The European Union has formally taken over peacekeeping duties in Bosnia-Herzegovina from NATO. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and NATO head Jaap de Hoop

EU Takes Over Bosnia Peacekeeping from NATO


FORMER Aussie backpacker Kate Allen pipped Australian favourite Loretta Harrop in sight of the finish to win the Olympic women #39;s triathlon today, but will take the gold medal home to Austria.

Harrop wins silver


Tiger Woods has vowed to play on despite being plagued by a sore back in his opening round of the WGC-Amex championship in Ireland.

Woods to battle on


CBC SPORTS ONLINE - The Houston Rockets activated point guard Tyronn Lue off the injured list Wednesday. Lue, who missed five games with a sore right knee, had four points, an assist and a steal in Houston #39;s 92-69 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Lue returns to Rockets lineup


Foxboro, MA (Sports Network) - The New England Patriots Wednesday announced that they placed first-round draft pick Benjamin Watson on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Patriots lose rookie Watson for season


AMMAN (Reuters) - An anxious French government accelerated  its diplomatic bid to save two French reporters held hostage in  Iraq on Tuesday as a fresh kidnapper deadline neared for Paris  to scrap a ban on Muslim headscarves in schools.

Anxious France Accelerates Bid for Iraq Hostages


Most consumers would end up paying more for cable and satellite television if they were allowed to pick only the channels they wanted to watch instead of being forced to buy large packages

FCC Says A La Carte TV Would Cost More


Mayor Anthony A. Williams predicts he has enough votes to approve financing for a ballpark along the Anacostia waterfront.

Mayor Says He Has Votes


Enron Corp. (ENRNQ.PK: Quote, Profile, Research) said Friday Chief Financial Officer Raymond Brown resigned and will be replaced on an interim basis by Robert Bingham.

Enron #39;s Chief Financial Officer Resigns


Harrah #39;s Entertainment Inc. and Caesars Entertainment Inc., both of Las Vegas, have begun talks to sell four casinos to a group led by Colony Capital LLC, according to media reports.

Harrah #39;s, Caesars in talks to sell casinos


AP - Tim Wakefield was still slated to start Game 7 of the AL championship series Wednesday night for the Boston Red Sox, assuming they don't need the knuckleballer to get there.

Wakefield Tabbed for Possible Game 7 Start (AP)


Jets quarterback Chad Pennington bruised his right shoulder Sunday and missed most of the fourth quarter in New York #39;s 22-17 loss to Buffalo.

Jets QB Pennington pulled after bruising right shoulder


MacCentral - Apple subsidiary FileMaker Inc. announced Monday that it is shipping FileMaker Server 7 Advanced, the version of its server software that incorporates advanced Web publishing and connectivity features. FileMaker Server 7 Advanced can host up to 100 Web-based clients and 250 desktop clients, and features connectivity to XML, ODBC and JDBC-based data sources. FileMaker Server 7 Advanced also features

FileMaker Server 7 Advanced ships (MacCentral)


The latest composite consumer price index will be released later Monday, Tang said at the Hong Kong Economic Summit which was opened Monday morning.

HK walks out of 68-month deflation cycle


SBC Communications (SBC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) expects to spend about \$5 billion over the next three years to build and connect consumers to a high-speed

UPDATE 3-SBC sees \$5 billion in costs for fiber build


Zach Randolph had 19 points, including a key jumper with 17.2 seconds left, as the Portland Trail Blazers stopped the surging Seattle SuperSonics 100-94 on Tuesday night.

Randolph scores 19 points as Trail Blazers down Sonics 100-94


Microsoft today released an out-of-cycle security bulletin and patch for a critical hole in Internet Explorer that is already being widely exploited by attackers.

Microsoft releases patch to plug IE vulnerability


The final curtain yesterday came down on the Greek tragedy which has overshadowed the first week of the Athens Olympics when the sprinters Kostas Kederis and Ekaterini Thanou withdrew from the games.

A quick getaway: Greek sprinters beat expulsion by walking out on the games


KABUL, Afghanistan - Interim leader Hamid Karzai took an early lead as vote counting began in Afghanistan's landmark presidential election, after allegations of ballot-box stuffing, voter intimidation and multiple voting forced five days of delay.    The tally was halted Friday so the 1,000 Afghans on the counting staff could have the day off to celebrate the start of Ramadan, the Islamic fasting month...

Vote Counting Begins in Afghan Election


Computer maker Gateway Inc. Tuesday said it has agreed to repurchase stock held by America Online Inc. for \$316 million US. AOL, which is a unit of media and entertainment company Time

Computer maker Gateway to repurchase stock from America Online


The New York attorney general is pursuing reports of payoffs that may increase coverage costs for tens of millions.

Insurance Investigation Widens to Include a Look at Costs


Jonathan Woodgate #39;s medical with Real Madrid is by no means a formality, despite the confidence of Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd.

