Afghan troops storm Kabul jail; eight killed KABUL -- Afghan troops stormed a notorious prison in a hail of gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades yesterday, ending a 10-hour standoff that began when four inmates once suspected of belonging to Al Qaeda tried to escape. Four inmates and four guards were killed in the day's violence.


Verizon Wireless to Expand Profile The carrier, which sells phones and service plans through 1,200 of its own stores, has signed an exclusive deal to place Verizon Wireless stores within 570 Circuit City Superstores nationwide.


Union files grievance over Rockies #39; termination of Neagle _ The baseball players #39; union is challenging the Colorado Rockies #39; decision to terminate the contract of Denny Neagle. The Rockies cut the pitcher loose last week -- after he was cited for soliciting a prostitute in suburban Denver.


Briefly: IronPort spam shield gets steelier roundup Plus: Via brings PCI Express to AMD PCs...Rice lab makes nano parts less toxic...TV chip company gets \$19 million.


Oracle wins antitrust case Judge rejects Justice Department charges, allowing Oracle's hostile bid for PeopleSoft to continue.


What Will Stripped-Down Longhorn Offer? It may be missing a few features, but the OS will be worth the upgrade, Microsoft says.


Linux Could Become A Big Force In The Weather-Forecasting Field (Investor's Business Daily) Investor's Business Daily - The flock of hurricanes that hit Florida this season is putting more pressure on forecasters to provide fast, reliable information.


Lenovo may be in acquisition talks with IBM HONG KONG - China #39;s biggest computer maker said Tuesday it is in acquisition talks with a major international technology company, a disclosure which comes amid reports it might buy IBM Corp.


Ivan's Remnants Flood Parts of East HARRISBURG, Pa. - Rivers swelled with water dumped by Hurricane Ivan's remains from Ohio to Maryland, forcing thousands to evacuate, submerging a stadium and leading one town to haul out snowplows to shovel the muck...


Suicide bomber kills 30 in Pak ISLAMABAD, OCTOBER 1: A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a Shiite mosque packed with worshippers during Friday prayers killing at least 30 people and injuring 70 others in Sialkot, Pakistan.


Federer, Frances blow out Agassi NEW YORK - Did Frances huff and puff and blow Andre Agassi off the professional tour? Hasn #39;t she done enough damage without hammering tennis, too?


knows what it takes When Michigan quarterback Matt Gutierrez talks about the formula that his alma mater, De La Salle High School, has used to win a startling 151 games in a row, he talks meat and potatoes.


Government Spending Up Sharply Locally Federal procurement spending in the Washington area rose last year at its highest rate since the 1980s, according to a study to be released today, creating tens of thousands of jobs and increasing economic growth disproportionately in Northern Virginia.


Trend Micro #39;s Free Mobile Anti-Virus Anticipating an avalanche of smartphones and PDA #39;s during the gift-giving season, Trend Micro today released a free trial of its mobile anti-virus (AV) product.


Multiplex May Miss Contracts Should Westfield Buy Chelsfield Multiplex Group, an Australian construction company, may miss out on UK development contracts should Westfield Group #39;s proposal to buy property developer Chelsfield Plc succeed, Merrill Lynch  amp; Co.


Ontario reveals plan to broaden child care options for kindergarten kids (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - The daily dash between kindergarten and day care could one day be a thing of the past for Ontario parents under a provincial plan unveiled Thursday to dramatically increase the number of available day care spaces.


Birds of prey Maybe now's the time for Papa Jack to break out his signature T-shirts, emblazoned with his rally cry:  quot;Somebody gotta pay. quot;


Astros #39; leads slip away Houston - Forty-two years of postseason futility for his hometown team rested in the strong right hand of Roger Clemens. A 5-2 lead, Atlanta #39;s 15- game winner in the showers, a future Hall of Famer on the mound and a 19-game home win streak.


Colgate-Palmolive, Unilever warn of disappointments Two consumer products giants - Colgate-Palmolive (CL) and Unilever (UL) warned Monday of disappointing outlooks as consumer goods firms across the world struggle with a slowdown in spending by shoppers.


Astronomers Spot Smallest Planets Yet American astronomers say they have discovered the two smallest planets yet orbiting nearby stars, trumping a small planet discovery by European scientists five days ago and capping the latest round in a frenzied hunt for other worlds like Earth.    All three of these smaller planets belong to a new class of "exoplanets" - those that orbit stars other than our sun, the scientists said in a briefing Tuesday...


Martha #39;s company upbeat Despite a wider quarterly loss, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia was  quot;optimistic quot; about a springtime advertising rebound and an overall strengthening of the company coinciding with Stewart #39;s release


US rivals back on campaign trail George W Bush and John Kerry go into the final three weeks of campaigning after their last TV debate.


Democrats Question Bush's Service, Costs of War (Reuters) Reuters - Democrats raised new questions about\President Bush's Vietnam-era National Guard service on\Wednesday as White House hopeful John Kerry charged the Iraq\war was draining resources from the U.S. economy at home.


IDC Raises '04 PC Outlook, Trims Forecast (Reuters) Reuters - Market research firm IDC has raised\its 2004 forecast for global personal computer sales growth to\14.2 percent from 13.5 percent, driven by high commercial\demand, it said on Monday.


Nokia mobiles to be SD card capable Nokia is adding Secure Digital (SD) memory card capabilities to its range of mobile phones. It already uses MultiMediaCards (MMC) to add in games and third party software on its phones.


American Ginepri Crushes Paradorn in Vienna  VIENNA (Reuters) - Number five seed Paradorn Srichaphan was  crushed 6-2, 6-1, by Robby Ginepri in the second round of the  Vienna Trophy on Thursday.


Novell wins windfall Microsoft settlement As software disputes go, Novell #39;s decade-long antitrust claim against Microsoft was particularly drawn out. That made the \$536 million payoff announced Monday especially sweet.


Tressel picks Zwick over Smith Justin Zwick will start at quarterback for No. 9 Ohio State in its season opener after the former heralded recruit beat out fellow sophomore Troy Smith for the job in preseason practice.


Da Matta Considering Champ Car Return Former champion Cristiano da Matta wants to return to the Newman/Haas Champ Car team next year after two disappointing seasons in Formula One.


BAYERN BORE BUNDESLIGA Bayern Munich have already been handed the tag of FC Bayern Boring after a lacklustre 1-0 victory over Arminia Bielefeld at the weekend.


Raps use miracle comeback to edge Spurs TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto Raptors produced their biggest fourth-quarter comeback in franchise history on Sunday - and Vince Carter wasn #39;t part of it.


Bush for verifying Iran #39;s claims US President George W Bush has called for a verification into Iran #39;s claims of having suspended uranium enrichment, and having no nuclear weapons ambitions.


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


No. 24 Louisville 34, North Carolina 0 Eric Shelton ran for three touchdowns and No. 24 Louisville earned its second shutout of the season with a 34-0 victory over North Carolina on Saturday.


Car Bomb Kills at Least 47 in Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq - A car bomb exploded near a police station in Baghdad early Tuesday as dozens of Iraqis were applying to join the force, killing at least 47 people and wounding 114, officials said. In Baqouba, gunmen opened fire on a van carrying policemen home from work, killing 11 officers and a civilian...


Intel lifts forecast SEMICONDUCTOR giant Intel has dramatically raised the range of its fourth-quarter sales forecast as it benefited from strong holiday demand for microprocessors.


Chat with Miami CB Antrel Rolle Welcome to The Show! On Wednesday, Miami Hurricanes cornerback Antrel Rolle will stop by to take your questions! Rolle has been a consistent force in the Miami secondary, helping hold opposing offenses to just 15.


Can EMC Find Growth Beyond Hardware? It has outgrown mere storage. Now it wants to manage every part of the corporate data flow. Has any computer company had a more dramatic reversal of fortune in the past three years than EMC Corp.


Three questions to Fernando Alonso in Shanghai The Renault F1 Teams Spanish ace was a guest at todays FIA Press Conference. Here are the best bits


Perth wins Super 14 berth Perth has triumphed over Melbourne to win the endorsement of the Australian Rugby Union to establish Australia #39;s next provincial rugby franchise.


Analysis: When Fed Says Jump, Investors Ask  #39;How High? #39; Ironic thing about the US Federal Reserve raising interest rates -- tighter money puts investors on edge about their financial assets, but


SILVERSTONE BIG LOSS TO BRITISH DRIVERS - HERBERT Johnny Herbert feels the next generation of British Formula One stars will miss out after their home grand prix was axed from the calendar.


Baseball-Pierre Hits, Burnett Pitches Marlins to Easy Win Juan Pierre had three hits and AJ Burnett pitched eight solid innings as the Florida Marlins salvaged a split of their key four-game series against the Chicago Cubs with an 11-1 win in the series finale in National League play Sunday.


Defense sales boost Boeing profit 78 -ebounding from an ethics scandal that torpedoed a \$22 billion deal to lease new refueling tankers to the Air Force, Boeing (BA) on Wednesday reported a 78 jump


World record in sights of 100-meter field  quot;We #39;re going to have a party, quot; Maurice Greene said Saturday, looking forward to Sunday #39;s final in the Olympic men #39;s 100-meter dash.


France #39;s Joubert wins Skate America men #39;s title France #39;s Brian Joubert was ready for a win after a second-place finish earlier this year at the World Championships. Despite trouble landing several jumps, Joubert got his victory in the men #39;s free skate Friday


Capriati Hangs On to Stay in WTA Championships Race, Sharapova <b>...</b> All three seeds in action won Wednesday at the WTA stop in Philadelphia in (3) Maria  quot;Cell Phone Mannequin quot; Sharapova (d.


Intelsat sale could fall through Intelsat lost a satellite during the weekend, and that could put its \$5 billion sale to private investors in jeopardy. Intelsat says a sudden and unexpected electrical-distribution anomaly caused the permanent loss of the spacecraft.


Providence writes off Penn Dwight Brewington went 5 for 5 from 3-point range and scored a career-high 21 points last night, leading host Providence to an 89-52 win over Pennsylvania in the second round of the Preseason NIT.


Delta Reports Wider Quarterly Loss  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc. DAL.N, which is  racing to cut costs to avoid bankruptcy, on Wednesday reported  a wider quarterly loss amid soaring fuel prices and weak  domestic airfares.


Philadelphia Goes Wireless Since April, baseball fans attending San Francisco Giants home games at SBC Park have enjoyed wireless internet access if they bring a portable computer with them.


AT amp;T forms VoIP interop program BEDMINSTER, NJ - In a move its IP voice services forward, AT amp;T announced Tuesday (Sept. 21) that is has formed an Innovation and Interoperability Program to foster development of applications and systems for its voice-over-IP (VoIP) network.


Settlers or Sharon Sharon is not Charles de Gaulle. He is as far away as ever from the conviction that Israel must recognize the national rights of the Palestinian people and withdraw from territories occupied in 1967, let alone


CIBC orders companywide halt to faxes with customer info until <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - Scrambling to deal with a potentially serious breach of client privacy, CIBC said late Friday it is ordering all employees to stop using the bank #39;s internal fax system to send customer information between branches or offices.


