Nikkei Poised to Fall for 8th Day  TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average fell 0.46 percent  by late Tuesday, setting the stage for an eighth straight day  of losses after oil prices topped \$50 a barrel, fanning  concerns about Japan Inc's prospects.


Blue Chips End Lower, Wal-Mart Weighs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blue chips ended lower on Monday  after a disappointing sales forecast from the world's biggest  retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT.N, overshadowed a two-day  pullback in oil prices.


Davenport's Victory Over Williams May Not Be Enough  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Top-ranked Lindsay Davenport pulled  off a stunning 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 win over Serena Williams at the  WTA Tour Championships Saturday, but her battling effort may  still might not be enough to get her into the semifinals.


Toyota, Nissan, Honda Shares Fall as US August Sales Decline Shares of Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. fell after their combined August US sales declined for the first time since 2002.


Benhamou will resign as chairman of PalmSource Eric Benhamou will resign as chairman of PalmSource Inc. on Oct. 28, the company announced Friday. The company said it expects he will continue in his role as chairman of sister company PalmOne Inc.


Casey shines in England golf win Paul Casey, with another inspired putting display, and Luke Donald have earned England a one-shot victory over home favourites Spain in the WGC-World Cup of Golf.


If You Believe (Forbes.com) Forbes.com - Frank L. VanderSloot sells items like Classic Tooth Polish ( #36;3 a tube), Replenex (90 glucosamine pills for  #36;10) and Nicole Miller Timeless Age Defying Serum ( #36;18 a bottle). He doesn't hit the road himself to ring doorbells. At 56, his sales days are far behind him. He leaves the pitching to an army of part-time hucksters who sell these and 350 other household and "health" products for Melaleuca, his privately held firm in Idaho Falls, Idaho.


Todt on the race, Rubens #39; victory, strategy and the  #39;China project <b>...</b> Following an  #39;eventful #39; inaugural Chinese Grand Prix, certainly as far as his team is concerned, Jean Todt sat down to answer a few questions, while company president Luca di Montezemolo disappeared to change out of his Champagne-soaked suit.


Site Bars Black Box Voting Head A politically progressive website at the forefront of discussions about electronic-voting machines and election irregularities is barring Black Box Voting founder Bev Harris from posting to its site. By Joanna Glasner.


Rite Aid Cuts View as Pharmacy Sales Slow (Reuters) Reuters - Drugstore chain Rite Aid Corp. \on Tuesday warned that full-year profit and revenue would fall\short of Wall Street expectations because of slowing pharmacy\sales as companies try to curb health-care costs.


Nortel to Cut 3,500 Jobs to Boost Profit OTTAWA (Reuters) - Nortel Networks Corp. (NT.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) posted long-awaited preliminary results for the first half of 2004 on Thursday, estimating first and second quarter earnings between nil and 1 cent per share.


Yankee directs anger at Bonds There are many reasons Yankees outfielder Gary Sheffield and Giants slugger Barry Bonds don #39;t hang out together anymore, but one of the biggest is the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative.


Goosen Does Unthinkable and Gets Woods Thinking When Tiger Woods and Jay Haas faltered, Retief Goosen knew how to finish, with a brilliant six-under-par 64 and a victory at the Tour Championship.


Oil Futures Prices Rise 4.5 on Outsize Drop in Supplies Crude oil futures prices surged by almost \$2 a barrel yesterday, the biggest increase in two months, after the Energy Department reported that United States oil supplies had declined more than expected.


Rumsfeld Arrives at Desert Marine Base in Iraq  AL-ASAD AIRBASE, Iraq (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Donald  Rumsfeld swept into an airbase in Iraq's western desert Sunday  to make a first-hand evaluation of operations to quell a raging  Iraqi insurgency in his first such visit in five months.


Regulators Clear Oracle's \$7.7 Billion Bid for PeopleSoft No conditions were placed on the decision by European Union antitrust regulators, which came after a yearlong investigation and scrutiny in the United States.


PluggedIn: DVD Lagging TV in Recorders Race (Reuters) Reuters - DVD recorders are getting cheaper and\easier to use, but that may not be enough to spark demand for\the sluggish selling devices.


Nasdaq Ends Up, Dow Slips The tech-driven Nasdaq Composite Index got a 1 percent boost on Thursday on gains in the semiconductor sector, but the blue-chip Dow ended down slightly after Caterpillar Inc.


Apple Stock Jumps to 4-Year High on IPod (AP) AP - Apple Computer Inc. stock jumped to a four-year high Monday after a major Wall Street firm nearly doubled its price target on the stock, saying that customer satisfaction with its iPod music player is creating "wildfire word-of-mouth marketing" for its Mac computers and other products.


Pedro knows his daddy Boston -- There were no new concession speeches or genealogy reports issued yesterday by Pedro Martinez. Nothing more needed to be said.


Allawi refuses to abide by demands of the British hostage <b>...</b> The interim Iraqi prime minister Eyad Allawi refused to abide by the demands of the kidnappers of the British hostage Margaret Hassan who is threatened to be killed unless the British government withdraw its forces from Iraq.


SEC inks deal for online posting of financial statements THE SECURITIES Exchange Commission (SEC) has signed a 128-million-peso contract with several information technology firms to help develop the agency #39;s online reporting system for Philippine companies.


Washington case done; will NCAA act on MSU next? A Mississippi State official said Wednesday that with the University of Washington #39;s NCAA infractions case now over, a resolution might be coming soon for MSU.


Airline Stocks Sink on Gloomy Outlook The airline sector, clouded by US Airways Group Inc. #39;s recent bankruptcy and Delta Air Lines Inc. #39;s impending financial shortfall, sank deeper in Monday trading as low-cost carriers took a hit from lowered analyst ratings.


Powell hails tsunami relief bid US Secretary of State Colin Powell pledges America's full support for the tsunami aid effort, as he visits Thailand.


NASA Postpones Launch of Super-Fast Jet to Tuesday (Reuters) Reuters - NASA officials on Monday postponed\for a day the launch of an unmanned experimental jet that would\have attempted to shoot out across the Pacific Ocean at a\record speed of more than 7,000 mph after an apparent glitch\with its electronics systems.


Stocks sent sliding on rash of bad news US stocks fell sharply as record oil prices and disappointing sales forecasts from Microsoft Corp. spurred losses in technology shares.


HP's Reports Rise in Fourth-Quarter Profit Hewlett-Packard Co. reported Tuesday a 26.5 percent rise in fourth-quarter profit on the strength of record revenue growth across all of the computer manufacturing giant's businesses.


Good times make Howard favourite This morning, as Australians prepare to vote in their federal election, John Winston Howard looks increasingly likely to win a fourth term as Prime Minister, eclipsing Labor #39;s Bob Hawke to become


From Troops, a Few Votes for a Quick Way Home U.S. soldiers in Iraq are largely supportive of President Bush, but they also expressed widespread pessimism about the war.


Israel Hits Hamas Training Camp in Gaza, Killing 14  GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli tanks, helicopters and warplanes  pounded a Hamas training camp on Tuesday, killing 14 militants  in the deadliest ever strike against the Islamic faction a week  after it carried out a double suicide bombing.


NASA's 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel Leaves Powerful Legacy NASA -- When the massive fan blades stop turning for the last time on September 30, 2004, the steel walls of the 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel will continue to reverberate with an incredible history of aeronautical research spanning over six decades.    The stone "NACA" plate over the building's main entrance at NASA's Langley Research Center only hints at the historical significance of the facility...


Indonesia's Megawati faces former general in landmark presidential polls (AFP) AFP - From the remote jungles of Papua to the high rises of Jakarta, Indonesia was staging landmark elections widely expected to see a former general unseat President Megawati Sukarnoputri.


Thousands protest Iraq war, Powell visit In the first major public demonstration since the start of the Olympics, thousands of protesters clashed with police who stopped them from marching


New Law Could Sink Check Writers ATLANTA -- New federal laws take effect Thursday that could dramatically shorten the time it takes for a check to clear the bank because the information will now be transmitted electronically.


Apple Recalls PowerBook Batteries Apple Computer this week launched a voluntary worldwide 15-inch PowerBook G4 battery exchange program to deal with 28,000 potentially faulty units.


Soccer: Del Neri appointed Roma coach ROME : Luigi Del Neri has been appointed coach of AS Roma, the troubled Serie A club confirmed. Del Neri arrived here Wednesday morning and went immediately to the home of Roma president Franco Sensi to iron out last minute details of the contract.


Kan. to Move Forward on Dinosaur Exhibit (AP) AP - Concerns about funding and poor attendance will not stop plans to bring a dinosaur exhibit to Science City at Union Station, University of Kansas and Science City officials said.


Mbeki in Ivory Coast Rebel Town on Peace Mission  BOUAKE, Ivory Coast (Reuters) - South African President  Thabo Mbeki took his peace mission to Ivory Coast's rebel town  of Bouake on Sunday, where he was greeted by tens of thousands  of people demanding President Laurent Gbagbo quit.


CA updates Unicenter offerings Computer Associates Monday announced the general availability of three Unicenter performance management products for mainframe data management.


Olympus to Launch Hard Disc Portable Music Player  TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese precision equipment maker  Olympus Corp. 7733.T said on Wednesday it would launch a  portable music player equipped with a hard disc drive, entering  an increasingly crowded field now dominated by Apple Computer's  AAPL.O iPod.


Open Source Leader Takes Sun's Schwartz to Task (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - Open-source leader Eric Raymond spells out his objections to Sun President Jonathan Schwartz's contention that the Java Community Process is truer to open-source ideas than is Linux.


Bears, George Talk The Bears intend to sign Jeff George, a team source said Saturday. George has not played since he was released by the Redskins in 2001.


Braves Preparing for Postseason Run (AP) AP - With a 13th straight division title all but assured, the Atlanta Braves can go into a familiar mode: preparing for the postseason.


Angels climb into tie for first Vladimir Guerrero says he #39;s not trying to win a MVP award, that he #39;s merely trying to drive the Angels to the postseason. But it #39;s uncanny how in striving for one goal, sometimes another appears on the horizon.


Gibbs Admires Well-Grounded Ravens Offense When Washington Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs and his staff watch the Baltimore Ravens run the football, they cannot help but recall their great Redskins teams of old.


Barca expand lead with Real #39;s goalless draw Barca expanded their lead with Real Madrid #39;s lackluster 0-0 draw at Villarreal in the Spanish first division league on Sunday.


ONGC acquires West Australian co, signs MOU with Karnataka Bangalore: The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) acquired a Canadian off-shore oilfield in West Australia yesterday, its Chairman and Managing Director, Mr Subir Raha, announced today.


Suicide Bomber Dies, Wounds Seven in Kabul Attack A suicide bomber killed himself and wounded at least seven others including three members of the NATO-led peacekeeping force in an attack on a busy shopping street in central Kabul Saturday.


Grand Central spiffs up integration service Company beefs up online service for shipping business information between firms over the Net.


