesses (Reuters) Reuters - A second bomb exploded near a food\stall in southern Thailand on Friday, wounding at least nine\members of a bomb squad investigating an earlier blast that\wounded four people.


Italy debates the cost of freeing hostages Euphoria still lingers in the air after the triumphant homecoming of two Italian aid workers held hostage in Iraq. But concern intensified


Bush Envoy Defends U.N. Against Schwarzenegger  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - President Bush's ambassador to  the United Nations defended the world body on Wednesday, after  California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the United States,  not the U.N., was best for democracy.


Jury is still out on Serena We are happy to report that Serena Williams is back on top of her game. Serena Williams made quick work of Sandra Kleinova. On Monday night at the US Open, Williams broke new fashion


After delays, Intel points to chip-making advance Intel is on track to introduce the world #39;s most advanced chip production technology in its products next year, the largest semiconductor maker said Sunday.


Ericsson returns to quarterly profit Swedish telecommunications equipment maker Ericsson today reported a return to net profit in the third quarter, lifted by healthy growth in its international markets.


China college for Internet game industry A college to provide training for the Internet games industry has been opened in Beijing. Xinhua, China #39;s main government-run news agency, reported Saturday that China #39;s Ministry


AMD providing update for Opteron processor AMD uses a technology called PowerNow to control power supply to the processor depending upon how much of the processing power is being used.


Merger #39;s effect on SpectraSite likely  #39;not a major negative #39; SpectraSite isn #39;t in the room, but the Cary company could have much at stake in the merger talks between Nextel and Sprint. The two mobile-phone companies are discussing a


Blasts Near Gaza-Egypt Border, Several Casualties  GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian militants blew up an Israeli  army post on the Gaza-Egypt border on Sunday and at least four  Israeli troops were reported killed in the deadliest attack  since Yasser Arafat died a month ago.


Bill introduced in US Senate, seeking UN action on Myanmar (AFP) AFP - A resolution seeking UN Security Council action against Myanmar was introduced in the US Senate, accusing the Southeast Asian state's military rulers of brutally repressing ethnic minorities and using rape as a weapon of war.


Kodak wins Java lawsuit Eastman Kodak Co. will return to US District Court next week to seek \$1 billion in damages from Sun Microsystems Inc. now that a federal jury has ruled in its favor in a dispute over the Java computer language.


Insurer Aviva to move 950 more jobs to India, Sri Lanka LONDON : British insurance giant Aviva announced plans to export 950 more jobs to India and Sri Lanka next year, with a total of 7,000 staff expected to be offshored by the end of 2007.


Chiefs Beat Ravens for First Win of Season Priest Holmes ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns, and the Chiefs wore down the highly touted Baltimore defense in a victory Monday night.


Martha and the Reality Guru In a strategic move that demonstrates how Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (MSO) soared to success in the first place, the company has entered into agreements with Mark Burnett and an affiliated entity.


Conway's golden handshake PeopleSoft's ousted CEO walks away with a severance package in excess of \$16 million.


DVD battle a fight to the death THE fight over what #39;s going to replace your DVDs has heated up as three major movie studios announce support for one of two competing next-generation formats.


A Better View Into Relationships (TechWeb) TechWeb - Anacubis Desktop 3.0 shows the BI potential of information visualization software.


News: IE in fresh security drama IE is subject to a trio of unpatched vulnerabilities, security firm Secunia warned yesterday.


Oil Below \$53, Fuel Costs Hit Economy  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices fell again on Tuesday, taking  U.S. crude below \$53 a barrel, on signs that energy costs are  slowing the economic growth that drove this year's sharp  increase in world fuel consumption.


Zito taking shot at triple crowning Trainer Nick Zito has come to Lone Star Park with Birdstone, an outstanding 3-year-old who has a shot in Saturday's \$4 million Breeders' Cup Classic. It is less known that Zito also brought two good 2-year-olds, a colt, Sun King, and a filly, In The Gold, but they are legitimate contenders in the juvenile divisions.


'Little Santana' Makes Big Plays for Miami (AP) AP - Miami receiver Sinorice Moss looks a lot like his older brother Santana  #151; on and off the field.


I.B.M. Shrugs Off Loss of a Service Contract It Once Flaunted The cancellation of a \$5 billion outsourcing contract with J.P. Morgan Chase reveals a huge potential exposure for I.B.M.


Media Centre on the march THE arrival of Microsoft #39;s Windows XP Media Centre on October 13 will be not so much a launch as a co-ordinated assault. A brigade of vendors, including Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba, Acer, Creative Labs, iRiver


Indonesia's Hobbit-Sized Humans Find Humble Home (Reuters) Reuters - Newly unearthed remains of hobbit-sized\humans, perhaps one of the most significant finds involving\human evolution in recent years, are being stored in an office\drawer in the Indonesian capital.


Ukrainians vote for president amid fears of rigging and unrest Ukrainians cast ballots in a presidential election Sunday that has raised fears of post-election unrest in this ex-Soviet republic, and the opposition complained of election violations just hours into the voting.


Angels Taking High Road in Pennant Race In the midst of a stretch against division rivals Texas and Oakland, the Angels suspended Jose Guillen without pay.


Rooney brought down to earth After a debut that was the stuff of fantasy, Wayne Rooney was introduced to the real Manchester United yesterday. The 18-year-old could have been forgiven for thinking that life


Pakistani Leader to Remain As Army Chief (AP) AP - Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf backed out of a pledge to step down as army chief, slamming the door Wednesday on this key Washington ally's slow progress toward democracy five years after his bloodless coup.


Ronaldo saves Real #39;s Betis blushes Real Madrid coach Mariano Garcia Remon lamented poor finishing after his side were forced to rely on a trademark poacher #39;s strike from Ronaldo in a fortuitous 1-1 draw at Real Betis.


E Guinea allowed to quiz Thatcher Sir Mark Thatcher is to be interviewed about his alleged role in a coup plot by Equatorial Guinea authorities. He was arrested earlier this month by South African police for breaching South African laws and was released after posting bail.


Brown Bears Came to N. America Earlier Than Thought, Fossil Suggests A fragment of a bear skull in a Canadian museum may be rewriting the history of North America's brown bears.


Marsh May Have to Cut Jobs as Earnings Decline, Investors Say Marsh  amp; McLennan Cos., the US insurance broker accused of rigging bids and taking payoffs, #39; #39; may cut jobs to help mitigate a drop in earnings, investors said.


Kim Leads Longs Drugs Challenge by One (AP) AP - Christina Kim shot a 7-under 64 Thursday and held a one-stroke lead over Rachel Teske after the first round of the LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge.


Olympic Basketball: Lithuania Guard Shoots Down U.S.  ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States crashed to its second  defeat in the Olympic men's basketball tournament Saturday when  a late shooting spree by Sarunas Jasikevicius propelled  Lithuania to a 94-90 victory.


England 32 - 16 South Africa It is too early to say the wounds have completely healed, but a year on from being on top of the world, followed by a dispiriting tumble, England #39;s rugby machine is starting to go through the gears again.


