China expects 9 GDP growth in  #39;04 TOKYO (CBS.MW) - China expects economic growth to reach at least 9 percent in 2004, according to a published report. Free! Sign up here to receive our Before the Bell e-Newsletter!


Patel, Pathan defy Australia Bangalore - Parthiv Patel and Irfan Pathan put on 60 for the seventh wicket to prop up India on the third morning of the first Test against Australia here on Friday.


Arms cache found in six Waziristan caves PESHAWAR, Nov 13: The Pakistan army captured the Shinkay area from the Al Qaeda-linked tribal and foreign militants in the Mehsud dominated area of South Waziristan on Saturday, said an army general.


Chenault: American Express Charges After Visa, MasterCard <b>...</b> Will that be cash or charge? That #39;s the question American Express (nyse: AXP - news - people ) will be asking Visa and MasterCard as it prepares to file a suit against the two largest card associations in


Sprint, SBC Announce Wi-Fi Roaming Pact Customers of Sprint Corp. and SBC Communications Inc. will be able to use both companies #39; wireless Internet connections with less hassle under a reciprocal deal announced Friday.


Ministry of Culture bans Premier Manager 2005 Ministry of Culture recently demanded the various cultural departments across the country to ban a kind of computer named Premier Manager 2005, or Soccer Manager 2005.


Sorenstam still not satisfied with her swing She has won seven times, claimed another major and went over the \$2 million mark for the fourth consecutive season. But that doesn #39;t mean she came to the ADT Championship to relax.


Levi Strauss Posts Profit Levi Strauss  amp; Co. swung to a quarterly profit on Tuesday, citing cost cuts and a weaker dollar as the struggling jeans maker closed out poor-performing products to


Onkyo #39;s DVD Changer Spins a New Tune Choosing a DVD player used to be simple: progressive scan or no progressive scan? These days, even the DVD players on sale for \$29 at Wal-Mart feature progressive scanning.


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


Egyptian company says one Egyptian hostage in Iraq is free CAIRO, Egypt An Egyptian company says one of its four workers who had been kidnapped in Iraq has been freed. It says it can #39;t give the status of the others being held hostage but says it is  quot;doing its best to secure quot; their release.


Mac Supercomputer Gets Performance Makeover The Apple-based System X supercomputer at Virginia Tech has been upgraded to run at 12.25 teraflops. The system placed third on the list of the world #39;s most powerful supercomputers last


Glaxo Settles Paxil  #39;Suicide Pill #39; Suit GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK.L: Quote, Profile, Research) has agreed to release all clinical studies of its drugs to settle a lawsuit that accused it of withholding negative information about the antidepressant Paxil, the New York


Oil Nears \$50 as Nigeria Worries Persist  LONDON (Reuters) - High-flying oil climbed back toward \$50  a barrel on Thursday, with worries over the security of  Nigerian supply supporting prices despite a surprise build in  U.S. crude inventories.


Dutch raid  #39;Kurd training ground #39; Dutch police say they have raided a suspected paramilitary training ground for Kurdish militants in the southern Netherlands, arresting 29 people.


Party of Brazil's President Party Stronger In its first electoral test since taking power 21 months ago, the party of Brazil's left-leaning president emerged stronger from nationwide municipal elections but could not come in first in the country's biggest and most important city, Sao Paulo.


Jarno looking to reverse recent form The Italian will be pushing 100 for himself and the team at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix in Spa Francorchamps.


Rice Returns Home Following Surgery (AP) AP - National security adviser Condoleezza Rice returned home Saturday after a one-night hospital stay where she was treated for noncancerous growths in her uterus.


Isaac Newton in the Kitchen The revision of Harold McGee's 1984 book, "On Food and Cooking," answers eternal kitchen questions, including those related to Thanksgiving.


Europe awaits US poll verdict European shares edged higher Tuesday, with easing oil prices underpinning market sentiment, but investors were cautious ahead of a neck-and-neck race in the US presidential elections.


Karzai en route to victory in poll; Qanooni pledges to accept result (AFP) AFP - Yunus Qanooni, Hamid Karzai's chief rival in Afghanistan's presidential election, said he will accept the outcome, as Karzai swept the country's south and southeast en route to outright victory.


