14th-Ranked Virginia Downs Duke DURHAM, North Carolina (Sports Network) - Alvin Pearman ran for 223 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries and Wali Lundy added two touchdown runs to lead 14th-ranked Virginia to a 37-16 win over Duke in the Atlantic Coast Conference at Wallace Wade Stadium.


Collins Stewart Shares Advance on Prebon Takeover (Update1) Collins Stewart Tullett Plc #39;s shares posted their biggest gain since the stock began trading in 2000 after the London-based brokerage agreed to buy Prebon Group Ltd.


Stocks End Higher as Dell Boosts Techs (Reuters) Reuters - Stocks extended their rally on Friday,\led by technology shares after computer maker Dell Inc.\ shot up 8 percent on a higher quarterly profit and an\optimistic forecast.


Iraqi children bear brunt of bombings Some of the children cry, refusing to speak but shivering in shock at the day #39;s horror. Others lie lifeless in the morgue of Baghdad #39;s Yarmouk hospital.


Brazil Government Criticizes New York Times Report  BRASILIA, Brazil (Reuters) - Less than four months after  causing an uproar by almost expelling a New York Times  reporter, the Brazilian government criticized the U.S.  newspaper on Monday for a report on a controversial proposal to  oversee the country's journalists.


Bus hijackers demand \$1m ATHENS: Two suspected Albanians armed with rifles and dynamite hijacked a packed Greek passenger bus in Athens and warned they would  quot;light the fuse quot; if a this morning #39;s deadline for payment of a \$1.3 million (BD491,400) ransom and safe passage was not met


Oil Charges Over \$50 on Nigeria Threat
\

 By Andrew MItchell

 LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices raced to new record highs\above \$50 on Tuesday as rebel threats against Nigerian oil\facilities threatened to inflict further strain on global\supplies.


Dolphins RB Gordon Injures Shoulder (AP) AP - Miami Dolphins running back Lamar Gordon left Sunday's game against Pittsburgh in the first quarter with a left shoulder injury after a jarring tackle by safety Chris Hope.


Four days out, and Howard is worried Latham may be succeeding in his audacious bid to drag older voters away from the PM, writes Shaun Carney. You can often get a sense of how political parties view their own prospects at an election through their advertising in the final week of a campaign.


MALLINDER TAKES CHARGE OF UNDER-21s Mallinder, a leading coach within the Rugby Football Union #39;s national academy, has been appointed to lead England #39;s defence of the Six Nations Under-21 title, which they won with a Grand Slam last term.


Justice, Time Warner announce \$210M settlement Time Warner has agreed to pay \$210 million to settle criminal securities fraud charges brought by the Justice Department against the company #39;s America Online unit.


Israel Hints at Military Action Vs. Syria (AP) AP - Israel ratcheted up its rhetoric against Syria on Thursday, hinting of possible military action following this week's deadly suicide bombing in southern Israel.


Powell misses medal JAMAICA #39;S ASAFA Powell, a hot favourite for a medal in the men #39;s 100 metres, ran his worst race of the 2004 Olympic Games last night to finish fifth in the final at the Athens Olympic Stadium.


Furcal Expected to Get Concurrent Sentence (AP) AP - Atlanta Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal is expected to plead guilty in Atlanta traffic court Thursday to his second drunken driving charge.


Windows 2000 to get its last major update Microsoft will not be developing a fifth service pack for Windows 2000, but will issue a single security update called Update Rollup, which is due in mid-2005.


FEC Might MoveOn to the Internet With political activity skyrocketing on the web, election officials may be forced to regulate. Also: Yahoo stays strong and growing   hellip;. 7-Eleven joins 21st century   hellip;. and more.


U.S. Troop Numbers in Iraq to Hit Record 150,000 (Reuters) Reuters - The U.S. military will boost its\troops in Iraq to 150,000 this month, the highest level since\the war began in March 2003, in order to improve security for\scheduled Jan 30. elections, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.


Conoco, Lukoil form alliance US oil major pays nearly \$2B for 7.6 of Russian firm, partnership eyes projects in Russia, Iraq. MOSCOW (Reuters) - US oil major ConocoPhillips and Russia #39;s Lukoil announced Wednesday they would form a strategic


Bush condemns Taba explosions President George W. Bush on Friday condemned the attacks in Egypt that killed at least 28 people and offered help to the Egyptian government as it seeks those responsible.


Powell Says Will Work Hard Until He Exits (AP) AP - Secretary of State Colin Powell, widely viewed as the moderate in an administration dominated by hawks, announced Monday he will step down as America's chief diplomat once a successor is in place.


Ruud to the rescue for Man. U The high-scoring Dutchman scored twice in the second half of a Champions League match Wednesday to help the English powers rally back from a two-goal deficit and earn a 2-2 draw with French champions Olympique Lyon at Stade Municipal Gerland.


Party Animal Dougherty Changes Ways  WOBURN, England (Reuters) - Advice from mentor Nick Faldo  persuaded Briton Nick Dougherty to give up partying and spend  more time trying to be a winner, the 22-year-old said on  Thursday after taking a share of the early lead in The  Heritage.


US volcano spews out more steam America's Mount St Helens belches more vapour, raising fears it might blow at any moment.


Arrington out 2-4 weeks Pro Bowl linebacker LaVar Arrington underwent arthroscopic surgery in his right knee for a lateral meniscus tear yesterday and will probably be out 2-4 weeks, leaving the Washington Redskins, the league's top-ranked defense, without one of its most dangerous players.


US #39; Snow cites  quot;shared responsibility quot; to fight economic <b>...</b> LONDON (AFP) - US Treasury Secretary John Snow cited a  quot;shared responsibility quot; to fight global economic imbalances while acknowledging that big US deficits need to be tackled.


Canada Steals March on U.S. With Libya Visit (Reuters) Reuters - Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, keen\to play a greater role in a world dominated by the United States,\heads to Libya on Saturday for the latest in a series of\high-profile foreign trips.


England too comfortable and if Sven Goran Eriksson selects him against Poland tonight, as I expect he will, the coach will have no excuses if his keeper blows it again.


Windows Media Center survives in shrinkwrap purgatory Batteries not included, Sopranos not recordable


Enron CFO Raymond M. Bowen resigns HOUSTON -- Enron Corp. #39;s chief financial officer since a month after the energy company went bankrupt in December 2001 resigned effective Friday.


Federer has final obstacle: Hewitt World #39;s No.1 player must beat Australian to become first man since 1988 to win three majors in a year. By KEITH NIEBUHR, Times Staff Writer.


BASEBALL ROUNDUP Wigginton #39;s Homer Helps the Pirates Win Ty Wigginton, a former Met, hit a two-run homer and Oliver Perez pitched six and two-thirds strong innings, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates stop a seven-game road losing streak with


TV Review: NOVA - Origins (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - Providing television viewers a solid primer on everything from the birth of the universe to the variety of life in New York City's Times Square may seem like a daunting prospect, but a new miniseries to appear on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) succeeds in its attempt.


Bomb Kills Venezuela Prosecutor, Gov't Swipes at U.S. (Reuters) 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.


Report: Manuel to helm Phillies The Phillies have reportedly settled on former Indians manager Charlie Manuel to become the team #39;s 50th skipper, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on its Web site Wednesday night.


Megson to quit West Brom West Brom manager Gary Megson announced he will leave the struggling Premiership club at the end of the season when his contract expires.


Allukian covers for Latin In the 118th year of the oldest continuous Thanksgiving Day rivalry in the country, Boston Latin trounced Boston English, 44-0, yesterday at Harvard Stadium.


UN says Sudan failing on Darfur A new United Nations report says Sudan has not disarmed Arab militias or stopped attacks against civilians in the strife-torn Darfur region.


Kerry Says He's in a 'Fighting Mood' (AP) AP - Democratic Sen. John Kerry said Saturday he's in a "fighting mood" with two months to go to the presidential election as his allies defended him from questions about his valor in Vietnam.


A Marvelous 2005 and 2006 Marvel issues its 2005 guidance and offers an impressive list of projects for 2006.


Blair's office like Nixon White House: ousted BBC chief (AFP) AFP - Greg Dyke, the former BBC director general ousted over the broadcaster's coverage of the Iraq conflict, unleashed a scorching attack on the government of Prime Minister Tony Blair, blaming it for trying to bully the BBC into submission.


Producer Price Gain Bigger Than Expected US producer prices climbed an unexpectedly steep 0.5 percent last month as energy costs mounted, according to a government report on Friday that buttressed the case for interest-rate rises to keep inflation at bay.


DoCoMo Hits 1 Gbps Wireless Data Speeds In 4G Tests Japanese wireless operator NTT DoCoMo said Friday that it has achieved wireless speeds in the laboratory of 1 Gbps. The operator has said for more than a year that it is working on


Manning Fares Well in Mop-Up Role The top overall draft choice #39;s real introduction to the league came not in training camp or preseason, or even when he handed the ball to Tiki Barber on Sunday and watched the tailback sprint


Sun Micro, UT Austin, Team Up on Supercomputer (Reuters) Reuters - Sun Microsystems Inc. \and the University of Texas at Austin are set to flip the\switch on Friday on a unique supercomputer that will vastly\speed up massive data analysis and visualization to tackle\time-critical problems such as weather prediction.


Technical problems subside at online payment service PayPal SAN JOSE, Calif. The online payment service PayPal says it #39;s been able to fix most of the technical problems that have plagued the company for the past five days.


Three Kurds Beheaded in Iraq A videotape posted on a Web site shows the beheading of three hostages who are said to be members of a Kurdish party in northern Iraq.


England and India aim to buck trends (AFP) AFP - England cannot win a one-day international batting first while India coach John Wright reckons his team are having trouble chasing totals.


Handing out A -- for advantage It #39;s a no-brainer, a Red Sox pitcher suggested when he was asked which team he would rather face in the postseason.  quot;Are you kidding?


Use PayPal at US iTunes Music Store The iTunes Music Store in the US will now accept PayPal for purchases of music downloads, audiobooks and gift certificates. Starting today, iTunes Music Store purchases can be funded through PayPal #146;s virtual wallet, allowing customers to pay in the way they prefer  #151; using a credit card, bank account or stored account balance. Dec 10


Between fear and hope Howard or Latham? It depends on what kind of election it turns out to be, says Alistair Mant. John Howard will probably win an S-type election and Mark Latham an A-type election.


Orange crush hopes Damien Rhodes scored on a 2-yard run in the second overtime, then Syracuse's defense stopped Pittsburgh on fourth and 1, sending the Orange to a 38-31 victory yesterday in Syracuse, N.Y.


Toymakers Disappoint, Warn on Holidays The two top US toymakers posted disappointing third-quarter results on Monday, citing uncertainty in the economy and cautious retailers, and tempered expectations for the crucial holiday season.


RFU accept Woodward #39;s resignation Sir Clive Woodward #39;s resignation as England coach has been accepted by the Rugby Football Union with immediate effect. It came after his lawyers spent the day locked in talks with the RFU.


