EU wants big cut in North Sea About a fifth of cod fishing grounds in the North Sea would be closed for the whole of next year under draconian proposals by the European commission, published yesterday and designed to replenish seriously depleted stocks.


Series to savor: Top highlights from 2004 ALCS The 2004 American League Championship Series created enough memories to last a lifetime. Here are some of the moments and men whose exploits in this historic series won #39;t soon be forgotten.


Johansson Upsets Roddick at U.S. Open NEW YORK - Andy Roddick ran into a bold, bigger version of himself at the U.S. Open, and 6-foot-6 Joachim Johansson sent the defending champion home...


Nutt Boasts Good Record Against Texas (AP) AP - Since taking over at Arkansas in 1998, coach Houston Nutt is 21-0 against nonconference opponents in the regular season.


Still undecided? Web site aids voters to make choice on presidential election For those U.S. residents still unsure which presidential candidate to vote for -- and there appear to be quite a few who can't make up their minds less than a week before the election -- there's a new Web-based tool that can help voters match their positions to those of the major presidential candidates.


American Beasley scores in PSV win Eindhoven, the Netherlands (Sports Network) - American winger DaMarcus Beasley scored his second Eredivisie goal during PSV Eindhoven #39;s 3-0 win over FC Groningen on Saturday.


Chemical Ali  'first to be tried' The man known as "Chemical Ali"  will be the first Saddam aide to go on trial, Iraq's defence minister says.


Agreement Reached on Guillen Suspension  OAKLAND, Calif. (Sports Network) - On the day that Jose  Guillen and the Anaheim Angels were to appear in front of an  arbitrator, the two sides reached an undisclosed financial  settlement Friday.


Into the danger zone AUSTRALIA #39;S involvement in Iraq and terrorism strikes in Southeast Asia have made defence and national security potentially decisive issues for voters as polling day nears.


Pacific Assault Director #39;s Edition ships Extra-packed version of the latest Medal of Honor establishes retail beachhead; grunt #39;s version of the game due next week. As revealed two weeks ago, the once-delayed Directors Edition of Medal of Honor


FIFA bans Mutu from games worldwide Former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu will be barred from playing anywhere in the world after a seven-month English ban for doping offences was ratified Friday by world soccer #39;s governing body.


Yahoo buys e-mail search firm SAN FRANCISCO: Internet media and Web search company Yahoo Inc. said that it bought privately held e-mail search company Stata Labs, jumping into the nascent market for search-based email programs and services.


Preview: South Africa Bids to Underline Strength  SEVILLE, Spain (Reuters) - South Africa will underline  their strength in depth if Trevor Immelman and Rory Sabbatini  can retain their title at the WGC-World Cup of Golf starting on  Thursday at Seville's Real Golf Club.


Sport Fishing Puts Bite on U.S. Fish Stocks, Study Says Catches of dwindling U.S. marine fish stocks by recreational anglers now rival those of commercial fisheries, claims a new report.


Federer still the man to beat, says born-again Safin Reborn Russian star Marat Safin basked in the glory of clinching his third Paris Masters title but insisted that world number one Roger Federer is still in a league of his own and is on his way to becoming one of the greatest players of all time.


Hello, halitosis ZDNet #39;s survey of IT professionals in August kept Wired  amp; Wireless on top for the 18th month in a row. Siemens Mobile is developing the first mobile phone that will alert people when their breath stinks, the company said Tuesday.


MS Word Security Flaw Reported A flaw in Microsoft Word 2000, and possibly Word 2002, could be used by hackers to crash PCs or run other code on the compromised machine.


More men charging harassment NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Sexual harassment complaints by men are becoming more common, according to a published report. Follow the news that matters to you.


Bristol-Myers Posts Lower Profit  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. BMY.N on  Friday reported a lower third-quarter profit as U.S. sales fell  amid competition from rival brands and cheaper generics and the  company took a number of special charges.


African mini summit on Darfur opens in Libya An African mini summit on the Darfur issue, which brought together leaders from Libya, Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria and Chad, opens in Tripoli, capital of Libya, Oct. 17, 2004.


Britain agrees to US request for troop redeployment Prime Minister Tony Blair #39;s government agreed Thursday to meet a US request and redeploy a battalion of 850 British troops into volatile central Iraq, despite strong opposition from lawmakers.


Vaporware Nominees: Bring 'em On Technology companies love talking up products that are just about to hit store shelves. And every year, it turns out a bunch of them are full of ... steam. Send us your nominees for Wired News' annual Vaporware Awards. By the Vaporware Team.


Global Fund to Fight Deadly Diseases (AP) AP - A fund set up to help combat three of the world's most widespread diseases will support another round of projects, organizers said Thursday, after the United States dropped its objections to financing provisions.


CA adds utility-like mainframe pricing Computer Associates introduces usage-based pricing model for mainframe software.


Abbas apology to Kuwait over Iraq Mahmoud Abbas apologises to Kuwait for the Palestinians' support of Saddam Hussein's invasion in 1990.


Bombs greet Rumsfeld in Iraq Even as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was in Iraq warning that violence could increase before the Iraqi election in January, car bombers struck


Higher trade growth predicted in 2004 despite oil price hikes Despite high oil prices, the volumeof world trade by the end of 2004 is likely to grow by 8.5 percentin real terms over 2003, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said Monday.


Germany: Bayern close in BAYERN Munich put their painful midweek European defeat to Juventus behind them with a 3-0 triumph over Hannover at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday.


Big 6 banks poised for profit slowdown, but still expect double <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - Canada #39;s big banks, reporting year-end results over the next two weeks, will show a definite deceleration in growth, but analysts say they are still poised to ring up double-digit profit increases.


Olympic champion Pinsent retires Rower Matthew Pinsent, who has won four Olympic gold medals, has announced he is retiring from the sport. That means Pinsent won #39;t equal the five gold medals won in successive Olympics by another rower, Sir Steven Redgrave.


Update 4: JPMorgan Shares Fall on Poor Earnings JPMorgan Chase  amp; Co. third quarter profits fell 13 percent, mainly because of weakness in trading operations and costs related to its merger with Bank One.


Update 1: Groups: Holiday Shoppers Not in Rush With less than two weeks until Christmas, consumers don #39;t seem to be in a big rush to finish their holiday shopping, evidence from two groups that track sales confirmed on Tuesday.


Japan Typhoon Causes Landslides, Floods TOKYO Sept. 6, 2004 - A powerful typhoon pounded Japan #39;s southern main island of Kyushu on Tuesday, grounding airplanes, halting trains and forcing thousands to evacuate their homes.


Dutch Minister's World Revealed in 'Blog' (Reuters) Reuters - Dutch Finance Minister Gerrit Zalm\says his "blog" -- personal diary on the Internet -- gives\people an idea of what it is to be a minister, with insights\into his professional and private life.


Private space ship lands safely MOJAVE: SpaceShipOne has landed safely in the California desert after a wild corkscrew-like ascent into space, and is now a step closer to a \$US10 million prize intended to boost commercial-space travel.


Four Studios Give Backing to a Format for DVD's Four Hollywood studios announced that they would release films in a new high-definition DVD format by the end of next year, an advance in the effort to define a new DVD standard.


Relax with your PC, urges  #39;Joy #39; campaign The campaign, dubbed  quot;Digital Joy, quot; will cost the companies tens of millions of dollars for its duration in the US to the end of 2004.


Indonesian cleric ridicules trial Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Ba #39;asyir has told a court that charges linking him to the 2002 Bali bombings and other attacks were  quot;jokes quot;.


Stockland pays A\$825m for Fosters property unit Fosters, Australias largest beer and wine maker, has been trying to sell Lensworth, aiming to focus on its beverage business.


Princeton women taken down by UCLA Princeton was in unfamiliar territory as the first Ivy League team to reach the Final Four of the NCAA women #39;s soccer tournament.


Brief: Job cuts in tech sector soar, report says The U.S. high-tech sector suffered another major round of layoffs during the third quarter, with computer firms being the most aggressive at cutting jobs, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray   Christmas.


Prince Harry scuffles with photographer LONDON -- Britain #39;s Prince Harry was hit in the face with a camera during a scuffle with a photographer outside a London nightclub early Thursday, a royal official said.


Worst-case scenario comes to pass for US tennis Second-ranked Andy Roddick overplayed this summer and hasn #39;t scored a big win since March and for the first time since she became a legitimate pro, four-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams has become vulnerable to anyone inside of the top 40.


Reports: Notre Dame Negotiates With Weis (AP) AP - Notre Dame is negotiating with New England Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis to become its new head coach, the Chicago Tribune and two other newspapers reported Saturday.


Oil prices up, now \$41.95 per barrel LONDON OIL prices rebounded yesterday after falling sharply last week on receding supply worries, buoyed by jitters over this weeks OPEC meeting and last weekends seizure of four flow stations in Rivers State, Nigeria by militant youths.


Muslims, Buddhists Clash in Thailand Description: Violence continues in southern Thailand, where some say Islamic separatists are bent on splitting off the largely Muslim south from the Buddhist north.


Afghan elections - hoping for the best On the verge of historic presidential elections in Afghanistan, everybody is braced for the worst. Yet, on the last day of campaigning Wednesday, the threats from the Taliban


No. 7 Notre Dame Drubs Dayton 65-39 Notre Dame guard Charel Allen, left, looks for a shot in front Dayton guard Ashley Armstrong, right, during the second half Thursday, Dec. 9, 2004 in Dayton, Ohio.


Japan discovers another suspected mad cow case Japanese and US officials wrapped up three days of talks Saturday to lift Tokyo #39;s 10-month-old ban on imports of American beef, reportedly narrowing differences over testing standards for mad cow disease but failing to strike a deal.


US, EU Put Airbus-Boeing Spat on Hold The United States and European Union called a temporary time-out on Thursday in a cross-Atlantic dispute over government support for Aviation rivals Boeing (BA.


Agassi Wins in Straight Sets in Madrid (AP) AP - Andre Agassi breezed past fellow American Vince Spadea 6-1, 6-3 Thursday night to reach the quarterfinals in the Madrid Masters.


Costco employee claims retailer discriminates against women SAN FRANCISCO - An assistant manager at a Costco store filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday accusing the retailer of not promoting her because she #39;s a woman.


Human race off and running The evolution of a physique for long-distance running is what made humans look the way we do now -- whether winning a marathon, nursing a strained Achilles #39; tendon


A capper of a week for Cink Stewart Cink was amused by television analysts who speculated which two players US captain Hal Sutton was going to pick for the Ryder Cup, especially when his name only came up once.


Egypt wants Guantanamo releases Egypt asks the US to hand over five of its citizens detained at the American military base at Guantanamo Bay.


Jobs Report Could Set Direction of Market NEW YORK - The stock market that meandered through September could gain some direction in the week ahead as the Labor Department releases its latest report on job creation.    For all the economic data that Wall Street parses and analyzes every day, the jobs report, scheduled for release Friday, is one of the few that seem to encapsulate the economy as a whole...