Israel given double warning over impact of West Bank policies JERUSALEM : The Israeli government was given a double warning over its policies in the West Bank as its top legal officer said it faced a real threat of sanctions over its controversial separation barrier and the United States condemned the latest ...


Officials Stumped by Australia, NZ Whale Beachings (Reuters) Reuters - Scientists and wildlife officials\continued to search Tuesday for what may have caused a series\of mass strandings which left 168 whales and dolphins dead on\Australian and New Zealand beaches in the past three days.


Democracy takes a back seat The sound emanating from back-rooms at the Labour Party conference in the Brighton Centre yesterday was the unedifying one of backs being scratched.


France moves US plutonium south France sends plutonium from scrapped US nuclear warheads south under heavy guard to be reprocessed.


Two Egyptians Seized in Baghdad Kidnapping  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Gunmen kidnapped two Egyptians during  the night in Baghdad, police said on Friday, as relatives of a  seized Briton, whose two colleagues have been beheaded, waited  for news on his fate.


Sweden honours slain Anna Lindh Sweden remembers its hugely popular foreign minister Anna Lindh, who was stabbed to death a year ago.


Luxury Market Blooms Near Red Square Moscow has become one of the fastest growing luxury markets in the world, as designer boutiques rush in to meet the demands of the wealthy.


Hendrick Motorsports plane crash victims showed evidence of faith PATRICK SPRINGS, Va. (BP)--NASCAR has been rocked with the news of a deadly plane crash involving family and friends of Hendrick Motorsports, one of stock-car racings premier competitors.


Sony Group Agrees in Principle to Buy MGM  PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A group headed by Sony Corp of  America agreed in principle to acquire Hollywood film studio  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer MGM.N for \$12 a share in cash, both sides   said on Monday.


Stock Markets Fall as Oil Nears \$50 a Barrel NEW YORK, Sept. 22 -- A surge in oil prices and a disappointing earnings report from Morgan Stanley were cited as factors in significant stock market losses Wednesday.


British divers face platform final at Games Peter Waterfield and Leon Taylor, who collected Britain #39;s first Olympic diving medals in 44 years with silver in the synchronised platform event, have both made the 12-man


Ichiro Singles to Break Hits Record The Seattle Mariners #39; Ichiro Suzuki broke a long-standing Major League record with his 258th hit of the season, a third-inning single against the Texas Rangers on Friday.


Salvation Army using cardboard bell-ringers to stoke donations BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - There #39;s a reason that smiling Salvation Army bell-ringer looks a little stiff this Christmas season, and it #39;s not the cold weather.


Olympics-Mayo knocked out, women prosper ATHENS, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Gold medal favourite Carlos Moya joined the exodus of big name tennis players from the Olympics on Thursday, crumbling in the men #39;s quarter-finals against Chile #39;s Nicolas Massu.


Former England coach takes temporary charge of Foxes Howard Wilkinson will take temporary charge of Leicester City after manager Micky Adams #39; decision to quit, the Foxes announced Tuesday.


London Oil Price Tops \$50 for First Time Oil prices hit fresh records on Monday, pushing London Brent crude above \$50 for the first time and extending a relentless rise that has added around 65 percent to the cost of crude this year.


Tech, Oil and Frances to Rule Markets  NEW YORK (Reuters) - As if Intel's profit bomb didn't put  enough of a damper on the summer-ending long weekend, investors  returning next week after Labor Day will be wary of a market  offering as much pitfall as promise.


Psychic action enthrals gamers Second Sight offers a compelling storyline that keeps gamers coming back for me.


Sony to launch PlayStation Portable in December TOKYO - Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) will roll out in Japan a handheld video game system on Dec. 12 called PlayStation Portable (PSP), priced at 19,800, or about \$185.


Utes D coordinator has two offers SALT LAKE CITY -- Defensive coordinator Kyle Whittingham is deciding whether to stay at University of Utah and accept its head coaching job or take a rival offer from Brigham Young University.


Al-Zarqawi claims responsibility for Baghdad, Baqouba operations <b>...</b> Some 74 Iraqis were killed in Iraq yesterday while other 154 were injured, most of them are victims of a booby trapped car explosion in Baghdad and an attack in Baqouba, Abu Mus #39;ab al-Zarqawi claimed responsibility for, fighting in al-Ramadi between the


Sun Micro Posts Narrower Quarterly Loss  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Network computer maker Sun  Microsystems Inc. SUNW.O on Thursday posted a narrower  quarterly loss as revenue rose year over year for the second  consecutive quarter after three years of declines, sending  shares slightly higher.


Banks Drop Support of Bid for Russian Oil Giant #39;s Unit Russia brushed aside an American court #39;s attempt to halt the auction of the oil giant Yukos #39; biggest production unit, but a consortium of international banks withdrew


Keeping IT work close to home Group proposes outsourcing to underutilized, lower-cost IT workers in outlying areas of the U.S. rather than offshore.


Schu #39;s  #39;no better #39; - JB Michael Schumacher is no better than Kimi or Juan or Fernando -- or a notable 25-year-old Englishman. That #39;s the opinion of BAR #39;s Jenson Button, who fits the latter driver-description like a glove.


Charterhouse wins battle for Saga Charterhouse has beaten off competition from another private equity player to buy Saga, the company that provides services to the over-50s, for 1.


Collapse in judgment: C #39;s fall apart late in loss to Blazers The Celtics were playing their only national television game of the season last night, so the rest of the country now knows about your club #39;s late-game lapses.


Hostage Begs the British to Remove Troops in Iraq Margaret Hassan begged Prime Minister Tony Blair to save her life by withdrawing troops from Iraq.


The best view of all is our beautiful planet You #39;re speeding through space at 28 000 kilometres per hour, at times the outside temperature gets down to a chilling minus two hundred degrees Celsius, there is no quick getaway.


Brazil Coach More Worried About Venezuela Than Germany Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira is more worried about playing rank outsiders Venezuela than the likes of Germany or Argentina.


NYMEX in London trade talks, eyes Dubai, Singapore The New York Mercantile Exchange is in talks with UK regulators about starting open outcry oil trade in London but will let market demand decide whether it moves from Dublin, President James Newsome said on Monday.


Blue Chips Slip as Earns, Oil Take Toll  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blue-chip stocks fell on  Wednesday after Honeywell International Inc. HON.N and J.P.  Morgan Chase   Co. JPM.N disappointed investors with  quarterly reports, and high oil prices rekindled worries about  the impact on profit margins.


A cost cutter takes over VW brand FRANKFURT Volkswagen, plucking a fallen star from a rival carmaker, announced Wednesday that Wolfgang Bernhard, a former DaimlerChrysler executive known for his cost-cutting skills and new-product flair, would take over its ailing flagship car brand.


Giants just can #39;t get the offense moving That was one thing Jim Fassel wanted from his offense when he was head coach of the Giants. Break the huddle, get to the line of scrimmage, run the play, back to the huddle, back to the line, run the next play .


Dirrell Boosts American Title Hopes in Boxing  ATHENS (Reuters) - Middleweight Andre Dirrell boosted the  United States' slim hopes of winning an Olympic boxing title by  booking a place in the semi-finals with a narrow victory over  Cuba's Yordani Despaigne Wednesday.


Record-smashing Kumble slams critics DHAKA - Leading Indian wicket-taker Anil Kumble yesterday brushed aside criticism over his unique bowling style, saying he is a leg-spinner with a difference.


Buyers, even browsers, mourn store's final sale LOWELL -- To shop at Birke's Department Store in its heyday was not for the faint of heart.


UK Regulator Issues VoIP Numbering Plan Ofcom, the official telecom regulator for the UK, published its approach to new voice services, including Voice over Broadband (VoB) phone services.


Update 1-Lockheed wins \$6.4 bln US satellite project Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) has been chosen to lead a \$6.4 billion Navy satellite project aimed at boosting US forces #39; communications capabilities tenfold, the Pentagon said Friday.


Seahawks Defeat Packers 21-3 in Preseason (AP) AP - Fourth-string quarterback Seneca Wallace led Seattle on two touchdown drives and the Seahawks took advantage of Tim Couch's dismal debut for Green Bay in a 21-3 exhibition victory over the Packers on Monday night.


Online Research Worries Many Educators (AP) AP - Go to Google, search and scroll results, click and copy. When students do research online these days, many educators worry, those are often about the only steps they take. If they can avoid a trip to the library at all, many students gladly will.


Baby Bells See Rivals Taking Fewer Phones
\

 By Justin Hyde

 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three of the nation's dominant local\telephone companies said on Thursday that they had seen a sharp\drop-off in new residential lines leased to competitors since\AT T Corp. <T.N> announced a retreat from residential service\in July due to changing federal rules.


Greek Sprinters Withdraw From Olympics ATHENS, Greece Aug. 18, 2004  Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou pulled out of the Athens Games on Wednesday, nearly a week after they missed a drug test and were later hospitalized following a suspicious motorcycle crash.


Shell stuns City with revamp ANGLO-DUTCH giant Shell stunned the City today by unveiling plans to scrap its century old corporate structure and create  #39;one company, one board and one chief executive.


Brazil Launches First Test Rocket Since Accident Brazil has successfully launched a test rocket, 14 months after a more powerful one exploded before lift-off killing 21 people, Brazilian space officials said on Sunday.


Polish Holocaust Victims Remembered (AP) AP - Holocaust survivors and their families gathered at one of Europe's largest Jewish cemeteries Sunday to remember more than 200,000 Jews from this city killed by the Nazis, a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the last transports from the Lodz ghetto to Hitler's death camps.


Open Source Advocate VP Chris Stone Leaves Novell SafeTinspector writes  quot;ComputerWorld has a story regarding the sudden departure of Chris Stone, a respected open source advocate and the man often sited as the architect behind Novell #39;s acquisistion of Ximian and SUSE as well as the recent open source


RIGHT GAINS IN LITHUANIA ELECTIONS Right-wing parties have scored a surprise success in Lithuania #39;s parliamentary elections on the weekend. The right-wing Conservative Party and Liberal Center Union party won 43 seats together in the 141-member parliament.


Dirrell loses bout, settles for bronze Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - American middleweight Andre Dirrell lost his semifinal bout to Kazakhstan #39;s Gennadiy Golovkin on Friday, missing an opportunity to advance to the gold medal match.


Current stories in Editorial: As the election approaches, Congress abandons all pretense of fiscal responsibility, voting tax cuts that would drive 10-year deficits past \$3 trillion.


Shiite Cleric's Militia Refuse to Disband (AP) AP - A new round of talks to cease hostilities in the Baghdad slum of Sadr City has ended in deadlock, with fighters loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr refusing American demands to disband and turn in weapons, both sides said Sunday.