Davenport will decide on retirement, in due time All in due time, Lindsay Davenport will decide whether she wants to retire. Only right now is not that time.  quot;I swear, it #39;s so hard to answer that, quot; she said after limping off from a 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 loss to


Cards Rally from 5-Run Deficit to Tie Game One  BOSTON (Sports Network) - Larry Walker had hits in each of  his first four at-bats, including a homer, helping the St.  Louis Cardinals rally from a five- run deficit to tie the Red  Sox at 7-7 after six innings.


Israel arrests 13 UN employees Israel  arrests 13 UN employees on suspicion of "links to terrorism" but does not give  their nationalities.


Seeking the third way Boston's new common ground -- or a 21st century battleground for our age-old tribalism? There is no doubt what we want to encourage and what we want to discourage as we build out the Rose Kennedy Greenway and finally put the \$15 billion Big Dig behind us. A half-baked plan to build a Boston knockoff of Rome's Piazza Navona in ...


How mutual funds can be like marriage Within the past two weeks, we also celebrated our 10th anniversary and 15th anniversary of holding two of our favorite investments.


This season, they've been fish out of water The perfect place for the Dolphins' pregame meal Sunday is in Boston's theater district. When things have been going like they have for Miami, what better place to dine than Rock Bottom?


Putin Orders Crackdown After School Siege President Vladimir Putin ordered a crackdown in southern Russia after a school siege killed at least 250, and warned Chechen sympathisers on Saturday they would be seen as "accomplices of terrorism."


Sony begins mass production of OLED screens The electronics giant has begun production of next-generation screens using organic light-emitting diode technology.


Woodward Remains England Coach, Will Continue Talks on Future Clive Woodward, who led England to victory at last year #39;s rugby World Cup, will today hold further talks about his future, a day after saying he will quit as coach.


Many in county due tax refunds The tax man is trying to give away more than \$220,000 in San Mateo County -- and some of it might be yours. More than 230 county residents have not collected their federal


SGI Launches Linux Workstation (NewsFactor) NewsFactor - High-performance computing specialist SGI (Silicon Graphics) has launched a line of Linux-based visualization machines, providing the company's cutting-edge graphics capabilities on an open platform for the first time.


Crash probe focuses on car driver Police say they are not assuming that a car driver committing suicide caused Saturday's rail crash.


Yukos unit may be sold for \$4bn Yukos'  future is thrown into fresh doubt amid reports that Russia is planning to sell 77 of its key oil production unit for \$4bn by the end of November.


Brazil uncovers corrupt officials Federal prosecutors in Brazil say they have identified 137 politicians and more than 400 officials involved in a corruption scandal.


Diddy #39;s New Digs In 2004, Kemal Uzan and his two sons, Cem and Hakan, made the Forbes list of the World #39;s Richest People with an estimated net worth of \$1.


Israeli Coalition Crisis May Force Early Election Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon #39;s shaky coalition Tuesday faced collapse in a row over the 2005 budget, raising the prospect of early elections that would endanger his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.


UN cuts Cyprus peacekeepers The UN Security Council agrees to reduce by a third its peacekeepers on the divided island of Cyprus.


10 World Briefs ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia -- Hundreds of protesters ransacked and occupied the regional administration building in a southern Russian province Tuesday, demanding the resignation of the region #39;s president, whose former son-in-law has been linked to a multiple


Bahraini Activist's Jailing Sparks Protest (AP) AP - Supporters of a Bahraini human rights worker scuffled with police and shouted slogans against the prime minister outside the court Wednesday as a judge denied bail to the activist, who is being prosecuted after criticizing the Gulf nation's leadership.


Pfizer stock sinks on Neurontin Judge is expected to decline motion to block a generic version of Pfizer #39;s \$3B epilepsy drug. CHICAGO (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc. shares tumbled Thursday as investors worried a federal judge will refuse the company #39;s


Taiwan Issues Typhoon Warning, Markets to Close  TAIPEI, Taiwan (Reuters) - Taiwan issued a typhoon warning,  predicting possible flash floods and landslides, and said  financial markets, schools and businesses in the capital would  be closed Tuesday as a result.