Woodgate to Face Stringent Medical


Iraqs successful Olympic soccer team is preparing itself for its biggest sporting challenge at the Athens 2004 Olympics. On Tuesday night, Iraqi players will play against Paraguay in the Olympics football semi-finals.

Iraqi soccer team prepares for Olympics semis


\\For the last few days I've been using MySQLs ALTER and REPAIR table\functionality and its caused tons of countless problems and a great deal of lost\sleep.\\The first problem I noticed was that for large tables ALTER TABLE was taking\hours!  Lets say you have a 30G table.  Good luck altering it as the default\MySQL configuration will probably take 100 or more hours.\\In MySQLs defense there are a number of variables you can use to increase the\performance of an ALTER but the problem is that the two major ones\(myisam_max_extra_sort_file_size, and myisam_max_sort_file_size) can't be set at\runtime (during an ALTER). If these are set too low MySQL will revert to a\

MySQL and ALTER TABLE Guilty as Charged


Hoping to prove that grid computing can work in the business world, Dell, EMC, Intel and Oracle on Tuesday announced a joint effort designed to show business users how to use the distributed computing technology.

Project shows business side of grid


The European jetmaker has long skirted subsidy rules. Now Washington #39;s WTO complaint will drag that abuse into the light of day.

Finally, a Boeing-Airbus Showdown


THE Group of 20 finance chiefs agreed yesterday that  quot;abrupt changes quot; in foreign exchange rates and oil prices were unwelcome but showed no appetite for intervention to strengthen the US currency.

Chiefs agree on oil prices


The latest personality to pile into the situation concerning the future, if any, of the British Grand Prix is former World Champion Nigel Mansell.

Mansell Into British Grand Prix


Sun Microsystems Inc. #39;s plan to give away the latest version of its Solaris operating system highlights the technology giant #39;s bid to roll back the gains of Linux in the corporate technology market, analysts say.

Sun won #39;t charge for Solaris 10


Michael Schumacher paid tribute to Ferrari #39;s legion of tifosi at Monza on Friday by wearing the colours of the Italian flag on his helmet.

Schumi pays tribute to Ferrari #39;s tifosi


AP - When Jets coach Herman Edwards started reviewing the many problems that plagued his defense last year, one glaring weakness jumped out at him.

Opportunistic Defense Helps Jets Improve (AP)


India #39;s Home Minister Shivraj Patil Sunday said stern action would be taken to deal with a spurtin terrorist attacks in the country #39;s northeast, where 53 people were killed

Stern action against northeast terror: Indian official


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blue-chip stocks fell on Monday  as Dow component 3M Co. <A HREF=

Blue Chips Fall as 3M Results Disappoint


Justin Zwick will start at quarterback for No. 9 Ohio State in its season opener after the former heralded recruit beat out fellow sophomore Troy Smith for the job in preseason practice.

Tressel picks Zwick over Smith


UK bookmaker William Hill reports a rise in half year profits helped by  increased trading hours and the Euro 2004 football championships.

William Hill boosted by Euro 2004


Reuters - The Pittsburgh Steelers\defense suffered a major blow on Wednesday when the team placed\Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton and safety Mike Logan on the\reserved/injured list, effectively ending the season for both\players.

Steelers Defense Takes a Hit; Two Placed on IR (Reuters)


New Delhi, Nov. 29 (UNI): Darren Lehmann will take on New Zealand #39;s opening batsman Mark Richardson, in a foot race following the end of play in the second 3 mobile Test match at the Adelaide Oval.

Lehmann and Richardson contest foot-race for charity


Legal action is being taken against 28 people in the UK for illegally swapping music over the internet, the British Phonographic Industry announced today.

Record industry targets 28 music up-loaders


LAHORE: A bombing at a Shiite mosque here on Sunday killed at least four people and injured others, officials said. A witness said a man carrying a briefcase tried to enter the Husainia Hall mosque in the

4 killed in Lahore mosque bombing


Reuters - Philips Electronics, a rally on Wall\Street, and tamer oil prices lifted European shares on Monday,\but trading volumes and corporate news are remain thinned by\the holidays.

Philips Leads Europe Shares Up; ARM Down (Reuters)


VALENCIA : German champions Werder Bremen booked their place in the last sixteen of the Champions League with a 2-0 triumph over Valencia on Tuesday but the match was overshadowed by a series of ugly scenes in the final minute.

Soccer: Ugly scenes overshadow Bremen triumph in Spain


CIA analyst Charles A. Duelfer's report on Iraq's weapons programs included lists of governments, political parties, companies and individuals from at least 44 nations who received vouchers to buy oil -- both legally and otherwise -- from the Iraqi government during Saddam Hussein's reign.

Privacy Act, Order Shielded U.S. Names on List


Reuters - Voters in Ghana queued on Tuesday to\choose a new leader for their West African country in what was\expected to be a race between incumbent John Kufuor and\long-standing rival John Atta Mills.

Ghana Votes for New President, Parliament (Reuters)


Military prosecutors yesterday charged an army captain with five separate offenses after fellow soldiers accused him of repeatedly shooting a 13-year-old Palestinian schoolgirl to make sure that she was dead.

