Hostages plead: Lift headscarf ban Two French journalists kidnapped in Iraq have pleaded for Paris to meet their captors #39; demands and reverse a ban on Muslim headscarves for girls in public schools.


Polo Ralph Lauren #39;s Wholesale Gain It #39;s been a number of years since I headed out to college in New England and discovered the Polo Ralph Lauren (NYSE: RL) brand.


Tendulkar set to play in third test v Australia (Reuters) Reuters - Sachin Tendulkar is set to return for next week's third test against Australia in Nagpur after coming through a fitness check on Saturday.


Supercomputers Help With Hurricane Forecasting Thousands of miles from the rain and wind of Hurricane Ivan, a model of the storm swirls in the memory and processors of a supercomputer that can predict its likely course and strength.


3i's Gagen resigns Martin Gagen, who oversaw U.S. and Asia Pacific operations at 3i, resigns from the venture capital group.


Italian Roundup AC Milan failed to take full advantage of Juventus #39; slip-up on Saturday, as Roma came away from San Siro with a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw on Sunday night.


French soldiers group slaps Gbagbo with wrongful death suit LILLE, France, Nov 17 (AFP) - A French soldiers #39; advocacy group on Wednesday filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo for an air strike November 6 that killed nine French peacekeepers.


Israel Kills Top Hamas Militant Ahead of Gaza Vote  GAZA (Reuters) - Israel killed the top bomb maker of the  Hamas Islamic militant group in a Gaza Strip air strike on  Thursday, days before a key parliamentary vote on Prime  Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to quit the occupied territory.


Jackson second to Leslie for MVP UNCASVILLE, CONN. - When the WNBA announced its 2004 MVP on Friday night at Mohegan Sun Arena, the Seattle Storms Lauren Jackson wasnt part of the presentation as she was last year when she won the award.


Ivory Coast snapshot Rebels have been in control of the northern regions since a failed coup in 2002. Recent unrest has unraveled a 2003 cease-fire between the government and rebels.


Is Your Web Browser Putting You At Risk? Is Your Web Browser Putting You At Risk?\\It's free, it comes with Windows and it's used by approximately 94 of the Internet population. It also poses an unacceptable security risk. What am I talking about? If you guessed Internet Explorer, you're right on the money. So, is your web browser ...


African Union Expands Darfur Mission DARFUR, October 22 (IslamOnline.net  amp; News Agencies) - The African Union announced has it was poised to boost the number of its peacekeepers in Sudans troubled Darfur region as the Sudanese government and the two rebel groups were set to launch a new


UN Security Council Tries to Stop Syrian Meddling in Lebanon The United Nations Security Council approved a rare resolution against an Arab state -- without naming names -- late Thursday. The resolution is intended to stop Syrian meddling in Lebanese politics and affairs.


N.Korea Likely to Resume Talks After US Vote -Seoul North Korea is likely to return to six-party talks on its nuclear programs now that the US presidential election is over, Yonhap news agency quoted South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon as saying on Thursday.


Microsoft Swats at Phony COAs Certificates of authority (COAs) are affixed to software packaging to let buyers know it #39;s the real thing. But when the COA itself is counterfeit, resellers also feel the pain, Microsoft (Quote, Chart) found.


Napster Receives New Life As Public Company Call it the kitty's third life. Roxio Inc. (ROXI) bought the Napster brand name and feline logo at a bankruptcy auction two years ago and with the acquisition of another music service, pressplay, relaunched the once-renegade file-swapping pioneer as a legal music service last October.


India #39;s software exports booming This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been improving or obtaining CRM and ERP software for the past year and a half. India #39;s software exports are on track to grow by 30 percent in the 2004-2005 fiscal year


The Frugal Investor (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Why do mutual funds charge so much? The smaller, newer ones argue that they need high fees to get started. The theory is that, once they attract a wad of assets, economies of scale will bring down the fee in percentage terms. Alas, this doesn't happen very often. Fund-tracker Lipper calculates that the average size of diversified domestic equity funds has doubled over the past ten years to  #36;1.4 billion, but still the average expense ratio hasn't gone down a whit. AllianceBernstein Growth  amp; Income doubled its assets in the past five years (to  #36;7. ...


Martin to push for better African peacekeeping force in first speech to UN (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - Prime Minister Paul Martin will push for an effective African peacekeeping force to deal with problems like the crisis in Sudan when he speaks to the United Nations next week.


Nitties birdies closing hole to maintain Australian PGA lead COOLUM, Australia -- Former Australian amateur star James Nitties took the third-round lead in the Australian PGA on Saturday, closing with a birdie for a one-stroke advantage over American Bob Estes.


Quarterback controversy rages as Lions get back to work for <b>...</b> OTTAWA (CP) - Casey Printers pronounced himself fit to play Wednesday, but whoever fits into the BC Lions #39; plans at starting quarterback for the Grey Cup remained anyone #39;s guess.


DuPont Posts Profit, Sees Slower Growth  NEW YORK (Reuters) - DuPont Co. DD.N posted a quarterly  profit on Tuesday but warned that high energy prices will  dampen global economic growth for the rest of the year.


Blue screens on red planet Evidence from busy rovers suggests one-time presence of water, but system reboots almost dried up the sea of data.


France Telecom unions call for strike to protest privatization <b>...</b> PARIS : French trade unions called on workers at France Telecom to stage a 24-hour strike September 7 to protest government plans to privatize the public telecommunications operator, union sources said.


Five killed in Kashmir violence Separatist militants kill four members of a Muslim family while police shoot dead a senior militant leader in Kashmir.


OPEC Seeks to Quell Doubts Over Oil Cut  CAIRO (Reuters) - OPEC oil producers on Saturday said they  had already moved to rein in excess supply, a day after doubts  over the group's resolve to cut sent prices into a tailspin.


AOL Creates Its Own Browsing Software (AP) AP - As part of its reincarnation, America Online Inc. is creating its own software for browsing the Web and playing movies and songs. It's a question of staying relevant in an increasingly broadband world.


Paris City Hall Balks at Linux Switch Local government offices in the French capital will not abandon Microsoft software overnight but instead gradually phase in more open-source programs, Paris City Hall said.


Lee Hits Grand Slam, White Sox Beat Tigers (AP) AP - Carlos Lee hit a grand slam and a two-run homer and Freddy Garcia pitched seven scoreless innings to lead the Chicago White Sox past the Detroit Tigers 11-2 Wednesday.


Israel's Shas Party to Vote Against Gaza Pullout  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The spiritual leader of Israel's  influential Shas party ordered its 11 lawmakers on Saturday to  vote against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw  from the Gaza Strip.


Watch this space What are the qualities required of an astronaut? In his marvellous book about the space pioneers, The Right Stuff, Tom Wolfe makes it clear that high on the list are a certain doggedness, combined with a complete lack of imagination.


DA Won't Prosecute Bishop Accused of Rape SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - A district attorney said Monday that he would not prosecute Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Dupre on child rape charges because the statute of limitations has expired in the case...


Europe #39;s New Members Not Ready for the Euro Six months after the European Union admitted 10 new members, capping their journey from Communism to the free market, they got a blunt reminder that the club #39;s inner sanctum


Atlanta Braves Team Report - September 27 (Sports Network) - The NL East champion Atlanta Braves aim for their fourth straight victory as they start a three-game series versus the New York Mets tonight at Turner Field.


Packed agenda waiting for two leaders when Bush, Martin meet in Ottawa (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - It's nearly impossible to find a cohesive theme that will pull together the many threads of Tuesday's packed agenda when Prime Minister Paul Martin greets George W. Bush on the U.S. president's first official visit to Ottawa.


Sharon Wins Vote to Rescue Gaza Pullout Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon speaks to reporters after casting his ballot at the Likud party meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday Dec.9, 2004.


Tech Stocks at 7-Month High as Oil Drops  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite  stock index rose to a 7-month high on Thursday as crude oil  prices tumbled, alleviating worry that high energy costs will  erode corporate profits.


Product lifecycles get the Windows treatment Windows shops that want to build a product lifecycle management strategy now have the assurance that Microsoft will be more closely aligned with one of the PLM industry #39;s largest manufacturing application vendors.


Fox, Traded by Lakers to Celtics, Retires (AP) AP - Rick Fox retired Thursday, ending a 13-year pro career during which he was part of three NBA championship teams with the Los Angeles Lakers.


Hollywood sues over home theatre A FILM industry group has sued a high-end consumer electronics company, claiming its home theatre jukebox system makes illegal copies of movie DVDs.


British, US officials meet on flu vaccine  LONDON -- Stunned US health officials met with British regulators yesterday to discuss the suspension of flu vaccine production that has slashed supplies across the United States and planned to inspect the British factory to see whether any impounded vaccine could be salvaged.


Canadian tutu man gets five months for Olympic plunge A tutu-clad Canadian who jumped into the Olympic diving pool after a competition was convicted Wednesday of interrupting the games and sentenced to five months in jail. He was released pending an appeal.


Quattrone battling trial judge Frank Quattrone, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison last week, accused the judge in his case of  quot;callousness quot; for revealing his 15-year-old daughter #39;s emotional disorder and asked an appeals court to seal letters from family and friends seeking


Oracle's 'best and final' offer rejected (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - PeopleSoft's board of directors rejected Oracle's  #36;9.2 billion takeover bid Wednesday, thrusting the business software maker's fate in the hands of its shareholders.


Wakefield Ready for the Bright Lights of World Series  BOSTON (Sports Network) - When the lights go on Saturday at  Fenway Park it will be exactly 18 years to the day the last  World Series game was played at the famed stadium.


Britain #39;s first pet professor Professor Danny Mills of Lincoln University will predominantly study the behaviour of dogs, cats and horses and see how their anxieties can be solved.


Symantec to Buy Veritas for \$13.5 Billion  NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Symantec Corp. SYMC.O,  the top global security software maker, on Thursday said it  will buy Veritas Software Corp. VRTS.O for \$13.5 billion,  expanding into the data storage and recovery business.


ET: Please Send Mail, Don't Phone If an extraterrestrial civilization wanted to maximize its chances of being discovered by another civilization, the best bet may not ride on radio waves.    Rutgers -- Were E.T...


United eyes decision on pension plans' fate United Airlines hopes to complete a new business plan within two months, including a decision on whether to terminate its pension plans, the company told employees yesterday.


Bush Frees Secret Service Agent from Chile Guards

 SANTIAGO, Chile (Reuters) - President Bush on Saturdayreached into a throng of squabbling bodyguards and pulled aSecret Service agent away from Chilean security officers afterthey stopped the U.S. agent from accompanying the president ata dinner.


Saddam  #39;destroyed #39; WMD after 1991 The group hunting for Saddam #39;s arsenal said it found no evidence the dictator had chemical, biological of nuclear weapons when US-led forces invaded Iraq last year.


Yahoo and Adobe partners for search integrated applications It looks like an unlikely collaboration. Adobe rules in desktop publishing and imaging applications while Yahoo! was once the king of online search.