Militants Behead Three in Afghan South - Official  SPIN BOLDAK, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Suspected Taliban  militants beheaded three Afghan soldiers in the troubled  southern province of Zabul over the weekend in the latest  pre-election violence, an official said Monday.


CEO Louis Camilleri says Altria preparing to break up company Altria Group Inc. is beginning to make the needed preparations to possibly split up into several parts in order to maximize shareholder value, chairman and chief executive Louis Camilleri said Thursday.


Lions return star nearly steals Garrard #39;s turn in spotlight JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars did everything you should do to protect an inexperienced quarterback. They ran the ball well, limiting his chances for mistakes.


ROY JONES JUNIOR.. A LEGEND THAT TIME CAUGHT UP WITH.. In his prime, Roy Jones was the greatest pound for pound fighter in the world. He dazzled us with electrifying speed, unmatched lateral movement, boxing smarts, and mad slipping ability.


Chip tool orders fall in August SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Orders for chip-equipment placed with North American manufacturers declined in August and could decline further in coming months, an industry trade group said late Thursday.


Spreading The Gospel of Firefox Three days after the preview release of Firefox 1.0 and more than 720,000 downloads later, the Mozilla Foundation is moving to a new phase in its online campaign to build more market share.


Hampden stroll for Swedes SCOTLAND #39;s hopes of a fresh start following the sacking of Berti Vogts as manager were shattered at Hampden Park today. A double from striker Marcus Allback and a goal apiece for substitute Johan Elmander


Brown Has Chance for Rookie Run Record (AP) AP - Eddie George left Tennessee with a bunch of team rushing records. In just his third NFL start, Chris Brown now has an opportunity to do something George never could.


NASA: Bush Stifles Global Warming Evidence President Bush arrives off of Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House after a day of campaigning, Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004, in Washington.


Myopic Congress lacks spyware focus Analysis I (don't) SPY with my little eye


Economic Growth Better Than Thought  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy grew faster in the  second quarter than previously thought as business inventories  rose at the strongest rate in four years, the government said  on Wednesday, a sign the soft patch was not as soft as feared.


Ottawa has money for national drug program, provincial finance ministers say (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - Ottawa has the money to set up and pay for a national pharmacare program despite its insistence to the contrary, provincial finance ministers said Friday.


Premiership: Pompey win thriller Portsmouth won a seven-goal thriller at Fratton Park against Fulham, Aiyegbeni Yakubu netting a hat-trick. The home side were 4-3 winners in the end, although Fulham had earlier pulled back two goals after going 3-0 down very early on the match.


Time for Williams to check his ego into a penthouse suite In a hotel suite in Las Vegas a couple of days ago a fighter unpacked the bags he had carried down from the drab suburban bungalow that had been his rented home.


Update 1: Judge Backs Owens Corning on Exec Bonuses Owens Corning was well within its rights to offer its top executives bonuses to keep them from leaving the bankrupt corporation, a judge said Wednesday.


Mozilla Thunderbirs 1.0 e-mail client launched The Mozilla Foundation today announced the worldwide availability of the Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0 e-mail client. Thunderbird follows last month #39;s highly successful release of the open-source browser, Mozilla Firefox 1.0.


Ortiz Saves Red Sox David Ortiz hammers a two-run, 12th inning home run to give the Boston Red Sox new life and a 6-4 win over the Yankees early Monday morning. New York leads the series 3-1.


Grand ayatollah brokers deal The senior Shiite cleric #39;s spokesman says that Muqtada al-Sadr #39;s army will abandon the Imam Ali shrine today. BY HANNAH ALLAM.


Heatwave Study May Fuel Global Warming Lawsuits (Reuters) Reuters - A study of a 2003 heatwave in Europe may\give Pacific islanders and environmentalists new ammunition for\legal cases blaming the United States for global warming,\advocates said on Thursday.


Weekdays at 4:45 PM on Radio 990 in Manitoba WINNIPEG - After more than 200 games, former Winnipegger Todd MacCulloch has decided to retire from the National Basketball Association.


AOL reaches agreement on securities fraud America Online, the internet division of Time Warner, will be charged with criminal securities fraud but is likely to avoid prosecution under a settlement


Fresno State Slams No. 13 Kansas State MANHATTAN, Kansas (Sports Network) - Dwayne Wright rushed for 74 yards and two touchdowns and Paul Pinegar added a pair of scoring passes, as Fresno State crushed 13th-ranked Kansas State, 45-21, at KSU Stadium.


NYC Denies All Central Park Rally Permits (AP) AP - The city's decision to deny a permit to protesters for a rally on Central Park's Great Lawn on the weekend before the Republican National Convention is about preserving the lawn, not suppressing speech, lawyers for the city said in federal court Friday.


Chargers Name Rivers No. 2 Quarterback (AP) AP - Philip Rivers just got a lot closer to taking his first snap with the woeful San Diego Chargers.


Sudan says Darfur rebels using human shields Sudan #39;s security chief has said rebels in the western region of Darfur have drawn army fire and aerial bombardment on to Darfur villages by using them as cover and as bases for military operations.


Hamm Wins All-Around Gymnastics Title ATHENS, Greece - After falling onto the edge of the judges' table on the landing of his vault, Paul Hamm performed two of the most spectacular routines of his career to win the men's all-around gymnastics title by the closest Olympic margin ever.    Needing a 9.825 on high bar, his best event, to tie Kim Dae-eun of South Korea for gold, Hamm was dazzling...


High Stakes Showdown in Najaf The fallout from Shiites fighting U.S. Marines in a holy city could weaken Iraq's new government


US Airways, pilots seek common ground Pilots and management at US Airways continue talks Friday in hopes of making a deal to help save the struggling carrier. Negotiations might continue into the Labor Day weekend, says pilots union spokesman Jack Stephan.


Ratings off to a good start Saturday night's Game 1 World Series telecast returned a 13.7 national rating (25 share), the highest number for a Game 1 since the 1999 opener of the Yankees-Braves Series delivered a 14.2 (26 share) on NBC. It was the highest-rated World Series Game 1 for Fox since it began broadcasting baseball in 1996 (NBC retained the Series in 1997 and ...


Former BEA executives launch open source company Three former BEA Systems Inc. executives who left earlier this year have resurfaced as founders of a Seattle startup that plans to begin integrating and supporting a variety of open source server software next year.


Federer, Roddick lead charge into Bangkok semis Bangkok, Thailand (Sports Network) - The world #39;s top players -- Roger Federer and Andy Roddick -- highlighted Friday #39;s quarterfinal winners at the \$550,000 Thailand Open.


Kuchma warns over Ukraine chaos Ukraine's outgoing president warns against disorder ahead of a close election to choose his successor.


The makings of Siliconski Valleyski? Russia turns to India for help setting up IT industrial parks in Moscow.


SEC charges Lord Black and takes control of Hollinger REGULATORS in the US moved to seize the bulk of Lord Black of Crossharbours wealth yesterday and remove his power as controlling shareholder of Hollinger International, the newspaper publisher.


Second Olympic gold for Chinese Taipei : Olympics 2004 Athens  gt; Athens, Aug 26 : Chu Mu Yen Thursday collected the second Olympic gold for Chinese Taipei in the men #39;s 58-kg taekwondo final, minutes after Chen Shih Hsin had won the historic gold in the women #39;s 49-kg, reports Xinhua.


15 U.S. Agencies Told to Share Earth Data (AP) AP - The White House on Wednesday told 15 federal agencies to better share scientific data about the Earth among themselves and with other nations.


Intel Demonstrates New Chips Intel Corp. President Paul S. Otellini yesterday demonstrated new chips scheduled for release next year that simultaneously run tasks such as burning CDs and playing video games, as he sought to allay concerns about product delays. -Bloomberg News


Locust swarm invade Canaries An estimated 100 million locusts force tourists and locals to abandon beaches in the Canary Islands.


Disney Says CEO Eisner to Retire in 2006  LONDON (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co Chief Executive Michael  Eisner will retire in September 2006, when his contract  expires, the company said on Friday.


SIA: Chip growth slowed in August Industry analysts have served notice that the double-digit growth of the PC industry is slowing, which has already had an effect on the growth rates of the chip industry, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.


US: Zarqawi  #39;associate #39; killed An early morning US air strike has killed a  quot;known associate quot; of Islamic militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq #39;s restive Sunni Triangle region, the military said.


Nikkei Average Fall 1 Percent at Opening  TOKYO (Reuters) - The Nikkei average fell 1 percent at the  opening on Friday, with investors taking a cue from the U.S.  Dow Jones average, which fell to its lowest close in five weeks  on concern about high oil prices.


Indonesia Orders Security Clampdown (AP) AP - Indonesia ordered a nationwide security crackdown Thursday after Australia, Britain and New Zealand warned terrorists were preparing to attack ahead of Christmas.


Pizarro double boosts Bayern hopes Claudio Pizarro scored both goals as Bayern Munich defeated Bundesliga leaders VfL Wolfsburg 2-0 and moved within one point of the top on Tuesday night.


SEC PREVIEW Tennessee at South Carolina (11:30 am): The 11th-ranked Volunteers (6-1, 4-1 SEC) continue on the road to Atlanta despite a misfiring offense.


Beshir accuses US of supporting Darfur rebels CAIRO - Sudanese President Omar el-Beshir has accused the United States of backing rebels  quot;to the hilt quot; in the country #39;s war-torn Darfur region and said the crisis there has been blown out of all proportion.


Bush's Campaign Site Reported Blocking (AP) AP - U.S. President George W. Bush's official campaign Web site has blocked access to foreign Web surfers since Monday, an Internet monitoring company said Wednesday.


Global LCD Oversupply to Peak in Q3 A global oversupply of large-sized liquid crystal displays (LCDs) is forecast to peak in the third quarter of this year, but it will balance out by the fourth quarter, a US-based research firm said on Friday.


Europeans want portable music, not video - survey Only 13 per cent of Europeans are interested in portable video players, according to a survey from Jupiter Research. The market research group surveyed 5,000 consumers in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden


WPP revenues climb but jury still out on 2005 WPP Group, the world #39;s second largest advertising company, says its third-quarter revenues grew ahead of analyst expectations but has warned of an uncertain 2005.


Good feelings at India-Pakistan summit, but road to peace long <b>...</b> NEW DELHI: The leaders of India and Pakistan have brightened South Asia #39;s peace hopes with a feel-good first meeting but skirted away from tough issues such as their half-century old conflict over Kashmir, analysts say.


Feeling right at home in the ACC It hasn #39;t taken Miami and Virginia Tech long to start reaping the benefits of membership in the conference. BLACKSBURG -- It #39;s hard to overlook the irony.


Last two Egyptians  #39;set free #39; THE last two Egyptian telecom employees held hostage in Iraq had been freed, Al-Arabiya television reported today, quoting its own correspondent.


WENGER LET DOWN BY GUNNERS DRAW Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger felt his side were too cautious after a disappointing 1-1 draw away to Norwegian side Rosenborg in the Champions League.