Firefox gains suggest browser wars may heat up (AFP) AFP - The Internet browser wars, dormant for several years, shows signs of heating up again as a result of gains from a new program called Firefox, a research report showed.


Strike shakes crude oil costs Oil futures prices advanced to a new high Monday as a strike began in Africa #39;s largest exporter of crude, exacerbating global supply concerns at a time of strong demand and reduced


Arctic Thaw May Open Ship Lanes, But Risks High A faster-than-expected thaw of the Arctic is likely to open legendary short-cut routes between the Pacific and the Atlantic but experts say


#39;Chatter #39; may predict quakes Los Angeles - Deep rumblings many kilometres below the San Andreas fault in California could offer a way to predict earthquakes, US scientists said in a study released on Thursday.


Blast Kills Man Near Chechen Voting Area OISKHARA, Russia - A man tried to bring a suspicious package to a polling station in Chechnya on Sunday during a presidential election, then died in an explosion as he ran away, the head of the Chechen election commision said on Russian television.    The Chechens voted for a president to replace the Kremlin-backed leader who was killed in a bomb blast in May...


Scary Faces Have Subliminal Effects, Study Finds (Reuters) Reuters - People's brains react to a\photograph of a frightened face, even when it is flashed on a\screen too quickly to be consciously recognized, U.S.\researchers said on Wednesday.


General Motors Won #39;t Hire Bernhard as an Executive, Lutz Says General Motors Corp., the world #39;s largest automaker, has no plans to name former DaimlerChrysler AG executive Wolfgang Bernhard to a senior post, Vice Chairman Robert Lutz said.


Palestinians Register Candidates for New President (Reuters) Reuters - Palestinians began\registering candidates on Saturday for a presidential election\to replace Yasser Arafat, while officials warned the vote may\be delayed if Israel does not halt military activities.


Lycos Screensaver down for indefinite period Lycos Europe attempted to get back at the leading spammers of the world through an initiative called MakeLoveNotSpam. The move was applauded by the ordinary user of the web considering more than a lakh


Israel ends Gaza Strip offensive It followed the killing of two toddlers in an Israeli town on September 29 by a rocket fired from Gaza. Witnesses said all 200 tanks and armoured vehicles in northern Gaza had withdrawn.


Sainsbury warning  #39;could be followed by another #39; J Sainsbury, the deeply troubled supermarket group, yesterday gave its third profits warning since March, and some analysts fear that a fourth could arrive as early as next Tuesday.


Franchitti wins Pikes Peak after pit mishap Although Dario Franchitti was criticized for making the jump to the IRL from the former CART series, his decision is starting to look like a good one.


Yahoo Unveils New Mail Enhancements Recently Yahoo unveiled some new features for their email service, Yahoo Mail. Some of the new features include improved search, Address AutoComplete, and full implementation of DomainKeys.


Murdoch Sets Up Poison Pill Defense If any party acquires 15 percent or more of News Corporation, all the other shareholders will be able to buy up to \$80 worth of shares at half-price for every share already owned, under a  quot;poison pill quot; defense adopted by Rupert Murdoch.


Sony #39;s PlayStation Portable goes on sale TOKYO - Sony Computer Entertainment Inc entered the handheld video game market Sunday with the sale of its new PlayStation Portable, pitting it against competitors ahead of the holiday sales period.


AOL developing file-backup service America Online Inc. (AOL) is developing a new service that will let its members back up files from their PCs on AOL data centers, so that the members will be able to recover files either deleted accidentally or lost due to a hard drive failure, an AOL executive said.


Tsunami Warning System Could Be Created (AP) AP - A tsunami warning system could be built in the Indian Ocean in just a year and cost as little as  #36;20 million, a scientist said Tuesday.


Wednesday, October 13th - 7:30 pm (et) GAME NOTES: The surprising Connecticut Huskies welcome their first-ever ranked opponent to the friendly confines of Rentschler Field, as they play host to the


IDC sees continuing decline in PDA market For the third straight quarter, shipments of handheld devices fell as some prominent vendors decided to pull back from the market, according to research firm IDC.


Victor Diaz and Gerald Williams homers push Mets past Expos 4-2 MONTREAL (CP) - Victor Diaz hit his first career home run and Gerald Williams added a two-run shot to power the New York Mets to a 4-2 win Thursday over the Montreal Expos.


Mosquito software bites smart phones A possible Trojan horse hidden in an illegal cell-phone game hits smart phones using the Symbian operating system.


For the Splendidly Dressed Man, Web Sites to Match About a half-dozen Web sites have emerged in the past few years to cater to interests of those immersed in the world of classical men's clothing.


Hogwarts and All for Scholastic #39;s Q1 Shareholders of Scholastic (NYSE: SCHL), the world #39;s largest publisher of children #39;s books and related educational materials, have grown accustomed to disappointing first-quarter results.


Canas hammers Novak to reach final SHANGHAI, China -- Argentina #39;s Guillermo Canas overpowered Jiri Novak in straight sets to book his place in the final of the Shanghai Open.


Delta Details Job Cuts Plan (Reuters) Reuters - Delta Air Lines Inc. , the No.\3 U.S. carrier, said on Sunday it will cut 2,000\aircraft-maintenance jobs, up to 3,100 customer-service jobs,\and between 1,600 and 1,800 supervisory and administrative\personnel as part of a previously announced plan to cut total\staffing by 7,000.


New Sober variant spreading A new version of the Sober e-mail worm started spreading in Europe on Friday, according to antivirus suppliers, which have given the worm a mid-level threat rating.


Should you jump to satellite radio with Howard Stern? WEST PALM BEACH, Fla - Shock jock Howard Stern is dumping traditional radio for satellite. Should you? The question is on millions of listeners #39; minds after Stern stunned the radio world this week by announcing


Utah expansion team selects under-17 coach Ellinger Utah #39;s Major League Soccer team hired former US Under-17 coach John Ellinger to coach the new team when it begins play next spring.


France firm over headscarf ban A law banning headscarves in schools will stand, despite demands by a group holding two journalists in Iraq.


After Arafat Death, Sharon Vows to Pursue Gaza Plan  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon  said on Thursday Yasser Arafat's death could be a turning point  for peacemaking but he would pursue a unilateral plan that  would strip Palestinians of some land they want for a state.


Olympics Wrap: Another Doping Controversy Surfaces  ATHENS (Reuters) - Olympic chiefs ordered Hungarian hammer  gold medallist Adrian Annus Friday to submit another doping  sample or risk losing his medal, while another of his  compatriots was stripped of a medal for failing a test.


Brother may  #39;buy #39; Bigley THE brother of Iraq hostage Ken Bigley was yesterday investigating whether it might be possible to buy his sibling #39;s life. Paul Bigley was looking into reports in a Kuwaiti newspaper that a Iraqi militant


French firms Snecma, Sagem poised to announce merger French aircraft motor maker Snecma and French telecommunications equipment group Sagem  quot;will announce their merger on Friday, quot; a Sagem spokeswoman said.


Suicide bombs and rebel attacks as disillusioned Chechnya votes THEIR previous leader was assassinated in a bomb blast, scores of their fellow countrymen have been killed this month and yesterday it was confirmed that terrorist explosives were responsible for downing a civilian aircraft last week.


Word of The Year: Blog The Seattle Post-Intelligencer and other papers this morning ran a story stating that blog was the most common word visitors to Merriam Webster #39;s online site sought a definition for throughout 2004.


Lithuanian PM for coalition without Labor party VILNIUS, October 25 (Itar-Tass) -- Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas said he will be looking for a new coalition in the new parliament but made it clear that any coalition with the Labor Party, led by Russian-born businessman Viktor Uspaskich


Agassi Brushes Bjorkman Aside in Stockholm  STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Andre Agassi brushed past Jonas  Bjorkman 6-3, 6-4 at the Stockholm Open Thursday to set up a  quarterfinal meeting with Spanish sixth seed Fernando Verdasco.


IBM, Honeywell sign 10-year, \$250M deal IBM and Honeywell International are teaming up in a 10-year engineering and technology services deal that covers the design and development of electronics for aircraft, munitions and vehicles.


Tibetans accuse China of meddling in film festival (AFP) AFP - Tibetan activists in India claimed that five films on Tibet have been dropped from the upcoming Asian Film Festival in Bombay under pressure from the Chinese embassy in India.


US marines in Philippines on storm relief mission, health fears <b>...</b> INFANTA, Philippines (AFP) - US Marines began helping relief operations in the Philippines following storms that have left more than 1,500 people dead as fears grew of a health crisis among survivors.


Twins Edge Royals 4-3 MINNEAPOLIS - Terry Tiffee led off the bottom of the ninth with his first major league home run to lift the Minnesota Twins past Kansas City 4-3 on Saturday.    Tiffee, who joined the Twins when rosters expanded on Sept...


Boston Red Sox Team Report - September 1 (Sports Network) - The red-hot Boston Red Sox hope to continue rolling as they continue their three-game set with the Anaheim Angels this evening at Fenway Park.


Income Tax to Be Cut by 1 point to Boost Economy The ruling Uri Party on Monday proposed an income tax cut by one percentage point and additional government spending of 5.5 trillion won next year in a policy bid to stimulate the economy.


Panthers beat Buccaneers Martin Gramatica lined up for the go-ahead field goal and the Carolina Panthers assumed they would have to come from behind to beat Tampa Bay.


Diamondbacks pick Backman The Arizona Diamondbacks and new manager Wally Backman know that sometimes you have to go backward to go forward. The rebuilding Diamondbacks, coming off a 51-111 season, hired Backman on Monday, completing


More Protection Urged for Rare Toothfish at CITES (Reuters) Reuters - Environmentalists urged fishing nations\Thursday to do more to protect the rare Patagonian toothfish,\dubbed the "white gold" of the sea which is being driven to\extinction by rampant poaching.


N. Korea Accused of Trying to Delay Talks (AP) AP - North Korea is plotting an extended delay in resuming talks on its nuclear weapons program and has told China there was no point in continuing the six-sided talks at all, a senior U.S. official said Tuesday.


Sharon #39;s Gaza plan hinges on vote Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has lost a key vote which would have seen the dovish Labour Party join the government coalition and salvage his Gaza disengagement plan.


Big formula for farce AS the 2004 season headed into the final lap, farce and boredom were still vying for supremacy, but with the kind of audacious over-taking manoeuvre fans would love to witness on the track, farce darted into the lead to take the chequered flag.


Philips Begins Mass Production of Sixth-Gen TFT-LCDs LG.Philips LCD Co. Ltd. today reported that mass production at its sixth generation thin-film-transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) plant in Gumi, South Korea, began last month.