Cambodian Royal Succession Clears Last Legal Hurdle  PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia's efforts to choose a  successor to King Norodom Sihanouk after his surprise  abdication cleared a last legal hurdle on Monday when the  country's top constitutional body ruled the process valid.


Sony sets price, date for PlayStation Portable In Japan, that is. The game player's surprising pricing there may indicate what the U.S. market can expect.


Scramjet reaches record of nearly Mach 10 EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE - NASA #39;s unpiloted jet briefly reached more than nine times the speed of sound in a test flight on Tuesday.


Sperm Stem Cells Are Grown Outside Body Scientists have succeeded in growing outside the body the special stem cells that direct the remarkably prolific process of sperm production.


Opec in no hurry to cut quota LONDON - Despite a recent plunge in oil prices, Opec producers appear to be in no rush to cut output quotas and markets expect the taps to be left wide open when ministers meet in Cairo this week.


Sun, Microsoft Cite Progress, Not Perfection Microsoft and Sun Microsystems say they are warming up to each other, but it will take more time to deliver on the grand promises of platform interoperability announced last spring.


Artificial Spinal Disk Gains Approval From the FDA The Food and Drug Administration yesterday permitted a unit of Johnson  amp; Johnson to market an artificial spinal disk in the United States as a new form of treatment for people with severe lower back pain.


Angles guide ants back to home LONDON - When an ant comes to the fork in the road, it uses geometry to find the correct path, scientists say. Worker pharaoh ants use a series of branching paths scented with pheromones to travel around their colony.


Glazer has revenge on Man Utd board Three Manchester United directors lost their seats on the Old Trafford board tonight as Malcolm Glazer exacted revenge for his stalled takeover bid.


Jackson anger over Eminem video Michael Jackson asks TV stations to stop playing Eminem's new video, which ridicules the pop legend.


Leader of British Tories is raising issue of trust BOURNEMOUTH, England Conservative Party leader Michael Howard is trying to turn next year #39;s expected national elections in Britain into a battle of trust and credibility.


Red River Shootout Awakens Oklahoma Defense (AP) AP - No one knows how to bring Oklahoma's stout defense to life like Texas.


Former NBA Star Calvin Murphy Acquitted of Sexual Abuse  HOUSTON (Reuters) - Former basketball star Calvin Murphy  was acquitted on Monday by a Houston jury on charges he  sexually abused five of his daughters.


Stocks Rise; Nasdaq, S P at 3-Month Highs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose sharply on Friday in heavy  trading as software company PeopleSoft Inc. and chip-related  stocks boosted the Nasdaq and Standard   Poor's 500 indexes to  their highest closes in about three months.


Israeli Missile Hits Militants in Gaza Camp, 3 Hurt  GAZA (Reuters) - The Israeli air force struck Palestinian  militants as they planted a bomb intended for use against  Israeli troops in a Gaza Strip refugee camp Sunday, wounding  three of them, witnesses and military sources said.


Megson plans to leave West Brom after season Birmingham, England (Sports Network) - West Bromwich Albion coach Gary Megson will not re-sign with the club when his contract runs out on June 30, 2005.


Pressure on De La Hoya After 12 years as the golden boy of American boxing, Oscar De La Hoya suddenly looks like a man who is haunted by the possibility of a career-ending defeat against Bernard Hopkins tonight.


Children Return to Classes in Russia Children returned to classes in this grief-stricken southern Russian town Wednesday for the first time since heavily armed militants seized more than 1,200 hostages at


Boeing Willing to Negotiate on Tax Breaks  WASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) - Boeing BA.N is prepared to  discuss the elimination of billions of dollars in tax breaks it  receives from Washington state as part of a deal to end  European government loans for its competitor Airbus, the  company's chief executive said on Monday.


U.S. Deserter Leaves Army Base for New Life in Japan  TOKYO (Reuters) - A former U.S. army sergeant who deserted  to North Korea nearly four decades ago left a U.S. military  base near Tokyo on Tuesday for a new life with his family in  his Japanese wife's home town.


Wenger concerned by Rooney deal LONDON, England -- Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has voiced concerns about the deal that sent England striker Wayne Rooney from Everton to Manchester United, claiming the contract could cause a conflict of interest.


UPDATE 1-Lewis fires spectacular 62 to take Funai lead JL Lewis produced a dazzling 10-under-par 62 to grab a two-shot lead after the opening round of the \$4.2 million Funai Classic at the Walt Disney Resort on Thursday.


Cheap thrills Sven Jaschan, who may face five years in prison for spreading the Netsky and Sasser worms, is now working in IT security. Photo: AFP.


Germany Nabs Suspected al-Qaida Financier BERLIN - Authorites on Friday arrested a Syrian-German businessman who is wanted by Spain on charges he helped fund the al-Qaida terrorist network for years and who appeared in a wedding video at a mosque with some of the Sept. 11 hijackers, German officials said...


Chicago to Sell City-Related Items on EBay (AP) AP - City officials hope there are people willing to pay plenty of money to own a vintage Playboy Bunny costume, toss green dye into the Chicago River or throw a dinner party prepared by Oprah Winfrey's chef.


Large Asteroid Will Make Its Closest Approach to Earth Wednesday  quot;This is the closest Toutatis will come for another 500 years, and its orbit is very well known, quot; said Dr. Don Yeomans of NASA #39;s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif.


Apple unveils iMac G5 Just unveiled at Apple Expo Paris, the machine is indeed an all-in-one device that integrates the system into the display unit as per the original iMac but to an extent discarded with the second-generation,  #39;angle-poise #39; design.


New Crew En Route To Space Station Leroy Chiao has ever flown in a Soyuz spacecraft, before, but the three lifted off early Thursday from Kazakhstan en route to the International Space Station.


Singapore Telecom #39;s Lee Says Impact of Cheap Calls Limited Singapore Telecommunications Ltd., Southeast Asia #39;s largest phone company, said the popularity of cut-rate calling plans offered by its Australian mobile-phone unit may limit the impact of lower prices on profit.


Rookie Jones Has Dallas Feeling Good Again (AP) AP - The Dallas Cowboys can only imagine how different their season might be had Julius Jones been healthy the whole time.


Soderling Upsets Spadea, Gains Lyon Final (AP) AP - Sweden's Robin Soderling beat seventh-seeded American Vince Spadea 6-2, 6-4 Saturday to reach the final of the Lyon Open.


Astros, Red Sox, Yankees Win In Baseball Playoffs Clemens, who couldn #39;t pitch the season finale for Houston because of a stomach virus, pitched seven strong innings to help the Houston Astros to a 9-3 win over Atlanta in the first game of their National League Division Series.


Amex, Nasdaq in talks to move QQQ NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The Nasdaq 100 index trust, the popular fund known as QQQ, is moving to the Nasdaq sooner than expected from its longtime home on the American Stock Exchange, according to a published report.


Altria to split businesses; ups FY04 outlook NEW YORK, November 5 (newratings.com) - Altria Group Inc (MO.NYS), the parent company of Kraft Foods (KFT) and the world #39;s largest cigarette maker Phillip Morris, is planning a possible split-up of its businesses into three separate units.


Google Shares Hit New High  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Shares of newly public Google  Inc. GOOG.O on Tuesday hit a new high and posted  their  largest single-day percentage gain after five investment banks  issued bullish reports on the leading Web search provider.


Vodafone Says It Isn #39;t Discussing Bid for Sprint With Verizon Vodafone Group Plc, the world #39;s largest mobile-phone operator, said it #39;s not in talks with US partner Verizon Communications Inc.


Google buys digital mapping company Keyhole maintains a multi-terabyte database of digital images of geographic locations, culled from satellite and aerial snapshots.


#39;The blood is running #39;: Mafia wars erupt again It #39;s the mildest of mild winters down here in the south of Italy and, last weekend at Bcoli, a pretty suburb by the seaside west of Naples, the customers of Pizzeria  quot;Da Enrico quot; were making the most of it.


Motorola Plans To Cut 1,000 Jobs Motorola Inc. plans to eliminate 1,000 jobs in the spinoff of its semiconductor unit, the company said Tuesday in a filing with government regulators.


WMC Announces AU\$1 Billion Payout WMC currently is fending off a AU\$7.4 billion takeover bid by Switzerland-based Xstrata PLC. The mining company upgraded its earnings forecast to around \$1.3 billion for the calendar year, above analysts #39; expectations.


Russia chose rebate figure to sell Yukos unit: Dresdner MOSCOW : A top Western bank asked to value Yukos #39;s core asset said the Russian government chose the lowest price possible for a planned sale of the oil giant #39;s crown jewel in a move that has shaken investors.


Movie Makers Target BitTorrent December 15, 2004 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- According to reports release on Tuesday Hollywood movies studios sued numerous operators of computer servers that help transfer digital movie files across online file-sharing networks.


Rangers seek Champions League riches against CSKA Moscow Rangers can reduce their grim 68 million pound (\$123 million) debt by beating CSKA Moscow in Wednesday #39;s final Champions League qualifier but manager Alex McLeish


British grand prix thrown a lifeline The British grand prix may, after all, be on next year #39;s calendar after a dramatic development yesterday as nine of the 10 formula one teams agreed to cost-cutting measures that could allow the race to take place on July 3.


Somali MPs Vote for President in Peace Bid (Reuters) Reuters - Somali lawmakers began voting on Sunday\for a president in the 14th attempt in a decade to return\government to the lawless Horn of Africa state.


Linux Ready for Prime Time, Intel Says Despite all the Linux hype, the open-source movement has yet to make a huge splash in the desktop market.  That may be about to change, thanks to chipmaking giant Intel Corp. -washingtonpost.com


AMD mobile Athlon 64 targets Intel Pentium-M AMD has fleshed out its mobile chip catalogue this week by shipping the Mobile AMD Athlon 64 3000 processor. It joins a range of mobile models, from 2800 to 3400, but is the first to be built using 90nm technology.


This week in phishing As online shopping gets into full swing, phishers are setting up fraudulent e-commerce Web sites and simply waiting for victims using Google and other search engines to find them.


Drogba the destroyer as Chelsea fire early JOSE MOURINHO began his latest campaign as he finished the last one - a winner - as his new club Chelsea thrashed French strugglers Paris Saint Germain 3-0 in Paris in their opening match of the tournament on Tuesday.


Adobe Unveils Acrobat 7.0 Software Adobe Systems has introduced Adobe Acrobat 7.0 software suite, with features that could appeal to home offices and professionals who make a living from content design.


Briefly: Good Technology supported by HP, Samsung roundup Plus: RIM touts BlackBerry with Wi-Fi...HP to sell Voltaire's InfiniBand switch...PC shipments up, but revenue less so, study says.


Cingular, AT amp;T Wireless close \$41 billion merger After clearing Department of Justice and FCC hurdles, Cingular Wireless and AT amp;T Wireless have completed their \$41 billion merger, creating the nation #39;s biggest wireless carrier in terms of subscribers.