'Half-Life 2' Release Set for November After Delay  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Vivendi Universal Games said on  Tuesday it plans to ship "Half-Life 2" to retailers in  November, bringing to market the eagerly anticipated PC game  that has been plagued by missed launch dates and a hacker  attack on its development company.


Pitcairn women blast sex trials A group of women on the tiny UK Pacific colony of Pitcairn criticise sex abuse trials about to start on the island.


Fallujah May Be Toughest City to Retake (AP) AP - Searching for victims or survivors, the young man in a black T-shirt swung a sledgehammer into a slab of concrete perched atop debris  #151; all that was left of a house blasted by U.S. warplanes. Nine people, two of them children, died in the ruins.


Nintendo's Interactive Multiplex Nintendo mulls animated films and making its DS device an interactive tool in theaters.


Astronaut Candidates Taste Zero G NASA #39;s newest astronaut candidates experienced their first taste of zero gravity and are now preparing to make their first jet flights without the company of instructors.


Reds sign add relievers Weathers, Weber CINCINNATI (Ticker) - After surrendering the second-most runs in the National League last season, the Cincinnati Reds have made an attempt to improve their bullpen.


Spitzer sues insurance broker California insurance broker Universal Life Resources was sued by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer for taking kickbacks from MetLife, Prudential and UnumProvident.


LEVERKUSEN LEAVE IT LATE Two goals in five minutes rescued a point for Bayer Leverkusen as they staged a late fightback against Nurnburg. Sven Muller opened the scoring for the visitors and a Diego Placente own goal midway through


Court Rules RIM Infringed on NTP Patent TORONTO - A US appeals court ruled Tuesday that Research In Motion, maker of the BlackBerry e-mail device, infringed on another company #39;s patent - but sent the case back to a lower court for some of the claims to be reconsidered.


Favourite rewrites history MAKYBE Diva joined racings immortals with a commanding win in the\$4.6 million Melbourne Cup yesterday. Backed into 5/2 favouritism by a flood of money from around the country, she became the first mare to


U.S. Plans Crackdown on Piracy, Counterfeiting  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is cracking down  on the growing trade in counterfeit and pirated goods that  costs U.S. businesses hundreds of billions of dollar annually,  U.S. government and industry officials said on Monday.


Ask Jeeves and Lycos Enter the Search Engine Optimization Field Ask Jeeves and Lycos Enter the Search Engine Optimization Field\\In a highly surprising move, two well known smaller search engines have entered the organic search engine optimization market!  Ask Jeeves and Lycos are both offering services in a sector has traditionally maintained a symbiotic but arm's-length relationship with search ...


ATi presenta la ALL-IN-WONDER X600 PRO ATi presenta la scheda PCI Express ALL-IN-WONDER X600 PRO. La scheda sar disponibile il prossimo mese in Europa e Nord America ed  adatta a chi vuole fare del computer una piattaforma multimediale e non solo adatta agli ultimi games in commercio.


Chrysler, Ford Recall Over 1 Million Vehicles  DETROIT (Reuters) - DaimlerChrysler's  Chrysler division  said on Friday it was recalling about 600,000 Dodge Durango  sport utility vehicles and Dodge Dakota pickup trucks because  of concerns about their safety.


Burned before, Kyocera recalls cell phone batteries Cell phone maker flags defects in three product lines. The recall follows a rash of flaming or exploding devices.


Injured Ferrero Edged Out by Koubek  NEW YORK (Reuters) - An injured Juan Carlos Ferrero  suffered his third successive early exit from a grand slam on  Friday when he was beaten 7-6, 4-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3, in the  second round of the U.S. Open by Austria's Stefan Koubek.


RIAA launches P2P file sharing legal blitz The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) continued its hard line approach to music sharing across P2P networks with a round of copyright infringement lawsuits targeting 761 alleged illegal file sharers.


Israel releases senior Hamas leader A senior leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the West Bank was released after two years of detention in an Israeli jail, Palestinian witnesses said Thursday.


Robertson confirmed as Hearts manager John Robertson has this morning been confirmed as the new Hearts manager. Mr Robertson #39;s arrival follows several days of negotiation with Inverness Caly Thistle over a compensation package for the Highland club.


Asian Stocks Rise on U.S. Tech Advances  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Investors bought shares in Asian  exporters and electronics firms such as Fujitsu Ltd. on  Tuesday, buoyed by a favorable outlook from U.S. technology  bellwethers and a slide in oil prices.


They're holding all the aces now NEW YORK -- Mariano Rivera picked up the save, the 32d of his illustrious postseason career. But you already knew that. You knew that back in March.


Campbell sets Oct. 28 byelection date for vacant Surrey riding (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - VICTORIA (CP) - The B.C. government will hold its first byelection since being elected in 2001 on Oct. 28.


Report: Saddam Not in Pursuit of Weapons WASHINGTON - Undercutting the Bush's administration's rationale for invading Iraq, the final report of the chief U.S. arms inspector concludes that Saddam Hussein did not vigorously pursue a program to develop weapons of mass destruction after international inspectors left Baghdad in 1998, an administration official said Wednesday...


Solo Adventurer Circles Arctic in Two-Year Odyssey (Reuters) Reuters - South African adventurer Mike Horn on\Thursday became the first man to circumnavigate the Arctic\Circle without motorized transport, completing a more than\two-year solo odyssey.


Hole story? No. 18 #39;s is quite interesting When the leaders walk up the 18th fairway today at the \$5 million Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston, they will be faced with decisions that have repercussions.


Davidoff Swiss Indoors, Basel British number one Tim Henman felt more energetic as he looked ahead to his second round encounter against South Africa #39;s Wesley Moodie today at the Davidoff Swiss Indoors event in Basel with the match not scheduled to start before 16:00 local time.


Aristide Backers Riot for 3rd Day in Haiti; Death Toll Rises to 7 Supporters of Haiti #39;s ousted president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, threw stones and fired guns on streets littered with debris and overturned cars on


Hariri quits as US warns Syria to back off BEIRUT: Prime Minister Rafik Hariri resigned and his Cabinet was annulled Wednesday as expected, but he surprisingly said he will not head the new government due to internal political differences.


Prime Minister Says Japan Remains  quot;Resolute quot; Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Sunday vehemently condemned the beheading of a young Japanese backpacker by Muslim extremists in Iraq while vowing that Japan would remain


Haiti Storm Death Toll Could Reach 2,000 GONAIVES, Haiti - Storm-battered survivors trudged Thursday through mud contaminated by bodies and sewage and dangerous with debris that slashed bare feet, amid fears that an epidemic could ravage the city whose death toll officials say could reach 2,000.


Microsoft Rolls Out MSN Search Beta (PC World) PC World - Software giant says the final version will be available next year.


Air Liquide Profit Up Nearly 10 Percent (AP) AP - Industrial gas supplier Air Liquide SA said Monday its net profit rose nearly 10 percent in the first half of the year as industrial gas markets recovered in North America and remained strong in Asia.


Myanmar releases 500 prisoners The Myanmar government released about 500 prisoners from the notorious Insein Prison Friday, witnesses said. There was no immediate word, however, on whether political detainees were among them.


FAA OKs Tasers on Commercial Flights  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stun gun maker Taser International  Inc. TASR.O on Monday said it won U.S. government approval to  use its products on some commercial airline flights to protect  passengers from potential harm.


DJ to acquire MarketWatch Dow Jones  amp; Co., publisher of the Wall Street Journal, says it has agreed to buy online news site MarketWatch Inc. in a \$519 million deal that widens its Internet audience.


Mystery tremors may portend California quakes deeper than most quakes. Some began just before a relatively large quake last September, they report in this week #39;s issue of the.


Havas Mulls Bollore Board Seats  PARIS (Reuters) - Havas said it may give board seats to  investor Vincent Bollore, who has been amassing shares in the  French advertising firm amid growing speculation it might be  sold.


Bears go young on D-line The Bears #39; release of eight-year veteran defensive tackle Bryan Robinson on Sunday was shocking only if the progress made by first-round draft choice Tommie Harris is ignored.


Baseball Crowds Market Area companies may not have the budget to buy premium sports tickets or lease luxury suites to Washington's new baseball team.


Israel May End Construction of Barrier (AP) AP - Israel should stop building its West Bank separation barrier if Palestinian militants halt attacks, Israel's president was quoted as saying Thursday, in the most high-profile criticism yet of the contentious project.


Sony, Samsung bolster alliance, agree to share 24,000 patents Sony Corp., the world #39;s second-largest consumer electronics maker, and Samsung Electronics Co., the world #39;s second-largest chip maker, said Tuesday they have agreed to share about 24,000 patents, fortifying an alliance between two of Asia #39;s biggest


Businesses Receptive Many of the D.C. businesses that would be taxed to help pay for a new baseball stadium said Thursday that they support the preliminary details of the proposal.


Mystifying findings In its first close encounter with Titan, a planet-sized moon of Saturn, the Cassini spacecraft has given scientists intriguing glimpses of an alien world with fewer clouds than expected


US Airways Files for Bankruptcy Protection ARLINGTON, Va. - US Airways Group Inc., the nation's seventh largest airline, filed for bankruptcy protection Sunday for the second time in two years...


New Planets could advance search for Life Astronomers in Europe and the United States have found two new planets about 20 times the size of Earth beyond the solar system. The discovery might be a giant leap forward in


Rebels Kill 45 in Attacks in Iraq #39;s Baquba Insurgent attacks and clashes killed 45 people in the Iraqi city of Baquba on Tuesday, a hospital morgue official said. Guerrillas attacked three police stations and a river bridge


Rumsfeld: Druyun Had Little Supervision Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld blamed an Air Force procurement scandal on high turnover in top management positions, which he said reduced the amount of "adult supervision" of major weapons contracts over the past decade.


IT Heavyweights Drive New Web-Services Spec AMD, Dell, Intel, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems have joined forces on Web Services Management, a new specification that promises to simplify systems management.


Varig Future in Doubt Amid Takeover Talks The future of Varig, Brazil's flagship airline, was thrown into confusion Wednesday after the country's vice president downplayed a top official's announcement that the carrier would be taken over by the government to save it from collapsing under a mountain of debt.


Mozilla #39;s Firefox Makes Formal Debut Today The open-source app already has a cult following, a major portion of which like it because no one has written viruses to attack it yet.


The Good Old Days (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - My favorite gadget isn't to be found in the collection featured on the cover. Bruce Upbin, who put these vignettes together, wanted something newfangled, and the Singer model 201 sewing machine I got from a second-hand shop didn't qualify. But it's quite a marvel of mechanical ingenuity and as deserving of a testimonial as those cell phones and iPod docking stations (see p. 72).


Abbey a step closer to takeover The hopes of Spain's largest bank to secure Abbey National have been given a boost after the City watchdog said it saw no reason to block the deal.