EU not sure how to spell Euro in Latvian (Reuters) Reuters - Red-faced European Union bureaucrats have agreed to\urgently look at how "euro" is being spelt by some of new EU member states from eastern Europe\after central bankers noted discrepancies.


Tennis: Johansson stuns Roddick Sweden's Joachim Johansson beats defending champion Andy Roddick in five sets.


UK travel firms to shed 800 jobs TUI, Europe's largest travel firm, is cutting 800 jobs at its UK businesses - Thomson Holidays, Lunn Poly and Brittania Airways.


Ivory Coast troops clash with rebels  ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast -- Rebel fighters clashed with government troops, and warplanes struck rebel positions in the north yesterday, escalating hostilities a day after army hard-liners broke a cease-fire and relaunched Ivory Coast's civil war after more than a year of relative peace.


Google wins fight against Geico Google #39;s motion to dismiss legal proceedings brought against it by insurance company Geico was granted on Wednesday by a US District Court judge.


Sports: Brewers 7 Cardinals 6 ST. LOUIS Keith Ginter hit a three-run homer as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-to-6. The NL Central champion Cards suffered a season-high fourth straight loss.


Talks End With No U.S. Climate Deal A U.N. conference ended early Saturday with a vague plan for informal new talks on how to slow global warming but without a U.S. commitment to multilateral negotiations on next steps, including emissions controls.


MPAA to Sue Over Movie File Sharing The movie industry announced Thursday it will file its first wave of lawsuits later this month against those it alleges are illegally sharing copyrighted films on the Internet, joining the music industry in its fight against piracy. -The Washington Post


Clubhouse Is Opened to Sifford HE #39;S considered to be golf #39;s Jackie Robinson, but between puffs on a cigar, Charlie Sifford preferred to compare his struggle to that of another black man in another nation.


Oil Prices Climb Above  #36;42 a Barrel (Reuters) Reuters - Oil prices climbed above  #36;42 a barrel\on Wednesday, rising for the third day in a row as the heavy\consuming U.S. Northeast feels the first chills of winter.


Germany to continue Iran talks before Nov.25 LONDON, Oct 23 (IranMania) - The German government on Friday called for continued political talks on Irans nuclear programme ahead of the November 25 meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agencys (IAEA) Board of Governors, Iran #39;s State news Agency


NL Wrap: Walker Grand Slam Helps Cards Beat Reds Again NEW YORK (Reuters) - Larry Walker hit a grand slam home run to key a six-run eighth inning as the Cardinals stayed hot with a 7-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds in St Louis on Tuesday.


How Redmond Won Newham Microsoft chalked up a couple of government contract wins in the UK this week. But while Redmond touts total cost of ownership studies (TCO), an open source consultant says the numbers don #39;t add up.


Afghan government says drug smugglers were behind political attack <b>...</b> KABUL, Afghanistan The Afghan government is blaming drug smugglers for yesterday #39;s attack on the leading vice presidential candidate .


Knicks 113 76ers 107, overtime PHILADELPHIA Allan Houston and Kurt Thomas provided the big baskets in New York #39;s 113-to-107 overtime triumph at Philadelphia.


REVIEW: Music Player Measures Running Pace (AP) AP - It's been a few decades since anyone recorded my mile splits as I bounded over hill and dale, immersed in running's intoxicating rhythm.


Napster plans to offer mobile ringtones Online music retailer Napster announced its plans to enter the mobile ringtones market on Thursday. Napster, part of Roxio, Inc., said, it will partner with mobile content publisher Dwango Wireless to deliver ringtones to its mobile customers.


EU hits back over Boeing #39;s  quot;massive quot; aid The EU has hit back after Washington filed a case at the World Trade Organisation over state aid for aircraft maker Airbus EAD.PA , filing its own case over what it called  quot;massive illegal quot; aid for Boeing BA.


Pirates! Ships! It #39;s unfortunately not the next Uncharted Waters game, but the remake of a classic Sid Meier #39;s title will certainly do... Atari and Firaxis Games announced today that the highly-anticipated sequel to one of


Arafat Has Liver Failure, Officials Say  PARIS (Reuters) - Yasser Arafat lay critically ill with  liver failure on Sunday and his condition was getting no  better, a Palestinian official said, as Palestinian leaders  adopted in his absence a plan to restore order in their areas.


Sharon Says Will Seek Coalition with Labor (Reuters) Reuters - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon\said Thursday he would seek a coalition with Shimon Peres's\Labor Party and pledged to press ahead with a planned Gaza\pullout.


Kazakhstan mining blast kills 18 At least 18 miners have died and three are missing in a methane gas blast in Kazakhstan, officials say.


Spam Is Finally a Crime A brother and sister who sent junk e-mail to millions of America Online customers were convicted in the nation #39;s first felony prosecution of internet spam distributors.


HP performance hitting its groove Riding on record revenue across all its business segments, Hewlett- Packard Co. delivered surprisingly strong financial reports for its fiscal fourth quarter, with profit up 26.5 percent.


Andy Cole #39;s ban reduced Fulham striker Andy Cole has had his three-match suspension reduced to one by the Football Association after a successful appeal. Cole had been suspended for a total of six games after incidents in the away


Johnson rides into  #39;playoffs #39; with hype, skill on his side It might make the racing crowd cringe, but what NASCAR boss Brian France is doing to manufacture excitement at a time of the year when racing usually hits a lull and sports fans


New al-Qaida Tape Airs Two days before the third anniversary of the September 11th attacks, a new tape from an Osama bin Laden deputy has aired. The al-Qaida man says US forces have been driven into the  quot;trenches #39; #39; in Afghanistan.


Strong Quake Jolts Manila, No Major Damage Reported  MANILA (Reuters) - A strong earthquake jolted Manila and  other parts of the northern Philippines on Friday night,  prompting many to rush into the streets, but officials said  there were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage.


Dementyeva Looks to Future After Loss NEW YORK -- When Yelena Dementyeva lost to fellow Russian Anastasia Myskina in the French Open final in June, she could barely hold back the tears.


Isinbayeva aims to be female Bubka Yelena Isinbayeva beat her own world record to clinch the Olympic women #39;s pole vault gold on Tuesday coming one step closer to matching the performances of her idol, Sergei Bubka.


Eagles ink Reid through 2010 PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) - Andy Reid will get a few more chances to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl. The Eagles on Wednesday signed Reid to a four-year contract extension through the 2010 season.


Day of Violence Across Iraq Leaves 52 Dead BAGHDAD, Iraq - A suicide car bomber slammed into a line of police cars sealing off a Baghdad neighborhood Friday as American troops rounded up dozens of suspected militants, capping a day of violence across Iraq that left at least 52 dead.    Among the 63 suspects arrested were Syrians, Sudanese and Egyptians, officials said...


Scarce insects duck UK splat test Insects in the UK are less common than many of us think, a simple test by birdlovers suggests.


Adobe, Kodak team on photo printing Adobe Systems is making Kodak's Ofoto the preferred online printing service in consumer versions of its Photoshop image editing applications.


Qantas raises fuel surcharge Qantas Airways has raised its fuel surcharge on domestic and international tickets by \$4 and \$7, respectively, because of the high price of oil.


Wal-Mart misses comp-sales target November same-store sales growth was sharply below target, Wal-Mart Stores said Saturday. Free! Sign up here to receive our Before the Bell e-Newsletter!


Exam board clears Harry London, Oct. 16: Prince Harry was cleared yesterday of cheating in his art A-level by the examination board that set and marked his papers.


UN: Chaos Looms in Darfur The United Nations is warning of impending chaos in Sudan #39;s western Darfur region, with increasing violence and a breakdown of order.


Oil price climbs back above \$50 The price of crude oil moves back above the benchmark \$50 a barrel mark as production facilities in the Gulf of Mexico remain down.


Honeywell to Bolster Research in India Aerospace and high-tech manufacturer Honeywell International Inc. will hire 1,000 software programmers and invest \$10 million in India over the next 12 months to bolster its research and development activities, an company official said Monday.


Gartner: Renegotiate software license deals now com November 23, 2004, 10:44 AM PT. This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been enterprise directories for several months, but for many IT managers, ERP (enterprise resource planning) and open source initiatives are on the horizon.


Rams QB has USC #39;s attention Southern California tailback LenDale White remembers Justin Holland from high school. The Colorado State quarterback made quite an impression.


Mexico's 'Volcano of Fire' Spews Lava (AP) AP - Western Mexico's "Volcano of Fire" unleashed a towering column of smoke and ash Friday, after ropes of burning, orange lava poured from its peak overnight.


20 terrorist gangs busted: Sherpao ISLAMABAD, Nov 10: Law-enforcement agencies of the country in their war on terror have busted 20 gangs of terrorists and arrested 200 terrorists who were operating countrywide, said Federal Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao.


Nokia Preminet goes Hollywood p2pnet.net News:-  #39;Branded #39; entertainment, life-style and sports content will be available as part of Nokia #39;s Preminet Solution, its new end-to-end mobile content distribution and transaction service for mobile network operators.


sailors settle for bronze The British sailors Simon Hiscocks and Chris Draper have been forced to settle for bronze in the 49er class. The pair had been guaranteed a medal before the 16th race and started the day only two points behind


Terror Bombings Hit Egypt A total of 32 people were killed in Thursday night #39;s (Oct 7) terror attacks on two Sinai holiday resorts frequented by Israelis: 29 at the Taba Hilton and three at Ras a-Satan.


Dell Unveils Inexpensive Projector New 2300MP digital model offers high brightness and resolution, at a low price.


FEATURE-Splendid disregard for convention marked Miller Deep in thought, almost certainly unrelated to the task in hand, Keith Miller once led 12 men on to the field for New South Wales.


Khmer Rouge tribunal approved Cambodia has ratified legislation to set up a UN-assisted tribunal which will put leaders of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime on trial.


San Francisco Giants Team Report - September 18 (Sports Network) - With his 700th career homer now behind him, Barry Bonds can focus on the task of trying to get his Giants into the playoffs.


No. 7 Florida St. Tops No. 6 Virginia 36-3 (AP) AP - Virginia was ranked higher than Florida State and looking for its first road win against a top-10 team. The No. 6 Cavaliers couldn't even get a touchdown Saturday.


Everton Football Club midfielder set for reprieve? Everton Football Club midfielder Tim Cahill could get the red card he received at the weekend rescinded. The Australian was shown two yellow cards by referee Steve Bennett, the second one dished out following


SAP and HP to offer hosted ERP German software giant SAP is teaming with Hewlett-Packard (HP) to offer midmarket companies in the US a hosted software offering that includes applications, maintenance, services and support for a monthly fee.


Getting Into Google Book Search - Google Print Getting Into Google Book Search - Google Print\\Google Print, Google Print, Argh Argh Argh! Since I got back from Web Search University I have been buried in sites and resources to review. I despair of catching up. And they keep piling on, as evidenced by the launch of Google Print. ...