Buy Now, Buy Often, but Make a Good Deal The glass doors to the Anaheim Marriott opened into a spacious lobby that was calm early on Thursday afternoon. All but one of the plush chairs near the entrance was


Ovitz Set for More Grilling Monday Cross-examination of former Walt Disney Co. president Michael Ovitz at the trial of a lawsuit brought by shareholders is scheduled to resume Monday, though


Time for Alternative Minimum Tactics With just four weeks left in 2004, now #39;s the time for any last-minute tax planning you want to do. Last calls of this sort have taken on a new dimension recently because a growing number


Microsoft ends free Hotmail access from Outlook Hotmail users who use Microsoft #39;s Outlook and Outlook Express clients will now have to pay for the privilege. Users must sign up to either a Hotmail Plus account for \$19.


Titan Surface Still a Mystery NASA investigators now have the most detailed pictures ever taken of Titan. But the images can't penetrate the mystery that surrounds the Saturnian moon. By Amit Asaravala.


Salvation Army seeks volunteers The sounds of the holiday season are a joyous cacophony of loving banter, caroling and children #39;s laughter. Thanks to the classic film  quot;It #39;s a Wonderful Life, quot; everyone knows that every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.


Invesco deal ends US funds probe Invesco Funds Group (IFG) and affiliate AIM are to pay a total of \$450m (254m) to settle an improper trading probe. The UK #39;s Amvescap, which owns both firms, said the two would pay \$140m in civil penalties


Blair attends memorial ceremony for British hostage slain in Iraq (AFP) AFP - Prime Minister Tony Blair attended a memorial service in the northwestern English city of Liverpool for Kenneth Bigley, who was beheaded last month after being taken captive in Iraq.


FedEx Profit Jumps, Outlook Is Raised FedEx Corp. (FDX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world #39;s top air-express shipper, on Thursday said quarterly profit more than tripled on strength in its international, ground and freight


Caymans slowly recovering from Ivan A representative of the Cayman Islands has said that the island nation is getting back on its feet after the weekend onslaught of Hurricane Ivan.


OSRM Tracing Linux Patents in EU In an effort to stem the spread of software patents in Europe, the Open Source Risk Management (OSRM) group has begun documenting the sources of innovation claimed by such patents.


Liberty Beat by Nat Hentoff Kofi Annan vs. Me The United Nations is useless to blacks in Darfur. China will veto any meaningful action. his land stinks of fear and death. Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times, from Darfur, October 20.


Update 2: Brazil Seeks Airline Debt Payment Plan The government on Thursday extended the operating concession of financially troubled airline Vasp for another six months after the airline delivered a debt payment plan, the defense ministry said in a statement.


UN blames Sudan for continuing attacks The UN envoy to Sudan urged the government to accept an international monitoring force with more than 3,000 troops to help prevent escalating militia attacks in the violence-wracked Darfur region.


Hurricane Ivan Slams Gulf Coast; 20 Dead PENSACOLA, Fla. - Hurricane Ivan drilled the Gulf Coast on Thursday with 130-mph winds that inflicted far less damage than feared everywhere except Florida's Panhandle, where residents were left with surge-ravaged beachfronts, flooded streets and homes ripped apart by deadly tornadoes...


Lightning re-sign Andreychuk Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed captain Dave Andreychuk to a one-year deal. In accordance with team policy, financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.


Music strikes up at Venice opera Venice's Fenice Opera House hosts its first performance since it was gutted by fire in 1996.


Browns ready to rebound On a recent campaign stop, President Bush dropped in to visit the Cleveland Browns before one of their training camp practices.


AUSSIE TRIO FRUSTRATE PAKISTAN Australia piled on the runs today to set Pakistan an improbable 564 to win the first Test in Perth. The hosts lost Matthew Hayden early in the third day but Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn scored


Paris, N.Y. Submit Bids The five cities looking to host the 2012 Summer Games submitted bids to the International Olympic Committee on Monday.


PMs to publish devolution plan The British and Irish prime ministers are due in Northern Ireland as hopes fade of a deal to restore devolution.


HP Board Pondered Breaking Up the Company
\

 By Duncan Martell

 SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The board of Hewlett-Packard Co.\<HPQ.N> discussed breaking up the No. 2 computer maker three\times in the past, yet each time decided to keep it intact,\Chief Executive Carly Fiorina said on Tuesday, defending her\strategy for the company.


PalmOne and Microsoft Join on Mobile E-Mail By MAY WONG    SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Sometimes it pays to befriend an enemy...


Eisner defends \$140 million pay for fired Ovitz ORLANDO, Fla. - Michael Eisner #39;s fighting back. The embattled Disney boss is gearing up to defend his hiring and firing of former Hollywood superagent Michael Ovitz as Disney #39;s No.


Sales, Sun surge ahead The Connecticut Sun had an off game last Saturday, when they dropped the opener of their WNBA Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Washington Mystics. But the Sun came back to even the series Monday, and it was the Mystics who had the off game.


Weather hots up under wind farms Wind farms can change the weather, according to a model of how these forests of giant turbines interact with the local atmosphere.


Fletcher Out to Prove his Worth Darren Fletcher is determined to show Sir Alex Ferguson that he is worthy of a Manchester United place at any stage of the season, not just the end.


IBM supercomputer top-ranked blade machine Barcelona's MareNostrum isn't the fastest supercomputer on Earth, but 20 teraflops with regular blade servers is nothing to sneer at.


Apple Ships Motion Apple has begun shipping Motion, which delivers high-performance, real-time motion graphics design and integration with Final Cut Pro HD and DVD Studio Pro 3, at a breakthrough price of \$299. Aug 10


Economical Agenda Boastful Brown may yet come unstuck WHEN Gordon Brown gets to his feet in the Commons this Thursday to deliver his Pre-Budget Report, the nation can look forward to a stream of boasting over Britains economic performance.


MGM studios to be bought by Sony Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Hollywood's last major independent, is set to accept a Sony offer worth \$5bn.


Oil prices edge lower in Asian trading, still near record highs (AFP) AFP - Oil prices were slightly lower in Asian trading on easing concerns over supply disruptions but were still hovering near record highs, dealers said.


Waging 'inner jihad' on an empty stomach In the final days of Ramadan, a Muslim reporter grapples with the double standard for female pilgrims.


Thunderbird 1.0 email client bids to repeat Firefox success Hoping to emulate the success of the open source browser Firefox, the Mozilla group has now released version 1.0 of its Thunderbird email client.


Crude nears \$50 a barrel Crude oil futures rose to within a quarter of \$50 a barrel yesterday after a gas leak shut down a North Sea oil production platform, and as traders weighed concerns about heating oil supplies against the fact that temperatures have been mild in recent weeks.


Troubled Mutu sees shrink Adrian Mutu has gone to Rome for two days after seeing a Football Association psychiatrist. Chelsea #39;s Romanian striker, who has flown abroad to clear his head as he attempts


McDonald #39;s CEOs display pattern of chronic disease Embattled McDonald #39;s has lost its second CEO in the past year after Charlie Bell resigned today to continue his battle with cancer.


Election  #39;There to Be Won #39;, Says Howard Mr Howard has dismissed claims his party needed a miracle to seize power from Labour. And today he said the Tories could win the election.


HP rolls out ultra-low-priced PC in China Hewlett-Packard, the world #39;s No. 2 PC maker, said Friday it has launched a \$483 (3,999 yuan) computer in China, turning up the heat in the intensely competitive market.


First Look: Cobra's Imperfect Portable Automobile GPS New NavOne offers handy PDA and Pocket PC connectivity, but fails to impress on everything else.


USC on track despite Bruin power The intracity football debate between Los Angeles #39; most distinguished schools of higher learning, USC and UCLA, started off as expected Saturday afternoon, as the Trojans #39; extraordinary sophomore


Gadget show heralds MP3 season Some gadget lovers might be disappointed this Christmas as experts predict a shortage of iPod minis.


Legal Fight Menaces Aircraft Debt Ratings (Reuters) Reuters - Standard   Poor's on Friday said\ratings on about  #36;30 billion of aircraft-backed debt could be\threatened if creditors lost a legal dispute with bankrupt UAL\Corp.  unit United Airlines over the right to\repossess aircraft.


General Motors Europe to axe 12,000 jobs General Motors (GM) is following through with plans to axe 12,000 jobs in the loss-making European division as the car giant bids to trim operating costs by 350 million-a-year.


Garnett Sinks Rockets Kevin Garnett jumper with 8.3 seconds remaining lifts the Timberwolves to a 96-91 win over the Rockets on Thursday.  Garnett finished with 20 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists.


Korea Puzzled by US Currency Game Over the weekend, the US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan hinted at the maintenance of weak dollar policy (in Germany) while President Bush said he is committed to a strong dollar (in Chile).


Islamabad welcomes move ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Thursday welcomed the statement by his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh about troop reduction in the Indian-held Kashmir.


Picture 4 of 8: Microsoft's new Media Center push Software maker heads to LA to show off a host of gadgets that use one or another Microsoft technology to access movies, music and video.


South Korean president makes surprise visit to troops in Iraq SEOUL : South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun made a surprise visit to his troops in northern Iraq on his way home from a European tour, a top presidential aide said.


Oil Eases Again as Fuel Costs Hit Economy  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices ended lower on Tuesday on  signs that high energy costs are slowing the economic growth  that has fueled this year's sharp increase in world oil  consumption.


Manning closes in on Marinos TD mark HOUSTON - With only a few seconds left in a certain victory for Miami, Peyton Manning threw a meaningless 6-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison to cut the score to 24-15.


EBay Home Building From air filters and appliances to sinks and shingles, one could conceivably build an entire house using supplies and tools bought at eBay.


Darfuris Fleeing Villages, Report Govt Attacks (Reuters) Reuters - Darfuri Dowsa Ahmed Hassan\said he was standing in the market place when he heard the\Antonov plane's drone and watched it drop three bombs on his\village, killing a mother and her three children.


Oracle Court Win Could Prompt More Deals  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Oracle Corp. Chief Larry Ellison  has long preached the virtues of consolidation in the software  sector and some analysts say a key federal court decision could  help to push his vision closer to reality.


Business economists say terror the biggest risk in US (AFP) AFP - Terrorism poses the biggest short-term threat to the US economy, a panel of top business economists said in a survey.


BT chases after military action TELECOMS group BT will bid this week for a 4bn Ministry of Defence contract to stitch together IT systems for Britain #39;s armed forces.


Mixed reaction over Manmohanss statement on troops reduction in <b>...</b> ISLAMABAD : Kashmiri political leaders as well as militant commanders are expressing mix reaction over the Indian Prime Minister Manmohans Singh statement regarding reduction in troops in Indian administrated Kashmir.


Spacewalking astronauts replace worn-out piece of cooling <b>...</b> Leaving their orbiting outpost unmanned, the international space station #39;s two astronauts floated outside on a spacewalk Friday and plugged in new antennas and replaced a worn-out piece of cooling equipment.


Oil Prices Skid as U.S. Winter Stays Mild  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices slid on Monday on  expectations that more mild U.S. weather at the start of the  New Year will limit heating oil demand.