Sandisk Doubles Capacity Of Small Form Factor Memory Cards SanDisk Corp. has doubled the maximum capacities of its SanDisk miniSD and SanDisk RS-MMC memory cards to 512 megabytes. The popular cards are used in a variety of electronic


Iraqis Float Staggered Vote Idea (CBS/AP) Iraq #39;s Interior Ministry on Wednesday threw its weight behind a reported suggestion by Prime Minister Ayad Allawi to hold next month #39;s national elections over several days, rather than just one.


Lilly to Eliminate Up to 575 US Jobs Drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said it will eliminate up to 575 US positions, representing 2 percent of its US work force, in order to streamline operations and reduce costs.


Howe to be dismissed, but stays with team New York Mets Manager Art Howe has been told he will be dismissed at the end of the season, but he has agreed to remain with the team until then.


Intel Slashes Notebook Computer Chip Prices If you #39;re in the market for a new notebook computer it #39;s your lucky day, Intel has announced a major price cut on its chips for mobile notebooks.


Southern Miss Golden Eagles HATTIESBURG, Mississippi (Ticker) -- What was to be an early-season non-conference matchup has become a huge battle with Bowl Championship Series implications when No.


EU Court to Revisit WorldCom's Deals  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A European Union court is set to rule  this week on a \$120 billion deal MCI-WorldCom made during the  height of the go-go years that still resonates today.


Stocks Surge on Oracle, PeopleSoft Merger (AP) AP - Investors welcomed the end of Oracle Corp.'s 18-month battle to take over PeopleSoft Inc., pushing stocks higher Monday. A better-than-expected survey of retail sales also helped the markets.


Photo: The Audiovox SMT5600 smart phone AT #38;T subscribers using the SMT5600 can now get songs downloaded to their handsets via the Napster to Go service.


Injured Hasselbeck might not play Sunday Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who did not practice today, has been downgraded from probable to questionable for Sunday #39;s game.


Astros Stay Close Roy Oswalt became the NL's first 19-game winner as the Astros stay close in the wild-card race with a 10-3 victory over St. Louis.


Federer plays Agassi #39;s game and still comes out on top com. Roger Federer: Forget any visions you have of Roger Federer being a lumbering, big server whose best surface will always be grass.


Intel Developing Optical Connect for Laptops, Servers Optical links will be cheaper, quieter, and smaller than copper ribbons, company says.


UN input into Iraqi elections threatened by  #39;lack of security #39; Following on from yesterday #39;s horrific car bombing in Baghdad which claimed the lives of 47 people, the UN has warned that a  quot;lack of security quot; is undermining the world body #39;s efforts to assist in elections set for January.


Red Sox Have Some History to Be Proud Of (AP) AP - The Boston Red Sox call themselves idiots  #151; too stupid to realize that they aren't supposed be doing this.


Afghanistan vote count gets go-ahead Afghanistan #39;s electoral commission gave the go-ahead for counting to begin today in the disputed presidential election after charges of fraudulent multiple voting forced a delay.


NCAA Game Summary - Oklahoma State at SMU Oklahoma State also holds an 8-3 mark in Dallas versus the Mustangs...Graham #39;s twin brother Stephen recorded nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds for the Cowboys...Bobik was 3-of-4 from long range. Dallas


Pocket PC users report trouble with Skype Pocket PC users who were expecting to use Skype Technologies #39;s SkypeOut service to make telephone calls via the Internet may find themselves without a dial-tone.


Stocks Higher As Profit Worries Ease NEW YORK - Stocks moved narrowly higher in early trading Monday as investors discounted another technology profit warning and focused instead on positive outlooks for third- and fourth-quarter earnings.    While some investors were concerned that rising energy prices would undermine third-quarter results for many companies, a new report by J.P...


Iranian freeze on enrichment will continue Iran notified the UN nuclear watchdog in writing yesterday that it would suspend uranium enrichment and related activities to dispel suspicions that it was trying to build nuclear arms.


LA City Council OKs tax relief package LOS ANGELES -- The City Council unanimously passed a tax relief package aimed at keeping film companies and other businesses from leaving Los Angeles.