Scientist Teaching Bacteria to Eat Coffee Plant's Caffeine (Reuters) Reuters - In what could be a page taken from a\science fiction novel, a scientist in his laboratory is trying\to teach bacteria how to devour and destroy the caffeine\contained in a coffee plant.


Gold Medal Dispute Set to End Thursday (AP) AP - Paul Hamm is finally going to have an answer for everyone who asks if he's going to be able to keep his Olympic gold medal.


Hernandez, Indians agree to one-year deal The team and infielder Jose Hernandez agreed to a one-year, one-point-eight (m) million dollar contract today at the winter meetings in Anaheim, California.


SpaceShipOne set to take X-Prize The rocket plane SpaceShipOne is just one flight away from claiming the \$10m Ansari X-Prize.


Lenard has surgery on Achilles Denver Nuggets: Shooting guard Voshon Lenard will be out for at least six months after surgery on his torn Achilles tendon. The team said the surgery on Lenard #39;s left leg was a success.


Jockey Club clears Fallon Kieren Fallon, the former champion Flat jockey, will not face disrepute charges relating to race-fixing allegations made against him in a Sunday newspaper, the Jockey Club said on Tuesday.


Lowe's Profit Up 15 Pct., Tops Estimates  ATLANTA (Reuters) - Lowe's Cos. LOW.N, the No. 2 home  improvement retailer, on Monday reported a 15 percent rise in  third-quarter profit, topping estimates, aided by its expansion  into large U.S. markets.


Creating a home office with Staples CEO HOPKINTON -- If there's one room in the house that's his, Ron Sargent says it's the home office.


Seeing double As chipmakers plunge into the world of multicore processors to increase performance, software companies are struggling to catch up.


Athletics Hold Ichiro in Check, Move Back Into First Ichiro Suzuki went home without the major league hits record, thanks to Oakland's determined pitching staff -- and a much bigger hit by Bobby Crosby.


Sources: Sony BMG, Grokster in talks on new file-sharing venture LOS ANGELES - Sony BMG Music Entertainment and online peer-to-peer software distributor Grokster are working on a new venture that is expected to offer paid and free song downloads over the Internet, sources say.


Star concert honours Nobel winner Tom Cruise and Oprah Winfrey host a concert paying tribute to Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai.


Sex charges haunt UN forces In places like Congo and Kosovo, peacekeepers have been accused of abusing the people they're protecting.


Services Sector Index Slips in September  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Growth in the vast U.S. services  sector slowed in September, with a significant decrease in  prices paid but a solid employment component, according to an  industry survey published on Tuesday.


Majerus named head coach at USC Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Rick Majerus accepted an offer to become the head basketball coach at Southern California and was introduced Wednesday afternoon.


US passes Russian test ATHENS -- They wanted each other. They got each other. One more time. The United States women's basketball team survived a grind-a-thon against Russia yesterday and will go for the gold today against Australia. It's a rematch of the gold medal game from the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, which the US won, 76-54, in a game also remembered for Aussie ...


Brazil denies getting nuclear technology from Pakistan: World News Brasilia, Oct 2 : Brazil has denied that technology for its centrifuge plants for uranium enrichment comes from the clandestine nuclear network headed by Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan.


VMware aims for four-processor abilities Software that lets computers split into virtual machines will create more powerful subdivisions.


The reign has ended Vijay Singh #39;s long quest for No. 1 finally comes to fruition after he knocks off Tiger Woods on Labor Day at the TPC of Boston.


Maine #39;s new gold standard Michael Phelps gave Ian Crocker a gift and Crocker made the most of it Saturday. As Phelps watched from the stands, cheering and waving a small American flag, Crocker


Wal-Mart Says August Sales May Be Little Changed (Update4) Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world #39;s largest retailer, said August sales will be little changed or rise as much as 2 percent, hurt by Hurricane Charley and sluggish demand for back-to-school products.


Former MVP Caminiti Dies of Heart Attack at 41 Former National League Most Valuable Player Ken Caminiti, who in 2002 admitted he used steroids, died of a heart attack in New York on Sunday, Major League Baseball reported on its Web Site.


Missouri Linebacker Suspended for Game (AP) AP - Missouri starting linebacker David Richard has been suspended from Saturday's Big 12 game against Colorado.


Registers ring, stores are listening Consumers shrugged off rising energy costs and kept spending in October, boosting retail sales and supporting forecasts of a solid holiday season ahead for retailers.


International Space Station Status Report: SS04-033 The International Space Station (ISS) crew made steady progress with maintenance work this week. Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka and NASA Station Science Officer Mike Fincke restored the primary oxygen


Firms Vie for Air Force Space Command Work Three local companies are among four contractors that will vie for \$610 million in consulting, engineering and technical services with the Air Force Space Command over the next five years.


ESPN Launching College Sports Initiative (AP) AP - ESPN will launch a new multimedia college sports initiative in March 2005 that includes a new 24-hour television network and content from ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine.


CRTC hearings explore need to regulate Internet voice services GATINEAU, Que. (CP) - Are Internet phone calls a new frontier or just a technological tweak for an old service? That was the question before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission


Nintendo Unveils Lineup for DS Handheld (AP) AP - Madden NFL 2005 and Spider-Man 2 are among the dozen video games Nintendo Co. says it plans to offer for is new DS handheld system within a month of the product's November launch.


Voting methods under close watch If you think the country is divided and rancorous about the presidential contest, try polling a few experts about the accuracy and security of electronic voting.


World airlines #39; loss estimate: \$4 billion MONTREAL - Despite a jump of 19 percent in world air traffic this year, airlines are expected to lose as much as \$4 billion in 2004 because of high fuel costs, the International Air Transport Association said Monday.


Miami, Florida St. Regrouping After Storm (AP) AP - Florida State and Miami were originally scheduled to play Monday. Instead, they spent the day trying to recover from Hurricane Frances.


Bell set for Test debut Ian Bell is almost certain to make his England Test debut on Thursday in the final match against West Indies.


High dose vitamin E death warning People who take even moderately high doses of vitamin E could be putting their lives at risk, mounting evidence suggests.


Afghans vote in presidential poll Around 100-thousand armed security personnel, including 27-thousand foreign troops from a US-led coalition and NATO, have been deployed to protect more than 10 million registered voters.


Yanks Tattoo Martinez, Sox In 11-1 Rout NEW YORKA weekend which began with rain and hope ended in sunshine and frustration for the Red Sox. Pedro Martinez allowed a two-run home run to Gary Sheffield on the fourth pitch of the game and the Yankees


John Flaherty is a career .255 hitter with 78 homers and 384 RBIs. <b>...</b> NEW YORK -- The Yankees made their first player signing of the 2004-05 offseason on Friday, inking backup catcher John Flaherty to a one-year contract.


Israel: No Vacation From Terror Oct. 18 issue - The first warnings filtered into the offices of Israel #39;s Shabak security service last January. Terrorists were plotting to carry out an attack on Israeli tourists in Egypt #39;s Sinai Peninsula


FDA Chief Counsel Daniel Troy Resigns (AP) AP - Daniel E. Troy, chief counsel for the Food and Drug Administration, resigned Tuesday with plans to return to the private sector.


Dell May Soon Unveil More Consumer Goods -Analyst  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dell Inc. DELL.O, the world's  largest PC maker, could announce an expanded selection of its  consumer electronics line in the next several weeks, a retail  industry analyst said on Wednesday.


Fencing: U.S. and Swiss End Gold Drought  ATHENS (Reuters) - Mariel Zagunis won the first fencing  gold for the United States for 100 years when she beat Xue Tan  of China 15-9 in the inaugural Olympic women's sabre final on  Tuesday.


Oracle, AMD and Sun to woo Asian developers Will invest \$30 million on bringing software developers in five Asian countries into their fold.


Lions put it into perspective The Brisbane Lions #39; football manager stepped out of the changerooms just before six o #39;clock last night and handed one of the milling supporters a six-pack of beer.


Today #39;s games Injuries: Michigan State -- LB Seth Mitchell (knee), questionable. Notre Dame -- RB Ryan Grant (hamstring), probable. Overview: The Spartans, going for their seventh victory in eight games vs.


WTO rejects a US appeal GENEVA The top court of the World Trade Organization on Monday dismissed a US appeal of an April decision that Canada #39;s Wheat Board met international rules, undermining the Bush administration #39;s efforts to dismantle the Canadian agency.


Vodafone plans worldwide 3G expansion (FT.com) FT.com - Vodafone is to kick-start a global push into 3G with an array of mobile phones that is likely to outstrip the range of handsets being sold by many of its rivals.


Jackson Acknowledges Settling Past Claims LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson, facing child-molestation allegations, acknowledged he has reached financial settlements with people in the past to avoid the embarrassment of going to court, but added he would never harm a child.    The six-paragraph statement was released hours before "Dateline NBC" broadcast a lengthy report alleging that the entertainer paid \$2 million to the son of an employee at his Neverland Ranch in 1990 to avoid a child-molestation accusation...


Dollar Ignores Data as Slump Continues  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar slumped across the board on  Friday, as dealers shrugged off positive U.S. economic data  amid concerns about the currency's shaky fundamentals.


OSC sees no evidence of market timing by insiders Ontario #39;s securities watchdog said today it hasn #39;t found any evidence of  quot;market timing quot; by insiders of four major Canadian mutual fund firms that are the focus of a high-profile probe of the controversial trading strategy.


Militant cleared of Bali bombings Indonesian militant Idris is jailed for a hotel bombing in Jakarta, but cleared of the Bali attacks because of a new law.


US Middle East reform initiative to hold first session in Morocco (AFP) AFP - A Washington-inspired project for Middle East reform will begin in Morocco next month by looking at ways of improving cooperation and strengthening political and economic reform, the foreign ministry said.


Falcons RB Duckett Sidelined with Knee Injury  FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (Sports Network) - Atlanta Falcons  running back T.J. Duckett is expected to undergo minor  arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday and will miss  this Saturday's home game against Carolina.


Coral Peril TWENTY PERCENT of the world #39;s coral reefs  quot;have been effectively destroyed and show no immediate prospect of recovery. quot; An additional 24 percent  quot;are under imminent risk of collapse through human pressures, quot; and an additional 26 percent  quot;are under a


Update 1: Snow Says US Dealing With Budget Deficit US Treasury Secretary John Snow reassured critics Wednesday that America is dealing with its huge budget and trade deficits, but discounted any suggestions of official intervention to prop up the ailing US dollar.


Dementieva Advances to U.S. Open Semis NEW YORK - Elena Dementieva shook off a subpar serve that produced 15 double-faults, an aching left thigh and an upset stomach to advance to the semifinals at the U.S. Open with a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1) victory Tuesday over Amelie Mauresmo...


Barber #39;s reinvention helps lift Giants (Oct. 6, 2004) -- The New York Giants easily qualify as one of the biggest surprise teams of the first quarter of the NFL season. And Tiki Barber easily qualifies as one of their biggest surprise players.