Panel says keep sage grouse off endangered list A panel of senior biologists has told the US Fish and Wildlife Service not to list sage grouse as an endangered species. If Fish and Wildlife Director Steve Williams follows the panel #39;s


BYTE OF THE APPLE Apple lost one war to Microsoft by not licensing its Mac operating system. It may repeat the error with its iPod and music software.


Just Keep Clicking From digital video cameras on the sidelines to Sony PlayStation 2s in the locker room, technology is changing the way coaches and players prepare for games.


Pep Boys 3Q Profit Off 48 Pct. to \$7.7M Automotive aftermarket chain Pep Boys-Manny, Moe  amp; Jack Inc. on Wednesday said its third-quarter profit dropped, despite higher sales.


Blair - Wembley key to 2012 Tony Blair says the completion of Wembley will boost London's hopes of staging the 2012 Olympics.


Houllier pulls out as Welsh name manager WALES are expected to announce their new manager today, with John Toshack favoured to get the job for a second time. The Football Association of Wales has called a news conference for today after interviewing


Sinden: Owners in lockstep on lockout Harry Sinden didn't want to say,  quot;I told you so, quot; because he didn't see there was anything to be gained from it.


Finley to Remain in Southern Calif., with Angels (Reuters) Reuters - The Anaheim Angels have\reportedly agreed to a contract with veteran free-agent\outfielder Steve Finley.


Retail giants merge in \$11bn deal Department store group Sears and discount retailer Kmart say they are to merge in a \$11bn deal, becoming the US's third largest retailer.


Pepsico profit up, cuts jobs, shares rise NEW YORK: PepsiCo Inc., the world #39;s No 2 soft drink company, said today quarterly profit rose due to tax benefits and strong earnings at its key Frito-Lay snack and North American beverage units.


Iran ready to guarantee it wont make nukes: Khatami TEHRAN: Iran said on Saturday it will continue its nuclear program but provide  quot;guarantees quot; not to seek atomic weapons, and warned Washington it cant stabilise Iraq and Afghanistan without Tehrans help.


Strong server, PC sales boost Microsoft revenue Citing continued strength in the PC and server markets, Microsoft on Thursday reported earnings that beat Wall Street expectations and a 12 percent increase in revenue for the first quarter of its 2005 fiscal year.


French investigators probe copy-protected CDs EMI and retailer Fnac face legal challenge over antipiracy technology that blocks discs from playing on some devices.


Japan Should Be Part of Aircraft Talks, EADS Says (Update1) Talks between the US and European Union to rework the terms of government aid to aircraft makers should include Brazil, Canada and Japan, said Philippe Camus, co- chief executive of European Aeronautic, Defense  amp; Space Co.


Moscow arrests two in Forbes slaying Moscow police arrested two Chechen men in connection with the murder of US journalist Paul Klebnikov, the Moscow Times reported Wednesday.


Taba bombings masterminds identified Egypt said Monday a Palestinian and a group of Bedouin Egyptians planned and executed the bombings in Taba that killed 34 people earlier this month.


Rog still best Retirement is once again pulling at Roger Clemens. Only this time, he thinks he actually might follow through on it for more than a few months.


Arafat doctors found 'no poison' Medical tests showed no traces of poisons in Yasser Arafat's body, says the former  Palestinian leader's nephew.


Consumer Confidence Plummets on Job Market (AP) AP - Consumers' renewed worries about job prospects led to a bigger-than-expected drop in confidence in August and provided more evidence of the fragility of the economic expansion.


Federal Grand Jury Probes AIG  NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal grand jury is investigating  products American International Group Inc. sold that companies  might have used to make their earnings look better, AIG, the  world's largest insurer by market value, said on Thursday.


Blair Was Warned of Post-War Iraq Chaos -- Paper  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's foreign secretary and senior  officials warned Prime Minister Tony Blair a year before  invading Iraq that chaos could follow the toppling of Saddam  Hussein, a newspaper said Saturday.


Russia finally grants visa to Dalai Lama Russia said on Friday that it would give the Dalai Lama a visa, the first it has given the Buddhist leader in a decade, but rushed to reassure China it was not supporting his demands for Tibetan autonomy.


AT amp;T launches text-only wireless In a bid to hook younger consumers with a penchant for chatting via messaging, AT amp;T Wireless launched a wireless device Monday that can interconnect with the nation #39;s top messaging services.


U-turn for Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks completed a remarkable U-turn on Friday by sacking manager Wally Backman just four days after appointing him.


Nokia Demos IPv6 Dual-Stack CDMA Handset, again Nokia yesterday demonstrated the  quot;first quot; wireless IPv6 call by using the companys dual-stack CDMA handset. The dual-stack IPv6 technology was put to the test over a year ago in 2003 at the 3G World Congress in Bangkok.


Nike, a magic camera and Gran Turismo  Shots and explanation <b>...</b> So yesterday SPOnG began receiving shots of a suitcase from Japan. The suitcase contained some Nike Shox trainers, a t-shirt, and a copy of Gran Turismo 4. There was talk that the t-shirt unlocks a special


Jakarta activist feared poisoned An autopsy on a prominent Indonesian activist shows he died with high levels of arsenic in his body.


Hurricane Ivan Pounds Jamaica Hurricane Ivan has been pounding Jamaica with high winds and torrents of rain, causing flooding and power outages throughout the Caribbean island nation.


A Mild Shanghai Lawyer and His Accidental Crusade The personal history of Guo Guoting is of the hard-knock variety commonplace in China, where one old rule endures: you can't fight City Hall.


Indonesian magazine editor sentenced to year in prison in libel <b>...</b> JAKARTA, Indonesia: A court on Thursday sentenced the editor of Indonesia #39;s leading news magazine to a year in prison on libel charges, in what critics said was a setback for press freedom.


MIT Engineer Builds Robot That Walks on Water By MIKE CRISSEY    PITTSBURGH (AP) -- It could be called a mechanical miracle - a robot that walks on water. With inspiration from nature and some help from research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a research team led by Carnegie Mellon engineering assistant professor Metin Sitti has built a tiny robot that can walk on water, much like insects known as water skimmers, water skaters, pond skaters or Jesus bugs...


Murdoch tries to hold off takeover Rupert Murdoch #39;s News Corp., the world #39;s fifth-largest media company and owner of the Fox broadcast network and Fox News Channel, adopted a plan to thwart any hostile takeover after John Malone #39;s Liberty Media Corp.


Twins Trip Rangers 4-2 (AP) AP - Terry Tiffee hit a go-ahead two-run double in his major league debut to give the Minnesota Twins a 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers Wednesday night.


Google Makes Gmail Portable Google is rolling out POP support for Gmail, allowing customers to download messages to Outlook and other client-side applications.


Four Euro Ryder Cup players are back in action Colin Montgomerie and three Ryder Cup teammates - David Howell, Padraig Harrington and Ian Poulter - hope to shrug off fatigue when The Heritage opens Thursday.


Diversity Defines Bryant Case Jury Pool (AP) AP - Residents of Eagle County are a diverse lot  #151; 23 percent Hispanic, 0.3 percent black. Forty-three percent of them are college graduates. And attorneys in the Kobe Bryant rape case would love to know what they are thinking right now.


Don't Fear Internet Anonymity Tools (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - There are lots of good reasons for 'net anonymity.


PeopleSoft #39;s Knightly Quest Oracle may be breathing fire down its neck with an ongoing hostile takeover effort, but PeopleSoft is trying to withstand the siege and stay independent.


Blunt Talk on Union Web Site Spotlights Frustration Over Labor Relations Changes Ron Ault, the president of the Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO, describes himself as "a very plain-spoken person." He isn't kidding.


Nokia Challenges Sagem, Vitelcom on Patents  HELSINKI (Reuters) - Nokia has taken legal action against  small European handset makers Sagem and Vitelcom on allegations  of patent infringements, the world's largest mobile phone maker  said on Thursday.


New Netscape browser supports Internet Explorer America Online Inc. (AOL) on Tuesday released a preview version of a new Netscape Web browser that is based on the open-source Firefox Web browser, but also supports Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer (IE) browser engine.


To: National Desk and Environment Reporter WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 /US Newswire/ -- The scientific findings announced today by the Arctic Climate Impacts Assessment depict an Arctic already in crisis due to human-induced global warming with worldwide ramifications, according to World Wildlife Fund.


MLB: Montreal Expos to Relocate to Washington Major League Baseball has decided to relocate the Montreal Expos to Washington, DC The widely expected announcement is to be made later Wednesday, by city officials.


No-Fuss Budgets Some people think a budget means they have to live an austere life. In fact, in an effort to get people to budget, some experts say don't call it a budget at all.


Ferrari picks TCS for Formula One IT needs Tata Consultancy Services Ltd will provide IT and engineering services to Scuderia Ferrari for development of formula one (F1) racing car for the racing season beginning next March, making it the first Indian company to enter the F1 stadium in the global


PlayStation 3 chip to debut in IBM desktop Sony revealed new details on Monday on the chip that will power the next PlayStation and said development is on track to deliver products based on the chip next year.


Dual County League capsules ACTON-BOXBORO Coach: Bill Maver (19th year, 141-50-1). Last year's record: 13-0. Returning starters (8): Bobby Abare, RB/LB, 6-1, 200, Sr.; Larry Abare, RB/S, 6-1, 200, Sr.; Nate Crutchfield, FB/NG, 5-9, 205, Sr.; Ben Larkins, OT, 6-2, 225, Sr.; Pete Rankis, TE, 5-11, 185, Sr.; Andrew Sides, TE/DE, 6-1, 190, Sr.; Joey O'Brien, DE, 5-7, 175, Sr.; Dave Crocker, CB, 5-10, ...


E.U. Set To Lift Sanctions For Now European Union has decided to lift, at least temporarily, sanctions imposed on U.S. goods since Congress enacted sweeping changes in corporate tax law earlier this month.


The True Measure of Success Forget GDP. A better metric for prosperity is Gross National Happiness. By Daniel H. Pink from Wired magazine.


Gardner Unable to Defend His Olympic Title  ATHENS (Reuters) - U.S. heavyweight Rulon Gardner lost his  Olympic title Wednesday after being beaten in the semi-final  stage of the 120kg Greco-Roman wrestling event by Georgiy  Tsurtsumia of Kazakhstan.


Negotiator: Fallujah Talks Still Suspended The top Fallujah negotiator in peace talks with the government dashed hopes of resuming talks soon despite his release Monday by US and Iraqi authorities, saying negotiations remain suspended.


UPDATE 1-Spain, US handed easy Davis Cup outings Davis Cup finalists and top seed Spain were handed a first-round outing in Slovakia for the 2005 competition when the draw was announced on Thursday.


Canon cashes in on digicam boom BUOYED by record revenue of \$401 million for the first half of 2004 (up 8.8 per cent on the same period last year), Canon Australia has trotted out 28 new consumer imaging products and a new inkjet printer line called Pixma.