Ayatollah Calls for Rally to End Fighting in Najaf Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani plans to lead a march to the shrine in Najaf that has been commandeered by rebel Mahdi fighters.


Engineers Use Hurricanes to Study Houses (AP) AP - When a hurricane makes landfall in the continental United States, Dave Prevatt and his colleagues in the Florida Coastal Monitoring Program are out evaluating which construction methods best protect homes from the tremendous wind forces the storms deliver.


Mascots for Turin Winter Olympics unveiled Two cartoon characters named Neve and Gliz, representing a ball of snow and block of ice, are the mascot for the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics.


UEFA Cup champ takes Super Cup with 2-1 victory over Porto UEFA Cup holders Valencia beat European champion Porto 2-1 to win the Super Cup at Monaco #39;s Stade Louis II on Friday. Midfielder Vicente laid on both Valencia goals with Ruben Baraja heading


More than just tennis The atmosphere suits certain players. While others have to learn to deal with the unique situations that a New York crowd promote.


Freddie Mac Says May Face SEC Action (Reuters) Reuters - Mortgage finance company Freddie\Mac (FRE.N) on Wednesday said it may face civil action from the\U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for possible violations\of securities laws.


Bettman rejects proposal; counteroffer turned down TORONTO -- The NHL rejected last week #39;s proposal by the players #39; association and then had its own counteroffer turned down Tuesday during a 3-hour negotiating session.


IAEA: Confidence in Iran #39;s Nuclear Program Has Eroded The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran has exempted some centrifuges from its commitment to freeze uranium enrichment and lacks trustworthiness because of past concealment and delays in disclosing information.


NASA Picks May 2005 for Launch Date (AP) AP - NASA said Friday it is aiming for a mid-May launch of the first shuttle flight since the Columbia tragedy almost two years ago.


Copernic Unleashes Desktop Search Tool Copernic Unleashes Desktop Search Tool\\Copernic Technologies Inc. today announced Copernic Desktop Search(TM) (CDS(TM)), "The Search Engine For Your PC (TM)." Copernic has used the experience gained from over 30 million downloads of its Windows-based Web search software to develop CDS, a desktop search product that users are saying is far ...


Internet pirates 'cost software firm hundreds of millions' of dollars (AFP) AFP - Athens police said they had arrested a Greek citizen who pirated and sold a computer software program, costing the multinational company that owned its copyright hundreds of million of dollars (euros).


Sudan expels representatives of two British aid groups (AFP) AFP - The Sudanese government declared the representatives of two British humanitarian organizations persona non-grata and gave them 48 hours to leave the country.


Technique allows more resilient semiconductors In an advance that could lead to lighter spacecraft and smarter cars, researchers have developed a new technique for producing a high-quality computer chip that is much more resistant to extreme conditions than the silicon found in most of today #39;s


Owen to give Sven selection dilemma Michael Owen has reassured Sven-Goran Eriksson that he will be fit to face Wales in Saturday #39;s World Cup qualifier - if selected.


Cassini #39;s First Titan Flyby Tomorrow Summary - (Oct 25, 2004) NASA #39;s Cassini spacecraft will make its first close approach tomorrow to Titan, Saturn #39;s largest moon.


Australia resume chase Australia have just resumed their chase of New Zealand #39;s first-innings total of 353 in the first Test in Brisbane. The Australians ended day two on 197-4 with Damien Martyn and Michael Clarke at the crease.


Casual approach, shot selection land Anthony seat on Team USA bench The question of what #39;s up between coach Larry Brown and nailed-to-the-bench young forward Carmelo Anthony is not, to be sure, the most important one facing the United States men #39;s basketball team. The team #39;s poor shooting -- after going 3-for-17 in ...


Masked intruder may have killed power to SkyDome Power to the SkyDome and surrounding areas went off for about an hour yesterday afternoon, and officials say the reason could have been a raccoon in the wrong place at the wrong time.


It #39;s Good to Be Back, Says Marathon Winner Paula A triumphant Paula Radcliffe put her Athens nightmare behind her by winning the New York City marathon today and declared: Its good to be back.