Some Car Dealer Groups Hurt by Weather  DETROIT (Reuters) - AutoNation Inc. AN.N and two other  car dealership companies on Thursday posted weaker quarterly  earnings, blaming the hurricanes that hit the U.S. Southeast  this summer or costly incentives used to boost sales.


Six found guilty in Pitcairn abuse case Sydney, Oct. 27. (Guardian News Service): Six descendants of the original mutineers on the Bounty were found guilty on Monday of 32 sexual assault offences in one of the last and remotest outposts of the British empire.


Lucent sees first profitable year since 2000 Lucent Technologies #39; quarterly earnings rose sharply, helped by improvement in its wireless networks business and lower costs, the company said Wednesday.


UNDATED: LSU (708). Janel McCarville had 16 points and 12 rebounds to lead Minnesota over previously unbeaten Wisconsin-Green Bay. It was the sixth straight victory for Minnesota (7-1), which got 12 points


Elections ensure Australia will keep troops in Iraq (Sydney, Australia-AP) Oct. 9, 2004 - Australian Prime Minister John Howard has claimed victory in national elections. The vote will ensure the country keeps its troops in Iraq.


Death Toll in Sudan's Darfur Reaches 70,000 - UN (Reuters) Reuters - A total of 70,000 people are estimated\to have died as a result of the conflict in Sudan's western\Darfur region, with hundreds still dying every day, a top U.N.\official said on Friday.


Crawford overcomes Kenteris clamour Thursday was the night every Greek had marked down in their diary weeks and months ago. It was the night Kostas Kenteris was supposed to successfully defend his 200m crown in front of his adoring public.


Martha Stewart Appeals Conviction Lawyers for Martha Stewart told a federal appeals court that she suffered a "fundamentally unfair" trial at the hands of prosecutors who incorrectly suggested she was accused of insider trading.


Winter Weather Outlook Mixed, El Nino Looms (Reuters) Reuters - Winter will be warmer than normal in\the U.S. Western and Plains states and colder than usual in the\Southeast and mid-Atlantic regions, but the return of El Nino\is making it hard for forecasters to hazard a guess for much of\the country, meteorologists said on Wednesday.


Junqueira #39;s win puts hold on teammate #39;s title party SURFERS PARADISE, Australia - Brazil #39;s Bruno Junqueira spoiled his teammate #39;s bid to clinch the Champ Car drivers title. Junqueira won Sunday #39;s Lexmark Indy 300, meaning Newman/Haas teammate Sebastien Bourdais


Problem-hit Real and Roma in face-off LONDON - Nobody has more problems at the start of the Champions League season than Real Madrid - unless it #39;s Italian side AS Roma.


Former great Maradona cleared to continue rehab CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Soccer legend Diego Maradona will return to Cuba to continue his drug rehabilitation with the permission of a federal judge.


Three Black Watch soldiers dead Defence minister Adam Ingram today told MPs that three members of the Black Watch regiment had been killed in central Iraq. Mr Ingram was unable to give details of the incident in his Commons statement but


Boosters Say They Understand Spurrier #39;s Decision TAMPA - Since his name first surfaced as a possible replacement for Ron Zook, former Florida football coach Steve Spurrier has been the focal point of a Gator Nation desperately seeking a return to glory.


Deep Impact Space Probe Aims to Slam Into Comet (Reuters) Reuters - Astronomers plan to slam an\armchair-sized "impactor" into comet Tempel 1 to see what's\inside -- and possibly help future scientists determine how to\keep such space rocks from colliding with Earth.


Taiwan #39;s President calls for peace talks with China In a careful and conciliatory move, Taiwan #39;s President Chen Shui-bian called for wide-ranging peace talks with China in a bid to adopt a system to prevent an outbreak of war in the Taiwan Strait.


Compete against your friends, SI experts and celebrities in this pro football pickoff PHILADELPHIA -- In his own inimitable fashion, Terrell Owens made it quite clear during the offseason that, all in all, he #39;d rather be in Philadelphia. He squawked long and loud, and eventually whined his way out of Baltimore.


Free Code Graphing \\"The fcgp comes from Rusty Russell's Linux Kernel Graphing Project (lgp) - and\that's basically still the current state. While being much more optimized than\the original, the code is still in several regards specific to the Linux\kernel (the 2.4 series). I (creinig) happened to be the first (and only) one\to actually submit a patch and when Rusty ran out of time, he "convinced" me\to take over maintenance :-)"\\"The code takes a Linux kernel source distribution, crunches over it for about\35 minutes on a 400MHz machine / 11 minutes on a 1.2GHz Athlon (as of V2.5.2),\requiring up to 90MB RAM at peak times and about 240MB disk space (without\kernel sources) and finally produces a 22MB post ...\\


Rogers to buy SkyDome The 50,000-seat domed stadium opened in 1989 with a price tag of \$600 million, mostly funded by taxpayers. Rogers Communications announced the purchase from US-based Sportsco International in a news release Monday.


Early to rise? Not for UConn  quot;I think the game played out probably the way I thought it would play out, quot; he said.  quot;I can #39;t say that I #39;m really, really that surprised.


Union ratifies new BF Goodrich contract PITTSBURGH The United Steelworkers of America say about 34-hundred workers at BF Goodrich plants in Indiana and Alabama have approved a new contract.


Astros Lead Braves 8-3 After 8 Innings ATLANTA - Recovering from a stomach illness, Roger Clemens battled through seven innings as the Houston Astros faced the Atlanta Braves in the NL division series opener Wednesday.    Clemens (18-4) got into trouble early with walks, racking up six and loading the bases twice in three innings...


Powell #39;s Middle East mission COLIN Powell arrived in Israel last night for his first visit in 18 months, signalling a new push for Middle East peace following the death of the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.


Questions and answers about Trump #39;s bankruptcy filing The company that operates Donald J. Trump #39;s casinos has filed for bankruptcy protection, along with some related companies. Here are some questions and answers about what this means for Trump, his employees, gamblers and creditors:


Tuskegee-Benedict Football Game Postponed (AP) AP - Tuskegee University officials called off Saturday's football game with Benedict College because of Hurricane Ivan's impact on Alabama.


Dutch Snatch Hockey Win, Pakistan Stun Korea  ATHENS (Reuters) - Olympic champions the Netherlands  snatched another last-minute victory on Thursday in the men's  hockey tournament in Athens and Pakistan stunned Sydney silver  medallists South Korea 3-0 with fast-paced, attacking hockey.


Iraqis Angry, Distraught at Aid Worker #39;s Murder Iraqis reacted with anger and disbelief on Wednesday to news that British-Iraqi aid worker Margaret Hassan, who worked in Iraq for decades before being kidnapped a month ago, had been killed by her captors.


Morgan traded for  #39;Boys Bryant Some may see the Browns #39; straight-up trade of Quincy Morgan for Antonio Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys as an inconsequential swap of two disgruntled receivers.


Budapest, Free Practice 3 and 4: A tight battle in store The teams have just finished their final preparations for the race and qualifying, in much lower temperatures than yesterday.


Oregon trees head to Texas to cheer military families #39; holidays Oregon Christmas tree growers are shipping 1,300 donated trees to military families based at Fort Hood, Texas, industry officials said.


Raptors hand Utah first loss The Raptors posted a stunning victory against a previously undefeated opponent last night, but they lost one of their key players, possibly for a while.


Afghan vote count finally ends with Karzai a landslide winner (AFP) AFP - Afghanistan's protracted election vote count finally drew to a close with President Hamid Karzai the landslide victor, but an official declaration of his win still awaited the verdict of a fraud probe.


I #39;ll Give Them This One To battle your way down the interminable ramps leading to the exits at Yankee Stadium after Friday night #39;s game, you would have thought the days of a last-place finish in a 10-team league from 1966 were back to haunt us.


Rush rules himself out of race for Welsh job Ian Rush has ruled himself out of becoming the new Wales manager, instead opting to stay on as boss of English League Two side Chester City.


U.S. Stocks Flat as Oil Spikes Over  #36;51 (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. stocks were mostly flat on\Tuesday as record oil prices and economic data showing\slower-than-expected growth weighed on the markets.


'A Massive Experiment' In Voting On Nov. 2, some 6 million Washington-area voters will use touch-screen machines, a key test of a new technology that will play a major role in deciding what promises to be a very close presidential election. -washingtonpost.com


Colorado Rockies Team Report - October 1 (Sports Network) - The Colorado Rockies will try to play the role of spoiler this weekend when they take on the playoff-hopeful Houston Astros in a season- ending three-game series, starting tonight from Minute Maid Park.


Cendant buying Orbitz.com in \$1.25B deal Travel and hospitality company Cendant Corp. today announced plans to acquire online travel vendor Orbitz.com for approximately \$1.25 billion.


Molson #39;s O #39;Neill Promises to Address Options Concerns (Update3) Molson Inc. Chief Executive Officer Daniel O #39;Neill said he #39;ll provide investors with a positive #39; #39; response to their concerns over the company #39;s plan to let stock- option holders vote on its planned merger with Adolph Coors Co.


Cingular Reaches Agreement with Justice on AT amp;T Wireless Deal Cingular Wireless LLC, the joint venture between SBC Communications Inc. and BellSouth Corp., has reached an agreement with the US Department of Justice that will allow the companys proposed acquisition of AT amp;T Wireless to proceed on schedule.


Initial jobless claims up 10,000 in a week WASHINGTON - Initial unemployment claims rose last week for the first time in four weeks, boosted by more filings related to Hurricane Charley, a government report showed yesterday.


Corus Reports First-Ever Profit, Revives Bond Sales (Update6) Corus Group Plc, the UK #39;s biggest steelmaker, reported its first profit and revived plans to sell 500 million euros (\$608 million) of bonds to refinance debt after it benefited from higher steel prices and cost cuts.


Colombia OKs Extradition of Drug Kingpin Colombian President Alvaro Uribe late Monday authorized the extradition to the United States of drug kingpin Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, the president's spokesman said.


Car accident can't keep coach away SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Randy Hien has spent more than two decades managing Little League baseball, and he wasn't going to miss the Lincoln (R.I.) All-Stars team's trip to the Little League World Series, even though a recent car accident nearly killed him.


NHL owners, players are so far apart, some fear lockout could last <b>...</b> If men are from Mars and women are from Venus, where does that leave NHL officials and members of the NHL Players #39; Association?


US prudent on possible Japanese sanctions against North Korea (AFP) AFP - The United States backed Japan's efforts to resolve a dispute with North Korea over its abduction of Japanese nationals during the Cold War but stayed prudent about Tokyo's possible use of sanctions.


Weight ops linked to nerve damage A significant number of patients who have their stomachs stapled develop nerve damage in their extremities, research has found.


Tamada Makes his Mark Makoto Tamada took his third pole position of the season with a blistering lap late in final qualifying at Valencia today. The Camel Honda rider, who


Hostage drama: Demand met Baghdad - Iraqi authorities together with United States forces have decided to free one of only two high-profile women prisoners currently in American custody, a ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.


