Intuit 4Q Loss Widens on Charge MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP)--Intuit Inc. #39;s loss widened for the fourth quarter ended July 31, hurt by slower seasonal sales of the company #39;s tax and finance software and an impairment charge from its decision to sell one of its businesses, the company said ...


A Breeze from the Stars This week the Sun is in the 13th house of the zodiac, and that means Earth is getting hit by a strange breeze from beyond the solar system.


Malaysia's Anwar mulls multi-party alliance (AFP) AFP - Malaysia's former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim has made no commitment yet to join any political party but is likely to play a role in a multi-party alliance, probably in opposition, he told AFP.


Gronholm has narrow Australia lead PERTH, Australia -- Finland #39;s Marcus Gronholm holds the early lead after the first stage of the Rally of Australia. Double world champion Gronholm #39;s Peugeot was fastest around the 2.34km city circuit in the


Deaf Kids in Nicaragua Give Birth to New Language (Reuters) Reuters - Deaf children thrown together in a\school in Nicaragua without any type of formal instruction\invented their own sign language -- a sophisticated system that\has evolved and grown, researchers reported on Friday.


India test-fires new supersonic missile NEW DELHI: India test-fired a supersonic cruise missile yesterday, launching it off the Indian coast, a local news agency reported.


Davenport destroys Molik in Germany American tennis player Lindsay Davenport has knocked Australia #39;s Alicia Molik out of the WTA event in Filderstadt, Germany. Davenport became the first player to book her place in the quarter-finals of the


Pistons send NBA back to drawing board There #39;s going to be a ring ceremony in an NBA city tonight, and by now you probably know it #39;s not going to be in Los Angeles.


Soldier Blogs Detail Life in Iraq (AP) AP - Iraq war blogs are as varied as the soldiers who write them. Some sites feature practical news, war pictures and advice. Some are overtly political, with more slanting to the right than to the left. Some question the war, some cheer it. While some military bloggers (or milbloggers) say their commanders have encouraged their online literary ventures, a few say their commanders have shut them down.


DoCoMo closes in on UK i-mode deal NTT DoCoMo, Japan #39;s largest mobile phone company, will announce an agreement next week for UK operator MMO2 to offer its i-mode services in the UK next year, according to people close to the deal.


Qatar Sees  #36;30 as Fair Price for Oil (Reuters) Reuters - Qatari Energy Minister Abdullah al-Attiyah\said on Tuesday that  #36;30 a barrel was a fair price for oil -- a\level nearly  #36;20 below U.S. crude futures.


Radio operators OK Net over power lines rules com October 15, 2004, 12:37 PM PT. Wired  amp; Wireless continues its reign at the top spot among IT priorities due to widespread IP telephony and wireless deployment.


Beagle 2 Just Didn #39;t Have the Money to Succeed Summary - (Nov 2, 2004) A new report by the UK House of Commons science and technology select committee pins the blame for the loss of the Beagle 2 lander on a lack of early money.


Open-source CRM firm offers subscription service Start-up SugarCRM sets out to shake up the business applications market with a free program and low-cost support.


Wildlife conference starts as battle lines drawn A major wildlife conference started yesterday in Bangkok bringing together 166 nations to scrutinise trade in some of the world #39;s rarest species amid promises of greater action to fight smuggling.


IDC says commercial demand boosts PC outlook Consistent gains in commercial personal computer demand will boost shipments of PCs to176.5 million units in 2004 on growth of 14.


Tokyo Stocks Rise as Techs Rally  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average climbed for a  third straight day on Thursday, rising over one percent as a  rally in New York boosted tech issues such as Toshiba Corp and  Shin-Etsu Chemical


Novell To Offer SuSE On Dell Servers Novell plans to make its SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 software available direct from Dell on factory-loaded Dell servers. The companies said Wednesday that beginning in 2005, customers buying Dell #39;s PowerEdge


Wall Street to Edge Up as Oil Price Slips (Reuters) Reuters - Wall Street was expected to edge higher\at Thursday's opening as oil prices receded from record highs,\easing fears spiraling costs will crimp firms' profits.


For Sprint and Nextel, a Battle With Titans When Sprint and Nextel Communications merge, they will be competing against their much larger rivals, Cingular Wireless and Verizon Wireless.


Crude oil inventory increases WASHINGTON -- Oil prices fell sharply yesterday after the US government reported US inventories of crude rose 3.4 million barrels last week, surprising many traders and analysts who had expected to see supplies shrink due to lingering output problems in


Zafi.D virus - A  quot;Merry Christmas quot; email Santa didn #39;t send! The latest email virus  quot;Zafi.D virus quot; is certain to bring sadness and not joy to many surfers over the next few days/weeks.


Titans Report Card Quarterback Steve McNair was knocked out of the game early, and the normally reliable Billy Volek struggled. On two of his three interceptions, including the one in the end zone, Volek underthrew his target.


Miller Wins Downhill for Fourth Win in Five Races  BEAVER CREEK, Colorado (Reuters) - American Bode Miller won  a men's World Cup Alpine skiing downhill Friday to celebrate a  phenomenal fourth win in five races.


Grades sent by videophone Alexandra Cook is told her A-level results while on holiday in Australia - by her mum 12,000 miles away.


Yudhoyono not convinced JI exists Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has said the Government will ban Jemaah Islamiah (JI), which is believed to have links with international terrorist network Al Qaeda, if it is proven to exist.


In-flight mobile calls approved Plane maker Airbus has reported progress in plans to enable passengers to use mobile phones in flight, beginning in 2006. Test equipment aboard an Airbus A320 plane demonstrated that mobile phones can be used without interfering with navigation systems.


Myskina Wins Three to Edge France for Fed Cup Victory In what many expected to be a 5-0 whitewash for the Russians, the Fed Cup finale came down to the final doubles match Sunday in Moscow, with Anastasia Myskina and Vera  quot;The Crying Game quot; Zvonareva edging Marion  quot;Roly Poly quot; Bartoli and Emilie Loit 7-6(5), 7


Family  #39;Devastated #39; by Death of Black Watch Soldier Relatives of the Black Watch soldier killed during the controversial military deployment from Basra spoke tonight of their devastation at his death.


PeopleSoft open to deal, official says (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - The PeopleSoft director who has been leading the defense of the software company's anti-takeover measures said Tuesday the company's board is willing to talk about a deal with rival Oracle.


New German Mobile Phone to Detect Bad Breath  BERLIN (Reuters) - A German telecommunications company said  on Tuesday it is developing the first mobile phone that will  alert users when their breath is bad or if they are giving off  offensive smells.


Morgan Stanley Profit Drops by a Third  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. investment bank Morgan Stanley  MWD.N on Wednesday said quarterly profit dropped by a third  on sharply lower bond trading revenue and higher expenses,  falling well short of Wall Street's low expectations and  pushing the company's shares down as much as 8 percent.


HP grabs defense deal Hewlett-Packard on Wednesday said it has won a contract worth \$290 million from an agency of the US Department of Defense. Under the deal, the company will work to build a single IT infrastructure for the Defense Logistics Agency.


Agassi rolls back the years Stockholm - Evergreen Andre Agassi continued his career-long stranglehold over fellow veteran Jonas Bjorkman on Thursday when he beat the Swede 6-3 6-4 to move into the quarter-finals of the Stockholm Open.


Delta, US Air Slump As Bankruptcies Eyed Investors pulled back from shares of major air carriers Friday as concerns loomed that US Airways Group Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc.


Muslims attend Bangladesh prayer Up to four million Muslims end three days of prayers in Bangladesh, for Islam's second largest event after the Hajj.


TiVo, Cable or Satellite? Choose That Smart TV Wisely Though technophiles are the one who usually like to brag about their electronic toys, recently, even tech novices have started crowing about their digital video recorders.


Deja Vu at AT amp;T AT amp;T (NYSE: T) is without a doubt facing many challenges to its business, and therefore, it #39;s been looking at some burgeoning areas for growth, like voice over Internet protocol (VoIP).


Nobels Bring Prestige to Calif. Colleges (AP) AP - The University of California system is amassing Nobel Prizes at campuses once noted more for beer bashes and odd mascots than academic excellence.


Now is the hour for Vogts From Mount Florida to Moldova, five days in which Scotland #39;s World Cup fate will be spinning like a top. Five days in which wee Berti could be king, could be clown.


Longhorn plans cut short Microsoft last week faced accusations of short-changing its Software Assurance customers following its decision to strip core features from the next major Windows client operating system, codenamed Longhorn.


News: Undead IE bug rises from grave Recent updates to IE contain a serious regression that leaves systems once more vulnerable to a flaw fixed more than two years ago, according to security researchers.\


MP calls for eBay 'gun crackdown' A dossier purportedly showing the sale of illegal firearms on eBay is to be handed to the home secretary.


Turning the Tables Using CSS Have you noticed web pages loading a bit faster than usual? You might thank Eric Meyer, an expert and author on the subject of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)  #151; a standards-based method of coding websites to make them work more efficiently with today #146;s Internet browsers. Oct 04


Terry Hicks slams son #39;s treatment No-one should have to endure the conditions accused Australian Taliban fighter David Hicks has encountered in Guantanamo Bay, his father said before flying out of the US outpost.


World Stars lose 6-1 to Swedish Elite League club Goalie Dominik Hasek and the World Stars team of NHL barnstormers lost 6-1 Thursday to Swedish Elite League club Farjestad. Ray Whitney of the Detroit Red Wings scored the World Stars #39; goal before a crowd of 6,037.


Dillon needed 1 to get 2 CLEVELAND -- In Corey Dillon's postgame interview with the media yesterday, the running back indicated he hurt his leg after he had gained 98 yards in the first half, but he wanted to go back in for 2 more yards and his seventh 100-yard game this season.


Liberty 64, Silver Stars 62 Crystal Robinson scored 16 points and Becky Hammon had 15 to rally the New York Liberty over the last-place San Antonio Silver Stars 64-62 on Sunday.


Sanofi Says Diet Drug Works  NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - An experimental diet drug helped  people lose nearly four times as much weight as a placebo in an  eagerly anticipated two-year trial, researchers said on  Tuesday.


Greed gets the better of Bernie  quot;If I did take away Silverstone and a British Grand Prix, I #39;d be seen as a bad guy but that wouldn #39;t bother me. quot; -- Bernie Ecclestone.


UN counts 70,000 dead in Darfur crisis  GENEVA -- At least 70,000 refugees have died since March because of poor conditions in camps in Sudan's Darfur region, and more will die at the same rate unless countries contribute the \$300 million in aid they promised, the UN health agency said yesterday.


Bus with 26 passengers hijacked in Greece A hijacked bus is seen on a street some 30 kilometres north of Athens December 15, 2004. Greek police forces surrounded the bus after two armed men hijacked it early Wednesday morning with 26 passengers


5 Pacers and 5 Fans Are Charged in Fight Nearly three weeks after the brawl that left an indelible scar on the NBA, five Indiana Pacers and five Pistons fans were charged Wednesday with misdemeanor assault and battery.