Mounting concern Blunkett used tabloids to wreck lover #39;s marriage DAVID Blunketts pregnant former lover and her family believe he colluded with Britains most salacious tabloid newspaper in a desperate attempt to break up her marriage.


Angels Ship Guillen to Expos  ANAHEIM, Calif. (Sports Network) - The Anaheim Angels have  reportedly traded outfielder Jose Guillen to the  Washington-bound Expos in exchange for outfielder Juan Rivera  and a prospect.


Note on slain filmmaker's body makes threat on Dutch politician  THE HAGUE -- A letter left on the body of a Dutch filmmaker killed in Amsterdam contained death threats against a politician and was signed by a suspected terrorist group, the justice minister said yesterday, as police pressed an investigation into radical Islamic groups.


Holiday travel back on the map Traveling this Thanksgiving may not be as easy as it was last year. And that is both good and bad news. On the upside: The long lines at airports


NL notables Cubs shortstop Nomar Garciaparra sat out with a groin injury. He left Saturday's game when he tweaked the groin.


Labor claims PM #39;s Net Harbour deals breach Spam Act The federal Opposition has asked Australia #39;s spam legislation enforcers to investigate what it claims is a breach of the Spam Act 2004 by the Prime Minister, coalition politicians and a company whose directors include the Prime Minister #39;s son.


U.S. Warns of Big Mount St. Helens Blast (AP) AP - Government scientists raised the alert level Saturday for Mount St. Helens after its second steam eruption in two days was followed by a powerful tremor. They said the next eruption was imminent or in progress, and could threaten life and property in the remote area near the volcano.


Russian troops end hostage crisis with bloody raid; 338 die in <b>...</b> The government of Russian president Vladimir Putin has seized on the events around the armed takeover of a school in Beslan, a town in the southern republic of Ossetia, to broaden its antiterrorism


New Way to Turn Off Bad Genes Is Set for Testing on Human Eyes New drugs that are to be tested in connection with a phenomenon called RNA interference have excited scientists with their versatile and powerful ability to affect genes.


Politics afoot in bid to rush Saddam trial, ousted tribunal <b>...</b> The fomer director of the Iraqi war crimes tribunal said that interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi has taken over the court and could rush forward


Deadly typhoon hits Hokkaido A large and powerful typhoon that has left eight people dead blew out into the Sea of Okhotsk Tuesday evening after hitting Hokkaido, the Meteorological Agency said.


Sri Lanka rebels seek Europe help A delegation of Tamil Tiger rebels has left Sri Lanka for a three week tour of Europe aimed at putting pressure on the government to resume peace talks.


EU ruling on WorldCom this week BRUSSELS: A European Union court is set to rule this week on a \$120 billion deal MCI-WorldCom made during the height of the go-go years that still resonates today.


So you want to be a cybercrook... According to security firm Sophos, the kits allow users to design sites that have the same look and feel as legitimate online banking sites that can then be used to defraud unsuspecting users by getting them to reveal the details of their financial ...


No racism within ZCU: ICC The Zimbabwe Cricket Union was cleared on Sunday of racism by an International Cricket Council investigation. The probe was launched after 15 white players were dismissed for backing Heath Streak, who was


Hurricane Charley Leaves Cuba \$1 Billion Bill  HAVANA (Reuters) - Hurricane Charley caused more than \$1  billion in damage to Havana and its surrounding provinces when  it roared through western Cuba on Aug. 13, killing four people,  a leader of the ruling Communist Party said on Wednesday.


CBI slashes UK growth forecasts The CBI cuts growth forecasts after order books for UK manufacturers drop to their lowest level since the start of 2004.


IE alternatives continue to gain News abounds for Firefox and other Open Source Internet browsers. According to WebSideStory results, both Mozilla and Firefox saw their marketshare grow in the last month.


Paraguay Clashes Leave 1 Dead, 20 Hurt Clashes between landless farmworkers and Paraguayan security forces left a police officer dead and 20 other people injured in a resurgence of violence that has rattled Paraguay's government.


WVU hoops ninth in preseason poll NEW YORK -- Two wins in last season #39;s NIT and five returning starters apparently get you just one thing in Big East Conference basketball.


Couch, Gildon, Levens Among NFL Cuts (AP) AP - The top overall draft choice in the 1999 draft by Cleveland, Tim Couch was released by the Browns in June. He joined the Packers and was projected as Brett Favre's backup. But the quarterback never progressed, and the Packers cut him Sunday as teams got down to the 53-man roster limit for the regular season.


EISNER POOH-POOHS HOLLYWOOD  #39;CLICHES #39; Michael Eisner lashed out at the  quot;clichd quot; portrayal of the  quot;real quot; Hollywood in his fifth and final day testifying in a shareholder suit over former company president Michael Ovitz #39;s lucrative payout.


Jaguar ends car making in Coventry Car production is to end at Jaguars historic Browns Lane factory in Coventry but some work will continue there, parent firm Ford has confirmed.


Automakers Challenge CA CO 2 Regulation in Court As expected, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers has joined a group of automobile dealers in Californias Central Valley to file suit against Californias new regulation of CO 2 emissions.


European Union Extends Microsoft-Time Warner Review BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- European antitrust regulators said Monday they have extended their review of a deal between Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Time Warner Inc...


Man Finds 3 WWI Troops #39; Bodies in Glacier PEIO, Italy - An amateur Italian historian has found the preserved bodies of three Austro-Hungarian soldiers in an Alpine glacier, 86 years after they were killed in World War One.


PeopleSoft's prospects top agenda at show PeopleSoft's Connect 2004 user conference comes just two weeks after a federal judge denied a request by the Department of Justice to block Oracle's attempted takeover of its business applications rival.


Chain Store Sales Slip in Latest Week (Reuters) Reuters - Chain store retail sales continue to\fall during the week following the Thanksgiving holiday, a\retail report said on Tuesday.


Phillies Keep Lidle Around for Two More Years  PHILADELPHIA (Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Phillies  re-signed righthander Cory Lidle to a two-year deal worth \$6.3  million Tuesday.


Dogs Are Able to Sniff Out Cancer It has long been suspected that man's best friend has a special ability to sense when something is wrong with us. Now the first experiment to verify that scientifically has demonstrated that dogs are able to smell cancer.


Rain washes out Aussie-Pakistan match Amstelveen, The Netherlands - Rain forced the triangular series match between Australia and Pakistan to be abandoned without a ball being bowled on Wednesday.


Iran #39;s Revolutionary Guards getting a bigger appetite They are the shock troops of Iran #39;s Islamic Revolution - the men who helped seize the US embassy a generation ago and bore the brunt of their country #39;s eight-year war with Iraq.


Russian, US astronauts leave space station on maintenance mission MOSCOW - The Russian-US crew of the International Space Station (ISS) went on a five-hour space walk overnight to carry out maintenance work, Russian space officials said Saturday, quoted by ITAR-TASS news agency.


Intel #39;s Centrino connects with all Wi-Fi standards Intel announced on Thursday a component that #39;s compatible with all Wi-Fi standards, which will let the chipmaker reach the full audience of individuals seeking to be wirelessly connected.


EU steps up Burma sanctions Foreign ministers extended an EU-wide travel ban on high-ranking Burmese officers after finding the military leadership had failed to improve its human rights record.


Sports  amp; Fitness Calendar The following activities will take place in the area this week. Events are listed as space allows.


Dodd has the last laugh after marathon wait WELSHMAN Stephen Dodd began the new European tour season by ending a 15-year wait for his first title. The 38-year-old from Cardiff, who turned professional after becoming


Avaya, Polycom Dial in Videoconferencing Avaya (Quote, Chart), a communications software, systems and services company, has announced a new Internet Protocol-based video-conferencing offering for businesses.


Gold Fields plans to respond to Harmony offer by Nov. 3 LONDON (CBS.MW) -- South African gold miner Gold Fields (GFI) said it #39;s board met Friday to assess an \$8.1 billion hostile takeover offer from Harmony (HMY) as well as to review measures for its defense.


Afghans Arrest Three for Rocket Attack on Karzai  KABUL, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Three men have been arrested  for trying to kill Afghan President Hamid Karzai by firing a  rocket at his helicopter during his first election campaign  trip outside the capital, officials said on Friday.


Google launches SMS-based information service Google has launched a beta test of a new service that allows mobile users to access its database from their handsets using short message service.


Nokia Demonstrates IPv6 Phone Nokia Corp. on Tuesday demonstrated the use of IPv6, the next generation Internet protocol, on a handset. The Finnish company demonstrated what it called the industry #39;s  quot;first Mobile IPv6 call.


Impact May Be Small As  Fannie, Freddie Regroup Mortgage securities traders and strategists say if Fannie Mae does reduce the number of mortgages it buys, it could lead to a small, short-term increase in mortgage interest rates paid by consumers, probably no more than 0.1 percent.


Google hints at slowing growth Google does not expect to maintain the same pace of revenue growth it has recorded over the last several quarters, the company acknowledged Thursday in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.


Can Arroyo help Red Sox finally get a win? Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez couldn #39;t bring the Boston Red Sox a win against the New York Yankees in the first two games of the AL championship series.


Bush Visits Embassy, Offers Condolences (AP) AP - President Bush made an unexpected visit to the Russian Embassy on Sunday where he signed a book of condolences for victims of the school hostage seizure and expressed outrage at the actions of "evil terrorists."


In Op-Ed Piece, McGreevey Defends Choice (AP) AP - In a newspaper opinion piece published Sunday, New Jersey's embattled governor says his decision not to leave office immediately because of a sex scandal was "difficult" to make but one he will not change.


Zimbabwe condemns Tsvangirai acquittal Zimbabwe #39;s government has condemned the acquittal of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on charges of plotting to assassinate President Robert Mugabe, saying a guilty man had been allowed to walk free.


Pay cuts at United #39;s parent company Executives at the Illinois-based UAL Corp., parent of bankrupt United Airlines, will share airline employees #39; pain with pay cuts of 4 percent to 8 percent.


World's Top Game Players Battle for Cash (AP) AP - For the world's best video game players, getting the high score is no longer enough.


Basketball: U.S. Women Win After a Tough Test  ATHENS (Reuters) - The unbeaten U.S. women's basketball  team had their sternest test of the Olympic tournament so far  Friday, needing an eight point run in the third quarter to pull  away and beat Spain 71-58.


A job well done _ Hartson JOHN HARTSON admitted Celtic had gone out to frustrate Barcelona in last night #39;s Champions League clash at the Nou Camp. The Parkhead side earned a 1-1 draw with a backs-to-the-wall performance which keeps


Yen Rises on Corporate Sentiment Poll The yen rose on Friday after the Bank of Japan #39;s closely watched  quot;tankan quot; survey showed further improvement in Japanese business sentiment.


Feyenoord, Stuttgart, Rangers have easy wins, Lille upset, Lazio <b>...</b> French side Lille was upset 1-0 by a German second-division club. Feyenoord beat Scottish Hearts 3-0, Stuttgart downed Belgium #39;s Beveren 5-1 and the Rangers defeated Poland #39;s Amica Wronki 5-1.