PM downplays Weisglass remarks on road map freeze Prime Minister Ariel Sharon #39;s office insisted Thursday that the diplomatic furor caused by senior adviser Dov Weisglass #39;s comments, that the disengagement plan was designed to freeze the road map peace process, is over.


Chiefs Defeat Titans 49-38 Tennessee Titans cornerback Michael Waddell (36) intercepts a pass intended for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Eddie Kennison (87) in the second quarter Monday, Dec. 13, 2004 in Nashville, Tenn.


Most allowed to return home after gas fire MOSS BLUFF -- Hundreds of people who were evacuated last week when a tower of burning natural gas began roaring from an underground storage cavern were allowed to return home this morning.


Laser Printer Recall If you own a Dell, Lexmark, or IBM laser printer there is a recall you need to know about. The printers could short-circuit and cause an electric shock.


Musharraf heads for first meeting with Indian PM at UN assembly (AFP) AFP - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf leaves Sunday for crucial peace talks with Indian Premier Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of a UN gathering as the leaders of the nuclear-armed neighbors meet for the first time since India's change of government.


Talk of El Nino Floods, Droughts Worries Farmers (Reuters) Reuters - After a seemingly unending string of\hurricanes and typhoons, talk that the "little boy" is stirring\in the Pacific is unwelcome news for weather-battered farmers.


EA Video Game  #39;Madden #39; Tops 1.3 Million First Week  quot;Madden NFL 2005, quot; the latest version of Electronic Arts Inc. #39;s ERTS.O pro football video game franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first week of release, the company said on Thursday, citing internal figures.


Stocks up on positive consumer price report NEW YORK (AP) - A drop in consumer prices and a decline in crude oil futures Tuesday allowed investors to put aside worries about inflation, at least for the short term, and they sent stocks modestly higher.


N.Korea Criticism Reports Don't Mean Kim Weaker Yet (Reuters) Reuters - Anecdotal evidence of public criticism of


Monsanto Posts Loss on Herbicide Sales  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Reuters) - Agrochemical company Monsanto  Co. on Wednesday posted a quarterly net loss on a drop in U.S.  sales of the herbicide Roundup.


Causes of Heart Disease Seen Same Worldwide The causes of heart disease are surprisingly the same in every region and race, and stress seems to play a more important role in heart attacks than previously recognized, a major new study has found.


Martinez the  Magnificent A baserunning gaffe turns Pedro Martinez into Pedro the magnificent, and now it's simply a matter of when the Red Sox end their eons of pain.


New Indonesian presdient faces tough tasks JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was declared Indonesia #39;s next president today and now faces the tough task of rebuilding a country plagued by attacks from al-Qaida-linked terrorists, separatist conflicts and an economy still reeling from


New Media Center OS Plays Well Windows XP Media Center 2005 connects smoothly with video and audio equipment.


Oil, Astra Lead European Stocks Down  PARIS (Reuters) - European shares retreated on Wednesday as  AstraZeneca's business update disappointed investors and on  nagging concerns that soaring oil prices will hurt the quality  of future earnings.


What Howard Sterns Sirius Deal Radio titan Howard Stern and leading Sirius Satellite Radio announced today a five-year, multimillion dollar deal to air Stern #39;s show on the satellite radio provider as of Jan. 1, 2006.


Town presses state for sewer funds Town officials are hoping the state can unearth \$1.4 million to help bring sewers to the Medway 495 Business Park. Otherwise, they say, some 250 area jobs may be lost -- not to mention thousands of dollars in annual tax revenue.


Woods on Target in California Tiger Woods has taken share of the first-round lead of the Target World Challenge in California with Colin Montgomerie and Jim Furyk.


Chip Stocks Up on Intel Personnel Changes The chip sector enjoyed some gains Thursday, led by Intel, which announced an executive shuffle, and other industry players whose shares rose after getting a boost from analyst upgrades.


Space News Headlines for December 1, 2004 According to MSNBC, Russian space officials have unveiled a full-scale high-fidelity mockup of the Kliper (for  quot;clipper ship quot;) vehicle.


Panel Urges Washington to Finance Fast Computer A panel of leading computer scientists warned in a report issued on Monday that unless the federal government significantly increased support for advanced research on


Intel Sets Upbeat Tone on Wall Street (Reuters) Reuters - U.S. shares are set to open higher on\Friday, buoyed by Intel Corp.  after the world's\largest chip maker raised its quarterly revenue target due to\strong demand, but all eyes will be on jobs data before the\opening.


New systems cut cell phone finger work Several companies ease burden of using Internet via cell phones.


World Needs More Oil Capacity -Watchdog (Reuters) Reuters - An extra 3 million barrels per day (bpd)\of production capacity worldwide is needed to avoid another\year of blistering oil prices, International Energy Agency\(IEA) executive director Claude Mandil warned on Sunday.


Where are oil prices headed? Experts are divided on the next move for crude futures, and even on the factors that influence them. NEW YORK (Reuters) - The biggest two-day slide in oil prices since 1991 may have brightened faces on Wall


More Than 1,000 Federal Income Tax Refund Checks Returned <b>...</b> Oklahoma City - The Internal Revenue Service is looking for more than 950 Oklahomans whose federal income tax refund checks totaling more than \$741,000 were returned to the IRS as undeliverable by the Postal Service.


Jilted boyfriend shoots teenager A 16-year-old girl was kidnapped, raped and murdered by a jilted and much older boyfriend she met after accidentally sending a text message to his mobile phone, in Normandy, France.


Musicland Looks to the Internet Musicland is trying to embrace the Internet and emulate the atmosphere of retail chains like Starbucks.


The Dollar Extends Gains  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar extended gains on Friday after  a positive batch of U.S. economic data prompted speculators to  buy the currency before trade trickles down during the year-end  holiday season.


Youzhny wins St Petersburg title Mikhail Youzhny won the second title of his career with a straightforward victory over Karol Beck in the final of the St Petersburg Open on Sunday.


US Stocks Set for Lower Open, Oil Weighs  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. shares were seen opening slightly  weaker on Wednesday as oil prices held near the \$47 a barrel  level, while investors cooled to the Federal Reserve's   assessment of the economy.


IPOs Kick Into Gear with Busy Calendar  NEW YORK (Reuters) - It is back to business for U.S.  initial public offerings and time to see if the market for new  issues can pull out of its end-of-summer slump.


Villeneuve May Drive for Renault F-1 Team in Final Three Races Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula One champion, may drive for Renault in this year #39;s final three races if he impresses in tests today and tomorrow, team manager Flavio Briatore said.


Pujols makes Cards a major threat It was not a pitch Roger Clemens regretted. Inner half of the plate, a little up and 94 mph. The Rocket is going to Cooperstown on such pitches.


Americans to Get Another Shot at Russia By beating Slovakia, 5-2, on Sunday night at the Air Canada Center, Russia set up at least one rematch with a top rival in the World Cup of Hockey.


Intel, Nokia team up to develop  quot;smart quot; phone Chip giant Intel announced that it has joined forces with the world #39;s largest handset maker, Nokia, to develop the next generation mobile phone.


Iraqis, U.S. Hail Falluja Success, Threats Remain  FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. Lieutenant-General John  Sattler declared on Thursday his forces had "broken the back of  the insurgency" in Falluja, but U.S. troops still faced dangers  in the city and guerrillas attacked elsewhere in Iraq.


Profile: Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, once one of the world #39;s most powerful criminals, has been extradited to the US to face drug smuggling and money-laundering charges.


Israel pledges cooperation on Palestinian poll US secretary of state, Colin Powell, and Israeli foreign minister, Silvan Shalom. Photograph: David Guttenfelder/ AP. Israel today assured Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, that it would do  quot;everything


Real Madrid stays in touch of leader Barcelona in the Spanish <b>...</b> Four goals in 11 minutes allowed Real Madrid to destroy Bernd Schuster #39;s Levante and win over some frustrated fans as it secured second place in the Spanish league standings.


Shadows Loom Over Sun #39;s Open-Source Plans Sources close to the vendor say an intense, high-level debate continues about Sun #39;s open-source Solaris plans, which were first announced in June.


Royals Recall Gobble, Place Sullivan on DL (AP) AP - The Kansas City Royals recalled left-hander Jimmy Gobble Sunday from Triple-A Omaha on Sunday, and placed right-hander Scott Sullivan on the 15-day disabled list with a back strain.


Iraqi resistance could be broader than US claims During the past 30 days, more than 2,300 attacks have been directed against civilians and military targets in Iraq, in a pattern that sprawls over nearly every major population


Veteran, rookie enjoy sizzling rounds Fred Funk and PGA Tour rookie Zach Johnson had nearly perfect rounds yesterday and shared a one-stroke lead in the Buick Championship.


Sun to add JFluid profiling tool to Java Studio SAN FRANCISCO - Sun Microsystems Inc. last week took an important step toward commercializing an experimental Java performance measurement tool called JFluid, moving the two-year-old project from the Sun Labs research and development group into the company's software division. Sun now expects to ship the software as part of an April 2005 release of its Java Studio integrated development environment (IDE), the company said.


U.N. Forces Ex-Soldiers From Aristide Home U.N. peacekeepers detonated an explosive device to force their way into the former residence of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and persuaded a group of ex-soldiers to leave unarmed, ending a two-day standoff.


Miller #39;s winning streak ends at three as Goergl wins Super G Bode Miller #39;s three-race winning streak ended Thursday, but the American still added to his commanding lead in the World Cup overall standings by finishing second to Austria #39;s Stephan Goergl in a Super G.


Taking it easy to the top A WHY-WORRY attitude to three dropped shots on two early holes set up young NSW player Kurt Barnes to rocket to the top of the Australian Open leaderboard yesterday.


Soccer: Legend made cockerel crow Bill Nicholson, who died on Saturday at the age of 85 after a long illness, was a legend for what he achieved as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, taking on a struggling team and within 18 months turning them into Double winners.


AOL dumps sender ID According to internetnews.com, AOL has dumped the idea following concerns expressed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), coupled with the tepid support for Sender ID in the open source community.


Canon, Toshiba to Form Flat Panel Display Venture (Reuters) Reuters - Japanese technology companies Canon Inc.\and Toshiba Corp. said on Tuesday they would invest  #36;1.82\billion in a joint venture to manufacture advanced flat panel\displays.


Bomb Explosion in Nepal's Capital Wounds 38  KATHMANDU (Reuters) - A bomb tore through a government  office in the Nepali capital on Tuesday, wounding at least 38  people in an attack police suspect was carried out by Maoist  rebels.


BUTTON TO DISCOVER FUTURE Jenson Button will tomorrow discover whether he is allowed to quit BAR and move to Williams for 2005. The Englishman has signed contracts with both teams but prefers a switch to Williams, where he began his Formula One career in 2000.


EU ponders softer stance on Cuba Officials from the EU's 25 member states are considering a Spanish proposal to lift sanctions on Cuba.