Consumer Goods: RFID Tops To-Do List In Consumer Goods Consumer goods companies #39; top tech projects have often served as harbingers of the next wave of must-have technologies. Enterprise-resource-planning and customer-relationship


UN envoy says war crimes likely in Darfur UNITED NATIONS : A UN envoy told the Security Council that widespread war crimes likely had taken place in Sudan #39;s troubled Darfur region.


Tokyo Stocks End Lower on Profit Taking (AP) AP - Tokyo stocks fell Thursday as investors took profits after five straight sessions of gains. The dollar was down against the Japanese yen.


BT, Weaker Dollar Weigh on Euro Shares (Reuters) Reuters - European shares eased on Monday despite\lower oil prices as the euro at a new record high against the\dollar hurt exporters, and BT weighed after the telecoms\operator made an acquisition of nearly  #36;1 billion.


Ethiopia #39;s Defar wins women #39;s 5,000m gold Ethiopia #39;s Meseret Defar won the women #39;s 5,000 meters gold medal at the Olympic Games in Athens on August 23. The 20-year-old, women #39;s 3,000m winner in this year #39;s world indoor championships in Budapest, clocked 14 minutes 45.


Democrats: Republican 'Hammer' should step down (AFP) AFP - Outraged Democrats called for the resignation of senior Republican lawmaker Tom DeLay for a  quot;disturbing pattern of corruption quot; following his censure by a House ethics panel.


Hopes of malaria vaccine by 2010 Scientists say they have developed an effective vaccine against malaria that could be ready for use in six years.


Land of Potatoes Aims to Be High-Tech Hot  NAMPA, Idaho (Reuters) - Jeffrey Moeser and his company are  aiming to change the future of home entertainment.


Surviving the IPO From Hell Months ago, when the idea of Google #39;s inevitable IPO could be discussed by its leaders only in hypothetical terms, cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin were trying to explain


German Police Detain 10 Neo-Nazis Before Hess March  MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - German police detained 10  neo-Nazis on Saturday before a march marking the anniversary of  the death of Adolf Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess.


Technology ; Four Charged In Microsoft Thefts The software the four are accused of stealing included the SQL Server 2000, which normally sells for \$15,000, and the SQL Enterprise Server 7.0, which sells for \$29,000.


OmniVision gets boost from shipments to Siemens NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Shares of OmniVision Technologies (OVTI) rose more than 8 percent to \$13.13. The move comes after the Sunnyvale, Calif.


Blue Jays agree to buy SkyDome The Toronto Blue Jays are buying the stadium they #39;ve been playing in for 16 years. The baseball team announced Monday it has reached an agreement to purchase the SkyDome from Sportsco International.


BHP to sell US venture BHP Billiton said yesterday it had agreed with joint venture partner Alcoa to sell their 100 per cent stake in Integris Metals to Ryerson Tull of Chicago.


Ireland to tour Japan Ireland have set up a summer tour to Japan to coincide with the Lions trip to New Zealand. The Irish will play two Tests in Tokyo plus one warm-up game which has still to be decided.


Colombia hunts for Irish  #39;terror #39; trio Colombian police have launched an international search for three Irishmen who were convicted of training Marxist rebels in the South American country, it was reported today.


IBM Acquires Content-Managment Developer Venetica IBM has reached an agreement to purchase Venetica, a privately held developer of content-integration software. The acquisition will enable IBM to provide improved ability to integrate unstructured


Learning to Search for Life on Mars with the Atacama Rover Ames Research Center -- A dedicated team of scientists is spending the next four weeks in northern Chile's Atacama Desert. They are studying the scarce life that exists there and, in the process, helping NASA learn more about how primitive life forms could exist on Mars...


US warplanes pound Fallujah Three Kurdish militiamen, their civilian driver killed near Baquba, another civilian killed in Basra bomb blast. By Deborah Haynes - BAGHDAD.


Crude oil exceeds \$US50 a barrel Crude oil futures settled above \$50 for the first time ever on Friday, fueled by concerns about supply in Nigeria and the continuing slow pace of production recovery in the hurricane-ravaged Gulf of Mexico, traders said.


Young cyber-bullies a menace in Singapore: Report High-tech Singapore has the highest incidence of bullying among kids via the Internet of any country outside the United States, a report said on Monday.


Business Briefs NEW YORK -- Stocks were mixed in quiet trading Monday, with blue chip and tech shares rising only modestly despite lower oil prices and several mergers and acquisitions, including Wm.


Kimberly-Clark reports third-quarter results DALLAS Kimberly-Clark today reports its third-quarter earnings rose five percent -- despite tough price competition in its key diaper market.


21st-century Langer gives Australia edge The opener Justin Langer became Test cricket #39;s highest run-scorer this year with a fighting century in Perth to give Australia, at one stage 78 for five, the upper hand in the first Test against Pakistan.


US Stock-Index Futures Decline; Citigroup, GE Slip in Europe US stock-index futures declined. Dow Jones Industrial Average shares including General Electric Co. slipped in Europe. Citigroup Inc.


Risk group sees up to \$10 billion US Ivan damage Insured losses in the United States from Hurricane Ivan, which was roaring toward the US Gulf coast on Wednesday, could run between \$4 billion and \$10 billion, a risk assessment company said.


Piracy rule is definition of misguided If a shopkeeper tried to charge \$1,000 for a broken computer, you'd probably be outraged. You might even complain to the government.


Baseball Today (AP) AP - Anaheim at Texas (8:05 p.m. EDT). The Angels try to remain in the playoff picture with a crucial game against the Rangers.


Favre-Manning matchup lived up to billing The matchup featured two of the NFL #39;s best quarterbacks, a former and current MVP. Sunday #39;s game between the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers was billed as Brett


LIDAR Laser Radar Finding More Uses If you've ever been pulled over for speeding, you may already know something about LIDAR. A laser-based radar system, LIDAR can tell if you're speeding by bouncing a light beam off your car and seeing how quickly it returns. From an airplane or a satellite, LIDAR can calculate the distance to the ground, and by repeating the process millions of times as it flies over, map the lay of the land.


Microsoft to Offer Cheaper, Limited Windows in Russia It #39;s part of the company #39;s effort to beat back Linux and piracy efforts in developing technology markets. Microsoft says it will offer a simplified and lower-priced version of Windows XP in Russia, matching


Twin bombs take terrible death toll AT least 39 people were killed when two bombs exploded at a gathering of Sunni Muslim radicals in the central Pakistan city of Multan early yesterday.


Telecom Italia Poised for TIM Buyout (Reuters) Reuters - Telecom Italia plans to  use cash for a\bigger-than-expected chunk of a 20 billion-euro ( #36;26.69\billion) buyout of its mobile unit TIM, a source close to the\deal said on Monday.


Progress Software Avoids Crash and Burn Progress Software produces results in a tough market, but investors really don't care.


Lethal algae discovered off coast SEATTLE -- A toxic algae bloom almost 50 km wide has been detected off the northwest coast of Washington state, the largest and most potentially lethal yet found by scientists in the region.


NBA Sets First-Week Attendance Record A record 17 home-opener sellouts brought NBA attendance to 95 percent capacity for the first week of the season.


Rising euro puts ECB in a fix FRANKFURT : As the euro continued to rise against the dollar, speculation intensified over whether the European Central Bank, meeting this week to set interest rates, would feel compelled to act either by intervening directly on the forex markets or by


Oil prices climb on winter supply fears Oil prices climbed higher in Asian trade on Monday as fresh concerns over the possibility of energy shortages in the northern hemisphere winter sparked another wave of panic among investors, dealers said.


Truckers #39; strike to continue NO SOLUTION YET: The Revenue Secretary, Ms Vineeta Rai, with Mr JM Saksena (2nd from left), Secretary General, All-India Motor Transport Congress, and other transport operators at a meeting in the Capital on Monday.


SES Astra Welcomes NTL to Client List BETZDORF, Luxembourg - (BUSINESS WIRE) -ept. 15, 2004  - UK and Europes foremost direct-to-home (DTH) satellite company, SES ASTRA, an SES GLOBAL company (Euronext:SESG) (FWB:SESG)is delighted


Pires slams Aragones Robert Pires and Sol Campbell have expressed their concern over alleged racist comments by Spain national team boss Luis Aragones about their Arsenal teammate Thierry Henry.


Death Toll Varies in Blast at Sinai Resort TABA, Egypt - A car bomb and a suicide bomber tore through a resort hotel in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula where Israelis were vacationing at the end of a Jewish holiday Thursday night. Estimates of the death toll ranged from 19 to about 60...


Suns Sting Hornets 95-86 (AP) AP - Shawn Marion had a season-high 33 points and 15 rebounds, leading the Phoenix Suns on a fourth-quarter comeback despite the absence of Steve Nash in a 95-86 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Friday night.


Marino headlines  #39;05 Hall of Fame nominations CANTON, Ohio (Ticker) -- Legendary quarterback Dan Marino headlines the list of nine first-time nominees for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.


FDA Panel Urges More Studies of Stroke Med A US advisory panel on Friday recommended against approving AstraZeneca #39;s new stroke prevention medication, Exanta, citing concerns about the drug #39;s effect on the liver.


Dollar Trims Gains After Fed Hikes Rates  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar pared gains on Tuesday  after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the fifth  time this year, as expected, but quashed hopes for more  aggressive rate tightening.


Simulating life, love and the Universe As a boy, Will Wright liked to fiddle with models. The man behind The Sims phenomenon liked to make ships, planes, and most things mechanical.


IBM to help Cloudscape developers IBM on Monday will unveil free developer resources for Cloudscape, a small-footprint, Java-based database that the company recently contributed to the Apache Software Foundation as an open source project.


AOL Concentrates On Security Issues With New Software America Online Inc. is releasing a new version of its software today that focuses on increasing online safety and security, which the company hopes will help it hold on to more subscribers.


New, dangerous Microsoft JPEG exploit released New computer code that exploits a recently disclosed hole in Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer Web browser is circulating on the Internet and could allow remote attackers to take full control of vulnerable Windows machines, according to warnings from antivirus companies and Internet security experts.


Calif. Joins Electronic Voting Lawsuit (AP) AP - California Attorney General Bill Lockyer joined a lawsuit Tuesday alleging that voting equipment company Diebold Inc. sold the state shoddy hardware and software, exposing elections to hackers and software bugs.


Bush Praises Canadians for Post-9/11 Aid US President Bush speaks at Pier 21 in Halifax, Canada, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2004. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak). HALIFAX, Nova Scotia Dec 1, 2004 - President Bush asked Canadians on Wednesday to move beyond


Kim Back on Red Sox #39; Roster Kim Byung-hyun officially rejoined the Boston Red Sox for the stretch run on Tuesday and has a shot at making the teams post-season roster if he impresses on the mound over the final two weeks of the MLB season.