Special to ESPN.com After a big win over Florida State a strong case could be made that the Miami Hurricanes have an outstanding chance to reach the BCS championship in the Orange Bowl, and when you look at their schedule there is no reason to believe they will fail to make


Gonzales given triple-life sentence A Sydney student will spend the rest of his life in jail for the stabbing murders of his parents and sister in 2001. Sef Gonzales showed no emotion when Justice Bruce James told him in the Supreme Court in


Hefty savings on the Inova X1 Cash'n'Carrion Lots of torch for not much cash


Gatlin gun fires in a rage A FIERY backroom altercation with an athletics official just before the Olympic 100m final spurred Justin Gatlin to win gold out of anger in one of the fastest races in history.


Novell Posts Profit (Reuters) Reuters - Novell Inc.  on Thursday posted\a quarterly net profit, compared with a year-earlier loss, on\stronger sales of Linux operating software and a boost to\earnings from a weaker dollar.


Review:  #39;Mortal Kombat #39; Adds New Modes Few video games have outraged anti-violence advocates like  quot;Mortal Kombat, quot; which debuted in the arcades more than a decade ago.


Investing Big Money, Lending Their Fame Celebrities bolster investor interest in Prince George's County as more businesses chase the rising wealth of the black middle class.


New Trouble for Mike Tyson (New York- WABC, December 9, 2004 ) - Boxer Mike Tyson has had another run in with the law. Tyson was released yesterday after his arrest in Arizona.


NHS strikes money-saving IT deal The NHS has struck a discounted deal with computer giant Microsoft to renew its licence for desktop products. The Department of Health said the deal would save the NHS 330m on the current terms.


Amazon.com Web Site Resumes Operations (AP) AP - Amazon.com said that its Web site experienced slowdowns for much of the day Monday but was running normally by evening.


Pill 'may cut heart disease risk' The oral contraceptive pill may protect women from heart disease and some cancers, scientists suggest.


Row erupts as top Sharon aide says there will be no Palestinian <b>...</b> Ariel Sharon #39;s chief aide caused a political storm yesterday by claiming that the real purpose of the Israeli prime minister #39;s  quot;disengagement plan quot; was to freeze the peace process and prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, all with the blessing


Ferrari will miss F1 team meeting Team bosses will discuss their plans to cut costs in F1 including a proposal to cut testing to just ten days during the season for all teams.


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


Mickelson not giving up on award he wants Having captured the PGA Championship for his fifth victory of the season, Vijay Singh believes he has wrapped up player of the year awards barring an exceptional finish.


Iran atom stance firm TEHRAN As the European Union warned that it would not tolerate an Iran with nuclear weapons, its president, Mohammad Khatami, said Wednesday that the world must recognize its right to enrich uranium for power stations.


The Shape of Things to Come In 2015, an array of 4400 twelve meter fully steerable paraboloid radio dishes, called the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) is scheduled to be complete and operational.    Astrobiology Magazine -- The project plans are being developed by a consortium of institutions headed up by Cornell, and funded by the National Science Foundation among others...


Afghan militants extend hostage deadline Militants claiming to hold three UN workers in Afghanistan have extended a deadline until tonight to allow the government in Kabul and the UN to negotiate with them.


Grand Theft on the internet Games publisher Rockstar is on the warpath after pirates leaked a copy of its forthcoming PS2 game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the internet.


Sony To Pay \$82 Million in Patent Case Immersion filed a lawsuit against Sony Computer and Sony Computer Entertainment of America, claiming that the Japanese company used its game technology in the PlayStation game consoles without the company #39;s approval.


Halliburton Posts Loss on Asbestos Charge  HOUSTON (Reuters) - Halliburton Co. HAL.N , the world's  No. 2 oil field services company, on Tuesday posted a  third-quarter net loss as it took \$230 million in charges to  fund its asbestos liability.


Adobe does document security Electronic document giant Adobe Systems said that it was partnering with digital certificate company GeoTrust to provide technology that will allow documents that use Adobe #39;s popular PDF (Portable Document Format) to be digitally certified.


UPDATE 2-Qwest posts quarterly loss after SEC settlement Qwest Communications International Inc. (QN: Quote, Profile, Research) , the No. 4 US local telephone company, on Thursday reported a third-quarter loss as it settled


Leonard Forges Two Clear with Nine to Play at PGA  KOHLER, Wisconsin (Reuters) - American Justin Leonard  stayed on track for his second major title in the U.S. PGA  Championship final round on Sunday, moving two shots clear with  nine holes to play.


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Athens, Greece -- Debbie Ferguson carried the blue and yellow Bahamian flag during the parade of nations in the Olympic opening ceremony, then stood proudly Wednesday night as it flew in Olympic Stadium to honor her bronze medal in the 200 meters.


This week in Apple news Apple Computer introduced a slew of new machines as it gears up for the annual holiday-shopping season.


Cowboys Launching 24-Hour TV Network (AP) AP - The Dallas Cowboys Channel, a 24-hour cable network devoted to America's Team, will launch Sept. 8 and be available to more than 1.3 Comcast subscribers in Texas and adjoining states.


Microsoft ships updated Works Version 8 of the low-priced productivity package includes a stand-alone dictionary and a PowerPoint add-on.


AMD Introduces Low-Cost Net Access Device in India (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. chip maker Advanced Micro Devices\Inc.  has introduced a low-cost Internet access device\that could cost just a few hundred dollars, aimed at first-time\technology users in the developing world.


Grover #39;s making name with mane a huge mass of unruly brown locks perched upon his head that forced him to go up a helmet size -- or Purdue #39;s 4-0 start that has gotten him a little notoriety on campus.


Software Seeks Online Bargains Consumers in the United States are already spending record amounts of money online. One e-commerce company has a novel way to help Net shoppers hunt for bargains this holiday season.


Egypt Arrests Suspects in Taba Bombings Egyptian authorities have arrested five men they say carried out the bombings that killed at least 34 people earlier this month at seaside resorts on the Sinai Peninsula.


New Russian-US crew ready for launch to space station A Russian-US expedition will take off Thursday morning to the International Space Station (ISS) on asix-month mission, local media reported Wednesday.


Marion Jones wants BALCO founder to take lie detector Continuing efforts to clear her name that includes a \$25 million lawsuit filed this week against Victor Conte, Olympic sprinter Marion Jones on Thursday challenged the Bay Area Laboratory


US Struggles to Develop Auto Safety Analysis System US regulators have yet to complete an advanced system for fully analyzing crash data to identify defects four years after the deadly Firestone tire debacle prompted an overhaul of federal auto safety oversight, a government watchdog


US Economy: July New Home Sales Fall, Durable Goods Rise US new home sales in July fell 6.4 percent to a 1.134 million annual rate, the year #39;s slowest pace and a sign housing may provide less fuel for the economy in coming months.


MPs warn over rusty ship disposal Britain's old ships are being dismantled in "unacceptable" conditions in the developing world, an MPs' committee says.


Safire to Step Down as Times Columnist William Safire's column has appeared on the Op-Ed Page of The New York Times for more than 30 years.


Tycoon Puts Business Before Sport Multi-millionaire Malcolm Glazer is known as a shrewd investor whose love of sport is eclipsed by his canny business sense. Described by Forbes magazine as having an eye for value


Wal-Mart Profit Up, Raises Outlook  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT.N, the  world's biggest retailer, posted a 13 percent rise in quarterly  profit on Tuesday and raised its outlook and expectations for  holiday sales, saying the economy was improving.


Mozilla To Add Support For XForms, World Yawns It's ironic that Microsoft could help further cement its dominance in the browser market by joining its largest rival in an effort to support web standards.  nbsp;At the same time, that act would go a long way towards improving the web in general for developers and users alike.


Bayer Sells Plasma Unit to US Investors BERLIN - Bayer AG, the German drug and chemical company, has agreed to sell its plasma products business for \$590 million in cash and stock to the private US investment groups Cerberus Capital Management and Ampersand Ventures.


PalmSource to Port Palm OS on top of Linux Palm OS 6.0 (Palm OS Cobalt) hasn #39;t even seen the light of day on any device yet, nor is there any sign it will soon. All the same, PalmSource is steering its unused OS 6.0 onto the Linux platform.


Nigeria union calls second strike Nigeria's main trade union says it will hold a second general strike which could target oil production.


Starbucks to boost coffee prices in US You #39;ll soon be forking over an extra 11 cents for a gentrified java. Starbucks (SBUX) says it will raise the average price of its beverages by 11 cents at 4,500 stores in North America Oct.


Giants Sack Warner; Name Manning Starter New York Giants quarterback Kurt Warner is sacked by Arizona Cardinals Bertrand berry during the first quarter Sunday, Nov. 14, 2004 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.


EU, Iran to Meet Again on Nuclear Offer  VIENNA (Reuters) - French, British and German officials are  due to meet Iranian negotiators on Wednesday to discuss a  European proposal that Tehran scrap its uranium enrichment  program in exchange for nuclear technology.


Stocks to Watch on Wednesday, August 18  APPLIED MATERIALS INC. AMAT.O:


MyDoom spawns four small offshoots Four minor copies of the program surface, which some security experts believe indicates that a more lethal MyDoom may be on the way.


Latest BCS a feel-good for Cal, upset stomach for Utah That #39;s the summary of the latest BCS standings released on Monday. Cal made the most significant jump, up four spots to No. 4. If the season ended today, the Bears would be automatically qualified for an at-large BCS bowl berth, most likely the Rose.


Fallujah Delegation Suspends Peace Talks BAGHDAD, Iraq - A delegation from the insurgent stronghold Fallujah suspended peace talks with the government Thursday because of Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's "impossible" demand to hand over terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the city spokesman said.    Allawi warned Wednesday that Fallujah must surrender al-Zarqawi and other foreign fighters or face military attack...


Intel Doubles Cash Dividend and Authorizes Repurchase of 500 <b>...</b> SANTA CLARA, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Nov. 10, 2004 -- Intel Corporation today announced that its board of directors has approved a doubling of the quarterly cash dividend to 8 cents per share beginning


Iraq to Widen Arms-for-Cash Program BAGHDAD, 19 October 2004 - Buoyed by the apparent success of a Baghdad arms-for-cash program, Iraqs interim government yesterday announced plans to extend it to all of the country ahead of scheduled January elections.


Quick free angers Mourinho CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho said he was  quot;more than unhappy quot; after Arsenal striker Thierry Henry #39;s second goal was allowed to stand at Highbury today.


Cornell explores Mars Researchers at Cornell University are still sending messages to Mars giving instructions to the rover, Opportunity.  quot;Telling the rover how to point the cameras, and then how to take the images, what kind of


Lennar #39;s 3rd-Qtr Profit Rises 12, Boosts Estimates (Update1) Lennar Corp., the No. 3 US homebuilder by stock market value, said fiscal third-quarter profit rose 12 percent, higher than analysts estimated.