Joyous pilgrims mark end of Najaf standoff Thousands of pilgrims streamed into the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf yesterday as militants left, handing the keys to religious authorities after Iraq #39;s top Shia cleric


Navistar Up 2.7 Percent in Pre-Trade  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Navistar International Corp.  NAV.N rose 2.7 percent before the bell on Monday after the  commercial truck maker said it expects higher fourth-quarter  earnings and revenue.


Google muscles in on Microsoft turf Not too long ago, Google Inc seemed little more than a nuisance to Microsoft Corp #39;s software domination. No more. As Google rapidly rolls out new products, the company best known for its wildly popular search


Nigeria, Morocco, Others Top African FDI Inflows for 2003 World Investment Report 2004 released yesterday by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) indicated that Morocco, Angola, Equitoria Guinea, Nigeria and Sudan have


Test of Time In work designed to halt the trade of illegal ivory, Samuel Wasser of the University of Washington and his colleagues have begun collecting elephant DNA from tissue sample and from dung.


U.S. Seeks Seoul's Support for Hard Line on N.Korea  SEOUL (Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell is to  seek South Korean support Tuesday for a U.S. hard line on North  Korea after China said Washington must be more flexible to  entice the reclusive state back to nuclear arms talks.


ING Names Business Units in Trade Woes ING Groep NV has disclosed new details of trading improprieties in its mutual funds and variable-insurance products, but research firm Morningstar Inc.


Official backs Scrafton #39;s version A former federal official has backed Mike Scrafton #39;s story that he told John Howard three days before the 2001 election that the children overboard story was wrong.


Intel Profit Up; Outlook Reassures Market Intel Corp. (INTC.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world #39;s largest chip maker, on Tuesday reported a 15 percent rise in quarterly profit on an improved personal


Meth Cooks May Be Caught Pink-Handed (AP) AP - It may fall a shade shy of catching thieves red-handed, but for farmers fed up with methamphetamine cooks filching their fertilizer, staining them pink will do just fine.


More Job Cuts Set by AT amp;T; Total to Hit 20 of Staff The AT amp;T Corporation, the nation #39;s largest long-distance provider, said yesterday that it would eliminate more than 20 percent of its work force this year and write off \$11.


10 dead as typhoon pummels western Japan TOKYO - A typhoon pounded western Japan, killing 10 people, leaving several others missing and knocking out power to more than a million households.


UN General Assembly refuses to consider Taiwan #39;s UN representation The General Committee of the United Nations General Assembly decided Wednesday at its 59th session not to include into the draft agenda of the current session the so


Gates and Ballmer get pay raises Bill Gates, Microsoft's chairman and chief software architect, and Steve Ballmer, the software maker's CEO, each received a base salary of \$591,667 and a \$310,000 bonus for the 12-month period that ended June 30.


Latest News Red Bull show Wirdheim the door Former Jaguar test and reserve driver Bjrn Wirdheim #39;s Formula One hopes were dealt a blow after Red Bull told him that he will not be working with them next year.


Yanks Lead Boston 2-0 After Three Innings (AP) AP - The New York Yankees took a 2-0 lead over Boston after three innings of play as they looked to complete a shocking sweep of the Red Sox in Game 4 of the AL championship series Sunday.


Lubick challenges team in Holland #39;s absence Fort Collins - Colorado State coach Sonny Lubick takes it back. He didn #39;t mean to say in the preseason quarterback Justin Holland was the one player the Rams could not do without.


U.S. Economy Grows at Slower Pace Than Expected Struggling under the weight of a bloated trade deficit, the U.S. economy grew at a relatively modest 2.8 percent annual rate in the second quarter.


Rate Plunge May Soften Fed Tightening (Reuters) Reuters - What the U.S. Federal Reserve is\taking away from the economy via higher interest rates, the\U.S. Treasury bond market may be giving back -- at least\partially.


UK Palace 'Batman' Prompts Urgent Security Review  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain promised an urgent security  review at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday after a campaigner  dressed as Batman evaded armed police in a dramatic five-hour  protest at Queen Elizabeth's London residence.


