Six shots that helped shaped the PGA Tour season The first sign that Vijay Singh would be a relentless force on the PGA Tour came in a tournament he didn #39;t win, with a putt that ultimately didn #39;t matter.


New Worm Hijacks Webcams A new worm can spy on users by hijacking their Web cameras, a security firm warned Monday. The Rbot.gr worm -- the latest in a long line of similar worms; one security firm estimates that more than 4,000 variations


Bush to Visit Hurricane-Stricken States PENSACOLA, Florida _ In the wake of Hurricane Ivan #39;s destructive path, residents along the Gulf of Mexico coast in Alabama and Florida returned to their neighborhoods Saturday to find their roofs blown off, appliances missing and clothing littering in the


NZ stocks: Sharemarket softens, but Air NZ takes off The Australian Competition Tribunal today gave the greenlight to a proposed alliance between the airline and Qantas -- the same tie-up scuttled last month on this side of the Tasman by the High Court.


Canada drips with oil, but it #39;s tough to get at Any serious effort to ease America #39;s addiction to Middle East oil starts near this Alberta boomtown cut out of Canada #39;s great boreal forest.


Julio Files Appeal Orioles pitcher Jorge Julio receives a four-game suspension from Major League Baseball on Friday for throwing a pitch that nearly hit Minnesota's Augie Ojeda in the head.


Moneyball's Home Run Insights Michael Lewis says the best valuation models might be found in the game of baseball.


Youhana steers Pakistan to victory over India BIRMINGHAM, England (CMC) - Yousuf Youhana stroked an unbeaten half-century and helped Pakistan into the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals with an edgy three-wicket win over India at Edgbaston yesterday.


PalmSource Targets Smartphones Looking to compete with the likes of Symbian and Microsoft, PalmSource is unveiling its new operating system geared specifically for the creation of smartphones.


Airbus May Supply Planes in Cebu Air #39;s \$350 Mln Fleet Renewal Airbus SAS, the world #39;s largest maker of commercial aircraft, is poised to supply an unspecified number of A319 planes to the Philippines #39; second-biggest airline Cebu Air Inc.


Arrival! SMART-1 Moon Probe Reaches Target (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - UPDATE: Story first posted 6:49 a.m. ET, November 16, \2004


Tech Stocks Tumble After Chip Makers Warn US stocks fell on Thursday, hit by a sharp drop in technology shares following a slew of sales warnings from semiconductor makers, and as oil prices rose nearly \$1 a barrel.


Fears grow for Falluja civilians Iraqis trapped in the besieged rebel city of Falluja face a humanitarian disaster, aid agencies warn.


Rooney signing could influence title race - Wenger Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Manchester United #39;s title challenge would be strengthened by the signing of England striker Wayne Rooney.


The ore will be produced by the Area C mine which opened last <b>...</b>  quot;It is extremely pleasing to see that additional benefits have already started flowing to both BHP Billiton and its Chinese partners as a result of the Wheelarra joint venture, quot; BHP Billiton Iron Ore president Graeme Hunt said in a statement.


Google Reports First Profit as Public Company Google's third-quarter profit more than doubled, reflecting a continued surge in the online advertising distributed by its Internet-leading search engine.


GOVERNANCE: A momentous change in Islamabad Ravian The challenge is clear and the opportunity is there. It is now up to our new prime minister to show that the modern corporate mind can deliver on the national public policy objectives of a poor country.


Google advertising boom p2pnet.net News:- Posting its first results as a publicly held company, Google says its third-quarter earnings and revenues have more than doubled from a year ago, riding on an  quot;online advertising boom that continues to gather steam, quot; says the Boston Globe


Exxon, Shell sell gas pipelines DALLAS (CBS.MW) -- The Dutch government agreed Monday to buy the pipeline unit of the Dutch gas company Gasunie for \$3.55 billion from Exxon Mobil and the Royal Dutch/Shell Group.


Australia #39;s Macquarie Commun Infrastructure Trading Halt SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--Australia #39;s Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group (MCG.AU), which is bidding in a consortium for NTL Inc.


Microsoft strips Longhorn of WinFS NEW YORK, September 1 (New Ratings) - Microsoft (MSFT.NAS) reportedly intends to ship Longhorn, its next version of Windows operating system, without WinFS, the next-generation file system.


Running Back Becomes Holistic Student (AP) AP - Retired running back Ricky Williams has turned up in an unlikely spot  #151; at a Northern California school for holistic medicine.


Elber blow for Lyon Lyon have suffered a major blow with the news that Giovane Elber will out of action for several months. The Brazilian striker was thought to have injured his ankle in the game against Metz, but further scans revealed the problem to be far more serious.


Lions roaring: Rookie Williams gives Detroit big lift Despite their 28-16 victory over the Houston Texans yesterday before 61,465 at Ford Field, that remains to be seen. But one thing looks evident early on - rookie wideout Roy Williams, the Lions #39; top draft


US growth steady in quarter The nation #39;s economy grew at a moderately strong pace in the three months ending Sept. 30, driven by solid gains in consumer spending, the Commerce Department reported Friday.


Mets Attract Martinez The New York Mets and free agent Pedro Martinez are close to finalizing a four-year contract for the 33-year-old pitcher.


Fake viagra sold over the web from Malta-British scientists A study carried out by doctors from the University of London showed that 50 percent of the Viagra sold over the Internet was fake.


China Says Taiwan President's U.S. Stop 'A Trick'  BEIJING (Reuters) - China urged the United States on  Thursday not to allow Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian to set  foot on U.S. soil, describing his stopovers en route to Latin  America as a trick to sabotage Sino-U.S. relations.


Mickelson out of WGC event in Ireland World number four Phil Mickelson withdrew on Thursday from the WGC-American Express Championship being held in Kilkenny, Ireland next week.


CONFUSION OVER BUTCHER AIDE #39;S  #39;CAPTURE #39; Iraqi government forces carried out a series of assaults in Saddam Hussein #39;s home region yesterday that were followed by conflicting reports that his former right-hand man was captured.


Stem cells used to grow man a new jaw A German whose lower jaw was cut out because of cancer has eaten his first solid meal in nine years - bratwurst sandwich  -er surgeons grew a new jaw bone in his back muscle


Davenport regains No. 1 ranking American Lindsay Davenport regained the No. 1 ranking in the world for the first time since early 2002 by defeating Dinara Safina of Russia 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of the Kremlin Cup on Thursday.


PRODUCT REVIEW: Microsoft search falls far short of Google Microsoft Corp. isn #39;t often an underdog in anything, so when the software powerhouse released its new search engine, I was anxious to give it a whirl.


Karzai is President After the First Round Indications show that Afghanistan #39;s Interim President Hamid Karzai has won the first presidential elections in the country #39;s history.


SanDisk doubles memory card capacities New cards provide more memory for cameras, cell phones and other consumer devices.\


Paul Hamm, In Keeping Medal, Misses Opportunity The moment when Paul Hamm hit his high bar routine was one of the most electrifying sports moments Ive ever seen. I cant recall seeing something that I immediately felt was so outstanding


Stampede kills five at railway station in Indian capital; seven injured (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - NEW DELHI (AP) - A stampede at the main railway station in India's capital killed at least five people and injured seven on Saturday, the railway minister said.


World 100m Champion Torri Edwards Banned from Games  ATHENS (Reuters) - World 100 meters champion Torri Edwards  will miss the Athens Olympics after her appeal against a  two-year drugs ban was dismissed Tuesday.


World Finance Leaders Favor Debt Relief Description: The world #39;s economic leaders indicate support for the idea of forgiving the debt of the world #39;s poorest countries.


Burma #39;s hardline generals Burma has been ruled by a repressive military junta for the last decade and a half, prompting economic stagnation and international condemnation.


Report lays part of blame for Concorde crash on Continental Airlines (AFP) AFP - A French legal inquiry into the July 2000 Concorde crash outside Paris that killed 113 people presented findings Tuesday that put part of the blame on the US airline Continental.


Roddick Through To Third Round Of US Open Andy Roddick the defending US Open tennis champion has moved on to the third round by defeating Rafael Nadal 6-0 6-3 6-4 on Friday.


British Hostage in Iraq Pleads for Help (AP) AP - A weeping British hostage was shown pleading for help between the bars of a makeshift cage in a video that surfaced Wednesday, a sobering reminder of the grim reality for at least 18 foreign captives still held by Iraqi militants.


Got Firefox? I #39;m dating myself here, but I can vividly recall the web browser scene ten years ago, when I #39;d eagerly download every new version of Netscape Navigator the moment it was released.


No Extra Security for A's Bullpen in Texas (AP) AP - There was no extra security around the Oakland bullpen Tuesday night for the start of a three-game series in Texas, and that didn't concern the Athletics.


State of Emergency Declared in Iraq The Iraqi government declared a 60-day state of emergency Sunday in response to the escalation of violence by militants. The emergency declaration covers the entire nation, with the exception of Kurdish-run areas in the northern part of Iraq.


Utah a Clean Air Act offender, study says A new national study identifies Utah as one of at least 29 states that have loopholes in their laws allowing for  quot;accidental quot; pollution emissions beyond the limits of the federal Clean Air Act.


College Basketball: Iowa Upsets No. 15 Texas MAUI, Hawaii (Sports Network) - Jeff Horner posted 27 points while Pierre Pierce added 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, as the Iowa Hawkeyes defeated a ranked team for the second night in a row with an 82-80 victory over No.


No slipups this time as Timlin holds his own Mike Timlin #39;s reaction when he saw Manny Ramirez slip on Ben Davis #39;s routine fly ball was probably no different than yours was last night.


Madonna 'tops tour takings chart' Madonna made more money from touring than any other star in 2004, with \$125m, Billboard magazine says.


Miller hints that he #39;ll retire after this season Reggie Miller has the option to extend his current contract to the 2005-06 season, but the Pacers #39; all-time leading scorer is talking like his 18th NBA season will be his last.


Texas Rangers Reliever Charged with Assaulting Fan  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A Texas Rangers relief pitcher  was arrested and charged with assault after flinging a chair  into the stands and injuring a woman during a baseball game in  Oakland, California, officials said on Tuesday.


Former leader's secret life disclosed MEXICO CITY -- Nine months after he disappeared under a cloud of corruption allegations at home, former Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo is living and working in the same Mexican city he fled two decades ago to avoid arrest on murder charges, the Associated Press has learned.


Sightseek goes out in smashing style Taking control from the start, the 5-year-old daughter of Distant View turned on the power at the top of the stretch and stretched a one-length lead to six by midstretch, then cruised to a 23/4-length victory in the \$750,000, Grade I Beldame Stakes


Lenovo-IBM is a tough sell Two years ago, I got an inside look at operations at Lenovo Group, the Chinese computing giant that is expected to form a joint venture with IBM to sell PCs worldwide.


Astronauts Prepare For Final Space Walk Space station astronauts Gennady Padalka and American Mike Fincke are scheduled to make the final spacewalks of their mission today.