Cairn Boosts Indian Oil Reserves, Reports Lower Net (Update1) Cairn Energy Plc, the largest UK- based oil-exploration and production company, boosted its estimate of recoverable oil reserves at a field in India and reported a decline in first-half profit.


Southern Co. reports small jump in third-quarter profit despite <b>...</b> Energy provider Southern Company reports a four percent jump in third-quarter earnings. A report out today indicates slightly higher revenues despite mild weather in the company #39;s region and


Yahoo to scrap online payment service com October 22, 2004, 8:26 AM PT. This priority retains its ranking at number five as more and more companies deploy Web Services to share business logic, data and processes with each other and with clients.


UPDATE: Reuters Chooses India As Hub For Global Data Ops NEW DELHI (Dow Jones)--Publishing Thursday joined the list of industries tapping into India #39;s outsourcing boom, with global business news provider Reuters Group PLC (RTRSY) announcing plans to turn Bangalore into a hub for its data operations.


Time Warner net slips on legal reserve Reuters, New York <b>...</b> Time Warner, the world #39;s largest media company, on Wednesday said third-quarter profit fell as it established a \$500m legal reserve and it will restate results for its AOL Europe unit prior to 2002.


Christina Kim gets first win on LPGA Tour Christina Kim got her first win on the LPGA Tour Sunday when she shot a six-under 65 to capture the Longs Drugs Challenge. Kim wound up with 18-under-par 266, one stroke better than runnerup Karrie Webb.


NAB slide  #39;unacceptable #39; says Stewart SCOTSMAN John Stewart - drafted in to turn around Australia #39;s largest bank - said today the overhaul of National Australia Bank will take several years as he unveiled an  #39;unacceptable #39; 15 fall in the group #39;s full-year cash earnings.


Keflezighi wins silver in marathon for last US medal ATHENS, Greece - Into the heart of the 2004 Olympics and the 1,000-year-old stadium symbolic of it ran a little touch of Jacksonville Sunday.


Stocks Open Higher After CPI, HP Earnings US stocks opened higher on Wednesday after news that core inflation rose only slightly more than expected last month. Strong earnings from computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co.


No time to rest for 49ers #39; Quinn Quinn, the San Francisco 49ers #39; defensive line coach,helps devise the game plan, fine-tunes the starters, teaches the never-ending stream of new linemen the scheme, sneaks in a workout of his own, keeps his pate freshly shaved, checks in with his wife


Troubled Guillen dealt to Washington The Anaheim Angels traded troubled outfielder Jose Guillen to the Washington-bound Expos for outfielder Juan Rivera and prospect Maicer Izturis yesterday.


Continued growth in US services sector NEW YORK, November 3 (newratings.com) - The US services sector witnessed a continued upturn for the nineteenth consecutive month in October this year, the Institute of Supply Management (ISM) reported today.


German leaders avoid big losses in electoral test BERLIN - Germanys governing Social Democrats avoided major losses in local elections Sunday in the countrys most populous state, while the conservative opposition lost votes but stayed well ahead in a traditional stronghold for Chancellor Gerhard


Ramseys Have 2 Favorites in Breeders' Cup Kitten's Joy was made the even-money favorite Wednesday for the \$2 million Turf, and Nothing to Lose was the morning-line choice in the Mile, giving owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey two favorites in the Breeders' Cup.


Iraqi army revival discussed NEW YORK, Sept 21: Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi discussed proposals for rejuvenating the Iraqi army when he met President Pervez Musharraf in New York Monday evening, officials told Dawn.


Oil dips after touching record \$54 a barrel WASHINGTON: Oil prices retreated slightly yesterday after surpassing \$54 a barrel amid nagging concerns in the market that the global supply buffer is too thin to handle a significant output disruption.


Likud voters want Sharon to pursue coalition: poll JERUSALEM: Most members of Israel #39;s ruling Likud party want Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to press on with talks to widen his coalition despite a vote by the Likud executive barring any such move, a poll showed on Friday.


Arafat Aides Agree on Security Plan to Maintain Civil Order Yasser Arafat #39;s top deputies agreed on a security plan to maintain civil order in the West Bank and Gaza Strip while the Palestinian leader #39;s medical condition remained unchanged at a French hospital, a spokesman said.


Death by stoning sentence overturned An Islamic appeal court in Nigeria today overturned a sentence of death by stoning handed down to a 29-year-old pregnant woman for having sex out of wedlock.


China and Linux: Microsoft, Beware! While open-source software is new to the Middle Kingdom, Beijing is looking to change that. Red Hat CEO Matthew Szulik explains why.


Rivera relatives killed in Panama Yankees closer Mariano Rivera was headed back to Panama yesterday, a day after two of his wife's relatives were electrocuted while cleaning the pool at his home.


Barghouti Backs Abbas in Palestinian Race (AP) AP - Jailed Palestinian uprising leader Marwan Barghouti dropped out of the race to replace Yasser Arafat on Friday, agreeing to support the candidacy of interim leader Mahmoud Abbas in a move intended to head off a split in the ruling Fatah movement.


Israel accuses al-Qaida of masterminding Sinai blasts Israel said Friday that the chain of blasts targeting Israeli tourists in Egypt #39;s Red Sea resorts which left some 150 people killed or injured bore the hallmarks of al-Qaida terror network.


NBA-James Inspires Cavaliers to Fourth Straight Win  NEW YORK (Reuters) - LeBron James recorded 33 points to  guide the Cleveland Cavaliers to their fourth straight win, a  99-88 victory over the Golden State Warriors Monday.


Samsung develops high-capacity smart card chip Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has begun producing a smart card IC (integrated circuit) chip that the company claims contains a larger amount of erasable and programmable memory than those of competitors, it said in a statement on Tuesday.


Control of Mars Rovers Shifts to Cornell (AP) AP - Because his job involves driving around on Mars all day, Cornell University astronomer Steve Squyres is glad he no longer has to make a cross-country commute to get home.


NBA Game Summary - Memphis At Minnesota Minneapolis, MN -- Kevin Garnett shot 11-of-15 for 26 points to go with 15 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves trounced the deflated Memphis Grizzlies, 115-90, at the Target Center.


Wholesale Inventories Up 0.9 Pct in Aug  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Inventories at U.S. wholesalers rose  0.9 percent in August, in line with expectations, as stocks of  autos, metals and computer equipment swelled, a government  report showed on Friday.


Roddick, Serena serve notice: Aces aiming for another US Open <b>...</b> _ Serena Williams left her opponent swinging at shadows, then Andy Roddick finished off his work with a 135 mph fastball. Roddick and Williams easily aced their latest tests in the US Open on


Haiti Storm Toll Tops 1,500; 900 Missing GONAIVES, Haiti - The staggering death toll from Tropical Storm Jeanne shot upward to an estimated 1,500 people Saturday, with 900 Haitians still missing as a thunderstorm drenched the homeless who are living on rooftops and sidewalks.    U.N...


AOL Opposed to Microsoft #39;s Sender ID AOL is the latest and largest company to back away from Microsoft #39;s Sender ID software, designed to cut spam by identifying the source of the e-mail.


New Warning Issued for Internet Explorer Microsoft is again pledging to improve the security of its software by beginning to notify customers of upcoming patches. However, the promise came just as experts warned that attack code exploiting


Right-hander was key part of 2002 World Series win A weekend in Anaheim apparently in search of a reliever netted the Reds a starter from the local big league club. General manager Dan O #39;Brien announced Tuesday that


Haiti court acquits rebel leader A court acquits ex-paramilitary leader Jodel Chamblain of murder in a trial criticised by human rights activists.


Energy Secretary Abraham Plans to Resign  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer  Abraham has told President Bush that he plans to resign but  will stay on until a successor is in place, an administration  official said on Monday.


British police search for clues on the train crash that killed 7 (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - LONDON (AP) - Police on Sunday searched the site of a train crash that killed seven people and seriously injured 11 for clues to what caused a car to be on the tracks as the high-speed train approached.


Guilty Plea in Insurance Inquiry as Stocks Fall Spitzer said other insurance companies are being investigated.


Record-Breaking Singh Stalks Canadian Leader Weir  OAKVILLE, Ontario (Reuters) - Hometown hero Mike Weir  surged into the lead after an incomplete second round at the  100th Canadian Open Friday, hotly pursued by new world number  one Vijay Singh.


SAP presents new capabilities for Netweaver SAP AG announced two updates to the Master Data Management (MDM) component of its NetWeaver integration and application platform on Tuesday. The updates, which will appear by the end of the year, are designed to make it easier to synchronize data between different systems. Two other new NetWeaver enhancements, faster searching of corporate data and more robust handling of errors in Java applications, will only appear in the next release of NetWeaver, planned for 2005, the company said at the SAP TechEd conference in San Diego.


Renewed focus ends nightmare ATHENS, Greece  It began with Allen Iverson  The Answer, the captain, the leader of Team USA  forgetting about the fractured bone in his right thumb and courageously hitting the floor against Greece in full regalia.


US Airways Gives Pilots, Flight Attendants New Offer (Update3) US Airways Group Inc., struggling to avoid a second bankruptcy since 2002, gave its pilots #39; union a new plan for \$295 million in pay and benefit cuts three days after the group rejected a prior offer.


A Simple Plan Some here might remember a time when Kuro5hin was full of (arguably) interesting commentary, articles, and diaries. Today, by contrast, it is about half crapflooding and other inane drivel and half (arguably) interesting commentary, or at least commentary written with an earnest intent to be interesting. How can that situation be rectified? And why should we care? Within, I discuss these two questions drawing from observation of the Daily Kos (ignoring its political nature if we can).


Saturn #39;s moon Titan holds mysteries despite close Cassini flyby PASADENA, Calif. Scientists don #39;t know what to make of new close-up images of Saturn #39;s giant moon Titan. Pictures taken by the European-US Cassini spacecraft show distinct dark and bright areas -- but scientists


New Rule May Help Business-Lobby PACs  A  rule change  proposed by the Federal Election Commission yesterday could substantially enhance the clout of the nation's business lobbies, campaign-finance lawyers said.


Zimbabwe forces on high alert for treason verdict HARARE - Zimbabwe said it had put its security forces on high alert to deal with what it said was an opposition plan to unleash violence on Friday when a court is due to pass judgment in the treason trial of its leader.


NTT DoCoMo Achieves 1 Gbps Packet Transmission NTT DoCoMo used its proprietary signal separation technique to enable data transmission at 1 Gbps in rea ltime using a bandwidth of 100 MHz in an area with low radio signal receptivity.


Not Normal Routine for Gymnastics The gymnastics competition at the 2004 Olympic Games produced some extraordinary performances, but ultimately was overshadowed by judging controversies that pitted nation against


U.S. Set to Aid Brazil Drug Shootdown Plan-Officials

 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington is likely to help Brazilin its plan to shoot down planes suspected of smuggling drugsafter determining it has enough safeguards to preventaccidental killings, senior U.S. officials said on Wednesday.


