Holtz introduced as East Carolina #39;s football coach East Carolina introduced former South Carolina assistant Skip Holtz as its head football coach on Friday, welcoming him as the man to lead the program  quot;into a new era.


Update 1: Russia Doesn #39;t Intend to Nationalize Yukos The Russian government does not intend to nationalize the Yukos oil company, but state-owned organizations will be able to bid if the embattled company #39;s assets are put up for auction, President Vladimir Putin said Friday.


PluggedIn: Multifunction Devices Draw Back-To-School Crowd  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The consumer electronics gizmo  that offers many functions in a small package is what's  compelling back-to-school shoppers to open their wallets.


Continental, KLM, NWA join SkyTeam Continental Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Northwest Airlines Corp. have joined the SkyTeam Airline Alliance. This will allow passengers to accrue frequent flyer miles interchangeably


Improved Latham to leave hospital Federal Labor leader Mark Latham will leave hospital on Saturday at midday after being given the all-clear by doctors.


Another week, another lead for Singh Palm Harbor, FL (Sports Network) - Vijay Singh, the top-ranked player in the world, moved a step closer to his ninth victory of the season on Saturday as he posted a four-under 67 to take the 54-hole lead of the Chrysler Championship.


Monza: whats at stake this weekend Michael Schumacher wants to celebrate his world championship in style, while the Renault F1 Team is looking to strengthen its championship advantage.


Kiwis crush Bangladesh to wrap up series New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori has starred in his side #39;s biggest Test win, as the Black Caps defeated Bangladesh by an innings and 101 runs in Chittagong.


Public Safety Praises Nextel, Verizon Truce Public-safety officials reacted happily to yesterdays announcement that Nextel and Verizon Wireless have settled their legal differences, which included Verizon dropping its objections to the FCCs 800 MHz rebanding order, believing that the


Cubs Keep Pace Moises Alou's tiebreaking two-run double in the ninth gives the Cubs a 5-1 victory over the Reds Sunday for their sixth win in seven games.


New AOL Software Focuses on Security Dubbed AOL 9.0 Security, the latest version of America Online's software will give dial-up and high-speed subscribers free McAfee antivirus software and automatic upgrades. -The Washington Post


Bonds more than a mere MVP It may be time to retire the National League Most Valuable Player Award, or at least put it in hibernation until Barry Bonds retires.


Bayliss in spat with Ducati boss Bayliss was reportedly involved in a heated argument in the pits at the German Grand Prix last month with team boss Livio Suppo. An uneasy relationship has developed between the former world


China's Panchen Lama visits Tibet The boy named by the Chinese authorities as the 11th Panchen Lama visits a temple in Tibet.


Australia Music Industry Decries Kazaa Lawyers for Australia #39;s recording industry branded the popular Kazaa file-swapping network  quot;an engine of copyright piracy to a degree of magnitude never before seen quot; as they launched a court battle to shut down Kazaa #39;s illegal


Adobe, Yahoo to Integrate Products (Reuters) Reuters - Adobe Systems Inc.  and\Yahoo Inc.  on Monday said they have signed a deal to\combine Adobe services, like its widely used document-sharing\program, with Yahoo's Web search functions.


Space station crew change may be delayed The launch of a Soyuz spacecraft with new astronauts for the international space station could face a delay of several days so experts can examine a potential docking system problem, the Russian Federal Space Agency said Wednesday.


A class apart: cameras Photographers interested in kicking their dependence on chemicals and processing labs can learn to do so with an Exploring Digital Cameras class.


Tentative Accord Reached in Najaf to End Fighting Aides to the country #39;s most powerful Shiite leader said they had reached a tentative agreement on Thursday to end the three-week siege in this holy


PeopleSoft board rejects Oracle bid PeopleSoft board members on Wednesday rejected Oracle #39;s  quot;best and final quot; offer in the often contentious 17-month hostile takeover battle--but the database software giant remains on the hunt.


Science prize celebrates fish flatulence, hula hoops That #39;s assuming the Scottish Association for Marine Science is correct in its conclusion that the tiny fish communicate via strategic gas releases, one of the scientific breakthroughs recognized in the 2004  quot;Ig Nobel quot; Prizes.


Turning invention into innovation Technological "inventions" are not going to have the same kind of transformative value that they did in the past.


Sony #39;s PSP nearly sells out on debut SONY, the electronics and gaming giant, said its long-awaited PlayStation Portable (PSP), which can play movies, music and games, had virtually sold out on its home debut today.


UPDATE 1-Nextel to sell half of its 18 percent stake in NII Nextel Communications Inc. (NXTL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) plans a public offering of 6.2 million shares of mobile phone service provider NII Holdings Inc.


Blair to Undergo 'Routine' Heart Procedure LONDON - British Prime Minister was to undergo a "routine" medical procedure Friday to correct an irregular heartbeat, the second time in about a year doctors have tended to the condition.    Hoping to reassure the public, Blair also announced that he intends to serve a full third term if his party is re-elected in national elections expected next year...


Students Take Veggie-Fueled "BioBus" on Eco Road Trip Thirteen college students are traveling the U.S. by school bus to promote the use of "biodiesel," fuel made from vegetable oil such as that used in fast food restaurants.


Ovitz Defends His Tenure  GEORGETOWN, Del., Oct. 26 -- Michael Ovitz said on Tuesday that Walt Disney Co. would have made a string of dazzling deals and shrewd strategic moves during his brief tenure as the company's president in the mid-1990s, if only chief executive Michael D. Eisner had not shot down his ideas.


TAIWAN WILL PATIENTLY WAIT FOR GOODWILL RESPONSE FROM BEIJING: MAC Taipei, Oct. 13 (CNA) The Republic of China government will patiently wait for a goodwill response from mainland China to its peace overture, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Vice Chairman Chiu Tai-san said Wednesday.


The political implications of the Jaguar decision The Ford Motor Company #39;s decision to quit Formula 1 and sell its F1-related operations is a setback for the whole sport. It paints F1 in a negative light: Formula 1, Richard Parry-Jones said, was too expensive and was too slow to change.


Nortel CEO Bill Owens sees 'exciting future' Nortel CEO Bill Owens says the future is "pretty exciting' for his company, despite past financial reporting problems and a looming vendor consolidation that could create aggressive competitors.


Citigroup to Pay \$250K Fine on Fund Sales  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The NASD on Monday censured Citigroup  Global Markets Inc. and fined it \$250,000 for distributing  misleading sales material on hedge funds, the latest regulatory  mishap for the world's largest financial services company.


The Fungi Hunt: So Many Species, Ripe for Finding For mycologists  mushroom hunters  working in the mountains of Belize, there's little glamour, but many mysteries to solve.


Transactions BASEBALL Atlanta (NL): Added Ps Kyle Davies, Anthony Lerew and Macay McBride, INFs Pete Orr, Andy Marte and Luis Hernandez and OF Bill McCarthy to 40-man roster. Boston (AL): Named Al Nipper minor league pitching coordinator, Goose Gregson Latin American pitching coordinator and Gulf Coast League pitching coach, Todd Claus manager of Portland (EL), Dann Bilardello manager and Ace Adams ...


Vornado Buys 4.3 Pct. Stake, Shares Soar (Reuters) Reuters - Shares of Sears, Roebuck and Co. were\up about 20 percent on Friday after real estate company Vornado\Realty Trust said it raised its stake in the retailer, a step\that could mean Sears plans to convert some of its real estate\assets into cash.


Comptroller convicted on 72 counts A federal jury, following a five-week trial, has convicted the former comptroller of Americable International and other affiliated cable television companies on 72 counts of various frauds and money laundering.


FedEx Hikes Profit Forecast, Cites Demand FedEx Corp. (FDX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday raised its earnings forecast for the fiscal first quarter and full year, citing strong demand for its international express, ground and less-than-truckload services.


Cisco to buy security start-up Perfigo's products will fit into Cisco's security architecture that combines virus scanning with network policing.


Nikkei Opens Higher on Economic Optimism (Reuters) Reuters - Japan's Nikkei average rose 0.73 percent\at the opening on Thursday as investors bought exporters such\as Canon Inc. after a fall in oil prices boosted confidence\over the U.S. economy and lifted Wall Street stocks.


SEC Bars Some Mutual Fund Fees  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange  Commission barred U.S. mutual funds on Wednesday from  channeling brokerage commissions toward Wall Street firms based  on their promotion of the funds' shares.


Pampling retains Aussie Open lead Richard Green holed two chip shots on Saturday to close within one stroke of fellow Australian Rod Pampling going into the final round of the centenary Australian Open golf championship.


Cuba Moves to Stop Trade in U.S. Dollars (AP) AP - Moving to wean its communist economic system from the U.S. currency, Cuba said that dollars will no longer be accepted at island businesses and stores in a dramatic change in how commercial transactions have been done here in more than a decade.


Japan Quake Survivors Face Rain, Aftershocks  OJIYA, Japan (Reuters) - Thousands of weary survivors of  Japan's deadliest earthquake in a decade prepared for a third  tense night in makeshift shelters and outside as rain  threatened and aftershocks raised fears of another big tremor.


Holland: Police raid ends terror siege Dutch police stormed a house tonight to end a day long siege of terror suspects holed up inside. Three suspects were arrested. Special forces had launched an earlier, pre-dawn, raid on the house in the capital


Cantor Fitzgerald spinning off business Manhattan-based financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald said Tuesday it is spinning off its inter-dealer voice brokerage business and will concentrate on sales and trading, investment banking, asset management and other institutional services.


A time of testing for global democracy Votes this month could mark advances in the Middle East, but history shows that democracy requires time, commitment.


Multiplex moves on Ronin By staff writers and wires. MULTIPLEX Group has offered \$1.33 billion to takeover Ronin Property Group in one of the latest moves of consolidation in the listed property trust sector.


Report: PeopleSoft prepares for proxy fight with Oracle UNDATED The Wall Street Journal reports PeopleSoft is getting ready for a proxy fight at its annual meeting next spring over the Oracle takeover bid.


Yahoo's Yang Looks Back on 'Amazing Ride' (PC World) PC World - Cofounder reflects on company's first ten years at Web 2.0 Conference.


Graham Admits Sending THG Syringe to USADA Trevor Graham, the coach of Olympic 100 meters champion Justin Gatlin, admitted on Monday he had been the unidentified coach who sent a syringe of the designer steroid THG (tetrahydrogestrinone) to the United States Anti-Doping Agency


ER Patients Won't Have to Give U.S. Status (AP) AP - The Bush administration is backing off plans to require hospitals to ask emergency room patients their immigration status, after hospitals and advocates for immigrants protested.


France call up Luyindula Marseille #39;s DR Congo-born striker Peguy Luyindula has been called up for France #39;s World Cup qualifier against Ireland. France coach Raymond Domenech picked Luyindula to replace Juventus striker David Trezeguet.