U.S. Forces Find Houses Where Hostages Kept The U.S. military has found nearly 20 houses where intelligence officers believe hostages were tortured or killed in this city, including the house with the cage that held a British contractor who was beheaded last month.


Yukos Seeks US Court Protection to Foil Unit Sale (Update3) OAO Yukos Oil Co., Russia #39;s second- largest oil producer, said it sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US and requested an emergency court hearing to stop the Russian government #39;s auction of its biggest unit.


Brazil corruption charges urged More than 90 people in Brazil face possible charges after a two-year inquiry into money laundering.


Europe, U.S. in Deadlock on Climate Talks' Last Day (Reuters) Reuters - The European Union and\the United States struggled to break a deadlock on the last day\of a U.N. climate-change meeting on Friday, but Washington\resisted Europe's interest in steps to fight global warming\after the international Kyoto pact ends in 2012.


The science of hurricanes The BBC's Peter Gibbs explains why hurricanes happen, and what can be done to limit their impact.


One flight down, one to go In a blistering, heart-pounding flight that briefly appeared to be in jeopardy, a privately built spacecraft safely returned to Earth after soaring to the edge of space over the Mojave desert in California yesterday.


Overseer Says Fannie Mae May Be Due For Shake-Up Federal regulators raised the possibility of a management shake-up at Fannie Mae to clean up its culture and finances.


Manchester United Football Club confirm bid The Reds have announced the news following intense speculation that American sports tycoon Malcolm Glazer was ready to significantly increase his stake in the club.


Cingular, AT amp;T Settle Branding Deal Cingular Wireless LLC said Monday that AT amp;T Corp. and AT amp;T Wireless have extended their licensing agreement in preparation for Cingular #39;s acquisition of the telecom giant #39;s former unit.


EADS profit soars, earnings forecast up PARIS, Nov 4 (AFP) - The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company reported Thursday that its nine-month net profit more than doubled, thanks largely to sales of Airbus aircraft, and raised its full-year forecast.


Mylan Laboratories Rejects Icahn #39;s \$4.9 Billion Buyout Bid The board of Mylan Laboratories rebuffed the financier Carl C. Icahn #39;s bid to buy the company yesterday, saying it remained committed to acquiring the brand-name drug maker King Pharmaceuticals.


Humming sex toy shuts Australian airport SYDNEY - A vibrating sex toy in a trash bin sparked a security scare and shut a regional Australian airport for almost an hour, officials said Monday.


Beckham #39;s back as Real thrash Albacete Real Madrid #39;s David Beckham played his first game in six weeks, after recovering from his two broken ribs, as the Spanish giants romped to a 6-1 win over struggling Albacete.


Trojans Hang On to Spoil Stellar Day for Cal Quarterback Aaron Rodgers tied an N.C.A.A. record by completing 23 consecutive passes, but he watched his last three attempts sail off target in the final minute.


First the game, then ... One final horn-honking, flag-waving frenzy for the fans. One last, glorious opportunity for 40 of the world #39;s best players to pull on their nation #39;s colours and leave them wanting more in what should be a tremendous World Cup final.


Investors Await Greenspan for Rate Hints  LONDON (Reuters) - Financial markets ticked over ahead of a  key address by U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan on  Wednesday, expecting confirmation that interest rates in the  world's leading economy will go on rising at a moderate pace.


Google Security Holes Surface Google has patched a hole in its search engine that could have allowed malicious hackers to modify the content of the Google search results page or silently modify search results.


Russian Mine Blast Kills 10, Injures 30  MOSCOW (Reuters) - A methane blast in a mineshaft in  Russia's Siberia killed at least 10 people and injured 30 on  Thursday, a government spokesman said.


News Corp marked in for S amp;P move A date has been announced for the inclusion of Rupert Murdoch #39;s News Corporation in a key share market index in the United States.


Young gun Schwartzel wins the Alfred Dunhill as Els and others <b>...</b> South Africa #39;s 20-year-old Charl Schwartzel captured the Alfred Dunhill Championship on Sunday for his first European Tour title, recovering from a poor finish in regulation to win the first playoff hole against England #39;s


Ferrari's high-tech tune-up Dieter Gundel, head of racetrack electronics at Ferrari, says all strategy decisions are based on computer simulations.


EU Nations Cling to Biotech Bans on Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayer Monsanto Co., Syngenta AG and Bayer AG failed to win wider access to the European Union #39;s biotechnology market when a demand that five nations lift bans on some gene-modified foods allowed elsewhere in the EU was blocked.


Who Next? Ukraine's Opposition Leader Fears Murder  KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's main opposition leader and  presidential hopeful Viktor Yushchenko on Tuesday warned  politicians their lives could be in danger from a murderous  leadership bent on election victory.


NZ will keep pushing for apology over Mossad  #39;agents #39; NZ PM Clark demands apology for actions of suspected Mossad agents jailed for passport fraud; Eli Cara, Uriel Kelman released on Wed.


Kmart Plucks New CEO from Yum  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Kmart Holding Corp. KMRT.O on Monday  said it appointed Aylwin Lewis president and chief executive  officer, effective immediately.


Cricket: England outclass Zim England race to a 2-0 series lead with a comfortable 161-run win over Zimbabwe.


PG amp;E ready to pay More than three years after PG amp;E Corp. stopped paying dividends during California #39;s electricity crisis, company executives said Friday that they plan to give stockholders quarterly payments of 30 cents per share next spring.


Indonesia pact gets bipartisan support The federal government has received bipartisan support for a proposed new security deal with Indonesia. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says it #39;s possible Australia could negotiate a security and anti-terrorism


A Touchy Debate Over Voting With the presidential election less than six weeks away, activists and security experts are ratcheting up concern over the use of touch-screen machines to cast votes.  -washingtonpost.com


Let Israel, Palestine find their own peace If Yasser Arafat #39;s death does improve the prospects of peace between Israel and the Palestinians, here #39;s what the United States should do about it: Nothing.


Frances-related accident claims Bowden relatives The grandson and former son-in-law of Florida State coach Bobby Bowden were killed late Sunday when their car was hit by a utility truck traveling from Texas to Florida to help restore power outages caused by Hurricane Frances.


J and J to buy US #39;s second-biggest heart device manufacturer Washington - United States health titan Johnson and Johnson has reached a deal to acquire American heart device manufacturer Guidant, in a stock-and-cash deal valued at \$23.9-billion, based on \$76 per share, the companies said in a statement early on


Liberty Hires Coyle The New York Liberty bring former interim coach Pat Coyle on as their head coach on Wednesday.


Ofcom ultimatum to BT: Open up network access or face competition <b>...</b> BT must work harder to open up its network to rivals in order to aid uptake of broadband internet access or risk a possible investigation by the UK Competition Commission, the UK communications regulator has warned.


PeopleSoft, Oracle standoff likely to continue The battle between Oracle and PeopleSoft is again at an impasse, with the possibility of a proxy fight that could continue into next spring.


RADCLIFFE READY TO TACKLE BIG APPLE Paula Radcliffe believes she is ready in every respect to challenge for the ING New York City Marathon title on Sunday. Radcliffe insisted she is top shape after arriving in the Big Apple, and although her


ARM Buys Artisan With the acquisition of Artisan, ARM will be able to deliver a broad portfolio of system-on-chip intellectual property to its customers, says ARM chief executive Warren East.


JPMorgan Chase Cancels \$5-Billion Outsourcing Deal With IBM The inexorable march of outsourcing took an abrupt about face Wednesday, when JPMorgan Chase bank canceled its \$5-billion outsourcing deal with IBM and said it would take back the 4,000 employees working at IBM on the bank #39;s IT programs.


Lessons From The Vioxx Fiasco What a mess. Weeks after Merck  amp; Co. (MRK ) yanked its blockbuster painkiller Vioxx off the market, the furor is still raging.


Stem-cell limit wasn #39;t tough enough On Aug. 9, 2001, President Bush announced he would fund research only on those stem-cell lines taken from human embryos before that date.


Decision by NLRB on work rules hit The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that employers may post regulations in the workplace that critics contend will discourage workers from organizing bargaining units or engaging in other union activities.


AT amp;T to slash about 7,400 jobs The job cuts are a part of the company #39;s efforts to shift its focus to business services and cut costs amid the competitive long-distance telephone services market.


Yukos executives leave Russia The company #39;s chief financial officer said he won #39;t return until he learns whether the government is planning charges against him.


Skeleton in Mo. Came From Ancient Mammoth (AP) AP - Everything about the bones that turned up in a Grain Valley back yard last summer suggested to scientists that they came from a 50,000-year-old mastodon. But evidence yielded by additional digging has led the experts to conclude they were off-base. The remains are actually those of a mammoth that lived 500,000 to 1 million years ago, according to the scientists.


Red Cross caught in P2P fracas Also: Nasa's Mars rovers--'biggest breakthrough' in science in 2004. News.com Extra


Barack Obama Gets  #36;1.9 Million Book Deal (AP) AP - U.S. Sen.-elect Barack Obama, whose 1995 book jumped onto best seller lists after his keynote address to the Democratic National Convention, has landed a three-book deal worth  #36;1.9 million.


Post-Beslan Russia looks to US Russia will move aggressively into the war against international terrorism by cooperating more closely with the United States. President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced sweeping measures to beef up Kremlin


Sun #39;s Kodak moment: Patent suit settled out of court Sun Microsystems has agreed to pay Eastman Kodak \$92 million to settle an intellectual property dispute between the two companies, Sun disclosed last week.


Indian police round-up rebel supporters in Manipur Indian police have rounded up 60 suspected rebel sympathisers in the capital of the troubled state of Manipur, as authorities broaden a major sweep against insurgent groups, officials said on Sunday.


Rumsfeld Visits Baghdad as Blasts Kill Up to 18 Two blasts killed up to 18 people, including an American soldier, in Baghdad Sunday hours before Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visited Iraq to gauge efforts to calm violence ahead of January elections.


Monday #39;s Top 25 Capsules John Lucas scored 24 points to lead No. 6 Oklahoma State to a 76-57 victory over SMU on Monday night. Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton won for the 759th time, tying Ed Diddle for eighth place on the Division I career list.


Chemo: Testing Who Will Benefit A new report says a genetic profiling test already on the market accurately predicts which breast cancer patients will benefit from chemotherapy -- and who won't. It could help 80,000 women a year make better choices about their treatment.


Flexibility does not come with stray words: Singh GUWAHATI: Flexibility does not come with stray words, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Sunday, in response to remarks from President General Pervez Musharraf last week that he was disheartened by New Delhis rigidity on the Kashmir


Angels #39; Vladimir Guerrero Voted AL MVP Anaheim Angels #39; Vladimir Guerrero singles to right against the Oakland Athletics during the fifth inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif.