Former Eagles Coach Nick Skorich Dies (AP) AP - Nick Skorich, an NFL head coach in Cleveland and Philadelphia and the offensive line coach on the Eagles' 1960 championship team, has died at the age of 83.


Mexico, Japan sign free trade agreement Mexico and Japan signed an Economic Association Agreement (EAA) here on Friday aimed at promoting the gradual liberalization of trade between two countries.


A Tribute to Spam, the Meat A trip to Spamtown USA to check out a museum celebrating the canned pork product reminds us how Spam made an impact on world cuisine long before its name became synonymous with unwanted e-mail. Michelle Delio reports from Austin, Minnesota.


Sixers exercise Salmons #39; option PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) - Guard John Salmons had his fourth-year option exercised by the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, keeping him with the club through the 2005-06 season.


Update 2: Tokyo Stocks End Lower, Dollar Flat Tokyo stocks fell for a seventh straight session Monday amid concerns about rising oil prices. The dollar was flat against the Japanese yen.


Grapefruit Lowers Weight, Fights Cancer A grapefruit or two a day, along with a healthy diet, could help shrink widening waistlines. It might also cut smokers' risk for cancer as it inhibits a carcinogen in tobacco smoke.


House Dems Seek Election Inquiry Three congressmen are asking the General Accounting Office to investigate irregularities with voting machines during the presidential election, but they don't anticipate a change in election outcome. By Kim Zetter.


Smithfield Foods expects earnings of 50 to 52 cents per share SMITHFIELD, Va. Smithfield Foods Incorporated today forecast significantly higher earnings in the second quarter because of a 30 percent increase in live hog prices and improved pork processing margins in October.


Playboy to Feature Video Game Characters (AP) AP - Playboy is taking a chance on silicon instead of silicone. The October issue of the men's magazine features several video game characters posing in the nude  #151; images created by the game companies through detailed computer illustration.


Intel Invests in Mobile Wireless Broadband Intel is planning to invest heavily in Clearwire, a wireless broadband service provider. The technology at the heart of Clearwire #39;s service comes from its subsidiary NextNet, which makes a plug


Peru Photo Exhibit a Powerful Reminder (AP) AP - The walk through the decaying seaside mansion is a grim reminder of the political carnage that wracked Peru over two decades and killed nearly 70,000 people. The photos stare from peeling walls in a stark chronicle of the bloodbath.


Apple Falls After Analyst Cuts Rating (Reuters) Reuters - Apple Computer Inc. \shares fell about 4 percent on Friday after a Needham   Co.\analyst lowered his investment rating on the stock to "hold,"\saying much of the potential upside to the company's business\is reflected in the current stock price.


Public hostility to Iraq war at record levels: poll (AFP) AFP - Public distaste with the Iraq war in Britain has hit its worst-ever level, with fewer than a third of people thinking it is the right thing, an opinion poll said.


Kerry-Bush rules of engagement leave little room for debate (AFP) AFP - Officially the US presidential election is not a war, but Republicans and Democrats have drawn up what looks suspiciously like rules of engagement for the televised debates between George W. Bush and John Kerry.


Revenge Really Is Sweet, Study Shows Revenge feels sweet, and Swiss researchers said on Thursday they have the brain scans to prove it. In a study investigators said might


UN warns Sudan to stop violence The United Nations has warned the government in Sudan to end the violence happening in the African country. There has been loads of fighting in the western region of Darfur where more than a million people have fled their homes and thousands are dying.


Family, Friends Mourn a Soldier and a Poet  The last day Christina DiPasquale saw her best friend, he gave her Gabriel Garcia Marquez's autobiography, "Living to Tell the Tale." Since it was the first of a trilogy, he told her, he would have to come back from Iraq to give her the rest of the story.


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


Pentagon Revives Memory Project The Department of Defense is handing out contracts for a project to record what soldiers see and do in battle zones. The new initiative closely resembles another, called LifeLog, that the Pentagon scrapped months ago. By Noah Shachtman.


Appleby breaks 70 to lead in Sun City Stuart Appleby got his putter working to score a 69 and take the lead at 5-under-par after the second round of the Sun City Golf Challenge in South Africa on Friday.


Mass. Firm Offers Lifetime Phone Service for \$999  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For customers who either love to  plan ahead or hate monthly bills, a small Massachusetts  telecommunications firm has launched a \$999 offer of unlimited  Internet-based telephone service for life.


Karzai maintains lead in early Afghan vote count (AFP) AFP - President Hamid Karzai maintained his early lead in Afghanistan's election after just over eight percent of the ballots had been counted, the election commission said.


Experts Urge Action as U.S. Lines Up for Flu Shots (Reuters) Reuters - Concerned health officials began\investigating what went wrong at a British vaccine plant where\half the U.S. flu shots were made, while Americans jostled for\now-scarce immunizations on Friday.


Marsh  amp; McLennan Says Five Executives Leave Board (Update2) Marsh  amp; McLennan Cos., the insurance broker sued by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer last month, said five company executives stepped down from the board.


Amgen Net Down, Adjusted Earnings Rise  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Amgen Inc. AMGN.O, the world's  biggest biotechnology company, on Wednesday said quarterly net  profit fell on acquisition charges but adjusted earnings rose  21 percent on strong sales of its drugs for anemia and  arthritis.


No. 1 Deacons Take On Providence Wednesday Night Television: ESPN2. Dave O #39;Brien (play-by-play), Len Elmore (color analysis) and Stacey Dales-Schuman (sidelines) call the action.


Dude, Where's My Resale Value? Detroits big rebates and interest-free financing deals have strengthened car sales for the last three years. But they have also eroded the resale value of many American automotive brands.


Blunkett battles nanny #39;s new visa allegations LONDON: Beleaguered British Home Secretary David Blunkett faces damaging new claims he fast-tracked a second visa for his lover #39;s nanny to visit a sister in Austria.


Playoff Series Quickly Turns Against Twins (AP) AP - The Minnesota Twins were in great shape just two days ago. Now they're on the brink of being eliminated by the New York Yankees for the second straight year.


In Harry #39;s game, everyone has to stick to the rules THERE is nothing more self-righteous than a modern paparazzo with a split lip, garnered in the course of his slightly weird trade.


Hubble Peers Inside a Celestial Geode Hubble Space Telescope -- In this unusual image, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captures a rare view of the celestial equivalent of a geode  a gas cavity carved by the stellar wind and intense ultraviolet radiation from a hot young star.    Real geodes are baseball-sized, hollow rocks that start out as bubbles in volcanic or sedimentary rock...


Gateway Narrows Loss Gateway (GTW:NYSE - news - research) narrowed its loss and beat Wall Street #39;s bottom-line expectations for the quarter ending in September.


Humana shows improvement in third quarter Humana Inc. reported third-quarter net income of \$84.3 million, or 52 cents per share, up from \$62.1 million, or 38 cents per share, a year earlier.


Pakistan Says It Has Foiled Terror Plots Pakistan has arrested at least five al-Qaida-linked terrorists who were plotting suicide attacks on government leaders and the US Embassy, officials announced Saturday.


Memphis Signs Gasol to Multi-Year Deal (AP) AP - Pau Gasol has been in the NBA for three seasons. That's been long enough for the 7-foot Spaniard to realize he wants to keep working with Jerry West and Hubie Brown.


Local media confirm Woods marriage BARBADOS, West Indies -- Tiger Woods married his Swedish girlfriend Elin Nordegren at a ceremony on the Caribbean island of Barbados, local media reported.


Vote Counting Begins in Afghan Election KABUL, Afghanistan - Interim leader Hamid Karzai took an early lead as vote counting began in Afghanistan's landmark presidential election, after allegations of ballot-box stuffing, voter intimidation and multiple voting forced five days of delay.    The tally was halted Friday so the 1,000 Afghans on the counting staff could have the day off to celebrate the start of Ramadan, the Islamic fasting month...


Golds all round for Athens from IOC chief ATHENS, Greece -- Olympic supremo Jacques Rogge today offered gold medals all round to Athens for organising a superb Olympics after years of doom and gloom leading up to the opening.


White House Silent on Bremer Troop Request WASHINGTON - The White House refused to say Tuesday whether the top U.S. civilian official in Iraq after Saddam Hussein's ouster had asked the president for more troops to deal with the rapid descent of postwar Iraq into chaos...


Microsoft Sues Spammers over Porn E-Mails Laws require that sexually oriented solicitations be marked with a label warning users of the content in both the subject line and the initially viewable area of the message.


US #39;s Snow-dollar to remain top reserve currency DES MOINES, Iowa, Aug 20 (Reuters) - High foreign ownership of US debt is  quot;a healthy situation quot; and the dollar will remain the world #39;s preferred reserve currency, Treasury Secretary John Snow said on Friday.


Dive! Dive! Dive! Next fall, a team will venture to the Mariana Trench to drop a remotely operated camera system 7 miles down to the bottom of the deepest spot on Earth. Here are some milestones on the voyage to the bottom of the sea. By Michael Menduno from Wired magazine.


Netflix, TiVo to Develop Internet Movie Product  NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Online DVD rental service  Netflix Inc. NFLX.O and digital video recorder maker TiVo  Inc. TIVO.O on Thursday said they would jointly develop a  product to download movies over the Internet that could mark a  revolution in home entertainment.


NFL Game Summary - Cincinnati at New England Foxboro, MA (Sports Network) - Tom Brady went 18-of-26 for 260 yards with two touchdowns to lead New England to a 35-28 win over Cincinnati at Gillette Stadium.


Italian Police Make Arrests in Mob Raids (AP) AP - Italian police raided scores of homes in the Naples area Tuesday and arrested 52 suspected mobsters, the largest single offensive in the state's bid to end a bloody organized crime war that has terrified this southern Italian city.


Wall Street Plays Party Host The Republican National Convention, which opens Monday at Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan, is being bankrolled and feted to an extraordinary degree by the financial services behemoths that are concentrated at the island's southern tip.


Teen bullies take to cyber terror A graphic account of how bullies use the medium to harass their victims featured in The New York Times on Thursday. Eighth-grade student Amanda Marcuson reported some classmates to authorities at her new school


Death toll from tropical storm is nearly 600 in Haiti Rescuers pulled bodies from floodwaters yesterday that raged through parts of Haiti #39;s third-largest city, sweeping people from their homes and driving survivors into trees, atop cars and onto rooftops after Tropical Storm Jeanne.


Linux Server Sales Hit a New High For the first time, sales top \$1 billion in one quarter, researcher says.


Millennium International Tennis Championships Greg Rusedski, has booked himself a place in the quarter finals at Delray Beach in Florida after his straight sets 6-3, 6-4 win over Matias Boeker.


Moody #39;s may cut HCA #39;s rating deeper into junk Moody #39;s Investors Service on Wednesday said it may cut its bond ratings on HCA Inc. (HCA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) deeper into junk, citing the hospital operator #39;s plan to buy back about \$2.