Israeli captain charged after shooting girl


AP - Wall Street's fourth-quarter rally gave stock mutual funds a solid performance for 2004, with small-cap equity funds and real estate funds scoring some of the biggest returns. Large-cap growth equities and technology-focused funds had the slimmest gains.

Stock Mutual Funds Perform Well in 2004 (AP)


left. The fighters had defied US military firepower and the interim Iraqi government for three weeks. accept a peace deal to halt the fighting, after a day of violence in which 110 Iraqis were killed and 501 wounded.

Iraqi rebels leave Najaf shrine


BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (Reuters) - U.S. captain Hal  Sutton, looking for a final-day miracle in the Ryder Cup,  predictably packed the upper order of his singles list with his  biggest guns for Sunday.

Sutton Goes for Broke in Final-Day Pairings


Los Angeles Times - BROOKFIELD, Wis.  #8212; With their ardent, Bible-based opposition to abortion and gay marriage, evangelical Christians are a key target of the massive Republican get-out-the-vote drive heading into next week's election. Party leaders consider conservative Christians to be as near a lock for President Bush as any group can be.

Conflicted Evangelicals Could Cost Bush Votes (Los Angeles Times)


Astros pitcher Brandon Backe hit his first career homer, a two-run shot, and allowed one run in seven innings to keep Houston in the thick of the NL wild-card chase with an 11-5 rout of the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.

Monday #39;s NL Capsules


Leadership failures at the highest levels contributed to an environment in which detainees were abused, a panel concluded.

Defense Leaders Faulted by Panel in Prison Abuse


An official of the Securities and Exchange Commission said Wednesday a review had found that the firm had violated accounting rules and that he had told the mortgage giant to restate its earnings.

Fannie Mae Told to Restate Earnings


Jim Edmonds hit his 300th career home run, Jason Marquis won his 11th straight decision, and the Cardinals won their eighth in a row, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-1, last night in St. Louis.

Edmonds's 300th lifts Cardinals


NEW Google features and services would come from the company #39;s research centre in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, where Google has been on a hiring spree, founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin said.

Google on Bangalore hiring spree


MADRID, Spain, Oct. 20 - England striker Michael Owen scored the only goal as Real Madrid hung on to beat Dynamo Kiev in the UEFA Champions League Group B match on Tuesday evening.

Owens Real winner


Intel Corp. chief executive Craig Barrett said Tuesday the company has

Intel CEO: Company Recovered From Missteps


NewsFactor - America Online (NYSE: AOL) is giving Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) a second chance by agreeing to\support the software giant's anti-spam technology that it previously had rejected.

AOL Reconsiders, Backs Sender ID (NewsFactor)


It is now official: The rich are getting richer and the poor poorer. Last week #39;s Congressional Budget Office tax-burden study confirms what the eye can see: John Edwards #39;  quot;two Americas quot; continues to grow.

Bad news? It #39;s good news for Bush


AP - Although a raucous debate over national security has dominated the presidential campaign, President Bush and Democratic rival John Kerry differ even more sharply on how to provide better health care to more Americans.

Bush, Kerry Health Care Plans Differ (AP)


Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed on Sunday to start implementing a planned free trade area (FTA) with economic powerhouse India in January next year.

ASEAN-India FTA set to kick off in January


The Bill  amp; Melinda Gates Foundation has given Carnegie Mellon University \$20 million toward construction of a new computer science building.

Gates spreads wealth to CMU


SHELL has been hit by an 840 million compensation claim from the Nigerian government only 24 hours after being fined in Britain and the United States.

Nigeria hits Shell with 840m compensation claim


The NFL sent a memo to all its teams reminding them about the league #39;s commitment to security following last week #39;s brawl at an NBA game.

NFL memo reminds teams about security


Arsenal #39;s injury concerns could see Emmanuel Petit return to the club on a short-term deal, manager Arsene Wenger revealed. The 34-year-old free agent won the double with Arsenal in 1998 before moving on to Barcelona and more recently Chelsea.

Highbury return for Petit?


AFP - Egypt needs to invest 20 billion pounds (five billion dollars) a year more to achieve the government's target growth rate of six percent, Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif was reported as saying.

Egypt needs to invest five billion dollars a year more: PM (AFP)


A relative cries during the funeral for Israeli soldier Moshe Almaliach, in the southern Israeli town of Dimona, Friday, Oct. 22, 2004.

Palestinians Fire at Gaza Settlements


By Bloomberg News. The United States Supreme Court limited the scope of federal trademark protection yesterday, saying that rival companies in some cases can use proprietary terms even when that might cause confusion among customers.

Supreme Court Limits Trademark Protection


TORONTO (CP) - A regulatory hearing into allegations of insider-trading by the chairman of ATI Technologies and others has been delayed for the second time, and now won #39;t be heard until five years after the events that sparked the case.