Movie critical of the treatment of Muslim women created an outrage AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - A Dutch filmmaker who outraged members of the Muslim community by making a film critical of the mistreatment of women in Islamic society was gunned down and stabbed to death Tuesday on an Amsterdam street.


Doping Casts Shadow Over Olympics -- Again  ATHENS (Reuters) - Five weightlifters were banned from the  Olympics after failing drugs tests, officials said on Thursday,  as doping scandals continued to dominate the first week of the  Games.


MOTORRACING: SCHUMI: SMASH WON #39;T STOP ME MICHAEL SCHUMACHER will shrug off his high-speed test crash at Monza and try to give Ferrari fanatics yet another reason to celebrate in this weekend #39;s Italian Grand Prix.


The Investment Column: Chief goes but S amp;F remains a buy John Hodson, the chief executive of Singer  amp; Friedlander, yesterday announced his retirement from the banking and fund management group after 35 years with the company.


Vassell out with broken ankle Aston Villa striker Darius Vassell faces a long layoff after breaking his ankle in Saturday #39;s game against Fulham. The 24-year-old England striker was injured midway through the


The Costly Flip Side of Free Companies love to give away prizes, but that doesn't make them winners.


Sears goes to Lands #39; End to boost Web site Sears Roebuck and Co. goofed its rollout of Lands #39; End apparel in Sears stores, but it #39;s counting on winning the online war with Lands #39; End #39;s unique shopping technology.


They've Got Your Number Coming soon to a phone near you: spam, scams and viruses galore. Your text messages, address book and calls could be up for grabs. By Annalee Newitz from Wired magazine.


Newcastle all set to sign Johnsen NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND -- Newcastle United are on the verge of signing former Manchester United and Aston Villa defender Ronny Johnsen on a short-term contract.


Olowokandi suspended for second game following arrest in <b>...</b> Minnesota Timberwolves center Michael Olowokandi was suspended by the team for a second game Friday night, one day after police used a stun gun to subdue him when he refused to leave a club.


Stocks Open Higher in Tokyo on Key Survey (AP) AP - Tokyo stocks edged higher Wednesday morning as a key economic survey came within expectations. The dollar was up against the Japanese yen.


Cambodia Women's Shelter Closes After Raid (AP) AP - A shelter for women and girls forced into the sex trade temporarily shut its doors Friday after gunmen kidnapped 92 of its occupants and made death threats against the staff, the shelter's director said.


ID Biomedical Gets U.S. Flu Drug Deal  MONTREAL (Reuters) - ID Biomedical Corp. IDB.TO IDBE.O  signed a 10-year U.S. distribution deal for its Fluviral drug  that could reap sales of \$2.3 billion and help U.S. authorities  fill a flu vaccine shortage, the company said on Monday.


WAR ON SPAMMIES MAKE love not spam. That #39;s the offensive that Lycos Europe is launching against spam-spewing servers. The secret weapon: A screensaver program that automatically hits the offenders with data to slow them down.


Bombardier Aerospace to cut 2,000 jobs Bombardier Aerospace said on Thursday it will cut about 2,000 jobs at its Montreal-area and Belfast operations and the severance costs linked to the layoffs will affect current year results.


Escobar is no pushover A wolf in Angels wings? Or a sacrificial lamb to be served up on the Fenway mound this afternoon? Kelvim Escobar went 11-12 this season and was beaten by the Red Sox stats, schedule, 4


UPDATE 2-Exelon in talks to buy PSE amp;G - sources Exelon Corp. (EXE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) is in talks to buy New Jersey utility Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. #39;s (PEG.


Big Hurt Remaining with White Sox for 2005  CHICAGO (Sports Network) - Chicago White Sox slugger Frank  Thomas will remain with the team for 2005 after he exercised an  \$8 million option in his contract.


Report: Thieves Prefer Escalade, Maxima US car thieves looking for newer models prefer the Cadillac Escalade EXT, a luxury pickup, and the Nissan Maxima, a midsize sedan.


Freshman Helps Sooners Run Past Longhorns In just his fifth college game, Adrian Peterson ran for 225 yards and made many big plays when No. 2 Oklahoma needed it most.


Hong Kong #39;s De Facto Bank Matches Hike Hong Kong #39;s de facto central bank on Thursday raised its key rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 3.50 percent, matching the latest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve.


For iTunes, it pays to be French com September 15, 2004, 7:35 AM PT. This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been improving or obtaining CRM and ERP software for the past year and a half.


Users say Microsoft's Money is broke Glitches in the new edition of the personal finance software keep some folks from paying their bills.


BT Planning \$1 Billion Acquisition of Infonet Services BT Group is poised for a surprise return to the US market with a planned US\$1 billion acquisition of Infonet Services, a California-based telecom service provider.


United Technologies Quarter Profit Rises (Reuters) Reuters - Diversified manufacturer United\Technologies Corp.  posted a rise in quarterly profit,\helped by strong infrastructure demand and a recovery in its\aerospace business, the company said on Wednesday.


Robinson thrilled with England captaincy JASON Robinson settled into life as England captain and admitted he had no hesitation in accepting the post. Robinson #39;s  #39;fantastic job #39; in leading Sale Sharks to the Zurich Premiership summit was also revealed


Kashmir is key to peace, says Pakistani PM NEW DELHI:  quot;Who could say some 20 years ago that the Berlin Wall would be a thing of the past, quot; Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had told his Pakistan counterpart Shaukat Aziz on his arrival on Tuesday.


Pension agency chief fears insolvency The longer-term solvency of the US fund that insures traditional pensions is at risk, the director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.


MEPs:  #39;Homophobic #39; justice chief must quit Italy #39;s European commissioner-designate, Rocco Buttiglione, faced a formal call from MEPs for his resignation yesterday over his description of homosexuality as a  quot;sin quot;.


American League Game Summary - Minnesota At Baltimore Baltimore, MD -- Johan Santana fired seven shutout innings as Minnesota won the rubber match of a three-game series with Baltimore, 9-0 at Camden Yards.


Motorola to Cut 1,000 Jobs (Reuters) Reuters - Telecommunications equipment maker\Motorola Inc.  said on Tuesday that it would cut 1,000\jobs and take related charges of about  #36;50 million to focus on\its wireless business.


Chris Paul  amp; Co. help Wake to impressive start COM. I was impressed watching Wake Forest in its season-opening, 97-76 win over George Washington in the Preseason NIT on Monday night.


Mathematicians Offer Help in Fight Against Terrorists A small group of thinking men and women convened at Rutgers University last month to consider how order theory - a branch of abstract mathematics that deals with hierarchical relationships - could be applied to the war on terror.


Question of medicare reform has become test of Martin's political credibility (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - There was a moment before the last federal election when medicare reform became more than just a campaign promise for Prime Minister Paul Martin.


Time magazines #39; report on J amp;K draws ire Officials in New Delhi are cross about a Time magazine story that says that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will offer territorial concessions on Kashmir to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf when they meet in New York Friday.


Ukraine appears set for new poll It looks likely that Ukraine will hold a new election as it awaits a supreme court verdict on electoral fraud.


Els in Dunhill contention South African Ernie Els fired a bogey free - five under par 67 to leave him one shot off the lead in the Dunhill Championships. The World number three teed off at 0645 local time starting from the ninth, but


nVidia to make Intel chipsets The AMD processor chipset market can honestly claim to have a flurry of participants these days. Although the first chipsets were strictly AMD jobs, today you can choose from AMD, VIA, nVidia, and even ATI to get your Athlon 64 or Opteron fix.


AMD, Dell, Intel, Microsoft, and Sun Release Web Services for <b>...</b> A new Web Services for Management (WS-Management) specification edited by Alan Geller (Microsoft) has been published. This initial joint publication of the specification names Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Dell


Rite Aid Post Loss, Cuts Outlook  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Pharmacy chain operator Rite Aid Corp.  RAD.N on Thursday posted a quarterly loss, compared with a  profit in the same year-earlier quarter, and cut its full-year  outlook, citing worse-than-expected sales.


Parallel Processing: Coming to a PC Near You Intel exec offers few details about dual-core chips as he talks up new technologies.


Verizon Betting on A Bundle Verizon Communications Inc., the nation #39;s largest telephone company, announced yesterday it is digging up streets and stringing wire in six states, including Washington #39;s Maryland and Virginia


Google seeks to end auction Tuesday Google Inc. wants to conclude its share auction Tuesday, setting the stage for its stock to go public Wednesday, according to a statement on its IPO (initial public offering) Web site.


CIO poll shows optimism over increased tech spending LOS ANGELES (CBS.MW) -- US technology spending is projected to rise 7 percent next year and continue at about the same rate through 2008, according to results of a survey released Monday that also showed improved optimism on outlays in the sector.


Technology Playing Role in Republican Convention Protests Activists are using the Internet to arrange housing for out-of-towners during the Republican National Convention in NYC, organize a mass-flash of underwear emblazoned with anti-Bush messages and tell protesters what to say if they're arrested ("I am going to remain silent. I would like to speak with a lawyer.").


France's Pierce Exits Fed Cup Semifinal (AP) AP - Two-time major champion Mary Pierce pulled out of France's Fed Cup semifinal against Spain because of a right shoulder injury, the French tennis federation said on its Web site Tuesday.


UK Official Confirms Minister Blunkett Resigned  LONDON (Reuters) - Senior British government minister David  Blunkett, a trusted ally of Prime Minister Tony Blair, resigned  on Wednesday, a government official confirmed.


Fed Panel Presses Gulf War Illness Aid (AP) AP - A federal panel that has spent two years reviewing studies of Gulf War illnesses recommends focusing future research on the effects of the toxic substances that veterans encountered during the 1991 conflict.


Old-Flame Web Sites Boosting Divorce Rates (Reuters) Reuters - Web sites that reunite and reignite old\lovers are helping push up England's divorce rates, according\to a UK-based counseling service Wednesday.


With Bonds Swinging for History, Cheap Seats Become Priceless By Monday, the right-field bleachers at Miller Park were sold out in anticipation of Barry Bonds's 700th homer while many of the best field-level seats remained.


Bettman engages fans in online chat (CP) - NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spent part of his afternoon Wednesday answering questions from fans about the league #39;s lockout rather than preparing for opening night.


Agassi, Nalbandian pull out American Andre Agassi and Argentine David Nalbandian have pulled out of the Paris Masters, organizers said Monday, meaning neither will play in the season ending Masters Cup.


Arafat #39;s death a reminder of Palestinian struggle The Arab world is enormous and complex. In today #39;s world of terrorism and radical groups, it #39;s important not to lump all Arabs or all Muslims into one mound of extremism.


NASA #39;s Genesis Capsule Crashes DUGWAY PROVING GROUNDS, Utah -- NASA #39;s Genesis return capsule crashed into the desert Wednesday morning due to an apparent malfunction in its parachutes.