Cisco offers IP connector for Microsoft CRM Cisco Systems this week said it had co-developed with Microsoft an application that helps small and medium-sized businesses connect Microsoft #39;s customer relation management


1572 AD Explosion Supports Supernova Theory Hubble Space Telescope -- An international team of astronomers is announcing today that they have identified the probable surviving companion star to a titanic supernova explosion witnessed in the year 1572 by the great Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe and


Taiwan accuses US of betrayal Taiwan accused the United States of a breach of trust after US Secretary of State Colin Powell in Beijing voiced support for cross-straits reunification.


Emulex Debuts 4-Gbps Fibre Channel Silicon Emulex Corp. unveiled Tuesday its new FibreSpy switch-on-a-chip SOC 804 family of embedded storage for OEM customers looking to build to the new 4-gigabit Fibre Channel standard.


Cink still afloat AKRON -- What #39;s already been a great week for Stewart Cink could get even better today if he can finish the job he started Thursday in the \$7 million NEC Invitational at Firestone Country Club.


Lilly forecasting strong 2005 Eli Lilly and Co. said its strategy of staying independent and plowing money into research should pay off in 2005, with profits expected to jump 8 percent to 12 percent over 2004 and nine new drugs in advanced human testing.


Germany Cuts D.Telekom Stake  FRANKFURT/LONDON Oct 11 (Reuters) - Germany sold a 6.3  percent stake in phone operator Deutsche Telekom on Monday,  raising up to 4.5 billion euros (\$5.6 billion) to help it curb  a burgeoning budget deficit.


Mondonico sacked at Fiorentina Fiorentina have sacked manager Emiliano Mondonico after the newly-promoted side #39;s poor start to the season and comes just months atfer he was hailed as a hero for returning them to the top flight.


Science prize celebrates fish flatulence, hula hoops Winners of "Ig Nobel" Prize say herring "talk" via flatulence. But wouldn't saying "excuse me" lock them into a never-ending cycle?


MG Rover to pass into Chinese hands The Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) will pump an estimated 1 billion-plus into the company in exchange for a majority share, if the Chinese Government gives the go-ahead in the New Year.


A wounded Tiger stays in the game Tiger Woods pursed his lips and cursed under his breath as he stood over his first tee shot, feeling spasms in his back and knowing the sharp pain that was coming with each shot.


Joy, fear in air as election nears As one of the thousands of food-ration agents who are entrusted with handing out voter registration forms in Iraq, Fadhil Muhsen Salom has a feel for the mood of his Shiite


Research In Motion Ends Bumpy Week The roller coaster ride continues for investors in Research in Motion (RIMM:Nasdaq - news - research). The wireless company #39;s stock fell nearly 12 on Friday to \$77.


Karzai leading in Afghanistan elections Early returns Friday from Afghanistan #39;s first presidential election put incumbent President Hamid Karzai in the lead, the Financial Times reported Friday.


Liquid Machines to acquire e-mail company In a sign of continued consolidation among security firms, Lexington, Massachusetts-based Liquid Machines Inc. on Monday plans to announce the acquisition of San Francisco-based Omniva Inc.


AMD Unleashes Athlon 64 FX-55 Processor The AMD Athlon 64 processor 4000, also announced today, provides businesses and consumers with world-class performance and enables a more secure computing environment.


Van Nistelrooy charged by FA (AFP) AFP - Manchester United's Dutch international striker Ruud van Nistelrooy was charged with serious foul play by the Football Association (FA).


Millions of Indonesians Vote in Landmark Election  JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesians voted on Monday in a  landmark election expected to remove President Megawati  Sukarnoputri and install an ex-general who has vowed firmer  leadership in fighting terror and boosting the economy.


Paris set to release Arafat file The French government says it will release the medical files of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to his next of kin.


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


NBA stars face formidable challengers Winning a gold medal would ease the sting of two Olympic qualifying defeats for the United States team of NBA stars. But their path to defending the throne is a rocky one, with unbeaten Spain coming up first


Serena out to salvage some lost pride AFTER losing to Maria Sharapova in the Wimbledon final, Serena Williams will get a chance to redeem some of her lost pride when she takes on the Russian teenager in the final of the season-ending WTA Tour Championships.


Dogged Astros Refocus Eyes on Texas The pitching coach who has been in professional baseball for 40 years thought the ball was too low. The relief pitcher who has been on major league mounds for more than a decade feared it would bounce on the plate.


BUSH #39;S MIDDLE EAST SETBACK FOR BLAIR GEORGE Bush yesterday snubbed Tony Blair #39;s bid to kick-start the Middle East peace process. In his congratulation message to the newly re-elected US president, Blair called


Target Is the Target Eddie Lampert is looking for Target-type valuations in the merger of Kmart and Sears.


Leeds: No deal yet Leeds United #39;s board have asked for proof of funding after considering a 25million takeover deal headed by Sebastian Sainsbury.


Big Blue Breaks Price Barrier With Linux Lineup IBM today released an entry-level Power5-based server tuned for Linux, the eServer OpenPower 720 -- an alternative to the higher priced HP and Sun entry-level Unix and Linux systems.


All terror attacks use false passports, claims Interpol chief Please buy my international lost and stolen database


Quakes keep playoff hopes alive The game drew a crowd of 25,311 to give San Jose an average attendance of 13,001, its best Spartan Stadium attendance since 1999. In other games, Jovan Kirovski scored two goals to lead


Oil Rises on Nigeria, Norway Disruptions; OPEC May Curb Output Crude oil rose from a three-month low on disruptions to supply from Nigeria and Norway and after OPEC members said they may need to cut output after prices plunged.


In brief: Han wins another title at Golden Gloves event El Paso #39;s Jennifer Han won her fourth national championship at the National Golden Gloves boxing tournament Saturday in Chicago, earning a decision against Jennifer Barber of California in their 125-pound title bout.


Fairchild Sales Not as Bad as Had Thought  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fairchild Semiconductor International  Inc. on Wednesday said it now expects fourth-quarter sales to  be down about 5 percent from the third quarter, compared with  its previous forecast for a drop of 5 percent to 10 percent.


Investment Group Raises Bid for Shipper  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Buyout firm Fortress Investment Group  on Monday raised its offer for Stelmar Shipping Ltd. SJH.N by  about 4 percent to \$703 million, but Stelmar's founder said he  still intends to vote against the deal.


Judge weighs airline #39;s request for 23-percent pay cut ALEXANDRIA, Va. A federal bankruptcy judge is weighing whether to grant US Airways #39; request to impose 23-percent pay cuts on its workers to shore up its financial position while it reorganizes.


Canada's Biotech Sector Ready to Grow Up?  TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's biotech sector may finally be  on the road to a sustained recovery after a series of  short-lived remissions.


Yankees: Giambi mum on Pituitary tumor report Jason Giambi declined comment on a report in yesterday #39;s New York Daily News that indicated the Yankees first baseman has been receiving treatment for a benign tumor on his pituitary gland.


Longhorn Server to have one version for many roles SAN FRANCISCO - Microsoftwill let customers configure the next major release of Windows Server for specific server tasks, rather than selling a host of different Windows Server Longhorn editions tailored to those tasks, a company executive said Friday.


Peak Downloads For Firefox Slows Mozilla Site Firefox 1.0- Mozilla Foundation #39;s first product aimed at users looking for an alternate browser, has met with an overwhelming response from users worldwide.


Birding Column: Scrub Jays' Peanut Feeding Frenzy Birdman of Bel Air Michael Tekulsky shares stories about the feeding habits of scrub jays, birds that will voraciously dine on acorns, peanuts, bread, cheese #151;even tortilla chips.


Sun to offer new Solaris as 'open-source' software It cost Sun Microsystems \$5 billion to develop Solaris, a powerful computer operating system used by governments and giant corporations worldwide. But in a concession to the radical new economics of computer software, Sun will distribute the latest version of Solaris free of charge, to anyone who wants a copy.


Forecaster says nation #39;s luck ran out with this year #39;s hurricane <b>...</b> MIAMI The nation #39;s top hurricane forecaster says this year #39;s deadly storm season was a case of the nation #39;s luck running out -- adding that future years will likely bring more frequent and more powerful storms.


Fuel Leak Scrubs Lockheed Atlas Florida Launch About 11,000 gallons of rocket fuel spilled during fueling of a Lockheed Martin Atlas 2 rocket on Saturday, forcing a one-day delay in the launch of the rocket carrying a classified


Asian Stocks Gain as Bush Leads Count; AU Optronics, CNOOC Rise Asian stocks rose after President George W. Bush led John Kerry in vote counting in the US presidential election. Exporters such as Samsung Electronics Co.


Novell posts 3rd-quarter profit, revenue rises Novell Thursday posted a quarterly profit as revenue rose, but the company warned that spending on information technology by companies remained weak.


Ogden Signs 7-Year Contract With Ravens (AP) AP - All-Pro left tackle Jonathan Ogden signed a new seven-year contract Thursday with the Baltimore Ravens.


Critics, supporters prepare for U.S. e-voting WASHINGTON - Voting security advocates in the U.S. are bracing for a repeat of problems in the upcoming general election that could rival Florida during the 2000 presidential race.


IAEA concludes second investigation in S. Korea Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) left here Sunday after concluding a week-long investigation into South Korea #39;s past controversial nuclear experiments.


Microsoft rules out PeopleSoft bid This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been improving or obtaining CRM and ERP software for the past year and a half. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has ruled out acting as the white knight for business software


Virgin 'seeking Indian airline' Richard Branson says his Virgin Group is talking to a number of Indian airlines about taking a 49 stake in some carriers.


Verizon and Sprint to Cut Fee For Transferring Cell Numbers Verizon and Sprint wireless customers will get a small break on their bills soon. The companies have decided to eliminate or reduce a 40-cent-per-line monthly charge imposed to allow customers


MLB, D.C. Talk Major League Baseball negotiators held day-long sessions with District officials Tuesday and toured RFK Stadium as part of efforts to find a new home for the Montreal Expos.


Yankees bolster bullpen The New York Yankees began reshaping their roster yesterday, sending outfielder Kenny Lofton and more than \$1.5 million to the Philadelphia Phillies for setup man Felix Rodriguez and also reacquiring Mike Stanton from the Mets.


NASCAR Green-Flags Liquor Sponsors The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) on Nov. 10 said it #39;s lifting its decades-long, self-imposed ban on liquor sponsorships.


Reynolds CFL #39;s top performer CBC SPORTS ONLINE - For the first time in three weeks, someone other than Saskatchewan running back Kenton Keith has captured CFL offensive player of the week honours.


HBOS fury as EU backs Santander #39;s Abbey bid HBOS, THE Halifax and Bank of Scotland group that is considering whether to make a bid for Abbey National, yesterday reacted furiously to a statement from Mario Monti


Big Fish, Little Fish Battle Over the Amazon's Bounty A symbol of abundance to the rest of the world, the Amazon is experiencing a crisis of overfishing.