Train wreckage operation begins A painstaking operation to lift the mangled wreckage of the Berkshire train crash from the tracks has been taking place. The exact events surrounding the crash which killed seven people are still being investigated


Ulmer tracks down world record Sarah Ulmer of New Zealand continued her dominance of pursuit racing yesterday, breaking her world record to win the Olympic gold medal in the 3,000-meter pursuit.


Viral movies possible with RealPlayer flaw A software slipup in RealNetworks' music player means that Windows, Mac and Linux computers could be compromised by a movie.


Caucasus gunmen kill four in raid Suspected Islamists kill four and seize dozens of weapons from a drug control body in Russia's North Caucasus.


U.S. Navy Makes Skirts Optional for Women The U.S. Navy is getting a 21st century makeover, with a new dress code that makes skirts optional for its more than 54,000 female sailors for the first time since women officially entered the service in 1908...


Feds Says Iraq Election in Jan. Feasible (AP) AP - Elections in January throughout Iraq are an achievable goal, the State Department said Monday, but it refused to predict the goal would be reached.


PGA grand slam: Mick-tacular performance The Garden Island. POIPU - Not even the sunscreen could cool off Phil Mickelson on his way to the 2004 Grand Slam title yesterday.


Alien Jadoo comes calling Koi Mil Gaya  #39;s sci-fi plot may not have stretched reality too far. Jadoo the alien, might not have landed on Earth, but it is possible that his kind is trying to get in touch with Earthlings.


Davis return buoys Badgers MADISON, Wis. -- Tailback Anthony Davis's return from an eye injury sparked No. 20 Wisconsin's stagnant offense and the Badgers' defense was as stout as ever in a 24-7 victory over Illinois yesterday.


Surging Cubs Defeat Astros 8-3 (AP) AP - Sammy Sosa and Aramis Ramirez hit consecutive homers in a five-run third inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Houston Astros 8-3 Thursday for their fifth straight win.


Wonder Wayne hovers between Man United and Newcastle LONDON: That Englands Euro 2004 wonder boy Wayne Rooney will leave Everton is virtually certain, following an increased offer by Manchester United and the teenagers determination to move on.


F.D.A. Defends Its Handling of Vioxx Safety Issues Amid questions about whether the drug Vioxx was taken off the market soon enough, Senator Charles Grassley called for more safety precautions.


Microsoft offers to replace fake Windows XP Users who fear that their Windows XP software might be counterfeit could get free legitimate replacements from Microsoft under a scheme announced last week.


More options for bank cards and yes, more pitches in the mail - now that the US Supreme Court has upheld a ruling that allows banks to offer credit cards from issuers such as American Express and Discover Card.


Insurer feeling strain Straining under the looming pension crisis in the airline industry, the federal pension benefits insurer yesterday reported that its deficit more than doubled from a year earlier.


AOL Aims to Lead Internet Travel Purchases (AP) AP - Aiming to put itself in the vanguard of the Internet travel business, America Online will invest an undisclosed amount in an upstart that threatens to lure customers away from the industry's most dominant players, such as Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity.


Colonials Come on Late Trailing at halftime to an overmatched foe, George Washington finally gets in a groove in the second half and puts away Morgan State, 94-70, on Saturday.


Foreigners Killed in Attack in Iraq #39;s Mosul Gunmen attacked a car in the northern Iraq city of Mosul on Friday, killing three foreigners and their Iraqi driver before cutting off the head of one of the victims in a daylight attack.


Another Viewtiful Day Capcom's Viewtiful Joe 2 offers a graphically impressive old-school beat-'em-up experience with unmatched stylistic flair. Game review by Chris Kohler.


How to Make The Right Call On Cell Plans Wireless phone service is one of the great bargains of the modern age. When The Post began its annual comparison of cellular calling plans in 1998, \$40 bought a lousy 100 minutes of talk time a month.


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


NEWSMAKER-Cycling- #39;Other American #39; risks losing Olympic gold Waking up on the morning after he won Olympic gold in Athens, Tyler Hamilton leaped out of bed to check no one had stolen the medal from his suitcase.


New claim on location of Atlantis US researchers claim to have found evidence locating the lost kingdom of Atlantis off the coast of Cyprus.


Flight Attendants Union Head Urges Strike  CHICAGO (Reuters) - The president of the Association of  Flight Attendants on Tuesday urged union leaders to authorize a  nationwide strike and railed against U.S. airlines for slashing  flight attendants' pay and benefits.


Hurricanes Delay NASA #39;s Spring 2005 Space Shuttle Launch The Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) Report has provided NASA with a roadmap to resume our journey into space. The recommendations reflect the Boards strong support for return to flight at the earliest date consistent with the


49ers' First-Round Picks All Struggling (AP) AP - The San Francisco 49ers insist their salvation will arrive through the draft. They hope years of bad contracts, unlucky injuries and salary-cap woes can be erased through solid choices in April.


Militia to Give Up Arms Under Sadr City Plan Militia fighters in the Baghdad slum of Sadr City are to begin surrendering their mortars, grenades, machine guns and other weapons Monday under an accord with the interim Iraqi government, both sides announced Saturday.


Notables The Expos have made seven errors in their last two games. Brad Ausmus of the Astros hit his first home run since July 25, a span of 59 at-bats.


Update 1: Yukos Unit Evaluated for Sale to Pay Bill Assets of Russia #39;s beleaguered Yukos oil company should fetch at least \$15 billion, a senior official said Monday, as the company #39;s main production unit is evaluated for sale to offset a crushing back-tax bill.


Death toll reaches 35 in Philippine typhoon MANILA - Powerful Typhoon Yoyong, which pounded the main Philippine island Luzon from late Thursday, killed at least 35 people in landslides, electrocutions and by falling trees, disaster officials said Friday.


Rating the relevance of the US Federal Reserve THE TIMES is running a fortnightly series of economic briefings alongside Target Two Point Zero, the competition for sixth-formers run in conjunction with the Bank of England.


Weakened Arafat Heads for France, Cancer Suspected  RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian leader Yasser  Arafat, weakened by what doctors think may be leukemia, flew  for treatment in France on Friday from the besieged West Bank  headquarters where he had been pinned for over 2-1/2 years.


Hey, There's a Gem in My Grease Slog through the gunk of Darling the grease processor, and you'll find a gem of an investment.


Toys  quot;R quot; Us Posts 2Q Profit, Sales Fall Toys  quot;R quot; Us Inc. swung to a profit in the second quarter from a loss a year ago, buoyed by a reversal of \$200 million in income tax reserves.


Size Matters When It Comes to Nostrils (Reuters) Reuters - Large nostrils count more than a big\nose when it come to smelling power, said German scientists on\Wednesday after completing a three-year-long study aimed at\treating smelling disorders.


Karzai claims poll win as rival admits defeat The main rival of President Hamid Karzai has conceded defeat in Afghanistan #39;s presidential election with less than six per cent of the vote left to be counted.


US PUSHES FORWARD ON PALESTINIAN VOTE US Secretary of State Colin Powell has arrived in Israel determined to press both Israeli and Palestinian leaders for a process to enable Palestinians to elect a successor to Yasser Arafat.


Dell sued for alleged global sales patent abuse Tiny firm claims ownership of international e-commerce


Construction, Industrial Data Give Mixed Signals Construction spending surged in August to the highest level on record, while manufacturing grew at a slower pace in September, offering mixed signals about the economy's strength.


UN to investigate terrorist link UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has dispatched a team to Jerusalem to look into allegations that a UN ambulance driver was filmed putting a Qassam rocket into his vehicle.


Someone must stop this deal If ever a global takeover deserves to be shot down by Ottawa, the China Minmetals senseless plan to play games of global Monopoly with Noranda Inc.


Oh brother! The stakes have never been higher for Mukesh and Anil Ambani. Sunit Arora and Dev Chatterjee find out why egos threaten to come in the way of economicsand what a compromise will cost.


Microsoft's new music venture takes aim at Apple iTunes (AFP) AFP - Microsoft unveiled a new online music download service that throws the weight of the world's largest software company into a field currently dominated by Apple Computers.


British Home Secretary resigns TONY EASTLEY: In Britain, Prime Minister Tony Blair #39;s election hopes have been dealt a blow with the resignation of his Home Secretary, David Blunkett.


Puerto Rico Stuns Dream Team, 92-73 ATHENS, Greece - In an upset as historic as it was inevitable, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson and the rest of the U.S. basketball team lost 92-73 to Puerto Rico on Sunday, only the third Olympic loss ever for America and its first since adding pros...


Willingham never doubted Irish could beat Michigan Not following last season #39;s 5-to-7 finish by Notre Dame. Not after a deflating season-opening loss to Brigham Young. Not when the Irish trailed 9-to-zero at halftime to Michigan.


Oil prices near record high (09/27/04)-- Crude oil prices are on the rise again, this time because of supply fears. In early trading Monday, a price spike nudged a barrel to within four cents of the all-time high of \$49.


Sri Lanka all-party peace forum opens to boycott (Reuters) Reuters - Sri Lanka's government launched a new all-party forum on Monday to discuss how best to turn a two-year truce with Tamil Tiger rebels into permanent peace -- but a clutch of opposition parties stayed away in a boycott.


Sara Lee Earnings Jump 53 Percent in 1Q CHICAGO - Sara Lee Corp. #39;s earnings climbed 53 percent in the first fiscal quarter, boosted by a delayed payout from the sale of its European tobacco business, the packaged-foods and apparel company announced Tuesday.


New portable dual-screen system from Nintendo has plenty of bells <b>...</b> On Sunday, the video-game giant will introduce its latest innovation, the Nintendo DS, or dual screen, which gaming fanatics around the globe have been dying to get their hands on.


Burma crackdown on luxury cars Burma investigates illegally imported luxury cars, the latest repercussion of former PM Khin Nyunt's ouster.


Scientists Think Data From Space Capsule Can Be Salvaged Samples and data inside the wrecked Genesis space capsule appear intact enough to salvage most of the mission #39;s science, optimistic researchers said Friday.


Bush, Defense Policy Team Have Meeting (AP) AP - President Bush is mapping out defense strategy with his top defense advisers as U.S. deaths in Iraq inch toward 1,000 and the election campaign focuses intently on he and Democrat John Kerry's credentials for keeping the nation safe.


Nexen to Buy EnCana #39;s UK Oil Business for \$2.1 Bln (Update4) Nexen Inc. agreed to buy fellow Canadian energy company EnCana Corp. #39;s UK business for \$2.1 billion, gaining control of Britain #39;s biggest oil discovery in more than a decade amid record crude prices.


Free Yahoo X1 desktop search p2pnet.net News:- Yahoo says it #39;ll enter the desktop search stakes in the New Year, joining Google, Ask Jeeves, Microsoft #39;s MSN and AOL.


Football: Shevchenko named Footballer of the Year The poll conducted by European football journalists from 52 countries organised by France Football magazine, voted for the 28-year-old Ukrainian for his outstanding scoring record for Milan since he joined the Italian side in 1999.