OSC panel delays hearing ATI Technologies insider-trading case <b>...</b>


McDonald's announced that Charles H. Bell was resigning as chief to focus on his battle with cancer, and will be succeeded by James Skinner, the vice chairman.

Citing Cancer, Chief Resigns at McDonald's


The record use of electronic voting machines on Nov. 2 led to hundreds of voting irregularities and shows the need for higher standards, a voting rights group said Thursday.

Group Cites E-Voting Problems


A Palm Beach County judge has ruled that approximately 4,500 Florida residents are entitled to \$1.6 million in damages from one of the nation #39;s largest apartment complex owners, which

Judge rules against apartment giant


PORTLAND, Maine (Reuters) - Some 93 million Americans own  shares of mutual funds, but many of these people have only  vague ideas of how they work. Here are some common questions  and the answers to them.

Learn the Basics of Mutual Funds


FOXBOROUGH -- The Patriots might have underestimated Adam Vinatieri's scoring range yesterday. During pregame planning, the Patriots decided not to attempt field goals if the line of scrimmage was outside the 30-yard line. But Vinatieri's 48-yard field goal in the third quarter of the Patriots' 24-3 victory over Baltimore cleared the crossbar by several yards, leaving the impression the Patriots ...

Latest event far out


A senior US commander says marines are making final preparations for an imminent offensive against Iraq #39;s rebel bastion of Fallujah and are awaiting orders to strike.

Marines await orders for Fallujah assault


AP - Seattle and Miami are among the NBA's four winningest teams so far this season, ranking just behind Phoenix and San Antonio. Yet when the Heat put their 14-game winning streak on the line Monday night against the SuperSonics, Miami won't be looking at the matchup as a potential NBA Finals preview or a measuring stick to see where it ranks against one of the Western Conference's elite clubs.

Heat Puts 14-Game Streak to Test (AP)


Reuters - Chain store retail sales continue to\fall during the week following the Thanksgiving holiday, a\retail report said on Tuesday.

Chain Store Sales Slip in Latest Week (Reuters)


AccountingWEB.com - Dec-14-2004 - After an emotional and often bitter 18-month battle, PeopleSoft Inc. agreed to be acquired by Oracle Corp.

Oracle to Pay \$10.3 Billion to Acquire PeopleSoft


Carnival Corp. (CCL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world #39;s biggest cruise group, on Friday said quarterly earnings rose sharply, citing the merger with P amp;O Princess Cruises last year.

Carnival Profit Up Sharply After Merger


The tattoo on Lauryn Williams #39;s right hip is new this year, but it is already dated. It is Mickey Mouse, baton in hand, dashing through the University of Miami logo.

Youth Movement for the US Begins


washingtonpost.com - Tough times often make for strange bedfellows, and the explosion of viruses, computer worms and spyware programs on the Internet is producing unique alliances among top technology firms.

Tech Giants Declare, 'United We Stand' (washingtonpost.com)


PARIS (Reuters) - Qualifier Radek Stepanek and Argentine  Guillermo Canas took advantage of the absence of leading  players and the early losses of others to scrape into the Paris  Masters last four Friday.

Stepanek, Canas Reach Paris Masters Last Four


Shares of Merck plunged nearly 27 percent yesterday on news that the pharmaceutical giant was pulling the popular arthritis pain medication Vioxx off the market in the largest drug withdrawal in US history.

Merck stock plummets on news of Vioxx recall


SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices rallied to a record above  \$55 a barrel Monday on concerns over a winter fuel supply  crunch, and as traders took comments from a top U.S. official  to mean high prices have yet to really dent U.S. demand.

Oil Prices Hit Peaks on Winter Worries


LONDON (Reuters) - Michael Owen scored his first goal for  Real Madrid on a Tuesday night of changing fortunes right  across the Champions League.

Owen Signals Changing Champions League Fortunes


Reuters - The average U.S. retail price of\gasoline fell 2.67 cents in the past two weeks, its first\decline since early September due to increased crude oil\production, a leading industry analyst said on Sunday.

U.S. Gasoline Prices Fall to  #36;2.01/gallon (Reuters)


AP - Carlos Beltran's bat was silent in Game 7 of the NL championship series. Now, the Houston Astros center fielder will take some quiet time to ponder his future.

Astros' Beltran Keeping Options Open (AP)


Cordys, Inc. of Scotland, an integration and collaboration software vendor, announced today the availability of a new Web services platform.

Collaboration platform extends to Web services


The Supreme Court yesterday agreed to consider whether the federal government should require cable television operators to open their cable lines to Internet service providers offering competing services.

High Court To Decide Cable Case


Moscow, Sep 20. (UNI): Russian troops have launched a special operation to capture Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev and rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov wanted for a series of terrorist attacks in Russia including the Beslan school strike.

Russia launches operation to capture Chechen militants


Shares in Whitbread weakened 3 today after it said slower sales in its pub restaurants and upmarket hotels had offset rising demand for budget lodges.