India denies pullback plan NEW DELHI, Oct 1: India does not plan to withdraw troops from the Siachen Glacier and recent news reports claiming otherwise are  quot;pure speculation and a lie, quot; Indian Foreign Minister Kunwar Natwar Singh said on Friday.


Fallon among 16 arrested in British race-fixing probe Champion jockey Kieren Fallon was among 16 people arrested Wednesday in an investigation into corruption within horse racing, Britain #39;s domestic Press Association news agency reported.


U.N. Nuke Inspectors: No Access in Brazil (AP) AP - Brazil has emphasized that its commitment to an international treaty meant to stop the spread of nuclear weapons may not be open-ended, and it continues to resist giving U.N. inspectors access to its technology that can make such weapons, diplomats said Thursday.


Major League Baseball News There were some skeptics wondering if Giants manager Felipe Alou was making the right decision by putting veteran Kirk Rueter on the hill in literally the biggest game


Allawi Declares Martial Law in Iraq Iraq's interim government announced a state of emergency on Sunday as the country braced for a massive U.S. military assault on Fallujah. Latest insurgent attacks kill 21 police officers in towns west of Fallujah.


ADV: \$175,000 Mortgage for Under \$730/Month Mortgage rates are at record lows. Save \$1000s on your mortgage payment. Free quotes.


End of Series will bring a lot of questions Now what? Was winning the World Series truly the last hurrah for franchise players Pedro Martinez and Jason Varitek and more than a dozen teammates, including Derek Lowe and Orlando Cabrera , who are eligible for free agency?


Rupert buys back the farm, the art and harbourside house RUPERT Murdoch is literally buying back the farm - and the art and other myriad investments worth more than \$50 million. As part of the proposed move of The News Corporation Ltd to the US, Mr Murdoch and his


Merrill Profit Falls on Lower Trading US investment bank Merrill Lynch  amp; Co. (MER.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday said third-quarter profit fell 8 percent, hurt by reduced trading in


Pedro powers by Rangers They #39;re in the midst of one of the most relentless marches in their modern history, a 10-game winning streak that has them climbing up the backs of the New York Yankees and leaving their wild card rivals behind.


70,000 have died in Darfur camps: WHO GENEVA - At least 70,000 people have died since March as a result of poor conditions in refugee camps in Sudan #39;s Darfur, the United Nations health agency said Friday.


Pakistan test-fires medium range ballistic missile RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Wednesday carried out a successful test fire of its endogenously developed medium range surface to surface ballistic missile Hatf-IV/Shaheen-I.


Hantuchova Upsets No. 17 Molik NEW YORK -- Daniela Hantuchova took another step back up the tennis rankings ladder Wednesday, defeating No. 17 Alicia Molik 6-4, 6-3 at the US Open.


How they #39;ve fared: teams split games this year June 11: Kamila Vodichkova scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, helping the Storm to a tough win. Lauren Jackson scored 22 points, but was just 7 of 18 and had just two rebounds.


US, Russia Select Next Crew for Space Station Russia #39;s Federal Space Agency and the US #39;s NASA have approved the crew of the next mission to the international space station, an agency spokesman said Tuesday.


BlackBerry phone rings all the right notes In the beginning, there was BlackBerry. A delicious fruit, yes, but also a clever way to get your e-mail on a pager-like device. Then there was BlackBerry: a clever way to get your


Stocks rally as falling oil prices lure buyers Stocks rallied in quiet trading Wednesday as oil prices fell for a third straight day and countered a pair of government reports that gave a mixed picture of the economy.


Verizon sets up Iobi Home The personal communications management service debuts in the north-eastern United States.


Colts deactivate Pollard, Vanderjagt Pro Bowl kicker Mike Vanderjagt and starting tight end Marcus Pollard were inactive for the Colts #39; game Sunday against Oakland.


Pressure grows on EDS over U.K. government IT system A troubled welfare-case -anagement and telephony system developed largely by Electronic Data Systems has run into so many problems that U.K. government officials might pull the plug on it.


Latham hits out at  #39;clumsy #39; security MARK Latham has stepped up his attack on the Howard Government #39;s approach to national security, calling it  quot;clumsy quot; and  quot;high-risk quot; and saying it showed no lessons were learned from the Iraq war.


Earthquake Hits Costa Rica During Summit (AP) AP - An earthquake shook people awake in the Costa Rican capital early Saturday, where leaders of 21 nations had gathered for a summit meeting.


Guerrilla #39;s assistant captured, says Iraq A lieutenant of Iraq #39;s most feared insurgent leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was captured this week, the country #39;s national security minister said Thursday, and


Ferrero Knocked Out Juan Carlos Ferrero's difficult year becomes more disappointing when the 2003 U.S. Open runner-up loses to Stefan Koubek in five sets in the second round.


Marvel sues NCsoft over City of Heroes Comic book giant Marvel has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Korean publisher NCsoft, alleging that players in the firm #39;s MMORPG City of Heroes are creating characters in the likeness of Marvel heroes.


China Southern buys assets to restructure China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd., the countrys largest airline, said over the weekend it would buy assets worth US\$2 billion from its State parent as part of a restructuring of the fragmented industry.


Clippers exercise option on Wilcox Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Clippers Monday exercised the contract option for the 2005-06 season on forward Chris Wilcox.


United cuts flight capacity out of DIA United Airlines will decrease capacity on about 30 routes from Denver as it reduces US flight capacity by 14 percent and adds international flights to focus on more profitable routes.


Cott Pops Up Again Shares of generic soda company Cott (NYSE: COT) bubbled up more than 5 yesterday following some upbeat announcements from CEO John Sheppard, who presented at a Prudential Securities conference in Boston.


Summary Box: Cicada Carcasses Help Soil (AP) AP - WHEN CICADAS DIE: Decaying cicada carcasses provide a massive boost in nutrients to forest soil and stimulate seed and nitrogen production in a plant important to the forest ecosystem, researchers reported.


Nobody strikes the pose better than Reggie Bush College football fans would probably be comparing him to - well, don #39;t take my word for it. Take Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer #39;s, one of the most respected individuals in the game.


Fuji Readies 16X DVDs (PC World) PC World - Fuji joins the fray of makers of 16X DVD media with scheduled fall release.


Gas line measures approved WASHINGTON--Two of Alaska #39;s three major oil companies have offered cautious optimism about the potential for a North Slope natural gas pipeline under incentive packages approved Monday by Congress.


Thailand #39;s queen urges unity in violence-plagued deep south Thailand #39;s Queen Sirikit urged thecountry to unit to solve ongoing violence in the Muslim-dominated deep south. In a emotional plea for peace in the region, the Queen said theinnocent


NASA Jet Sets Record for Speed A tiny pilotless NASA jet soared above the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday at nearly 10 times the speed of sound, almost 7,000 miles an hour, thanks to a radical new engine technology.


Pfizer to settle asbestos claims (New York-AP, Sept. 3, 2004 5:40 PM) _ Pfizer agreed to pay \$430 million to settle lawsuits alleging injury from insulation products made by a subsidiary.


Hurricanes are in a euphoric state ATLANTA -- Miami center Joel Rodriguez walked across the confetti-covered field carrying the Peach Bowl trophy, hugging teammates and waving to fans.


Give Sonic Solutions More Play The digital media software developer deserves more attention from investors.


Cavaliers Shock No. 10 Wildcats Throughout the last month, the Virginia Cavaliers told anyone who would listen that their goals this basketball season far exceed the low expectations outsiders hold for them.


Tiger #39;s swing the problem - Vijay World number one Vijay Singh, who leads the star parade at the dunhill links championship at St. Andrews this week, believes Tiger Woods is paying a heavy price for tampering with his swing.


Lockheed Profit Jumps on IT, Jet Demand (Reuters) Reuters - No. 1 U.S. defense contractor Lockheed\Martin Corp.  reported a 41 percent rise in quarterly\profit on Tuesday, beating Wall Street forecasts, as demand\soared for its combat aircraft and information technology\services.


Microsoft: No extra licenses needed for multicore chips Customers that use the dual-core processors that Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) are expected to begin shipping next year will not need to buy extra licenses for Microsoft Corp.


Big Week for Cities Vying for 2012 Games Five cities vying to stage the 2012 Summer Games reveal their hands this week as Olympic chiefs scrutinize their plans for holding the world #39;s greatest sporting extravaganza.


Death toll in China #39;s coal mine blast expected to rise BEIJING : A gas explosion in a coal mine in China has killed at least 56 miners and left nearly 100 others missing. The death toll is expected to rise further


HDTV Competition Could Bring Deals Prices are likely to drop as more outlets, including PC vendors, get into the market.


Microsoft Has Your Back Microsoft is expanding its indemnification program for Windows and other software products in order to shield users from legal claims and patent disputes.


Jets #39; solid showing bodes well for their future So the Jets lost a tough game at New England, 13-7. That #39;s no reason to believe they won #39;t be a factor in the AFC East race -- and perhaps beyond.


Iran Hangs Three Drug Smugglers in Public - Paper (Reuters) Reuters - Iran has hanged three drug smugglers in\a public square in the southern province of Kerman, the\Jomhuri-ye Eslami newspaper reported on Saturday.


Microsoft To Pay \$113M to Calif. Lawyers Sep. 17, 2004. A judge is ordering the Microsoft to pay \$112.5 million to attorneys who successfully sued the software maker for monopolizing a segment of California #39;s market.


UPDATE 1-Bankrupt UAL posts \$114 mln net loss in October Bankrupt UAL Corp. (UALAQ.OB: Quote, Profile, Research) , parent of United Airlines, on Tuesday reported a net loss of \$114 million, including \$14 million in reorganization expenses.


Existing Home Sales Surge in September  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sales of existing U.S. homes  unexpectedly surged 3.1 percent in September on low mortgage  rates, and would have been even brisker had hurricanes not hit  the south, a trade association said on Monday.


Yahoo Unveils Budget Domains Deal Domain hosting and parking services drop in price, rise in capacity to lure small businesses.


Review panel pleased with Supreme Court choices; Tories criticize procedure (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - The first-ever parliamentary panel to review Supreme Court appointments declared Friday it was pleased with the two justices chosen by Prime Minister Paul Martin.


Braves Edge Padres 6-5 (AP) AP - Andruw Jones hit a two-run homer off Trevor Hoffman in the ninth inning and the Atlanta Braves threw out the potential tying run at the plate for the final out Wednesday night, preserving a 6-5 come-from-behind win over the San Diego Padres.


Vick Rallies Falcons Michael Vick throws a 27-yard scoring pass to Alge Crumpler with 1:22 remaining to finish Atlanta's rally with a 24-21 triumph over the Saints.