Chiefs Humble Ravens The Kansas City Chiefs were a confident bunch even sporting an 0-3 mark coming into Baltimore. But by outmuscling the Ravens, the Chiefs have new life.


Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Patriots-Jets: Zero in common and not <b>...</b> Sal DeFilippo #39;s pro football picks column appears Friday. Reach him at sallasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4076. On the surface, it seems as though the New England Patriots and New York Jets have a lot in common.


Team to talk with at least 3 more about managerial job PHOENIX -- Bob Melvin spoke to the Arizona Diamondbacks about becoming the team #39;s manager on Monday, joining Mark Grace and Al Pedrique as candidates to be interviewed for the job.


#39;Lite #39; beer brand puts fizz into SABMiller profits The low-carbohydrate American beer Miller Lite, which is locked in a bitter brand war with its rival Bud Lite, was the star performer for SABMiller, helping the brewer to a 28 rise in half-year underlying operating profits.


Senate Approves Goss As Head of CIA WASHINGTON - The Republican-led Senate approved President Bush's choice to head the CIA, Rep. Porter Goss, over protests from some Democrats who said he has too many Republican ties for a job that requires independence...


Rams 28, Buccaneers 21 Looks like the Greatest Show on Turf is in high gear -- on offense and defense. Torry Holt caught two long touchdown passes and Adam Archuletta returned a fumble 93 yards Monday night, keying the Rams #39; 28-21 victory over Tampa Bay.


Bucs WR Galloway Out With Groin Injury (AP) AP - Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Joey Galloway strained a groin muscle in the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins and the team said he would not return.


IBM Claims Computer Speed Title (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - IBM Corp. plans to announce today that it has built the world's fastest supercomputer at one of its facilities in Rochester, Minn., wresting the title from a system in Japan.


Liverpool play out frustrating draw Liverpool and Deportivo Coruna produced a lively match but no goals, drawing 0-0 in Champions League Group A at Anfield on Tuesday.


NFL Game Summary - Kansas City at New Orleans Tight end Tony Gonzalez caught six passes for 71 yards for the Chiefs, who have scored 38 points on their initial drive of the game this season...Safety Jay Bellamy and Fakhir Brown each made nine tackles for the Saints, whose last home win over Kansas


FedEx Profit, Outlook Up, Stock Down FedEx Corp. (FDX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said quarterly profit nearly quadrupled on in its international, ground and freight businesses, but the stock slipped on disappointment over the margins.


State Street Research acquired A historic name in mutual funds will soon vanish from Boston's investing scene, with BlackRock Inc.'s agreement yesterday to acquire State Street Research  amp; Management Co., an 80-year-old money manager with Brahmin roots, for \$375 million.


Japan's Ueno pitcher perfect vs. China ATHENS -- Yukiko Ueno pitched the first perfect game in Olympic softball history, leading Japan to a 2-0 win over China yesterday and a spot in the semifinals.


IBM forms new government consulting group NORFOLK, Va.Gov. Mark Warner today announced that IBM Corp. will spend about \$10 million to set up a high-level consultancy in Northern Virginia to focus on issues such as homeland security and intergovernmental interactions.


India and Pakistan notch up first hockey wins (Reuters) Reuters - Former hockey powerhouses Pakistan and India notched up their first wins of the Athens Olympics on Tuesday, charming crowds with their trademark running games.


Offensive struggles continue for Ravens Everyone knew Sunday #39;s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens was going to be a defensive struggle, but very quietly each team had designs on a big offensive day.


Genesis Space Capsule Crashes Into Desert DUGWAY PROVING GROUND, Utah - The Genesis space capsule, which had orbited the sun for more than three years in an attempt to find clues to the origin of the solar system, crashed to Earth on Wednesday after its parachute failed to deploy.    It wasn't immediately known whether cosmic samples it was carrying back as part of a six-year, \$260 million project had been destroyed...


Partner: The Guide to Cost Effective Business Explore powerful options available to mid-sized companies


Longhorns Rip Cowboys Cedric Benson scores five touchdowns on Saturday night, highlighting a 49-point rally that sends No. 6 Texas to a stunning 56-35 win over No. 19 Oklahoma State.


Sudanese govt must approve additional AU force in Darfur: al <b>...</b> ABUJA, Aug 29 (AFP) -- The Sudanese government said here Sunday that it must approve any increase in the number of African Union troops to crisis-ridden Darfur above the 300 soldiers agreed last month with the AU.


Bad Air and Water, and a Bully Pulpit in China Pan Yue's job as deputy director of China's top environmental agency has given him the opportunity to put environmentalism on the national agenda.


Piquionne Brace Keeps PSG Winless St. Etienne striker Frederic Piquionne fired his second goal of the evening near the death to earn the esteemed risers a 2-2 draw at Paris St.


Funds: Are Bond Funds Hazardous?  (Clint Willis is a freelance writer who covers mutual funds  for Reuters. Any opinions in the column are solely those of Mr.  Willis.)


Germany  #39;thwarts attack on Iraqi premier #39; BERLIN: German authorities arrested three Iraqis yesterday on suspicion that they planned an attack on Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi while he was visiting Germany, the country #39;s chief prosecutor said.


Bill Gates contributes to stem cell campaign Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates contributed \$400,000 to the campaign backing a California ballot measure that would make billions of dollars available for human embryonic


Bell Canada sells stake in MTS MONTREAL (CP) - BCE Inc. is selling most of its minority stake in MTS for a total of \$578 million, with MTS buying back more than half of the shares and the rest sold on the open market, BCE announced Wednesday.


Afghan Leader's Running Mate Survives Taliban Attack  KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai's running  mate for Saturday's historic presidential poll escaped unhurt  on Wednesday when a bomb set off by Taliban guerrillas narrowly  missed his car as he headed for an election meeting.


Three British troops killed LONDON: Three British soldiers were yesterday killed in a suicide and mortar fire attack at a checkpoint, only days after being redeployed to an insurgent-hit region near Baghdad, Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram told the parliament.


Arafat  #39;Between Life and Death #39; Yasser Arafat is hovering between life and death in a coma, Palestinian and French officials say. There was still no official public diagnosis yesterday to explain the Palestinian leaders critical condition.


Local shoppers see the logic of Kmart-Sears deal The Dallastown resident said he #39;d wager that the \$11 billion merger of Kmart Holding Corp. and Sears, Roebuck and Co. will create a stronger retailer that is better equipped to compete with discount chains such as Wal-Mart and Target.


The passion of the beatification The 19th century mystic nun who inspired some of the more controversial scenes of Mel Gibson #39;s hit movie, The Passion of the Christ, was beatified on Sunday by Pope John Paul II.


IBM adds extra Linux and automation to DB2 IBM will next week release editions of version 8.2 of its DB2 database software, featuring support for Linux clustering in addition to self-managing and tuning capabilities.


Charity looks at new ways to raise funds for holiday The Salvation Army workers and volunteers who attract shoppers outside stores with their dinging bells have long been one of the more reliable sights and sounds of the holiday shopping season.


Microsoft opens Windows to the home Bill Gates unveils plans to make Media Center software the centerpiece of the digital home.


Focus Shifts to Dollar and Rates (Reuters) Reuters - The post-election stock market rally\has been rudely interrupted by the implications of a sliding\U.S. dollar, higher interest rates, the U.S. current account\deficit and Friday's rebound in oil prices.


Jordan welcomes Silverstone deal Silverstone owners the British Racing Drivers Club and Bernie Ecclestone #39;s FOA announced Thursday that they have signed a contractual and financial agreement to secure the British Grand Prix at Silverstone for the next five years.


Retail Sales Up Slightly as Expected US retail sales rose modestly as expected last month, but the underlying message from the consumer was strong at the start of the fourth quarter after record oil prices failed to deter shoppers.


Security Tight for Afghanistan #39;s Presidential Inauguration As Afghanistan prepares to swear in its first popularly elected president, Afghan and US forces are launching a winter operation to contain anti-government insurgents threatening the new government.


Mosley is on short end again Too big. That #39;s what it came down to last night for Shane Mosley. The little man who once could can #39;t anymore. He can #39;t move fast enough, he can #39;t


Team owner nearly on downed plane Felix Sabates made a last-minute decision that saved his life Sunday, choosing not to take a ride on the Hendrick Motorsports plane that crashed on the way to a NASCAR race, killing all 10 persons on board.


British court orders release of files in Britain-Indonesia probe (AFP) AFP - A British court has ordered the release of files disclosing payments by a leading British arms company to the daughter of former Indonesian president Suharto, the Guardian newspaper reports.


Economists: Mortgage rates will help sustain home demand despite <b>...</b> US home prices at record levels don #39;t signal a national price  #39; #39;bubble #39; #39; because low mortgage rates and prospects for improved job growth will help sustain demand, housing-industry economists said.


Have 25 Years of Progress Helped? At this year's Ars Electronica, the largest annual festival of technology and art, organizers are focusing on a simple question: Have the technological advancements of the last quarter century helped or hurt us? By Michelle Delio.


Intel Offers Three-Way Wi-Fi Support Intel on Thursday introduced tri-mode Wi-Fi support for its Centrino mobile-processor platform, as well as software to make it easier for businesses to set up a wireless connection to any available network at maximum speed.


Motorcycle Bomb Wounds 23 in Southern Thailand  BANGKOK (Reuters) - A bomb hidden in a motorcycle wounded  at least 23 people in Thailand's mainly Muslim south on  Thursday, a day ahead of a visit to the restive region by Prime  Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.


Unions protest overtime changes LABOR: Members march outside the Labor Department in Washington, DC, to protest the regulations that took effect Monday. BY LEIGH STROPE.


UK carbon output 'under-reported' The UK government is misleading people by failing to report all the carbon emissions it causes, campaigners say.


Microsoft Sends XP SP2 Home Microsoft this week began distributing its latest update to the Windows XP operating system to home users through its Automatic Updates feature.


S.Korea Hopes IAEA Will End Its Case in November  SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea declared Saturday it has no  plans to develop or possess nuclear weapons, but said it would  pursue scientific atomic research transparently in cooperation  with the U.N. nuclear watchdog.


Paying a price to be No. 1 Intel's plain-spoken CEO  has a message for the nation: If you want to stay on top, it's time to rev up your competitive metabolism.


Tense Silence Envelops Afghan Campaign Voters and analysts fear that ballot-box clash of Karzai and rival candidate from different ethnic group could bring disaster.


Private Rocketship Launches Today Michael Melvill, who earned commercial astronaut's wings by piloting SpaceShipOne's history-making flight earlier this year, was selected to fly the first X Prize flight Wednesday.


NY Fed-Slower cenbank buying would hit dlr, rates US interest rates would rise and the dollar would fall if Asian central banks slowed their recent heavy purchases of US assets, the New York Federal Reserve warned in a report on Thursday.