Canada and South Korea open talks for potential free-trade agreement (Canadian Press) Canadian Press - SANTIAGO, Chile (CP) - Canada hopes to nail down a free-trade treaty with South Korea that could offer major inroads into the booming Asian market, Prime Minister Paul Martin said Friday.


Nestle Reports First Half Net Profit Nestle, the world #39;s biggest food and drink company, on Wednesday posted a first-half net profit of \$2.28 billion, up 0.02 percent on the year-earlier figure of \$2.03 billion.


Hemispheric trade zone stumbles President Bush spent the weekend in Chile, the only South American nation with a free-trade pact with the US.


Court orders Yukos to pay part of 2001 tax claim MOSCOW The Russian oil company Yukos will have to pay a heavy price for not paying its taxes on time. The Moscow Arbitration Court ruled today it must pay some one-point-four (b) billion dollars in fines and


Microsoft delays SP2 auto update Microsoft is delaying distribution of Windows XP Service Pack 2 via its Automatic Update service by at least nine days in order to give corporate customers more time to temporarily block automatic downloading of SP2 by their employees.


UPDATE 4-Possis tumbles after disappointing heart trial Shares of Possis Medical Inc. (POSS.O: Quote, Profile, Research) tumbled as much as 41 percent on Tuesday after the company cut its earnings outlook due to


Indian Policeman Kills Seven Colleagues in Kashmir A policeman ran amok at a security camp in Indian-controlled Kashmir after an argument and shot dead seven colleagues before he was gunned down, police said on Sunday.


4 Million Without Power As Frances Strikes STUART, Fla. - Hurricane Frances pounded Florida with high wind and heavy rain Sunday after it smashed across the state's east coast, knocking out power to 4 million people and forcing residents to withstand a prolonged lashing that shredded roofs and uprooted trees...


UPDATE 1-Mutu to continue career in England or Italy Romanian striker Adrian Mutu, dismissed by English Premier League club Chelsea for taking cocaine, said on Tuesday he would continue his career in England or Italy after completing a seven-month ban.


Nintendo Raises Net Profit Estimate (Reuters) Reuters - Japanese game maker Nintendo Co. Ltd.\raised its full-year net profit forecast by 20 percent on\Monday, citing a stronger dollar and solid demand for software\titles for its handheld GameBoy Advance machine.


Retail Reports on Wall Street's Plate (AP) AP - It always seems a little premature to talk about the holiday season while the Thanksgiving menu is still in the planning stages, but there'll be plenty of discussion on Wall Street about December and shopping this week as top retailers report their earnings.


US Forces Set for Imminent Assault on Falluja Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi (L) shakes hands with British Prime Minister Tony Blair (R) after talks in Brussels November 5, 2004 ahead of the second day of a EU summit.


Online music buyers may be saved by... Microsoft? I NEVER thought I #39;d say this but I think Microsoft might be coming to my rescue. And if you have a digital music player, and have been drooling over the prospect of buying music online for it, Mr Bill Gates


Blair Defends War, Urges Labour to Unite (AP) AP - Prime Minister Tony Blair, skirting a direct apology, acknowledged to his Labour Party Tuesday that intelligence used to justify the invasion of Iraq was wrong, but insisted the world was safer with Saddam Hussein in prison.


State Health Care Proposition Would Benefit Many Workers It is often said that national trends originate in California. By voting yes on Proposition 72 next Tuesday, California voters have a chance to start a positive national trend toward solving our health care crisis.


Mets Sign Cuban Defector Alay Soler (AP) AP - The New York Mets signed Cuban defector Alay Soler on Friday, giving the pitcher a three-year deal worth  #36;2.8 million.


Martha Stewart says she #39;s heading to prison NEW YORK Saying she wanted to  quot;put this nightmare behind me, quot; Martha Stewart said Wednesday that she would enter a US prison to begin serving her five-month sentence without waiting to see whether an appeals court will overturn the guilty verdict a jury


SEEKING ANSWERS: Japan plans Sept. 29-30 abduction talks While Pyongyang will likely delay six-nation talks on its nuclear programs, Japan #39;s Foreign Ministry is preparing discussions with North Korea later this month in Beijing to finally get answers on 10 missing Japanese.


Kodak Reiterates Outlook (Reuters) Reuters - Eastman Kodak Co.  on Wednesday\backed its near and long-term profit forecasts, saying sales of\digital products, such as cameras and medical imaging, are\growing faster than expected and helping to offset rapidly\declining sales of its traditional film business.


Groups Work on Ways to Stop Hurricanes (AP) AP - Amateur hurricane-busters have come up with any number of crackpot ideas to spare Florida from ferocious storms. Among them: blowing hurricanes away with giant fans or blowing them up with nuclear warheads.


A breath of fresh heir at BU Incoming Boston University freshman Chris Bourque recently filled out the Terriers' standard player form that is kept on file at the school's sports information office.  quot;It's all the usual stuff -- date of birth, height, weight, and all that, quot; said Ed Carpenter, who has headed up the sports information department for some 30 years.  quot;But the part I liked best ...


SC2004: PathScale Introduces World #39;s Lowest-Latency Cluster <b>...</b> PITTSBURGH, SC2004 SuperComputing Conference, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- PathScale, developer of innovative software and hardware solutions to accelerate the performance and efficiency of Linux clusters, announces the PathScale InfiniPath Interconnect.


Nobel Prize Winner for Physics to Be Named STOCKHOLM, Sweden - The Nobel Prize in physics is like a scientific riddle: speculation about who could win equals the sheer complexity of the work examined for the coveted award.    This year's choice, which is to be announced Tuesday by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, could be involved in the search for dark matter or nanotubes...


RPT - Crude closes at a one-month high above \$46 a barrel - Crude for October delivery closed at \$46.35 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, up 76 cents for the session. It hasn #39;t closed above \$46 since Aug. 20.


BALCO Founder Says Marion Jones Used Steroids NEW YORK -- The head of BALCO is saying US Olympian Marion Jones has used performance-enhancing stimulants. BALCO founder Victor Conte has told ABC #39;s  quot;20/20 quot; he witnessed the five-time Olympic medalist injecting


Microsoft: Payout of Sasser bounty hinges on conviction Sven Jaschan, the alleged author of the Sasser worm and several variants of the Netsky virus, was charged this week by German police, but the informant who led authorities to the suspect will have to wait for a promised \$250,000 reward, Microsoft


Thousands Registered to Vote in 2 States-Report (Reuters) Reuters - About 46,000 people are registered to\vote in two states, New York and Florida, a violation of both\states' laws that could affect the outcome of the November\presidential election, according to an investigation by the\Daily News.


UK Gives VoIP Its Own Area Code Ofcom, the United Kingdom #39;s regulatory agency for telecommunications, revealed plans to facilitate voice over IP in the residental market, including a new prefix for broadband numbers.


Bush Campaign Web Site Blocking Foreign Access  quot;Last week #39;s simultaneous outages of GeorgeWBush.com and RNC.org prompted speculation that an electronic attack may have occurred, as the two sites are hosted on separate Web servers, quot; Netcraft analyst Rich Miller said.


Novell #39;s MS complaint: we wuz robbed Analysis If the antitrust lawsuit that Novell filed against Microsoft comes to court, it will reopen long-forgotten battles over technologies that most of us will even have trouble remembering.


WebSideStory Rises in Delayed IPO Shares of WebSideStory Inc. jumped nearly 17 percent in their trading debut Tuesday after the Web statistics firm - making its second try in four years to go public - boosted the size of the deal and priced in the middle of its expected range.


BellSouth Names Feidler Operating Chief BellSouth Corp. on Monday said Mark Feidler will become chief operating officer on Jan. 1 amid a reshuffling of several higher-level executives.


Jamaicans Flee as Powerful Hurricane Approaches Hurricane Ivan, the third powerful storm to boil up out of the Atlantic this year, bore down on Jamaica today after devastating Grenada.


The Great Southwest Salt Saga How an accidental oasis in the Mexican desert sank Arizona's \$250 million desalination plant. A case study in the law of unintended consequences. By Jeff Howe from Wired magazine.


Posco stock hits lifetime high on Nissan order SEOUL: Shares in Posco hit a lifetime high early on Friday, after Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor sought more steel shipments from the worlds fifth-largest steel maker.


Pacers #39; Miller breaks bone in hand INDIANAPOLIS  Guard Reggie Miller broke a bone in his left hand in the Pacers #39; a 98-79 loss Friday to the Denver, the exhibition finale for both teams.


Four Dead After Attack on Homeless Man (AP) AP - Four homeless men were bludgeoned to death and six were in critical condition on Friday following early morning attacks by unknown assailants in downtown streets of Sao Paulo, a police spokesman said.


A Better Browser Gets Better Mozilla blocks those un-requested and annoying  quot;pop-up quot; windows. It also has the ability to open new Web pages in a  quot;tabbed quot; interface, as is common to most Windows-based programs.


NBA Wrap: Heat Stay Unbeaten with Win Over Wizards (Reuters) Reuters - Dwyane Wade continued his hot\start to the 2004-05 campaign with a career-high 37 points, as\the Miami Heat improved to 3-0 on the young season with a\118-106 win over the Washington Wizards.


A Field Guide to the Falling Dollar Depending on how investors behave, the dollar's downward drift could cast anything from a benign breeze to a hurricane.


Inmates in Charge of Travelzoo When a company with a small float comes unhinged from reality, look out.


Microsoft Takes Stands Against Spam, Sanctions No matter what one thinks of Microsoft Corp., the company's reach is so expansive that it nearly always makes news, even when there's little or no media attention at the time. -Jonathan Krim


Ailing smokers ask Florida justices to restore \$145 billion award Sick Florida smokers urged the state #39;s highest court Wednesday to punish the tobacco industry for  quot;fraud and deceit quot; by restoring a \$145 billion class-action award, the largest ever by an American jury.


Maxim Dives 61 Pct on Drug Trial Result (Reuters) Reuters - Maxim Pharmaceuticals Inc.\ said a trial to confirm the benefit of its Ceplene\drug failed to show an improvement in survival rates for\patients with liver cancer, sending its shares plunging on\Monday.


Microsoft revamps its plans for Longhorn update In order to get the next update of its Windows operating system out the door, Microsoft will delay some of the key improvements that had been planned.


Survey: IT spending to grow modestly next year IT spending is forecast to grow in the high single-digits next year and remain on that pace through 2008, according to two reports released Monday by Forrester Research.


Leaders brief parties on talks Some of Northern Ireland #39;s political leaders are to brief party members after talks to restore devolved government ended without a deal.


'Clintonistas' rally behind Kerry's presidential bid (AFP) AFP - Democratic Senator John Kerry's White House bid has become more combative, more open to reporters and delivered a more focused message recently which observers have attributed to the influence of former Bill Clinton administration staffers.


Salmon opts for surgeries Tim Salmon said on Wednesday that he will undergo season-ending surgeries on his ailing left shoulder and left knee, but the veteran wouldn #39;t call it a career just yet.


White House pays tribute to UN envoy killed in Iraq WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- The White House on Thursday paid tribute to United Nations envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello who was killed in the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad one year ago.