Female hostage likely executed by militants BAGHDAD, Iraq - British and Irish leaders today condemned the apparent slaying of a British aid worker who would be the first foreign woman killed in the wave of kidnappings that have beset Iraq.


Internet junkies in chilling cold turkey experiment If you #39;ve ever seen a smack-head handcuffed to a bed gibbering uncontrollably because he can #39;t get a fix, then be afraid, because that #39;s what you #39;ll look like after two weeks of internet-free cold turkey.


White House report says people cause global warming People are responsible for the spike in global warming in the last 30 years, says a new US government report. The verdict, long accepted by most scientists, has encountered resistance from the Bush administration


Bush and Kerry step up credibility battle before last debate (AFP) AFP - George W. Bush and election rival John Kerry hammered away at each other's credibility ahead of their final debate while Democrats were outraged about a new anti-Kerry documentary.


Sudan: Thousands of IDPs Dying Every Month - WHO Between 6,000 to 10,000 of an estimated 1.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the troubled western Sudanese region of Darfur are dying every month, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.


Fockers retain film chart crown Comedy Meet The Fockers remains top of the North American box office chart after taking another 23.7m.


Parmalat sues bank MILAN: Parmalat #39;s administrators sued Bank of America yesterday, the latest of several lawsuits against some of the world #39;s biggest financial institutions over the food group #39;s 14 billion-euro bankruptcy.


Sun readies tools line for Solaris 10 Development tools for upcoming upgrade to Unix operating system will be coming soon.


The Latest BCS Drama The real drama of the latest BCS standings -- the last before the final rankings are issued Sunday -- was the razor-thin margin separating No. 4 California and No. 5 Texas.


Apple v. Apple: Perfect harmony? As eager Macintosh developers waited for Steve Jobs to speak, the familiar strains of  quot;Magical Mystery Tour quot; filled the darkened hall at an Apple Computer conference in June.


No backdown on uranium: Iran THE UN nuclear watchdog must accept Iran #39;s right to enrich uranium as part of its civil nuclear program, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said today.


McGrath and Kasprowicz push India to the brink India enjoyed their best day of the first Test here yesterday but still face defeat on a pitch that is starting to favour the spinners.


Microsoft Schedules Second Longhorn Event Conference will allow developers to examine, discuss the successor to Windows XP.


Hungary to withdraw troops from Iraq by March 2005 Hungary will withdraw its 300 troops from Iraq by March 31 next year, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said here Wednesday as US President George W. Bush, who led the invasion of Iraq, won re-election to a second four-year term.


NL Wrap: Padres Pass Giants Despite Bonds Homer  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Jay Payton's three-run homer led  the San Diego Padres to a 5-1 win over the San Francisco Giants  in National League play on Saturday, despite a 701st career  blast from Barry Bonds.


Homers by Pujols, Rolen Power Cardinals  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen hit  back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning to lead the St.  Louis Cardinals to a 6-4 win over the Houston Astros in Game  Two of the NL Championship Series at Busch Stadium Thursday.


Ramirez looking forward to playing (and eating) in Japan Less than a week after celebrating a World Series title, Manny Ramirez is in Japan for more baseball -- and a little sushi. Ramirez, Boston Red Sox teammate David Ortiz and 26 other major league players arrived


Turkish hostages freed, firm says Iraqi militants have freed 10 employees of a Turkish construction company taken captive in Iraq in last month, the company #39;s general manager says.


Oddworld Stranger renamed, dated Xbox exclusive Oddworld Stranger is now known as Oddworld Stranger #39;s Wrath, Electronic Arts advised this week, claiming that the revised title  quot;better reflects the spirit of the game quot;.


IPods an eye-opener for industry Apple Computer #39;s iTunes Music Store sold its 150 millionth song on Thursday, another key milestone in the Cupertino firm #39;s push to stay ahead of digital music rivals like Microsoft and Dell.


Retail Sales Rise in November Shoppers showed a bit of cheer at the cash registers in November, boosting sales at the nation's retailers by 0.1 percent.


Salad oil may fuel hydrogen car of future Researchers yesterday unveiled a new fuel: clean, green and also good in a salad dressing. Sunflower oil is light in taste and rich in vitamin E, and Valerie Dupont of the University of Leeds believes it could


Windows War of Words Corporate IT users are getting caught in the middle of another spin war between Microsoft Corp. and the Linux and Unix communities, most recently Novell Inc.


#39;Sudden jump #39; in greenhouse gases LONDON, England -- A US scientist is reported to have observed a surprising jump in the amount of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas.


Musharraf Doesnt Trust Military: Experts By reneging on his promise to step down as army chief later this year, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf does


Dow Jones to Buy MarketWatch for \$463 Mln  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dow Jones   Co., publisher of The Wall  Street Journal, has agreed to buy online financial news  provider MarketWatch Inc. for about \$463 million in a bid to  boost its revenue from the fast-growing Internet advertising  market.


Coca-Cola Warns on Profit, Shares Fall  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co. KO.N, amid signs that  is it losing market share to arch rival Pepsi, on Wednesday  warned that profit would lag Wall Street expectations for the  rest of the year because of weakness in key markets and said  there was no quick fix for its problems.


Battle near southern Somali port Several Somalis are killed in fighting between rival militias near the port city of Kismayo.


NEC strikes blow in supercomputer battle The battle for supercomputing supremacy took a new twist on Tuesday when Japanese manufacturer NEC launched a new generation of computational building blocks that could be laced together to form the most powerful supercomputer in the world.


Not Looking Up at Sierra Wireless The PC card company is way off its peak, but the stock appears to be a risk rather than a value.


Council Continues Debate The D.C. Council continued to debate late Tuesday night over legislation that would clear the way to build a new baseball stadium for the Nationals in Southeast.


US: Sudan attacks racially based While not directly calling the crisis in Darfur a genocide, the US State Department has said that interviews with Sudanese refugees indicated attacks against the regions #39; black Africans appeared to be racially motivated.


Roddick betters Parmar AMERICAN Andy Roddick wasted little time in trouncing Britain #39;s Arvind Parmar 6-1 6-4 to advance into the second round of the Thailand Open today.


Novell Buries One Hatchet with Microsoft, but Files Suit on <b>...</b> November 10, 2004 - On Monday, Novell and Microsoft announced that the Redmond giant has agreed to pay \$536 million in cold, hard cash to settle an antitrust dispute regarding Novell #39;s Netware.


100 Cyclists Are Arrested as Thousands Ride in Protest Thousands of cyclists rode through the streets of Manhattan in a Republican-bashing, environment-promoting display of bike power that resulted in more than 100 arrests.


Launch of New Space Station Crew Set (AP) AP - The new crew of the international space station will head into space on Oct. 14, Russia said Friday, after two delays pushed back the launch.


Studios launch legal offensive against online movie swappers Hollywood studios said yesterday they will file lawsuits this month against hundreds of people who swap pirated copies of movies over the Internet.


Nets Get Carter From Raptors in Bid to Rebuild Fractured Core The Nets took a big step back toward viability today with the completion of a blockbuster deal for Toronto Raptors' swingman Vince Carter.


BCS takes shape as USC, Auburn complete unbeaten seasons No. 1 USC wasn #39;t at its best, but Reggie Bush was and his two scintillating long TD runs helped the Trojans hold off UCLA 29-24 on Saturday.


Liverpool captain Gerrard ready to return Liverpool, England (Sports Network) - Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is expected to return from a two-month absence Saturday at Middlesbrough.


Peace must be  #39;imposed #39; on I Coast, says France PARIS, Nov 16 (AFP) - Peace must be  quot;imposed quot; on Ivory Coast if the warring sides there refuse to abide by a ceasefire, French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said Tuesday, hailing sanctions voted by the UN Security Council against the west African state.


MS Rolls Out Second Interim Beta of SQL Server 2005 Microsoft Corp. on Friday released its second Community Technology Preview of SQL Server 2005 and rolled out a new, free tool to manage SQL Server 2000 and MSDE (Microsoft Desktop Engine) 2000.


Oil Falls \$3, Winter Fuel Inventories Up  LONDON (Reuters) - World oil prices slid \$3 a barrel on  Wednesday, shedding nearly 7 percent, as a larger-than-expected  build in U.S. heating stocks soothed worries about a winter  fuel deficit.


Bills Backup QB Carted Off With Hurt Knee (AP) AP - Buffalo lost backup quarterback Travis Brown late in the third quarter with what appeared to be a left knee injury.


Rockstar Games turns on the radio; GTA soundtrack details emerge Rockstar updates official Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas site with info on the game #39;s soundtrack. Rockstar Games updated the official Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas site with information on the ten radio stations


Police and FA to investigate racism allegations at Blackburn London, England (Sports Network) - Just four days after racist chants marred a friendly between England and Spain, Birmingham City says striker Dwight Yorke was racially abused during a match at Blackburn on Sunday.


Yukos files for bankruptcy protection in Bush #39;s backyard Russian oil giant Yukos yesterday increased the stakes in its battle with the Kremlin when it filed for bankruptcy in the United States in an unusual move possibly intended to pitch Washington against Moscow.


Learning curves for new Celtics BURLINGTON, Vt. -- The Celtics rookies quickly learned the importance of early wake-up calls. With ankles taped at the team hotel, Al Jefferson, Delonte West, Tony Allen, and Justin Reed needed to show up well before the veterans or risk being bumped to the back of the line. It could be a long wait for any rookie who overslept. Then ...


U.S. Stocks Close Higher as Crude Falls

 By Megan Davies

 NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blue chips closed at two-monthhighs on Tuesday as a fall in oil prices eased concerns thathigh energy costs would hurt corporate profits, but there wassome caution as investors awaited a speech by Federal ReserveChairman Alan Greenspan on Wednesday.


Drug smugglers exploit Iraq chaos Jordan says the lack of security in Iraq is causing a big increase in drug trafficking in the Middle East region.


Indonesia Pursues Two Terror Suspects (AP) AP - Indonesian police pursued a manhunt Sunday for two of Southeast Asia's most wanted terrorism suspects while warning of the danger of more suicide attacks on Western interests in the wake of a lethal bombing outside the Australian Embassy.


Sharapova Tops Venus in Swisscom Challenge (AP) AP - Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova needed just more than an hour to defeat Venus Williams 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Swisscom Challenge on Friday.


IMF report  #39;not all good news #39; LABOR has accused the Federal Government of engaging in reckless spending which could push up interest rates. The claim came as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) gave the Government and the Reserve Bank a glowing report card.


Microsoft Unveils Version of Music Store (AP) AP - On the face of things, Microsoft Corp.'s online music service looks a lot like the market leader, Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes.


XM Satellite Unveils Online Music Service XM Satellite Radio Holding Inc. on Wednesday said it would launch a commercial-free, Internet music service in early October. With XM Radio Online, subscribers will be able to listen to the


Kraft Foods shedding units? Reports say No. 1 food company may divest Oscar Mayer, Post cereal lines and candy units. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Kraft Foods may put its well-known Oscar Mayer, Post cereal and Altoids brands up for sale as the No.