Iran #39;s Suspension of Uranium Enrichment Not Complete (Update2) The United Nations nuclear watchdog said Iran #39;s suspension of its uranium enrichment program isn #39;t yet complete and that it hoped to resolve Iran #39;s request regarding 20 centrifuges in the next day.


Cisco Enhances Gigabit Ethernet Switches Cisco Systems on Tuesday announced enhancements to its Catalyst switching product line, and also announced  quot;the industry #39;s first quot; Gigabit Ethernet-enabled IP phone.


Dollar Extends Rebound Against Euro, Yen  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar rebounded for a second session  against the yen and the euro on Thursday as traders and  investors took profits on bets against the U.S. currency before  the year draws to a close.


Peoplesoft Removes Craig Conway as CEO Oracle declined to comment on Conway #39;s removal by PeopleSoft. But in a statement, chairman Jeff Henley said:  quot;We are now looking forward to the trial in Delaware of our claims


Excelling at science Science instructor Roxanne Hunker #39;s methods are a bit unorthodox: She shuns science textbooks and seldom assigns homework. Yet year after year, her hands-on instruction has groomed a multitude


Amazon, Microsoft Suit Caps Busy Two Weeks Microsoft and Amazon.com are teaming up to sue a Canadian-based company that they say ran a phishing scheme.  quot;They are going to crush this guy legally, quot; Panda Software CTO Patrick Hinojosa Hinojosa gleefully observes.


Documents Show CIA Knew of Venezuela Coup The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency knew dissident military officers were planning a coup in 2002 against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, according to purported U.S. intelligence documents posted on the Internet.


Grains Found in Georgia Traced to Huge Asteroid Impact ATLANTA (AP) -- A layer of quartz grains found in an east Georgia kaolin mine have been traced to the impact of a giant asteroid that crashed near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay 35 million years ago.    The 54-mile-wide crater left by the meteor, the sixth-largest in the world, has previously been identified as the source of a rare mineral called Georgiaite...


Ravens' Lewis Pleads Guilty to Drug Charge (AP) AP - Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis pleaded guilty Thursday to using a cell phone to try to set up a drug deal and will be sentenced to four months in prison, to be served after the regular season ends in January.


South Korea bans Ghost Recon 2 The latest Tom Clancy based military title from French publisher Ubisoft has been rejected by South Korea #39;s Media Rating Board, forcing the company to drop its plans to launch the game in the region.


An IPO Afterglow in Googleland The most hyped new issue since Netscape chalked up a very tidy gain on its first day of trading. Peace reigns in the Valley ...


In a day, Percival falls for Tigers, the town Percival became the Tigers #39; new closer Wednesday when he signed a two-year, \$12-million contract. He made one of the fastest free-agent decisions in recent memory, arriving in town Monday evening


iPod User #146;s Guide Introducing his iPod User #146;s Guide, the Wall Street Journal #146;s Walt Mossberg writes,  #147;By all accounts, millions of people will buy or receive Apple Computer #146;s iPod digital-music players this holiday season. The gadgets are beautifully designed and simple to operate, which is one reason they #146;re so popular, even after three years on the market and despite a rising number of competitors. #148; Dec 15


N.Y. Youth Soccer Group Mandates Headgear (AP) AP - For the first time in the nation, a New York regional youth soccer association will require the mandatory use of protective headguards, affecting nearly 35,000 players 14-years-old and younger.


IBM shows off new grid apps IBM on Friday is scheduled to make available early versions of three grid-based technologies intended to help corporate and third-party developers better manage grid-based resources as a way to solve large and compute-intensive problems.


USA unhappy with presidential campaign in Ukraine The US administration believes that the pre-election campaign in Ukraine has several serious flaws, as an official spokesman for the US State Department Richard Boucher put it.


Champions League: Group B review - Real Madrid Figo out how to <b>...</b> Three teams went into Matchday 6 with an opportunity to qualify from Group B, with the big question being whether superstar-infested Real Madrid would be one of those to make it.


Belgian PM in Car Crash Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt is recovering in hospital today, after his chauffeur-driven car crashed into a concrete pillar near his home and overturned several times.


Google Profit Up in 1st Reported Quarter  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Web search leader Google Inc.  GOOG.O, in its first earnings report as a publicly held  company, on Thursday posted a profit of \$52.0 million in the  third quarter on strong Web search advertising.


Son #39;s Payments on Deal Disappoint Annan UNITED NATIONS - Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Monday he was  quot;very disappointed and surprised quot; that his son had continued to receive payments until this February from a firm that had a contract with Iraq #39;s oil-for-food program, the subject of numerous


Colgate to Cut 12 Percent of Work Force (Reuters) Reuters - Colgate-Palmolive Co.  said on\Tuesday it would cut about 12 percent of its 37,000-person work\force as part of a four-year restructuring plan for which it\anticipates after-tax charges of  #36;550 million to  #36;650 million.


US softens threat sanctions on a new draft resolution on Sudan United Nations, Sept 15 (PTI) The United States presented a new draft resolution softening the threat of sanctions on Sudan in an effort to win support of key members in the Security Council but diplomats said it would have to be watered down much more to


Driver #39;s seat is his Heisman win This happened a year ago, after USC capped its regular season with an all-afternoon assault on the Oregon State end zone. Outside the Coliseum, the parents of some Trojans players celebrated


SUSAN TOMPOR: Credit card issuers raise big penalties Savvy consumers should skip over the bold print for 0-percent introductory rates for credit cards and head straight to the penalty box.


Violence exposes Shi #39;ite divisions Iraqi security forces fired on demonstrators loyal to rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in the Iraqi capital yesterday, killing two in a clash


RealNetworks promises iPod lockout fix (MacCentral) MacCentral - Apple Computer Inc. has updated the software for some of its iPod music players so that songs bought from RealNetworks Inc. won't play. RealNetworks says they're not sure why it's happened, but they're working on a fix. Apple suggests that it's what to expect if you use music that isn't officially supported on the iPod.


Businesses Batten Down for Frances  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hurricane Frances threatens to dampen  sales, and possibly earnings, for a slew of companies -- from  insurers to airlines -- as business activity screeches to a  halt only three weeks after Hurricane Charley hit Florida.


Microsoft patent is rejected, but company vows to fight back The US Patent and Trademark Office has preliminarily rejected a Microsoft patent on a system for recognizing computer files, a victory for  quot;open source quot; advocates


TXU raises earnings outlook, dividend; to repurchase shares NEW YORK, October 25 (newratings.com) - TXU Corporation (TXU.NYS) has announced a new \$50 million share buyback programme, while more than tripling its quarterly dividend payout, leading to an annual rate of \$2.


Russia puts price on Chechen rebels Video image of hostages sitting below explosives strung from basketball hoops in the gymnasium of a school in Beslan, Russia. Photograph: NTV/AP.


Software tackles digital photo proliferation SEATTLE - Now that digital cameras have overtaken film cameras in sales, users are beginning to encounter a familiar problem -- what to do with the bulging image files and folders filling up computer hard drives?


Delta pilots agree to talk on retirements Delta Air Lines #39; pilot union has agreed to negotiate the early retirement issue that the company says could lead it into bankruptcy if it is not settled by the end of this month.


Bayer taps Schering-Plough to distribute pharmaceuticals in US The Schering-Plough Corp. will market and distribute Bayer AG #39;s primary care pharmaceutical products in the United States under an agreement announced Monday that could impact up to 1,800 jobs.


Romania Opposition Demands Election Rerun, Alleges Fraud  BUCHAREST, Romania (Reuters) - Romania's centrist  opposition Tuesday demanded a rerun of Sunday's general  elections, alleging fraud in the electronic vote counting had  helped the ruling ex-communists, who held a slim lead.


Athletics Hold Off Blue Jays 7-4 (AP) AP - Bobby Kielty hit a go-ahead homer off Ted Lilly  #151; the pitcher he was traded for  #151; and Nick Swisher doubled and walked twice in his major league debut to lead the Oakland Athletics past the Toronto Blue Jays 7-4 on Friday night.


EU newcomers not yet ready to join euro: Brussels (AFP) AFP - None of the European Union's 10 new member states yet fulfils the criteria for joining Europe's single currency, the European Commission said in a report.


Angels doing devil of a job ANAHEIM, California -- The Anaheim Angels are keeping it close in the AL West. Garret Anderson hit a tie-breaking double in the eighth inning, Darin Erstad had a three-run homer and the Angels beat Oakland


San Francisco at Atlanta, 1:05 PM ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Rookie Noah Lowry looks to win his fourth straight decision when he starts for the San Francisco Giants in the finale of a four-game series with the Atlanta Braves.


Giant insurer under investigation The world #39;s largest insurer by market value is the target of a criminal investigation by the US Justice Department. American International (AIG) is accused of helping a banking client commit fraud and keep


Opec vows to open the taps to cool down runaway oil prices Kuwait would back a hike of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in Opec #39;s oil output ceiling if crude prices remained at record levels, it said yesterday in a move


File-Spoofing Anti-Piracy Firm Expands in Europe (Reuters) Reuters - Overpeer, an anti-piracy technology firm\best known for flooding Internet file-sharing networks with\bogus music and movie files, is expanding into Europe, the\company said on Wednesday.


Russia probes 2 deadly air crashes MOSCOW -- Investigators searched through heaps of mangled bodies and metal strewn over dozens of miles of fields and birch groves in two Russian regions yesterday to try to determine why two passenger jets crashed almost simultaneously.


PalmOne packs the most standard storage into latest Tungsten PalmOne will be adding a high-end handheld to its Tungsten line-up that will fashion a sleeker longer look, while offering double the storage maximum of current devices.


Unrest forces oil prices higher Oil futures have jumped to their highest closing on record on the New York Mercantile Exchange, rising 76 US cents to \$US49.64 dollars a barrel, as unrest in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia alarmed traders.


Bush: Kerry Proposals Will Hurt Economy WASHINGTON - President Bush renewed his criticism of rival John Kerry's domestic proposals Friday as his campaign prepared a new television ad warning that liberals in Congress would join Kerry in harming job growth and the economy by raising taxes on small businesses.   "To make sure the economy continues to grow, we'll be wise about how we spend the money - the people's money...


Route to make it a stiff test for Armstrong The route for next year #39;s Tour de France may provide the stiffest test yet for the six-times winner, Lance Armstrong. Or perhaps not.


Vietnam Airlines in talks to buy four Boeing 7E7s HANOI (AFP) - Vietnam Airlines said Monday it was in talks with Boeing to buy four super-efficient 7E7 Dreamliner aircraft as part of its ambitious fleet and route expansion program.


Pain of War Draws Bead on New York Region Since Nov. 7, 19 servicemen from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have been killed in Iraq.


Eagles Are Where the Lions Want to Be He turned a grown man #39;s game into a day on the sandlot, straying from the confines of the playbook, fleeing trouble on the balls of his feet.


IBM Third-Quarter Net Flat After Charge  NEW YORK (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp.  IBM.N on Monday posted a flat quarterly net profit, weighed  down by the partial settlement of an employee pension lawsuit  and lackluster sales in its mainstay computer services  business.