EU nominee in single mothers row A controversial EU commission nominee sparks a new row by allegedly saying single mums are "not so good".


Irish Claim 2nd Title Notre Dame goalkeeper Erika Bohn seals the Irish's second NCAA championship with a save in penalty kicks to lift them to a 4-3 victory over North Carolina on Sunday.


DaimlerChrysler Operating Profit Rises (Reuters) Reuters - DaimlerChrysler's (DCXGn.DE)\third-quarter operating profit rose 7 percent, just below\analyst expectations, as gains at U.S. arm Chrysler helped\offset weaker earnings at premium carmaker Mercedes.


Artist Barney Looks to Brazilian Gods in New Film

 By Fernanda Ezabella

 SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - Matthew Barney haschoreographed dancing girls, filmed a demolition derby insidethe Chrysler Building and dressed up like Harry Houdini all inthe name of art.


MSN Desktop Search Debuts With the launch this week of new toolbars, Microsoft wants to make it as easy to find lost files on your desktop as it is to search the Web.


Moss Doubtful for Sunday's Game Vs. Jaguars (Reuters) Reuters - Minnesota Vikings\wide receiver Randy Moss is listed as doubtful for Sunday's\game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a right hamstring\injury.


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


Boeing signs first domestic 7E7 customer as SEC probes pension <b>...</b> Boeing on Thursday said regulators are seeking information on its pension-fund accounting, the same day it announced it landed its first domestic order for its new 7E7 aircraft from a carrier that #39;s far from a household name.


WestJet Estimates Cut on Load Factor Woes  MONTREAL (Reuters) - Analysts chopped their fourth-quarter  profit estimates for WestJet Airlines Ltd. WJA.TO on  Wednesday and braced for turbulence in its share price, mainly  because of computer woes that hurt its online reservations  bookings.


Massive Asteroid to Pass Earth Earth is about to gets its closest brush this century with a massive asteroid, a hurtling space rock astronomers say is big enough to cause global devastation if it were to collide with the planet.


Siebel and T-Systems Pair in Europe (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - Siebel Systems (Nasdaq: SEBL) and Deutsche Telekom's (NYSE: DT) T-Systems have announced an agreement under which T-Systems will market and deliver hosted CRM software to companies in Germany and eight other European countries starting in February 2005.


Arsenal confident Vieira OK for Man Utd Arsenal are confident captain Patrick Vieira will be fit for Sunday #39;s showdown with Manchester United. Boss Arsene Wenger said Vieira only had a 20-80 chance of facing United, but the player has responded


Sox reach agreement with Clement The Red Sox have reached agreement with free agent pitcher Matt Clement yesterday on a three-year deal that will pay him around \$25 million, his agent confirmed yesterday.


Firefox browser sees surge in use A sudden, measurable decline in market share in any product over the course of a few months says something, even if that product is one whose producer still holds about 90 of the market in question.


IBM to commercialize Blue Gene supercomputer NOVEMBER 08, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Fresh from setting a record for performance among supercomputers just a few days ago, IBM today announced it is making a commercial version of its Blue Gene system available for businesses and scientific researchers.


Nastase and Basescu in close finish in Romanian presidential vote BUCHAREST (AFP) - Romania #39;s presidential election ended in suspense as exit polls disagreed on whether Prime Minister Adrian Nastase had won narrowly or tied with his centre-right rival Traian Basescu.


Militants slaughter 11 Iraqi soldiers abducted south of Baghdad <b>...</b> Insurgents slaughtered 11 Iraqi soldiers, beheading one, then shooting the others execution-style, and declared on an Islamic militant Web


Auburn, Alabama games will be played as scheduled Officials at both schools decided Friday morning to go ahead with their home football games. They had considered postponing the games because of the damage left behind by Hurricane Ivan.


Cubans queue to ditch US dollars Long queues have formed in Cuba as people rush to hand over US dollars, soon to be banned.


Oldsmobile: The final parking lot Why General Motors dropped the Oldsmobile. The four brand  paradoxes GM had to face - the name, the product, image re-positioning, and the consumer - all added up to a brand that had little hope of rebranding.


You Da Groom!!! Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren were married last week at a golf resort in Barbados. Strange ceremony. Twice, they had to stop the procession for a ruling by David Fay.


Italian police fear Naples mob war chiefs hold emergency meetings over how to combat a mob turf battle in the southern Italian city. were the latest victims of a struggle for control a multi-billion dollar trade in drugs, arms and prostitution.


SBC to Launch Local Internet-Based Calling in 2005 SBC Communications (SBC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) will introduce an Internet-based calling service for its local telephone customers early next year and will consider offering the service nationally later, the company said on


Mourning plays for first time since kidney transplant Playing in an NBA game for the first time since a kidney transplant was like riding a bike for Alonzo Mourning. Once he was on the court, the veteran center looked like he had never left.


FRITO-LAY dumps jobs Downriver economic development officials geared up Thursday to deal with the latest blow to area manufacturing workers, the closing of the Frito-Lay plant in Allen Park with its loss of nearly 400 jobs.


Bank of America plans to cut 4,500 jobs Bank of America Corp., which operates 25 branches in San Antonio, plans to cut about 2.5 percent, or 4,500 jobs, from its work force.


Wal-Mart Holds Sales View (Reuters) Reuters - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. , the\world's largest retailer, said on Saturday it still anticipates\September U.S. sales to be up 2 percent to 4 percent at stores\open at least a year.


Hong Kong Emerge as Dominant Force in Fencing  ATHENS (Reuters) - A third gold medal for Chui Yee Yu  rounded off a rewarding day for Hong Kong at the Paralympics as  they emerged as the dominant force in wheelchair fencing.


Retirees Return to the Grind, but This Time It's on Their Own Terms Some companies are trying to rework policies in order to rehire retired professionals who want to return to work on a limited basis.


NBA Wrap: Heat Downs Cavaliers, 92-86 MIAMI (Sports Network) - Shaquille O #39;Neal made his home debut, but once again it was Dwyane Wade stealing the show with 28 points as the Miami Heat downed the Cleveland Cavaliers, 92-86, in front of a record crowd at AmericanAirlines Arena.


Apple intros Photo iPod, U2 iPod (MacCentral) MacCentral - At a special music event on Tuesday, Apple took the wraps off the iPod Photo, a color iPod available in 40GB or 60GB storage capacities. The device will automatically synchronize music and photos on both Macs and PCs. Apple is shipping the new iPod Photo today for U #36;499 or  #36;599 depending on capacity. Also introduced today is a special iPod U2, a black-clad 20GB model coming in mid-November for  #36;349. It comes with a red Click Wheel and a custom engraving of U2 band member signatures. More details about both new iPods will be posted shortly.


Iceland's Baugur bids for UK firm Shares in discount retailer Big Food Group rise more than 11 as the owner of the Iceland frozen food chain reveals it is in bid talks.


Follow-Through (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Last year's FORBES E-Gang (see p. 144 for this year's group) featured five luminaries in the field of wireless communication. Two of our picks have left their jobs, while three are steaming ahead.


Iran Says It Tested 'Strategic Missile' TEHRAN, Iran - Iran added a "strategic missile" to its military arsenal after a successful test, and the defense minister said Saturday his country was ready to confront any external threat.    The report by state-run radio did not say whether the test involved the previously announced new version of the Shahab-3 rocket, capable of reaching Israel and U.S...


Apple Releases Mac OS X Security Patches (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - The update fixes about eight vulnerabilities, including an image file problem and printing and networking holes.


CORKY: \$500K job and no one checked his rap sheet? Front office management - make that mismanagement - of the Arizona Diamondbacks has now provided for the franchise and its adoring public the fourth trail boss since the 2004 season began.


MS to launch final Windows Media Player 10 today Microsoft will announce the final version of its Windows Media 10 software today when it launches Windows XP Media Center 2005. Central to the announcement is Windows Media Player 10, which integrates MS #39; latest


DoubleClick Signs on MSN to Use Its Rich Media Ads (Reuters) Reuters - A top executive for Web marketing\company DoubleClick (DCLK.O) on Tuesday said Microsoft Corp's\(MSFT.O) MSN Web portal will use its rich media ads online,\paving the way for wider use of a key DoubleClick  product.


BioVeris Files Delayed Annual Report BioVeris Corp. filed its delayed annual report with the Securities and Exchange Commission Monday, only days before a scheduled hearing by the Nasdaq Stock Market on whether to delist the Gaithersburg biotechnology company for failing to report earnings. -The Washington Post


Friday #39;s Golf Capsules Fred Funk and tour rookie Zach Johnson had near perfect outings Friday to share a one-stroke lead in the Buick Championship after two rounds.


A scandal years in the making unfolds Baseball #39;s steroid scandal could be seen coming six years ago. The Olympics have feared the one unfolding now for two decades.


Clashes in Ramadi as US Troop Reinforcements Arrive in Iraq RAMADI, Iraq, Nov 1 (MASNET  amp; News Agencies) - Violence flared in the flashpoint city of Ramadi as nearby Fallujah braced for an all-out assault with fresh US and Iraqi troops massing in the rebel heartlands.


Disney's Eisner Sees Iger as Successor  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive  Michael Eisner said company President Robert Iger is his  "preferred choice" to succeed him in running the entertainment  conglomerate, according to an interview in Sunday's Los Angeles  Times.


US troops on offensive in Iraq US troops went on the offensive overnight against insurgent strongholds west of Baghdad, pounding militant positions from the air and supporting Iraqi soldiers in raids on mosques suspected of harbouring extremists.


Souness appointed Newcastle manager The 51-year-old Scot has been given the St James #39; Park job after his predecessor was shown the door following a poor run of results.


BEA Rolls Out WebLogic Server 9.0 for SOA SAN FRANCISCOBEA Systems Inc. took advantage of the proximity of Oracle Corp. #39;s OpenWorld conference here this week to introduce BEA WebLogic Server 9.0, which is designed to allow developers to rapidly


KMart at New High; Price Target Raised (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of Kmart Holding Corp. \hit an all-time high on Tuesday after an analyst raised his\price target on the stock to  #36;101 from  #36;85 a share.


Voq Pro smart phone Reg review A great idea - just a year too late?


Court Quashes Government #39;s Case Against Oracle Let the bidding begin! A federal judge Thursday rejected a government attempt to block Oracle #39;s proposed takeover of rival PeopleSoft.


Scientists Say Mauna Loa Volcano May Soon Erupt KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) -- Earthquakes have been rumbling more frequently deep beneath Mauna Loa, suggesting that the world's largest volcano is getting ready to erupt for the first time in 20 years, scientists said.    "We don't believe an eruption is right around the corner, but every day that goes by is one day closer to that event," said Paul Okubo, a seismologist at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on the Big Island...


ADV: \$150,000 Mortgage for Under \$690/Month Mortgage rates are at record lows. Save \$1000s on your mortgage payment. Free quotes.