Conan O'Brien to Succeed Jay Leno in 2009, NBC Announces Conan O'Brien will succeed Jay Leno as host of the "Tonight" show at the end of Mr. Leno's current five-year contract.


STEELERS 24, RAIDERS 21 Instant replay -- PIT: Bettis 1 run (Reed kick), 6:29. Drive: 15 plays, 67 yards, 8:31. Key plays: Maddox 10 run on 3rd-and-8 to Steelers #39; 45; Maddox 12 pass to Ward on 3rd-and-7 to Raiders #39; 40; Maddox 11 pass to Randle El on 3rd-and-5 to Raiders #39; 19.


Circuit City loss below forecasts Circuit City Stores Inc. reported a smaller quarterly loss Friday as it kept a tight rein on expenses and demand increased for digital televisions, notebook computers and other popular products.


Europeans Fail to Agree on Tax Breaks European Union finance ministers failed early Thursday to agree on tax breaks to ease the impact of high oil prices despite sharp prodding from France and dire warnings that they are threatening economic growth.


Spammer Jailed, Fines Issued In Landmark Case Nov 03, 2004 -- A Loudoun County Circuit Court jury convicted a brother and sister from North Carolina on three counts each of sending spam and acquitted the third co-defendant in the nations first felony spam trial that ended Wednesday.


\$322,000 in refund checks go undelivered in Idaho TWIN FALLS -- The Internal Revenue Service is looking for 410 Idaho taxpayers -- including more than 70 in Magic Valley -- whose income tax refund checks were returned from the US Postal Service as undeliverable.


Boston Red Sox Team Report - August 17 (Sports Network) - Pedro Martinez will try to win his fourth consecutive decision, as he takes the hill for the Boston Red Sox in the middle test of a three-game series against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays.


Oil Holds at \$44 After Sharp Crude Draw  LONDON (Reuters) - World oil prices stood firm on Thursday,  holding onto near-\$2 per barrel gains made the previous session  when U.S. inventory data showed commercial crude stocks falling  to their lowest in five months.


Citigroup unit sold for \$4.4B Citigroup said Monday it agreed to sell its truck-financing business to GE Commercial Finance for \$4.4 billion, concluding a recent spate of divestitures in its leasing operations.


Big Dig found riddled with leaks Engineers hired to investigate the cause of September #39;s massive Big Dig tunnel leak have discovered that the project is riddled with hundreds of leaks that are pouring millions of gallons of water into the \$14.


Ganguly pays price for slow play CALCUTTA, India -- India captain Sourav Ganguly has been banned for two Tests for his team #39;s slow over-rate in Saturday #39;s defeat against Pakistan, match-referee Clive Lloyd said on Sunday.


Apple iPod Photo Preview There's only one in Europe - and we had a look


Threat to Australia continues Australian officials have been investigating unconfirmed reports that an Iraqi group has captured two Australian security workers in Iraq.


Red Planet Bound: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (SPACE.com) SPACE.com - DENVER, Colo. -- The next spacecraft destined for nbsp;Mars is rapidly coming together nbsp;here on Earth -- an interplanetary probe that carries the most powerful instruments ever sent to the red planet.


Iran Denounces U.N. Demands As 'Illegal' TEHRAN, Iran - Iran on Sunday denounced as "illegal" demands from the U.N. atomic watchdog agency that it freeze all work on uranium enrichment - technology that can be used for nuclear weapons...


Oil price drops below \$49 mark Oil futures prices plunged by more than \$2 a barrel Thursday, continuing a sell-off that began last week amid rising US supplies of crude and expectations of a surge in heating oil production before winter arrives.


Congress Leads Exit Polls in Key Indian State (Reuters) Reuters - India's ruling center-left Congress\party was heading for victory in elections in the key western\state of Maharashtra that the heart of business and Bollywood,\television exit polls showed on Wednesday.


Plus ca change? Suha Arafat #39;s rant against leaders of the Palestinian Authority and Yasser Arafat #39;s heirs apparent earlier in the week was revealing in many ways.


Sony Releases New Smaller PlayStation 2 It #39;ll cost about the same as the regular-sized PS 2 in the US and Europe. The smaller PlayStation 2 has all regular PlayStation 2 functions such as playing CDs and DVDs.


Dell offers Media Center on the cheap Dell customers can upgrade from Microsoft Windows XP to Dell #39;s XP Media Center operating system for half the price as part of a promotion running from now until Nov. 22.


MOORE REFUSES TO BE BEATEN When it #39;s typed up and aligned just so and stuck in the PGA Tour media guide someday, Ryan Moore #39;s resume may rank among the best in the book.


Pinochet fit to stand trial, judge rules A judge in Chile has said that the country #39;s former military ruler, General Augusto Pinochet, is fit enough to be tried for alleged human rights abuses in the 1970s.


OPEC Poised to Stamp Out Excess Supply (Reuters) Reuters - OPEC oil producers were poised on Friday\to stamp out excess supply that has lowered world prices from\record highs.


Shareholder rights as Liberty could raise voting stake LONDON (CBS.MW) - Shares of News Corp. dropped over 4 percent in Australia overnight Monday after the owner of Fox News and other media properties adopted a poison pill shareholder rights plan that seeks to block takeovers.


Samsung Pips Motorola in Cellphone Ranking  AMSTERDAM/SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's Samsung  Electronics overtook Motorola as the world's second-biggest  mobile phone maker in the third quarter as the market continued  to boom, a survey showed on Wednesday.


8 Terror Suspects Appear in British Court LONDON - Eight men accused of plotting to commit murder and cause mayhem with radioactive materials, toxic gases, chemicals or explosives appeared in court Wednesday in a case linked to a U.S. terror alert this month...


No sign of revival for struggling Deportivo Bad luck and bad refereeing were the explanations offered by an out-of-form Deportivo Coruna for Tuesday #39;s 2-0 defeat at Monaco in the Champions League.


Garcia, offense can #39;t recover They suffered through a rough start against Baltimore in the season opener a week ago, but because they hung in there and just kept grinding away, things gradually


Woman rescues fellow camper from crocodile #39;s jaws A 60-year-old woman jumped on to the back of a crocodile yesterday, tackling it to free a man trapped in its jaws. The four-metre (13ft) crocodile grabbed the 34-year-old man as he slept in a tent with his


Niagara Falls survivor seeks work, new life path The only person known to have survived an unprotected plunge over Niagara Falls has returned to the scene of his stunt. Kirk Jones, 40, went over the 167-foot Horse Shoe Falls on Oct. 20, 2003.


Citigroup Sues Italy Over Parmalat Bankruptcy Case (Update3) Citigroup Inc., the biggest creditor of Parmalat Finanziaria SpA, sued Italy for its handling of the foodmaker #39;s bankruptcy, saying the restructuring violated its rights as a lender owed almost 540 million euros (\$665 million).


Shell plans auction of liquefied petroleum gas unit (AFP) AFP - Royal Dutch/Shell plans to auction off its liquefied petroleum gas business, which is valued at more than one billion pounds.


UPDATE 2-Blockbuster cuts online price, challenges Netflix Video chain Blockbuster Inc (BBI.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Friday said it would lower the price of its online DVD rentals to undercut a similar move by Netflix Inc.


Dell swings new Axims into play The Axim 50 range comprises entry- and mid-level Axim 50 models and the Axim 50v which boasts a larger 3.7in screen supporting full VGA resolution and bundled game, plus greater graphics power in the form of the 16MB Intel 2700 accelerator.


Zarqawi group claims recruits attack A group led by al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on Iraqi army recruits, according to an Internet statement.


Rogge raps Olympic rivals The organisers of the London bid and its four rivals will be told this morning at a breakfast meeting here with the president of the International Olympic Committee to stop sniping at each other in the campaign to host the 2012 games.


Assault Slows, but G.I.'s Take Half of Falluja Also, insurgents kidnapped three relatives of the Iraqi prime minister, Ayad Allawi, from their home in Baghdad.


Gmail Gets Off its Web Perch Google is allowing users to download Gmail messages through other email programs onto their desktops as well as mobile devices that support POP.


Progress in Jakarta blast probe Police investigating last week's car bombing in Jakarta find the chassis number of the vehicle used.


Early voting BEGINS at eight locations Forget those flashbacks of hanging, dimpled or pregnant chads from the 2000 presidential election debacle that plagued Palm Beach County voters.


Delta labors to avoid bankruptcy, makes some progress With money pouring out of its jet engine exhausts, Delta Air Lines secured one union agreement, and worked toward another, which might yet allow the third largest airline delay or avoid bankruptcy.


Stocks close mixed... The Dow Jones industrial average fell 24 to ten-thousand-289. But gainers on the New York Stock Exchange outnumbered losers by a better than three-to-two margin.


U.S. Alarmed Over Suspected Iran Nuke Site VIENNA, Austria - A U.S. official expressed alarm Thursday about a possible nuclear-weapons-related test site in Iran and accused the U.N...


Arafat offers support to Bigley Yasser Arafat has promised to intercede on behalf of British hostage Ken Bigley, a senior Irish politician says. Michael Higgins, foreign affairs spokesman for the Labour Party in Dublin, said the Palestinian leader made his pledge in a letter to him.


IRS Audits More of the Wealthy and Fewer Small Companies The Internal Revenue Service, in the midst of a crackdown on aggressive tax shelters, is auditing significantly more wealthy individuals and large companies, but is increasingly shying away from scrutinizing smaller businesses.


Kazaa created for lawful purposes, court told The Federal Court in Sydney has been told the creators of the popular file-sharing software, Kazaa, cannot be held responsible if people use it to illegally swap music files.


Stonecipher: Boeing Will Win US Air-Tanker Deal In The End Boeing (nyse: BA - news - people ) Chief Executive Harry Stonecipher is keeping the faith. On Monday, the head of the aerospace and military contractor insists he #39;s confident his firm will ultimately win out


Pennington Scheduled To Start for the Jets Quarterback Chad Pennington is scheduled to return to the New York Jets #39; lineup tomorrow against the Houston Texans at Giants Stadium.


Billy Joel in Walk of Fame honour Pianist, singer and composer Billy Joel is awarded a star on Hollywood's famous Walk of Fame.


AlphaSmart cuts earnings view due to lower demand LOS GATOS, Calif. (Dow Jones/AP) -- AlphaSmart Inc. stock set a year-low Tuesday after the maker of simple computers cut its 2004 outlook, citing lower-than-anticipated demand in the education market.


Stocks Fall on Oil, Chip Downgrade  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell on Monday, with the Dow  slipping briefly below 10,000 as a further rise in oil prices  clouded the corporate profit outlook, and a brokerage downgrade  hurt semiconductor shares.


Glazer - has upped his stake. (Getty Images) Manchester United fans have promised Malcolm Glazer a continued campaign of hostility after the American business tycoon increased his take in the Old Trafford club.