Trial Ordered in Fla. E-Ballot Lawsuit (AP) AP - A federal appeals court on Monday revived a lawsuit seeking a paper trail for Florida's new touchscreen voting machines with only five weeks left before the presidential election.


Bush Mum on Pakistan's Bin Laden Efforts (AP) AP - President Bush offered no criticism Saturday of Pakistan's role in the still-unsuccessful hunt for al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, even though Pakistan's army is pulling back from the region where the terrorist mastermind is believed hiding.


FDA expert accuses agency over Vioxx The US is virtually defenceless against another scandal such as Vioxx, senators investigating Mercks withdrawal of its popular painkiller were told yesterday.


Australia #39;s Downer Calls on North Korea to Attend Nuclear Talks Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he used his visit to North Korea to call on the communist country to attend the next round of six-nation talks on dismantling its nuclear program.


Nokia launches tri-band 3220 camera phone with Near Field <b>...</b> HELSINKI, Nov 02, 2004 (AFX-UK via COMTEX) -- Nokia Corp launched today at its conference in Monaco a new tri-band Nokia 3220 camera handset equipped with a Near Field Communication (NFC) cover.


Florida 'to list Nader on ballot' Ralph Nader can be listed on Florida ballots in the US presidential election, the state's electoral chief says.


Hearing Set After Microsoft Rivals Quit The judge considering Microsoft Corp. #39;s appeal against European Union sanctions has convened a closed meeting for Thursday after two more major opponents of the US software giant withdrew from the case, a court spokesman said on


Salina chosen as launch site for around-the-world solo flight SALINA - An unprecedented attempt at a solo, around-the-world, nonstop, unrefueled flight will have a distinct Kansas flavor. The around-the-world flight of the GlobalFlyer will begin and, if things go right, finish at the Salina Municipal Airport.


Sharon promises cooperation with Russia to combat terrorism Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made a telephone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, promising Israeli cooperation with Russia to concentrate efforts to combat terrorism, local newspaper Haaretz reported on its website.


England fans get first taste of SA With just two warm-up games prior to the Tests, Michael Vaughan and his men have had little time for relaxation. But for the supporters out here the opening games at Randjesfontein and Potchefstroom


Arafat hopes for US  #39;policy of peace #39; PARIS Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, who is having medical tests in a French military hospital, hopes that President George W. Bush will adopt a new  quot;policy of peace quot; in the Middle East, an aide said Wednesday.


Cisco Users See Some Pricing Relief DECEMBER 13, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - SAN JOSE -- Cisco Systems Inc. #39;s prices have typically been higher than those charged by its smaller networking rivals.


China Urges U.S. to Stop Selling Arms to Taiwan (Reuters) Reuters - China Tuesday urged the United States\to halt all official contact with Taiwan and to stop selling\arms to the island, but made no comment on Taiwan President\Chen Shui-bian's recent peace overtures.


Torre not ready to name starter So who's pitching the most important game of the year for the Yankees tonight? Manager Joe Torre wasn't saying last night.


Spa is  #39;magic #39; track - Schumacher It #39;s no F1 secret, but Spa-Francorchamps - not far from Michael Schumacher #39;s German birthplace - is his favourite track. Ferrari #39;s champion won last time out in Belgium (2002) and will probably wrap-up title number seven in the Ardennes on Sunday.


Bush Cabinet Quote Box (AP) AP - Reactions Tuesday to the resignations of Attorney General John Ashcroft and Commerce Secretary Don Evans:


To Market, to Market, Without the Drive A preoccupied parent revisits the world of grocery shopping on the Web and finds that a lot has changed.


Mass. legislators back work on embryonic stem cells Legislative leaders voiced new backing for embryonic stem-cell research yesterday, speaking out after Californians voted to spend \$3 billion to lure the companies and scientists engaged in the much-debated research.


Nortel picks up \$5m BT call centre contract Nortel has won a \$5m contract from BT to help the telco use Internet Protocol (IP) technology to upgrade its call centres around the UK.


Sun to unveil much-awaited version of Solaris Sun Microsystems is going to unveil its newest version of Solaris operating system. In. Sun Microsystems is going to unveil its newest version of Solaris operating system.


ABN Amro to cut 2,800 jobs AMSTERDAM, DECEMBER 16: Dutch financial group ABN AMRO said on Thursday it would cut 2,850 jobs in a restructuring in which it broadens group shared services (GSS) and refines its wholesale clients business unit.


Vancouver votes in record numbers, rejects ward-based electoral system (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - VANCOUVER (CP) - Vancouver residents took to the polls in record numbers Saturday and voted not to adopt a ward system used by every other major Canadian city to elect its municipal politicians.


White in Heisman Form Jason White throws four touchdowns and No. 2 Oklahoma overcomes its own mistakes to beat Kansas State, 31-21, on Saturday.


UPDATE 3-Macquarie H1 profit jumps, upgrades outlook Macquarie Bank Ltd. (MBL.AX: Quote, Profile, Research) , Australia #39;s largest investment bank, beat expectations with a 17 percent rise in first-half profit on


Hollinger Paid For Lord Black #39;s Costly Hubris press baron, financier, philanthropist, member of the global elite. But as we learned this week from a Hollinger International investigative


S.Africa Says No Extradition Request for Thatcher (Reuters) Reuters - South Africa has not received an\official request from Equatorial Guinea for the extradition of\Mark Thatcher, who is suspected of involvement in a coup bid in\the oil-rich country, officials said on Friday.


Telestream Unveils Windows Media 9 Series Encoding Support For Mac Telestream announced Friday support for exporting or importing files in the Microsoft Windows Media format on Mac OS X platforms. Telestream #39;s new support capabilities for Windows Media


Myanmar appoints new PM in major cabinet reshuffle Myanmar State Peace and DevelopmentCouncil (SPDC) on Tuesday carried out a major government reshuffle,removing Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt from post and appointing Lieut.


Ashford Hospitality a Welcome Find The hotel REIT's increasing dividend demonstrates that management's innovative business model is succeeding.


News: McAfee AV ate my application An Australian software developer has been left fuming after the latest virus definition update from McAfee caused his package to be wrongly identified as a Trojan horse programme.


Waiting For Google NEW YORK - Benjamin Franklin, that annoying know-it-all, famously said,  quot;Never put off until tomorrow that which you can do today.


Egypt calls for release of hostages in Iraq Egypt on Saturday called for the immediate release of Egyptians and other nationals taken hostage in violence-ravaged Iraq.  quot;Egypt is against the practice of hostage-taking to


Arctic Birds Use Scent to Find Their Mates (AP) AP - Antarctic birds returning to a nesting colony after feeding at sea sniff out their mates, literally. Researchers studying the behavior of birds called Antarctic prions found the musky-smelling birds were able to discern the scent of their mates.


Terry, Howard Leads Mavs Over Knicks (AP) AP - Jason Terry and Josh Howard each scored 17 points and the Dallas Mavericks cruised to a 112-74 preseason victory over the New York Knicks on Thursday night.


Premier Delight at buy from Kraft PREMIER FOODS today emerged victorious in the bidding for another slice of British gastronomic history. The owner of Ambrosia creamed rice has.


Kazaa challenged over kiddie porn control policy If it can boot off smut peddlers, it can boot off copyright infringers


Tigers in Thai zoo dying of bird flu BANGKOK - Avian influenza has killed 23 tigers and sickened 30 more at a private zoo in eastern Thailand, Thai officials said on Tuesday.


Prosecutor #39;s Announcement on Brawl Charges to Come Wednesday brings the next step for Pacers players and Piston fans facing disciplinary action following the melee in Detroit. Various news reports say a prosecutor in Detroit is expected to make a major announcement this afternoon.


Oxygen Generator Fails on Space Station (AP) AP - The main oxygen generator for the international space station has failed, and the two astronauts on board will tap into an attached cargo ship's air supply this weekend, NASA said Thursday.


Iraq deaths claim  #39;to be studied #39; The government will  quot;examine with very great care quot; claims around 100,000 Iraqi civilians have died as a result of the US-led invasion, Jack Straw has said.


Security Beyond Antivirus Programs (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - It happens all the time to unlucky or unwise Windows users: A new computer crashes and burns after a crippling virus or worm attack. But things can fall apart inside a new PC without such outside help; everyday use can cause a slower form of rot that eventually hobbles the system as thoroughly as a virus might.


Britain denies political #39; deployment in Iraq British Prime Minister Tony Blair #39;s government yesterday rejected claims from opposition lawmakers that a redeployment of British troops in Iraq would be a political show of support for the administration of US President George W. Bush before presidential


Sadler #39;s game plan: Beat Gordon Driver figures if he can finish ahead of 4-time series champion, he has good shot at 2004 title. By Steve Ballard. CONCORD, NC -- Elliott Sadler has looked at the field in the 10-man Chase for the Nextel Cup and worked out a simple formula for winning it.


In Paris, a slick maneuver tries to lure tourists to Eiffel Tower PARIS -- Holiday on ice takes on new meaning high above the rooftops of Paris doing figure eights inside the Eiffel Tower.


Russia downplays terror crash revelations President Vladimir Putin #39;s government has played down revelations of terrorist involvement in the crash of two airliners, apparently not wanting to highlight an embarrassing security


Rhythm not thrown off by their line dance They comprised one of the steadiest units in the NFL last season, so much so that the Patriots' offensive line made their lineup changes at the beginning and end of the season go virtually unnoticed.


Vector takes \$877m share in NGC AGL has agreed to sell its majority shareholding to Vector at \$3.00 per share - a deal worth \$877.4 million in total. Bloomberg noted that NGC would provide Vector with North Island gas pipelines, adding to


Endangered bird dies in captivity SAN DIEGO - The only captive member of what may be the world #39;s most endangered species of bird has died in Hawaii, zoo officials announced Tuesday.


Rulon Gardner Wins First Two Matches ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Rulon Gardner won two pool matches Tuesday, his first in the Olympics since his monumental gold-medal upset of Russia's supposedly unbeatable Alexander Karelin in Sydney, to move within one victory of reaching the Greco-Roman wrestling semifinals at 264 1/2 pounds (120kg).


Phaithful Phlock to the Phinish as the 21-Year Jam Ends in Tears Phish made its farewell in Vermont this past weekend in true Phish style: playing its own musical marathon, swarmed by adoring fans and isolated from the rest of the world.


Int #39;l aviation  amp; aerospace exhibition to open in Zhuhai A mechanician examines a plane of Chinese Bayi aerobatics team at an airport in Zhuhai, Guangdong, Oct. 31, 2004. The 5th China International Aviation  amp; Aerospace Exhibition during which five aerobatics teams


Shi #39;ite militia asked to surrender weapons The Iraqi government has given Shi #39;ite militiamen five days to hand in weapons under a weekend peace agreement. National Security Adviser Kassim Daoud said the Iraqi interim government will commit more than


Baseball Expected to Query Franco on Crime Figures Major League Baseball is expected to interview Mets pitcher John Franco in light of news reports that Franco had given crime family members tickets to a Mets game.