Slower Pub Sales Hit Whitbread


Windows XP users with Automatic Update enabled will have a rather hefty download tomorrow (August 25), as Microsoft plans to release Service Pack 2 for Windows XP via Automatic Update.

Windows XP SP2 Automatic Update due tomorrow


(Sports Network) - The Detroit Pistons will try to avoid their first three- game losing streak of the season when they head to Madison Square Garden to battle the New York Knicks.

NBA Game Preview


An Islamic militant group has claimed on its website to have killed 11 Iraqi national guardsmen it kidnapped near Baghdad last week.

Militants  #39;kill 11 Iraqi guards #39;


Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman William H. Donaldson said in an interview this week that the accounting issues the SEC must address in its investigation of mortgage funding giant Fannie Mae are

Fannie's Issues: Simple or Not?


A rocket has landed in a busy street in central Baghdad, killing at least one person and wounding several others, witnesses said. A loud boom echoed across the city as the rocket struck

Rocket hits central Baghdad


The United States is fighting a war in Iraq and Americans are divided over whether it #39;s right. The war is a huge issue in the 2004 presidential election.

The Conflict Over War


AP - John Kerry paid an emotional return visit Friday to the state that launched him toward his party's nomination for president, saying he felt

Kerry Pays Nostalgic Visit to Iowa (AP)


Canadian Press - ROME (AP) - The Vatican returned a Russian icon venerated by Pope John Paul to Moscow on Friday in a gesture aimed at improving strained relations with the Russian Orthodox Church and possibly clearing the way for a visit by the ailing pontiff.

Vatican returns Russian icon venerated by Pope John Paul to Moscow (Canadian Press)


China #39;s trouser exporters are bracing themselves against the threat of a US trade war aimed at their products. US officials opened an investigation on Friday into whether Chinese trouser makers were pocketing an unfair share of the world market.

Trouser traders scent foul play


AP - The first U.S. cases of the fungus soybean rust, which hinders plant growth and drastically cuts crop production, were found at two research sites in Louisiana, officials said Wednesday.

La. Reports First Cases of Soybean Rust (AP)


By nabbing Orbitz in a pricey deal, Henry Silverman #39;s outfit will now go head-to-head against InterActiveCorp in online travel.

Cendant Makes Its Move on Diller


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (Reuters) - World 400 meters  champion Jerome Young has been given a lifetime ban from  athletics for a second doping offense, the U.S. Anti-Doping  Agency (USADA) said Wednesday.

Young Given Lifetime Ban for Second Offense


Channel ferry services are hit by a blockade as French fishermen show their anger at fuel price rises.

Calais blockade disrupts ferries


Software giant Apple Computer has unveiled its new iMac desktop computer, which integrates all disk drives and processors into a flat display.

Apple #39;s iMac G5 debuts as world #39;s thinnest desktop


DEJA vu at Phillip Island yesterday left Flying Doctor Valentino Rossi counting the hours to another world title and Australian star Troy Bayliss bouncing along the bitumen.

Rossi all revved up


ST. LOUIS - Rain or shine, the St. Louis Cardinals #39; big bats always seem to come through in the end. Albert Pujols led off the eighth inning with a tiebreaking home run, Scott Rolen followed with his second

Cardinals take 2-0 NLCS lead


NEW YORK -- Dow Jones  amp; Co., the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, will buy MarketWatch Inc. for about \$519 million in a deal that would end a monthlong bidding war for the online financial news and information provider.

Dow Jones  amp; Co. to buy MarketWatch Inc.


When the local government announced it was going to confiscate their homes and businesses to make room for a new development, residents of this village in southeastern China fought back.

Discontent in China boils into public protest


LONDON/AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Food and consumer goods giant  Unilever cut its annual profit growth forecast by more than a  half on Monday, blaming wet weather which hit ice cream sales  and stiff competition in washing powders and soaps.

Unilever Profit Warning Hits Shares


WASHINGTON (AFP) - A technical glitch has forced a minimum 24-hour delay in the launch of the Swift satellite that will study gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful and elusive explosions detected in the cosmos.

Technical glitch delays launch of NASA #39;s gamma-ray probing <b>...</b>


The last time they saw each other, John Kerry was sitting in the Red Sox owner #39;s box on the eve of the Democratic National Convention and the front

Unrelenting rivalry moves into lion #39;s den


Playing with an intensity born of embarrassment last season, the No. 14 Utes turned New Mexico into a threadbare red carpet at University Stadium on Friday night, running over the Lobos

U. runs away with it


SAN FRANCISCO - Dustan Mohr of the San Francisco Giants sat in front of his locker with his head buried in his hands. Even in a new ballpark, right field in San Francisco remains treacherous territory.

Bobble by Mohr costs Giants game


Suze Orman, a financial planner and CNBC talk show host, wants to tell you about a can't-miss car deal.

G.M. Enlists Orman to Pitch Financing Promotion


Two blasts have shaken separate areas of central Baghdad, with one car bomb blast near the heavily defended Green Zone killing at least eight people and wounding 30, doctors and witnesses say.