Red Bull refuse to speculate about drivers Red Bull Racing team boss Tony Purnell is refusing to speculate about their 2005 drivers, although it looks as if Christian Klien will be one of them.


Two die at Beijing Marathon BEIJING, Oct. 18. - Two runners - college student and a senior citizen  -d and eleven others were admitted to hospitals during the Beijing International Marathon, state media reported today.


Military signs deal to develop anti-anthrax inhaler (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - Defence officials have signed a  #36;2.9-million deal with a U.S. firm to develop an anti-anthrax inhaler that could be available for civilian as well as military use.


Affordable Gifts In a round-up of affordable holiday gifts, Julio Ojeda-Zapata writes in the St. Paul Pioneer Press,  #147;The iTunes cards, in \$15 and \$25 denominations, are good for the purchase and download of individual tracks. Get the cards at local Apple retail stores and at Target, Best Buy, Circuit City and CompUSA stores, or snag them online at store.apple.com or Amazon.com. The online Apple store offers paper or electronic gift certificates good for iTunes purchases, too. #148; Dec 14


Update 1: IGT Posts Lower Quarterly Profit International Game Technology #39;s fourth-quarter profits declined 50 percent, hit by early redemption of senior notes, but the world #39;s largest maker of slot machines and other gambling devices said Tuesday that its annual income set a new record.


SI.com DETROIT (Ticker) -- A rocky first inning was too much for Denny Bautista to overcome in his first major league start. Craig Monroe had an RBI single in a three-run first inning and added a solo homer off Bautista


Ion drive probe set for lunar orbit LONDON, NOVEMBER 11: A spacecraft the size of a washing machine and driven by a revolutionary ion motor will begin a braking sequence on Monday that should make it the first European mission to enter lunar orbit.


First India-Pakistan joint film promotes peace process (AFP) AFP - With the competitive Bollywood movie industry making hundreds of films a year, new releases need a selling point -- and the people behind India and Pakistan's first co-production hope they're onto a winner.


Angry mob burns aid compounds Angry mobs loyal to ousted Gov. Ismail Khan burned half a dozen international aid compounds, looted their contents and stoned national army troops sent to keep order


Health Tip: Avoid Drug Double-Dipping If you catch a cold or get the flu this winter, be very careful if you take more than one medication to ease your symptoms. The two drugs could share ingredients that could pose a danger


Radicalism takes root with Moroccans CASABLANCA, Morocco -- In the aftermath of Morocco's worst-ever terrorist attacks in May 2003, King Mohammed VI lifted the hopes of his most impoverished subjects last year when he toured Casablanca's sprawling slums, home to a dozen suicide bombers who had blasted targets across the city. The monarch said he was appalled at the conditions and vowed to raze the ...


Shooting: 'Wrong Target' Drama Costs U.S. Gold  ATHENS (Reuters) - American Matthew Emmons fired at the  wrong target on the verge of victory in the Olympics men's  50-meter rife three-position target event to surrender an  almost certain gold medal to China's Jia Zhanbo on Sunday.


In the end, Yale hearty and hale Senior Andrew Sullivan booted a 37-yard field goal -- the longest in his career -- with seven seconds left to lead Yale to a come-from-behind, 31-28 nonleague win over Colgate in New Haven yesterday.


Electronics Industry Battles for the Living Room  SAN FRANCISCO/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The living room, once  the most technologically simple part of the average home, is a  high-tech battleground today as the consumer electronics  industry seeks to digitize home entertainment and make it  available anywhere, anytime.


Roddick splits with Gilbert after 1 years Andy Roddick fired coach Brad Gilbert this weekend after 11/2 years together that yielded a US Open title and the No. 1 ranking. No specific reason was given for the surprising split in a statement Roddick released Monday through SFX Sports Group.


Salvation Army Loses \$17,000 in Donations Since Target Refuses To <b>...</b> On Friday, we #39;ll begin to hear a familiar sound of the holiday season, the sound of bells ringing in the name of the Salvation Army.


Prototype keyboards go against type If you attended last week's Emerging Technologies Conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, you probably weren't on the lookout for ways to become a better typist. This is MIT, after all -- Rocket Science Central. Couldn't they offer something more challenging?


Feds Warn on Children and Antidepressants By DIEDTRA HENDERSON    WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Food and Drug Administration epidemiologist who triggered a closer look at suicidal behavior among children taking antidepressants cited independent experts at hearings Monday who he said support his findings.    In addition to seeing increases in suicidal thoughts among children receiving all the antidepressants he studied, Dr...


Mariners to name Mike Hargrove manager Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - The Seattle Mariners have reportedly found a replacement for Bob Melvin and are scheduled to name Mike Hargrove manager.


Astros like chances with Clemens Roger Clemens and Brad Lidge give the Houston Astros two reasons to think they will finally punch their ticket to a World Series. Clemens has gone 3-0 against the Cardinals this


NFL: Dolphins go nowhere From sending running back Travis Minor out wide on the game #39;s first play to new tailback Lamar Gordon being forced into action, the Dolphins exhausted their playbook with futile results.


Mets Will Consider Leyland if He's Interested Jim Leyland has indicated that he is interested in managing again. He just might not be interested in managing the Mets.


Private rocket reaches space for second time Climbing to space like a winged corkscrew, SpaceShipOne successfully completed the first leg of its attempt for a \$10-million prize Wednesday in a flight marked by an unexpected series of rolls.


Peoplesoft bounces back to profit Peoplesoft, the software maker that is the target of a hostile takeover bid from industry heavyweight Oracle, returns to profit in the third quarter.


Finland, US ranked top economies Northern Europe and key Asian countries remained home to the most competitive economies worldwide, cementing their ranks among the top 10 in an annual survey of business leaders by the World Economic Forum. Finland retained the top spot for the third time in the last four years, followed by the United States.


Italian hostage among 12 killed in Iraq BAGHDAD: At least 12 people, including an Italian hostage, were killed in Iraq on Thursday as violence continued. An Islamist group claimed that it had killed an Italian hostage identified as Salvatore Santoro


Unilateral action can stop the dollar #39;s slide The dollar has been trading at, or close to, its all-time low in European currency markets, prompting calls for the European Central Bank to intervene to stop the dollar #39;s slide against the euro.


Sprint and Lucent sign 3G network agreement Lucent Technologies and Sprint announced a contract renewal agreement - expected to exceed \$1.5 billion over three years - to enhance Sprint #39;s nationwide PCS wireless network and support the deployment of 3G CDMA2000 1xEV-DO technology.


US says Iran #39;s missile is threat The US State Department Tuesday said iran #39;s missile program posed a threat to the region and US interests. The United States has had and continues to have serious concerns about Iran #39;s missile program, department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said.


NASCAR Community Mourns After Plane Crash The NASCAR community is mourning a tragic loss after a plane crash killed 10 members of a racing dynasty. Federal officials say 8 passengers and two pilots died when the Hendrick Motorsports aircraft went down on its way to a race in Virginia.


MSO Shares Still Confined by Martha #39;s Woes Martha Stewart may soon head to prison, but that likely won #39;t free her namesake company of its troubles, investors and analysts say.


EMC aims to lower Exchange TCO This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been improving or obtaining CRM and ERP software for the past year and a half. EMC today announced Express Solution


MGI Pharma-SuperGen in Cancer-Drug Deal  NEW YORK (Reuters) - MGI Pharma Inc. MOGN.O will spend up  to \$85 million for a stake in SuperGen Inc. SUPG.O and global  rights to develop and sell SuperGen's experimental drug for an  often-fatal cancer of the bone marrow, the companies said on  Wednesday.


Microsoft Files More Lawsuits over Spam Going after spammers rather than focusing merely on developing antispam technology is an important step, John Movina, spokesperson for the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email, said.


Arafat's Diagnosis May Soon Be Revealed (AP) AP - Nearly a week after his death, speculation still swirls around what killed Yasser Arafat. Cirrhosis of the liver, AIDS, a blood disorder and poisoning are frequently mentioned in unconfirmed reports  #151; all consistent with the little that is publicly known about the medical condition that landed the Palestinian leader in a French hospital.


J.P. Morgan Cancels IBM Outsourcing Deal  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - J.P. Morgan Chase   Co. JPM.N said  on Wednesday it was canceling a \$5 billion outsourcing deal  with IBM Corp., IBM.N and planned to rehire about 4,000  workers who had been transferred to IBM under the pact.


Scientists reconstruct ancestral genetic code Researchers have reconstructed a long string of genetic code for what they believe is the common ancestor of placental mammals - a shrewlike creature that lived in Asia more than 75 million years ago.


Bank of America Cutting 4,500 Jobs in Reorganization (Update3) Bank of America Corp., the third- biggest US bank, will cut 4,500 jobs in addition to the 12,500 positions it will eliminate as part of the purchase of FleetBoston Financial Corp.


Iraqi Army Recruits Massacred The bodies of more than 40 Iraqi army recruits have been found following an ambush near the Iranian border in the country #39;s northeast region.


Pfizer's Celebrex Lifts Heart Attack Risk in Trial (Reuters) Reuters - Pfizer Inc. on Friday said its popular\Celebrex arthritis drug more than doubled the risk of heart\attack in a large cancer-prevention trial, a setback that comes\just weeks after Merck   Co. recalled its similar Vioxx drug\due to heart safety risks.


UK to Seek Debt Relief for Tsunami Nations  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain, with United States backing,  called on Tuesday for a freeze on foreign debts owed by the  countries hit by the Asian tsunami disaster.


More Haiti Peacekeepers by End Nov, UN Envoy Says (Reuters) Reuters - The U.N. peacekeeping force in\Haiti should reach its full strength of more than 8,000\soldiers and police by the end of November, the United Nations\special envoy to Haiti said on Friday.


Bush, Kerry Make Last-Minute Pleas for Help by E-Mail The e-mails come in a torrent now, each seemingly more urgent than the last.


Haitian ex-soldiers head for capital in confrontation with <b>...</b> Ex-soldiers who ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in a deadly revolt said reinforcements are advancing on the capital to halt violence that has killed at least 48 people - a move that threatens conflict with


Photo Site a Hit With Bloggers Flickr, an online photo service that lets people share pictures, is gaining a strong following among bloggers and digital camera enthusiasts for its speed, simplicity and open standards. By Daniel Terdiman.


Unisys joins Red Hat Partner Community SEPTEMBER 07, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - IT services and hardware vendor Unisys Corp. has upped its involvement with Linux by joining the Red Hat Partner Community one month after unveiling support for Linux on its ES7000 servers (see story).


Sun Microsystems to acquire SevenSpace Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, the Santa Clara, Calif.,-based Sun will acquire SevenSpace in an all-cash transaction for an undisclosed amount.


Oracle Puts Pressure On Microsoft The vendor brings its E-Business Suite to North America to go against Microsoft #39;s ERP software. By Laurie Sullivan. With the first phase of the high-profile PeopleSoft Inc.