Webber not excited about rejoining Pizzonia New Williams-BMW lead driver Mark Webber of Australia isn #39;t excited about the prospect of reuniting with former Jaguar team-mate Antonio Pizzonia of Brazil in Formula 1. Webber was hoping to be Williams #39; second


Mitsubishi Motors to Sell \$2 Bln of Loans to Merrill (Update4) Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said it will sell \$2 billion of US auto loans to Merrill Lynch  amp; Co. to help the automaker reduce debt.


Valve wins case against Vivendi Half-Life 2 creator Valve Games has announced that a legal complaint filed against publisher Vivendi Universal Games in August 2002 has been upheld by a US court, but several other cases remain outstanding.


Microsoft, Sun claim progress on interoperability deal DECEMBER 02, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Microsoft Corp. and Sun Microsystems Inc. said yesterday that they #39;re pleased with the progress they have made in the early stages of the 10-year alliance they forged in April (see story).


Beware  #39;Peeping Tom Webcam Worm #39; A warning was issued today about a Peeping Tom computer virus which can hijack webcams and spy on users. The virus, or worm as it is technically


Matured Busch a title favorite, not fan favorite NASCAR #39;s new playoff-style championship format has delivered nearly everything its proponents promised: more intense racing, higher television ratings and a tight title race heading into Sunday #39;s season finale.


Frenchman wins Champ-car title He won the season-ending Champ-car Mexican Grand Prix, leading wire-to-wire to take his seventh victory of the 14-race season. Pole-sitter Bourdais began the race with a 22-point lead over front-row neighbour Bruno Junqueira.


Microsoft Takes On Backup Market It #39;s a market that could use a shake-up. Backup and recovery still can be too expensive and complex for many small and midsize companies that rely on Windows, but the software is vital to their businesses.


U.S. Says N.Korea Blast Probably Not Nuclear (Reuters) Reuters - A huge explosion rocked North Korea last\week but U.S. and South Korean officials said on Sunday it was\unlikely to have been a nuclear weapons test despite the\appearance of a "peculiar cloud" over the area.


Getting bedrock value A conversation about Walter McCarty never stays focused on the Celtics' versatile forward for long. Just ask coach Doc Rivers.


Delaware River Oil Spill Leaves Wildlife Imperiled Birds coated in oil were carried to a wildlife refuge by volunteers trying to save them from the largest oil spill on the Delaware River in nearly a decade.


Women's Hoops Cruises America's Katie Smith reinjures her right knee early in a dominating 100-62 women's basketball victory over China on Sunday.


Soccer Club to Be Charged With Murder Police plan to file murder charges against Sao Caetano club officials for the death of defenseman Serginho, who collapsed on the field and died of heart failure last month.


Wall Street rattled by Fed as Shell fails to please City WALL Street is said to be a bit rattled at the Federal Reserves latest quarter-point rise in American interest rates. Yesterdays one-third drop in quarterly profit announced by investment bank Morgan Stanleys will not help the jitters.


Mussina outduels Pedro as Yanks roll It was about taking care of business, or maybe it was about the Boston Red Sox not -gain. The Yankees didnt play their best game, but because the Red


Direction-Free Data Sends Treasuries Down  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasury debt prices ticked lower on  Tuesday in a classic "buy-the-rumor, sell-the-fact" reaction as  a reading on U.S. retail consumption proved not as weak as some  in the market had been betting.


Dutch arrest man suspected of aiding Saddam war crimes, genocide (AFP) AFP - The Dutch police said they had arrested a man suspected of aiding former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in committing war crimes and genocide by supplying him with the materials to make chemical weapons used in attacks in the 1980s.


US heading into major urban assault in Iraq More than 10,000 US forces are poised to attack and occupy the rebel operations base of Fallujah.


India orders Olympic dope probe Sports Minister Sunil Dutt says action will be taken after two weightlifters fail a drugs test at the Athens Olympics.


Rafter dies in Grand Canyon National Park GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. - A 62-year-old man from Phoenix died after his boat overturned on the Colorado River, a Grand Canyon spokeswoman said Wednesday.


Sacked Chelsea striker Mutu banned 7 months November 5, 2004. Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu has been suspended for seven months and fined 20,000 following an FA disciplinary hearing into his failed drugs test.


Rebels return to 'cleared' areas In Fallujah, US forces are going through 50,000 houses one by one. But insurgents are coming back.


Wengers big problem now is in deciding which keeper to field LONDON: Arsenal recovered their poise to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League with a 5-1 thrashing of Rosenborg Trondheim and now face a crucial decision before Sunday #39;s league match with leaders Chelsea.


Jefferies Group probed over gifts to mutual fund executives Jefferies Group Inc. , a New York-based brokerage, is under investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission as part of a probe into whether brokers doled out gifts to mutual fund executives to win trading business, people familiar with the matter said.


IBM Shares Up Despite Services Doubts (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of IBM  gained 4 percent\on Tuesday after the world's largest computer company posted\third-quarter results that marked a recovery from a weak\second-quarter performance, Wall Street commentators said.


Royal Dutch/Shell Fined \$150 Million Description: Royal Dutch/Shell agrees to pay more than \$150 million to settle fraud charges in the United States and Britain. The company was accused of overstating its proven oil and gas reserves by more than 20 percent.


Shadow of Perry still looms over British game Britain last won the Davis Cup in 1936. You can account for the paucity of confidence in the British team last weekend when you realise their last victory predates rationing.


Anwar Ibrahim to seek royal pardon Malaysia #39;s former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim will reportedly seek royal pardon to clear his name of a corruption conviction.


Dream Team most unpopular athletes in Olympics These Dream Team impostors are jeered in Athens bars by Americans, booed in the arena by Greeks and the rest of the world, despised back home by people fed up watching their selfish ways on TV.


Who do you love? Cisco, Dell and Microsoft earn raves in a customer loyalty survey. Apple, HP and Sun? Not so much. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Executives at Cisco, Dell, Microsoft and IBM don #39;t need to worry about losing a lot


Japan Protests Incursion by Nuclear Sub Japan lodged a formal protest with the Chinese government on Friday after determining that an unidentified nuclear submarine that entered its territorial waters this week belonged to China.


Scientists Protest Kennewick Man Bill (AP) AP - Scientists hoping to study the ancient skeleton known as Kennewick Man are protesting a bill by Colorado Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell that they say could block their efforts.


Russia to Help Train South Korean Astronaut by 2007 (Reuters) Reuters - Russia agreed on Tuesday to help train\South Korea's first astronaut by 2007 -- although it is still\not clear whether Seoul's space cadet will make it into orbit\that year.


Moscow weighs ruble priorities Russia is struggling to decide whether it should focus more on fighting inflation to keep goods affordable for consumers or on restraining the ruble to support local producers, the deputy prime minister, Alexander Zhukov, said Monday.


Browns' Suggs Impatient to Start (AP) AP - Waiting has become a part-time job for Lee Suggs, one he'd like to quit for good.


IBM exec may become Computer Associates CEO NEW YORK -- Troubled business software company Computer Associates International Inc. has selected longtime IBM executive John Swainson as its new chief executive, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.


Mountain climbing Leaving Beaver Creek, Colo., for Europe two weeks ago, Bode Miller had earned the distinction of being the best ski racer of the young World Cup season, and most signs were pointing toward extraordinary heights.


Palestinians Hunt for Kidnapped CNN Producer (Reuters) Reuters - Palestinian security forces were on\Tuesday searching for an Israeli Arab producer for CNN\television who was kidnapped by gunmen in the Gaza Strip.


Basque group sets off 7 explosions in Spain MADRID The Basque separatist group ETA struck Monday for the second time in days, exploding seven small bombs in seven cities throughout Spain, the Interior Ministry said.


Microsoft escalates fight aginst Hotmail spam Microsoft has fired another broadside against the spammers with nine new lawsuits against companies that send illegal unsolicited email to Hotmail accounts.


Philippine GDP rises 6.3 percent in third quarter The Philippine economy rose 6.3 percent year-on-year in the third quarter, higher than the market expectations, the government said Monday.


Stocks End Higher Before Earnings Blitz  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks advanced slightly on  Monday as investors were optimistic that corporate earnings  reports may exceed expectations, but oil at a fresh record near  \$54 a barrel curbed gains.


Junior jumps to lead Earnhardt #39;s third-place finish in the Sylvania 300 yesterday at New Hampshire International Speedway, the best showing of his career at the 1.058-mile flat track, was good enough


Founder set to quit Chelsfield Elliott Bernerd has agreed to walk away from the property empire he built over two decades for about 65m cash after falling out with his billionaire business partners.


Arsenal reserve goalkeeper Graham Stack charged with rape Arsenal reserve goalkeeper Graham Stack was charged Wednesday with raping a 21-year-old woman at his home in London. The offence was alleged to have taken place in Beckenham, southeast London, on Sept.


Yankees Take Lead Jon Lieber outduels Pedro Martinez as the Yankees beat the Red Sox, 3-1, Wednesday for a 2-0 lead in their ALCS rematch.


US agrees to Halliburton inquiry The US government will set up an inquiry into Iraq contracts given to Halliburton, the former firm of Vice President Dick Cheney.


The return of the atomic keyring Cash'n'Carrion Glowring back from the dead


Movie Studios Start Suing Web File Swappers (Reuters) Reuters - Hollywood film studios filed suit\against online video file swappers in federal courts across the\United States on Tuesday, making good on a promise to punish\computer users they claim are violating copyright laws.


To stop a thief AOL, the nation's top Internet service provider, thinks it's found the ultimate weapon against password thieves -- a password that changes every minute. And while AOL is mainly interested in protecting its own customers, it's also building the foundation of a system that could shield millions of others who do business online.


Video game recreates JFK killing GLASGOW - A new downloadable video game allows gamers to assume the role of Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin who killed US president John F. Kennedy.


Engram's Ankle Injury Is Slow to Heal (AP) AP - Receiver Bobby Engram's left ankle sprain is worse than initially believed, Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said Wednesday.


He's no Cup-cake at the event I'm a Montyphile and damn proud of it. Colin Montgomerie is achingly, valiantly, eternally human . If Monty isn't going to speak, well, he isn't going to speak. I was one of the many brushed off when he shot a frustrating 84 in the rain that horrible Saturday at Muirfield two years ago. But when Monty ...


Israel Presses Offensive in Northern Gaza (AP) AP - Israel's largest and bloodiest offensive in Gaza in four years of conflict moved into its third week, with missile strikes killing six Palestinians and Israeli troops digging into the northern end of the crowded territory.


US retail sales remain strong in Nov Retail sales rose 0.1pc in November, for the third straight monthly increase. Auto sales declined 1.3pc in the month, after falling 0.5pc in the previous month.