Sprint settles FTC claim for \$1.125M The Federal Trade Commission said Friday that it will make Sprint Corp. pay \$1.125 million to settle charges that the telecommunications giant skirted federal credit laws.


New Version of Windows Boosts Security (AP) AP - For years, programmers at Microsoft Corp. and elsewhere have worked to make it easier for devices like cell phones and personal digital assistants to work instantly and easily with computers.


Del Piero injury blow Juventus striker Alessandro Del Piero has sustained an Achilles tendon injury that will rule him out for two weeks. The Italian international will miss the World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia and Belarus


Banned Basque Party Calls for Peace Talks A Basque nationalist party banned by Spain as ETA #39;s political wing unveiled a plan to end the long-running conflict in the region on Sunday, saying it wanted to launch a peace process.


Egypt: Sinai blasts linked to Israel #39;s Gaza raid Egyptian government spokesman Magdy Rady linked to the Israeli military operation against the Palestinians in the neighboring Gaza Strip, where 84 Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli offensive that began on Sept.


Wales 66 - 7 Romania The scoreline might suggest otherwise, but the Wales coach Mike Ruddock has been left with a headache after his side romped to victory last night.


Lawmakers Ask Fannie To Explain Tainted Funds Three House Financial Services subcommittee chairmen yesterday called on Fannie Mae to answer allegations  that the company failed to blow the whistle on a mortgage fraud scam and accepted \$6.5 million that it knew had been swindled from a government agency.


Russia to release massacre files Russia agrees to allow Polish authorities to examine Soviet archives on what Poles call the Katyn Forest massacre of 1940.


Tour to Honor U.S. Women's Soccer Team (AP) AP - A 10-city farewell tour for longtime U.S. soccer stars Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Joy Fawcett will kick off Sept. 25 in Rochester.


Toyota in quest for pole position in China Japan #39;s No. 1 automaker is no longer content to take a back seat to foreign rivals in China. On Monday, Toyota Motor Corp. announced the launch of Guangzhou Toyota Motor Co.


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


Armed group claims to have obtained missing explosives US soldier places a rocket he removed from nearby the wreckage of a car bomb along a road north of the city of Baquba, 60 kms northeast of Baghdad, October 27, into the back of an armoured military vehicle.


No. 3 Auburn Wins SEC Championship (AP) AP - Jason Campbell threw for three touchdowns and accounted for more than 400 yards, leading No. 3 Auburn to a 38-28 victory over 15th-ranked Tennessee in the SEC championship game Saturday night.


Parker Hannifin completes Sporlan Valve acquisition Cleveland-based Parker Hannifin Corp. has completed its acquisition of Sporlan Valve of Washington, Mo., the companies said Monday.


Robby Gordon Apologizes For New Hampshire Accident WELCOME, NC -- Robby Gordon is apologizing for intentionally causing an accident in Sunday #39;s Nextel Cup race at New Hampshire International Speedway.


Dolphins coach quits DAVE WANNSTEDT resigned today as head coach of the Miami Dolphins after the team sank to an NFL-worst 1-8 record. Defensive co-ordinator Jim Bates will take over as interim coach for the remainder of the season.


U.S. Funds Chat-Room Surveillance Study (AP) AP - Amid the torrent of jabber in Internet chat rooms  #151; flirting by QTpie and BoogieBoy, arguments about politics and horror flicks  #151; are terrorists plotting their next move?


Cheney tempers criticism of Kerry Dick Cheney backs away from comments that warned of another terror attack if John Kerry is elected president.


Red Sox getting warmer What had been a tough, grinding game for seven innings suddenly turned into an easy one for the Boston Red Sox last night. Locked in a 5-5 tie with their arch-rival New York Yankees


Electrolux: Profit Won #39;t Meet Expectations Electrolux AB, the world #39;s biggest maker of home appliances, warned Thursday that its profit expectations for the rest of 2004 would be less than expected because of a rise in steel prices.


MTFG profit drops as bad loans rise TOKYO: Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group (MTFG), Japan #39;s second biggest bank, said yesterday its first-half profit dropped by 43 as bad loans increased.


Poulter pips Garcia in a play-off VALDERRAMA, Spain -- Britain #39;s Ian Poulter beat Ryder Cup team mate Sergio Garcia at the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the Volvo Masters in Valderrama.


Kyoto Too Little to Fix Warming - UN Climate Chief (Reuters) Reuters - Although saved last week with Russian\help, the Kyoto pact on global warming offers too little to\arrest climate change and governments should adopt more radical\solutions, the top U.N. climate expert said.


Retailers Seen Posting Modest Nov. Sales (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. retailers are expected to post\modest November sales this week, with No. 1 retailer Wal-Mart\Stores Inc. already cutting its holiday outlook on high oil\prices and warmer weather.


Mozilla vs. Microsoft (The Motley Fool) The Motley Fool - The Mozilla Foundation, the creators of the open-source Firefox browser, has predicted that by the end of 2005, it will have 10 of the browser market. It doesn't take rocket science to realize that's a swing at Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT - News), given the near ubiquity of its Windows operating system and its Internet Explorer browser.


Report: Eisner won #39;t be on Disney #39;s board Michael Eisner, chief executive officer of Walt Disney Co., said he plans to leave the company #39;s board when he steps down as CEO in 2006, Fortune magazine said it is reporting in its upcoming issue.


Siebel releases flood of BI applications (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - Capitalizing on the current trend within the enterprise to reduce the number of applications to support, Siebel Systems on Monday unveiled a package of business analytics solutions that can be deployed by IT as both extensions to current CRM applications or as stand-alone programs.


Political Pollsters  Don't Live on Elections Alone If you're tired of all those candidate polls after the long election season, you aren't alone. So are the pollsters.


Milking the World Series of Poker Owning the World Series of Poker has been a major competitive score for Harrah's.


NetSuite 10.0 Makes CRM Fantasies a Reality NetSuite, Inc., today announced NetSuite 10.0, delivering new capabilities that have never before been available in a business application -- whether delivered as an Internet service or an on-premise solution.


Baseball drug taker dies Ken Caminiti, a former National Baseball League most valuable player who in 2002 admitted he used steroids, has died in New York at the age of 41.


Two suicides in child porn case Two men commit suicide and two others are found dead after Australia's biggest-ever operation against child porn.


New Violence Hinders Relief Efforts in Western Sudan Even as peace talks continued in an effort to stanch the suffering in western Sudan, kidnappings, land mines and, most recently, a government crackdown on a camp


Russia to Test New Soyuz Booster on Oct. 29 (Reuters) Reuters - Russia's military will test a\new-generation rocket booster this week that could eventually\be used to launch civilian cargoes into space, Itar-Tass news\agency said Monday.


NASA Prepares to Spy on a Satellite Scientists are about to get their first really close and revealing look at Titan, the invitingly mysterious giant moon of Saturn.


Mobile Phone Firms Link for New High-Speed Standard (Reuters) Reuters - Leading wireless carriers and telecoms\equipment makers have agreed to develop an advanced mobile\phone standard capable of sending high-resolution video in an\instant, Japan's NTT DoCoMo said on Friday.