Tariff ruling aids shrimpers WASHINGTON - The Commerce Department on Tuesday upheld a preliminary decision that Chinese and Vietnamese companies are dumping shrimp on the US market below cost.


MAURESMO WINS LINZ EVENT Amelie Mauresmo of France won the Linz Open on Sunday, defeating Russia #39;s Elena Bovina in the final. Top seed Mauresmo never looked in trouble against her ninth-ranked opponent and took the first set 6-2.


Chirac loyalist takes finance job Herve Gaymard, farm minister and loyal backer of French President Jacques Chirac, takes over the finance ministry from Nicolas Sarkozy.


Man Runs Onto Court at Davis Cup Final Security men struggle with an a spectator, center, who stormed the tennis court during the Davis Cup final match between Spanish Carlos Moya and American Andy Roddick in Seville, Spain, Sunday, Dec. 5, 2004.


Ainslie wins second Olympics yachting gold (AFP) AFP - Britain's Ben Ainslie collected his second successive Olympic Games yachting gold medal when he took victory in the Finn class.


Stocks to Watch Tuesday  The Web search company said it will commence its share  buyback offer today for the 23.4 million common shares it may  have issued improperly to previous and current employees and  consultants.


India makes elephants appeal Indian asks Bangladesh to spare the lives of around 100 elephants which have strayed across the border.


Improved power management planned for Opteron Company says laptop-like technology will be useful in server systems, where it can help companies save on electricity and cooling costs in data centers.


Irish women roll by Duke Jacqueline Batteast scored 17 points, including 10 during a decisive three-minute run in the second half, to lead No. 11 Notre Dame to a 76-65 victory over No. 6 Duke in the Women's NIT semifinal last night in South Bend, Ind.


U.S. government, companies warn of critical Oracle flaws US-CERT has issued an alert citing several security flaws in Oracle products that could be used to shut down or take control of vulnerable systems or to corrupt or steal data from Oracle databases.


Oracle to drop PeopleSoft suit if tender fails Oracle Corp. notified Delaware's Court of Chancery of plans to drop a lawsuit pending there against PeopleSoft Inc. if PeopleSoft shareholders reject Oracle's tender offer. The notification is a sign that Oracle is serious about its current offer being the final one.


Seahawks second-guessed on win that got away By Ted S. Warren, AP. To borrow a lyric from Alicia Keys, it doesn #39;t make sense but it sure makes for a great song. Or story. The Seattle Seahawks #39; mystifying collapse against the St.


Meteor showers put on a show WASHINGTON, DC - Meteors will shoot across the sky in all directions on Monday night, the peak of the annual Geminid meteor shower.


Custom-System Builders: Intel Price Cuts Move Processor Sweet Spot System builders say Intel #39;s latest price cuts will help them clear out old inventory and should move the sweet spot of the company #39;s processor lineup to the 3GHz Pentium 4 from the 2.8GHz Pentium 4. After


PRINCE IN NIGHTCLUB PUNCH-UP: HEIR GOES SPARE THIS is the moment Prince Harry went spare at photographers early yesterday. The prince, third in line to the throne, snapped as he left a London club after four hours of knocking back cocktails.


Oil rose on Nigeria strike-call Oil rose as Nigeria, the world top oil exporter, sees the call for a strike later this month. December crude oil lifted 24 cents to \$52.


Not enough lift for Hamman Shane Hamman proved once again last night that he's the strongest man in America, adding to his legacy by breaking two of his US records.


'72 Dolphins Dismayed by Winless Team (AP) AP - The only NFL franchise to achieve a perfect season now has the league's lone winless team.


Search Engine Forums Spotlight Links to this week's topics from search engine forums across the web: Google Launches Search for Scholars - Adwords to Ban Affiliates? - MSN's 'Near Me' Search Button - The Difference In Traffic for #1 and #10? - Robots.txt   Security Issues - One year anniversary of the 'Florida' Update - What is the Future of the 'Niche Directory'


Senator: Commander Told of Military Drain (AP) AP - A former Senate Intelligence Committee chairman asserted Sunday that the general who ran the war in Afghanistan said more than a year before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq that his resources were being shifted in preparation for taking on Saddam Hussein.


Thai goes for giant Airbus THE already healthy order book of Airbus in Broughton has been given a further boost with an order for A380 superjumbos from Thailand.


Update 5: Time Warner, AOL Settle Securities Fraud Time Warner Inc. agreed Wednesday to pay \$210 million to settle criminal securities fraud charges brought by the Justice Department against the company #39;s America Online unit.


MLS finalizes landmark deal with Adidas New York, NY (Sports Network) - Major League Soccer, Soccer United Marketing and Adidas agreed to a 10-year partnership that makes Adidas the official sponsor and licensed product supplier for the United States #39; top soccer league.


Target Posts Higher Quarterly Profit  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Target Corp. TGT.N, the No. 2 U.S.  discount retailer, on Thursday posted a higher quarterly  profit, boosted by stronger sales and gains from the sale of  its Mervyn's department store chain.


3rd career win all but clinches Cup contention FONTANA, CALIF. - Elliott Sadler raced to his second victory of the season Sunday night at California Speedway and all but wrapped up a spot in NASCAR #39;s new championship playoff.


French minister expresses concern over US dollar weakness French Finance Minister Herve Gaymard said Monday that  quot;the American and Asian authorities quot; should work together with Europe to deal with the weakness of the US dollar.


Culpepper wins his third NFC honor for 2004 (Oct. 20, 2004) -- Quarterback Daunte Culpepper of the Minnesota Vikings, cornerback Lito Sheppard of the Philadelphia Eagles and punter Sean Landeta of the St.


Who goes there? Remembering all your passwords and keeping your computer safe is not easy these days. We offer some top tips to help you out. If you #39;ve ever lost, misplaced or forgotten the keys to your home, you #39;ll know how much of an inconvenience it can be.


JDS Uniphase Posts Deeper 1Q Loss JDS Uniphase Corp., a maker of fiber-optic equipment, on Wednesday posted a deeper loss for the first quarter despite sharply higher revenue.


Running Extra Mile Sets Humans Apart in Primates' World The ability of early human ancestors to run long distances may have influenced the transition to today's body form, researchers report.


Huge US deficit emphasizes fragile world view of the American <b>...</b> International Forecaster Allyn Hunt writes: Bush #39;s re-election in contrast signals a period of increased efforts by Brazil #39;s widely popular President of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Argentina #39;s Nestor Kirchner, Venezuela #39;s vigorously anti-Bush President


Despite federal money, no consistency in e-voting BOSTON - Tens of millions of people will cast their votes Nov. 2 in one of the most hotly contested presidential elections in recent U.S. history. But voters across the U.S. will encounter different voting technologies and procedures, with many counties nationwide clinging to punchcard, lever machine and even paper ballots, and the transition to electronic voting moving slowly in many states.


Monty leads in California Colin Montgomerie will take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Target World Challenge as he attempts to capture his first victory of the season.


Sounds of thunder, strikes of lightning (November 7, 2004). I know, I know, I am eating my words when I said the time off would dampen Kostya Tszyus fighting skills and Sharmba Mitchell would dispose of the  #39;Thunder from


Harmony Grabs Hold of Gold Fields HARMONY is set to become the world #39;s biggest gold producing mining company in just four months. This week Harmony moved closer to successfully concluding its hostile bid for rival Gold Fields.


Ad Spending Rises, Particularly on the Net A report on advertising spending showed strong growth across most media in the first nine months of the year, with Internet advertising increasing the most.


US Pressing China Over Currency Value WASHINGTON Oct. 2, 2004 - The Bush administration, seeking to achieve an economic breakthrough in the closing weeks of an election campaign, says China has made a serious commitment to overhauling a currency


Clorox Helps German Soap Maker Buy Dial Henkel, the German soaps and adhesives group, has shed its 29 percent stake in Clorox, raising \$2.84 billion to pay for its purchase of US detergents and cosmetics maker Dial Corp.


To cut 75 percent of division in New York, 50 in London LONDON (CBS.MW) - Commerzbank AG, Germany #39;s third largest bank by market value, unveiled plans on Tuesday to cut jobs and scale back its unprofitable investment banking division.


High-tech truck toll system finally launched in Germany Germany's high-tech truck toll system, which relies on GPS technology and GSM wireless networks, began operation on Saturday without a glitch.


Lions Top Cardinals, Break Losing Streak (AP) AP - Kevin Jones ran for 196 yards and a touchdown to lead Detroit over the Arizona Cardinals 26-12 Sunday, ending the Lions' five-game losing streak and keeping their playoff hopes alive in the muddled and mediocre NFC.


Fight for Aristide continues Supporters demanding the return of ousted president Jean-Bertrand Aristide hurled stones and fired shots in the air yesterday, the third straight day of violent protests that have killed 12 people so far.


Linx Printing backs Danaher takeover Linx Printing Technologies says it is backing a 86 million pound takeover offer by US firm Danaher after a rival, lower, bidder withdrew.


Sudan Government's Attacks Stoke Rebels' Fury Much of the responsibility for the growth of insurgency in the Sudan lies with the Arab-led government in Khartoum.


Oil sets new record on lengthy US supply outage Oil prices hit a new record near \$51 a barrel yesterday as a prolonged US production outage following Hurricane Ivan attracted fresh speculative buying.


Verizon Launches New DSL Service September 07, 2004 - NEW YORK - Verizon Online continues creating the best value in broadband by introducing a new DSL (digital subscriber line) speed option for consumers and businesses.


Lady Thatcher  #39;paid son #39;s bail money #39; Sir Mark Thatcher bought the freedom to leave his Cape Town mansion yesterday when he paid South Africa #39;s authorities bail money of 165,000.


China rainfall death toll at 19 The death toll from torrential rainfall in China #39;s Sichuan province rose to 19 Sunday, reported Xinhua, China #39;s government-run news agency.


Major graphics flaw threatens Windows PCs Security flaw involving JPEG files affects at least a dozen Microsoft software applications and operating systems.


Canada may put levies on US imports Canada may impose retaliatory duties on US imports for the first time since 1986, exposing strains in the world #39;s largest trading relationship.


Who's Next for Tito? After a convincing knock out of the brash Ricardo Mayorga in his return from retirement, Felix Trinidad must figure out who to fight next.


NBA Game Summary - Washington at Indiana Muncie, IN (Sports Network) - Randy Holcomb #39;s tip-in at the final buzzer enabled Indiana to record an 85-84 victory over Washington in the preseason opener for both teams at Ball State University #39;s Worthen Arena.


This one has star quality FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The Bowl Championship Series national championship matchup between No. 1 Southern California and No. 2 Oklahoma in Tuesday night's Orange Bowl is rich with tradition.


Exec Says Oracle Lowering PeopleSoft Bid Oracle Corp.'s hostile \$7.7 billion bid for rival software maker PeopleSoft Inc. could drop by one-third to one-fourth, Oracle co-president Safra Catz said Monday.