Israeli army chief stalls rabbis instigated mutiny JERUSALEM: Israeli military authorities have launched a fierce counter-attack to calls by right-wing rabbis who have urged soldiers to disobey any orders to uproot settlers from the Gaza Strip.


Samsung sees chip growth slowing Korean chipmaker expects global sales will halve next year; sales growth could be in single digit. SEOUL (Reuters) - Growth in global semiconductor sales will probably halve next year and memory chip sales


Study: Outsourcing mostly domestic Enterprise Systems says tasks, including IT projects, are heading mainly to other U.S. companies, not offshore.


Doctors online Physicians constitute a significant audience for online medical services, according to a survey done in June and July of 1,013 practicing doctors:


IAEA Envoys Wrestle With Iran Resolution (AP) AP - U.S. and European diplomats tentatively agreed Thursday to demand a new Iranian freeze on uranium enrichment by fall as they fine-tuned a draft resolution meant to deprive Iran of technology that could be used to make nuclear weapons.


SpaceShipOne: Flights of fancy With two short trips to the edge of space, the little rocket that could may have ushered in a new era in high-tech travel.


U.S. Consumer Sentiment in Surprise Fall (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. consumer sentiment fell more\sharply in early October than analysts had expected, according\to a survey released on Friday.


Seattle RB is day to day with bone bruise on right knee Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander has a bone bruise on his right knee, but could play in this week #39;s game at Tampa Bay.


US Airways off the Nasdaq, has 1 labor agreement Less than a year after US Airways Group Inc. listed its stock on the Nasdaq National Market, the airline #39;s shares have been delisted, a result of its second bankruptcy filing.


Rating Search Engine Disclosure Practices Which search engines are adequately disclosing their paid placement and paid inclusion practices? Which ones are failing to do so?  A new report offers some surprising insights.


QB dilemma still haunts Spartans Dale Rogers completed 85.7 percent of his passes, committed no turnovers and was the team #39;s leading rusher. Yet the Spartans still lost by 40 to Stanford.


Tackle signs six-year extension, team makes other moves Left tackle Matt Light signed a six-year contract extension with the Patriots that will keep him in New England through 2010, giving him and the quarterback he protects long-term security.


Jobless Claims Decline Sharply Last Week WASHINGTON - The number of new applications filed last week for unemployment benefits fell sharply, offering a hopeful sign that the recovery in the job market may be gaining some steam.    The Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of new people signing up for unemployment insurance benefits dropped by a seasonally adjusted 37,000 to 335,000, the lowest level since the beginning of September...


iPod Photo Worth Every Dime  #147;Apple #146;s latest addition to its hugely popular iPod line, the iPod Photo, has moved the bar even further as the digital lifestyle continues to converge, #148; writes Mike Wendland for the Detroit Free Press.  #147;It combines the two most important things driving consumer electronics this year: digital music and digital pictures. #148; Nov 02


Grand theft intellectual property com October 21, 2004, 10:50 AM PT. A stolen copy of the latest sequel in one of the top-selling video game series of all time began circulating on the Web late Wednesday, the second high-profile game theft in a week.


Major League Notebook: Boston mourns death Hundreds of mourners paid their final respects yesterday to a college student killed when police fired pepper-spray pellets into a raucous crowd after the Boston Red Sox won the American League pennant.


A Space Race to Change the World USA Today -- More than eight years ago, a new space race began with the announcement of the X Prize Competition. Based on prizes that inspired the development of aviation in the early 20th century, the X Prize was started to encourage private space travel through a competition to build the first reusable spacecraft...


Buddhists live in fear as reprisal attacks mount in Thailand's south (AFP) AFP - Buddhists in southern Thailand say they are living in fear of attack by militants out of revenge for the violent deaths of 87 Muslims at the hands of Thai security forces.


Paisley Sincere About Deal with Republicans - Ahern Irish premier Bertie Ahern said tonight he was confident the Rev Ian Paisley was sincere about striking a deal with republicans. He said he could understand the rationale behind the Democratic


Annan Tells Powell U.N. Will Aid Iraq Vote (AP) AP - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, fending off Republican demands for his resignation over alleged corruption, said Thursday he will expand U.N. support for Iraqi elections if need be. He said he was not offended that President Bush did not ask to see him during this visit to Washington.


Searching for Offense Coach Ralph Friedgen, long deemed an offensive guru, is still searching for a way to shake Maryland out of its scoring funk.


Eyeing Downturn, Chip Makers Trim Equipment Buying (Reuters) Reuters - The semiconductor industry is showing\the first signs of slowing growth, trimming purchases of raw\materials and production equipment as demand slows, industry\executives and analysts said on Tuesday.


Wet-weather plunge on Vinnie WITH the heavens set to open over Melbourne this morning, one of Australia #39;s biggest bookmakers predicts a rush of money so large for Irish galloper Vinnie Roe that he will become the new favourite for today #39;s Melbourne Cup.


Microsoft prepares to ship new corporate IM server Microsoft plans to sell two different versions of the new Live Communications Server with the 2005 version release: a Standard Edition and an Enterprise Edition designed for large corporations.


Plane diverted after security alert An Olympic Airlines flight from Athens to New York was diverted Sunday to London  quot;on a full emergency, quot; a spokeswoman for London #39;s Stansted Airport said.


Last push for votes in Australia The two main contenders in Australia's federal election make their final pitches before Saturday's poll.


Darfur a  #39;Timed Bomb #39; Waiting to Explode - AU Astronomical quantities of arms and ammunition have poured into Sudan #39;s Darfur region in the last two weeks and the government is poised for a major military offensive, the African Union said on Friday.


Report: Group Threatens to Kill 15 Iraqi Soldiers  DUBAI (Reuters) - A hitherto unknown Islamist group has  threatened to kill 15 captured Iraqi soldiers if authorities do  not release an aide to Shi'ite rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr  within 48 hours, Arab television Al Jazeera reported Sunday.


Lindows delays planned offering SAN DIEGO -- Software vendor Lindows Inc. formally postponed its initial public offering yesterday, citing adverse market conditions.


Chechen envoy urges Putin to hold peace talks Chechen envoy Akhmed Zakaev on Tuesday urged Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, to hold peace talks or risk provoking further atrocities following the Beslan massacre.


Pennsylvania Turnpike Workers Go on Strike Motorists coasted through Pennsylvania Turnpike toll plazas for free on Wednesday morning after roughly 1,300 unionized toll collectors and maintenance workers went on


Philippine Police Hunt Bombers After Market Blast (Reuters) Reuters - Philippine police were searching for\clues on Monday on who was responsible for a bomb blast in a\market packed with shoppers that killed 14 people and wounded\65.


PeopleSoft scores analyst support LOS ANGELES (CBS.MW) -- PeopleSoft Inc., whose board has spurned repeated hostile takeover offers from Oracle Corp,. got a major boost Thursday when several analysts raised their PeopleSoft financial forecasts.


Apple iTunes sold more than 150 million songs Apple has revealed that it has sold more than 150 million songs trough its online music store, iTunes. The company said that iTunes users are now downloading more than four million songs a week, a rate of over 200 million songs a year.


Vote Counting Begins in Afghan Election (AP) AP - Vote counting started Thursday in Afghanistan's landmark election, widely expected to install U.S.-backed interim leader Hamid Karzai as the war-ravaged country's first popularly chosen president.


Floridians Return to Storm-Ravaged Homes PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - After getting a first look at the widespread damage left behind by Hurricane Charley, Florida residents were faced with the arduous task of sorting through the wreckage, and for some, starting over again...


1 in 10 bird species could vanish within 100 years By 2100, about 10 of all bird species probably will be extinct, killed off by habitat loss, hunting and climate change, conservation biologists estimate.


Powell, Russian official in Ukraine clash SOFIA, Bulgaria -- The United States and Russia clashed yesterday at a European security forum over the crisis of Ukraine's disputed election, elevating an increasingly tense debate over democracy in former Soviet republics.


Before-the-Bell: Biocryst Shares Higher (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of Biocryst Pharmaceuticals\Inc. (BCRX.O) rose on Tuesday after the company received\"orphan drug" status for an anti-cancer compound.


New Numbers on Inflation Due This Morning WASHINGTON - The Labor Department releases the consumer price index for September this morning at 8:30 a.m. EDT...


England Doubles Up Poland England got strikes from sparkling debut starter Jermain Defoe and Michael Owen to defeat Poland in a Uefa World Cup qualifier in Chorzow.


Warrior displays his upside It didn't take Matt Savit long to make a big contribution at the varsity level. The sophomore, who was called up from Lincoln-Sudbury's junior varsity soccer team just three days ago, scored the lone goal as the undefeated Warriors slipped past Weston, 1-0.


Report: Iran vows to halt uranium enrichment Iran has given the United Nations a written promise to fully suspend uranium enrichment, diplomats said today, in an apparent bid to dispel suspicions that Tehran wants to build a nuclear bomb.


McNAMARA WARY OF SHAKHTAR Celtic captain Jackie McNamara admits even if his team-mates produce their best on Wednesday night it might not be good enough for victory.


Moon that mimics early Earth revisited Saturn #39;s haze-shrouded moon Titan gets a second look today from the international Cassini Huygens spacecraft. Cassini #39;s planned flyover altitude of 746 miles above the moon is the same as its October flyby.


Ryder Cup reunion at Valderrama Europe #39;s Ryder Cup team is having a reunion this week at Valderrama. All 12 members of the team which beat the United States at Oakland Hills last month are playing in the European tour #39;s season-ending Volvo Masters.


Vodafone steps up its US capacity Vodafone has sharply increased its capacity in the United States after its joint venture in America, Verizon Wireless, struck a \$3bn (1.


PM preferred leader THE Coalition remains in a strong position to retain the nation #39;s key marginal seats - including Adelaide and Hindmarsh - Newspoll has found.


Examiners Asked to Wait Before Taking Bank Jobs The nation's top bank regulator asked examiners to avoid going to work for banks they supervise for at least a year after leaving the government, but acknowledged he lacks the authority to make such a restriction mandatory.


Manmohan, Musharraf to address joint press conference: World News New York, Sep 24 : Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is to address a joint press conference with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf after their meeting Friday, officials said.


Sprint, Nextel Detail Merger Agreement Sprint and Nextel formally announced a \$35 billion merger agreement Wednesday and gave details on how the corporate combination would affect employees and consumers. -The Washington Post


Knicks: Carter puts on a show for Raptors If Vince Carter really wants to be traded, then he must slip a few bucks to the Toronto Raptors #39; video coordinator and ask him to burn a few copies of the DVD from last night #39;s game against the Knicks at Air Canada Centre.


After lynchings, Mexico looks inward SAN JUAN IXTAYOPAN, Mexico -- A pair of wooden crosses outside the elementary school are all that mark the macabre site where, just weeks ago, an angry mob captured two federal police officers, beat them unconscious, and set them on fire.