Oracle #39;s PeopleSoft Bid Deadline Nears Oracle Corp. #39;s \$24-a-share hostile takeover bid for PeopleSoft Inc. heated up anew yesterday as tonight #39;s deadline for stockholders to offer their shares for sale approached.


ASU, Cal Defenses Looking for Respect (AP) AP - When two quarterbacks as good as California's Aaron Rodgers and Arizona State's Andrew Walter meet up, it usually leads to a thrilling game for fans  #151; and an embarrassing night for defenses.


Several Killed in Baghdad Mosque Raid Description: US and Iraqi government troops raid one of Baghdad #39;s main Sunni Muslim mosques, killing several Iraqis. The Iraqi government has ordered the arrest of Muslim clerics accused of inciting violence and supporting the Iraqi insurgency.


Reese, Meshiai Lead Champions Tour Quals ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Hajime Meshiai, an 11-time winner on the Japanese PGA Tour, shot 69 Sunday to retain a share of the lead after five rounds of the Champions Tour national qualifying tournament.


Constellation set: Stars on collision course LONDON, DECEMBER 17: Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho got the draw he desired when the English league leaders were paired with Ronaldinhos Barcelona in the first knockout round of the Champions League.


Ford Motor Co. announces changing of the guard DETROIT (AFP) - The Ford Motor Co. announced that two company veterans who were instrumental in the company #39;s turnaround will retire from the company in February.


Arsenal Loses Again in Premier League (AP) AP - Arsenal dropped five points behind Chelsea in the English Premier League on Sunday after losing 2-1 to Liverpool on an injury-time goal by Neil Mellor.


Rival Technologies Vie for 'Green' Car of Tomorrow (Reuters) Reuters - Carmakers presented new-age automobiles\at the Paris car show on Thursday that could give much-hyped\fuel cells a run for their money in the coming market for\vehicles that do less damage to the environment.


China's Lenovo to buy IBM's PC business China's Lenovo Group Ltd. has agreed to acquire IBM's personal computing division for \$1.25 billion in cash and equity, a move expected to transform it into the world's No. 3 PC maker.


Hollywood sues BitTorrent web site owners Hollywood movie studios, through the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), have today sued scores of operators of computer servers that help relay digitised movie files across online file-sharing networks.


Indonesian extremists influence Thai Muslims, prime minister says <b>...</b> Militants behind the ongoing violence in Thailand #39;s Muslim-majority far south have been indoctrinated by extremists in nearby Indonesia, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Saturday.


Michigan Led by Fab Two: Henne and Hart (AP) AP - The Michigan Wolverines knew they would have to replace quarterback John Navarre and running back Chris Perry this season. They had no idea two freshmen, Chad Henne and Michael Hart, would be doing it.


Close election weighs heavily on stock markets The close race for the presidency is depressing the stock market, which is flat to down for the year despite a recovering economy, solid profits and major new tax breaks for investors.


CA bundles storage apps Officials at Computer Associates International Inc. are trying to upgrade their image in the storage market with a bundled solution that contains many applications that were previously available individually


Japan to maintain troops in Iraq Japan has said it will keep its troops in Iraq, despite the beheading of a Japanese hostage by Islamic militants. Officials had earlier confirmed that a body found in Baghdad yesterday was that of Shosei Koda


Palace denies Harry security threat in Argentina Prince Harry is making news again in Britain, with reports he had to return home from Argentina after shots were fired at the ranch where he was staying, and that there may have been a plot to kidnap him.


Odyssey Shares Plunge on 3Q Warning Odyssey Healthcare Inc., a hospice care provider, said Monday its chief executive resigned as the company warned third-quarter earnings will be below Wall Street #39;s expectations and revealed it is being investigated by the Department of Justice.


Wireless messaging and data access software adds Wi-Fi and more Good Technology says the latest release of its wireless messaging and data access software supports two new Windows Mobile devices -- the Samsung SPH-i700 and the HP iPAQ h6315 -- and adds Wi-Fi connectivity, more Outlook features, and boasts a 300


Law Sends Sharers to Slammer A new California law will make it illegal to share files online without providing a valid e-mail address. The MPAA says it hopes to get the law on the books in other states, too. By Katie Dean.


Sterne shocked by Madrid victory South African Richard Sterne carded a brilliant closing round of 65 to win the Madrid Open and a place on the European Tour for the next two years.


American, Nepali, 2 Arabs Kidnapped in Baghdad Gunmen kidnapped an American, a Nepali and two Arab men from their Baghdad office on Monday, police said.  quot;They stormed the villa with automatic rifles and rocket- propelled grenades.


Some Retailers Offering Online Rebates The rebate check is no longer a reward reserved for penny-pinchers with an abundance of paperwork skills and patience. Paperless, online rebates are finally gaining momentum in retail, an industry that has long offered customers electronic options for virtually every other type of transaction, from simple purchases to coupons.


Paris Favored to Win 2012 Olympics Bid (AP) AP - The five cities looking to host the 2012 Summer Games submitted bids to the International Olympic Committee on Monday, entering the final stage of a long process in hopes of landing one of the biggest prizes in sports.


Money Funds Fell in Latest Week Assets of the nation #39;s retail money market mutual funds fell by \$4.03 billion in the latest week to \$828.98 billion, the Investment Company Institute said Thursday.


Radcliffe hopes to run in Beijing Marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe, undaunted by her disastrous showing at the Athens Olympics, hopes to run in Beijing in four years and possibly even at the 2012 Games.


ATA flight attendants ratify giveback deal Flight attendants at struggling low-cost carrier ATA Airlines (ATAH.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday said they approved a contract that would save the airline \$24 million over the next two years.


Two Killed, 10 Hurt in Latest Bangladesh Blast Two people were killed and 10 wounded in a bomb blast in Bangladesh #39;s northeastern Sylhet town on Sunday, police said. They said the blast occurred outside a cinema hall in the town, 219 miles from Dhaka.


Darfur talks to seek political deal amid fighting Sudanese officials and Darfur rebels arrived in Nigeria on Friday for talks on a political deal to end two years of conflict in the vast desert region which observers say is slipping deeper into chaos.


Black  #39;to resign from Hollinger #39; Lord Black is to resign as chairman and chief executive of Hollinger Inc, clearing the way for the board to consider his offer to buy the firm.


Vandeweghe #39;s uncommon ways bear results From JR Rider to Nikoloz Tskitishvili to Dennis Rodman, Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe has raised many eyebrows with his moves.


US interest rates to rise to 2 The US Federal Reserve, headed by Alan Greenspan, raises interest rates by 0.25 in a widely anticipated move.


Games firm Acclaim ceases ops Games maker and publisher Acclaim, famous for dino game Turok, has filed for bankruptcy in the US.


Eagles release Levens, 14 others The veteran running back was among 15 players released by coach Andy Reid on Sunday, as the team got down to the required 53-man roster.


Astros 7, Cardinals 5 Roger Clemens won his 327th career game with seven strong innings, and the Houston Astros kept pace in the NL wild-card race by holding on for a 7-5 victory over the St.


A Daily Look at U.S. Iraq Military Deaths (AP) AP - As of Wednesday, Aug. 25, 964 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq in March 2003, according to the Defense Department. Of those, 722 died as a result of hostile action and 242 died of non-hostile causes.


Sony sets price, date for PSP's Japan debut The handheld game player's surprising pricing in Japan may indicate what the U.S. market can expect.


Airborne Cell-Phone Ban Likely to Remain for Now Hopes -- and worries -- that US regulators will soon end the ban on using wireless phones during US commercial flights are likely at least a year or two early, government officials and analysts say.


Media wary, Russians sceptical of Beslan coverage For three days last week, the Russian media covered the school hostage drama in Beslan along new Kremlin-approved lines. The highly selective reporting that resulted


News: TRMM Sees Rain from Hurricanes Fall Around the World Since rain and freshwater flooding are the number one causes of death from hurricanes in the United States over the last 30 years, better understanding of these storms is vital for insuring public safety.


Taiwan's Chen quits party post President Chen resigns as DPP chairman in Taiwan, in a move which could signal a new drive to find consensus.


Iraq's Allawi Extends Arms-For-Cash Plan BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi announced plans Monday to extend a cash-for-weapons program for Shiite fighters in Baghdad's Sadr City to cities nationwide in an attempt to disarm the country.    The announcement came as fresh violence erupted in Baghdad and Mosul...


South Korea Completes Iraq Deployment of 2,800 Troops  SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea completed the deployment of  2,800 troops to Iraq on Wednesday, the defense ministry said as  it lifted a news blackout on the sensitive mission imposed in  the face of anti-war demonstrations.


When Beethoven plays, it #39;s time to take note of the BIOS Whether I #39;m on the Internet or not, there is a noise that comes out of my computer like a cat crying. That #39;s not a cat. It #39;s supposed to be Beethoven.


PeopleSoft Open to Oracle Bid -Director (Reuters) Reuters - A PeopleSoft Inc.  board\member told a Delaware court on Tuesday that the software maker\would consider a bid from its rival Oracle Corp. \provided the price was right and a deal closed quickly.


Blu-ray rivals set up promotional group Four proponents of high-definition DVD technology will invite component manufacturers to join a group set up to help speed its commercialization, while Sony has confirmed that it will use blue lasers in its next Playstation console.


Hewitt Thunders to Final Lleyton Hewitt advanced to the finals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Robby Ginepri on Saturday.


Nelsons Take Lead at Father-Son Challenge (AP) AP - Larry and Drew Nelson combined for a 12-under 60 on Saturday take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Father-Son Challenge.


Blue Chips Slip on Record Crude Prices  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blue chips inched lower on  Tuesday afternoon as investors worried that oil prices, which  jumped to another record, will eat into corporate profits and  dampen consumer spending.


All the new Media Center PCs Bill Gates is giving his big speech right now at Microsofts big Digital Entertainment Anywhere event in Los Angeles. Well have a proper report for you soon, but in the meantime we figured wed


BBC digital radio 'must evolve' The BBC's digital radio services must remain distinctive from rivals to ensure a "healthy" market, a report says.


Lions take early lead after first quarter of Grey Cup CBC SPORTS ONLINE - BC Lions coach Wally Buono #39;s decision to name Dave Dickenson as his starting quarterback may have been a surprising, but so far it looks like the right one.


John Lennon killer 'wanted fame' John Lennon's killer Mark Chapman talks about his reasons for shooting the former Beatle in 1980.


DC United stands atop MLS again DC United had lost 3-1 to the Chicago Fire. The real conflagration was yet to come, though. United #39;s players and coaches, even the team #39;s president, gathered in the locker room and had it out.


Cybersecurity overhaul legislation DOA in Congress SEPTEMBER 23, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - WASHINGTON -- New legislation expected to be introduced in the House today that would move the nation #39;s director of cybersecurity from the Department of Homeland Security to the White House is apparently already dead


ON TOP OF THE WORLD They did it for the old folks in Presque Isle, Maine, and White River Junction, Vt. They did it for the baby boomers in North Conway, N.H., and Groton, Mass. They did it for the kids in Central Falls, R.I., and Putnam, Conn.