New Zealand releases Israeli spies Two Israelis who were jailed for two months for trying to obtain a New Zealand passport were released from prison and deported Wednesday, Prime Minister Helen Clark said.


Blue Chips Slip as Wal-Mart Disappoints  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blue chips ended lower on Monday  as a disappointing sales forecast from Wal-Mart Stores Inc.  WMT.N cast a pall over sentiment, overshadowing a two-session  pullback in oil prices.


Google sales, profit double on ad revenue Google Inc. said third-quarter profit and sales more than doubled as it sold more advertising and attracted more Internet surfers to its Web sites.


PluggedIn: Ultrawideband Heralds Zippier Wireless Connections  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Think of it as Wi-Fi on steroids.


Delta taps Ogilvy for ad campaign Delta Air Lines Inc. has hired New York-based Ogilvy  amp; Mather Worldwide and their media agency partner, Group M/MindShare, to develop a strategic brand campaign for the struggling airline.


No need to cut French GDP growth forecast over oil price: Sarkozy French Economy Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said late Wednesday that there was no need to lower the 2005 economic growth forecast for France because of surging oil prices, saying such a move would dent confidence.


Brazilian striker dies during Indian club match Brazilian striker Cristiano de Lima Jr died yesterday after collapsing on the field during a domestic club tournament in the southern Indian city of Bangalore.


Neuheisel cleared by NCAA Former Washington football coach Rick Neuheisel looked forward to a return to coaching Wednesday after being cleared by the NCAA of wrongdoing related to his gambling on basketball games.


Cut From Longhorn, WinFS Is in Peril The Windows Future Storage (WinFS) technology that got cut out of Windows  quot;Longhorn quot; is in serious trouble, and not just the hot water a feature might encounter for missing its intended production vehicle.


Sharon Says Israel Could Coordinate Gaza Pullout  HERZLIYA, Israel (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon  said Israel was ready to coordinate its Gaza withdrawal plan  with a future Palestinian government and said that could open  the way for a broader peace agreement.


Finnish line: They don #39;t feel pressure The focus here the last couple of days has been on the health of Canada goalie Martin Brodeur and whether his jammed left wrist would


HK Votes in Close Poll, Focus on More Democracy Hong Kong residents voted on Sunday in a legislative election seen as a referendum on greater democracy and a test of popularity for China #39;s communist rulers in the former British colony.


#39;Unbelievable #39; Ruud hits four RUUD van Nistelrooy scored all four for United in this Champions League game at Old Trafford today. Three poacher #39;s strikes and a coolly executed penalty took the Dutch striker #39;s tally of European goals for United to a phenomenal 35 in 36 matches.


In Video Message, Bin Laden Issues Warning to U.S. Osama bin Laden said that the best way for the U.S. to avoid a repeat of 9/11 was to stop threatening Muslims' security.


Scott Wins  #36;50,000, 2 Skins at Skins Game (AP) AP - Adam Scott won  #36;50,000 and two skins on the second hole Saturday, then he and the more-famous members of the foursome  #151; Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam and Fred Couples  #151; left  #36;250,000 out on the golf course during the next seven holes of the made-for-TV tournament.


Google Flaws and Fixes Google Flaws and Fixes\\There have been many criticisms recently of Google and it's page rank algorithm. First, to the criticisms of Google itself. Has anyone noticed that Google currently indexes 4 billion odd web pages? Very few of us had the time to trod through Google's white paper, but those ...


Getting Around Search Engine Optimization Roadblocks Getting Around Search Engine Optimization Roadblocks\\Today, I will cover the most difficult technologies and techniques to work with. While each of these technologies, techniques and designs have a useful purpose for web-designers, webmasters and general office staff tasked with keeping the site up to date, they each also present problems ...


Novell OKs \$536 Mln Microsoft Settlement Novell Inc. (NOVL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday said it had reached a settlement with software maker Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.


British govt cash called for to bolster peace The British government is facing demands to pump funds into Northern Ireland in a bid to bolster a talks deal if it is struck, Sinn Fin leader Gerry Adams said tonight.


Redknapp is manager of the month Portsmouth #39;s Harry Redknapp has been named as the Barclays manager of the month for October. Redknapp #39;s side were unbeaten during the month and maintained an impressive climb to ninth in the Premiership.


EU embroiled in taxing debate over 'fiscal dumping' (AFP) AFP - European finance ministers clashed over Franco-German proposals to harmonise EU corporate taxes to prevent lower-cost member states grabbing too much of the investment pie.


EU Threatens to Go It Alone on Nuclear Fusion  BRUSSELS/VIENNA (Reuters) - The European Union warned on  Tuesday it may go ahead and build the world's first nuclear  fusion reactor with whatever partners it can find if there is  no global deal to put the project in France at talks in Vienna.


Tokyo's Key Stock Index Edges Higher (AP) AP - The Tokyo stock market's main index edged higher Tuesday for the fourth straight trading day, supported by investor optimism about Japan's economic recovery. The U.S. dollar was higher against the Japanese yen.


Microsoft search engine thwarted by glitches on first day As first assault on Google #39;s leading position in the market, Microsoft #39;s newly launched search engine encountered some technical problems on its first day.


Violence in Iraq drives oil to new high of over \$49 Oil prices raced to fresh highs Friday, carrying US crude to over \$49 a barrel, driven by escalating violence in Iraq and unabated fuel demand growth from China and India.


Taco Bell's Blue Dew Pepsi pushes a blue version of Mountain Dew only at Taco Bell. Is this a winning strategy?


Photos: Segway--coast to coast Josh Caldwell, co-founder of the "America at 10mph" project, scoots across the United States.


This week's picks Westford over Acton-Boxboro -- This week at the Discovery Museum, check out the exhibit,  quot;Overcoming spectrophobia. quot;


UK Train Line to Be Closed for Days, #39; Police Say (Update1) A main train line between London and the southwest of England will remain closed for a number of days, #39; #39; police said, while they investigate the derailment of a FirstGroup Plc train that killed six people yesterday.


Website claims hostage is dead A POSTING on an Islamic Internet site today said that an al-Qaeda-linked group had killed British hostage Kenneth Bigley. The claim could not immediately be verified, but surfaced on a website usually used


Spammer to pay \$25,000 settlement Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly declared a victory in the war on unwanted e-mail yesterday, as a Florida spammer agreed to pay \$25,000 to settle a state lawsuit alleging violations of a new federal antispam law.


Mobile vendors tie up for mobile TV Nokia, NEC, Motorola, Siemens, and Sony Ericsson have announced their tie-up to decide on a common standard to deliver TV shows straight to the mobile phone over a mobile broadcast network.


Scientists Recover Critical Genesis Parts (AP) AP - NASA scientists said they have recovered some critical pieces of the Genesis space capsule intact and are optimistic the wreckage will yield valuable information about the origins of the solar system.


... we #39;d better get ready The argument against strengthening building requirements is simple: It would cost too much. And poor people couldn #39;t afford it.


Iraq Again In The Forefront as Australian Election Approaches Australia #39;s election campaign is in its final stages, with the country #39;s role in Iraq again a major talking point. Australian Prime Minister John Howard says he does not need to apologize for joining last


Iraq ; Car bomb kills seven in Baghdad Iraq News, A suicide car bomber killed at least seven people today next to the heavily fortified area in central Baghdad housing the interim government and US embassy, and eight US Marines died in combat in western Iraq.


Webb Ousted in Prelim Alan Webb is outmaneuvered and outrun as he failed to make it out of the preliminary round in the 1,500 meters.


Helicopter Carrying Politicians Crashes in East India (Reuters) Reuters - A helicopter carrying eight\people, including a government minister and two lawmakers,\crashed in mountainous northeast India on Wednesday, a police\officer said.


Consumer confidence plummets Consumer confidence fell sharply in both Massachusetts and the nation in October, weighed down by concerns about jobs, rising energy costs, and the strength of the economic recovery.


Second-guessing the Fed Has the economy #39;s  #39;soft patch #39; passed? Is inflation about to pop? The bond market doesn #39;t think so. By Mark Gongloff, CNN/Money senior writer.


Beijing Cancels Microsoft Deal The Beijing municipal government may be reconsidering its controversial decision to sign a sweeping deal with Microsoft. Microsoft beat domestic software developers out of a 3.6M dollar contract on November


Nokia to offer phones with 'old world' styling One of the new handsets invokes Garbo, according to the Finnish phone giant. Another is described as "sleek and sexy."


Railroad uses IP net to control signals, switches The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway is nearing the completion of a \$30 million, government-funded IP network that will support combined voice, data and video traffic along a heavily used rail corridor between Seattle and Tacoma.


Seagate ships 400GB hard disk drive NOVEMBER 17, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Seagate Technology LLC said yesterday that it has started shipping a hard disk drive, targeted at PCs, that offers 400GB of storage space.


EarthLink Debuts P2P App Running On SIP EarthLink #39;s R amp;D lab on Thursday released a proof-of-concept application to show how a popular messaging protocol can be used for purposes other than what it was designed, including sharing data.


Lebanon Says Suspects Linked to Extremists (AP) AP - Terror suspects arrested for allegedly planning simultaneous bombings of the Italian Embassy and other targets in Beirut received funding from extremist cells in Europe, Lebanon's Interior Ministry said Wednesday.


Hackers Pull Out Nasty Trick From Hat An e-mail that tricks Linux users to download a fake update from Red Hats security team is currently doing the rounds of the Internet.


DiFelice reports; Cubs recall Dubois, Wuertz, Mitre and Murray Catcher Mike DiFelice reported to the Chicago Cubs on Monday, six days after being acquired from the Detroit Tigers. DiFelice, who hit .


Redskins Daily 12/8 LaVar Arrington practiced for the first time since undergoing knee surgery. Now the Redskins have to wait and see if he #39;ll be able to play.


Coolbrands Cuts Year-End Profit Outlook Coolbrands International Inc., the maker of frozen desserts, cut its profit outlook for fiscal 2004 on Tuesday, because of a decision to take a noncash charge related to stock options.


AMD launches PC  #39;for the rest of us world #39; AMD yesterday formally launched  #39;Emma #39; - its low-cost Internet access appliance - or the  #39;Personal Internet Communicator #39;, as its now officially dubbed.


Funk Regains Buick Lead With Late Rally (AP) AP - Fred Funk needed a late rally on a sticky, steamy Saturday to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Buick Championship.


Binge drinking, the weekend activity of choice for many young Britons (AFP) AFP - Britain might currently be struggling for Olympic medals in Athens, but if drinking to excess were a competitive sport, there seems little doubt its nationals could beat all-comers.


Online ad provider exploring a sale DoubleClick Inc., the online advertising provider whose one-time soaring share price made it one of Manhattan #39;s most well-known faces of the dot-com era, said late Sunday that it has hired an investment bank to explore a possible sale.


8 British terror suspects brought to court LONDON -- Eight men charged with conspiracy to murder in a trans-Atlantic terror plot made their first court appearance yesterday in a case that has added to the fierce debate over Britain's terrorism laws and heightened fears in the country's Islamic community of an anti-Muslim backlash.