Helicopter Stunt Pilots to Snag Stardust for NASA NASA has recruited two Hollywood helicopter stunt pilots for an especially tricky maneuver -- snagging a capsule full of stardust as it parachutes back to Earth next month, mission managers said on Thursday.


Els Eases Into the Final in England Defending champion Ernie Els beat Padraig Harrington 5 and 4 yesterday to move into the final of the World Match Play Championship in Virginia Water, England, and stay on course for a record sixth title.


For Knicks, 11 Games Down, 71 to Go and they would surely like to - the Knicks could look over their shoulders at mid-November and feel mildly satisfied. In the two-week span from Nov.


Phone Magic (BusinessWeek Online) BusinessWeek Online - Hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons took one look at the Motorola  Razr V3 mobile phone and declared it "hot." After all, at half an inch thin and just 3.35 oz. -- with the look of a classic straight-edge razor -- the Razr is, well, quite sharp. But what's most remarkable about this svelte pocket pleaser is that it squeezes a video-clip player, zoom camera, and polyphonic speakers into a matchbook-thin frame no wider than a credit card. "Just like a cool pair of sneakers or a watch, a phone says something about who you are," says Simmons in an e-mail. ...


Syrian President Makes Peace Overtures (AP) AP - Fearful of being left behind, Syrian President Bashar Assad has been saying something quite startling  #151; that he is willing to resume peace talks with Israel unconditionally.


Fans Chant 'Fire Gundy' As Rockets Trounced (AP) AP - The Houston Rockets were finishing up one of their worst performances of the season when a chant rang out from behind the bench.


German Court Nixes Lawsuit Against Google (AP) AP - A state court in Hamburg on Tuesday rejected a German company's lawsuit against Google Inc. over allegations the Internet search engine allows rival companies to buy ads using trademarked terms, an attorney said Tuesday.


Venezuelan gov #39;t approves humanitarian aid to Grenada The Venezuelan government approved on Saturday 1 million US dollars in humanitarian relief for Grenada, where at least 24 people were killed and 90 percent of houses damaged by Hurricane Ivan.


Khatami: Iran Will Pursue Nuclear Program TEHRAN, Iran - President Mohammad Khatami said Tuesday that Iran will continue a nuclear program some suspect is aimed at developing weapons, even if that means an end to U.N. oversight...


British press raps Chirac for Iraq comments, eyes positive future LONDON - British newspapers rapped French President Jacques Chirac on Thursday for reopening old wounds over Iraq on the eve of an official visit to Britain, but looked ahead to improved relations between the two European powers.


Sports Depot makes a strategic play Anticipating Harvard University's expansion in Allston, the owner of the Sports Depot pub-style restaurant last week bought longtime neighbor Able Rug's real estate -- a 19th-century slap-dash warehouse-style building and a parking lot -- for \$1.25 million.


Afghan hostages grateful, eager to work Three UN election workers freed nearly a month after being abducted in Afghanistan thanked the nation #39;s people for the support shown during their ordeal.


Potty mouth could cost Earnhardt Jr. more than \$3 million If you believe Dale Earnhardt Jr. is hurting now, wait until late next month, should he fail to recoup the 25 points he lost for uttering a naughty word on national television following last week #39;s emotional victory at Talladega (Ala.


Microsoft Patch to Fix Security Flaws (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp. announced Tuesday it has found a new security flaw with its Windows XP operating system and warned that an attacker could infiltrate other computers by persuading their owners to open a specialized graphics file.


Iran Sees Small Chance of UN Economic Sanctions  TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran believes there is only a 10 percent  chance the U.N. Security Council will impose economic sanctions  on it if Washington succeeds in sending its nuclear case there,  a senior security official said on Friday.


Links Between Two Chechen Women Grows (AP) AP - They lived in the same apartment in Chechnya, worked in the same market and may have died within moments of each other on separate airliners that crashed in Russia last week.


UK PM Announces Plans for ID Cards Britain #39;s Prime Minister Tony Blair holds his Biometric card at the Passport Office in central London, Monday Oct. 25, 2004. Blair visited the Passport Office who are undertaking a Biometrics Enrollment trial


Rookie J. Jones, Cowboys Up and Running NFL scouts and front-office executives were less than enamored of the top tailbacks available in the draft in April. The first didn #39;t come off the board until the St.


Hope Turns to Caution in French Hostage Crisis  BAGHDAD/PARIS (Reuters) - Two French hostages held in Iraq  are being well treated but there are hurdles to overcome to  secure their release, officials said.


Cricket crisis: Reform or face the music Indian cricket and crisis seem to be made for each other. Such are the ways of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that the sport continues to lurch from one crisis to another.


Straw to urge Sudan to end Darfur crisis and reach settlement with <b>...</b> Britain #39;s Foreign Secretary Jack Straw flies to Sudan on Monday to press the government to end the humanitarian crisis engulfing the western region of Darfur.


HENMAN PUTS FRENCH WOE BEHIND HIM World number seven Tim Henman is already focused on the Masters in Houston and believes he has a good chance of finishing his 2004 season on a high there.


HP beats lowered forecast Hewlett-Packard said Tuesday that quarterly profit topped its own lowered expectations as the computer and printer maker saw record revenues in every business and every region.


Cardinals Crush Dodgers to Grab 2-0 Series Lead  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mike Matheny's two-run single  highlighted a three-run fifth inning rally which lifted the St.  Louis Cardinals to an 8-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in  the National League Divisional Series Thursday.


Marino, Young, Irvin head NFL Hall of Fame first-timers Quarterbacks Dan Marino and Steve Young and wide receiver Michael Irvin are among nine first-time nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.


Sortprice Shopping Search Engine Includes 1000 Merchants Sortprice Shopping Search Engine Includes 1000 Merchants\\SortPrice.com announces reaching 1000 merchants with over 10 million product listings which ranges from small retailers to industry giants including companies such as Target, Buy.com and Office Depot. Launched in 2003, SortPrice.com was created to provide free listings for merchants and an easy to ...


Benson Leads Texas to 44-14 Win Over Baylor  AUSTIN, Texas (Sports Network) - Cedric Benson ran for 188  yards and three touchdowns to lead fifth-ranked Texas to a  44-14 win over Baylor in the Big 12 opener for both schools at  Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.


No place for Anelka or Silvestre in Domenech #39;s squad to face <b>...</b> France coach Raymond Domenech named his 20-man squad Thursday for upcoming 2006 World Cup qualifying matches against Israel and the Faroe Islands.


Leftist Coalition Predicted to Win Uruguay #39;s Presidency A coalition of leftist elements is predicted to win Uruguay #39;s presidential election on Sunday - ending the conservative parties #39; dominance of more than 170 years.


Urges nations to aid Iraq, promote rights President Bush stood before an annual gathering of world leaders yesterday and forcefully defended his decision to invade Iraq, urging all


Strain Is Seen in Giuliani Ties With President The collapse of Bernard Kerik's nomination has strained a relationship that has long been more complicated than mere friendship.


Yeltsin #39;s grandson joins Russian Midland F1 team The Russian-backed Midland Formula One team planned for 2006 has hired the grandson of former Russian president Boris Yeltsin as marketing director, Kommersant daily newspaper said on Wednesday.