Govs urge endangered species changes Western governors Saturday urged Congress to change to the Endangered Species Act and make the complex law less of a strain on private landowners.


Washington State Opens Digital Archives Washington has opened what is believed to be the nation's first digital archives for state government, holding everything from birth records to the first election results in Washington Territory in 1854.


Altria Seeks Ways to Split Into 3 Units The chief executive of the Altria Group, Louis C. Camilleri, said yesterday that the company might split into two or three independent entities.


Nuclear agency weighs Iran steps The UN #39;s nuclear watchdog is meeting in Vienna on Monday to consider a European draft resolution aimed at addressing concern about Iran #39;s nuclear programme.


TI to put DVB-H in Single Chip Texas Instruments have just announced they will be building a single chip that will that will allow cell phones to receive digital television broadcasts over a wireless network.


Moveon.org subscriber-data leaked through search Dozens of the political action committee's subscriber pages exposed by simple Google search.


Consumption Of Resources Focus of Report An environmental group says earth #39;s people are using up the planet faster than it can restore itself and the west is the chief culprit.


Applied Materials Profit Up  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Applied Materials Inc. AMAT.O,  the largest producer of chip-making equipment, on Wednesday  said demand for advanced manufacturing tools pushed quarterly  profit and sales higher, but warned that chip oversupply would  lead to lower orders and sales in the current quarter.


Impact of deductibles For years, the piece of paper has been tucked into Paul Carson #39;s insurance policy that outlined his hurricane deductible. He never thought about it until Hurricane Frances destroyed the garage roof of his Tamarac home.


Kerry sharpens economic rhetoric Buoyed by postdebate polls <b>...</b> ORLANDO, Fla. - Bolstered by evidence the presidential race is turning his way, John Kerry yesterday outlined a new campaign phase - casting President Bush as a pal of the rich, himself as the friend of the middle class.


BA cancels 1,000 Heathrow flights British Airways today announced the cancellation of almost 1,000 flights over the next three months in an effort to ease congestion at Heathrow, one of the world #39;s busiest airports.


Expos stagger to end MONTREAL -- If the Expos are indeed preparing to play their final game in Montreal, they certainly aren #39;t going out in style. Ismael Valdez and three relievers combined on a three-hitter while Jeff Conine


Dodgers ax Giants, boost West lead SAN FRANCISCO - Eric Gagne zipped one last pitch past Deivi Cruz, then screamed for joy while San Francisco #39;s fans groaned. Gagne knew his two innings of work had resulted in more than just another save.


Yahoo Offers Desktop Search Tool (Article Central) Yahoo Inc. announced that it has released a new tool to search computer hard drives as it strives to compete with rivals Google Inc.


RFID gets a reality check BALTIMORE--Radio frequency identification may be a hot topic among tech types these days, but proponents of the technology gathered here this week are keeping their exuberance in check.


Wachovia names Carroll capital management chief Wachovia Corp. (WB.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the fifth-largest US bank, on Thursday named David Carroll head of capital management, one of its biggest businesses, replacing Donald McMullen, who is retiring.


Cantor Fitzgerald Sues Al Qaeda Over 9/11  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cantor Fitzgerald, the bond brokerage  that suffered more deaths in the Sept. 11 attacks than any  other company, on Friday sued al Qaeda, Saudi Arabia and dozens  of foreign companies seeking damages related to the attacks on  the World Trade Center.


Amnesty International Calls for UN Arms Embargo Against Sudan Weapons, ammunition, aircraft and vehicles sold to the Sudanese government have been used to commit suspected crimes against humanity in the country #39;s Darfur region and a UN arms embargo is needed to stop the violence, an Amnesty International report said


NASA Delays Mach 10 Flight Aviation enthusiasts awaiting the historic flight of NASA's experimental X-43A 'scramjet' will have to wait another day. Mission planners hope to fly the unmanned jet at a record-breaking 7,000 mph. By Amit Asaravala.


Calif. OKs Toughest Auto Emissions Rules LOS ANGELES - California has adopted the world's first rules to reduce greenhouse emissions for autos, taking what supporters see as a dramatic step toward cleaning up the environment but also ensuring higher costs for drivers.    The rules may lead to sweeping changes in vehicles nationwide, especially if other states opt to follow California's example...


US may boost troop levels in Iraq The US says it may send more troops to Iraq before January, depending on the outcome of its offensive in Falluja.


Hoops Team Rebounds The Americans survive a poor shooting night to beat Greece 77-71 at the men's Olympic basketball tournament on Tuesday.


Typhoon unleashes devastation on Asia Shanghai - Typhoon Aere crashed into mainland China on Thursday, unleashing torrential rains and prompting the nearly a million people to seek safety, as the death toll climbed to on 35 Thursday after a mudslide killed 15 villagers in Taiwan.


Stocks End Flat After Rates Go Up  NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks finished flat on Wednesday  after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for a fourth  time this year and indicated it would keep its moderate  campaign of tightening credit instead of shifting to a more  aggressive gear.


Australia #39;s Commonwealth Bank says earnings set to increase SYDNEY: The Commonwealth Bank of Australia said it expects increased earnings in the current financial year even though home lending had eased and margins are being squeezed in an increasingly competitive financial sector.


Four sentenced for web porn in Beijing Four men were sentenced to termed imprisonment Thursday in Beijing for creating and profiting from pornographic websites, reported China Daily on Thursday.


Yahoo! wants a slice of Desktop Search Market It is almost weird to see these big corporations trying to enter a field so soon one after the other that was ruled by small companies just few weeks ago.


8 teens murdered at Chinese school A MAN stabbed eight teenagers to death and injured four others after breaking into a school in central China Friday morning, teachers and local authorities said.


Frail Pope Ends Tiring Lourdes Pilgrimage  LOURDES, France (Reuters) - Pope John Paul, a sick man  among the sick, wound up a emotional visit to this miracle  shrine Sunday and struggled with iron determination to finish a  sermon in order to encourage others suffering around him.


Congressional panel votes to kill Boeing Air Force tanker lease A congressional committee has voted to kill a hotly contested Boeing deal to lease 767 jetliners to the US Air Force as refueling tankers.


Limited Brands Posts Lower Earnings (Reuters) Reuters - Limited Brands Inc.   on\Thursday posted lower third-quarter earnings, and left its\outlook for the fourth quarter and full year unchanged.


China Party Chief Rules Out Democracy Chinese Communist Party chief Hu Jintao called for parliament to take a stronger watchdog role on the eve of a key leadership meeting but ruled out Western-style democracy


Russian Troops Kill 22 Chechen Rebels Russian troops killed at least 22 rebels in separatist Chechnya on Monday, including a man officials said was linked to the assassination of Chechnya #39;s pro-Moscow president, media reported.


US warplane fires at insurgents planting a roadside bomb in Sadr <b>...</b> A US warplane struck three suspected insurgents as they planted an artillery shell on a street in Baghdad #39;s northeastern Shiite district of Sadr City on Friday, a military spokesman said.


Man. United, Boosted by Ferdinand, Defeats Liverpool (Update1) Mikael Silvestre headed two goals as Manchester United, boosted by the return of defender Rio Ferdinand, beat Liverpool 2-1 in English soccer #39;s Premiership.


Toney wants fighting chance James Toney has learned at least one thing from reading the Bible. He doesn't hide his light under a basket.


Update 2: Eisner Says He Discussed Ovitz Hiring Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Michael Eisner testified Tuesday that he discussed individually with directors bringing on Michael Ovitz as the entertainment giant #39;s president and reviewed the details of his


Tools Of The Trade Apple Power Mac G5 Dual 2.5Ghz When Apple first launched its G5 computers, some disputed its claim to be the fastest personal computer in world. Faster computers may well be on the market now, but few wield their power


Yahoo Announces Media Head - Former ABC Chairman Braun Yahoo Announces Media Head - Former ABC Chairman Braun\\Yahoo today hired former ABC television network Chairman Lloyd Braun as head of Yahoo Media and Entertainment. Lloyd Braun will be overseeing Yahoo movies, TV, entertainment, music, games, finance, news, weather, sports, health and children channels. \\Bloomberg reports that Braun left Walt ...


iTunes Canada Launch Postponed The Canadian launch of Apple #39;s iTunes music-download service, which was expected to take place by the end of November, has been postponed.


Bat of the Babe sells for Ruthian amount New York, NY (Sports Network) - A bat once used by legendary baseball player Babe Ruth sold for \$1.26 million at an auction on Thursday, marking the third- highest price ever paid for a piece of sports memorabilia.


Citigroup Hits Back at Parmalat  MILAN (Reuters) - Citigroup on Friday launched a legal  challenge against Parmalat's restructuring plan, hitting back  after the bankrupt food group took the world's biggest bank to  court and rejected its claims for credit repayment.


Memoir Takes Holy War Into Cyberspace A jailed Indonesian militant's autobiography urges fellow Muslim radicals to attack U.S. computers, with the particular aim of committing credit card fraud.


Medarex #39;s Hodgkin #39;s treatment gets orphan status PRINCETON, NJ (Dow Jones/AP) _ Biopharmaceutical company Medarex Inc. said Wednesday its Hodgkin #39;s disease treatment was granted orphan drug designation by the Food and Drug Administration.


US Air Force launches a GPS satellite The US Air Force launched a global positioning system satellite Saturday from Cape Canaveral, Fla. It was the 12th successful launch of the new-generation GPS IIR spacecraft.


Els maintains lead at American Express Championship Kilkenny, Ireland (Sports Network) - Ernie Els shot a four-under 68 on Saturday to maintain his two-shot lead through three rounds of the World Golf Championships - American Express Championship.


Linux Standard Base Takes on Industry Fragmentation Following the release Tuesday of a new interoperable version of Linux, analysts said the standard should go along way towards preventing a serious roadblock to widespread acceptance of Linux


AIG pledges to return \$46m in fees AIG will return \$46m in fees it earned on three off-balance-sheet vehicles set up for PNC Financial as part of a settlement with regulators announced this week.


Lockheed's Loss in Space Intelsat loses a satellite, which could mean lost millions for the defense contractor.


New poll puts Kerry ahead as Bush pounds him on foreign policy (AFP) AFP - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, buoyed by a strong showing in his televised debate with George W. Bush, has recaptured a small lead in their White House race, a Newsweek poll showed.


Internet pharmacies get go-ahead The government gives the green-light to internet-only pharmacies in England.


Rwandan Ex-Army Officer Denies Genocide Charges  DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (Reuters) - A Rwandan ex-army  officer denied helping plan the central African country's 1994  genocide and distributing weapons to some of the killers, the  U.N. court trying the architects of the slaughter said Tuesday.


Greek Bus Hijacking Ends With Surrender ATHENS, Greece -- Two armed hijackers have surrendered and released their hostages, 18 hours after seizing a bus near Athens, Greece.