McAfee Aims to Rid SMBs of Virus and Spam If you rely on technology to run your small business, you know how easily a virus can destroy your data - and potentially years of hard work.


USC, Miami atop first BCS rankings When the Bowl Championship Series committee set out in the summer to reorganize the formula by which the BCS standings are calculated, it decided to give more weight to the human polls than the computer rankings.


Gateway to Buy Back Shares From AOL Computer maker Gateway Inc. on Tuesday said it agreed to buy back about \$316 million of its stock from Internet provider America Online Inc.


Dollar Mixed Before U.S. Economic Data  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar was mixed on Monday as  dealers grew slightly apprehensive of two key U.S. economic  indicators due on Tuesday.


Jaguar workers closer to strike action over job cuts LONDON : Jaguar car workers will vote on whether to strike in protest at Ford #39;s decision to halt production of the luxury vehicle at a plant in central England with the loss of over 1,000 jobs, union leaders warned.


Music merger boosts Bertelsmann Bertelsmann, the world's fourth-largest media company, sees profits surge during the first half of 2004, lifted by its music and TV businesses.


Kerry, Bush Clash Over Iraq and Allawi (AP) AP - Clashing over Iraq, Sen. John Kerry said Friday that President Bush's policies made the war against terror harder to win and "let Osama bin Laden slip away." Bush chastised his Democratic rival for questioning the motives of Iraq's interim prime minister.


Sears Credit Rating Downgraded by Fitch (AP) AP - Sears, Roebuck and Co.'s credit rating was cut by Fitch Ratings on Monday to BBB-, one notch above junk status, a few days after the retailer trimmed its 2004 earnings outlook.


Apple in Cybersquatting Fight Over ITunes Website (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. computer giant Apple  is\locked in a cybersquatting battle with a 22-year-old British\Internet whiz kid over the itunes.co.uk Web Site, a domain the\company wants for its chain of iTunes online music stores.


Man Sentenced in Theft of Patient #39;s Identity SEATTLE, Nov. 6 -- A technician at a cancer center was sentenced to 16 months in prison for stealing the identity of a gravely ill patient, who spent months trying to clear his name while the disease ravaged his body.


British Insurers in Turmoil Over Incentive Fees The investigation of insurance practices by the New York attorney general, Eliot Spitzer, is causing wide ripples in the British market, the cradle of the industry.


Roethlisberger Benched for Season Finale (AP) AP - With little to play for Sunday, the AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers benched quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and two other injured starters  #151; running back Jerome Bettis and receiver Plaxico Burress  #151; for their regular-season finale against Buffalo.


Ex-presidents to lead aid effort WASHINGTON -- President Bush, seeking to highlight America's concern over the Asian disaster, named his father and his predecessor yesterday to spearhead a private fund-raising campaign to help victims of last month's tsunamis, calling on Americans to ''contribute as they are able to do so."


IAEA Chief Arrives in Seoul for Nuclear Discussion  SEOUL (Reuters) - The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog,  Mohamed ElBaradei, arrived in Seoul on Sunday to discuss South  Korea's nuclear experiments after last month's two intrusive  inspections.


Judge Will Mull Voiding UAL Union Deals  CHICAGO (Reuters) - A federal bankruptcy judge agreed on  Friday to consider a motion by United Airlines UALAQ.OB to  cancel its union contracts to save \$725 million annually.


EUROPE MARKETS LONDON (CBS.MW) -- European stocks were mixed Friday, with Paris-listed stocks failing to shine but German stocks were boosted after business sentiment increased during November.


Giants' Barber Leads NFL in Total Yards (AP) AP - Tiki Barber won the NFL yards from scrimmage title and set the New York Giants' all-time rushing record in Sunday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys.


Long Fall for Pentagon Star In the macho world of the Pentagon, Darleen A. Druyun was rare: a woman who had scaled the heights of power, controlled billions of dollars in weapons programs and could punish or reward global corporations and the men who ran them.


Science 'excludes black people' British black scientists are vastly under-represented in their chosen field, says a leading commentator.


Israel Claims Killing of Hamas Operative (AP) AP - In a hit claimed by Israeli security officials, a senior Hamas operative was killed in a car bombing Sunday outside his house in Damascus, the first such killing of a leader of the Islamic militant group in Syria.


Bank sages stumped by economic riddles The Bank of England #39;s most prominent sages have admitted to being stumped by apparent paradoxes in the country #39;s economic performance, including inflation #39;s fall to within an ace of missing its target.


Pavano picks Yankees; Red Sox grab Wells Carl Pavano decided he wanted to be a Yankee, and his agent and team officials worked to complete a four-year deal for about \$39-million.


#39;Morning Edition #39; Returns: Congrats to the Cat Description: Coby is the proud recipient of a master #39;s degree from Trinity Southern University. It #39;s an online university, which may not have realized that new grad is a cat.


American Express Reports Profit Increase (AP) AP - American Express Co., the consumer finance and travel company, said Monday that its profit rose 14 percent in the third quarter to  #36;879 million, or 69 cents a share. That was in line with analysts' estimates.


Meyer can leave Utah without buyout Notre Dame officials will meet with Utah coach Urban Meyer on Thursday, a source with knowledge of the discussions told the New York Times.


Update 2: Friday #39;s Commodities Roundup Crude-oil futures rose Friday on fears of a possible terrorist attack before Tuesday #39;s US election, but the market #39;s recent downturn may continue next week.


CRAWFORD LIGHTS UP GARDEN With the expected news Allan Houston is out for the preseason and likely out for the season opener, though it #39;s not official, the pressure was on for struggling Jamal Crawford to produce last night against the Mavericks.


China wins eighth and ninth diving medals Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - The Olympic diving competition came to a close Saturday night with the men #39;s 10-meter platform final, and China increased its medal take to nine with a gold and bronze medal.


Stocks Up, Oil Price Ease Gives Relief  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks climbed on Monday, getting  a boost from lower oil prices after Venezuela's president  declared he had survived a recall referendum, easing fears  about the country's oil exports.


House-price boom 'splits Britain' Rising property prices are making the gap between rich and poor far worse, housing charity Shelter say.


NASA explores space system companies A partnership between The Boeing Company and Northrop Grumman Corporation has been created to compete for NASA #39;s Crew Exploration Vehicle for Project Constellation, a planned


Broadhurst homes in on title win after difficult few years A MONTH after becoming a father for the fourth time Paul Broadhurst is hoping to have something else to celebrate tomorrow night - his first European Tour victory since 1995.


Court Deals Blow to Movie Studios (Reuters) Reuters - A federal appeals court on Thursday\delivered a stinging blow to the anti-piracy efforts of major\movie studios and music companies by ruling several Internet\file-sharing software companies are not liable for copyright\infringement.


Stifling Blues add to United worries Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson flooded the pitch with strikers in a bid to steal a victory that he hoped would prevent Arsenal and Chelsea disappearing over the Premiership horizon.


NEC Nips IBM in Supercomputer Race Beginning in December, NEC will rent out SX-8s for about \$11,000 per month. The single-node model, with up to eight CPUs, has a peak performance of 128 gigaflops.


Mauresmo Wins Fifth Tournament of 2004 Top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo shook off a slow start and beat Vera Zvonareva 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 to successfully defend her Advanta Championships title for her fifth tournament victory of 2004. Mauresmo seems poised to make a splash in next week's season-ending WTA Tour Championships in Los Angeles. The Frenchwoman has won two straight tournaments, including in Austria last week.


Microsoft expands mainframe pitch Microsoft is expanding a plan to draw mainframe customers to Windows for high-end applications. Under a program with the internal code name Mission Critical Microsoft, the company is trying to extend its current


South Africans Seized at Talks With Unionists in Zimbabwe Zimbabwe immigration officers seized 13 members of a South African trade union delegation on Tuesday as they met with their Zimbabwean counterparts in Harare, then


HP unveils Unix roadmaps HP World Free Alpha upgrades to stem defections


Agassi Back to Winning Ways, Nadal Impresses  MADRID (Reuters) - Andre Agassi returned to action with a  7-6, 6-3, victory over Belarussian Max Mirnyi to reach the  third round of the Madrid Masters Tuesday.


Tech Group Launches Anti-Spyware Campaign By TED BRIDIS    WASHINGTON (AP) -- A prominent Internet safety organization and leading computer-maker Dell Inc. (DELL) launched a campaign Friday to help consumers fend off "spyware," software that can cause sluggish computer performance or popup ads and secretly monitor the activities of Internet users...


Yukos may face \$10B more in tax Russian officials demanded up to \$10 billion in additional taxes from Yukos and its soon-to-be-sold main unit on Monday, pushing the debts of Russia #39;s embattled No.


Today #39;s Home News Greek athlete Fani Halkia finished in 52.82 to win the gold medal in the women #39;s 400m hurdles final on Wednesday. She is the third Greek athlete to win Olympic gold in an athletics event, after Voula Patoulidou and Costas Kenteris.


Kerry Takes Job Creation Message to NC CHARLOTTE, NC Aug. 20, 2004  Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry came to the heart of a conservative state hit hard by job losses over the past four years to tout his plan for curbing the export of jobs by cutting corporate taxes and enforcing ...


Bank of memories Certainly, the head-to-head duel between Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods in Monday's final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston was the storyline that everyone would have asked for at the start of the tournament.


Arafat's Condition Critical, Leaders Urge Unity  PARIS (Reuters) - Yasser Arafat was in a critical condition  in a French hospital on Saturday and Hamas militants in Gaza  said there was an urgent need for unity among Palestinian  leaders.


FTSE 100 opens higher The FTSE 100 has opened higher, with financial stocks in demand after a well-received trading statement from hedge fund firm Man Group.


Mbeki pushes for DR Congo peace SA President Thabo Mbeki is to resume talks with a former rebel leader who pulled out of the DR Congo government.


To Pay Debt, Transit Agency Goes to Market The M.T.A., in an effort to raise more than \$1 billion, wants to sell or lease many of its 14,000 properties.


Indian board appeals against Ganguly ban The Indian board (BCCI) has confirmed that it will appeal to the International Cricket Council against the two-Test ban handed down to Sourav Ganguly on Sunday.


Dozens Convicted of Cybercrimes (PC World) PC World - DOJ announces arrests, convictions for online fraud and other Net-related crimes.


Cavs Brought Down A top 10 ranking, an undefeated season and the ACC lead all came crashing down for Virginia in an all-too-familiar place Saturday night.


India's Congress Set to Form Govt in Key State  BOMBAY (Reuters) - India's ruling Congress party won power  in a key state on Saturday after it emerged as the largest  group in elections, the first major political test since its  victory in national polls in May.


Pak. will not show  #39;unilateral flexibility #39; on Kashmir: Kasuri : Both Pakistan and India need to compromise over Kashmir, or else the issue will continue  quot;for another 100 years, quot; Pakistan #39;s Foreign Minister said today.