The Internet Is Calling Web phone service is exploding. And maverick Jeffrey Citron lit the industry's fuse


Harmony dismisses Gold Fields #39; defence South African gold miner Harmony yesterday sought to rubbish a secret plot by rival and bid target Gold Fields to scupper its \$8.1billion (4.35billion) hostile offer.


Microsoft, EU Battle Over Antitrust Order (AP) AP - Microsoft Corp. goes into round two Friday of its battle to get the European Union's sweeping antitrust ruling lifted having told a judge that it had been prepared during settlement talks to share more software code with its rivals than the EU ultimately demanded.


Mutant Mice Help Shed Light on Tobacco Addiction Genetically altered mice that are unusually sensitive to nicotine may help scientists nail down exactly how people become addicted to smoking, US researchers said on Thursday.


Baby Charlotte can be allowed to die, judge rules Charlotte Wyatt, the premature baby clinging to life in a hospital oxygen box, is to be allowed to die if her breathing stops. A High Court judge today gave Charlotte #39;s doctors permission not to resuscitate


CEOs resignation a surprise Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia made an unexpected change at the top yesterday, saying that Sharon Patrick, the company #39;s president and chief executive and a close friend of Stewart #39;s, has resigned


US IT spend to mark modest growth US IT spending will grow by seven per cent next year, according to a study out yesterday from IT analysts Forrester Research. Forrester predicts that spending on IT goods, services, and staff will remain at seven per cent over the next three years.


Grilled Cheese Virgin Mary Up For Auction The auction site eBay canceled bids for half of a 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich whose owner claims it bears the image of the Virgin Mary.


Rojo is Smashing Baby! \\Since we launched at Web2  last week there has been a log of great feedback\about Rojo .  \\First off is this *great* new Austin Power logo from Constantin Basturea \\Smashing Baby!\\On the subject of eye candy check out the CafePress store  that Chris  put\together.  Very hip indeed!\\I might get this for my girlfriend:\\... and this for my backpack:\\We've been getting a lot of great feedback.  Thanks to everyone  for helping\us out during our beta trial!\\We even have our first Rojo external plugin :\\"My room mate, Dylan Parker, has just released a plugin for FireFox named\JustBlogIt. JustBlogIt is a Mozilla / Firefox extension that allows easy\right-click posting to a weblog. It a ...\\


Haitian Death Toll From Storm Nears 2,000 (AP) AP - The death toll from floods unleashed by Tropical Storm Jeanne rose sharply to nearly 2,000 people, with many still missing, as officials said they found hundreds more bodies in Haiti's devastated northwestern region.


Marathon Saboteur Priest Accused of Indecency A controversial Irish priest who sabotaged the mens Olympic marathon by leaping on the race leader appeared in court today on indecency charges.


Debt Relief Deal for Poor Nations Seems to Be Near The U.S. and top financial institutions indicated that they were closing in on an agreement to forgive the debts of many of the world's poorest countries.


Stelmar Being Acquired for \$677 Million  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Private equity firm Fortress  Investment Group LLC has agreed to buy oil tank operator  Stelmar Shipping Ltd. SJH.N for \$677 million, Stelmar said on  Monday.


LA hotel lockout could spur more labor action A major Los Angeles hotel locked out laundry workers yesterday in a move the general manager said could lead to a strike by union employees which, in turn, could spur action in two other major US cities.


Update 1: Kremlin Backs Gazprom Deal President Vladimir Putin backed a government proposal Tuesday to swap state-owned oil company Rosneft for shares in Gazprom - a major step toward removing restrictions on foreign investors #39; access to shares in the natural gas giant.


Sudan's Darfur on the road to anarchy, UN warns (AFP) AFP - Sudan's blood-soaked Darfur region could be headed toward disaster with warlords on the loose and the government no longer in full control of its forces, the United Nations' top Sudan official warned.


US economic indicators fall; new jobless claims rise A gauge of future business activity fell in August, indicating company managers and US consumers remain uncertain about the economy.


Citigroup, 3 Others Face SEC Bonds Probe (Reuters) Reuters - Four big banks face a U.S. Securities\and Exchange Commission probe of their auction-rate bond\operations, a securities filing shows.


Ferrero Upset by Ferrer at Lyon Open (AP) AP - Third-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero was upset by David Ferrer 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 Thursday in the second round of the Lyon Open.


Efforts Mount to Persuade Sihanouk to Stay On (Reuters) Reuters - Efforts to persuade aging\and ailing Norodom Sihanouk to reverse his decision to abdicate\the Cambodian throne mounted Friday.


Lefty done for season with torn left flexor tendon PHILADELPHIA -- Andy Pettitte #39;s frustrating season officially came to an end Wednesday when the Houston Astros announced that the left-hander will undergo surgery to repair the torn flexor tendon in his left elbow.


Lycos pulls anti-spam screensaver after virus scare Lycos Europe has axed the distribution of a controversial screensaver designed to target websites that profit from spam, claiming that the company has made its point.


Arsenal face key revival test Can two wins reverse a slide? Arsenal have scored eight times in winning their past two games, but those goals could be as confetti on the breeze if they slip up against Chelsea at Highbury on Saturday.


Swedish fashion retailer H and M profits rise in third quarter (AFP) AFP - Swedish fashion retailer Hennes and Mauritz posted a rise in profits for the third quarter, saying its price-cut strategy had paid off.


Vatican Says China 'Once Again' Abusing Catholics  VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican accused China Saturday  of launching a fresh crackdown on Roman Catholics, upping the  ante in its war of words against the Communist state.


Neiman Marcus Selling Zeppelin for \$10M DALLAS - What do you get for that special someone who has just about everything? How about a personal zeppelin? The 12-seater could be yours for a mere \$10 million from the 2004 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book.    Other gifts in the book include a \$1.7 million winged submarine, jeweled Mr...


Americans appear in Kabul trial The second hearing in the trial of three Americans accused of torture and running a jail begins in Kabul.


U.S. Food Imports Climb Appetite for foreign foods and beverages is among the reasons the nation is expected to pay as much for imported products in 2005 as it earns by selling products abroad.


A New Campaign for Viagra Viagra, which has long taken a staid marketing approach, will join its fast-growing competitors in taking a sly, devil-may-care tack.


FOOTBALL: LUCESCU: I #39;LL SAVE MUTU MADCAP Shakhtar Donetsk boss Mircea Lucescu has offered to sign shamed Chelsea star Adrian Mutu. The Romanian international striker is facing a possible two-year ban from football after


Columnists: Online Extortion Works Online extortion is quietly affecting thousands of businesses, for a very simple reason: it works. The big question then becomes, how will you and your company decide to respond?


Players' Fears Rising Baseball players and their families have become increasingly concerned about theft and kidnapping in Venezuela after the recent abduction of Ugueth Urbina's mother.


Enron to begin US pipeline auction on Wednesday Enron Corp. (ENRNQ.PK: Quote, Profile, Research) begins the last major leg of its 2-1/2 year trip through bankruptcy on Wednesday when it kicks off an auction to sell its US gas pipelines, the company said.


Els, Westwood lead World Match Play s-finals VIRGINIA WATER (England) - Titleholder Ernie Els overcame a dismal putting performance to forge a 3-up lead over an injured Padraig Harrington on Saturday after 18 holes of their World Match Play semi-final.


Iran poised for Linux invasion Tehran - Iran has become the latest country to edge towards ditching the ubiquitous Microsoft computer operating system in favour of the open-source Linux solution, even if its refusal to abide by copyright laws means that the Islamic republic does not


U.S. Stocks, Bonds Rise, Oil, Dollar Fall  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks closed higher on Monday as  a dramatically raised price target for Apple Computer Inc.  shares spilled over to other technology stocks, and a rally in  crude oil stalled as traders took profits.


Federer focused on Masters Cup success World number one Roger Federer says his title defence at the ATP Masters Cup in Houston will be the stepping stone to his 2005 campaign.


Redskins #39; Taylor Pleads Not Guilty to DUI FAIRFAX, Va. Dec 1, 2004 - Washington Redskins rookie safety Sean Taylor plans to call teammates as witnesses to say he was sober when he was arrested for drunken driving on Oct. 27.


Krispy Kreme stock slump has investors bellyaching Some of the biggest names on Wall Street have gobbled up shares of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (KKD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the doughnut store chain


UN and US must stop the genocide Ruth W. Messinger is the president and executive director of American Jewish World Service, an international development and emergency relief organization.


BCCI kills tender, Zee cries foul MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Taking the bails off the ESPN-Zee legal wrangle, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suddenly cancelled the bidding process for the four-year domestic cricket telecast rights.


EU resumes arms sales to Libya ISN SECURITY WATCH (12/10/04) - The EU decided on Monday to lift a decade-old sanctions regime against Libya, acting mainly on pressure from Italy, which is keen to resume arms sales to the North African country.


Pro-hunt farmers boot military off their land (AFP) AFP - Well-heeled farmers, furious over a proposed law to ban fox hunting, have blocked military from using their land for training exercises.


IBM claims supercomputing crown IBM said that its Blue Gene/L supercomputer trumps the performance of SGI #39;s recently announced Columbia system installed at NASA by more than 65 percent.


Teetering off the band wagon The memory of that painful moment just after midnight on Oct. 17, 2003 in Yankee Stadium never went away for me - even after the New England Patriots captured a second Super Bowl title.


Singh gears up for big finish Vijay Singh does not recall the PGA Tour being this strong, with a record five rookies winning this year. One of them, Ryan Palmer, held off the No.


AirTran CEO Sees Another Airline Liquidation Soon The US airline industry, riddled with excess supply, will see a significant drop in capacity, or far fewer seats, as a result of at least one airline liquidating in the next year, according to AirTran Airways Chief Executive Joe Leonard.


Put up or shut up, Reds board tells Glazer UNITED #39;S plc board have told Malcolm Glazer to put his money where his mouth is. Representatives of the American tycoon are understood to have mooted an offer of 300p per share to the United board which now wants to know how he is going to pay for it.


Brady Helps Patriots Win Record 19th Straight  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes  to help the New England Patriots set a record for consecutive  victories by downing the winless Miami Dolphins 24-10 in  Foxboro Sunday.


BlueLinx files \$150 million initial public offering NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- BlueLinx Holdings, an Atlanta-based distributor of building products, on Thursday filed to raise up to \$150 nillion in an initial public offering with underwriters Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, CS First Boston and Lehman Brothers.


Windows update causes headaches Games and security programs are on a long list of software that does not work well with the Windows SP2 update.


Jordan Strives to Become Global Tech Leader By FADI KHALIL    SOUTHERN SHOUNEH, Jordan (AP) -- Jordan has gone from providing one computer for every 82 students to one for every 17 in its drive to become a leader in information technology, the minister in charge of the campaign told a conference on Tuesday.    Minister of Information and Communication Technology Fawaz Zu'bi said the dramatic increase in access to computers for students was logged last year...


Arrest in Cisco source code theft A British man has been arrested in connection with the theft of source code from Cisco Systems. The 20-year-old was arrested on 3 September following police raids on homes in Manchester and Derbyshire.