Sun shines on interoperability progress with Microsoft Microsoft and Sun have declared some progress in their efforts to achieve interoperability citing co-operation on web services standardisation and deployment of Windows on Sun systems.


Pakistan and Egypt favourites for World Team Squash title ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Egypt will start their campaign as top seeds for the 22-country 13th PIA World Junior Mens Team Squash Championship starting at the Mushaf Squash Complex on Monday (today).


Thirty-three dead, 61 missing after fire in five Chinese mines BEIJING : Thirty-three miners were confirmed dead and 61 others were missing after a fire at five iron ore mines in northern China.


Back-To-School Now Includes Electronics For back-to-school shoppers, a new alphabet reigns, and it starts with E for electronics. With camera cell phones and the Apple iPod music player topping student wish lists, some of the hottest gadgets have little to do with pen or paper, much less studying.


Jakarta embassy blast kills eight A powerful car bomb has exploded outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta, killing at least eight people and wounding more than 130 in an attack


Stewart asks to start serving her prison sentence Hoping to put the ordeal of the last several months behind her, business executive Martha Stewart said yesterday that she wants to begin serving her prison


German car sector faces autumn of discontent Labour conflict looks set to boil over in the German automobile sector in the coming weeks as car makers such as Volkswagen and Opel seek to impose rigorous belt-tightening measures as an answer to chronically weak demand.


Transportation IT Spending Projected To Grow Government-intelligence firm Input says state and local spending on transportation IT systems should rise from \$1.8 billion in fiscal 2005 to \$2.


How to get the most out of Microsoft #39;s SP2 Any release from Microsoft brings a lot of questions. But since Windows XP Service Pack 2 came out in August, it has been particularly active.


Return to Ancient Greece enthralls athletes OLYMPIA, GREECE -- Brad Snyder #39;s shot put travelled just more than 19 metres, but the arc of its flight spanned more than 1,600 years.


Workers to Wield Linux RFID Devices (Ziff Davis) Ziff Davis - RFID deals are really flying at the Frontline show. In one agreement, Linux handheld terminals will come together with wireless emulation for the enterprise. Through another, three IT firms will support Beaver Street Fisheries' bid to move RFID a step beyond mere compliance.


Garciaparra on mend, expected to return tonight Chicago Cubs shortstop Nomar Garciaparra expects to return to the lineup tonight after being out since Sept. 11 with a strained groin. Manager Dusty Baker said the plan is to play Garciaparra tonight, rest him for tomorrow's afternoon game, and then start him again Friday in New York.  quot;Hopefully, knock on wood, he can play every game after that, quot; Baker ...


Latest Conspiracy Theory Hits the Ether Even as Sen. John F. Kerry's campaign is steadfastly refusing to challenge the results of the presidential election, the bloggers and the mortally wounded party loyalists and the spreadsheet-wielding conspiracy theorists are filling the Internet with head-turning allegations.


NASA Chief Applies for Job at LSU NASA Administrator Sean O #39;Keefe will resign this week, a government official said Sunday, and a spokesman for Louisiana State University said O #39;Keefe is a leading candidate to become a chancellor there.


Bombs Explode at Rally in Bangladesh DHAKA, Bangladesh - A series of bombs exploded at an opposition rally in the Bangladesh capital Saturday, killing one person and injuring hundreds, witnesses said.    The blasts occurred as the main opposition leader Sheikh Hasina was addressing the rally from atop a truck...


Asia-Pac a key software market: Ballmer MICROSOFT chief executive officer Steve Ballmer on Thursday stressed the importance of the Asia-Pacific region to the world #39;s top software maker when he was addressing


Microsoft to double ad revenue: CEO Will double its advertising revenue in five years as it ramps up its search services to rival Web search leader Google Inc. BELLEVUE: Microsoft Corp.


N. Korea Nukes May Not Be Resolved Soon (AP) AP - Chirping birds no longer compete for attention with speakers blaring North Korean propaganda across its border with South Korea, and the view across the verdant landscape of the Demilitarized Zone is now uninterrupted by billboards that once boasted "Our General is No. 1!"


China-Japan tensions over mysterious submarine ELEANOR HALL: Diplomatic tensions erupted between China and Japan this week over a mystery submarine in Japanese waters. The Japanese Government had blamed the Chinese for the incursion.


Tiger Woods Opens Calif. Education Center (AP) AP - Tiger Woods says the primary goal of his youth education center is to help students improve their grades, not master their golf strokes.


Unilever warns of extra costs Unilever has warned that restoring profitable growth will involve rising marketing spend and a big jump in restructuring charges in the fourth quarter.


Napster Announces Smartphone Music Service Napster is making its new Napster To Go service available on AT amp;T #39;s Audiovox smartphone. It comes with 28.5mb of internal flash memory, which holds up to 6 songs.


Nader: Social Ills Deadlier Than Terror (AP) AP - Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader told supporters Saturday that a far larger number of Americans die each year from poverty, hunger, pollution, dangerous jobs or poor access to high-quality health care than terrorism.


GM: See Red, Save Green; \$7,500 Cash Back  DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp. GM.N will offer  cash rebates as high as \$7,500 on some 2004 models in its new  "Red Tag" incentive program to be launched on Dec. 10 in an  effort to boost sales after two disappointing months, dealers  said on Wednesday.


Jimenez leads the pack as Ryder Cup race hots up MUNICH: Spain #39;s 40-year-old Miguel Angel Jimenez was leading the BMW InternationalOpen following Friday #39;s second round as Europe #39;s elite were chasing points to get on the Ryder Cup team.


Holyfield can #39;t see the end Evander Holyfield may have finally run out of reasons to keep fighting. If so, it appears he #39;ll be the last one to admit it. The former heavyweight champion #39;s sad decline continued last night


Hostages walk free in Iraq TWO truck drivers from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka kidnapped in Iraq by the same militant group that claims to be holding two French journalists have been released by their captors, officials said today.


From Russia, with love game NEW YORK -- Whom do we blame for what happened last night -- a Russian woman Svetlana Kuznetsova taking home the US Open tennis championship?


Collins, Raiders beat Bucs OAKLAND -- Kerry Collins is new to the whole Tampa Bay-Oakland rivalry, and maybe that was a good thing. Collins replaced injured starter Rich Gannon and calmly directed the Oakland Raiders to an emotional


Rental market tighter After nearly four years of slashed security deposits, allowances for pets and other perks, Bay Area renters are starting to see prices rise and their bargaining power decline.


Bowden lands a new GM job WASHINGTON The Washington-bound Montreal Expos have a general manager, at least for the time being. Former Cincinnati Reds GM Jim Bowden (BOH #39;-den) has been hired for the job.


The Shipping News? Time's Almost Up   The e-mail offers are coming fast and furious.<br> "There's still time," screamed one that arrived in my inbox Tuesday, promising 20 percent off any item or free shipping at Art.com. I had only to enter "Santa" or "free shipping" in a special box at checkout -- and order by Dec. 16.


Nonviolent protest offers little hope for Palestinians JERUSALEM The arrival in the Middle East of Arun Gandhi, preaching his grandfather Mahatma Gandhi #39;s message of love, brotherhood and nonviolence to conflict-weary Israelis and Palestinians, has raised tentative hopes that the bloody conflict may be


Stocks: Wall St. rally slows despite drop in oil prices NEW YORK Profit-taking after Wall Street #39;s nine-session rally left stocks narrowly mixed on Monday even as oil prices continued their downward trend.


Pakistan to Scale Back Force Around Town Near Afghan Border Declaring that peace had been restored in part of Pakistan #39;s restive tribal areas, Pakistani military officials have announced that troops will


Australian Imprisoned for Online Scam (AP) AP - A Sydney man was imprisoned for more than five years Monday for duping people into sending him millions of dollars in a global Internet ruse known as the Nigerian scam.


Rogers Wireless to Purchase Microcell for C\$1.4 Bln (Update1) Rogers Wireless Communications Inc. agreed to buy Microcell Telecommunications Inc. for C\$1.4 billion (\$1.08 billion), beating a bid by Telus Corp.


Skepticism warranted on Iran #39;s nuclear pact Iran has agreed to a plan by the UN #39;s atomic agency, saying it will halt uranium enrichment work. But the world must remain vigilant about that nation #39;s plans.


Eight eBay sellers ordered to pay nearly \$90,000 in restitution <b>...</b> Eight eBay sellers were ordered to pay nearly \$90,000 (euro 70,000) in restitution and fines after admitting they bid up products online to inflate the prices.


Broadcaster Sues EDS Over CRM Contract AUGUST 23, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - The UK #39;s largest satellite TV broadcaster sued Electronic Data Systems Corp. last week over a \$109 million CRM development contract that was signed in late 2000 and then terminated two years ago.


West Bromwich Albion Football Club midfielder retires from <b>...</b> Andy Johnson has decided to end his Wales career and concentrate on his West Bromwich Albion Football Club position. Johnson has won 14 caps for Wales, the last of which came against Latvia in a friendly in August.


Violent videos and the holidays They were lined up at dawn Friday. They fidgeted with nervous energy. They could barely wait to get into those stores and start spending.


Willingham takes the blame Calm and composed as ever, Tyrone Willingham addressed his dismissal at Notre Dame on Wednesday. Willingham, fired as the school #39;s head football coach after three years on the job, didn #39;t lash out at his former employer.


Mendieta out for season with knee injury Middlesbrough #39;s Spanish midfielder Gaizka Mendieta has been ruled out for the rest of the season with knee ligament damage. Mendieta requires surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament


Ford Fumbles First Hybrid SUV At the worst possible moment, Ford announces the worst possible recall.


Orange makes fashion, political statements in Kiev KIEV -- Orange scarves, suspenders, turtlenecks, sunglasses, even diapers. Viktor Yushchenko's supporters have flooded the streets of the Ukrainian capital sporting the opposition candidate's color. It's a fashion statement with a political message.


Nokia takes aim at fake batteries Nokia on Wednesday said it will put hologram labels on cell phone batteries as part of a move to help consumers avoid counterfeits.


Iraq group beheads Turkish contractor, Kurdish translator: website (AFP) AFP - An Al-Qaeda-linked group said it had beheaded a Turkish contractor and an Iraqi Kurd who worked with US forces in Iraq, in statements posted on an Islamist website and a video showing the killings.


Afghan Militants Threaten to Kill Foreign Hostages The kidnappers of three foreign election workers in Afghanistan say they will kill their hostages by Wednesday if a list of demands is not met.


Extinctions Could Have Domino Effect, Study Says A new study estimates that if the nearly 12,200 animals and plants currently listed as threatened or endangered disappear, another 6,300 "affiliate" species could also be lost.


New-look Lakers in sync from the start Bryant lets the game come to him and team rings in its new era in perfect pitch, for at least one night. Did someone have the audacity to suggest the Lakers might miss a beat?


Fertilizer May Be Root of Big Colombia Coca Plants (Reuters) Reuters - Giant coca plants said to\resist herbicides and yield eight times more cocaine may be due\to extra fertilizer, not a drug cartel's genetic modification\program, a scientist said on Tuesday.