Ivanov: Russia to Revamp Security, Seek Cooperation Russia will revamp its security forces and seek international cooperation to hunt militants in the wake of a school siege which killed more than 300 people nine days ago, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Sunday.


NL Wrap: Jones Homers Twice as Braves Down Cards  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Chipper Jones cracked two homers and  Julio Franco's two-run double in the seventh inning drove in  the winning runs as the streaking Atlanta Braves downed the St.  Louis Cardinals 9-7 in the National League Saturday.


Apple vs Apple:  #39;mind boggling #39; pay-out imminent - report Apple Corp. and Apple Comp. - aka the Beatles and the maker of the Mac - are reported to be on the verge of ending their legal dispute over the latter #39;s right to operate in the music market.


Error margin remains small for Cowboys They made five sacks and got strong play from a rookie cornerback forced into action when a starter was hurt. Several big pass plays were made, the kickoffs were good, and the punting was solid.


Video Game Sales Seen Pausing After Record 2003 Video game sales soared to a record \$18.2 billion last year, but the days of strong growth are on pause as players await a new generation of consoles.


Mailbag: Readers right? You be the judg First, thanks to all those Bengals fans who wrote to complain about the dig on their team #39;s uniforms. Yeah, this time of year I like pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes, too, but not when I have to wear them on Sundays.


Social Security a Priority for White House (AP) AP - THE PROBLEM: Social Security faces a  #36;3.7 trillion shortfall over 75 years.


Space cowboys On Wednesday, Nasa scientists watched in shock as their Genesis solar project ended in disaster.  quot;I can #39;t believe it quot; they all said.


AUDIT BUREAU FAILS BIG TEST Newsday #39;s under a lot of pressure - but so is the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the agency charged with verifying circulation for the newspaper industry.


Crude oil prices rise toward 55 dollars per barrel Crude oil futures continued to climb Friday, reaching new record high as decline in the US inventory of heating oil and tight supplies still overshadowed theenergy markets.


Burt Rutan #39;s Giant Leap Burt Rutan isn #39;t one to mince words. Just minutes after the world #39;s first privately funded space craft touched down at the Mojave (Calif.


Ellison earns \$3.85 million in FY04 Oracle Corp. Chief Executive Larry Ellison took home \$3.85 million in salary and bonuses in fiscal 2004, according to a Friday filing with securities regulators.


Salvation Army Facing Uphill Battle This Holiday Season Louisville rings in the Christmas season with a 120-year tradition. The Salvation Army kicked off its kettle and bell ringing campaign Friday, called  quot;Keep the Tradition Alive.


Indian train crash kills 35 At least 35 people have been killed and dozens more injured in a train crash in India. Many of the injured are in a critical condition in an army hospital and the death toll is expected to rise.


Yellow Roadway Raises Earnings Outlook Yellow Roadway cited a more disciplined pricing environment and more efficient operations for the improved outlook. The Overland Park-based carrier said it expects earnings of \$1.


Rutan shares space dreams with UT students The man behind Space Ship 1 brought his love of adventure to the University of Texas on Friday. Burt Rutan spoke to students about space tourism.


CITES Accepts Protection Plan for 'Jaws' Shark (Reuters) Reuters - A U.N. conference endorsed on Tuesday a\proposal to slap controls on trade in the ocean's most feared\predator, the great white shark of "Jaws" fame.


PNC Deal to Buy Riggs Seen in Jeopardy Riggs National Corp. shares fell Monday as more concerns surfaced that an ongoing money-laundering probe of the Washington, DC bank will scrap plans by PNC Financial Group Inc.


Enter a Category Regardless of what he may have told Carlos Beltran when their paths crossed last May, Bernie Williams made it clear yesterday that he won #39;t be conceding centerfield until the Yankees tell him to do so.


Study shows DSL leading in broadband growth Broadband digital subscriber line (DSL) led a global boom in broadband Internet access over the 12 months ended June 30, growing to about 78 million total subscribers as users of all broadband services surpassed 123 million, the DSL Forum announced Wednesday.


Afghan Kidnappers Set Final Deadline KABUL, 16 November 2004 - Afghan captors holding three UN workers hostage in Afghanistan extended a deadline yesterday for their demands to be met, blaming the US for disrupting negotiations aimed at securing the captives release.


Markets keep eye on earnings NEW YORK - Investors will be looking ahead to the Federal Reserve #39;s meeting and third-quarter earnings forecasts in Wall Street #39;s short trading week after the Labor Day holiday.


Update 6: Ace, AIG End Commissions Eyed in Probe The company at the center of a probe into insurance brokerage fees says it took in more than \$1.2 billion in incentive payments over the past 18 months and that its decision to stop using such fees will reduce operating income.


Nokia, NEC test IP multimedia interoperability Two industry heavyweights have completed interoperability tests of a new technology designed to drive the convergence of voice, data, and video services over wireless and fixed infrastructure based on the Internet Protocol.


Russia Counts Cost of Bloody End to School Siege  BESLAN, Russia (Reuters) - Russia began counting the cost  on Saturday at the end of a siege of a school captured by  Chechen gunmen which killed at least 200 people and cast fresh  doubts on Moscow's policy in the turbulent region.


IBM Goes After High-End Server Market (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - IBM (NYSE: IBM) is making a big deal out of its announcement of three Power5 processor-based servers. The machines are faster than those built by competitors Hewlett-Packard and Sun. What is more, their price point is set lower.


Colombia militias handing over guns CAMPO DOS, Colombia -- As Javier Alfonso Vela watched 1,425 paramilitary soldiers turn in their weapons under a blazing sun Friday in Colombia's largest demobilization of combatants, the missionary wondered aloud whether disarming right-wing militias would be a first step to ending his country's 40-year-old conflict, or a dangerous opening for the return of leftist guerrillas to this provincial outpost ...


HP girds for grid storage campaign The computing giant talks up new storage products and plans after a major sales stumble.


Paradorn Powers Past Struggling Costa  VIENNA (Reuters) - Fifth seed Paradorn Srichaphan added to  Albert Costa's woes at the Vienna Trophy Wednesday, winning  6-4, 6-4, in the second round.


Ken Caminiti, 1996 NL MVP, Dies At Age 41 New York -- Former Houston Astros slugger Ken Caminiti died today at age 41. The 1996 National League MVP admitted during his major league career that he had used steroids.


Twins clinch AL Central title com. Not only did the Twins clinch their third straight American League Central title Monday night, but also did it at a bitter rival #39;s ballpark.


UN: Foreign Investment Falls Again Investment by businesses in foreign markets fell 18 percent in 2003 to \$560 billion as the global economy continued to struggle, but should improve this year as growth speeds up, the United Nations said Wednesday.


Reds extend Miley through 2006 Manager Dave Miley got a long-awaited show of confidence yesterday when the Cincinnati Reds extended his contract through the 2006 season. Miley, 42, had little security when he took over for the fired Bob Boone in July 2003. He finished that season as interim manager, then got only a one-year extension with a club option for 2005. The Reds had ...