(196) 28-October-2004 - President challenges bishops on morality <b>...</b> President Olusegun Obasajo of Nigeria has challenged Anglican bishops meeting in Nigeria to provide courageous and godly leadership in matters of faith and moral conduct.


Gas Price Up Near \$1.88 a Gallon -Survey  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The average U.S. retail price of  gasoline rose slightly over the last two weeks to almost \$1.88  a gallon -- the first increase reported since late May,  according to the nationwide Lundberg survey of about 8,000 gas  stations.


Rumsfeld Urges Latin America to Unite in Terror War

 By Charles Aldinger

 QUITO, Ecuador (Reuters) - All of Latin America mustrealize that terrorism is a growing threat in the Americas andthat the only way to defeat extremist guerrillas like al Qaedais to join ranks, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said onTuesday.


TRIPLE SUCCESS FOR SOLBERG Petter Solberg strengthened his grip on the Italian Rally this morning with three consecutive stage wins. The world champion held a half-minute overnight advantage from Marcus Gronholm but fastest times on


Robinson Signs Deal to Manage Expos in DC (Reuters) Reuters - On the day Major League\Baseball owners delayed the vote to finalize the move of the\Expos to Washington, DC, the club on Thursday signed manager\Frank Robinson to a one-year contract.


John Howard sworn in for fourth time as Australian PM CANBERRA : John Howard has been formally sworn in as Prime Minister with his new fourth term ministry by Queen Elizabeth II #39;s Australian representative Governor-General Michael Jeffery.


Car Bomb Near Fallujah Causes U.S. Deaths (AP) AP - A massive car bomb exploded on the outskirts of Fallujah on Monday killing and wounding several U.S. Marines, a U.S. military official said on condition of anonymity.


Eleven charged in software counterfeiting case Prosecutors have charged 11 people in California, Texas and Washington state with conspiring to distribute more than \$30 million of counterfeit computer software and products.


Rams tie for division lead as Hawks can #39;t find end zone ST. LOUIS -- On Seattle #39;s first offensive play of the game, Matt Hasselbeck knocked knees with running back Shaun Alexander, leaving the Seahawks #39; quarterback with a bruised muscle in his right thigh and the passing game without a healthy leg to stand on.


Probe data reveal Titan #39;s etched face Scientists analysing data captured by the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft as it swept past Saturn #39;s moon Titan, have described a cold landscape carved by winds and perhaps puddled with organic lakes.


Solidarity sit-ins held in West Bank People in many West Bank cities and towns have staged a general sit-in to express solidarity with fellow Palestinians held in Israeli jails, Aljazeera #39;s correspondent reports.


Three held over Brazil land clash Police in Brazil arrest three men on suspicion of murder, following a violent confrontation over land rights.


NASA to Announce New Class of Planets (AP) AP - Astronomers have discovered four new planets in a week's time, an exciting end-of-summer flurry that signals a sharper era in the hunt for new worlds.


Newsom #39;s wife says sex joke has been exaggerated Mayoral first lady Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom says way too much is being made of her sexually playful comments at a recent gay rights dinner, and that for the record she was not -- we repeat not -- pantomiming eating a banana when talking about her


Microsoft details conflicts in new XP update Microsoft has published a list of nearly 50 applications -- including developer and backup tools, antivirus software and an FTP client -- that may not work correctly after installing Service Pack 2 for Windows XP.


Constantine and the rise of Christianity The history of how Christianity became an accepted mainstream religion is an interesting one. If you have never heard the story of the Roman Emperor Constantine and his effect on the world's current religious landscape, read on to learn how one mans actions during his rise to power changed the world forever.


Mercosur Trade Talks Begin Amid Bickering Top officials from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay gathered Wednesday for high-level trade talks ahead of a two-day summit taking place 10 years after leaders officially created South America's Mercosur zone.


Poe condition turns for worst , Carlito Pablo. Editor #39;s Note: Published on page A1 of the Dec. 14, 2004 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. HIS PASS was good for three hours but former President


Sharp Halts US Sales Of Zaurus PDA Following in the footsteps of other electronic giants, Sharp has decided to discontinue sales of its Zaurus SL-6000 in the US market, although the company will continue to support current users in the United States.


Man, 78, on Pitcairn rape charges A 78-year-old man has been accused of twice raping a woman more than 30 years ago, amid an alleged culture of sex attacks on the tiny island of Pitcairn.


Microsoft Cracks Down on Xbox Changes (AP) AP - In the days before Microsoft Corp. released the hotly anticipated Halo 2 video game for the Xbox game console, some gamers noticed a sudden spike in the number of people being kicked off the company's online game service. That was no coincidence.


Net service will cater to camera phone users A planned offer from OurPictures hints at the day when camera phones could represent the mainstream way of snapping photos.


In Atlanta, Relief That the Hometown Airline Remains Aloft Nita Bertsche, who lives a few miles north of Atlanta and has been flying on Delta Air Lines for 20 years, was relieved this week to hear that the airline had, for now at least, managed to avoid bankruptcy.


UN Denies Annan #39;s resignation The United Nations says its Secretary-General Kofi Annan is not to quit despite US charges of his involvement into possible fraud in the oil-for-food program.


Visteon pays employees to buy Ford cars, aid race with Chevy Visteon Corp. is offering its 8,100 white-collar employees \$1,000 cash bonuses to buy Ford Motor Co. vehicles and boost its largest customer and former parent company in its


Boston Red Sox Ticket Prices Up 7 Percent The World Series champion Boston Red Sox raised their ticket prices by an average of 7 percent for next year, with the price of field boxes increasing by \$10 to \$85.


Guti warns Owen of Raul Spanish midfielder Guti has warned Real Madrid team-mate Michael Owen that he would need to produce an exceptional performance if he has any ambitions of taking Raul #39;s place in the starting line-up.


Leinart picks up Heisman NEW YORK -- Matt Leinart replaced a Heisman Trophy winner and became one himself. The Southern California quarterback won college football's most prestigious individual award last night, beating out Oklahoma teammates Adrian Peterson and Jason White, last year's winner.


Tennis Stars Clijsters, Hewitt Split - Belgium #39;s Kim Clijsters, left, kisses Australian Lleyton Hewitt, center, after their  quot;love match quot; tennis game at the Expodroom in Bree, Belgium, in this Saturday April 17, 2004 file photo.


Saudis ready to hike oil output Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia vowed on Sunday to maintain spare oil production capacity of 1.5 to 2 million barrels per day and said it was prepared to hike output to meet customer demand.


Coming and going A shade more than 14 months ago, David Wells appeared at a news conference in Fenway Park, not far away from the room where he greeted reporters yesterday. Back then, Wells was a card-carrying member of the Evil Empire, a true believer in the Curse of the Bambino, on the verge of pitching Game 3 of the Red Sox-Yankees AL ...


Samsung to boost chip production Korean chipmaker Samsung says it will invest 25 trillion won building new chip production lines over the next six years.


Mouse for the nose Canadian inventor Dmitry Gorodnichy has devised the world #39;s first computer to be controlled by the nose and eyelids. The gadget could be a boon for people with disabilities who cannot use the conventional


Broncos will lose Griffin for year Denver Broncos running back Quentin Griffin #39;s strange season came to an end Tuesday when the team #39;s worst concerns were realized.


Weyerhaeuser 3rd-Quarter Earnings Rise  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Weyerhaeuser Co.'s third-quarter  profit rose on higher prices for lumber and a large gain from  the sale of timberlands in Georgia, the company said on Friday.


Yankees are left with double vision John Buck hit a three-run homer and Angel Berroa had two hits and scored twice in a 10-run fifth inning that carried the Kansas City Royals to a 17-8 rout of the New York Yankees last night.


Region's consumer confidence dives Not even a World Series win helped. New England's outlook turned decidedly gloomy over the last year as consumer confidence plunged farther than any other part of the country, according to data released today. The Conference Board, a nonprofit economic research group in New York, said its index of consumer confidence for New England dove to 77.9 in November, down ...


Racially Offensive Search Terms To Be Banned By EBay Internet auction house eBay has announced that they will be taking preventative action against users searching for racially sensitive items.


iPaqs turn up the security Security continues to hold steady over software as the third top IT priority, with organizations busy coping with cyber threats, keeping up with software


ALL AUBURN, ALL NIGHT com. An Auburn touchdown with 52 seconds left in the first half Saturday night brought a smile to celebrity Tiger fan Charles Barkley pacing the sideline.


Adds two more hits as Mariners trip up Rangers Ichiro Suzuki passed Ty Cobb on Friday night in his inexorable march to overtake George Sisler. And Raul Ibanez set one Mariners #39; record and tied another in an 8-7 victory over the Rangers.


Walgreen: Prescription for Success Walgreen (NYSE: WAG), a company that has built a business largely on prescription drugs, reported its 30th consecutive year of record sales and earnings today.


Equatorial Guinea resumes coup trial Equatorial Guinea resumed on Tuesday the trial of 19 suspected mercenaries accused of plotting a coup in the oil-rich African country, after a two-month adjournment to give


Pacers' Artest Back in the Lineup (Reuters) Reuters - Indiana Pacers forward Ron\Artest will be back in the lineup for Friday's game versus\Philadelphia at the Wachovia Center.


Sportsview: Jimmie Crutchfield Remembered (AP) AP - "Oh, we had men by the hundreds who could have made the big leagues, by the hundreds, not by the fours, twos or threes. ... Ain't no maybe so about it."  #151; Satchel Paige, from his Hall of Fame induction speech in 1971.


Obesity increases cancer threat \Breast cancer is more likely to kill obese women than those of normal weight, research suggests.


#39;Half measures #39; for pubgoers condemned, Asthma UK Asthma experts have condemned as a  #39;shabby half measure #39; the government #39;s decision not to implement a complete ban on smoking in public places.


Prem Preview: Manchester City-Arsenal What a difference a week makes! Seven days ago the popular wisdom was that if Manchester City failed to win their Saturday game manager Kevin Keegans job would be at risk.


Intel Slammed As Apple Becomes More Appealing Tech stocks were mixed for the holiday week, with analyst revisions moving key sector players. Intel (nasdaq: INTC - news - people ) shares fell tumbled Tuesday after Credit Suisse First Boston lowered the


Tokyo Stocks Open Firmer on Economy  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average edged up 0.25  percent at the opening on Tuesday as investors stayed  optimistic about Japan's economy and bought banks and insurance  firms.


IBM Community to address social issues New York: The US-based software major IBM, along with representatives of the world #39;s leading science, education and philanthropic outfits, has launched a global effort aimed at harnessing the vast computing power of individuals and business computers and


Aid workers abducted in brazen raid BAGHDAD - Gunmen abducted two Italian aid workers and two Iraqis in central Baghdad yesterday in a brazen attack that will alarm foreigners who are already on edge from widespread kidnappings.