Broncos Rout Reeling Raiders 31-3 (AP) AP - Jake Plummer and Reuben Droughns did little wrong while turning the Denver Broncos' biggest rivalry into a rout.


Linux cluster storage system takes off Linux Networx has developed a clustered storage appliance which is able to pool capacity from separate storage devices into a single high-capacity resource.


Freed UN hostages meet Afghan leader ahead of return home A group of three United Nations workers, freed after almost four weeks captivity in Afghanistan, have met President Hamid Karzai, in Kabul.


Date Set for Iraqi Elections; Violence Slows Registration Iraqi electoral officials on Sunday scheduled national and provincial elections for Jan. 30 and said that nearly 200 political groups had applied to take part.


Socialists in France give lift to EU charter PARIS A resounding vote in favor of the European Union constitution by France #39;s opposition Socialist Party was welcomed Thursday across a Continent that faces a string of national referendums on the treaty next year.


Poachers Target Musk Deer for Perfumes, Medicines Musk has been used in perfume and traditional remedies for 5,000 years. But now the deer that secretes the valuable substance is becoming threatened across its range.


Who? Who? And Clemens The Houston Astros and their fans patiently waited 42 years before winning their first post-season series on Monday and what do they get for a payoff?


Press reveals Iran #39;s nuclear fears The IAEA decision to accept Iran #39;s suspension of uranium enrichment and not take the matter to the United Nations Security Council wins both hostile and welcome reactions in Iranian newspapers.


Before-the-Bell: FedEx Up After Outlook  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares FedEx Corp. FDX.N rose before  the bell on Monday, after the express shipping company raised  its earnings forecast for the first quarter and the full year,  citing strong demand for its services.


22 killed in Iraq car bombing, clashes BAGHDAD: A suicide attacker drove his bomb-laden car into a US convoy during fighting on Wednesday in a northern town, where hospital officials said at least 10 people were killed.


Developing states to seek voice in fighting terror (Reuters) Reuters - Developing nations launched their annual diplomatic summit on Tuesday with a plea to the United States and other powerful countries to consult them on tackling terror and resolving the Middle East conflict


Four share Champions lead SOUTH Korea #39;s Grace Park finished with a birdie today to join Americans Laura Diaz, Juli Inkster and Christina Kim in the first round Tournament of Champions lead.


Al-Qaida  #39;explosive expert #39; caught in Pakistan came from Iran <b>...</b> A suspected al-Qaida operative who was captured along with another man during raids in this southwestern city is an  quot;explosives expert quot; who had arrived here from Iran, a security official said Thursday.


Volz in the clear over injury to fan Fulham full-back Moritz Volz will not face police action after he collided with a pensioner during the Premiership match with Portsmouth at Fratton Park.


Stocks Open Higher as Investors Shrug Off Oil Spike Stocks opened higher today, with beaten down shares offering bargains to investors and oil producer stocks bolstered by higher crude oil prices.


West Brom sack boss Gary Megson West Bromwich Albion have sacked their manager Gary Megson after he said he was planning to leave the club. Megson said he didn #39;t want to stay on as the club #39;s boss when his contract ended at the end of the season.


Al-Sadr Militants Trade Arms For Cash Baghdad, Iraq Residents of Baghdad #39;s Sadr City district slowly began to turn in weapons Monday, the first step in a process that US and Iraqi officials hope will lead to a permanent end to fighting in the insurgent-controlled slum.


Plane passengers in bird flu scare EUROPEAN Union authorities launched an alert today to find airline passengers who travelled on flights with a Thai man who tried to smuggle two bird flu-infected eagles into Belgium.


Saturn probe may reveal key to life A space probe headed for Saturn #39;s largest moon, Titan, is nearing the end of its two billion mile journey, reports Nic Fleming.


Arab-Israeli team seeking to break through boundaries In the violent and volatile world of Israeli-Palestinian relations, a football club Bnei Sakhnin has become a beacon of some hope.


House price fears prompt Bank jitters Fears of a house price crash and the impact of cheap imports have tempered Bank of England expectations of an inflationary spurt. The Bank #39;s Monetary Policy Committee, in its quarterly


Stock option expensing required next year The independent body charged with setting US accounting standards on Thursday gave hard deadlines for companies to treat stock options as expenses in financial statements.


Lack of Courtesy From ADs Miffs Osborne (AP) AP - Tom Osborne has been out of college football for seven years, and now he can't even get a phone call returned.


Tenth of all bird species  #39;to vanish #39; One in 10 of all bird species is likely to disappear by the end of the century, according to a study published today. A further 15 per cent of birds could be on the brink


Ex-Soldiers Vow to Bring Order to Haiti Capital Ex-soldiers who helped topple former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on Wednesday vowed to end escalating street warfare in the Haitian capital while


Clinton Likely to Have Surgery Monday Former President Bill Clinton's heart bypass, expected Monday, likely will be an ordinary replumbing of his ailing heart, not some new whiz-bang robotic or "keyhole" surgery, leading surgeons say.    A source close to the former president who spoke on condition of anonymity said Clinton has told him the surgery was scheduled for Monday morning...


COL FB: Florida 28, Tennessee 30 The Tennessee Volunteers won 30-28 over the Florida Gators in a Southeastern Conference battle at Neyland Stadium, in Knoxville, Tenn.


US press hit by new circulation figures scandal The company behind the Dallas Morning News agreed on Monday to hand back \$23m (12.5m) to advertisers after admitting circulation figures for the daily and Sunday editions had been inflated.


Microsoft Desktop Search To Compete with Google Microsoft Desktop Search To Compete with Google\\Google is doing a heck of a job! It led to market leaders (MSN Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail) increase the web space on webmail with GMail even before it is launched. Now, they have forced Microsoft to step into the desktop searching market sooner than ...


Barghouthi to contest poll RAMALLAH: The wife of jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouthi said last night she was registering him to run for president to succeed Yasser Arafat.


Flakes? Here's hoping for plenty more of it At Boston's Ski Ball at the Ritz-Carlton last Friday night, a marvelous thing happened: Outside the window, snow swirled out of a black sky into streetlights below.


Some iPaq users report trouble with Skype Skype Technologies SA introduced version 1.0 of its Internet telephony application for Pocket PCs on Thursday, but the first non-beta release of the software does not work well on all Pocket PCs, users report.


Japan #39;s Tamada wins home GP Japan #39;s Makoto Tamada won his home Grand Prix on Sunday as world champion Valentino Rossi of Italy claimed second place to take his new Yamaha team closer to its first championship in 12 years.


Briefly: Rice lab makes nano parts less toxic roundup Plus: TV chip company gets \$19 million...Oracle extends deadline on PeopleSoft bid...MLB sells game clips for 99 cents...TiVo hires marketing chief.


NBC Adding Delay to NASCAR Telecasts NBC is adding a 5-second delay to its NASCAR telecasts after Dale Earnhardt Jr. used a vulgarity during a postrace TV interview last weekend.


Prison Guards Kept Log of Practices The military police soldiers who ran the high-security wing of the prison in Iraq kept an unofficial log of their daily activities, a diary of sorts that documents the conditions during the months that detainees were abused.


Stocks Open Flat; Pressure on Drugmakers US stocks opened flat on Friday, with higher oil prices and shares of drugmakers weighing on Wall Street after Thursday #39;s late-session rally.


Telekom Austria Acquires Major Bulgarian Mobile Operator Telekom Austria AG, Austria #39;s biggest phone operator won the right to buy Bulgaria #39;s largest mobile phone company, MobilTel EAD.


Ex-soldier, rebel  amp; warlord sworn in Somalia President : A former soldier, rebel and warlord was sworn in today as the new President of Somalia in the latest attempt to unite the nation under a Central Government for the first time since 1991.


Update 4: Tokyo Stocks Finish Mixed, Dollar Higher Tokyo stocks ended mixed Tuesday as investors grew cautious ahead of the US presidential election. The US dollar edged higher against the Japanese yen.


Dreaming done, NBA stars awaken to harsh Olympic reality (AFP) AFP - National Basketball Association players trying to win a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal for the United States have gotten the wake-up call that the "Dream Team" days are done even if supporters have not.


US investor raises stakes in shift of News Corp power The Murdoch family #39;s long-term control of its media empire is less certain this week after News Corporation #39;s largest investor moved to almost double his voting stake.


China  Brakes With Interest Rate Hike China's central bank raised interest rates Thursday for the first time in nearly a decade, signaling a deep unease with the breakneck pace of development and an intent to curb fears of runaway inflation.


Hunters Off the Hook for Bison Declines WASHINGTON - Big game hunters may be off the hook in the latest twist of a prehistoric whodunit that tries to explain why bison populations sharply crashed thousands of years ago.


Caught in a phishing trap Rise in online identity fraud has companies on the hook: Educate customers or lose them.


Dollar Hits 8-Month Low Vs Euro  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar tumbled to a fresh eight month  low against the euro on Tuesday as nagging worries about the  strength of the U.S. economy and the gaping trade deficit kept  investors on the back foot.


Commentary: Hurricanes, Clinton and the campaign HEMPSTEAD, NY (CBS.MW) -- With Election Day now less than two months away, the campaign for the presidency has been rocked by several unexpected developments.


Business news briefs: 11/27/04 A Mylan Laboratories shareholder is suing the Canonsburg generic drug maker and its directors, saying they have failed their fiduciary obligations by not considering billionaire investor Carl Icahn #39;s \$20 per share offer for the company.


Athens Track Set for Sizzling Men's 100 (AP) AP - The preliminaries in the 100 meters were perhaps just a sample of what's to come Sunday, when a talented group of qualifiers  #151; including Americans Shawn Crawford, Justin Gatlin and defending champion Maurice Greene  #151; will try to turn their competition into the fastest show at the Athens Games.


Fed up with pension defaults Citing failure of two big airlines to make payments to their pension plans, top government officials Tuesday called on Congress to make it harder for corporations to dump their obligations on taxpayers.


Stampeders #39; protest denied by CFL officials Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - The Canadian Football League denied a protest by the Calgary Stampeders Monday, but did admit that game officials made a mistake during Friday #39;s game against the British Columbia Lions.


House passes bill imposing prison time over  #39;spyware #39; The House on Thursday passed the second bill in three days that would outlaw  quot;spyware, quot; irritating software that quietly monitors the activities of Internet users.


Bigley: UK can #39;t confirm London - Reports of the death of Kenneth Bigley, a British national who was taken hostage in Iraq last month,  quot;are not confirmed quot;, a senior British government minister stressed on Friday.


Kovalainen surprises at Race of Champions In the off season, it is for most F1 and racing fans, a long time with no racing action. The Race of Champions gives the fans a little breath.


French foreign minister arrives in Egypt on hostage release mission (AFP) AFP - French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier arrived in Cairo on the first leg of an urgent Middle East mission for contacts with Egyptian officials over two French journalists taken hostage in Iraq, a diplomatic source told AFP.