Arizona trips inept, 1-8 Miami  quot;You go four years and win over 10 games a year, and it #39;s taken for granted, quot; he said.  quot;We did not play any harder when we were winning 10 and 11 a year, I promise you that.


Carolina rusher to have surgery on clavicle Losers of four straight games, including Sunday #39;s home defeat to the San Diego Chargers, the Panthers found out Monday that they have lost tailback DeShaun Foster for the balance of the season.


Toshiba Unveils Clearer Flat-Panel TV (AP) AP - Toshiba Corp. has a new flat-panel TV that delivers clear imagery comparable to the old-style cathode-ray tubes by using similar beam-emitting technology.


SF accused of giving DUP veto over nationalist ministers The SDLP has accused Sinn Fin of giving the Democratic Unionist Party a veto over the decisions of nationalist ministers as part of the deal to restore power-sharing.


Gazprom expands its oil business preparing to buy Yuganskneftegaz Russian state-controlled gas giant Gazprom has announced its intention to be one of the bidders in the auction of the 76.8 stake in Yuganskneftegaz to be held on Dec.19.


Pavano Wants to Pitch for Yankees ANAHEIM, Calif. Dec 11, 2004 - Carl Pavano decided Saturday he wanted to pitch for the Yankees, and his agent and New York closed in on a four-year contract worth about \$39 million.


IBM, Cisco tackle security's weak link Companies expand security alliance to help businesses keep worms and viruses from getting onto networks.


Bush said ready to lift Libya sanctions WASHINGTON -- President Bush has decided to lift sanctions against Libya, which he expects to trigger the release of more than \$1 billion to families of PanAm Flight 103 victims, a senior administration official said yesterday.


Monty Hailed as Hero of Stunning Victory  LONDON (Reuters) - When Colin Montgomerie's final putt  plopped into the hole on the 18th green at Oakland Hills on  Sunday, it clinched a remarkable Ryder Cup triumph and soothed  the Scot's personal anguish.


FC Porto Wins Toyota Cup (AP) AP - European champion FC Porto won the Toyota Cup on Sunday, defeating Colombia's Once Caldas 8-7 in a penalty-kick shootout in a game between the top club teams from Europe and South America.


Study: Workers Find IM a Mixed Blessing A report released Thursday by the Pew Internet and American Life Project says US workers are increasingly using instant messaging (IM) in the workplace, with approximately 11 million Americans logging into an IM program daily.


Iran Says Provisional Nuke Pact Reached (AP) AP - Iran and European nations reached a provisional agreement over Iran's nuclear program at talks aimed at avoiding a U.N. showdown, but all parties involved still must approve it, Iran's chief negotiator said Sunday.


Verizon Wireless pulls phone from shelves The company discovers a flaw with a camera lens installed on its popular v710 Motorola phone.


ECB: Euro Growth Brightens, Holds Rates Economic recovery is gathering speed in the euro zone and inflation prospects are favorable, the European Central Bank said on Thursday as it


Prosecutor postpones results of probe into disgraced Greek <b>...</b> A senior Greek prosecutor has postponed announcing the results of a two-month investigation into disgraced Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou.


FCC Says It Extended Discounted Phone-Line Rates T amp;T, MCI and other telephone companies that provide local calling by renting other carriers #39; equipment have received a six-month extension on discounted leasing rates while regulators work on new competition rules.


Henman lives in hope after Roddick setback Wimbledon this ain #39;t. When it rains in SW19, herds of well-drilled young men rush forward with tarpaulins to protect the hallowed turf.


Boeing 767 deal on path to defeat Congress may kill the Air Force #39;s plan to lease refueling tankers from the Boeing Co. By Bryan Corliss. Congress appears poised to reject the Boeing Co.


Skulls Trojan attacks Symbian mobile phones Users of Nokia's 7610 smart phone and possibly other phones running Symbian's Series 60 software should be aware of a new Trojan program on the Internet.


Brockton tops Eagles BROCKTON -- A new era? Nah. Just the same old Brockton coached by a different Colombo.


Time Warner Shares Rise on Talks Report  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Time Warner Inc TWX.N rose  2 percent on Tuesday after a report that the world's largest  media company was near a settlement with regulators that could  limit potential shareholder lawsuits over probes into  accounting at its America Online unit.


Honda Enhances Speech-Recognition System Honda Motor Co., with help from partner IBM Corp., is preparing to introduce an improved speech-recognition system that will allow drivers to get voice navigation guidance without having to manually punch in any information or take their eyes off the road to read a computer screen.


Al Qaeda Using Militants Against Musharraf  KARACHI (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda appears to  be using established militant groups and small cells for bloody  attacks in Pakistan aimed at destabilizing President Pervez  Musharraf and thus the wider war on terror, analysts say.


Afghans Hail Chance for a Choice BAZARAK, Afghanistan<br>Like virtually every adult in this Panjshir Valley village, Rahmal Beg registered to vote weeks ago. Indeed, popular enthusiasm is so high for the Oct. 9 presidential election -- the first in Afghan history -- that thousands of people in the valley have reportedly...


Japan's mobile operators target elderly (FT.com) FT.com - Mobile phones have become a must-have item for every high-powered Japanese businessman, multi-tasking mum and self-respecting teenager. Even schoolchildren often carry a mobile phone to call home on their way back from late-night cram school.


World crude oil market slips as supply fears ease NEW YORK (AFP) - World crude oil prices slipped, halting a price spike triggered by fears of tight energy supplies in the northeastern United States.


Classic guerrilla war forming in Iraq Recent upsurge in attacks has parallels, and differences, with past insurgencies.


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


Ruud boys plot big City kill for Fergie WHAT a Champion act ... now give me an encore when we take on Manchester City at the weekend. That was Sir Alex Ferguson #39;s challenge to his team today after their Ruud van Nistelrooy-inspired 4-1 win over


Gangsters Torch Cars in Haiti Capital (AP) AP - Young gangsters rampaged through the heart of the Haitian capital, torching cars and firing in the air in what many people feared was a prelude to more violence.


Ankara gets a boost to its EU aspirations The European Commission gave Turkey #39;s hopes of joining the European Union a huge boost last week, saying it saw  quot;no more obstacles quot; toward a  quot;clear recommendation quot; on starting EU entry talks with Ankara.


Jeremy Warner #39;s Outlook: Bush bets on twins cancelling each other <b>...</b> With President George Bush safely back in the White House, and with no need to face the voters again (American presidents are only allowed two terms), is he not duty bound finally to do something about America #39;s terrible twins - a current account deficit


Eastman Kodak raises annual sales forecasts for digital products Eastman Kodak Co., in the midst of its strengthening its position in digital imaging, said Wednesday it expects sales of digital products and services to increase by about 36 per cent between 2003 and 2007.


Myskina keys all three wins over France MOSCOW -- Anastasia Myskina and Vera Zvonareva powered Russia to its first Fed Cup title by winning the decisive doubles against defending champion France on Sunday.


Smaller Companies Given 45-Day Delay on Audit Certification although not large ones - were given a reprieve yesterday from requirements imposed in the wake of the Enron and WorldCom scandals that they certify their financial controls.