Yankees, Red Sox tangle with division title on the line Derek Jeter, who has been through this line of questioning before, shrugged his shoulders, flipped through the file of stock answers in his mind and hit the play button when he reached the Boston Red Sox folder.


DigitalNet Wins Fingerprint ID Contract DigitalNet Holdings Inc. of Herndon will provide fingerprint identification services to the Homeland Security Department under a new \$25 million contract.


US Airways gets OK to slash pay A US Bankruptcy Court judge, in a harsh decision he called critical to US Airways Group's survival, said yesterday the airline could slash pay by 21 percent for its unionized workforce of 25,000.


More Video Options The Olympic Games in Athens are pushing many people to finally buy that plasma or LCD television that they #39;ve been dreaming about. Also, the time difference between Japan and Greece is helping sales of video recorders, particularly those that use hard ...


Strike threat to Christmas post A union warns of "very serious problems over Christmas" if its members vote to strike in a row over pay.


Earnhardt turns to backup DARLINGTON, SC - Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive a backup car in Sunday #39;s Southern 500 after damaging his primary car in practice Friday.


Star-Power Surge for Satellite Radio Shock jock Howard Stern's decision to jump ship from traditional radio gives a boost to the emerging technology of blasting tunes, news and other staples of AM and FM radio via satellite. \ -washingtonpost.com


Titans #39; Calico out two-three weeks, maybe ten NASHVILLE, Tenn. Tennessee Titans receiver Tyrone Calico will be out two to three weeks, and up to ten, because of a knee injury. Calico, counted on as a big-play deep threat, has torn cartilage suffered in a loss to San Diego Sunday.


Hamas Leader Killed in Israeli Air Force Strike Near Gaza City Ednan Al-Ghoul, a Hamas leader responsible for developing the Qassam rockets fired by Palestinians at Israeli towns, was killed in a missile strike near Gaza City, the Israel Defense Forces said.


Reverse rout in Bronx makes us wonder As opening statements go, this was something along the lines of the Beatles on Ed Sullivan and JFK's inaugural address. In the first true  quot;big quot; game of the season -- the series opener against the potential playoff foes from Anaheim on the very eve of September -- the Red Sox batted around and put a 4-0 lead on the board ...


Viagra: A Drug Ad Too Far? Pharmaceutical companies love to tout their drug ads as examples of consumer education. But that argument hardly stands up in Pfizer #39;s (PFE ) latest Viagra pitches.


Flash floods force huge rescue bid LONDON: Rescue workers combed an English coastal village in north Cornwall yesterday for people missing after a flash flood caused by torrential rain hit Britain #39;s southwestern Atlantic coast.


Published by the group of companies Maxis Communications Bhd targets to launch its third-generation (3G) mobile services in the first quarter of 2005, but it expects the number of subscribers to be less than 100,000 during the first year due to the expensive handsets.


EBay Acquires Web Site From Netherlands (AP) AP - Online auction giant eBay Inc. has acquired the most popular classifieds Web site in the Netherlands for about  #36;290 million, the company announced.


Mark Thatcher court plea expected Sir Mark Thatcher will go before a South African court on Thursday on charges that he helped finance a foiled coup attempt.


Can Lebanon weather possible economic sanctions? BEIRUT: Will Lebanon be able to weather any possible US and European economic sanctions in the future if the US Security Council pushed for sanctions against this country in the coming months?


Bofra Worm Spreads by Banner Ads Web site visitors who clicked on banner ads on a number of popular European Web sites this weekend could have infected their computers with variants of the Bofra worm, experts warn.


U.S. Stages Fight-Back at Ryder Cup But Still Trails  BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan (Reuters) - The U.S. Ryder Cup  team, wounded after a first day mauling, launched a fierce  fightback on Saturday to keep their hopes alive with two wins  and a halved fourball rubber.


Krenzel gets in full practice, ready to go Craig Krenzel practiced Thursday and is set to play Sunday against Tennessee despite bruised ribs.  quot;As I said yesterday, I felt like he would be OK, quot; Bears coach Lovie Smith said.


Bush to Meet With Leaders of Mexico, Chile President Bush aims to dispel the perception of U.S. neglect of Latin America and burnish an American reputation damaged by the Iraq war, undertaking a second-term diplomatic offensive in the region akin to his recent courting of Europe.


AU Says Sudan Launches New Attacks on Darfuris (Reuters) Reuters - Nigerian President and African Union (AU)\chairman Olusegun Obasanjo said Monday AU cease-fire monitors\had confirmed Darfur rebel reports that the Sudan government\launched fresh attacks on civilians last week.


Investigation into Pacers-Pistons brawl could take time AUBURN HILLS, Mich. Police have identified most of the people in video footage from last night #39;s brawl between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons at The Palace at Auburn Hills.


Microsoft to hire more staff at Indian facility Microsoft will hire hundreds of new staff for its operations in Hyderabad, south India over the next 12 months. The company #39;s chief executive officer, Steve Ballmer said the hiring of more staff for its software


Parakeets long gone, but DNA makes some wonder The Carolina parakeet, the only parrot that was native to South Carolina, vanished decades ago but in this age of high tech wizardry could DNA be used to bring the feathered creatures back?


One of Britain's last remaining coal mines closes down (AFP) AFP - A once-thriving coal mine in Yorkshire was closing down, leaving just nine deep coal mines in Britain, the pale remains of an industry that once employed a million people.


Americans push deeper into Fallujah; Police in Mosul lose control <b>...</b> American forces Friday pushed deeper into the last remaining insurgent stronghold in Fallujah, and the Iraqi government rushed reinforcements


Next-Gen DVD Camps Prep for Price War HD-DVD backers say their format is cheaper and easier to produce than rival Blu-ray.


Gloom for EU growth targets Former Dutch prime minister Wim Kok has delivered a damning report on Europe #39;s growth and competitiveness, warning that it will be  quot;extremely difficult quot; for the EU to meet its 2010 targets.


Knicks Could Face a True Test of Strength After a soft stretch in their schedule, the Knicks on Friday meet Orlando, their first opponent with a winning record since they beat Cleveland on Nov. 21.


Procter   Gamble CEO Gets \$3.5 Mln Bonus  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Procter   Gamble Co. PG.N, the maker  of Tide laundry detergent and Pampers diapers, on Friday said  its top executive earned a base salary of \$1.7 million this  year and received other compensation including a \$3.5 million  bonus based on the company's strong performance.


High crude here to stay Oil dipping almost \$1 doesn #39;t signal the beginning of a major retreat, say commodities experts who suggest crude might never fall below \$40 US a barrel again.


Are Eagles all that they #39;re cracked up to be? PITTSBURGH  If you #39;re a glass-half-full kind of person, you #39;re saying that the Eagles have lost badly at other points during the Andy Reid Era, and have almost always bounced back.


Oracle tries to turn up heat in takeover bid of PeopleSoft SAN FRANCISCO Oracle is trying to turn up the pressure in its long-running takeover attempt of PeopleSoft. Yesterday two of Oracles top executives -- co-president Safra Catz and chief financial officer Harry


No reservations about Zimbabwe tour, says Vaughan Michael Vaughan has insisted that no member of his side has reservations about the decision to tour Zimbabwe for five one-day internationals later this year.


NFL: Ravens/Bengals _ Jamal Lewis ran for 186 yards as Baltimore dumped Cincinnati 23-to-9. He had a 75-yard touchdown sprint that clinched win win for the 2-and-1 Ravens.


UK anti-terror law ruled illegal Detaining foreign terrorist suspects without trial breaks human rights laws, the UKs highest court ruled on Thursday. In a blow to the governments anti-terror measures, the House of Lords ruled by an


Mets to interview Backman The Mets may reach back into one of their most successful eras in their manager search. Wally Backman, the sparkplug second baseman on the 1986 championship team


UN chief congratulates Bush on re-election United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Wednesday congratulated US President George W. Bush on his re-election and hoped to maintain  quot;positive and productive quot; relations


Clouds dash Perseids show The annual Perseid meteor shower could provide a "spectacular" show, despite a disappointing start.


Els stays clear in Ireland Ernie Els stayed on track for a maiden World Golf Championships title with a 4-under-par 68 in the third round in Ireland on Saturday.


RIAA Files 762 More File-Trading Lawsuits LOS ANGELES -- The music industry is continuing its campaign against people who illegally download music through file-sharing sites.


Iraq Explosives Become Issue in Campaign The White House sought to explain the missing explosives in Iraq; John Kerry said the president had put U.S. troops at risk.


UPDATE 3-AMD posts profit, sees sales growth; shares rise Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday reported a \$44 million third-quarter profit from a loss a year earlier, and predicted


US updates travel warning to Cote D #39;lvoire The United States on Monday updated a travel warning to Cote D #39;lvoire, citing violence and safety concerns in the African country.


Google Raises \$1.67 Bln in Cut-Price IPO  NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc., the most  popular Internet search engine, raised \$1.67 billion on  Wednesday in its long-awaited IPO after slashing the price and  size of an offer beset by missteps and poor market conditions.


Space station updated Leaving their orbiting outpost unmanned, the international space station #39;s two astronauts floated outside on a spacewalk Friday, plugging in new antennas and replacing a worn-out piece of cooling equipment.


Politicians in Iraq call for delay to elections Leading Iraqi political parties have called for forthcoming elections to be delayed because of mounting violence in the country. Fifteen political parties - including two Kurdish groups


College Basketball: Illinois, UConn Cruise; Virginia Upset  CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Sports Network) - Luther Head had a  game-high 17 points and Dee Brown added 15 along with nine  assists as top-ranked Illinois cruised to a 78-59 victory over  in-state foe Chicago State at Assembly Hall.


Sweden's H and M in talks to buy Portugal's largest retail chain (AFP) AFP - Swedish fashion retailer Hennes and Mauritz is in talks to buy all 35 shops belonging to Macmoda, Portugal's largest clothing retail chain.


Defense, IT Companies Form Standards Group  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The five top U.S. defense  contractors, communications companies joined on Tuesday with  some European rivals to develop technology standards that will  allow better communication among future weapons systems.


Deduct IRA Losses? In Some Cases If the market has made a dent in your retirement account, there are instances when you may deduct the losses.


Moutain bike gold to France FRANCE finally struck cycling gold when Julien Absalon won the mountain bike cross country title today in the last cycling race of the Games.


NASA releases plan for shuttle #39;s return to flight Six months before NASA plans to return the shuttle to space, officials think they #39;ve essentially solved the problem that doomed Columbia in 2003 - debris coming off


Holdout Orlando Pace Signs With Rams (AP) AP - Holdout offensive tackle Orlando Pace signed a one-year contract on Monday with the St. Louis Rams and participated in his first practice.


Programs: For Stealth Lovers, 'Thief' Is a Steal (Reuters) Reuters - (Gene Emery is a columnist who covers science and\technology. His Internet address is GEmery(at)Cox.net. Any\opinions in the column are his alone.)


Pennington's leadership not half bad for New York EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Chad Pennington could feel the pressure of trying to make franchise history weighing down his teammates.