Jets QB Pennington Signs  #36;64M Extension (AP) AP - Chad Pennington agreed to a  #36;64 million, seven-year contract extension with the New York Jets on Wednesday that includes  #36;23 million in guaranteed money.


YUKOS ordered to pay part of tax claim The Moscow Arbitration Court ruled on Monday that the YUKOS oil company must pay RUR 39.113bn (about \$1.34bn) as part of its back tax claim for 2001.


All-out US attack on Sunni Triangle is imminent Marines just outside the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah were making final preparations Friday for a large-scale offensive that US commanders


Agriculture Minister to lobby US on BSE Ottawa -- Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell is meeting with his US counterpart today in New York to lobby for an end to the costly mad-cow crisis, which began 15 months ago with the discovery of single case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy on a ranch


Carnival sails to higher 3Q profit Carnival Corp., the world #39;s biggest cruise group, said Friday its quarterly earnings rose sharply, citing the merger with P amp;O Princess Cruises last year.


Benson the catalyst in Longhorns' lambasting AUSTIN, Texas -- Cedric Benson ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 7 Texas revved up its punishing rushing attack and overwhelmed North Texas, 65-0, last night.


Unmarried gay couples lose health benefits Many of the state's largest employers are dropping health benefits for unmarried gay couples, seven months after Massachusetts became the only state to legalize same-sex marriage.


Microsoft-Sun: I can #39;t see me lovin #39; noboby but you Microsoft and Sun Microsystems on Wednesday held a progress report on work being done pursuant to their April 2004 agreement to collaborate on interoperability.


Duo holds fate of Man U London - US sports tycoon Malcolm Glazer was trying to win over Manchester United #39;s two key Irish shareholders in his bid to buy the English soccer club, but had not yet entered serious talks with them, sources familiar with the situation said yesterday.


Mourning for submariner spans an ocean HALIFAX - Navy Lieut. Chris Saunders was honoured as a joyful father and a fearless sailor yesterday by mourners on both sides of the ocean following last week #39;s tragic fire on HMCS Chicoutimi.


Trickle of Funds Frustrates Iraqi Ministers Fifty-seven nations and international organizations have concluded a two-day meeting in Japan devoted to raising funds for rebuilding Iraq.


Arafat laid to rest in Ramallah HAMISH ROBERTSON: First this morning to the sound of gunfire and the roar of more than 100,000 Palestinian mourners. Yasser Arafat has been laid to rest in the grounds of his headquarters in Ramallah.


'Warlords' Threaten Afghan Polls - Rights Group  KABUL (Reuters) - Regional and factional leaders pose as  much of a threat to Afghanistan's elections as a Taliban  insurgency, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.


Girl who carries Britain #39;s hopes for Games On a normal school day, Amber Charles carries her books, a bag, perhaps a spot of lunch. Today she carries the hopes of the nation.


Airlines join the dots SKYTEAM, the airline alliance launched and fostered by Air France, is about to claim three new member carriers and access to 25 per cent of the world #39;s air routes.


Light Jig tries to earn possible Breeders #39; Cup trip It #39;s time for racing #39;s fall season, so count on Bobby Frankel saddling a few strong contenders. The Hall of Fame trainer will try to win the \$500,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes for the fourth time with Light Jig, a 4-year-old bred in Britain.


Report Probes Gifts to Schwarzenegger Aides (AP) AP - Top aides to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have skirted state regulations limiting gifts from special interest groups by spreading them around through their families, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.


Former Blue Jays Pitcher Cerutti Found Dead Former Blue Jays pitcher and television commentator John Cerutti was found dead in a Toronto hotel room on Sunday. He was 44. The baseball team said Cerutti, who was slated to provide color


Ichiro hits stride - again ANAHEIM, Calif. - Ichiro Suzuki has had a great season, but it had to be said - the major league single-season hits record was sliding away.


'Eight dead' in Iraq car bombs Samarra is hit by its first major attack since US-led forces recaptured the town from insurgents three weeks ago.


Oil price pushes toward \$50 a barrel US light crude climbed to \$49.36 a barrel, up 48 cents and just four cents below the record high set in late August at \$49.40. In London, Brent crude oil futures in surged to a new peak of \$45.


CNN Will Close Financial News Channel CNN announced yesterday that it would shut down its CNNfn cable channel next month, abandoning its nine-year-old effort to create a financial news competitor to CNBC.


Federer Out of Basel Tournament with Thigh Injury  BASEL (Reuters) - World number one Roger Federer pulled out  of the Swiss Indoors tournament Tuesday with a thigh muscle  tear.


Cheney Mixes Stinging Rhetoric With Retail Politics  In Vice President Cheney's final push before next Tuesday's election, talk of nuclear annihilation and escalating war rhetoric have blended with balloon drops, confetti cannons and the other trappings of modern campaigning with such ferocity that it is sometimes tough to tell just who the enemy is.


Enron rescuer asks \$25 million  #39;success fee #39; HOUSTON, Texas - The turnaround specialist hired to get Enron out of bankruptcy is asking for \$25 million for almost reaching the end of the tunnel.


DaVita to buy Gambro dialysis unit for \$3 bln cash LONDON (CBS.MW) -- DaVita (DVA) said it has an agreement to buy Gambro Healthcare, the dialysis division of Sweden #39;s Gambro (SE:000016447) for \$3.05 billion in cash.


Experts Worry About Missing Iraqi Arms (AP) AP - Revelations that nearly 400 tons of conventional explosives have disappeared in Iraq have experts worrying that other weapons might also be in jeopardy of falling into insurgent or terrorist hands.


Leonid meteor shower to peak next week Next week brings us the return of the famous Leonid meteor shower, a display that has brought great anticipation and excitement to sky watchers around the world.


Red Hat names new CFO Six weeks after it changed the way it books support subscription revenue, Linux vendor Red Hat Inc. has named Charles E. Peters Jr. as its new CFO.


Runner appeals for gold Brazilian marathon runner Vanderlei de Lima asked sport #39;s highest review panel to award him an Olympic gold medal after he was attacked by a spectator while leading the race at the Athens Games.


Huge risk of building US factories paid off for both Honda, Ohio Vicky Burress was 47 when she realized her family needed a second income to put two children through college. Despite a thin rsum a high school


HENMAN BOOSTED BY FEDERER KO Tim Henman will begin his bid to win the Davidoff Swiss Indoors for the third time when he takes on Antony Dupuis of France in Basle today.


Google IPO Awaits Final Approval In a sign that Google Inc. (GOOG)'s initial public offering is imminent, the Internet search company has asked federal regulators to give final approval to the paperwork required for its stock sale.


Oracle sees future in \$8.8bn PeopleSoft Shares in PeopleSoft surged in New York after Larry Ellison #39;s Oracle tabled a take-it-or-leave-it \$8.8 offer for the business software company.


Germany #39;s Chancellor Schroder and his wife adopt Russian girl Germany #39;s Chancellor Gerhard Schroder and his wife Doris have adopted a three-year-old Russian girl who has been living with them for over a fortnight, Germany #39;s mass circulation Bild newspaper revealed yesterday.


Milosevic Calls for Control Over Own Trial Defense  THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Former Yugoslav President Slobodan  Milosevic made a passionate appeal to judges to allow him to  defend himself at his trial Thursday but prosecutors said he  was not fit enough and was thwarting progress.


IBM tops server speed test IBM #39;s new top-end Power5-based Unix server has a commanding lead in a performance test of servers running a large database. A \$16.7 million configuration of the company #39;s eServer p5-595 performed 3.21 million


China Faces New Textile Import Limits (AP) AP - A top U.S. commerce official said he told China to expect American textile makers to seek new limits on Chinese imports as soon as next week, as he also urged Beijing to do more to stop piracy and lower trade barriers.


Intel pushes desktops with more spunk, lower prices A new chipset offers high-end features for less cash, an effort to spark PC makers to update their low-price offerings.


Advertising #39;s Interpublic Sees Loss Widen Interpublic Group of Cos. Inc. (IPG.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday posted a wider quarterly loss as hefty charges continued to weigh on the world #39;s No.


US Congress agrees huge tax bill The US Congress has agreed in principle a huge corporate tax bill providing tax breaks for manufacturers in return for repealing export subsidies.


Redskins cut former starter Ohalete ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -- He was demoted to third string a couple weeks ago, didn #39;t do exactly what the coaches wanted and was coming off a bad game. Ifeanyi Ohalete knew what was coming next.


TruSecure, Betrusted Merge To Form Cybertrust Cybertrust will combine identity management and PKI products from Betrusted, risk management and compliance services from TruSecure, and intrusion detection and prevention technology from Ubizen, a subsidiary of Betrusted.


Smithfield Profit Lifted by Hog Prices Smithfield Foods Inc. (SFD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the largest US pork producer, on Tuesday posted a 61 percent rise in quarterly earnings due to strong hog prices and the purchase of Farmland Foods last year.


Rate rises followed 'MPC errors' UK interest rates may be too high because the Bank of England has wrongly forecast inflation levels, a House of Lords Committee says.


Willingham Lands in Washington  SEATTLE (Sports Network) - Tyrone Willingham was not  unemployed for very long, as he was named the new head coach at  the University of Washington on Monday just two weeks after  being fired at Notre Dame.


GM Set to Cut About 10,000 Jobs - Source  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - General Motors will cut around 10,000  jobs in Europe in a drive to save some 500 million euros  (\$613.4 million) a year and return its loss-making operations  there to profit, a company source said on Wednesday.


Melodeo signs mobile music agreements with Telefnica, Warner US-based mobile music solutions provider Melodeo, Inc. and the Warner Music Group (WMG) today announced the signing of a global agreement that allows consumers to securely download entire tracks from WMG #39;s


AstraZeneca in drive to slash costs Hostile environment prompts root and branch review. Exanta unlikely to win US approval in near future. By Stephen Foley. AstraZeneca, the UK #39;s number two pharmaceuticals company, has launched a  quot;root and branch


Two bombs kill at least 36 at Sunni gathering in Pakistan MULTAN, Pakistan -- Two bombs exploded at a gathering of Sunni Muslim radicals in the central Pakistan city of Multan before dawn today, killing at least 36 people and wounding about 100, according to police, who suspect a sectarian attack.


Delta Plans Job Cuts, Eyes Restructure  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc., the number three  U.S. carrier, plans more job cuts as it struggles to avoid  bankruptcy, Chief Executive Gerald Grinstein said in a memo to  employees on Wednesday.


Musharraf in Kabul, Urges Security Cooperation Pakistan #39;s President Pervez Musharraf on Saturday congratulated President Hamid Karzai on his election victory and said the neighbors needed to increase cooperation in the war on terror.


2 Arrested in Alleged NYC Subway Bomb Plot NEW YORK - Two men have been arrested in connection with an alleged plot to bomb a subway station in midtown Manhattan, sources said early Saturday.    At least one of the men may have an affiliation with a terrorist organization, according to two law enforcement sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity...