Airport wall collapse kills eight workers A huge wall collapsed at an unfinished terminal at Dubai airport yesterday, killing at least eight workers and injuring more. Workers saw up to 40 casualties being taken away.


IBM, Borland and Microsoft boost developers #39; ability to <b>...</b> Microsoft, IBM and Borland are upgrading their software and offering users new workflow features, support for multiple languages and tools to manage the lifecycle of in-house applications.


Intel Seen Readying New Wi-Fi Chips  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp. INTC.O this week is  expected to introduce a chip that adds support for a relatively  obscure version of Wi-Fi, analysts said on Monday, in a move  that could help ease congestion on wireless networks.


Ask Jeeves Launches Desktop Search Ask Jeeves has launched a beta desktop search application, capping off a very busy year in the desktop search space. Just a year ago, consumer oriented desktop search was only available from a few small companies like Enfish, dtSearch, and x1.


DreamWorks IPO opens at \$39.50 On Wednesday, the company #39;s shares (NYSE: DWA) were priced at \$28, according to media reports. That was above the \$23 to \$25 range predicted.


Pires summoned to France meeting The France Football Federation (FFF) has asked Robert Pires to explain comments he made about new national team coach Raymond Domenech.


Reds won #39;t bring back Larkin The team has informed the 40-year-old shortstop it will not offer him another contract, effectively ending a 19-year relationship with the player.


Sri Lanka: Demonstrations outside Norwegian Embassy In Sri Lanka, angry demonstrators outside the Norwegian Embassy on Monday placed a coffin with the dead body of a Tamil politician outside the Norwegian Embassy.


Online sales continue to rise, up 23.1 from a year ago While they're still a sliver of overall U.S. retail sales, retail online sales continued to rise in the second quarter of the year to \$15.7 billion, according to figures released today by the U.S. Department of Commerce.


Mids Need Motivation Coming off its third winning season in the last 20 years, Navy has looked sluggish on offense and uninspired overall during the last several weeks of practice.


Suicide bomber strikes Jerusalem A Palestinian suicide bomber blows herself up in Jerusalem, killing at least one other person.


Pavano chooses Yankees Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Free agent starting pitcher Carl Pavano has chosen to join the New York Yankees and the two sides were working on finalizing a contract before the end of the winter meetings.


Group of Cities, Counties Sues Microsoft  SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A group of California cities and  counties on Friday filed a class action lawsuit against  Microsoft Corp.MSFT.O, saying that the world's largest  software maker overcharged government agencies for software.


Arafat #39;s ultimate failure was that he never dared to let go of the <b>...</b> Yasser Arafat died as he lived: amid confusion, intrigue and farce. His fatal ailment was described first as a stomach flu, then an unknown blood disorder or liver condition and, finally, a brain haemorrhage.


Toshiba #39;s DVD has it both ways Toshiba claimed yesterday to have developed the first DVD that is capable of playing both conventional and high-definition content, in the latest move in the race for the next generation of optical discs.


China Showcases Space Program (AP) AP - Rising space power China provided a rare peek into its top-secret launch center Wednesday, capitalizing on its recent success in orbit to promote the military-funded project as a lure for foreign investment and a key to growing prosperity.


Coca-cola earnings lose their fizz COCA-COLA has reported a 24 per cent plunge in third-quarter net income due to weak sales of its soft drinks, juices and bottled waters in Germany, North America and other key markets.


Microsoft, ScanSoft pair up for speech software Text-to-speech technology will be featured in a range of Redmond's server products, beginning with Speech Server 2004.


Law protecting species studied LA JOLLA, Calif. -- Western governors convening a two-day summit on the federal Endangered Species Act heard a list of complaints: Too few plants and animals saved.


Alleged Terror Leader Goes On Trial In Indonesia The alleged leader of Southeast Asia #39;s most dangerous Islamic militant group has gone on trial in Indonesia charged with terrorist offenses that carry the death penalty.


Bomb threat clears Madrid stadium MADRID, Spain -- A bomb threat forced authorities to evacuate about 75,000 spectators from Madrid #39;s Bernabeu stadium during a match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad.


AMD Taps Chartered To Meet Chip Demand The Chartered announcement had been signaled when AMD and IBM extended a chip processing deal in September. While the deal centered on jointly developed technology, it also left AMD the option


Right Whales May Be Making a Comeback By MARY PEMBERTON     ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- North Pacific right whales may not be going extinct after all. Scientists have found twice as many right whales in the Bering Sea as previously spotted, giving them hope the rare whales are making a comeback...


Paypal and Apple iTunes link-up Payment system Paypal announces a tie-up with Apple's iTunes as it continues to secure new business with online retailers.


Gatlin and Hayes Win Jesse Owens Award Last summer, Justin Gatlin and Joanna Hayes thrilled us with their gold medal performances at the Olympics. Yesterday, these two American athletes were honored when the Olympic committee awarded them both the prestigious Jesse Owens award.


Shutters come down for Kodak THE photo-equipment maker Kodak yesterday announced plans to axe 600 jobs in the UK and close a factory in Nottinghamshire, in a move in line with the giants global restructuring strategy unveiled last January.


Before the Bell: Knight Falls, Too Rises  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Knight Trading Group Inc. NITE.O  shares fell more than 6 percent before the bell on Wednesday  after the Nasdaq stock trader warned of a quarterly loss  because of weak stock trading volume.


Sudan Says Coup Plot Included Plan to Kill 38 Officials Sudan says it has foiled a plot by the main opposition party to kill senior government officials and blow up key sites in the capital, Khartoum.


Wineke: Global warming is a moral issue For years, we #39;ve been subjected to warnings that  quot;global warming quot; might one day change the way we live our lives. That day, pretty much, is today.


London shares close lower, with NY down amid mixed data over US economy (AFP) AFP - Leading shares closed in negative ground, while Wall Street was looking for direction over mixed data on the state of the US economy, dealers said.


Seoul, Others Should Send Clear Message on Nukes -US The White House said on Friday that South Korea and other nations should send a  quot;clear message quot; to North Korea of their commitment to a nuclear-free peninsula after Seoul admitted government scientists had enriched uranium to nearly


Treasuries Up on Consumer, Industry Data (Reuters) Reuters - Treasury debt prices climbed  and\10-year yields moved to a new five-month low on Tuesday after\an August survey of regional U.S. industry proved weaker than\expected while consumer confidence was shaken.


Aziz, Zia discuss regional cooperation, bilateral issues : World News  gt; Dhaka, Nov 3 : South Asian regional cooperation and bilateral issues including trade and investment figured prominently in talks between visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and his Bangladesh counterpart Khaleda Zia here today.


Quarter million Chinese flee typhoon Typhoon Aere made landfall in southeastern China Wednesday after killing five people and flooding Taiwan, the BBC reported. The storm system packing winds of 86 mph and gusts


Marsh Talks to Spitzer About Settling Independent directors of Marsh   McLennan Cos. approached New York state Attorney General Eliot L. Spitzer this week about settling the corruption charges Spitzer has brought against the giant insurance broker and financial services firm, according to sources close to the investigation.


Sony: PSP will ship by year #39;s end Sony has once again reiterated its plan to ship PlayStation Portable (PSP) in Japan by the end of the year and in Europe and the US during Q1 2005.


This medal is for you, sweet Sue ATHENS, Greece -- The Americans were staggered by emotions, never by opponents. It took a gold medal to knock them down. Laura Berg got a head start.


Militant Youths Shut Three Oil Flowstations Crude oil production in the country has again been disrupted after militant youths, numbering about 200, stormed and forcefully shut down three flowstations in the swamp of Rivers State.


'Boisterous' Soldier Buried at Arlington  Staff Sgt. Darren J. Cunningham, a 22-year Army veteran who was described by friends and family as gregarious and fun-loving, was buried yesterday under gray skies at Arlington National Cemetery.


Mobile firms sign 'Super 3G' deal NTT DoCoMo, Vodafone and 24 other mobile phone firms and manufacturers join forces to develop the next generation of high-speed networks.


BT set to re-enter US market with \$1bn purchase BT Group is poised for a surprise return to the US market with a planned \$1bn acquisition of Infonet Services, a California-based telecoms service provider.


Mets Interview Riggleman for Managing Job Jim Riggleman, the Dodgers' bench coach, was the Chicago Cubs' manager for five seasons before being fired in 1999.


Queens crash blamed on co-pilot The co-pilot of an airliner which crashed in New York in November 2001 made a fatal error, an inquiry finds.


Orders, House Data Shows Economy on Track  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. economic growth stayed on track  in September, with stronger durable goods orders and positive  news from the housing sector on Wednesday bolstering views the  Federal Reserve will raise interest rates again.


Peru Ex-President Rejects Extradition Call (AP) AP - Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori on Thursday rejected his successor's call, made at the United Nations, for world leaders to press Japan to extradite him to face corruption charges and allegations of involvement in death squad massacres, according to a statement broadcast by news media here.


Free to Clone Does the First Amendment protect scientific research? If so, the debate over cloning will have to begin all over again.


Justice Dept. Cracks Down Internet Crime WASHINGTON Aug. 25, 2004 - Federal agents seized computers and software Wednesday as part of an investigation targeting an Internet network used to illegally share copyrighted music, movies, software and games, Attorney General John Ashcroft said.


Sears buys two local Kmart stores Two closed Kmart stores in the Tampa Bay area are among 50 nationwide acquired by Sears, Roebuck and Co. in a \$576-million deal announced Wednesday.


Soaring Fuel Costs to Spur Airline Mergers -Qantas Record high oil prices are likely to trigger a rash of airline mergers and tie-ups, accelerating a wave of consolidation in the aviation sector, the head of Australian carrier Qantas said on Wednesday.


Germany calls for measures to halt dollar decline German Finance Minister Hans Eichelon Friday called on the world #39;s three main trading blocks to find a way of halting the dollar #39;s slide against the euro and the yen.


Mortars hit British army camp in restive Iraq province, no <b>...</b> Two mortars hit a military base in a restive region south of Baghdad on Sunday where a battle group of British soldiers have recently arrived, causing no casualties, a spokesman said.


COLUMN: Major League Baseball Strikes Out in Montreal  TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada bid a final adieu to the  Montreal Expos who disappeared from the country's sports scene  on Wednesday in a wave of bitterness and nostalgia.


Small Steelers DBs Concerned With Owens (AP) AP - Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend knows how lonely it can feel when lined up in man-to-man coverage across from a receiver such as the Eagles' Terrell Owens.


Oracle warns of exploits for latest DB flaws Oracle Corp. urged customers to apply software patches it released in August because of the availability of malicious code that can exploit unpatched vulnerabilities in its software.


Premium rate fraud 'an epidemic' Scams using premium phone rate lines are getting out of control, the Trading Standards Institute says.


Intel Takes Stake In WiMax Startup NEW YORK - Chipmaker Intel today threw more weight behind the developing wireless broadband data standard known as WiMax by taking a stake in Clearwire, a wireless startup led by billionaire Craig McCaw 240699.