Car bomb kills 8 in Baghdad


It #39;s no secret that rivalry in consumer electronics is heating up, and today the Associated Press reported that Japan #39;s Sony (NYSE: SNE) is  quot;more aggressively quot; pursuing

Sony #39;s Cheap Trick


NASA #39;s three-year effort to bring some genuine star dust back to Earth is set for a dramatic finale Sept. 8 when Hollywood helicopter pilots will attempt a midair retrieval of a descending space capsule.

NASA prepares to catch a falling star sample


Russia's top general threatened on Wednesday to attack

Russia Offers Bounty for Chechen Rebels


This happened a year ago, after USC capped its regular season with an all-afternoon assault on the Oregon State end zone. Outside the Coliseum, the parents of some Trojans players celebrated

Driver #39;s seat is his Heisman win


A coal mine explosion has killed at least 15 miners in northern China, the latest in a string of accidents in the country #39;s notoriously dangerous mining industry, the official Xinhua news agency said on Friday.

China Coal Mine Blast Kills 15 -Xinhua


As the presidential campaign enters its final month, Sen. John Kerry and President Bush on Saturday offered starkly different views of the economy in a deliberate shift from Iraq.

Kerry, Bush move focus to economy, jobs, taxes


After a game about as artful as a dime-store novel, Virginia coach Pete Gillen turned to literature to express the trying time his No.

Same story for Wildcats


New market set as demand in China, India intensifies supply worries, Iraq lends price support. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Oil prices blazed past \$47.50 a barrel and set fresh highs early Thursday as demand growth in China and India exacerbated supply shortage ...

A broken record: Oil up again


Global semiconductor sales next year are expected to total \$215.3 billion, up just 1.2 from this year, according to a forecast released this week by an industry group that tracks global chip sales.

Global chip sales headed for tough times in 2005


Company says sales of the handheld gaming device are much better than expected.

Nintendo DS Proves Popular


Siemens on Thursday warned users of its 65 series cell phones that a bug in the devices #39; software could cause hearing damage. The problem affects Siemens #39; C65, CX65, M65, S65, and SL65 as well the CV65, CT65, CXV65, and CXT65, the company said.

Cell Phone Defect Could Cause Hearing Damage


INDIANAPOLIS, United States : Michael Phelps has changed the sport of swimming with his stunning effort at the Athens Olympics. Now Phelps must learn how much fame has changed him as his journey begins to the 2008 Beijing Games.

Swimming: Olympic star Phelps rocks swimming like  quot;Aqua Beatles quot;


A few days ago I made a 24-hour visit to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, as part of a group of Russian journalists at the invitation of the Georgian government and President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Earning the People #39;s Trust


Reuters - Thirty-five Pakistanis freed\from the U.S. Guantanamo Bay prison camp arrived home on\Saturday and were taken straight to prison for further\interrogation, the interior minister said.

Pakistanis Freed from Guantanamo Land in Home Jail (Reuters)


which had been due to expire next year -- will see AMD pay IBM fees from \$250 million to \$280 million through December 2008, while

IBM, AMD Extend Alliance


AP - The New York Mets hired two special assistants Tuesday, getting former major leaguer Tony Bernazard from the players' union and grabbing Sandy Johnson from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Mets Hire Two Assistants in Front Office (AP)


AP - Marcus Randall may have saved LSU's season. Randall came off the bench and threw two touchdown passes, including a 10-yarder with 27 seconds to play, to help No. 24 LSU upset No. 12 Florida 24-21 Saturday night.

No. 24 LSU Knocks Off No. 12 Florida 24-21 (AP)


Hosted CRM service provider Salesforce.com took another step forward last week in its strategy to build an online ecosystem of vendors that offer software as a service.

Salesforce.com pushes integration


Australian Prime Minister John Howard said on Friday that Australia #39;s policy is aimed at keeping good relations with both the United States and China.

PM: Australia aims to keep good relations with both US, China


Liverpool #39;s plans to build a new 60,000-seater have been approved by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. The Premiership club received planning approval in July but needed Prescott to rubber stamp the project

Ground boost for Liverpool


The same-store sales decline slows in November and December, and net income increases.

Kmart Shows Operational Progress


Baby Bells are spending billions to sell video service over broadband. Can they crack cable and satellite's hold on TV viewers?<br />\  Image: Video via broadband

Video gamble for the Bells


China hoped to become a highly competitive producer of crocodile meat, hides and shoes, but that dream has been difficult to realize.

Crocodile Husbandry Is Really Hard, China Finds


Hard-disk drive maker Seagate Technology has started shipping a drive targeted at personal computers that offers 400GB of storage space, it said Tuesday.

Seagate ships 400GB PC hard disk drive


AFP - The powerful chairman of the US Senate intelligence committee promised to introduce this week a new intelligence reorganization bill likely to set Congress on a collision course with the White House, which favors an intelligence

New intelligence reform bill may pit US Congress against White House (AFP)


Yahoo Builds the Yahoo Search Blog\\When I logged on this morning and checked my daily referral stats I noticed a multiple number of referring links from a domain that was not familiar - YSearchBlog.com. Not only one referral or a handful, but multiple multiple referrals.. my first thought - WOW, ...