Stocks End Flat, Microsoft Lifts Techs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks closed little changed on  Monday as investors paused for breath following significant  gains in the market so far this month, while lower oil prices  weighed on energy shares, including Exxon Mobil Corp. XOM.N.


Google Desktop Outshines Windows' File-Search Capabilities (washingtonpost.com) washingtonpost.com - Google is famed for its Web search engine, but over the past few years it has acquired a different role: Microsoft's No. 1 foreign aid donor. First, Google fixed some of Internet Explorer's worst defects with its Google Toolbar, a free add-in that blocks pop-up ads and provides a shortcut to (naturally) Google's search engine and an auto-fill option to complete Web forms. Now it has released the Google Desktop, another free program that fixes an equally glaring weakness of Windows: its woeful file-searching capabilities.


X-Prize for world's 'Holy Grails' \A series of X-Prizes for breakthroughs in science or technology that solve the world's greatest challenges are planned.


After the  #39;Road Map #39; What Ariel Sharon has been indicating for months is now stated Israeli policy: The US-drawn  quot;road map quot; to a Palestinian state is locked in the glove compartment - along with other failed peace plans.


U.S. Planes Hit Militias as Tanks Near Najaf Shrine  NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. helicopter gunships pounded  Shi'ite militias in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf on Sunday as  tanks rumbled to within 800 meters (yards) of a besieged shrine  at the center of a near three-week insurgency.


Police Raid Nuclear Plant Offices Dozens of police officers on today raided the offices of Kansai Electric at the site of Japans worst nuclear plant accident as part of a criminal investigation into the tragedy that killed five people last month, an official said.


Japan firm unveils world #39;s lightest flying micro-robot TOKYO, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Japan #39;s Seiko Epson Corp. said Wednesday it has developed a 12-gram flying micro-robot, the world #39;s lightest.


Market sees another Fed hike this week, but future course unclear WASHINGTON: The Federal Reserve is likely to lift key rates by a quarter-point this week, but a sputtering US economy is forcing policymakers to re-evaluate the outlook for future increases, analysts say.


TI announces plans for cell phone TVs DALLAS, Oct 21, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Texas Instruments unveiled plans Thursday for the industry #39;s first cell phone capable of receiving high definition TV broadcast signals.


Still coasting along Amid the stormy gloom in Gotham, the rain-idled Yankees last night had plenty of time to gather in front of their televisions and watch the Red Sox Express roar toward them. The national telecast might have been enough to send a jittery Boss Steinbrenner searching his Bartlett's Familiar Quotations for some  quot;Little Engine That Could quot; metaphor.


Ants Form Supercolony Spanning 60 Miles (AP) AP - Normally clannish and agressive Argentine ants have become so laid back since arriving in Australia decades ago that they no longer fight neighboring nests and have formed a supercolony here that spans 60 miles, scientists say.


Indiana man charged with hacking into former employer #39;s systems AUGUST 24, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - A Columbus, Ind., man was charged yesterday in federal court with hacking into the systems of his Gloucester, Mass.


Adobe expands push for video, photo hobbyists com September 15, 2004, 11:03 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.


Ashcroft heralds success in Net crime crackdown In what was billed as the biggest federal crackdown ever on Internet crime, the Justice Department announced Thursday it arrested or convicted more than 150 people across the country.


EU gets tough on fusion reactor European research ministers state their intention to go it alone on a multi-billion euro nuclear project if arguments with international partners are not resolved soon.


N. Ireland militants' cease-fire OK'd BELFAST -- The outlawed Ulster Defense Association has resumed a credible cease-fire and is eligible to play a formal role again in Northern Ireland's peace process, Britain announced yesterday in a surprise move.


Southern Africa countries pledge enhanced trade ties with China, India  PORT LOUIS, Aug. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Southern African countries Tuesday pledged better trade and investment relations with China as well as India in the final communique released at the end of their two-day summit.


Delgado draws interest from Yankees Even though the Yankees still owe Jason Giambi the bulk of his seven-year \$120 million contract and even though they have appeared intent on signing a relatively inexpensive backup player because of Giambi #39;s health, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman


NC State seeks offensive turnaround The time for redemption is at hand for the North Carolina State football team, and if the Wolfpack don #39;t follow through, a once-promising season will end with the program #39;s first losing record since 1996.


FBI Investigates UC Berkeley Computer Hack Case The FBI is trying to find whoever hacked into a computer at the University of California at Berkeley. The computer contained personal information -- including social security numbers -- of nearly 1.5 million


Saboteurs Bomb Iraqi Pipelines to Baghdad  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Saboteurs have bombed two oil pipelines  transporting crude from northern and eastern Iraq to Baghdad's  Dora refinery, officials said on Saturday.


Wife tried to sway judge As the consummate  quot;corporate wife, quot; Denise Foderaro backed Frank Quattrone as he climbed the rungs to the pinnacle of Wall Street.


Tigers eager to shake bitter losses BATON ROUGE, LA. - No. 13 LSU has two tough road games coming up, against Georgia next weekend and Florida the week after that. Tigers coach Nick Saban doesn #39;t have to worry about his players looking past Mississippi State today, however.


Volcanoes May Have Sparked Life on Earth, Study Says Peptides are chains of amino acids. They form the proteins that are the basis of living cells. Scientists have had little success in demonstrating a plausible chemical reaction that could have formed peptides


Phillies Closer Ejected in Win Over Mets (AP) AP - Philadelphia closer Billy Wagner was furious after he was ejected in the ninth inning of Saturday's game 11-9, 13-inning win over the New York Mets for throwing two high-and-tight pitches to Cliff Floyd.


Ricky Williams asks league to clarify his status Ricky Williams has asked the NFL for a hearing to clarify his playing status, a possible first step if the running back tries to return to the league.


Handheld Gaming Goes Wireless After flocking to design games for the Nintendo DS, developers are eager to exploit the device's wireless capabilities. First up are local network multiplayer games; in the pipeline is wireless gameplay over the net. By Daniel Terdiman.


Two Chinese engineers feared kidnapped in Pakistani tribal region DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan - Two Chinese engineers went missing Saturday in a remote Pakistani tribal region near the border with Afghanistan and may have been kidnapped, police said.


S.Korean President, Japanese PM to discuss visa, nukes South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will have a summit meeting in Kagoshima, Japan, on Friday to discuss issues of mutual interest, Chong Wa Dae said Wednesday.


Japan PM's Support Slides on Iraq Concerns -Paper  TOKYO (Reuters) - Support for Japanese Prime Minister  Junichiro Koizumi and his cabinet slid sharply to 37 percent in  a poll taken after his decision to extend the mandate of  Japanese troops serving in Iraq, a national daily said on  Sunday.


Devil Rays Top Wins Mark in Beating Tigers The Tampa Bay Devil Rays set a franchise record with their 70th victory, beating the Detroit Tigers 7-4 Sunday behind Matt Diaz and John Halama.


Israel unusually restrained after bombing Israel was reacting with uncharacteristic calm after a suicide bombing on Monday in Tel Aviv by a Palestinian teenager killed three Israelis -- a test of Israel #39;s pledge to show restraint in the wake of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat #39;s illness.


Russia's Putin Lauds Ukraine PM in TV Appearance  KIEV (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin made an  unprecedented television appearance in neighboring Ukraine days  before presidential elections, endorsing the record of the  prime minister, one of two top candidates.


College Basketball: Georgia Tech, Wake Forest Win  ATLANTA (Sports Network) - Isma'il Muhammad scored a  team-high 14 points, Jarrett Jack added 13 and third-ranked  Georgia Tech rolled over James Madison, 72-47, in a non-league  tilt at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum.


Report: Black Robbed Hollinger of \$400 M the former Daily Telegraph publisher -- and his wife Barbara Amiel used corporate credit cards to pay for their every extravagance.


Cassini Snaps Saturn's Family Portrait The Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn takes a wide-angle view of the ringed planet's extended moon system.     Astrobiology Magazine -- A stately Saturn poses for a portrait with five of its moons in this Cassini spacecraft wide angle camera view...


Arms sales ban at the centre of China-EU talks Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The EUs ban on arms sales to China will be the main topic at next week high-profile diplomatic talks between China and Europe.


DSL Leads the Broadband Boom High-speed Internet access is becoming more and more popular, study shows.


China vows to push for rapid reform of aviation industry ZHUHAI, China : China will push for a rapid reform of its aviation industry to meet the demands of its fast-growing economy and to boost competitiveness, a senior official said at an aerospace forum in this southern Chinese city.


Harper says Conservatives will settle for nothing less than forming next government (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - FREDERICTON (CP) - Almost a year after the merger of the Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parties, the reconstituted Tories are still working to portray themselves as a united, credible alternative.


Athletics Struggle Down the Stretch OAKLAND, Calif. - The Oakland Athletics are used to pressure-packed pennant races...


Gold Fields to bid for \$2bn Norilsk stake Gold Fields has made a secret offer to buy out its largest shareholder as a last-ditch defence against a hostile \$8.1bn (4.35bn) bid from Harmony, its rival South African gold producer.


How to Research Keywords for Search Engine Marketing How to Research Keywords for Search Engine Marketing\\The core element of any type of marketing utilizing the search engines is the keyword. Why is it so important? In terms of general marketing principles keyword search is equivalent to targeting a niche. It can help you focus your advertisements on certain ...


Airbus CEO: 04 deliveries seen close to record - report LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Airbus, the European aircraft maker that competes with Boeing Co. (BA) , is expecting airline deliveries this year from 315-320, approaching a record, the Financial Times reported, citing Chief Executive Noel Forgeard.


Troops kill 15 rebels in Kashmir SRINAGAR: Indian soldiers shot and killed 15 Muslim rebels in separate gunbattles across Kashmir yesterday, police and border security officials said.


Twice as Nice: Rogers Wins World Championship Time Trial This morning, Michael Rogers (Australia) received his 2003 World Championship Time Trial gold medal and rainbow jersey from UCI chief Hein Verbruggen.


Peer-to-Peer Companies Win in Court A US federal appeals court ruled in favor of peer-to-peer software makers this week, stating that the companies behind the Grokster and Morpheus services are not liable for copyright infringement due to the actions of their users.


Drop the mouse, use your nose Canadian inventor Dmitry Gorodnichy has developed a new method of computer input: the Nouse (from  quot;nose as mouse quot;). Similar to a standard mouse, the Nouse directs the computer cursor and gives left button and right button commands.


UPDATE 1-Rugby-Shanklin stars as Wales rout Romania 66-7 Centre Tom Shanklin scored four tries as Wales crushed Romania 66-7 in an international test at the Millennium Stadium on Friday. Mike Ruddock #39;s men notched up 10 tries as they


FDI hike in civil aviation cleared In a move that could boost the aviation sector in India, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to hike Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) ceiling in civil aviation from 40 to 49.