Belgium rounds on former colony Belgium's foreign minister criticises politicians in the DR Congo over the country's slow transition to democracy.


'Wikis' Offer Knowledge-Sharing on the Web By ANICK JESDANUN    NEW YORK (AP) -- Taran Rampersad didn't complain when he failed to find anything on his hometown in the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Instead, he simply wrote his own entry for San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago...


Definitely Florida: Vols remember home losses, ready for revenge Ask Kevin Simon which is the worst home loss he has seen since arriving at the University of Tennessee and the answer is very clear.


Favorites dominate in advancing in UEFA Cup Mike Hanke scored three second-half goals and led Schalke 04 into the inaugural group stage of the UEFA Cup Thursday with a 4-0 beating of Latvia #39;s Liepajas Metalurgs.


Iraqi Leaders Meet in Peace Effort BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S. military and Iraqi Shiite and tribal leaders held talks Sunday aimed at reducing tensions in the Baghdad's Sadr City slum, where 10 people died in fighting a day earlier between Shiite militiamen and U.S...


Solar Storms Smack a Comet (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - Astronomers \have pieced together what \appears to be the first direct evidence that solar storms can wreak \havoc with comets, destroying the ion tails of icy wanderers nbsp;in a collision \of highly charged particles. nbsp;


Palestinian Officials Offer Differing Accounts of Arafat #39;s <b>...</b> French doctors are expected to issue a preliminary report on the medical condition of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat by midweek, according to Palestinian officials, who


New Project Shows Promise for Grape Growers By DAISY NGUYEN     RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) -- Since the discovery five years ago that a ravenous insect was spreading grape-killing Pierce's Disease in California, grape growers have contributed millions of dollars to fund research projects they hope can end the scourge...


U.S. Ryder Cup Team Roster Set Going with experience, Hal Sutton named Jay Haas and Stewart Cink as captain's selections for this year's United States Ryder Cup team.


NHL Players Propose a 24 Percent Solution Seeking to end the lockout that threatens this season, the National Hockey League Players Association offered an immediate pay reduction of 24 percent Thursday and other concessions


RIM Launches BlackBerry with Revamped Keyboard (Reuters) Reuters - Research In Motion Ltd.\, which popularized wireless e-mailing with its\thumb-operated BlackBerry, launched a new version of the device\on Wednesday with a smaller, revamped keyboard.


Disney Launches a Trio of Titles Disney Interactive has shipped three new Game Boy Advance titles based on hit Disney Channel shows. Info from the press release (because we #39;re too lazy to rewrite this stuff today) ---.


NTT DoCoMo unveils Japan's first prototype micro fuel cell for 3G handsets (AFP) AFP - NTT DoCoMo, the top cellular phone operator in Japan, unveiled what it calls the nation's first prototype micro fuel cell aimed at boosting battery life for its powerful third-generation FOMA handsets.


Microsoft releases key management software Microsoft Wednesday released the latest versions of its performance and monitoring tool, which forms a cornerstone in its plan to create a management platform for Windows.


Tendulkar to miss one-day championship Indian batting star Sachin Tendulkar will miss the Champions Trophy one-day cricket championship after failing to shake off an elbow injury, team officials said on Saturday.


Three sent off before Earnshaw saves Wales The hopes of either Wales or Northern Ireland enjoying a German excursion in the summer of 2006 were dealt another blow on an extraordinary night in the Millennium Stadium.


Cheney, Rumsfeld Say Terror Remains Threat Two of the Bush administration #39;s chief architects of the war on terror offered words of caution along with congratulations on Tuesday, a historic day for this one-time al-Qaida haven.


Survey: U.S. to Rein in Holiday Spending (Reuters) Reuters - Most Americans are planning to curb\their holiday spending this year, making it a challenging\shopping season for U.S. retailers, according to a holiday\buying survey by The NPD Group.


White House cites human role in global warming Warmer temperatures in North America since 1950 were probably caused in part by human activity, the Bush administration said in a report that appeared to contradict the White House position there was no clear scientific proof on


No. 18 Alabama Beats W. Carolina 97-66 (AP) AP - Kennedy Winston scored 24 points to lead No. 18 Alabama over Western Carolina 97-66 on Friday night.


Int #39;l Game Tech Posts Lower Profit International Game Technology #39;s fourth-quarter profits declined 50 percent, hit by early redemption of senior notes, but the world #39;s largest maker of slot machines and other gambling devices


Rockstar Games Ships Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for <b>...</b> Rockstar Games, the world-renowned publishing division of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO), is proud to announce that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has shipped to retail stores in North America.


Discovery of water on Mars tops scientific achievements of the <b>...</b> The discovery of water on Mars was the scientific breakthrough of 2004, according to one of the world #39;s leading science journals.


Music downloaders sued US recording companies have filed copyright infringement lawsuits against 754 computer users in the latest round of legal action in the industrys effort to stop unauthorised swapping of music online.


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


Springboks hold on against Wales (AFP) AFP - South Africa survived a late rally from Wales to get their bid for a Grand Slam off to a winning start with a thrilling 38-36 victory at the Millennium Stadium.


EDS: US Air Bankruptcy to Cut Its Profits Electronic Data Systems Corp. (EDS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Thursday the bankruptcy of US Airways Group Inc. (UAIRQ.OQ: Quote, Profile, Research) could sharply reduce its


McPeak collects elusive Olympic medal ATHENS - Holly McPeak finally won the Olympics medal that has eluded her for so long, teaming with Elaine Youngs to win a bronze medal for the United States in beach volleyball Tuesday night.


9.7 consumption increase  quot;encouraging quot; A spokesman for China #39;s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in Beijing Friday that the 9.7 percent increase of consumption in the first three quarters this year is  quot;encouraging quot;.


Is AIG #39;s Hank Greenberg next? NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The recent federal and state investigations aimed at global insurer American International Group are leading investors to wonder if Chairman Maurice  quot;Hank quot; Greenberg may soon retire due to so-called regulatory fatigue.


Chelsea makes League #39;s last 16 ROMAN Abramovich #39;s face was wreathed in smiles yesterday and he had every reason as the billionaire owner of Premiership side Chelsea saw his team book its place in the last 16 of


Thirteen Players Released The Washington Redskins announced 13 cuts Monday and must make one more roster move today to reach the NFL's limit.


Ex-Qwest CEO may face civil charges Civil charges may be coming in the near future for the former leader of Denver-based Qwest Communications International Inc. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Joseph P. Nacchio, former CEO of the


Sharon Battles to Save Government from Collapse  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Reeling from a parliamentary defeat,  Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon prepared on Thursday to  open coalition talks to save his shattered government and avoid  early elections that could stall his Gaza withdrawal plan.


Austrians, Italian prevail in slalom BEAVER CREEK - Most individuals wouldn #39;t be able to turn a steering wheel 63 times in less than a minute. Try it on skis. Some racers in Sunday #39;s Birds of Prey slalom didn #39;t even make it through the first


Dow Jones buys MarketWatch for \$519 million NEW YORK-- Business news publisher Dow Jones  amp; Co. said today it is acquiring MarketWatch Inc., an online financial news and information provider, for \$519 million in cash, broadening the company #39;s presence in the growing realm of online advertising.