India posts 7.4 gain in growth BANGALORE, India India #39;s economy expanded by a more-than-expected 7.4 percent in the April-to-June quarter, buoyed by strong growth in manufacturing and services, the government announced on Thursday.


Players discuss tougher testing policy Phoenix -- Baseball #39;s union leaders, facing calls from some of its members to crack down on steroids, will discuss changing its drug-testing policy today after reports of Barry Bonds #39; and Jason Giambi #39;s explosive grand jury testimony in the BALCO case.


Germany Says Thwarts Attack on Iraq PM, 3 Arrested (Reuters) Reuters - German police arrested three Iraqis in a\series of raids on Friday and the federal prosecutor said he\believed they were planning an attack on visiting Iraqi Prime\Minister Iyad Allawi.


Scientists hope to find more tiny hominids SYDNEY: Australian scientists who found a new species of hobbit-sized humans who lived about 13,000 years ago on an Indonesian island yesterday said they expect to discover more new species of hominids on neighbouring islands.


Mac OS X: Best Unix Desktop Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols writes for eWeek,  #147;GNOME is nice, KDE is fine and the forthcoming Looking Glass may be wonderful, but the best Unix desktop is the one in the Macintosh. #148; Oct 14


Colombian golfer leads US Amateur qualifying MAMARONECK, NY (AP)  Oscar Alvarez of Colombia shot a 3-under-par 67 for the first-round lead at the US Amateur on Monday. Alvarez, a junior at BYU, had five birdies and two bogeys on the 6,775-yard East course at Winged Foot Golf Club, and was the ...


Harvard: Never give up Brown University coach Phil Estes was feeling uncomfortable yesterday despite his team's 21-point lead over Harvard in their Ivy League opener.


Update 1: FCC OKs Rules for Local Phone Competition Federal regulators narrowly approved rules Wednesday that phase out many of the government-mandated discounts the four major regional telephone companies must give rivals to encourage them to compete for local service customers.


Stocks Dive on Morgan Stanley, Oil Reports NEW YORK - Stocks tumbled Wednesday as investors saw a surge in oil prices and disappointing earnings from Morgan Stanley as a reason to collect profits from gains of the last month. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 135 points, and all three major indexes saw their biggest losses since early August...


OPEC consensus emerging to cut oil over-production CAIRO (AFP) - OPEC oil producers appeared set to agree on a reduction in crude output by stepping up quota compliance to thwart a feared drop in prices as global energy demand slows next year.


Milosevic takes back seat as first defence witness on stand (AFP) AFP - Former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic was forced to take a back seat at his trial for genocide and war crimes as lawyers imposed on him by a UN tribunal examined his first defence witness.


SunGard to spin off its disaster business SunGard, which provides software and services to top financial companies, said Monday that it would spin off its disaster data recovery business into a separate publicly traded company through a tax-free distribution of shares.


Indonesia Votes For Change As Ex-general On Track For Landslide <b>...</b> JAKARTA (AFP) - Indonesia cast an emphatic vote for change in a landmark poll which saw incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri headed for defeat at the hands of a former general who has promised better security and economic reform.


Nortel Further Delays Release of Financial Statements Nortel Networks said the further delay in its release of financial information will  quot;permit the resolution of focused revenue reporting issues and remaining accounting matters identified by Nortel management.


Ovitz: Eisner Blocked Plans for Disney Michael Ovitz, Walt Disney Co.'s former president, testified Tuesday that he was undercut a number of times by Disney Chief Executive Michael Eisner as he tried to expand the entertainment giant's business.


Martha ink expert acquitted The former head of the US Secret Service #39;s forensic lab was acquitted Tuesday on two counts of lying repeatedly on the stand as the gvernment #39;s ink expert at the Martha Stewart trial.


Brazil tribe prove words count When it comes to counting, a remote Amazonian tribespeople have been found to be lost for words. Researchers discovered the Piraha tribe of Brazil, with a population of 200, have no words beyond one, two and many.


Bryant say O'Neal paid women hush money to keep silent (AFP) AFP - Shaquille O'Neal paid various women hush money to keep quiet about sexual encounters, Kobe Bryant told law enforcement officers in Eagle, Colorado.


Iraq Group Says Kills Two Italian Women Hostages An Islamist group in Iraq said it had killed two female Italian hostages in a statement posted on an Internet site, but the women #39;s employers in Italy said on Thursday they had not given up hope.


Oxfam says 45 million children at risk if aid not provided The humanitarian agency, Oxfam, predicts that 45 million children will die in the next decade because rich countries have failed to meet their aid promises.


News of 10 new kidnaps increases gloom in Iraq MILITANTS in Iraq yesterday claimed they had kidnapped another ten people, dampening any optimism that the freeing of two Italian hostages might have marked a turning point in the hostage crisis.


Big Ben pressured, but responds Ben Roethlisberger knows he #39;s lived a charmed life. Of his first seven NFL victories, four of the games were at home. He #39;s worked with the lead so much that he only trailed for 14 minutes of the previous three games.


NASA chief O #39;Keefe resigns NASA administrator Sean O #39;Keefe on Monday resigned after three years in charge of the US space agency which included the Columbia shuttle disaster, a NASA spokesman said.


Ships stricken by Algerian storm Rescuers search for about 18 missing sailors after storms cause three shipwrecks, killing at least one sailor.


Arctic People Seek Tropical Team on Global Warming (Reuters) Reuters - Arctic peoples aim to team up with\tropical islanders in a campaign against global warming,\arguing that polar bears and palm-fringed beaches stand to\suffer most.


Paisley breaks with Dublin on IRA disarmament DUBLIN -- Northern Ireland's major Protestant party broke off relations with the Irish government yesterday after Prime Minister Bertie Ahern indicated he had accepted the IRA's refusal to provide photographs of disarmament.


Markets surge on Bush win Investors on Wednesday roared their approval for President Bush, and the absence of post-election rancor, with the Dow Jones industrial average closing up 101.


Gateway Shifts Back to Personal Computers
\

 By Franklin Paul

 NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gateway Inc. <GTW.N> on Monday said it\would return to its roots as a personal computer company,\backing off on an aggressive strategy of expanding into TVs,\digital cameras and other gadgets in a move to return to\profitability.


Marathon Mice Created to Run Farther Researchers have unveiled genetically engineered mice that can run farther and longer than their naturally bred brethren, bringing the genetic doping of elite athletes a small step closer to reality.


Stocks Near Flat, Starbucks, Techs Fall  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blue chips were near unchanged on  Thursday but technology stocks slipped, as a broker downgrade  on the semiconductor industry rattled investors, while  coffee-shop chain Starbucks SBUX.O disappointed with slowing  growth.


Lefty May to Padres in trade for Long With the rival Dodgers expressing interest in David Wells, the Padres yesterday traded for another left-handed starting pitcher, Darrell May, a move they said is unrelated to their attempts to re-sign Wells.


WTO OKs sanctions on US products In a trade dispute that could spread to one of Washington state #39;s biggest exports -- apples -- the World Trade Organization gave the go-ahead yesterday for punitive sanctions on US products.


LSU routs N. Texas, now is 8-0 NO. 1 LSU 77, NORTH TEXAS 51: At Baton Rouge, La. - Seimone Augustus scored 22 points on 11-for-11 shooting, leading Louisiana State (8-0) over North Texas (2-2) on Tuesday.


Ohio State RB Ross Suspended for Game Versus Indiana  COLUMBUS, Ohio (Sports Network) - Ohio State head football  coach Jim Tressel announced Friday that senior running back  Lydell Ross has been suspended for Saturday's home game against  Indiana.


Palestinian Militants Fire Rocket in Gaza (AP) AP - Palestinian militants fired three mortar shells and a homemade rocket toward Jewish settlements in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday, the army spokesman said.


Oil Rises for Fourth Day as Yukos May Reduce Exports to China Crude oil rose for a fourth day in New York after OAO Yukos Oil Co. said it will halt shipments to China #39;s biggest oil company because its bank accounts have been frozen in a tax dispute with the Russian government.


US industrial production rebounds in July WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Output at US factories, mines and utilities rose by 0.4 percent in July, nearly recovering from a 0.5 percent plunge in June, the Federal Reserve said on Tuesday.


Star Wars DVDs break sales record The DVDs of the original Star Wars trilogy break a UK sales record after one day of release.


PeopleSoft, RIM partner to deliver sales application (InfoWorld) InfoWorld - Research in Motion (RIM), the company that first pushed e-mail over wireless, is teaming up with PeopleSoft to offer corporate users PeopleSoft Enterprise Sales for BlackBerry, a sales application with similar push technology.


Enterprises shift from hardware leasing to purchasing As interest rates continue to climb, an increasing number of enterprise IT customers are shifting away from leasing to purchasing equipment such as laptops and PCs.


U.N. to Revisit Cloning Treaty This week the United Nations is scheduled to vote on a human cloning ban, and U.S. policy will play a big part in the outcome. By Kristen Philipkoski.


The Local Scene-Some local talk about Sears-Kmart merger Wednesday #39;s announcement that Kmart is acquiring Sears in an \$11 billion deal spawned a lot of questions and comments at the Rolla outlets of the two companies.


Greek jubilation no myth in  #39;Peg Despite sluggish ticket sales and a scandal involving their star athletes, members of Winnipeg #39;s Greek community are still thrilled Greece is hosting this year #39;s Olympic Games.  quot;There #39;s a lot of excitement, quot; said Chris Iacovidis, president of the Greek ...


Washington Mayor to Push Change in Baseball Bill  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington, D.C., Mayor Anthony  Williams will try to get financing for a Major League Baseball  stadium back on the city council agenda next week after the  council added a deal-breaking provision to the original bill,  the mayor's spokesman said on Thursday.


Rite Aid lowers financial projections for fiscal 2005 CAMP HILL, Pa. Rite Aid says it #39;s lowering its financial projections for the current fiscal year, citing slowing pharmacy sales and lower-than-expected reimbursement rates paid by insurance companies and other health plans.


Frances to cost \$3 billion to \$10 billion LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Hurricane Frances, the second hurricane to hit Florida in a month, will cost insurers between \$3 billion and \$10 billion, according to the most recent estimates from the industry #39;s leading catastrophe modeling firms.


Arizona, Stanford favored to share conference crown UCLA is placed third in the Pac-10 preseason women #39;s basketball media poll; Quinn a preseason all-conference pick. By Janie McCauley.


Countdown to Halo 2: Piracy is for Punks Downloading the pirated version of Halo 2 is a disservice to an honest team of creators. October 14, 2004 - Halo 2 is the Xbox game of the year.


GTA: San Andreas - an in-depth look There #39;s no use in arguing about it -- the Grand Theft Auto series for the PlayStation 2 is currently the driving force behind the video game industry.


News Corp posts 28 rise in profit RUPERT MURDOCHS News Corp media empire has posted a 28 per cent rise in quarterly profit as strong results in newspapers, broadcast and cable television countered weaker performances in its film and Italian pay-TV divisions.