Judge Indicts 2 Former Parmalat Auditors MILAN, Italy Oct. 5, 2004 - Two former auditors at Parmalat were ordered to stand trial for false accounting and market rigging under a fast-track procedure, the first indictments since the masssive fraud scandal at the Italian-based dairy giant.


Jerry Bailey Fractures Wrist; Sidelined One Month Jockey Jerry Bailey will be sidelined for approximately four weeks after suffering a non-displaced hairline fracture of his left wrist.


Moon gas could power your home: scientists The same gas used to blow up balloons could be mined from the Moon #39;s surface and transported to Earth to meet future energy demands, say US scientists.


Is Microsoft Rattling the Linux-Patent Sabers? Microsoft Corp. is denying that its CEO Steve Ballmer told Asian government leaders on Thursday that Microsoft believes that Linux violates more than 200 software patents.


Iraq #39;s prime minister vows to stick to election timetable despite <b>...</b> Iraq #39;s interim prime minister declared Sunday that January elections would be held on schedule and asserted that American and Iraqi government troops were winning the war against an increasingly bold insurgency.


Israel's Sharon Agrees to Changes to W. Bank Barrier  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agreed to  changes in the route of Israel's West Bank barrier on Monday  but insisted on keeping key Jewish settlement blocks inside,  political sources said.


Sabres' Roy Happy to Be Back on Ice (AP) AP - As much as Derek Roy would rather be wearing a Buffalo Sabres uniform, the forward was happy to be back on the ice  #151; even if it's in the minors.


U.S. Conceding Rebels Control Regions of Iraq As U.S. deaths in Iraq surpassed 1,000, Pentagon officials said insurgents controlled important parts of central Iraq.


Irish company hit by Iraqi report Shares in Irish oil company Petrel Resources have lost more than 50 of their value on a report that the firm has failed to win a contract in Iraq.


Google to give Gmail POP3 support, plans antivirus Google Inc. will roll out POP3 (Post Office Protocol) support gradually over the coming weeks to Gmail users, who will be able to use the feature to download e-mail messages


Bush says Iran nuke claims must be verified CARTAGENA, Colombia - President Bush said Monday that he hopes Irans claim that it has suspended uranium enrichment and has no nuclear weapons ambitions is true, but there must be verification.


Sony May Open Retail Stores By ELLIOT SPAGAT    COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) -- Few people took notice when Sony Electronics Inc...


Mortgage Applications Ease in Aug 27 Week (Reuters) Reuters - New applications for U.S. home loans\eased last week for the second week in a row even though\30-year mortgage interest rates decreased slightly, an industry\group said on Wednesday.


Karzai's Big Poll Lead Shows Afghan Ethnic Divide  KABUL (Reuters) - Hamid Karzai was cruising to victory in  Afghanistan's first direct presidential elections, but by  Wednesday the returns so far have underscored the ethnic fault  lines that have often divided the country.


Mussina Shows a Sparkle the Yankees Will Need A night after the Yankees gave up 17 runs in a loss, their outlook brightened considerably as Mike Mussina stifled the Kansas City Royals.


In Other News... October 25, 2004 - I finally picked up the latest PC Gamer and thumbed through the Half-Life 2 review. I haven #39;t read the entire feature, as I got hung up on the part that said if you don #39;t want spoilers to just skip to the end for the score.


AMD Joins Push for Cooler, More Efficient Server Room Advanced Micro Devices Inc. #39;s announcement that its new PowerNow technology will be available on its Opteron line of processors could mean a lot to some enterprise customers.


13 killed in Israeli raid on Hamas activists  #39;training #39; in Gaza GAZA CITY : Thirteen members of the radical Palestinian group Hamas were killed and more than 45 wounded in an Israeli raid in the Gaza Strip, medical sources and witnesses said.


Layton says he and Martin agree they must co-operate in House (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - NDP Leader Jack Layton says he and Prime Minister Paul Martin agree they must co-operate to make Parliament work this fall. Layton and Conservative Leader Stephen Harper each met privately Monday with Martin, the same day the Liberals began their annual summer caucus.


Economists: Bush, Kerry Job Plans Lacking WASHINGTON - President Bush says his economic policies, including billions of dollars in tax cuts, are helping to create new jobs. But not the millions he promised...