Intel Introduces New Itanium, but Microsoft Skips It (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Intel has introduced a third-generation Itanium 2 into the market, but Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) has noted that its Windows Server 2003 Compute Cluster Edition will not run on servers with the chip.


First impressions lasting for Henry Larry Lucchino breezed into John W. Henry's office in Fenway Park yesterday afternoon carrying the newest ornament for the principal owner's desk: The William Harridge American League championship trophy, in which a golden eagle, brandishing the league banner, sits atop a silver baseball.


A #39;s top M #39;s, maintain lead over Angels OAKLAND, Calif. - Bobby Crosbys sacrifice fly with one out in the ninth scored Erubiel Durazo with the winning run in the Oakland Athletics 6-5 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Monday night.


Henman Impressed in Houston Tim Henman believes the Houston venue for the Tennis Masters Cup will see the British number one at the top of his form. Henman takes on American Andy Roddick on Tuesday in his first match after Marat Safin


Can Arafat #39;s death lead to peace? Is there hope in the Middle East in the aftermath of Yasser Arafat #39;s death, or will the optimistic noises now being made fizzle out into the usual confrontation?


Survivor recognises accused in Best Bakery case (Reuters) Reuters - A survivor of a massacre during Hindu-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002 told a court on Wednesday he recognised seven men from the night of the attack accused of killing 14 people by hacking or burning them to death.


No threat to Airbus jobs A PACT spelling out how much state aid can be given to rival aircraft makers Airbus and Boeing may be renegotiated but the issue seems unlikely to pose any immediate threat to the jobs of aerospace workers from Merseyside.


Newswire: First-half Online Ad Spending Soars (AdWeek.com) AdWeek.com - Internet ad revenue rose nearly 40 percent to  #36;4.6 billion in the first half of 2004 compared to the year-ago period, according to a report released last week. In the second quarter, online ad revenue was  #36;2.37 billion, up almost 43 percent from  #36;1.66 billion during the same period last year and up 6 percent from  #36;2.23 billion in the first quarter. The figures are from the Internet Revenue Report, sponsored by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and conducted independently by the New Media Group of PricewaterhouseCoopers. ...


India says Kashmir incursions down The number of Muslim guerrillas infiltrating Indian Kashmir from Pakistan has plunged 60 percent since construction of a border fence and a tighter vigil by frontier troops, India #39;s home minister has said in a report.


Flames coach Sutter undergoes appendectomy Calgary, AB (Sports Network) - Calgary Flames head coach Darryl Sutter underwent an emergency appendectomy and is expected to make a full recovery.


Airbus forecasts increased demand for its largest fleet Airbus, the world #39;s biggest maker of commercial aircraft, forecast yesterday that airlines will need 1,902 jumbo planes over the next 20 years -- more than double the forecast of its rival, The Boeing Co.


Cisco, Fujitsu to collabrate on high end routers Fujitsu and Cisco Systems announced that they have reached a fundamental agreement to enter into a strategic alliance focusing on routers and switches that will enable service providers and enterprises to build advanced Internet Protocol (IP) networks.


Mutu forces Chelsea on to back foot with appeal Disgraced Romanian international striker Adrian Mutu lodged an appeal against his sacking by Premiership leaders Chelsea for taking cocaine.


Knicks edge plucky Hawks in OT ATLANTA (Ticker) -- After being cold from the arc through four quarters, Jamal Crawford was clutch in overtime. Crawford #39;s 3-pointer with 3.3 seconds remaining helped the New York Knicks post a 110-109 victory


Palestinians play down Abbas shooting incident Palestinian officials are downplaying a shooting incident at an event attended by interim Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. On Sunday evening, militants firing assault rifles burst into a mourning tent for


Block party: Kirilenko swats shots as Jazz run past LA Their starting point guard sat injured behind the bench, dressed in a nifty sport coat. Their backup point guard was nowhere to be seen, recovering instead from arthroscopic knee surgery.


Sauber to launch C24 in Malaysia The Sauber Petronas team will be launching its new C24 chassis in Kuala Lumpur on January 11 2005, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Petronas #39;s involvement in Formula 1. The Malaysian oil and gas corporation began its association with Sauber in 1995


Top grades rising again for GCSEs GCSE results have shown the biggest increase in top grades since 1999, with girls still out-performing boys.


New Cool, Quiet Laptop Hard Drives (PC World) PC World - Western Digital's Scorpio drives promise stinging performance.


AL Wrap: Redman Helps Athletics Maintain AL West Lead  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mark Redman pitched eight strong  innings as the Oakland Athletics clung on to first place in the  American League West with a 3-1 road win over the Baltimore  Orioles on Monday.


Tide Staff Shifts Modes With the end to a grueling regular season in Saturday nights 21-13 loss to Auburn, there is finally some time for Alabamas players to rest and recover, but that time has not yet begun for the Tide coaching staff.


India 'delivers aid to islands' The Indian army says planes have delivered supplies to tsunami survivors on \all the Andaman and Nicobar islands.


Typhoon Kills at Least Two in Storm-Weary Japan  TOKYO, Oct. 9 -- A powerful typhoon raked Japan's Pacific coastline Saturday, killing at least two people and leaving at least five others missing in the most powerful storm to hit the nation in a decade, officials said.


Manufacturers #39; confidence dips Manufacturers #39; business confidence in the three months to October deteriorated to its weakest level since the middle of last year as input prices, particularly oil, remained high, a survey shows.


Creating Animated Screenshots on Linux \\This is a cool little feature I've been wanting for a while now.\\Every once in a while I'll develop some cool feature in some software that I'm\writing and want to show off a screenshot.  The only problem is that without\showing how it interacts with the user I can't demo the features raw power.\\An animated screenshot would solve this but no existing screenshot tools support\animated gif output.\\It turns out that 'convert' from ImageMagick supports. Ksnapshot can be used to\grab the screens and 'convert' can stitch them together.\\Heres what you do:\\- Startup ksnapshot and take a series of snaps from your application.  Each\  snapshot should be an independent frame in the series.\\- Save ...\\


We can #39;t afford to mess up again SHOTA ARVELADZE today insisted Rangers can #39;t repeat the mistakes of a year ago if they want to secure a Uefa Cup future. The Georgian striker looked on in agony then as Alex McLeish #39;s side crashed to a 3-1


Schering-Plough lands quartet of Bayer drugs Fred Hassan has launched his biggest and most ambitious move to rebuild struggling Schering- Plough. The Kenilworth company and German drug maker Bayer yesterday announced an alliance that


Telkom Welcomes Black Consortium As Strategic Shareholder JOHANNESBURG (Dow Jones)--Telkom SA Ltd (TKG) said in a statement Tuesday it welcomes the sale of a 15.1 stake in the company to a black consortium.


Suicide bomber kills 47 in Baghdad A massive car bomb demolished a streetside market near a police recruiting station in the Iraqi capital yesterday, killing 47 persons and wounding at least 88 -ost of them aspiring officers.