Yahoo Builds the Yahoo Search Blog


European antitrust regulators said Monday they have extended their review of a deal between Microsoft Corp. and Time Warner Inc. to make anti-piracy software together.

E.U. Extends Review of Anti-Piracy Software Deal


AFP - African leaders are to gather in Algiers to review the progress of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), a wide-ranging strategy for ensuring good governance and building the economies of the world's poorest continent.

African leaders gather Tuesday to assess NEPAD development program (AFP)


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

Lightning re-sign Andreychuk


AFP - The United Nations is saying tens of thousands more people may have died in Asia's tsunami disaster as former US presidents to rock stars mobilise to feed the millions of destitute.

UN fears tens of thousands more tsunami dead as aid push gets star power (AFP)


Paris, France (Sports Network) - Andre Agassi and David Nalbandian announced Monday that they have withdrawn from the Paris Masters because of injuries.

Agassi, Nalbandian withdraw from Paris Masters


After hiding for days, 10 relatives flee U.S. assault across Euphrates River.

For Fallujah Family, a Daring Escape


RealNetworks Inc. on Thursday said the three-week cut-rate promotion on its online music store garnered sales of more than 3 million songs.

RealNetworks Sells Three Million Songs Through Promotion


CHICAGO (Reuters) - Short-term interest rate futures  plunged on Friday after U.S. jobs growth for October was far  above median Wall Street expectations, suggesting the  possibility for more aggressive monetary policy tightening.

Short-Term Rate Futures Sink on Jobs Data


Most experts expect mid-cap #39; #39; stocks, or stocks issued by medium-size companies, to perform well as our economy expands.

Mid-cap may not be only choice


OLYMPIC DAM, South Australia (Dow Jones)--WMC Resources Ltd. (WMR.AU) is pinning its defense from aA\$7.4 billion takeover bid by Xstrata PLC (XTA.

Australia #39;s WMC Puts Defense Hopes In Untapped Resource


TEN people, most of them youths, were killed and an unknown number were injured when a bomb went off overnight in a religious school in Afghanistan, the US military said today.

Ten dead in bomb blast


So Wales lost by a whisker, but in truth it was a long whisker, with the hosts playing a game of catch-up in the last 10 minutes here that was always going to be beyond them.

Jonathan Davies: Biggest plus for Ruddock is disappointment


AFP - At least 54 people have died and more than a million have fled their homes as torrential rains lashed parts of India and Bangladesh, officials said.

54 dead, million flee homes as rains lash northeast India, Bangladesh (AFP)


Cisse was becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of service but Bolton were continuing to dominate in midfield. Manager Sam Allardyce rang the changes by bringing on Les Ferdinand and Kevin Nolan for Davies and Giannakopolous.

Ft Bolton 1 Liverpool 0


AP - Sen. Tom Harkin said Friday that he had a cancerous patch of skin removed from his forehead.

Sen. Harkin Has Cancerous Patch Removed (AP)


PC World - New 46-inch LCD is just one of eight flat-panel models launched this week.

Sony's TV Plans Take Shape (PC World)


Macromedia on Monday is announcing Captivate, formerly known as RoboDemo, for recording onscreen activity and building software demonstrations and interactive simulations.

Macromedia readies Captivate for demos and simulations


SEPTEMBER 08, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Although there was a slight 2 increase in IT employment early in the year, IT job growth is expect to slow for the remainder of 2004, according to a report released today by the Arlington, Va.

ITAA: IT job growth to slow for rest of 2004


Legal concerns of all things have caused The SCO Group to rethink it plans to launch a pro-SCO propaganda web site meant to counter the popular Groklaw site.

SCO not sure pro-SCO site is a good idea


CBC SPORTS ONLINE - The Houston Astros blew a 5-2 lead to lose for the first time at home in 20 games, a crucial defeat that forced a fifth game finale in Atlanta on Monday.

Braves force fifth game


Formed a year ago to bring the full force of the country's law enforcement to bear against a growing drug crisis, Russia's powerful new drug-fighting agency has an army of 40,000 at its disposal, four times larger than the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Russian Drug Unit Maligned Over Dubious Tactics, Priorities


Cracker Barrel (CBRL) has agreed to an \$8.7 million settlement to resolve all lawsuits brought or supported by the NAACP that accused the restaurant chain of segregating blacks in the smoking section and denying them service.

Cracker Barrel announces \$8.7M bias settlement


Hutchison Whampoa said it will offer 1.155 billion shares or 25 percent of the unit #39;s 4.5 billion shares. The price range of \$0.

Hutchinson Telecom Files Billion-Dollar IPO


Mobs of government supporters looted French businesses and attacked French nationals Sunday.