Sun Devils Tailback Reinstated (AP) AP - Arizona State tailback and leading rusher Hakim Hill will be available Saturday when the 20th-ranked Sun Devils face No. 7 California on the road, after being benched last week.


Siemens plans to delist shares from New York Stock Exchange FRANKFURT : German electronics giant Siemens is planning to de-list its shares from the New York Stock Exchange because of the high costs of maintaining a listing on Wall Street.


Update 3: Ex-CEO Scrushy Faces New Perjury Charge Federal prosecutors added perjury and obstruction of justice charges to the criminal case against fired HealthSouth Corp. chief executive Richard Scrushy on Wednesday under a new indictment in the rehabilitation giant #39;s accounting scandal.


Microsoft 'warns of Linux claims' Microsoft tells Asian leaders that they could face intellectual property rights claims if they use free Linux software, a report says.


Karzai dismisses powerful military governor ahead of Afghan polls KABUL - Afghan President Hamid Karzai dismissed a powerful warlord from his post as provincial governor Saturday in the latest move to solidify the central governments control of wayward provinces ahead of Octobers landmark polls.


Microsoft's government head to jump ship Maggie Wilderotter, leader of the software maker's government sales effort, is leaving to be CEO of a rural telecommunications company.


Injured Vikings Back to Miss Season Opener (AP) AP - Running back Michael Bennett will miss the Minnesota Vikings' regular season opener Sept. 12 against Dallas with a right knee sprain and could be out longer.


Chunghwa Telecom earnings ahead of forecast (AFP) AFP - Taiwan's leading telecom operator, Chunghwa Telecom, said it had a net profit of 43.45 billion Taiwan dollars (1.32 billion US) in the 10 months to October or 4.0 percent ahead of its full year target of 41.58 billion dollars.


Clemens awarded seventh Cy Young No matter where he goes, the Cy Young Award always seems to find Roger Clemens, who was halfway around the globe and just off a Japanese bullet train when learning yesterday that he #39;d won


Champion Irish Horse Fails Second Dope Test  DUBLIN (Reuters) - A second blood sample taken from  Waterford Crystal, the horse Cian O'Connor rode to win  Ireland's only gold medal at the Athens Olympics, has also  tested positive for banned substances.


US Airways Off Course, Again Remember the 1980s movie Wall Street, starring Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen? For those who don #39;t know, here #39;s a recap: To impress financier Gordon Gecko, played by Douglas, Sheen #39;s Bud Fox provides inside information ...


Two Japanese Men Sentenced for Data Theft (AP) AP - Two men were given suspended jail sentences Friday for stealing personal data on subscribers to Japanese broadband services provider Softbank Corp. in an effort to extort money from the company.


Tariff raises financial hopes for area shrimpers Carolinas fishermen and those in the shrimp industry hope tariffs on imported shrimp, passed Tuesday by the Commerce Department, will boost the prices local shrimpers get for their catch.


Health Highlights: Aug. 18, 2004 Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:    -----       Greek Athletes Who Missed Drug Test Quit Games      The two Greek athletes who missed a drug test on Aug. 12 have withdrawn from the Olympic Games...


13th recipient of artificial heart dies The 13th patient to receive the world's first fully implantable artificial heart died Sunday night after an unexpected malfunction in the device made by Abiomed Inc. of Danvers, company officials said yesterday.


Is your PC safe from viruses and spyware? A national study of US home computer users found many users have no idea their systems are infected with viruses or spyware, USA Today reported Monday.


Caterpillar, UAW reach tentative contract deal EAST PEORIA, Ill. United Auto Workers officials say they plan to hold a news conference tomorrow after the union and heavy equipment giant Caterpillar Incorporated reached a tentative agreement tonight on a new six-year contract.


Radical Antarctic telescope  quot;would outdo Hubble quot; Tests by a team from the University of New South Wales, reported in the journal Nature this week 16 September, show that the Dome C site in the Australian Antarctic Territory is by far the best place ever tested on Earth for doing infrared


Boks snatch Tri-Nations The Springboks have won the Tri-Nations title with a 23-19 win against the Wallabies in Durban. In a tense finish, the Wallabies scored twice in the final 10 minutes with the Springboks reduced to 13 men, but the home side held on for a deserved victory.


Space station goes to Plan B for oxygen Crew members on the international space station have ended their 10-day effort to repair a failed Elektron oxygen generator, and in its place they have installed a jury-rigged unit that previously failed.


British Quartet Stuns US in Sprint Relay Britain took a shock gold in the men #39;s Olympic 4x100 meters relay Saturday, pipping favorite the United States by one hundredth of a second.


College Player, 39, Does 'Late Show' (AP) AP - Sounds like David Letterman is as big a "Pops" fan as most everyone else.


Google's Desktop Search is valuable, yet creepy (SiliconValley.com) SiliconValley.com - Google's new Desktop Search software is a muscle car among search engines, racing through personal data stored inside your computer to instantly find things you can't easily locate.


Groups Fight U.S. Plan to Kill Prairie Dogs (Reuters) Reuters - Eight conservation groups are fighting\the U.S. government over a plan to poison thousands of prairie\dogs in the grasslands of South Dakota, saying wildlife should\not take a backseat to ranching interests.


ATA board agrees to employee retention bonuses The board of ATA Holdings Corp.(ATAH.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , parent of low-cost air carrier ATA Airlines, has approved payments to key executives and employees who stay with the company after its bankruptcy filing


Oil Sets New Highs on Winter Fuel Worries  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices broke into fresh record  territory above \$52 on Thursday on heightened concerns over  tight winter heating fuel supplies.


Focal point: Bill Parcells vs. Joe Gibbs Nobody respects coach Joe Gibbs more than me, but this week I see the Cowboys and coach Bill Parcells having the upper hand. I #39;m sure Gibbs is going to get the Redskins back to an elite level, but this is just his first season.


Soccer / English Premier League - No change as top four win Chelsea maintained its drive for the team #39;s first title in 50 years when it thrashed Newcastle United 4-0 at Stamford Bridge yesterday to stay five points ahead of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.


US and 7 Countries Weigh New Findings on Arctic Climate The United States and the seven other countries with Arctic territory today expressed concern about profound changes in the Arctic climate and said they would consider new scientific findings


Briefly: OSDL hires lawyer, opens China office roundup Plus: Oracle gives PeopleSoft shareholders more time...Cisco reports access control server flaws...Toshiba tinkers with Wi-Fi for TV.


I.B.M. Division Headed to China Has Made No Profit in 3 1/2 Years I.B.M. said that the personal computer business it was selling to the Lenovo Group of China had not made a profit for three and a half years.


Tributes for Arafat continue to pour in at UN NEW YORK: Tributes were continuing to pour in at the United Nations for the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Mr Arafat, who passed away in a Paris hospital


Supreme Court to Decide Cable Internet Case  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court said on  Friday it would decide what regulations should apply to  high-speed broadband Internet service offered by cable  companies like Time Warner Inc., a key case that could decide  whether such lines must be opened to competitors.


Brown-Forman #39;s earnings jump 67 Brown-Forman Corp., which sells products ranging from Jack Daniel #39;s whiskey to Lenox china, posted a better-than-expected 67 percent jump in earnings Thursday as aggressive marketing boosted sales of premium spirits and new wines.


Apple Introduces iPod Photo Today Apple introduced the new iPod Photo. The new devices can hold 40GB or 60GB of data and are advertised as being capable of holding up to 25,000 digital photos and up to 10,000 or 15,000 songs.


Boro snatch a point Middlesbrough came from nowhere to deprive Harry Redknapp of victory in his first match in charge of Southampton with two goals in the dying minutes to snatch a 2-2 draw.


Storm #39;s playoff victory 1st in franchise history Lauren Jackson scored 14 points to lead the visiting Seattle Storm over the Minnesota Lynx 70-58 Saturday, marking the Storm #39;s first playoff win in franchise history.


Veritas Buys Email Backup Company KVault (Reuters) Reuters - Veritas Software Corp. , the\leading storage software provider, said on Tuesday it agreed to\acquire email backup company KVault Software Ltd. for  #36;225\million in cash.


Wireless wonders EVER since Ericsson invented Bluetooth in 1994, the concept of wireless connectivity has held the promise of changing the way we use machines very significantly.


Explosion injures at least two in Kenyan airport NAIROBI, Kenya - An explosion at an airport in Kenyas capital Sunday slightly injured two people and caused a fire that destroyed part of a departure lounge, police said.


Ethics Become Priority For Israeli Military Israel #39;s top general announced Friday that the military would investigate allegations that soldiers abused the bodies of Palestinians killed during army operations, including


But seriously, folks One thing about the up-and-down world of the NFL: You can't shy away from teams coming off bad performances, because that would leave you with no one to pick.


Romanian Ruling Party's Hold on Power Dented (Reuters) Reuters - Romania's ruling Social Democrats\(PSD) face a struggle to cobble together a majority coalition\to push through reforms for EU entry after their hold on power\was dented in general elections.


IBM adds RFID capabilities to WebSphere products DECEMBER 16, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - IBM today unveiled new software to help companies integrate radio frequency identification (RFID) capabilities into their IT systems, including a new server application that brings RFID benefits to existing IBM point-of


Sun plans patent protection for open-source Solaris SAN JOSE, Calif.--When Sun Microsystems releases Solaris as open-source software, it plans to provide legal protection from patent-infringement suits to outsiders using or developing the operating system--one of several ways Sun hopes to make Solaris more


UPDATE 2-Alpharma says court clears generic of Pfizer drug A federal appeals court has cleared the way for Alpharma Inc. (ALO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) to launch a generic form of Pfizer Inc #39;s (PFE.


Abbey withstands takeover turbulence Third-quarter trading profit at Abbey National #39;s core retail banking unit was ahead of the first half trend despite uncertainty caused by Santander Central Hispano #39;s 9.1 billion pound swoop.


Ogden's Knee Improves; His Status Is Uncertain The Ravens are waiting to see how the knee of tackle Jonathan Ogden improves, and continue to hope that he will play in the season opener.


Titanic battle over new DVD format It is being billed as the next VHS versus Betamax, the seminal TV technology culture clash that left millions of pieces of domestic equipment obsolete almost as soon as they had been built.


APEC Ministers Prepare for Two-Day Summit Ministers and officials from the 21 Asia and Pacific Rim economies continue their work in Santiago, Chile, in preparation for the two-day summit of leaders from APEC - the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.


Turkish PM Heads for EU Summit in Confident Mood  ANKARA/STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) - Prime Minister Tayyip  Erdogan voiced confidence on Wednesday that Turkey would win a  date for opening long-delayed European Union entry talks at a  landmark summit of the bloc's 25 leaders this week.


Putin Threatens Preventive Terror Actions (AP) AP - President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russia is "seriously preparing" for pre-emptive strikes against terrorists, as Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev claimed responsibility for a school hostage-taking and other attacks that have claimed more than 430 lives.