Top al-Qaida figure got Australian tourist visa in Aug 2001 SYDNEY - Australian Prime Minister John Howard confirmed Wednesday that the alleged mastermind of the Sept 11, 2001, attacks by al-Qaida on the United States was granted a tourist visa to visit Australia only a month before the attacks.


Our dark past a head-scratcher MODERN human beings may have wiped out two species of our closest relatives 25,000 years ago, possibly deliberately. The new research, by scientists at the University of Utah, raises the possibility that we


New Nokia 3230 And 6020 Camera Phones Nokia has introduced three new phones at their Mobility Conference, the 7710 widescreen multimedia smartphone, the 3230 megapixel smartphone and the 6020 camera phone.


Greenspan tells G20 US outlook favourable-source The outlook for the US economy in the coming quarters is favourable despite a continued fall in personal savings, US Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan was quoted as saying on Saturday.


UN tries to keep up dialogue after Khartoum irked by Darfur criticism (AFP) AFP - The UN envoy to Sudan has tried to ease the pressure on Khartoum after a flurry of indictments of the government's failure to end the crisis in Darfur drew irate reactions from President Omar al-Beshir.


Highly Anticipated iTunes Music Store Canada Opens Today, after months of anticipation, the highly anticipated iTunes Music Store Canada was revealed. It was announced at Apple #39;s special music event in October


Is IBM PC sell off preparation for a Power chip attack? Opinion A chip on the shoulder?


Robotic Revolution The use of robots around the home to mow lawns, vacuum floors, pull guard duty and perform other chores is likely to increase sevenfold by 2007, says a new UN survey, which credits dropping prices for the robot boom.


With One Swing, Edmonds Redeems Himself and Cards Jim Edmonds attacked an 0-1 pitch in the bottom of the 12th inning and sent a majestic drive to right field that beat the Houston Astros, 6-4.


Music Industry Sues European Internet Pirates The music industry has targeted 459 prolific  quot;uploaders quot; in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and the UK, who they accuse of illegally providing their music collections to others on online file-sharing networks.


Arrests of writers raise fears of crackdown against dissident <b>...</b> (WiPC/IFEX) - On the afternoon of 13 December 2004, three prominent dissident intellectuals - literary critic Liu Xiaobo, writer Yu Jie and political theorist Zhang Zuhua - were arrested in Beijing and held for 12 hours, before being freed on the morning


Lamy Says France Proposed Him as WTO Chief (Reuters) Reuters - France has formally proposed former\European Union Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy as a candidate to\become the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Lamy\said Monday. EU governments backed Frenchman Lamy as Europe's\candidate last week for the post of WTO director-general, which\former Thai deputy premier Supachai Panitchpakdi is due to\leave at the end of August 2005.


BCCI okays Sachin #39;s fitness report Thiruvananthapuram: The BCCI on Sunday approved the match fitness report on batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar ahead of the crucial third cricket Test against Australia at Nagpur from October 26.


Toronto-Dominion seeks Banknorth stake Toronto-Dominion Bank is in the final stages of negotiations to take a controlling interest in New England regional bank Banknorth Group Inc. in a transaction worth as much as \$3.5 billion, according to executives involved in the talks.


Snake Released In US Next Month US fans of the Metal Gear Solid series can at last start counting down the days till the release of Snakes next adventure, as Konami confirm that Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater will be released in the US on November 17th.


Revamped EMusic Targets Indie Market Nearly a year since it was sold by Vivendi Universal to private investors, online retailer eMusic has undergone a facelift that includes a panel of music critics to help users comb its trove of independent music.


Intel #39;s Rosedale chip brings WiMax closer Intel Corp. has begun shipping samples of its first WiMax chip, called Rosedale, and the first network trials based on the technology will start next year, a senior company executive said Tuesday.


Study: meager recovery for IT job market IT employment in the United States rose 2 percent in the first quarter, but the demand for IT workers continues to drop.


Creative plans US\$100m advertising campaign for its MP3 players Creative Chairman and CEO Sim Wong Hoo is aiming for a 40 percent share of the global market for MP3 players next year. To achieve its target, the Singapore-based company will


Red Hat Hires Sun Executive Red Hat has recruited Sun Microsystems executive Karen Tegan-Padir to serve as vice president of desktop infrastructure technologies.


China #39;s central bank has no timetable for more flexible exchange <b>...</b> WASHINGTON : China, invited to the table of the world #39;s top financial powers for the first time, did not appear to buckle to pressure to speed up moves to adjust or end a currency peg that many say distorts global trade flows.


Nortel Will Cut 3,250 Jobs, 250 Fewer Than Expected (Update6) Nortel Networks Corp., North America #39;s biggest maker of phone equipment, will pare 3,250 jobs, 250 fewer than it predicted last month, as it reduces other costs including real estate.


Threats Delay Vote Preparations in Mosul (AP) AP - Death threats have chased away four elections officials in Mosul, stalling preparations for the vote in the northern city. Insurgents have torched election materials and a militant group believed to operate in Mosul has warned Iraqis not to participate in the election.


Wal-Mart says weekly traffic rose Wal-Mart said Saturday that higher shopper traffic in the past week raised its comparable-store sales above the previous year. Free!


Ownership of Anti-Spam Measure Queried at Talks (Reuters) Reuters - Internet companies have begun to\change the way e-mail works in order to weed out spam, but\experts on Tuesday clashed over whether the underlying\technology should be controlled by any one company.


Caution: Angry Artists at Work Political fervor stemming from the Republican National Convention is being translated into art in mediums that range from painting and sculpture to Web art to political ephemera.


Lava Oozes Out of Mount St. Helens (Reuters) Reuters - Lava has begun to ooze out of\Washington state's Mount St. Helens, building up the lava crust\in the volcano's crater, government scientists said on\Wednesday.


U.K.'s NHS taps Gartner to help plan \$9B IT overhaul LONDON -- The U.K.'s National Health Service (NHS) has tapped IT researcher Gartner Inc. to provide market intelligence services as the health organization forges ahead with a mammoth, 5 billion (\$9.2 billion) project to upgrade its information technology infrastructure.


The first loan from the IMF for Iraq The International Monetary Fund announced that the council of governments, stakeholders in the Fund #39;s capital approved yesterday to provide an urgent aid for Iraq estimated at \$ 436 million and representing the first loan from the Fund for Baghdad.


No. 2 Oklahoma 31, Kansas St. 21 _ Jason White threw for four touchdowns as Oklahoma overcame its own mistakes to beat Kansas State 31-to-21 today. Freshman star Adrian Peterson added 130 yards rushing, with all 26 of those coming in the second half.


Sweden to Return Remains of Aborigines (AP) AP - The skeletal remains of 15 Aborigines are being returned home for reburial, nearly 90 years after a Swedish zoologist smuggled them out of Australia for display in a Stockholm museum.


Chicago Fed Sees '05 GDP Down at 3.3 Pct  CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. economic growth is expected to  slow in 2005 due to rising interest rates and high crude oil  prices, according to a forecast of participants at a Federal  Reserve Bank of Chicago conference released on Monday.


Purpura Succeeds Hunsicker As Astros #39; GM Newly named Houston Astros general manager Tim Purpura, left, answers a question as former general manager Gerry Hunsicker, right, listens during a news conference to announce Hunsicker #39;s resignation Monday, Nov. 1, 2004, in Houston.


Lost in space Congress #39; decision to sink billions into President Bush #39;s man-on-Mars fantasy is premature - and potentially damaging to a national priority that has gotten short shrift for many years, aeronautics research.


EU, U.S. Meet to Discuss Trade (Reuters) Reuters - Europe's trade chief Peter Mandelson\meets his U.S. counterpart Robert Zoellick for the first time\on Monday amid signs of a truce in the dispute over government\aid for rivals Boeing and Airbus.


British firm reconsiders Boeing #39;s Wichita plant LONDON - British engineering firm GKN will take another look at buying Boeing #39;s Wichita manufacturing plant, it said yesterday.


Pratt advances to third round Australia #39;s Nicole Pratt has advanced to the third round of the tennis event at the Athens Olympics with a three-set win over Italian Tathiana Garbin.


Young unties it for Knotts; Tigers win The Tigers didn #39;t tear the cover off the ball Monday night. But compared to their previous two games -- both shutouts -- it was an offensive explosion.


Windows XP SP2 update installation not an easy ride Citadel Security Software Inc., a security management and policy enforcement solutions provider, said its automated vulnerability remediation (AVR) solution, Hercules, is designed to assist with managing the rollout of Microsofts XP Service Pack 2 update


Two dead in Japan as typhoon wreaks havoc Typhoon Tokage hit western Japan today, killing at least two people and snarling transport as it lashed the country with heavy rains that set off landslides and forced thousands to evacuate.


Nuclear impasse top of agenda as NKorea's No. 2 meets China's leaders (AFP) AFP - North Korea's second ranking leader was scheduled to meet with China's two most powerful men as Beijing persisted in its efforts to revive stalled talks on the nuclear standoff.


Unrest blocks Ivory Coast cocoa Unrest in Ivory Coast, the world's biggest cocoa producer, stops shipments from the country's two ports despite a lull in fighting.


With Thanksgiving Over, Xmas Could Be Next NEW YORK - The holiday selling season got off to a strong start this weekend, which means...actually, it may not mean anything at all.


McKenzie, Packers ready to talk Green Bay Packers cornerback Mike McKenzie's holdout could end soon.  quot;All I know is I'm meeting with Mike tomorrow at 8 o'clock, quot; coach-general manager Mike Sherman said last night.


Anwar is a traitor, UMNO youth wing leader says Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Hishamuddin Hussein, leader of the youth wing of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) and Malaysias ruling party, called Ibrahim Anwar a traitor.


UN Nuclear Watchdog Battles Brazil on Checks at Resende Plant The UN nuclear watchdog agency says it is still negotiating with Brazil concerning inspections at a uranium enrichment plant. An International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, spokesman says a team of experts will


Goldman Net Rises 23; Shares Fall as Revenue Drops (Update5) Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the third- largest US securities firm, said quarterly profit rose 23 percent. Its shares had their biggest fall in more than a year as trading revenue tumbled from the prior three months.


Political Ads Tailored to Local Issues (AP) AP - In West Virginia mine country, television ads say President Bush has "broken his promise to invest in coal." In Wisconsin, voters see spots saying the factory state "has lost 84,000 manufacturing jobs" under the Republican. And Florida's large retiree population gets a commercial that claims Bush's policies have "banned Americans from buying low-cost drugs from Canada."


Calpers says tendered its PeopleSoft shares Calpers, the biggest US pension fund, on Thursday said it had tendered its 1.5 million shares of PeopleSoft Inc. (PSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) to Oracle Corp.


U.S. Coach Larry Brown Won't Make Changes (AP) AP - Same starting lineup, same subs, same tactics. The U.S. basketball team may be an unimpressive 1-1 in the Olympic tournament, but coach Larry Brown won't do any tinkering for Thursday's game against Australia.