Half of Brazil's Amazon Jungle Occupied-Study (Reuters) Reuters - About half of Brazil's\original Amazon rainforest has been occupied by man, deforested\or used for industry like logging and its destruction is worse\than government data shows, a leading environmental group said\on Tuesday.


UF Killer Instinct Missing The talk around Gainesville this season hasn #39;t been bubble screens or other short passes. The concern around Gator Nation has been the lack of a killer instinct by the Gators.


Dell, Microsoft integrate patch management apps Dell Inc. and Microsoft Corp. said Monday they are working together to integrate their systems management applications to allow customers to update server hardware and software with a single tool.


Jobless Claims Rise Unexpectedly (Reuters) Reuters - The number of Americans filing\initial claims for jobless pay grew unexpectedly last week to\357,000, Labor Department data showed on Thursday, but an\official said an increase in the week after a public holiday\was typical.


Factory Orders Dip as Aircraft Dive New orders at US factories fell unexpectedly in August after a sharp drop in demand for civilian aircraft, government data showed on Monday.


Java Java Java... and Coffee \\Great writeup from Tim Bray WRT Dynamic Java  ...\\Here's the funny part.  Whats up with all the damn coffee in these pictures?\\One can only come to the conclusion that caffeine makes you smart as hell!\\caption: Coffee\\caption: Coffee and Java\\caption: Java and Coffee\\


Cold but resolute in Kiev  KIEV -- The weather plunges below freezing each night and the bitter winds swirl through the snow-lined streets, but the protesters filling the avenues and squares of Ukraine's capital have shown no sign of relenting.


Google set to start trading SAN FRANCISCO - Google looks set to start trading on the Nasdaq today after the web #39;s No 1 search engine asked regulators for final approval to price its closely watched initial public offering.


Cycling champion sues former assistant Lance Armstrong is suing a former personal assistant who claims the six-time defending Tour de France champion owes him \$500,000. In a lawsuit filed Monday, Armstrong and his personal service company, Luke


Outgoing EU Chief Takes Stock As his term as EU executive head comes to an end, Romano Prodi called the EU #39;s efforts to catch up economically with the United States  quot;a big failure.


Iran hands Egypt suspect in slay attempt Iran has turned over to Egypt the alleged mastermind of an 1995 assassination attempt on President Hosni Mubarak, an Islamic activist said Sunday, in a significant step


Nvidia, Intel Sign Agreement Intel has followed up its patent cross-licensing agreements with graphics processor maker ATI Technologies with a similar one with rival Nvidia.


Burundi Urges Sanctions on Rebels Over Massacre DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Burundi will urge regional leaders at a summit on Wednesday to impose sanctions against the rebel Hutu Forces for National Liberation (FNL), blamed for the slaughter of more than 160 Congolese Tutsi refugees in ...


Oracle revises PeopleSoft intentions At its user conference yesterday, Oracle continued to send out mixed messages about how it will support PeopleSoft products if it succeeds in its \$9.2bn (4.8bn) takeover bid for its rival.


Tears Flow as British Hail Plucky Loser Paula Crushed by her failure to finish in the women #39;s marathon on Sunday, a shell-shocked Paula Radcliffe broke down twice again Monday as she struggled to explain how her dreams were shattered.


Concept virus works on AMD64 Virus writers have created a proof-of-concept file infector specifically for machines that run Advanced Micro Devices Inc. #39;s AMD64 64-bit processors, antivirus companies said yesterday.


Packers Going Through Some Trying Times (AP) AP - A fight between teammates, incessant trade talk about Mike McKenzie, Brett Favre's bum shoulder, a desolated defense.


Cairn plunges after drilling disappointment Shares in Cairn Energy plummeted 20 per cent on Friday after the oil explorer announced it had failed to strike oil in a new field in the Indian state of Rajasthan.


Invasion of the Data Snatchers Think your PC is safe? Think again. A new study indicates your home computer is likely bogged down with spyware, viruses and other scourges wrought by hackers and PC pranksters.


Teen accused of making threats about school, possessing weapons A 17-year-old was arraigned Friday after authorities received a tip that he was making threats in an online chat room against his high school, fellow students and an officer assigned to the building.


63 Killed Since Saturday in India Strife GAUHATI, India Oct. 4, 2004 - Sleeping villagers heard men outside their huts, calling them to come out. They stumbled into the early morning darkness Monday and the intruders began firing automatic weapons, killing six people and wounding seven.


Pakistan Troops Kill 6 Militants Near Afghan Border Pakistan says its troops have killed six suspected al-Qaida militants in a semi-autonomous tribal region near the Afghan border. Army officials say the clash took place early Sunday in a mountainous area near


Microsoft launches validation program Microsoft last week quietly launched a pilot program to tackle the increasing problem of software piracy. Windows Genuine Advantage is the first trial of a validation scheme operating on Microsofts Download Center.


Police Surprised So Many Survive British Rail Crash  LONDON (Reuters) - British police voiced astonishment on  Sunday that so many people survived a high-speed crash of a  300-passenger train that rammed into a car at a rail crossing,  killing six people.


Election of the new Prime Minister takes place today afternoon ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly will meet in a special session at the Parliament House in Islamabad Friday at 4:00 pm (PST) to ascertain the new leader of the house.


Sehwag flays SA attack Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir flayed the South African attack to record India #39;s second-highest opening partnership in the first Test on Tuesday.


Reports of Kim #39;s demise exaggerated  quot;DON #39;T have a reaction, I #39;ll leave it to the analysts, quot; responded US State Department official Adam Ereli to questions about the significance of reports that North Korea #39;s media had stopped calling Kim Jong-il  quot;Dear Leader quot;.


Williams-Sonoma Warily Pessimistic The specialty retailer's uncertainty about the fourth quarter is unsettling.


Two Iraqi Ministers Survive Attacks 24 August 2004 -- Iraq #39;s environment and education ministers were both unharmed in two separate attacks on their respective convoys in Baghdad today, as fighting continues in the holy city of Al-Najaf.


Rains bring new misery to Sri Lanka tsunami victims (Reuters) Reuters - Torrential rains brought fresh hardship to tsunami survivors in eastern Sri Lanka on Sunday, flooding refugee camps, forcing the evacuation of at least one and leaving others dotted with stagnant pools.


Intel sheds light on 2005 desktop strategy Company says that instead of just performance, customers now want manageability features and lower power consumption.


China set for surge in car sales The number of cars on China's roads is set to rise sevenfold to 140 million by 2020, according to government forecasts.


Blaze Sub Sister Vessels Suspended from Service By Jennifer Hill and Kim Pilling, Scottish Press Association. Canada has suspended three of its former Royal Navy submarines from service after last weeks fatal blaze on a fourth vessel.


Debates Panel Seeks Bush, Kerry Response (AP) AP - The commission that proposed three presidential candidate debates says time is running out for the Bush and Kerry campaigns to agree on details so organizers can finalize their plans.


Rules Change Requires Apple to Expense Options The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has issued a ruling that will require Apple, among other companies, to begin deducting the value of stock options from profits, starting in 2005.


Private pension firms find Asia a draw, with risks Insurers and fund managers are set to cash in on Asia #39;s private pension industry, which is expected to grow nearly four-fold in 10 years as the world #39;s most populous region grows older.


N Korean leader's lover 'dead' The favourite consort of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is rumoured to have died, according to media reports.


LPGA on new terrain for California tourney  quot;I think it #39;s kind of fun to play new courses, quot; she said.  quot;During the year we don #39;t get to see very many courses other than the ones we play on the tour.


Texas Tech Gives Nebraska Worst Loss Ever (AP) AP - Texas Tech handed Nebraska its worst lost in the Cornhuskers' storied 114-year history, with Sonny Cumbie throwing for 436 yards and five touchdowns in the Red Raiders' 70-10 victory Saturday night.


Spain Plays Down Canary I. Locust Threat (AP) AP - An estimated 100 million locusts swarmed one of the Canary Islands Tuesday, but the crop-ravaging insects  #151; many with only a week to live  #151; posed little threat, arriving with missing wings and broken legs after their 60-mile flight from the African mainland.


US arrests dozens in  quot;spam quot; crackdown -source US law enforcers have arrested dozens in a crackdown on  quot;spam quot; e-mail, identity theft and other fraudulent online activity, a person involved in the investigation says.


Google en el mercado The internet search engine Google has released its first set of results since the company floated on the stock market two months ago.


Corus posts first interim profits The steel group Corus today announced pre-tax profits of 163m for the six months to the end of June - its first interim profits since its formation in 1999.


China, Annan agree on UN reform Beijing, Oct 12. (PTI): Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing today held in-depth exchange of views with visiting UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on global hotspot issues, including Iraq, and reached  quot;consensus quot; on the reform of the United Nations.


Jobless Claims Rise on Back of Hurricane (Reuters) Reuters - The ranks of Americans filing for\initial unemployment compensation swelled last week but at\least half of this increase was linked to devastation wrought\by Hurricane Charley earlier this month, the government said on\Thursday.


Trescothick boosts England England and Sri Lanka were evenly poised when rain brought a premature end to their crucial Champions Trophy encounter at the Rose Bowl.


UK aid workers airlifted from Darfur fighting More than 30 aid workers have been airlifted to safety from a town in Sudan #39;s troubled Darfur region after fighting broke out and their base was bombed, a British charity says.


Peeping Tom filter lets phones see through bikinis A third party developer in Tokyo, Yamada Denshi, has developed an add-on to Vodafone handsets, intended to be used as a night filter to allow Big Red #39;s customers to take pictures with their phones in the dark.


Iraqis aim to decide new assembly The national conference on Iraq #39;s future is going into an unscheduled fourth day as delegates hammer out the shape of the first post-war parliament.


Tokyo Edge: New Choices in Digital Entertainment (PC World) PC World - PC and home theater make sleek package, while new portable music devices abound.


More bombs in India, 53 now dead A string of bomb and gun attacks in northeastern India continued for a second day Sunday as blasts in a crowded market, a tea plantation and elsewhere killed three people and wounded another 18.


Revolution lose grip EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. --  quot;Very definitely, we're still in this, quot; maintains Pat Noonan of the bandaged and bruised but still playoff-hungry New England Revolution.


Judge Won't Delay Tobacco Trial  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge on Saturday denied a  tobacco industry request to delay the government's \$280 billion  racketeering case against the industry which is scheduled to go  to trial on Sept. 21.


UPDATE:Murdoch Has 7 Weeks To Secure News Corp #39;s US Move By Lilly Vitorovich Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--Rupert Murdoch has seven weeks to convince News Corp. (NWS) shareholders a move to the US will make the media conglomerate more attractive to


US Airways may ask court for pay relief - WSJ Struggling air carrier US Airways (UAIRQ.OQ: Quote, Profile, Research) may petition a bankruptcy court to impose temporary concessions on its unionized workers in the event they fail to agree quickly enough to cost savings