Job Market Shifting by Degrees Research by professors at Northeastern University shows that a college student's major is more important than what college they attend in determining their starting salary upon graduation.


Report: Phishing fraud could reach \$500M More than three out of four (76 percent) consumers are experiencing an increase in spoofing and phishing incidents, and 35 percent receive fake e-mails at least once a week, according to a recent national study.


Mixed ruling in RIM patent suit could affect entire wireless e <b>...</b> BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. suffered a somewhat mixed ruling in its legal battle with patent holding company NTP Inc.


Holmes voted sports personality of year in Britain Double Olympic gold medallist Kelly Holmes was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday. Holmes had been the hottest favorite ever to win the award after her exploits


Soccer: Ferguson looking for City present MANCHESTER : Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has said even just a 1-0 win over Manchester City would be the ideal way of marking his 18 years in charge at Old Trafford.


Workplace Now Terrain of Politics (Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles Times - PELLA, Iowa  #8212; In this week's frenzied competition to boost voter turnout, the quiet effort of companies like Vermeer Manufacturing could prove crucial for the Bush campaign.


Lockheed, General Dynamics Win U.S. Army Contract
\

 By Andrea Shalal-Esa

 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army on Tuesday awarded\General Dynamics Corp. <GD.N> the lead role in developing a new\warfighter communications system, with Lockheed Martin Corp.\<LMT.N.> to get an equal share of the work, which GD said was\worth \$7 billion through 2018.


Gators Anxious To Play; Crowder And Herring Will Play 9/8/2004 The Long mystery surrounding whether or not linebacker Channing Crowder and safety Jarvis Herring would serve their suspensions now or later has been resolved.


N.Korea Blast Unlikely to Have Been Atomic-S.Korea Minister  SEOUL (Reuters) - A huge blast three days ago in North  Korea was unlikely to have been a nuclear weapons test, South  Korea's unification minister said on Sunday.


Hynix sees Q3 sales, profits slip sequentially SEOUL, South Korea - Hynix Semiconductor Inc. made a profit of 530 billion won (about US\$467 million) on sales revenue of 1,542 billion won (about US\$1,359 million) in the third quarter of 2004.


Annan backs US bidon Sudan resolution UNITED NATIONS Annan backs US bid on Sudan resolution Secretary General Kofi Annan yesterday threw his weight behind a US-drafted resolution on Sudan's Darfur region, saying the Security Council should adopt it immediately to stop atrocities.  quot;It is urgent to act now. Civilians are still being attacked and fleeing their villages as we speak, quot; Annan told reporters of the resolution ...


Ask Jeeves personalises Web searches Ask Jeeves, the third-biggest US Web search provider, has unveiled MyJeeves, a new product that helps users personalise their Internet searches.


Summary: Ukraine Vote Declared Invalid (AP) AP - IMPASSE CONTINUES: Ukraine's parliament declared the country's disputed presidential election invalid Saturday amid international calls for a new vote.


U.N. OKs Iran Deal to Suspend Enrichment (AP) AP - The U.N. nuclear watchdog agency Monday endorsed Iran's agreement to suspend all uranium enrichment within a week, the key element of a deal worked out with European countries.


Berlusconi condemns reported killing of Italian hostage in Iraq Premier Silvio Berlusconi vowed Italian troops would not leave Iraq even and condemned the reported killing of an Italian hostage as an act


Kerry Hints GOP May Suppress Black Votes (AP) AP - John Kerry suggested Saturday night that Republicans may try to keep black voters from casting their ballots to help President Bush win in November.


EMC hires ex-IBM grid guru for CTO role EMC has appointed Jeff Nick, the former chief architect of IBM #39;s grid computing initiative, as its senior vice-president and chief technology officer (CTO).


Retailers Usher in the Holiday Season Apple Store customers in San Francisco test the iPod Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2004. The iPod is one of the hot electronic items on the Christmas list of many a holiday shopper.


LookSmart Performs Despite MSN Split and Acquisitions LookSmart Performs Despite MSN Split and Acquisitions\\LookSmart more or less broke even last quarter to the surprise of many analysts after LookSmart announced their financial results for the third quarter which ended on September 30, 2004. LookSmart currently provides paid search results through a distribution network that includes Lycos, CNET, ...