Mobile Phones Cleared for Takeoff (PC World) PC World - Cell phones and wireless devices pass Airbus's onboard tests with flying colors.


78 detainees die in Thailand PATTANI, Thailand -- At least 78 Muslim detainees suffocated or were crushed to death after police rounded up 1,300 people and packed them into trucks following a riot in southern Thailand. Islamic leaders accused troops yesterday of overreacting and warned the deaths could worsen sectarian violence.


Citigroup's Thomson, Krawcheck Swap Posts (Reuters) Reuters - Citigroup Inc.  on Monday said\Todd Thomson, its chief financial officer and head of strategy,\will swap posts with Sallie Krawcheck, Smith Barney's chairman\and chief executive officer.


Alitalia to present finalized restructuring plan LONDON, October 6 (newratings.com) - Alitalia (ALI.FSE) has reached an agreement with its major labour unions and the Italian government, enabling the loss-making airline to access a 400 million (492.


August Chip Sales Growth Slows on High Inventory Global semiconductor sales growth slowed to 1 percent in August as electronics makers reacted to growing inventories in Asia by limiting orders of chips, an industry trade group said on Thursday.


Pledge Allegiance to the Penguin We pledge allegiance to the penguin, and the intellectual property regime for which he stands. One nation, under Linux, with free music and open-source software for all. Welcome to Brazil! By Julian Dibbell from Wired magazine.


Putin Urges Strength; School Toll Tops 340 (AP) AP - A shaken President Vladimir Putin made a rare and candid admission of Russian weakness Saturday in the face of an "all-out war" by terrorists after more than 340 people  #151; nearly half of them children  #151; were killed in a hostage-taking at a southern school.


The Giants of Anime are Coming The three titans of Japanese animation are all about to unleash monster new films. Watch your back, Shrek. By Charles C. Mann from Wired magazine.


Hollywood allies sue DVD jukebox maker A Hollywood-backed technology group is suing a high-end home theater system company, contending that its home DVD jukebox technology is illegal.


Insurgents Kill 4 National Guards in Baghdad, Aid Worker Kidnapped Insurgents fired mortars at an Iraqi National Guard headquarters north of Baghdad. The Defense Ministry says four people were killed and dozens of others were injured.


Man to face trial in Hookes case A 22-year-old hotel bouncer has been ordered to stand trial over the death of former Australian Test cricketer David Hookes. Zdravco Micevic has pleaded innocent to charges of manslaughter and assault.


It #39;s Up to Players, Hubie Brown Says Thursday #39;s unexpected resignation of Memphis Grizzlies coach Hubie Brown left a lot of questions unanswered. In his unique way of putting things, the 71-year-old Brown seemed to indicate he was burned out and had some health concerns.


J.P. Morgan Chase Profit Falls 13 Percent  NEW YORK (Reuters) - J.P. Morgan Chase   Co. JPM.N posted  lower third-quarter earnings on Wednesday, missing analyst  expectations, as costs from its July merger with Bank One Corp.  and anemic fixed-income trading revenue hurt profits.


India debates space flight as lunar project proceeds BANGALORE, India India #39;s space agency is ready to send a man into space within seven years if the government gives the nod, while preparations have already begun for the launching of an unmanned lunar mission, a top official said Sunday.


Europe doesn #39;t believe in democracy What Tony Blair disarmingly calls his  quot;damn high wire act quot; is getting shakier. The bridge between Europe and the United States has become a frayed rope in a tug-of-war match.


Griffin would welcome White into exclusive club If Jason White is named the Heisman Trophy winner he will be one of two players who have gotten the prestigious award twice. Former Ohio State tailback Archie Griffin is the only player to


Hamas plots revenge after leader assassinated By Hugh Macleod in Damascus and Donald Macintyre in Jerusalem. Hamas leaders pledged bloody retaliation yesterday after one of its senior figures in Damascus was assassinated in an attack widely read as a new


Yahoo to buy Musicmatch for \$160 million Yahoo said Tuesday that it is acquiring digital music specialist Musicmatch for \$160 million in cash. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company said the buyout would help it expand its presence in the simmering


Cahill: Victory Should Have Been Ours Tim Cahill revealed he thought Australia deserved to win tonights international match with Norway at Craven Cottage. Norway took the lead through Steffen Iversen shortly before half-time, before Tim Cahill


Gaza plan could revive road map-Israeli strategist Israel #39;s plan to quit the Gaza Strip could kick-start a stalled drive towards Palestinian statehood, one of its architects said on Wednesday.


Davenport Easily Defeats Asagoe at Open NEW YORK - With win after win, all of Lindsay Davenport's talk about retirement sounds more and more premature. Now she's two victories from a second U.S...


The great blue vs. red state debate Letters Caution: rude words enclosed


England held by Austria, Greece stunned in Albania England #39;s World Cup qualifying campaign got off to a miserable start yesterday when it squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Austria in Group Six.


NASCAR hands out 12 more penalties A day after hitting Dale Earnhardt Jr. with a \$10,000 fine and the loss of 25 points for cursing during a postrace TV interview, NASCAR handed down 12 more penalties for rule violations at Talladega Superspeedway.


Microsoft begins testing Windows Marketplace The online shopping and download center for Windows-related stuff gets a public workout.


Computer Associates to Cut Jobs by 5 Pct.  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Software maker Computer Associates  CA.N on Wednesday said it would cut 800 jobs, or 5 percent of  its work force, to pare costs amid stiff competition in  software and services.


Sunspots leave telltale marks in trees The Sun is in the thick of one of the longest and stormiest periods in 8000 years, say researchers who have tracked down an 11,400-year record of stormy sunspot activity in tree rings.


AP: Iran Moves Toward Nuclear Production (AP) AP - Iran has produced a few tons of the gas needed to enrich uranium, a top nuclear official indicated Wednesday, confirming the country has defied international demands and taken a necessary step toward producing nuclear fuel  #151; or nuclear weapons.


Enterprises Not Hot for Subscription Software While software makers are planning to move more of their products to a subscription basis, 64 percent of the buyers surveyed still prefer the old way of doing things.


World ; Iran, Russia deal on spent nuclear fuel in final stage World News, Tehran, Oct 11 (IANS) Iran and Russia are close to finalising the agreement on return of spent nuclear fuel, paving the way for Iran #39;s first atomic power plant to become operational, reports Xinhua.


More Election Response \\More and more bloggers are waking to the news:\\Lessig : \\...\\"Bush has won the popular vote. And it would take a freak of nature to imagine\the 220,000 provisional ballots would fall strongly enough to shift Ohio. He\will win the College. He is our President - legitimately, and credibly."\\"Our criticism of this administration must now focus narrowly and sharply: on\the policies, not on the credibility of the man."\\Joi Ito :\\"As Larry says, "It's over. Let it go." Jon is saying, "Don't complain -\organize!" Although the previous post about the wacky voting system is\interesting, it's unlikely that any sort of recount or technicality will\change the fact that today, the people of the Uni ...\\


Afghan Campaign Picks Up as Karzai Heads to Berlin  KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai's deputies  campaigned for him Saturday ahead of presidential elections  seven days away, while the candidate himself prepared to fly to  Germany to collect an international award.


NASA to Track Odd Explosions NASA plans to launch a new space telescope later this month capable of spinning around at a moment #39;s notice to catch sight of the elusive, brief and powerful explosions that send blasts of light and radiation screaming through our universe every day.


Update 2: Two Firms Cleared of Swapping Violations The makers of two leading file-sharing programs are not legally liable for the songs, movies and other copyright works swapped online by their users, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday in a stinging blow to the entertainment industry.


BearingPoint Warns of Continued Turmoil, Acknowledges Subpoena  BearingPoint Inc. disclosed more troubles yesterday, saying that it will take a restructuring charge of as much as \$67 million and may not be able to report that it has adequate procedures in place to prevent accounting fraud.


Congress Votes to Free Up E-Rate Funds (Reuters) Reuters - Legislation to free hundreds of\millions of dollars in subsidies for school Internet\connections that had been frozen by a change in accounting\rules won final approval on Wednesday from the U.S. Congress.


Consumers resume optimistic spending Consumer confidence snapped back after the election, and retail spending was strong for a second straight month - signs that shoppers, the stalwarts of the economy, are shrugging off high energy prices and moving on.


New DTS surround encoders leverage OS X, Xserve (MacCentral) MacCentral - Digital Theater Systems Inc. (DTS) on Wednesday announced the availability of two new audio software encoders aimed at audio professionals creating multi-channel soundtracks for DVD-Audio, DVD-Video and 5.1 CDs: the Pro Series 6.1 Surround Encoder, a standalone solution designed to work on Mac OS X and Windows-equipped computers, and the DTS Pro Series Network Encoder, which allows up to 99 users on Macs or Windows computers to encode audio using an Apple Xserve and Xserve RAID system. Both encoders were announced earlier this year, and are anticipated for release this month. ...


USA: Kroger reports lower Q2 earnings US grocery retailer Kroger has reported lower second-quarter net earnings, hit by the early redemption of debt and the continuing after-effects of the labour dispute in Southern California.


U.S. Prepares for Possible Flu Outbreak WASHINGTON - Closing schools, restricting travel and rationing scarce medications may be the nation's first protections if a powerful new flu strain spurs a worldwide outbreak because it will take months to brew a vaccine, say government preparations for the next pandemic.    Specialists say it's only a matter of time before the next one strikes, and concern is rising that the recurring bird flu in Asia could be the trigger if it mutates in a way that lets it spread easily among people...


Bahrain renews Iraqi talks offer SHARM EL-SHEIKH: Bahrain last night reiterated His Majesty King Hamad #39;s offer to host an Iraqi political multi-sectarian conference in Manama.


At XM, Boldly Going The leading satellite radio service, with more than 500 employees and 2.5 million subscribers, has now come into its own and competition is sizzling.-The Washington Post


Cubs beat Pirates again CHICAGO -- Sammy Sosa appears to have found his swing, and the timing couldn #39;t be better for the Chicago Cubs. Sosa hit his first grand slam in more than two years, and also had a solo homer as the Cubs hit


Possible Bank Merger: Banknorth, TD Bank are in talks Canada #39;s TD Bank Financial Group says it #39;s discussing a  quot;possible transaction quot; with Portland, Maine-based Banknorth Group.


Buy a GM Car at 0 Now, Get the Same Deal in 5 Years General Motors has a new pitch for car shoppers to coincide with an expected rate hike Wednesday from the Federal Reserve. GM #39;s program, called  quot;Lock  #39;n #39; Roll, quot; will give shoppers who buy a


Chua: Three free from bird flu KUALA LUMPUR: The three people warded at the Kota Baru Hospital on Thursday are confirmed to be free from bird flu. Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said tests conducted by Institute of Medical Research