Intel Raises 4th-Quarter Sales Forecast Intel Corp.'s fourth-quarter sales are on track to break a company record as demand for the chips that power computers was stronger than originally expected in the weeks leading up to the holiday buying season.


PeopleSoft Execs Defend Bid Rejection (Reuters) Reuters - PeopleSoft Inc.'s \chief financial officer on Wednesday said the company's\customer assurance program might not force liabilities on\Oracle Corp.  if its  #36;7.7 billion takeover bid\succeeds.


US trade deficit soars The United States has recorded its second biggest trade deficit in history, fuelled by high oil prices and imports from China. The deficit grew six-point-nine percent in August to 54 billion US dollars...several billion more than predicted by analysts.


Spring change slows Cup cars a bit In yet another step to keep its Nextel Cup teams from getting too creative, NASCAR handed out rear springs Friday to be used in qualifying for the EA Sports 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.


Tough Start for Mexico in Final World Cup Qualifiers  RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Mexico will start the final  stage of CONCACAF's marathon World Cup qualifying competition  with a tough fixture in Costa Rica.


Slain Hamas member buried in Syria Thousands of Palestinians, many shouting calls for revenge, today buried a member of the militant group Hamas who was killed in a car bomb assassination in which Israeli security officials acknowledged they had a hand.


'Blue Monday' Kicks Off Online Shopping Season (Reuters) Reuters - Though U.S. consumers spent the\weekend setting records at brick-and-mortar stores for Black\Friday, they returned to work on Monday to set "Blue Monday"\shopping records online.


Indian Maoists discuss strategy Two key Indian Maoist groups meet in Calcutta to discuss working closer together, delegates say.


Merck Should Have Pulled Vioxx in 2000 -Study US drugs giant Merck  amp; Co Inc. should have pulled its Vioxx painkiller from the market four years ago, because data showing it raised the risk of heart attacks has existed since 2000, Swiss scientists said on Friday.


IBM ordered to pay some of Compuware costs A federal magistrate has ordered IBM Corp. to reimburse software maker Compuware Corp. for costs relating to evidence that IBM produced only three months before Compuware #39;s lawsuit was scheduled to go to trial.


US consumer confidence declines for third straight month NEW YORK, October 27 (newratings.com) - US consumer confidence has declined to a seven-month low this month on persisting job concerns, according to the Conference Board.


Top News ; Jordan #39;s king removes crown prince Top News News, Amman,Jordan #39;s King Abdullah II has stripped his half-brother, Prince Hamzah, of his title as crown prince and heir to the Hashemite throne in an unexpected move that surprised many Jordanians.


Man United Takeover Talks Break Down Takeover talks between two of Manchester United #39;s biggest shareholders and Malcolm Glazer appear to have broken down. It is believed the US businessman has failed to reach a deal with John Magnier and JP McManus


The Force is strong in Battlefront Star Wars: Battlefront is an absolute blast and one of the most immediately satisfying game offerings yet from George Lucas' stable.


Clippers Beat Nets 101-88 (AP) AP - Marko Jaric scored 23 points to lead Los Angeles' balanced scoring and the Clippers beat New Jersey 101-88 Thursday night to run the Nets' losing streak to seven games.


U.S. Growth Pace for 2nd Quarter Is Revised Downward, to 2.8 The economy grew at a 2.8 percent annual rate from April through June, as oil prices limited consumer spending and contributed to a record trade deficit.


Fever Beats Lynx Fever center Kelly Schumacher scores 13 points on 7-of-8 shooting and grabs nine rebounds to help Indiana defeat Minnesota 69-61.


Malaysia's Anwar Seeks to Clear Name, Remove Ban  PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (Reuters) - Malaysian rebel politician  Anwar Ibrahim, freed from jail last week, sought on Monday to  clear the way for his return to active politics when his  lawyers moved to have his criminal record wiped clean.


Imclone Posts 3Q Profit on Erbitux Sales Biopharmaceutical company ImClone Systems Inc. said Thursday that it swung to a profit in the third-quarter from a year-ago loss due to sales of colorectal cancer drug Erbitux.


More Home stories: Great Britain #39;s gold medal tally now stands at five after Leslie Law was handed the individual three day eventing title - in a courtroom.


Philippine Shares End Higher Philippine shares ended marginally higher Wednesday on a technical recovery, successfully shrugging off a sluggish performance at the start of the session caused by a sell-off in Metro Pacific shares, traders said.


DreamWorks Spinoff Sees Shares Rise 38 1st Day LOS ANGELES, Oct. 28 -- Shares of DreamWorks Animation Inc. soared nearly 38 percent on the first day of trading Thursday as investors anticipated Shrek-sized profits from the computer animation film studio.


Hollywood to grab stardust for Nasa PASADENA (California) - Hollywood stunt pilots and Nasa scientists are teaming up to snatch a capsule full of stardust as it parachutes back to Earth next month.


And the winner is  SpaceShipOne SpaceShipOne #39;s successful flights did more than win \$10 million - they proved to the world that space is open for all humanity.


US sprinter Gatlin hangs on to beat a blazingly fast field ATHENS - Greece woke up to the Olympics last night, the spirit as it swayed to the music of Zorba #39;s Dance in the Olympic Stadium so infectious, so tantalizing that the finalists in the 100 meters joined in, acting more like dancers than runners minutes


Biathlon stars gather at Holmenkollen Norway #39;s biathlon queen lost more grip on her reign Thursday. The world #39;s top biathlon athletes gathered in Oslo for World Cup competition due to last through the weekend.


Envoys seek Ukraine breakthrough International mediators are to try to break the deadlock caused by Ukraine's disputed presidential elections.


Operation in Wana: Terrorists Hideouts Smashed, Dozens Killed Pakistan Times Special Correspondent. WANA (South Waziristan): With fortitude to make vanish the clusters of terrorists, Pakistan Thursday gave a significant jerk and jolt to the menace


Families row over home PC access Arguments over who gets to use the home computer are breaking out in families across the UK, says a survey.


Virgina Tech #39;s  #39;System X #39; Supercomputer Rebuilt for Speed As if being the fastest university supercomputer wasn #39;t enough, Virginia Tech #39;s Power Mac G5-based machine just got an upgrade to make it even faster.


Bates Taps Feeley A.J. Feeley will replace Jay Fiedler as the starter Sunday at Seattle, interim coach Jim Bates says Monday.


Trading spurt lifts London Stock Exchange turnover The London Stock Exchange says first-half turnover rose as trading activity on its electronic platform grew despite mixed market conditions.


Iraq Airways heads past borders Iraqi Airways is reportedly planning to restart international flights after a 14-year break on Saturday.


Kobe Bryant's Accuser Apologized for 'Mix-Up' (Reuters) Reuters - The woman who accused basketball star\Kobe Bryant of rape apologized to police at one stage for\providing confusing information, according to court documents\released on Friday.


#39;Cooperative #39; Mutu to start counselling, says agent Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu is arranging a programme of daily counselling in London after failing a drugs test, his agent said on Wednesday.