Globe, 6 others to form largest jt venture mobile firm in AsPac Reyes. Seven leading Asia-Pacific mobile operators, including Ayala-owned Globe Telecom, are investing \$30 to \$40 million over three years to form the regions largest joint venture mobile


U.S. Will Deal with Iran When Group Meets in Egypt (Reuters) Reuters - The United States would deal with\Iran as part of a group of Iraq's neighbors that will meet in\Egypt this month, although Washington has no diplomatic\relations with Tehran, Secretary of State Colin Powell said on\Tuesday.


Drive to Nab Last German Nazis to Begin in January (Reuters) Reuters - The Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Center\will begin a campaign in January to flush out the last\surviving Nazi war criminals in Germany, the head of the\center's Jerusalem office said Sunday.


Angels' Vladimir Guerrero Wins AL MVP (AP) AP - Vladimir Guerrero figured someone from his baseball-crazed country would be chosen as the American League's Most Valuable Player.


ATHENS 2004/Inoue crashes out ATHENS-In one of the biggest shocks in Olympic judo history, defending champion Kosei Inoue was defeated by Dutchman Elco van der Geest in the men #39;s 100-kilogram category Thursday.


Bryant's Attorneys Ask Judge for Limits (AP) AP - Kobe Bryant's attorneys asked a judge Monday to make sure the NBA star doesn't have to answer questions about other "consensual relationships" as he defends himself against a civil lawsuit accusing him of rape.


Spectrum of Stormy Saturn Seeing Saturn in different wavelengths gives mission scientists a new and stormy picture of weather on the gas giant. While the view in ultraviolet highlights the stratosphere, the view in infrared shows swirling patterns from rotating cloud bands...


Colgate-Palmolive cuts back Colgate-Palmolive, the consumer products company, said yesterday that it would close about a third of its factories and cut more than 4,400 jobs over the next four years as part


Waters rewarded with two-year extension PISCATAWAY, NJ -- After winning 20 games in a season for the first time in 21 years and reaching the NIT championship game, Rutgers rewarded men #39;s basketball coach Gary Waters with a two-year extension.


Bill Gates Gets 4 Million Spams A Day Junk e-mail, more commonly know as spam, clogs inboxes world wide, and wastes millions in thus far vain attempt to curb nuisance. It is likely that no one


Yukos Ordered to Pay Portion of Tax Claim The Moscow Arbitration Court ruled Monday that the embattled oil giant Yukos must pay some \$1.4 billion in fines and penalties as part of a \$4.1 billion back-tax claim for 2001, the Interfax news agency reported.


Hungary Plans to Withdraw Troops From Iraq Hungary #39;s government will ask lawmakers to keep its 300 troops in Iraq for an extra three months before pulling them out by March 31, the country #39;s new prime minister said Wednesday.


Duff on the mark as Chelsea advance Chelsea continued their irresistible pre-Christmas march towards the business end of all four competitions with a 2-1 victory over Fulham in the Carling Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday night, Irish international Damien Duff scoring for the third time in


SP2 Fights Worms, Has Bugs Microsoft's Web site lists about 40 software programs that may be hampered when its Service Pack 2 is installed and 50 that don't seem to be compatible at all -- these aren't obscure titles, either.
-The Washington Post


Japan's Supreme Court refuses compensation to South Korean war slaves (AFP) AFP - Japan's top court has a damages suit brought by South Koreans forced to work as sex slaves or soldiers by the Japanese Imperial Army, saying their suffering in World War II cannot be compensated under the post-war constitution.


British Stun US in Sprint Relay Britain took a shock gold in the men #39;s Olympic 4x100 meters relay Saturday, pipping favorites the United States by one hundredth of a second.


Wal-Mart picks up expansion pace Retail giant plans to build up to 250 supercenters in  #39;05 despite a rising tide of community opposition. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world #39;s largest retailer, plans to open more so-called supercenters next year


Apple Unveils Its Latest iMac, Months After Planned Debut (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Apple Computer Inc. rolled out its latest iMac desktop computer at a convention for Mac users in Paris yesterday, a sleek model in which the processors and drives are packaged behind its 2-inch-thick monitor.


US, France Entrenched in Iraq Debt Battle  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Differences between France and the  United States over how much of Iraq's debt to cancel hardened  on Saturday as the two attended a meeting aimed at promoting  international harmony.


Election apology starts net feud A website that apologises to the world for the US election results has been hugely successful.


The Toy War Begins Erika, the latest offering from the Barbie franchise, wears a blue peasant dress and flowered headband. She carries a small plastic cat, plus a set of Barbie essentials: a comb, brush, mirror and perfume bottle.


Novell spiffs up its desktop Linux software This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been improving or obtaining CRM and ERP software for the past year and a half. Novell plans to release in early November a new version of its open-source operating system for desktops.


Mideast May Again Become Major U.S. Issue (AP) AP - When President Bush and John Kerry talk about Mideast policy, they say little except to commit themselves to Israel's security. The rivals seem likely to say little more until one of them occupies the White House next year.


The Fall Hunt Is On at Arrowhead To see the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive line in action is like watching one giant shell game, with large, mobile men sliding from side to side, hiding Priest Holmes in the backfield.


U.N. Abandons Human Cloning Treaty Ban (AP) AP - Both sides in the human cloning debate claimed victory Friday after the United Nations shelved competing proposals for a treaty to ban the procedure and agreed to meet again in February to try to find consensus.


Asian Stocks Mostly Flat to Lower  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian shares were mostly flat to  lower on Monday as investors kept a wary eye on stabilizing oil  prices and looked past signs Japanese consumers were beginning  to spend more freely.


O #39;Connor #39;s first gold for Ireland Cian O #39;Connor has claimed Ireland #39;s first ever equestrian Olympic medal by winning the individual show jumping gold in Athens as rivals ahead of him faltered.


ABC #39;s  #39;MNF #39; crosses line with opening Instead of its five-second delay, ABC Sports should have hit the delete button on its opening for the Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys game on Monday Night Football.


TiVo-like Application for XM Radio Under Fire The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 26, 10:48PM (#10084803).


Report: Murdoch offers \$44 million for Rockefeller apartment _ Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire CEO of News Corp., has offered to pay \$44 million for a three-story penthouse apartment where Laurance S. Rockefeller once lived, according to a published report.


Adelphia Says Rigas Family Owes  #36;3.23 Bln (Reuters) Reuters - Adelphia Communications Corp.\(ADELQ.PK) asked a U.S. bankruptcy court to order its founding\Rigas family to pay back  #36;3.23 billion it says the family owes\the company, court papers show.


International track body meets to choose 2009 World Championships <b>...</b> The International Association of Athletics Federations will select the venue of the 2009 world track and field championships from three bidding European cities during its two-day meeting this weekend.


FDA officer warns on 5 drugs, offers harsh critique of agency WASHINGTON -- A veteran Food and Drug Administration safety officer yesterday told a Senate hearing inquiring into the abrupt recall of the arthritis drug Vioxx that five other widely used drugs should be either withdrawn or sharply restricted because they have dangerous side effects.


Contract flap cuts off Delta food service Delta Air Lines passengers are facing long, hungry hours in the skies after the airline's main food vendor cut off service yesterday because of a contract dispute.


Radcliffe wins New York marathon; makes up for Olympic dropout? New York, Nov 8 - Paula Radcliffe has won the New York Marathon in a triumph of the human spirit to come back 11 weeks after crashing out of the Olympic marathon in Athens as well as the 10,000 metres finals.


IBM buys Montreal firm #39;s project management expertise IBM Corp. Tuesday announced plans to acquire software vendor Systemcorp ALG for an undisclosed amount. Systemcorp of Montreal makes project portfolio management software aimed at helping companies better manage their IT projects.


IBM tightening Eclipse, Java, Linux links IBM on Thursday will announce the release of a free tools bundle for Eclipse to make it easier to deploy Java applications on Linux.


Stocks Seen Flat at Open; Oil Edging Up  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks look to open flat on  Monday as investors pause after a busy week on Wall Street,  with oil prices ticking higher and the dollar still hovering  near record lows.


Correction: FDA-Drug-Imports Story (AP) AP - In a Sept. 28 story about the interception of drugs purportedly sent from Canada, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the medications had been ordered by Americans from the Web site www.CanadaRx.com. The drugs were ordered through www.CanadaRx.net.


EU warns Italy on Alitalia stake The Italian state must give up its majority stake in troubled Alitalia when the airline sells new shares, the EU warns.


No. 23 La. Tech Defeats Ark. St., 67-50 (AP) AP - Shan Moore had 14 points and eight rebounds to help No. 23 Louisiana Tech beat Arkansas State 67-50 on Sunday.


NASA Forced To Delay Shuttle Launch The launch of the first Space Shuttle since the Columbia disaster has been delayed because of the impact of hurricane damage and the implementation of new safety measures.


Introducing Playlist The transformation of my musical life happened slowly. I used to bring an envelope of CDs to work and play them through my computer #39;s CD-ROM drive.


Nevada Ponders Superfund Status for Mine (AP) AP - Pressured by a ranking senator from Nevada and the Environmental Protection Agency, Gov. Kenny Guinn says he might reconsider his opposition to a federal Superfund cleanup declaration for a huge abandoned mine contaminated with toxic waste and uranium.


Love Match over for Tennis Pair Tennis golden couple Kim Clijsters and Lleyton Hewitt have called off their wedding, it emerged today. Miss Clijsters, currently ranked ten in the world, was set to marry the Australian star in February.


Update 5: Constellation Makes \$970M Bid for Mondavi Constellation Brands Inc., an international producer and marketer of wine, spirits and beers, said Tuesday that it had made a \$970 million cash bid to acquire The Robert Mondavi Corp.


Nobel winner thanks her ancestors The dance troupe at the Outspan Hotel at the foot of Mount Kenya lost both its audience and its rhythm on Friday, when it was upstaged by tearful eco-warrior Wangari Maathai, delighted at being named this year #39;s winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.


The Poetry of 'Gimme an A! Gimme an S! Gimme a T!' Jonny Hurst, Britain's soccer chant laureate, does not have as high a profile as the nation's poet laureate, but their responsibilities are vaguely similar.


Another Victory Defined by Jets' Staunch Defense EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Dec. 5 - Chad Pennington was back and the Jets ended their scoring slump with 29 points, their second-best output in 10 games, but Coach Herman Edwards still found a few things he did not like about his offense.


Lucent Says It May Get  #36;816M Tax Refund (AP) AP - Telecommunications gear maker Lucent Technologies Inc. may receive an  #36;816 million federal income tax refund related to its multibillion dollar losses at the height of the telecom industry slump.


LI firm #39;s cancer drug approved A breakthrough cancer drug made by a Long Island company won federal approval late Thursday in a major victory for cancer patients and the region #39;s budding biotech industry.


National Foods 2nd-Half Profit Rises 12 on Gourmet Food Sales National Foods Ltd., Australia #39;s biggest fresh milk supplier, increased second-half profit by 12 percent after selling more specialty cheeses and gourmet foods.