No More '1918' Taunts for Lowe to Hear (AP) AP - Derek Lowe stood in the boisterous Boston clubhouse, a bottle of champagne in one hand, a cigar in the other.


Rah-Rah, Sis-Boom-Bah for Google! Or Not The cheerleading for Google from the analysts at leading brokerage firms is starting to sound a lot like the days of the dot-com bubble.


Huskies Topple No. 14 Minnesota in OT Thriller SEATTLE - Junior Jill Bell and sophomore Cameo Hicks accounted for 10 of Washington #39;s 14 points in overtime Monday, leading the Huskies to a 72-67 overtime win over 14th-ranked Minnesota in the final game of the WBCA BTI Classic in Seattle.


Racing: Italian Trulli to race for Toyota in Japan and Brazil PARIS : Italian driver Jarno Trulli, who has signed to drive for Toyota next season, will now be driving for the Japanese constructor in the final two races of this season, Toyota revealed.


Court hits Yukos with \$1.34B fine MOSCOW -- The Moscow Arbitration Court ruled yesterday embattled oil giant Yukos must pay \$1.34 billion US in fines and penalties as part of a \$4.


Consumer confidence flat in October Though consumer confidence is on the downslide for the country as a whole, it #39;s flat in the region of which Ohio is a part. For the East North Central region, the Conference Board #39;s consumer confidence index


In Opener, Hoyas Are Shut Down The new coach of the Georgetown men #39;s basketball team was greeted with chants of  quot;JT3! quot; as he stepped onto the MCI Center court before the Hoyas #39; season opener against Temple last night.


Hot Topic: Color Open your eyes to virtual color proofing. Explore the new pro/color site to learn how you can make your all-digital design workflow truly all digital. You #146;ll also discover what hues color the worlds of leading designers, tools and resources for achieving optimal color and more.  Dec 01


Dollar Mixed Ahead of U.S. Data Deluge  LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar rose against the yen but  eased from three-week highs against the euro on Monday as  investors waited for key economic data this week to shed light  on the health of the U.S. recovery.


UPDATE 3-Gambro sells US kidney clinics unit to DaVita Swedish kidney-care company Gambro AB (GAMBa.ST: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Tuesday it signed a \$3.05 billion deal to sell its US clinics


Martha Stewart Is Said to Serve Time in West Virginia Martha Stewart has been ordered to serve her sentence for lying about a stock sale at the federal prison in Alderson, W.Va.


Dollar Slips on Greenspan, Japan Data  TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar softened on Thursday after  Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan sounded more cautious  on the U.S. economic recovery than many investors had expected.


AOL to let nonsubscribers in In a move both risky and essential, AOL is abandoning its strategy of exclusivity and will free much of its music, sports and other programming to nonsubscribers in hopes of increasing ad sales.


DESPERATE EXECUTIVES The ABC television network is rightly being pilloried from all concerned - including FCC Chairman Michael Powell -or its tawdry  quot;Monday Night Football quot; opening this week.


Briefly: EDS extends Opsware contract roundup Plus: AOL signs up for Omniture traffic tool...Friendster hires ex-AOL ad exec...HP inks deal with energy firm.


Film-maker is murdered for his art A DIRECTOR who outraged Muslims with a film about an abusive arranged marriage was murdered in the street yesterday. Theo van Gogh, 47, the great-grand nephew of the 19th century painter


Roddick aiming for back-to-back Opens The US Open is really all that #39;s left for defending champion Andy Roddick this year. He #39;s coming in ranked No. 2 without a big title run since he won Miami in March and although he #39;s been in the mix at nearly


IOC opens probe of Jones doping allegations The IOC opened an investigation yesterday into doping allegations against Marion Jones, who could eventually be stripped of her five medals from the 2000 Olympics.


Detroit Pistons Team Report - December 16 (Sports Network) - The Detroit Pistons start a three-game homestand, as they welcome LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight to The Palace of Auburn Hills.


Martha Stewart Asks to Get Jail Over With  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Homemaking icon Martha Stewart on  Wednesday said she wants to start serving her jail sentence for  lying about a suspicious stock sale as soon as possible, so she  can put her "nightmare" behind her and be home in time to plant  her garden for spring.


Caribbean Casts Wary Eye on Hurricane Frances (Reuters) Reuters - The small islands of the northern\Caribbean were on alert on Monday for a close encounter with\powerful Hurricane Frances, while the remnants of Tropical\Storm Gaston limped through North Carolina.


Check 21 Places Demands on Banks #39; Customer Relations, Too On 28 October 2004, the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act (Check 21) takes effect in the United States. This legislation creates a new legal instrument called the substitute check - defined as  quot;a paper


Ireland bursts Boks #39; bubble Ireland stopped South Africa #39;s grand slam bid in its tracks as world champions England and southern hemisphere heavyweights New Zealand swept to easy victories in yesterday #39;s internationals.


Late funds hampered Beagle mission to Mars: MPs LONDON - The Beagle 2 space probe failed to land safely on Mars because the British government tried to fund the mission  quot;on the cheap, quot; a parliamentary committee has charged.


Debutant Hauritz, Gillespie skittle out India for 104 Off spinner Nathan Hauritz grabbed three wickets on his debut after Jason Gillespie had ripped the heart out of the top order as Australia skittled out India for


S.Korea #39;s Ruling Party Head Resigns on Father #39;s Past SEOUL (Reuters) - The chairman of South Korea #39;s ruling Uri Party resigned on Thursday after saying his father had served as a military police officer during Japan #39;s 1910-1945 colonial rule on the peninsula.


US Jet Flight to Vietnam Makes History United Airlines became the first US carrier to fly to Vietnam since the war ended nearly 30 years ago, marking a new milestone in relations between the former enemies as VIPs on board were greeted at the airport with lotus blossoms and silk lanterns.


United unions seek up to \$1 billion in skipped pension payments CHICAGO The trustee firm representing employee pension funds at United Airlines wants the carrier to make up millions in skipped pension contributions before exiting bankruptcy.


Government 'must reduce spending' Whatever party wins the next general election will have to either cut spending or raise taxes, says the CBI, which wants the former.


Yukos shares rise on bid denials Yukos shares rose more than 10 on Monday as Russia #39;s leading energy firms said they would not bid for its main west Siberian production subsidiary.


OPEC Weighs Output Increase Members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries were divided Tuesday on whether output should be increased in a bid to boost global supply that might cause prices to drop.


Oracle says PeopleSoft merger ready to roll by January It may be one of the software industry's largest acquisitions to date, but Oracleexpects to work out its merger plans with PeopleSoftby the end of the year and will "hit the ground running in January," according to Oracle President Charles Phillips.


Low fat diets 'as good as Atkins' Low fat diets are as good as the Atkins diet when it comes to losing weight over the long term, a study says.


This Cowboy will ride it out All the Bill Parcells bashers coming out of the woodwork with the Cowboys struggling will not get their wish. Parcells is not going to step down before he completes the task he went to Dallas to perform.


Sharon Abandons Mideast Peace 'Road Map' Israel will not follow the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan and could remain in much of the West Bank for an extended period after it withdraws from the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in a newspaper interview published Wednesday.


Florida E-Vote Study Debunked Statisticians release an analysis debunking a previous Berkeley study that said President Bush received more votes than he should have in Florida counties that used touch-screen voting machines. By Kim Zetter.


Thai PM Apologizes to Nation for Deaths in South Thailand #39;s prime minister apologized to the families of at least 84 people killed when troops put down a demonstration in the country #39;s mainly Muslim south, but blamed the riot on troublemakers.


Analysts concerned about longer-than-expected G5 delays AUGUST 17, 2004 (MACCENTRAL) - Analysts from Prudential Equity Group and UBS have warned over the past two days that longer than expected G5 delays from IBM Corp. is the near-term  quot;key risk quot; for Apple Computer Inc.


A Closer Look At Privacy And Desktop Search Google's new Google Desktop Search tool raises a number of search privacy issues. In this article, we'll look at some of the usual specters of search privacy plus some new things people should consider.


Automakers are likely to raise buying incentives The perks dropped slightly in October, but part of that can be blamed on the new 2005 models. By JOHN PORRETTO. Detroit, Mich. - Automakers were not as generous with consumer incentives in October as they were


Plane Carrying NBC President Ebersol Crashes in Colorado N.B.C. Sports Chairman and President Dick Ebersol survived a charter plane crash that killed at least two people, NBC said in a statement.


No. 1 Illinois 74, Georgetown 59 WASHINGTON - Chants of  quot;Overrated! Overrated! quot; bellowed from the Georgetown fans even before the opening whistle. Illinois needed about 14 minutes to shut them up.


Bush Rejects Kerry on Terror War, Economy (Reuters) Reuters - President Bush charged on\Wednesday that Democrat John Kerry has a "fundamental\misunderstanding" of the war on terrorism because he does not\see Iraq as a theater of that conflict.


Saints show Redknapp the reality HARRY Redknapp admitted he might as well have been reading a detailed job description as he watched his new charges at Southampton blow a two-goal lead against Middlesbrough.


UConn denies Temple Dan Orlovsky threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns and Cornell Brockington rushed for two scores to lead Connecticut to a 45-31 win over visiting Temple.


Intel's Rosedale chip brings WiMax closer Rosedale is asystem-on-chip processor designed for networking gear that will wirelessly connect end users' homes or offices with a WiMax-based broadband network.


Architectural Benefactor J. Irwin Miller Dies J. Irwin Miller, 95, the industrialist and philanthropist who guided Cummins Engine Co. to international prominence and helped shape his home town of Columbus, Ind., into an architectural gem, died Aug. 16 at his home in Columbus. No cause of death was ...


Spanish grab initiative in bidding war for Abbey Banco Santander is making an attempt to seize back the initiative in its 8.3bn takeover of Abbey National, speeding up its bid timetable while rival bidders continue to circle the UK bank.


Intel Gives Centrino Chip Line a Wireless Upgrade Intel Corp. (INTC.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday said it has upgraded the wireless networking capabilities of its Centrino line of notebook computer chips to allow broader network access with improved security.


Bonham and Hinchey: Fans and players alike should embrace civility Last week #39;s basketball brawl in Detroit, triggered by an on-court fight that spilled into the stands when a fan tossed a drink, has set the sports world buzzing.


iTunes Music Store downloads top 200 million songs Well on its way to serving up a quarter-billion iTunes tracks by next Spring, Apple claims to have sold over 200 million tunes to date.


Kerry Attacks Bush's Handling of Campaign Against Terror Senator John Kerry said attacks were on the rise and the Bush administration was "in confusion" about how to respond.


Iraq declares state of emergency Iraqi interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi has declared a state of emergency for 60 days, his spokesman said on Sunday. The emergency declaration excludes Iraqi regions run by Kurdish peoples


China #39;s ad market gallops ahead China will be the third largest advertising economy by 2011, beating the UK and Germany, according to a report published yesterday.