FCC frees VoIP service from state regulations In a ruling that could have implications for increasingly popular VoIP services, the FCC ruled today that a VoIP service from Vonage Holdings is not subject to the public utility regulations of individual states.


MS Pushes MOM 2005 out the Door Drowned by the hoopla surrounding SP2 for Windows XP, Microsoft announced yesterday that both versions of Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 (MOM 2005) were released for manufacturing, the final step before they become officially available.


Report to warn of 57bn pensions shortfall Britons are saving 57 billion a year too little to pay for the costs of retirement, a government-commissioned report is expected to warn today.


Employees, consumers mostly upbeat Many Kmart and Sears employees in metropolitan Indianapolis strolled into their jobs Wednesday morning unaware that their companies #39; planned to tie the knot in an \$11 billion merger.


Myanmar PM under house arrest Khin Nyunt has been sacked as prime minister of military-ruled Myanmar amid allegations of corruption and placed under house arrest, a Thai government spokesman says.


Memphis Re-Signs Gasol to Multi-Year Deal (Reuters) Reuters - The Memphis Grizzlies\signed All-Star forward Pau Gasol to a multi-year contract on\Friday. Terms of the deal were not announced.


AIDS Near 'Tipping Point' In India, China, Russia The head of the United Nations' AIDS program warned that the three countries could turn their small, localized epidemics into gigantic ones capable of disrupting the world's response to the disease.


Supercomputers Aid 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.


Lowe surprises as outing is a highlight He was the starter no one wanted anymore. How bad was it for Derek Lowe in terms of inspiring confidence among his peers before last night's start in Game 4? After Saturday night's embarrassing 19-8 pounding by the Yankees in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, a loss in which the Red Sox' staff was pounded into submission, ...


Dollar Gains as Oil Price Drops  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar was mostly firmer on Monday  as a drop in oil prices gave added impetus to dealers paring  positions after the dollar's recent brush with historic lows.


Heating oil report jolts prices NEW YORK -- A decline in the nation's inventory of heating oil catapulted crude futures prices toward \$55 a barrel yesterday, providing the latest jolt to a market already rattled by the world's tight supply of oil, strong demand, and the possibility of output problems in several producing nations.


Seoul Asks Bush to Focus on N.Korea Nuclear Crisis South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun called newly re-elected President Bush and won his agreement that ending the nuclear crisis involving the isolated communist North should be a goal of his second term in office.


Cisco First-Quarter Profits Up 29 Percent (AP) AP - Cisco Systems Inc.'s fiscal first-quarter profits jumped 29 percent as the network equipment giant reported continued strength in its traditional markets as well as emerging technologies such as Internet telephones, wireless and home networking gear.


Middlesbrough 3 Manchester City 2 WHILST Nicolas Anelka appears to play his own version of I #39;mA Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, #39; the rest of the City squad are getting on with making a decent fist of life in the Premiership jungle.


Citigroup #39;s ex-investment head may face SEC action Citigroup Inc. (CN: Quote, Profile, Research) on Friday said US securities regulators are thinking of recommending enforcement proceedings against the former head of Citigroup Global Investment Management.


Arctic Melting Fast; May Swamp US Coasts by 2099 The consequences of such a massive meltdown of northern ice would be dramatic, according to the study.  Low-lying coastal areas in Florida and Louisiana could be flooded by the sea.


Mittal to Buy ISG, Create World #39;s Largest Steelmaker (Update1) Indian-born billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, who made a fortune buying mills from Algeria to Mexico, agreed to acquire Wilbur Ross #39;s International Steel Group Inc.


Clinton Library Reflects Its Subject's Volatile Era The William J. Clinton Presidential Center, in Little Rock, Ark., which is to be dedicated on Thursday, sprawls across eight years of big ambitions and small details.


UN: N. Korean Environment in Poor Shape SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea #39;s forests are depleted, its rivers and streams are filled with runoff from factories and a reliance on coal energy has created severe urban air pollution, the United Nations said Friday in its first report on the communist


Ivory Coast under embargo as France wraps up evacuations ABIDJAN (AFP) - Ivory Coast was under an arms embargo after a unanimous vote in the UN Security Council aiming to quell a new wave of unrest that has convulsed the west African state and sent thousands of foreigners fleeing.


Earnhardt Slip May Jeopardize Nextel Lead (AP) AP - Dale Earnhardt Jr. was strangely subdued after his latest victory at Talladega Superspeedway.


HBOS Relief Spurs European Share Gains Banks and insurers pushed European shares higher on Wednesday, with Britain #39;s HBOS spearheading the gains on relief it would not be wading into a bidding war for domestic banking peer Abbey.


Italy: Inter Milan ties Juventus Serie A leader Juventus blew a two-goal, second-half lead and had to settle for a 2-2 tie with Inter Milan on Sunday, losing ground to defending champion AC Milan.


Four more years -- of BCS frustration And you thought our nation #39;s president was a polarizing figure -- at least he had 59 million supporters chanting  quot;four more years quot; on election night.


Americans Missing In Afghanistan US military planes and troops are scouring Afghanistan #39;s daunting Hindu Kush mountains for six Americans who were aboard an aircraft that disappeared over the weekend.


Numbers of poor, uninsured rise The US poverty rate rose, incomes stagnated, and more Americans went without health insurance last year, even though economic growth surged, according to Census Bureau data released yesterday.


More clues hint Mars watery past BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- NASA #39;s Mars rovers have uncovered more clues about how water shaped the Red Planet, scientists said Wednesday.


Sistani to Lead Peace Mission to Embattled Iraq City Iraq #39;s top Shi #39;ite cleric was due to travel to Najaf on Thursday after making a surprise return to the country to try to end bitter fighting creeping ever closer to the city #39;s holiest shrine.


Africans let down by governments Some 50,000 Africans in 28 countries give their verdict on how they are governed in a United Nations survey.


Inkster 1 back after Lindley fires 65 AUBURN, Calif. -- Leta Lindley #39;s Florida home remains in the eye of the hurricane. She has an infant son to coddle and the death of her longtime coach to mourn.


Man Finds 3 WWI Troops' Bodies in Glacier (AP) AP - 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.


NCAA Game Summary - Arizona State At California Berkeley, CA -- JJ Arrington ran for 188 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries to lead seventh-ranked California over 20th-ranked Arizona State, 27-0, at Memorial Stadium.


Australian high court limits unions' right to strike (AFP) AFP - Australian Prime Minister John Howard has welcomed a far-reaching High Court ruling that bars trade unions from taking industrial action over political, social or environmental issues.


Treasuries Edge Ahead on Inflation Relief  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasury debt prices firmed on Tuesday  after a key reading of U.S. inflation proved  softer-than-expected, a relief to investors in fixed-income  debt.


Leading Iranian Dissident Demands Trial by Jury  TEHRAN (Reuters) - A top Iranian dissident demanded trial  by jury Wednesday, refusing to be tried by one Hardline judge  on charges including "acting against state security."


RYDER CUP: Padraig win lifts Langer Europe #39;s only player in the world top 10, Padraig Harrington, has given captain Bernhard Langer the perfect boost as they fly out to contest the Ryder Cup today.


Relics Taken in the Crusades Returned after 8 Centuries Pope John Paul II yesterday returned two relics taken during the Crusades, who plundered Istanbul (then Constantinople) in 1204, to Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomeos as a gesture of friendship with the Orthodox Church.


Lewis: Kmart Profit Lets CEO Do  #39;More With More #39; Aylwin Lewis is smiling. He #39;s the president and chief executive of Kmart Holding (nasdaq: KMRT - news - people ), which posted its fourth straight quarterly profit on Wednesday.


Digital Agenda: Homeland security--Companies profiting from fear (page 3) Multibillion-dollar security initiatives have given rise to a new industry seemingly overnight. A News.com special report.


Ex-Air Force Official Sentenced in Case ALEXANDRIA, Va. Oct. 1, 2004 - A former top Air Force procurement official was sentenced to nine months in prison after admitting for the first time Friday that she helped Boeing Co.


New strike in Fallujah kills four, car bomb outside Baghdad kills <b>...</b> A suicide attacker exploded a car bomb Thursday west of Baghdad, killing at least one US soldier and two Iraqi policemen and wounding 60 people, Iraqi and coalition officials said.


Expedition 10 Crew Successfully Launches Into Space (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - A fresh space station crew and one visiting cosmonaut are on\their way to the International Space Station (ISS) after their Soyuz rocket\pierced the skies above Kazakhstan during a flawless launch today.


Stocks Drop as Drug, Chip Sectors Weigh  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell on Friday, pressured by  declines in the drug and semiconductor sectors and  by  slower-than-expected U.S. jobs growth in September.


Cisco to open R amp;D centre in Japan Cisco will open a Tokyo-based research and development centre focusing on internet software and routing technologies in February 2005.


Iran #39;s Nukes: The Crisis Is Far From Over For weeks the rhetoric mounted as diplomats shuttled between Tehran and Vienna, seeking a solution to the impasse over Iran #39;s nuclear program.


FEC is left in limbo by ruling US District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly has struck down 15 Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulations governing activities ranging from political coordination to state party fundraising, throwing candidates and election lawyers into confusion 43


Cisco buys network security company Perfigo Networking equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc. said that it intends to buy Perfigo Inc. for \$74 million in cash, boosting the company's efforts to secure network "endpoints" and protect them from worms, viruses and hacking.


Siemens Unveils Cordless Phones For Skype Users VoIP provider Skype has teamed up with Siemens Communications to offer cordless phones in a move that gives Skype users the ability to drop their headsets and use Siemens phones for free Web telephoning.


Microsoft stops winking on MSN 7.0 beta Microsoft has delayed beta testing of the next version of MSN Messenger because of a security flaw. Vulnerabilities were discovered in MSN Messenger 7.0, due to be released today, after testers found it had


Mortars hit British army camp TWO mortars hit a military base in a restive region south of Baghdad today where a battle group of British soldiers has recently arrived, causing no casualties, a spokesman said.


How Europe Sees It Europeans were right. It was a world election. They favored Kerry, roughly 6-1. Now they must live with the result. Europeans opposed Bush largely because they believe his


Change at hand The NDP #39;s second annual conference will end today with Gamal Mubarak #39;s Policies Committee having consolidated its leadership of the ruling party.


Navistar Sees Higher 4th-Quarter Earnings (Reuters) Reuters - Commercial truck maker Navistar\International Corp.  on Monday said it expects higher\fourth-quarter earnings and revenue as the recovering U.S.\economy spurs orders for its trucks and engines.


Update 1: China Vows to Keep Economy on Track China #39;s leaders pledged at a key policy meeting to keep the economy on track next year while raising farm incomes, promoting energy conservation and holding down investment in overheated industries, state media said Monday.