Karzai on course for presidency KABUL, Afghanistan -- More than half the votes have been counted in Afghanistan #39;s landmark election, and President Hamid Karzai is said to be running well ahead of his rivals.


Bills Get First Win Over Winless Dolphins (AP) AP - Takeo Spikes made good on his vow the Buffalo Bills would finally provide some good news for their fans this weekend.


Quinn displays progress from  #39;03 Last year Brady Quinn entered Purdue #39;s Ross-Ade Stadium as a tentative freshman embarking on a crash course in college quarterbacking.


PeopleSoft Ousts CEO in Oracle Battle (Reuters) Reuters - In Oct 1 story headlined "PeopleSoft Ousts CEO Amid Oracle\Battle," please read in paragraph 16 ... originally offering\ #36;16 a share ... instead of ... originally offering  #36;19.50 a\share ...


U.S. Strikes Fallujah With Air Raids U.S. jets struck Fallujah with five air raids in 12 hours, softening up the insurgent stronghold for an expected major assault, as Iraq's prime minister warned that the "window is closing" for a peaceful settlement to avert a mass assault on the insurgent-held city of Fallujah.


UPDATE: Investors Favor James Hardie Despite Findings SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--Just one day after an Australian government inquiry handed down a damning report on James Hardie Industries NV #39;s (JHX) inadequate funding for victims


Maximizing your notebook's battery power Tips to squeeze every last minute of power out of your notebook's battery.


Judge Criticises  #39;Dramatic #39; Handling of  #39;scoop #39; In his 60-page judgment Mr Justice Eady made a series of strong criticisms about The Telegraphs dramatic and condemnatory handling of their Galloway scoop.


Rebound in Banks Helps Nikkei Stabilize  TOKYO (Reuters) - The Nikkei average was flat in  mid-morning trade on Tuesday, with a rise in bank shares and  insurers helping the Tokyo market stabilize after the  benchmark's slide to a five-month closing low the previous day.


Fish Beats Hernych at St. Petersburg ST. PETERSBURG, Russia Oct 25, 2004 - Olympic silver medalist Mardy Fish beat Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-4 Monday to reach the second round of the St.


Conoco Wins \$2 Billion LUKOIL Stake  MOSCOW (Reuters) - ConocoPhillips said on Wednesday it was  seeking 20 percent of Russia's LUKOIL in a far-reaching  alliance which opens the way for the oil majors to tap vast  reserves in northern Russia and Iraq.


PM leads tributes at Bigley memorial Tony Blair led the tributes to the murdered hostage Ken Bigley yesterday at a memorial service in Liverpool which was also attended by Cherie Blair and the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw.


Excerpts From Citation for Peace Prize Excerpts from the citation awarding the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize to Kenyan Wangari Maathai for her contributions to sustainable development, democracy and peace.


As XM Stock Recovered, Executives' Pay Modest Thanks to the SEC, shareholders now get a long-term picture of how their stock is doing, which helps in evaluating executive pay.


Insurance giant Aetna to buy Columbia company for \$250 million (Hartford, Connecticut-Dow Jones/AP) Aug. 20, 2004 - Health-insurance giant Aetna says it #39;s agreed to buy Strategic Resource Company of Columbia for \$250 million.


Celtics' Broadcaster Taken to Hospital (AP) AP - Celtics longtime play-by-play television broadcaster Mike Gorman was taken to the hospital Monday night at halftime of Boston's game against Golden State with complaints of stomach cramps.


Rank May Exit Movie Business, Sell Unit, After Losses (Update4) Rank Group Plc, a UK distributor of movies for half a century, plans to exit the film industry after losses at its DVD and cinema production business.


NHL Armageddon is done - season is in fact over It began at a vocal, boisterous, pre-meeting dinner of steak and pasta attended by some 80 National Hockey League players Monday night.


Index Funds Can Be a Great Tool (AP) AP - If you've got better things to do than pour over the finer points of your stock portfolio, and you don't care to study the performance records and investing styles of mutual fund managers, chances are you've invested in an equity index fund.