Jennings named as caretaker coach: South Africas Eric Simons <b>...</b> JOHANNESBURG: South African cricket coach Eric Simons was axed from his job Friday after a string of dismal performances which saw the country slip from second to sixth and eighth in world Test and one-day rankings.


Fremont Settles Mutual Fund Timing Case Fremont Investment Advisors of San Francisco has agreed to pay \$2.1 million in restitution and \$2 million in civil penalties to end a mutual fund timing case, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer announced Thursday.


Schumi admits Spa #39;s very  #39;special #39; Michael Schumacher admits there couldn #39;t have been a better place for him to wrap-up his seventh World title than at Spa, a circuit that have instrumental throughout his F1 career.


PM, Downer downplay pact row THE Federal Government today played down its reluctance to join a non-aggression pact with Asian neighbours while Prime Minister John Howard prepared for a historic visit with ASEAN leaders.


US-Russia Space Crew Lands on Earth Russian rescue workers help astronauts get out of the Soyuz escape capsule after Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka, Yuri Shargin, and American NASA astronaut Mike Fincke from international space station were parachuted near the town of Arkalyk in north


Airlines expected to lose \$4 billion MONTREAL -- Despite a jump of 19 per cent in world air traffic so far this year, airlines are expected to lose as much as \$4 billion US in 2004 due to high fuel costs, says the International Air Transport Association.


Cards strike first: Overpower Astros in Game 1 victory Conventional wisdom said that when the Cardinals and Astros hooked up in the National League Championship Series, there might be a few runs scored.


PREVIEW-Singh and Els primed for Match Play showdown Vijay Singh and Ernie Els, the world #39;s top two players, could not be more confident going into the World Match Play Championship starting at Wentworth on Thursday.


Tony Hawk gave up violin for skateboarding Skateboarding icon Tony Hawk reportedly gave up a budding career as a violinist to pursue his freewheeling boarding passion. Hawk, a professional skateboarder who has become a household name thanks to successful


Don #39;t Get Burned Paying for a Hotspot Okay, no more excuses. Don #39;t even try telling your boss that your report is late because you couldn #39;t find an Internet connection.


NBA Today (AP) AP - Seattle at Portland (10 p.m. EST). The SuperSonics (13-2) have the NBA's top record and are off to their best start since going 14-1 in the 1993-94 season.


Tiny chips to keep track of drug bottles WASHINGTON - Viagra, the blockbuster impotence pill that is copied and counterfeited around the world, is one of the first drugs to get a little radio chip tracking device under a new Food and Drug Administration initiative announced on Monday.


IBM Sells PC Biz to Lenovo for \$1.75B , 12/8/2004. IBM #39;s awaited personal computing division sale to Lenovo Group Ltd. became official this morning with an announcement that Big Blue will pass the unit to China #39;s number one PC maker for \$1.75 billion.


Drug Firm Shares in Slump  NEW YORK, Nov. 11 -- The 40 percent share price slide in Merck  #38; Co. in the five weeks after it pulled the painkiller Vioxx off the market highlighted larger problems in the pharmaceutical industry that may depress performance for years, according to academics and stock analysts who follow the sector.


Ex-Enron CEO Seeks Separate Trial (Reuters) Reuters - Lawyers for former Enron Corp.\(ENRNQ.PK) chief executive Jeffrey Skilling on Friday asked a\federal court to separate his trial from his former boss Ken\Lay's on charges linked to the downfall of the energy company.


Briefly: PeopleSoft-Oracle trial delayed roundup Plus: IBM, Boeing team up for defense work...TI touts combo chip with VoIP, Wi-Fi...ContextWeb nabs \$3 million.


Pavano Chooses Yankees  ANAHEIM, Calif., (Sports Network) - Free agent starting  pitcher Carl Pavano has chosen to join the New York Yankees and  the two sides were working on finalizing a contract before the  end of the winter meetings.


Human gene number slashed Human genome researchers have said we have about 10,000 or 20,000 fewer genes than they originally estimated.


Yahoo Unveils Budget Domains Deal Domain hosting and parking services drop in price, rise in capacity to lure small businesses. Trying to attract more small business customers, Yahoo has introduced a new domain name registration service and significantly increased the storage space and ...


Sutton pairs Tiger, Phil at Ryder Cup BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. - The European team has enjoyed success at the Ryder Cup, but on Friday they must brace for a concerted American assault.


Sunni leader blames Shi #39;ites MULTAN (Pakistan) - A leader of a radical Sunni group blamed yesterday #39;s bombings at a religious gathering on radical Shi #39;ite Muslims.


Sun woos Wall Street with pricing, features Before what appeared to be a receptive audience, Sun Microsystems Inc. Tuesday fired off a barrage of product promotions, upgrades and service announcements in an attempt to retake its traditional stronghold in the financial community in New York.


Column: Game Offers Peek at Presidential Politics  PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Reuters) - Can't wait for the U.S.  presidential election? Think you can run a campaign better than  the handlers for George W. Bush or John F. Kerry?


Microsoft tells users to patch 21 new flaws in Windows (USATODAY.com) USATODAY.com - Microsoft on Tuesday issued 10 security advisories - seven of them critical - urging consumers and businesses to patch 21 new flaws in Windows software products.


Mozilla Firefox: The Searcher #39;s Browser Firefox has emerged as the first browser in years to seriously challenge Internet Explorerwith good reason. Firefox has superior security and anti-scumware features, it works on Windows, Linux, MacOS X and other operating systems, and it #39;s free.


Kennedy suffers knee injury It didn #39;t look good when it happened on the field, and it looked worse in the clubhouse. Angels second baseman Adam Kennedy left the Angels #39; 5-2 win over the Seattle Mariners


Oil Charges to \$50.47 Record  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices soared to a new record  above \$50 on Tuesday as uncertainties over Nigerian output  heightened worries of a severe supply disruption ahead of  winter.


U.S., Shiites Meet After Deadly Clashes BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. military officials and representatives of rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr held talks Sunday aimed at reducing violence in the restive Baghdad slum of Sadr City, a day after clashes there killed 10 people, officials said...


EU-China summit to give Beijing signal on arms ban THE HAGUE : The EU is set to give a  quot;positive signal quot; to China at a summit with Prime Minister Wen Jiabao over his call to lift a 15-year-old EU arms embargo, but no immediate decision is expected.


Frozen assets BURLINGTON, Vt. -- A sensation of spectacular spaciousness greets you as you stand at the edge of Lake Champlain, your vision of life at that moment dominated by the Green Mountains on one horizon and the Adirondacks on the other. But if you meander up College Street, cross over a bustling Church Street with its shops and restaurants, stroll past ...


Rain Turns Tennis Talk to Instant Replay (AP) AP - In the players' lounge, in the locker rooms, in officials' offices Wednesday, TVs around the U.S. Open showed Jennifer Capriati's quarterfinal victory over Serena Williams.


Roddick, Fish lead US challenge NEW YORK -- World number two Andy Roddick and 37th-ranked Mardy Fish will lead the United States in next month #39;s Davis Cup final against hosts Spain.


Sub Leads Wake Forest to Win Over Temple (AP) AP - Trent Strickland didn't demand the ball. He wanted to guard the player who had it. Strickland scored all nine of his points over the final 9 minutes and played solid defense down the stretch, leading No. 6 Wake Forest to a 67-64 victory over Temple on Monday night.


The .NET Developer's Guide to Windows Security Site Offer  #163;10 off the hands-on guide


Red Sox Could Lose Schilling for Game Five (Reuters) Reuters - The Boston Red Sox could be without\starter Curt Schilling for the remainder of the American League\Championship Series against the New York Yankees after their\ace aggravated an ankle injury in a Game One loss.


US Airways Pilots Approve 18 Pay Cut US Airways pilots yesterday approved a five-year, cost-cutting contract that will reduce their pay about 18 percent and save the airline about \$1.


Insurers Use Satellite Data to Study Risk Insurance companies are using satellites to identify homes at high risk of fire damage because of their proximity to brush--a development that alarms some state regulators and privacy advocates.


Top Baghdad official shot dead Gunmen have assassinated the deputy governor of Baghdad and wounded two of his bodyguards, Iraqi officials say. Hatem Kamil Abdul Fatah was killed in a drive-by shooting in the southern Dora district of the capital, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.


Persecution, not prosecution The spring of hope, and the winter of despair. These are the mixed emotions that enunciate the prevailing paradox of our present society.


St Louis clinch World Series spot The St Louis Cardinals joined the Boston Red Sox in the World Series after they overcame the Houston Astros 5-2 at Busch Stadium on Thursday.


Iamgold Falls as Gold Fields Takeover Thrown in Doubt (Update1) Iamgold Corp. shares fell 8.5 percent after South Africa #39;s Gold Fields Ltd. received an unsolicited takeover bid, threatening to scuttle its plan to acquire the Canadian gold producer.


E-mail commerce vs. politics Solving the nation #39;s spam problem will require a balancing act, legal and privacy experts said today in Washington, DC, at a meeting sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission.


Quinn may leave hospital tomorrow The pregnant former lover of David Blunkett who has been receiving treatment for stress-related complications may be released from hospital tomorrow, according to her husband.


Sun to offer new Solaris as  #39;open-source #39; software It cost Sun Microsystems \$5 billion to develop Solaris, a powerful computer operating system used by governments and giant corporations worldwide.


Sun And Microsoft Aim For Single Sign-On Microsoft and Sun Microsystems last week issued a progress report on the technical truce the companies called this year but gave little indication of what specific fixes they would devise to address customers #39; problems.


Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan Named UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan has been named president of the United Arab Emirates, succeeding his father who died Tuesday. The decision was taken by the Supreme Council, hours after world leaders gathered


Barca and Real go top in Spainish league England captain David Beckham and former Celtic favourite Henrik Larsson scored winning goals for their respective teams to put Real Madrid and Barcelona on top of the Spanish league.


ONGC #39;s 10th acquisition abroad Public sector behemoth Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd on Monday said it has acquired an offshore oil field in Western Australia.


Use of Private Airport Screeners Easier (AP) AP - The government is making it easier for airports that want to replace federal baggage and passenger screeners with privately employed workers, The Associated Press has learned.


Backyard Fall: Pitt Bests WVU, 16-13 Pittsburgh quarterback Tyler Palko struggled all night through the air, but fortunately for the Panthers, he came through on the ground.


Pitcairn women back their men over sex trial The women of remote Pitcairn Island in the South Pacific are proud they started having sex at 12 years of age and believe rape and sex assault charges against their men is an attempt by London to close their island home.


Juve Lead Is Cut AC Milan closed the gap on leaders Juventus to four points after receiving a helping hand from city-rivals Inter. Having already won their game at Chievo earlier in the day thanks to on-loan Chelsea striker


Teens Claim to Set New TV-Viewing Record GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A pair of teenagers who spent more than two straight days publicly glued to a television set say they have set a new world record for uninterrupted TV viewing...