You can blame NASA for the peculiar weather I have resisted commenting on this summer #39;s weather in hopes that it would straighten itself out. Since that no longer seems possible, however, I feel compelled to offer some advice on the subject.


Inflation Inches Way Back Into Hong Kong's Economy China's consumer price index crept up by 0.9 percent in July compared with a year earlier, ending 68 consecutive months of decline.


quot;Batman quot; protester freed on bail Campaigner Jason Hatch has been released on police bail after staging a protest on a ledge at Buckingham Palace while dressed as Batman.


Afghans Need More Help as Next Elections Near -UN  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The world must not neglect  Afghanistan now that its presidential election is over because  upcoming parliamentary and local elections will be far harder  to manage, a top U.N. official said on Tuesday.


India-Pakistan talks gain for peace: Musharraf Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Sunday termed his New York summit meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a  quot;gain for peace quot;.


White Sox manager sent to hospital White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, set to start a two-game suspension Tuesday night, went to a hospital before the game against Detroit because of pain in his back and side.


RIM Sees Strong European, Asian BlackBerry Growth  OTTAWA (Reuters) - Research In Motion Ltd. RIM.TO is  seeing rising demand for its BlackBerry wireless e-mail device  in Europe and expects Asia to be its next major market, the  company's chief financial officer said on Monday.


Approval for New Stadium in Washington Hits a Snag The plan to finance a new stadium for the relocated Montreal Expos has exposed a schism within the District of Columbia's City Council and among its citizens.


Online attack puts 1.4 million records at risk Time to call the credit bureaus? Almost 1.4 million records containing the personal information of Californians likely stolen.


Football: Ferguson celebrates win Sir Alex Ferguson is "ecstatic" as Man Utd reach the Champions League knockout stage by beating Lyon.


Four Tied for Lead at Reno-Tahoe Open (AP) AP - Scott McCarron made four birdies in 12 holes, moving into a four-way tie for the lead in the second round of the Reno-Tahoe Open on Friday before thunderstorms forced play to be suspended.


Flames #39; Sutter has emergency appendectomy Darryl Sutter, who coached the Calgary Flames to the Stanley Cup finals last season, had an emergency appendectomy and was recovering Friday.


Personal Technology Entertainment goes digital with armchair ease  quot;There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. quot;.


Canada's Nash makes triumphant NBA return to Dallas (AFP) AFP - Steve Nash reminded the Dallas Mavericks how impressive a National Basketball Association player he can be, scoring 17 points and adding 18 assists to lead Phoenix in a 107-101 triumph here.


Petsmart Earnings Rise, But Shares Slump  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Petsmart Inc. PETM.O, the top U.S.  pet supplies chain, on Thursday said quarterly earnings rose on  improved pet services sales, but its stock sank as much as 12  percent as results lagged analysts' expectations.


Woolmer, Inzi under fire after Pakistan ICC trophy loss KARACHI: Captain Inzamam ul-Haq and coach Bob Woolmer came under fire Thursday for choosing to bat first on a tricky pitch after Pakistans humiliating defeat in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final.


Bomb at Pakistan Shiite Mosque Kills Four (AP) AP - A suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque Sunday in this eastern city killed four people, including two security guards who lost their lives confronting the attacker and preventing a far greater number of deaths.


Mount St. Helens Eruption Imminent, Experts Say Washington State's Mount St. Helens volcano is primed to erupt any day now, scientists say. They predict the blast will be weaker than the 1980 explosion that killed 57 people.


Hundreds die in Philippines storm More than 300 people are feared dead after a storm triggers flash floods in the Philippines, officials say.


Abraham Leaves Without Passing Energy Plan (AP) AP - By the time he soon leaves, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham will have led his department longer than any of his predecessors. His greatest disappointment, though, is his failure to deliver on the Bush administration's high priority of getting Congress to enact a broad energy agenda.


BP warning to randy staff Bosses at BP - Britains biggest firm -ave fired off a memo to staff asking them to stop having sex in the office. It comes after romps in toilets, in a meeting room and behind cabinets were caught on CCTV cameras, says The Sun.


Orthodontist charged over Internet chats King County prosecutors charged a Covington orthodontist yesterday with engaging in sexually explicit Internet conversations with several girls, including three current or former patients, and with dealing child pornography.


MS plugs weak XP firewall Microsoft this week quietly fixed a security weakness in the configuration of the built-in firewall component of Windows XP. The firewall - turned on by default by XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) - can leave files


Proxim, Symbol settle in patent case The two companies reach a settlement and sign a cross-licensing agreement, ending years of litigation over patent infringement.\


Predicting a President: Where the Papers' Online Electoral Maps Agree and Disagree (Editor and Publisher) Editor and Publisher - NEW YORK In a new twist on E P's exclusive tracking of major newspaper Web sites' electoral-college maps, today's article will chart how they differ or agree on which states are still tossups and which lean toward one candidate or the other.


Update 8: Crude Futures Change Little Crude futures rose Tuesday as traders awaited US oil inventory data, and analysts said the market fundamentals were pointing to higher prices in the coming weeks.


Eight killed as Dubai airport wall collapses At least eight people were killed after a wall collapsed at a building site at Dubai airport today. Workers said they saw up to 40 casualties being taken from the scene of the collapse, with some people reported to be trapped under the debris.


Red Sox Stay Hot Kevin Millar and Mark Bellhorn hit two-run homers Wednesday to lift the Red Sox to a 8-6 victory over the Devil Rays.


Saga in 1.35bn management buyout Holidays-to-insurance company Saga has been sold in a 1.35bn (\$2.43bn) management buyout deal backed by private equity firm Charterhouse.


R. Clark May Start Ryan Clark may start in place of injured safety Matt Bowen when the Redskins play the Bears on Sunday.


Tentative Deal Is Reached on Easing N.Y. Drug Sentences Negotiators reached a tentative deal today to ease some of the mandatory prison sentences under former Gov. Nelson Rockefeller's name.


McGill takes 4-shot lead in Wachovia Jill McGill fired an eight-under 64 Friday for a tournament record 14-under 130 and a four-shot lead midway through the Wachovia LPGA Classic.


Hoping for a miracle on grass The Red Sox trotted out Berge Avadanian to make the ceremonial  quot;Play Ball quot; announcement before Game 5 of the American League Championship Series last night at Fenway Park.


Indian foreign minister says Kashmir  #39;not a nuclear flashpoint #39; NEW DELHI : Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh said that the dispute over Kashmir was not a nuclear flashpoint and that there had been progress in recent talks with his Pakistani counterpart.


Frost Said to Be Making Calls About DNC (AP) AP - Defeated Texas Congressman Martin Frost is among potential candidates for chairman of the Democratic National Committee who are telephoning members about the situation, a leading Democrat said Monday.


Stocks higher as profit worries ease Stocks moved narrowly higher in early trading Monday as investors discounted another technology profit warning and focused instead on positive outlooks for third- and fourth-quarter earnings.


Auto Stocks Surge After Weak Sales  DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp. GM.N on Thursday  led a late-day rally in auto stocks, one day after the world's  largest automaker posted dismal U.S. sales results for August  and cut vehicle production.


Southwest Airlines to Cut 88 Flights  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines Inc. LUV.N, the  largest U.S. discount carrier, on Monday said it will eliminate  88 scheduled flights in order to boost revenue by freeing up  planes for more lucrative markets.


Microsoft, Swatch offer thinner wireless watches Microsoft and watch maker Swatch are offering a new line of wireless data watches, the companies said Wednesday, bringing the era of Dick Tracy wristwatch radios one step closer.


Europe #39;s spirit may overwhelm that of the American side Perhaps perspective had returned to the Ryder Cup after the unfortunate fan abuse directed at the European team at The Country Club near Boston in 1999 and the inappropriate celebration by American


N.D. Consortium Wins NASA Research Job (AP) AP - NASA has awarded control of its DC-8 research aircraft to the Upper Midwest Space Consortium at the University of North Dakota, a move officials say will create new jobs at the university and give it added national prestige.


Harmison strikes twice for dominant England LONDON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Steve Harmison took two cheap wickets to leave West Indies reeling on 54 for three on the second day of the fourth test at The Oval on Friday after England #39;s wagging tail had pushed the hosts to 470 all out.


Sign on to a new Microsoft standard? Why certainly, we #39;d love ... <b>...</b> So much for Microsoft #39;s Can-Spam proposal. Now you can add America Online to the growing list of ventures who #39;ve rejected a Microsoft-patent-encumbered and lawsuit-challenged anti-spam standard, Sender ID.


Doubt Grows PNC Will Close Riggs Deal Wall Street is growing increasingly skeptical about PNC Financial #39;s (PNC:NYSE - news - research) proposed purchase of scandal-tainted Riggs National (RIGS:Nasdaq - news - research), which is the subject of a federal money-laundering probe.


AOL dumps Microsoft #39;s Sender ID America Online (AOL) has ditched Microsoft #39;s Sender ID technology in favour of Sender Policy Framework (SPF). The move follows concerns over Sender ID voiced by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) earlier this week.


Bush and Kerry Trade Attacks in Their Second Presidential Debate President Bush defended his decision to invade Iraq, while John Kerry said that Mr. Bush lacked the record to justify re-election.


Supreme Court Asked to Rule on Cable-Modem Classification The federal government on Friday asked the US Supreme Court to review a court ruling which found the FCC improperly classified cable-modem service, a subject of interest to Internet service providers seeking access to the broadband networks controlled by


Cup winning formula changing In the past three decades, Bart #39;s Rule has held sway, at least for Australian and New Zealand stayers. Bart #39;s Rule is the dictum of legendary trainer Bart Cummings that horses should have


ADV: Free Anti-Virus Scan If your computer is slowing down or crashing, you may have a virus. Scan now to find out!  Detects viruses, spyware and worms. Includes free spam and popup blockers.


SCO's McBride warns of open source 'wild west' CANNES, FRANCE-- Protect your intellectual property (IP) now or risk having your business sacked by open souce-touting bandits, The SCO Group Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Darl McBride warned an audience of tech industry leaders, analysts, and investors at the Etre conference here on Tuesday.


Largest Quake Since Oct. Hits St. Helens MOUNT St. HELENS Nov 27, 2004 - A 3.1-magnitude earthquake shook the crater at Mount St. Helens on Saturday, the strongest quake at the volcano since mid-October.


Season of Giving It may be the season of shopping, but time is running out for the Season of Giving. The Salvation Army is in desperate need of more volunteers to ring bells and collect money.


How Would They End the War? President Bush and John Kerry have said little more than that each will end the war the right way and his opponent will not.


EU objects to Microsoft-Time Warner ContentGuard deal BRUSSELS -- The European Commission has issued a formal set of objections to Microsoft Corp. and Time Warner Inc. taking control of ContentGuard Holdings Inc., a digital rights management (DRM) company, according to sources familiar with the case.