EMC nabs former IBM grid guru for CTO position EMC has hired the former chief architect of IBM #39;s grid computing initiative as senior vice president and chief technology officer for the Hopkinton, Mass.


Colder Weather Keeps Oil Above \$41  LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices held firm above \$41 a barrel  on Tuesday as colder weather in the U.S. brought temperatures  more into line with seasonal norms, spurring heating oil  buying.


Strange Bedfellows  Handango Selected As Preminet Key Content <b>...</b> Given that Handango have a catalog of applications that they sell through a range of store fronts hosted for operators and Nokias Preminet does pretty much the same thing todays announcement seems just a little odd.


Eskimos snap out of it And there #39;s plenty of joy in Mudville now that the Edmonton Eskimos have snapped a three-game losing skid and are playing .500 football again.


IBM, AMD develop new use of strained silicon DECEMBER 13, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - IBM and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. announced today that they have jointly developed a new method for implementing strained silicon technology on both positive and negative transistors.


Vivendi ups Moroccan phone stake Vivendi Universal increases its stake in Morocco's national telecoms business, days before it is partially floated.


A Sea Change in Slovenia LJUBLJANA, Slovenia--After more than a decade of almost continual rule, Slovenia #39;s center-left Liberal Democrats face a spell in opposition in the wake of a surprise defeat in the parliamentary elections on 3 October.


U.K. Family Pleads for Hostage's Release (AP) AP - The government on Friday identified the British engineer who was kidnapped in Baghdad with two American colleagues, and the victim's family urged his captors to free him.


Computer Maker in an Alien World A company that makes odd-looking computers for gamers wants to expand its market. But Alienware execs wonder how many customers will appreciate the glowing alien eyes and other flourishes that have become its signature. By Michelle Delio.


Security Council Condemns Acts of Violence Against Civilians The Security Council unanimously passed a Russian-initiated antiterror resolution today that declares all intentional acts of violence against civilians unjustifiable


Connecticut Begins Insurance Probe (Reuters) Reuters - Connecticut has issued 35 subpoenas in\recent days to insurance companies and brokers doing business\in the state, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said on\Thursday.


Vivendi Flashes V for Victory Vivendi (NYSE: V) is one of those complex behemoths of a firm that normally doesn #39;t make it onto my radar since, as a lazy Fool, I prefer my companies small and simple.


Yukos fate is sealed as state auction looms Russian oil major Yukos is expected to face the auction of its main subsidiary by the end of the month at a price far lower than its estimated worth, a move analysts say could ruin the company and destroy the equity of minority shareholders.


Car bombs kill 34 children in Baghdad Insurgents have detonated three car bombs near a US military convoy in Baghdad, killing 41 people, 34 of them children, and wounding scores.


Some 150 Foreigners Taken Hostage in Iraq -Two Indonesian women, Rosidah binti Anan and Rafikan binti Aming, and two Lebanese men. Video broadcast Sept. 30 shows them being held at gunpoint by masked men and claims responsibility in the name of the Islamic Army in Iraq.


44 believed North Koreans clamber over fence into Canadian Embassy <b>...</b> BEIJING (CP) - China said Thursday it wants the Canadian Embassy to hand over 44 people thought to be North Korean asylum-seekers who climbed over a spiked fence onto embassy grounds.


Netegrity is bought, will fire A Waltham maker of security software is being acquired by software behemoth Computer Associates in a cash deal worth almost a half-billion dollars, the companies announced yesterday.


Microsoft Ready to Comply if Appeal Lost Microsoft Corp. said Monday it is ready to put a stripped-down version of Windows on the market if it fails this week to persuade a judge to suspend a landmark European Union antitrust decision. -AP


Tiger pushes Ernie into third Although he was well-beaten by Retief Goosen in Sunday #39;s final round of The Tour Championship in Atlanta, there has been some compensation for the former world number one, Tiger Woods.


Some 200,000 rally against Dutch austerity measures (AFP) AFP - Some 200,000 people rallied in Amsterdam against the govenrment's controversial austerity and reform measures in the city's biggest demonstration in two decades.


The \$100 PC: How do we get there? Steve Ballmer says the world needs a really cheap computer, but Mike Ricciuti warns that cheap doesn't come easy.


A Chipper New Skipper  quot;I #39;ve been about everywhere you can go, quot; Manuel said this afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies introduced him as their 51st manager.


Future Economic Activity Gauge Falls A closely watched gauge of future business activity fell in August for a third consecutive month, evidence that companies and consumers continue to navigate an uncertain economic climate.


Step carefully in the memento minefield When Robert Hudson stepped off a flight from Banjul in Gambia and was stopped by customs officers in the  quot;Nothing to Declare quot; channel at Gatwick airport, they found three baboon skulls, four


Teams Battle Like There's No Tomorrow, and There Isn't The incentive of a postseason berth inspired the New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers. And yet, when the game was over, each of the teams had lost.


Spectrum-FDA OKs Generic Version of Cipro (Reuters) Reuters - Spectrum Pharmaceuticals  said\on Friday U.S. regulators have approved its generic version of\Bayer's   Cipro antibiotic, triggering a  #36;750,000\equity investment by one of its partners.


Iraq seeks to mend relations with Iran Iraq is stepping up efforts to improve relations with neighbouring Iran, which has been highly critical of the military action against Shiite militias in Iraq.


World must act now to forestall staggering threat from global <b>...</b> 8 November 2004 - The Arctic climate is warming rapidly, much larger changes are in store due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases from human activity and the global impact such as rising sea levels will be staggering, presenting one


Changes in Homeland Sec. Oversight Sought (AP) AP - Congressional oversight of the Homeland Security Department is "dysfunctional" and must be fundamentally changed to ensure Americans are protected, according to a report issued Friday by former House Speaker Tom Foley and retired Sen. Warren Rudman.


Williams to Be Reinstated After Suspension (AP) AP - Ricky Williams will serve a four-game suspension beginning next month, then will be reinstated to the Miami Dolphins by the NFL, according to his lawyer.


Mount St. Helens a volcanic  #39;ring of fire #39; Three or four times every minute, Mount St. Helens shivers. Sometimes the majestic peak even shudders, the trembling beneath reaching a crescendo, a magnitude of 3.3.


Congress blocks Internet taxation legislation The bill to ban state and federal levies on all types of connections for three years now goes to Bush. By Mary Dalrymple. WASHINGTON -- Congress acted Friday to block state and local governments from taxing


UPDATE 3-Delphi sees wider loss partly on materials costs Delphi Corp. (DPH.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday warned that its third-quarter loss would be far wider than expected, the latest auto parts supplier to say


Mars Rover #39;s Wheels Are Malfunctioning A steering problem disabled the Mars rover Spirit Oct. 1, and the craft has not moved since, Space.com reported Wednesday. Spirit #39;s right-front and left-rear wheels did not operate as commanded, NASA said in a statement Tuesday.


Humans Well-Suited for Running It may be hard to believe in these days of driving the SUV to the corner store, but people are actually pretty fast on their feet, and endurance running may have played an important role in human evolution.


Does your tech stuff need extra protection? (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Every day, consumers plunk down millions of dollars for cell phones, computers and high-end electronics that are supposed to make their lives better. And every night, they lie awake worrying that their new PCs or plasma TVs will spontaneously combust the day their warranty expires.


Russia warns West MOSCOW: Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday warned the West not to meddle with Russia #39;s Chechnya policy in the wake of a bloody hostage crisis, highlighting a growing rift over the issue between former Cold War foes.


MSN joins desktop search fray Microsoft #39;s MSN has unveiled desktop-search technology, entering a hotly contested race to dominate information access on the PC.


NATO, Russia to Boost Anti-Terror Cooperation  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO and Russia Tuesday agreed to  boost cooperation in the fight against terrorism after a spate  of attacks on Russian soil including the Beslan school siege  that ended with at least 335 deaths.


Hungary to remove 300 troops In a blow to the US effort to hold the Iraq multinational forces together, Hungary announced yesterday that it will withdraw its 300 noncombat troops by the end of March.


Poll Results Show Race for President Is Again a Dead Heat The latest New York Times/CBS News Poll, taken after the first debate, shows that John Kerry reassured many Americans of his ability to handle an international crisis.


Ontario police forces set to take part in 9-11 anniversary ceremonies (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - About 60 members of the Toronto Police Services left for New York City Thursday to take part in upcoming ceremonies marking the third anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.


Bin Laden Still At Large 3 Years After US Attacks The US-led anti-terrorism coalition is still hunting terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, the chief suspect in the September 11, 2001 deadly attacks on US cities.


Experts See Demand for Web Insurance Bids (AP) AP - Customers in search of cheap airfare, antiques or a stock trade can scan the Web for good deals. But when it comes time for companies to buy group insurance policies, they've largely been beholden to brokers using fax, e-mail and the telephone to track down the best bargain. Some industry analysts say an ongoing insurance bid-rigging scandal  #151; combined with rising health care costs  #151; will build demand for online bidding on insurance policies.


US faults Saudis on religious liberty WASHINGTON -- The United States for the first time named Saudi Arabia yesterday as a country that severely violates religious freedom, potentially subjecting the close US ally to sanctions.


Consumer spending lifts US growth US economic growth picked up in the third quarter, fuelled by strong consumer spending, official figures show.


COL BKB: Maryland 84, Memphis 61 Nik Caner-Medley scored 17 points Friday night to send No. 14 Maryland to an easier-than-expected, 84-61 win over 24th-ranked Memphis.


Lehman in Talks to Buy UK Hedge Fund-WSJ  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Investment bank Lehman Brothers  Holdings Inc. is negotiating to buy GLG Partners, a leading  British hedge fund, the Wall Street Journal reported on  Thursday, citing unnamed sources.


Team Uses Biotech to Build a Better Turkey (AP) AP - Most of the turkeys gracing the nation's dinner tables Thursday have been selectively bred for their white meat for so many generations that simply walking can be a problem for many of the big-breasted birds and sex is no longer possible.


What If Supercomputers Ruled The Ever since computer giant IBM announced earlier this week that they had developed the world #39;s fastest computer, the whole nation seems to be abuzz about supercomputers.


Football: Spain 1-0 England Asier del Horno's early goal gives Spain victory in an ill-tempered friendly.


Indian, Twice Removed Indo-Caribbeans, who have not felt particularly embraced by Indians in Flushing and Elmhurst in Queens, have cobbled together their own community in Richmond Hill.


Texas Quickly Fading From BCS Picture (AP) AP - The Texas Longhorns might want to forget about the Bowl Championship Series. It looks like the BCS has all but forgotten them.


India have three Aussies for lunch Australia faltered in the last 30 minutes of the first session of the third Test against India at Nagpur and the hosts took full advantage to emerge with their necks out in front.


Arizona Gets RB Hambrick and DE Zellner from Raiders (Reuters) Reuters - The Arizona Cardinals\Tuesday acquired running back Troy Hambrick and defensive end\Peppi Zellner from the Oakland Raiders for an undisclosed 2005\draft pick.


IBM lays claim to extension of server reign Says new research shows that it remains the top server computer vendor. But HP trumpets leadership in "high growth" segments.


Cheney, Edwards to Meet in Ohio Debate (AP) AP - Vice President Dick Cheney and Sen. John Edwards, the vice presidential candidate, will meet Tuesday at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland for their only debate before the Nov. 2 election.


UK Government Calls For Stronger Ratings According to the UK #39;s trade and industry secretary Patricia Hewitt, laws banning the sale of 18-rated games to children need to be enforced more strongly and warnings on boxes should be clearer.


Prolific spammer given nine years jail A United States man convicted of violating anti-spam laws by sending out tens of thousands of unsolicited emails using fake addresses faces nine years in prison in Virginia.


Medarex to Start Phase III Trial Biopharmaceutical company Medarex Inc. said Monday that it reached a special protocol assessment agreement with the Food and Drug Administration to start a late-stage clinical trial for its MDX-010 drug as a combination treatment for melanoma patients.


India feel pressure from home fans Pressure is building on the Indian team from millions of home fans to deliver their first home Test series victory in two years when they take on South Africa in the second and final Test on Sunday.


Mozambique Votes to Elect Successor to Chissano Mozambique used canoes and helicopters to ferry ballot papers to remote rural districts for Wednesday #39;s election to pick a successor to President Joaquim Chissano who spent 18 years in office.


Neuville suspended for scoring with hand The German football association (DFB) suspended Germany international Oliver Neuville for two matches on Monday for deliberately handling the ball into the net during the weekend #39;s Bundesliga action.


Yen Firms Ahead of Greenspan, U.S. GDP (Reuters) Reuters - The yen firmed against the dollar on\Friday, after dipping on a surprise rise in Japan's\unemployment rate, as investors grew cautious ahead of U.S.\growth data and a speech by the Federal Reserve chief.


Willingham is already fired in fans #39; minds The Notre Dame message boards are no longer discussing whether Tyrone Willingham should be fired. Theyre already arguing about whether the next coach should be Barry Alvarez or Steve Spurrier.


Workers fight bad weather to give aid to storm-ravaged Philippines; 740 dead (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - REAL, Philippines (AP) - Relief crews battling walls of mud and lashing rain to reach villages still isolated days after back-to-back storms devastated the northeastern Philippines have found 51 more bodies, taking the death toll to at least 740 people, officials said Tuesday.


eBay Bids for the Rest of S.Korean Arm (Reuters) Reuters - eBay Inc.  offered about  #36;530\million to buy the remainder of South Korean affiliate Internet\Auction Co. Ltd. as it pushes deeper into Asia, saying key\shareholders had accepted a 79 percent increase to an earlier\offer.


Yukos could be sold to state firm Russian President Vladimir Putin throws a question mark over the future of Yukos, saying state-owned companies should be allowed to buy the oil firm's assets.


Alexandria Hospital to Create a Virtual ICU Starting next month, intensive-care patients at Inova Alexandria Hospital will be monitored round the clock by more than doctors and nurses at their bedsides.


North Korea nuclear issue must be resolved peacefully, South <b>...</b> LONDON - South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said on Friday the nuclear standoff with North Korea must be resolved peacefully, despite hawks in the United States pushing for a more hardline approach.


Citigroup Elevates Krawcheck to CFO Post  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc. C.N named Sallie  Krawcheck chief financial officer on Monday, extending her  reach across the world's largest financial services company and  bolstering her image as Wall Street's most powerful woman.


Beware Dust from Jupiter's Moon Io Jupiter's moon Io is peppered with volcanoes, the hottest, most active volcanoes in our solar system. Sizzling vents spew plumes of gas and dust as much as 400 km high. They surge, spit, subside and surge again, non-stop. Passing spacecraft beware: Io is shooting at you.


Wal-Mart approves unions in China Wal-Mart is to allow its Chinese employees to join a trade union following pressure from the Chinese authorities.


All Eyes On Nigeria As Oil Price Bounces Oil prices bounced higher on Friday after two days of sharp declines that came on the heels of rising inventories of crude in the US and a move by China to cool its economy.


Google Slashes IPO #39;s Size NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google Inc. slashed the size of its closely watched initial public offering nearly in half to less than \$2 billion on Wednesday, splashing cold water on what has been touted as the hottest Internet IPO in years.


News: US credit card firm fights DDoS attack US credit card processing firm Authorize.Net is fighting a sustained distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack that has left it struggling to stay online.\


IBM Launches New RFID And Sensor Software The software, developed by IBM #39;s new Sensors and Actuators business unit, is designed to help businesses collect and act on data from RFID and other sensor-based technology.


Microsoft clause puts OpenOffice users on notice Jaded souls might say that Sun Microsystems sold the open source community down the river in its landmark settlement with Microsoft in April.


Woods cruises to eight shot victory in Japan In what became a walk in the park for the world #39;s number two golfer, Tiger Woods today strolled to his first stroke-play victory since the American Express in October of 2004, when he completed a wire-to-wire victory at the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament in


Cadavers Steal the Show in L.A. An exhibit of dissected and flayed corpses, on display for the first time in the United States, attracts a steady stream of visitors curious to see what humans really look like under the skin. Randy Dotinga reports from Los Angeles.


Myanmar to Release More Prisoners Myanmar #39;s ruling military junta announced Saturday that more than 5,000 prisoners have had their sentences suspended and will be freed from various prisons around the


'Unknowns' stirring Palestinian race Some say Mustafa Barghouthi's campaign may lead to the creation of a viable secular opposition in Palestinian politics.


Google hails adwords victory A district judge has ruled that Google can continue selling advertising triggered by searches for trademarked brand names. Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that the adwords program does not violate US federal trademark laws.


Trapped toddler freed four days after Japanese quake TOKYO - After five days of disaster and death, Japan was given some reason to cheer yesterday when a toddler who had been trapped alive in a car for four days was miraculously pulled to safety.


British fire and safety firm Kidde accepts takeover by United <b>...</b> _ Kidde PLC, the British fire and safety company, said Thursday it had agreed to a 1.4 billion pound (\$2.8 billion) takeover by United Technologies Corp.


Predictable Scots are punished by Iversen Scotland #39;s prospects of qualifying for the World Cup from Group 5 - or even of securing victory in Moldova on Wednesday - turned from dark grey to pitch black yesterday, when a predictably uninspired beating from Norway left them with one point from their


EDS offers early retirement to U.S. staffers MIAMI - Electronic Data Systems Corp. (EDS) offered voluntary early retirement options to about 9,200, or 17 percent, of its U.S. employees, as part of its ongoing efforts to reduce costs, the company said Tuesday.


A retooled Draper now makes what it devises CAMBRIDGE -- The hunt for terror-thwarting technology has brought an unexpected revenue boost -- and a new in-house production burden -- to a research lab best known for its work on submarine missile guidance and navigation during the Cold War.


Maradona returns to Cuba for treatment Fallen football legend Diego Maradona has returned to Cuba to resume treatment for cocaine addiction after a relapse confined him to a psychiatric hospital in his native Argentine and sparked unsuccessful attempts by his family to keep him at home.


EBay To Take Over Korean Affiliate EBay, the world #39;s largest Internet auction house, is making a purchase of its own, increasing its stake in South Korean affiliate Internet Auction.


Musicians push for satellite radio A rift appeared within Canada #39;s music industry yesterday as prominent artists called on the CRTC to embrace satellite radio and the industry warned of lost revenue and job losses.


Former Washington Sen. Brock Adams Dies (AP) AP - Brock Adams, who served as transportation secretary under President Carter and represented Washington state in the Senate for one term, died Friday. He was 77.


Update 9: Russia Advances Plans to Break Up Yukos Russia moved ahead Friday with plans to break up the country #39;s largest oil producer, announcing it would auction off a majority stake in the main production unit of oil giant OAO Yukos next month.


Resource stocks boost Toronto stock market as NY shuttered for <b>...</b> TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto stock market made moderate gains Thursday thanks to rising oil and gold stocks, while the Canadian dollar moved closer to an 85-cent US close despite a warning about the economy - and hints the Bank of Canada may not be in a


Tsunami Steals a Generation and the Future (Reuters) Reuters - It took just a few seconds\for Shiva Shankari, like her village, to lose her future.


Europe Is Warned of Changing Climate (AP) AP - Rising sea levels, disappearing glaciers in the Alps and more deadly heat waves are coming for Europeans because of global warming, Europe's environmental agency warned Wednesday.


San Francisco Rules Could Bar Elephants from Zoo Elephants must receive hundreds of times more space to live at San Francisco #39;s zoo or not be kept at the facility, city legislators said on Tuesday in legislation that could effectively bar pachyderms for good.


Nation briefs 11/28 MOUNT ST. HELENS -- A 3.1-magnitude earthquake shook the crater at Mount St. Helens on Saturday, the strongest quake at the volcano since mid-October.


The Euros cash in Bloomfield Township, Mich.- In the end Sunday, it seemed fit ting that Colin Mont gomerie, the spiritual leader of Europe #39;s Ryder Cup team, would seal ownership of the cup once again.


Technology ; Napster creator unveils online music technology After registering music and copyright information in Snocap #39;s database, labels and artists can manage online distribution through Snocap #39;s copyright management system, which lets them set rules for each track on a global basis.


PSG boss feels the pressure Paris St-Germain coach Vahid Halilhodzic admits he is worried by his side #39;s poor start to the season. The point the French Ligue 1 giants gained in Sunday #39;s 2-2 draw with newly-promoted St Etienne was only


Spain's SCH Wins British Bank for \$16 Bln  LONDON/MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish bank Santander claimed  victory for its 8.7 billion pound (\$15.6 billion) agreed  takeover of Britain's Abbey National after its most likely  rival, UK bank HBOS, pulled out of the race.


NTL banks on deal to sell masts for 1.27bn NTL, Britains largest cable firm, has struck an agreement with a consortium led by one of Australias top banks to sell its network of masts for 1.27 billion.


Vegetarians see red over Smarties colouring THERE are green ones, yellow ones and even blue ones. But how many beetle-coloured Smarties have you tried? Red Smarties get their bright colour from a dye made from dried and crushed insects.


Deadly hot summers  #39;to become the norm #39; Blisteringly hot summers similar to the one in 2003 when thousands of people in continental Europe died of heatstroke will become commonplace because of climate change, a study has found.


Africanized Bees May Have Arrived in Okla. (AP) AP - A swarm of bees that attacked a work crew earlier this month may be of the Africanized variety, which would mark the furthest north the so-called "killer" bees have traveled in the United States, scientists said.


#39;Patience, perseverance must be keynotes to resolve Kashmir #39; Islamabad, Sept. 10 (PTI): Contending that linking progress on talks on Kashmir to measure the success of the Indo-Pak dialogue process could lead to frustration and deadlock, the Pakistani media has said