Anti-French mood roils Ivory Coast


Saboteurs blew up a junction where multiple oil pipelines cross the Tigris River in northern Iraq on Tuesday, sending plumes of smoke leaping into the sky, officials said.

Saboteurs blow up pipeline junction in northern Iraq


JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Nice recovery, Chris Rix. Coach Bobby Bowden stuck with his struggling quarterback and Rix eventually sparked No. 17 Florida State with two long second-half touchdown drives yesterday, beating West Virginia, 30-18, in the Gator Bowl.

Seminoles end on high note


TOKYO NEC, Japan #39;s biggest seller of personal computers, said Wednesday that it had developed the world #39;s fastest supercomputer, with almost double the speed of International Business Machines #39; fastest machine.

NEC develops fast computer


NEW YORK - Investors sent stocks lower Tuesday as oil prices crossed another milestone, \$54 per barrel. Earnings reports from heavyweights Johnson   Johnson and Merrill Lynch   Co...

Stocks Slide on Oil Prices, Earnings


AP - When Colorado coach Gary Barnett looks at the Texas roster or watches the Longhorns on tape, he comes to a simple conclusion.

Longhorns Hope to Bypass Holiday Bowl (AP)


SERENA Williams showed she had learnt from the Andre Agassi school of fashion yesterday, donning denim in her first-round match. Teaming the pleated skirt with a midriff-baring studded black vest and matching

Serena courts rebel image


(BBC) -- The wife of an American taken hostage with two others in Baghdad has appealed on television for their release. Patty Hensley said her husband Jack was  quot;a simple, generous man quot; who was  quot;there to help the Iraqi people quot;.

US Hostage Wife Pleads for Mercy


The EU sought Wednesday to keep pressure on Turkey over its bid to start talks on joining the bloc, as last-minute haggling seemed set to go down to the wire at a summit poised to give a green light to Ankara.

Last-minute haggling as EU prepares Turkish green light


Ziff Davis - Retailer Best Buy turns to i2's chain management/logistics software in the hopes of gaining more timely visibility into business operations on both the purchasing and logistics sides.

Best Buy Improves Its Supply Chain View (Ziff Davis)


WASHINGTON -- Washington DC, has made the top ten list of most dangerous metropolitan areas in the United States. Camden, NJ, was named to the top spot, overtaking Detroit.

DC #39;s No. 6 On Dangerous Cities List


Amelie Mauresmo from France touches her taped leg in the final against Lindsay Davenport of the US at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix at Filderstadt near Stuttgart, southwestern Germany, Sunday, Oct. 10, 2004.

Mauresmo Withdraws From Kremlin Cup


Reuters - North Korea is seriously reconsidering\its role in talks on its nuclear plans because of what it sees\as a concerted campaign to topple the North's ruling system,\the North Korean Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

N.Korea Says Reconsidering Place at Nuclear Talks (Reuters)


It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart, said A. Bartlett Giamatti, commissioner of baseball, not long enough before he broke ours by dying, at the age of 51.

and the world of hurt


A shocking expose hit the Street last week about one of the best-loved, most all-American companies out there: Fannie Mae, the mortgage and financial services giant.

Fannie Mae #39;s fall from grace


Oracle Corp. (ORCL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world #39;s second-biggest software company, on Thursday said it again extended its \$7.

Oracle again extends tender offer for PeopleSoft


According to a Gartner survey, online shoppers are frustrated with the lack of security provided by online businesses, and they fear that passwords are no longer sufficient to secure their transactions.

Gartner: Consumers dissatisfied with online security


In what is being called  quot;the most significant enhancement to the Java platform, quot; a consortium of Java-related companies launched the newest version of the Java 2 Standard Edition (J2SE).

New Standard Java Spec Emerges


Lycos Europe has recently joined the fight against spam by releasing a screensaver as part of its

Lycos Fights Spam With DDOS


SABMiller, the worlds third biggest brewer, poured out a strong interim trading performance yesterday - as it also said it had a potential warchest of up to \$2 billion (1.08bn) if a major acquisition opportunity occurred.

SABMiller #39;s profits soar 81


Reuters - At virtually every turn, Intel\Corp. executives are heaping praise on an emerging long-range\wireless technology known as WiMAX, which can blanket entire\cities with high-speed Internet access.

Wi-Fi Successor Called High-Speed Hype, for Now (Reuters)


The Motion Picture Association of America said on Tuesday that it has filed an unspecified number of lawsuits against people who trade copyrighted movies online, following through on plans announced earlier in the month.

MPAA launches software snooping tool


Reuters - Kevin Garnett just missed out on a\triple-double with 21 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists to\lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a gritty 83-82 road win over\the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.

NBA Wrap: Garnett Leads Timberwolves' Rally (Reuters)


BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's  Social Democrats slumped to their worst result in 44 years in  the western state of Saarland on Sunday as voters punished the  party for its painful economic reforms.

Schroeder's SPD Routed in Saarland, Far Right Gains


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Embattled mortgage finance company  Fannie Mae <A HREF=

Fannie Mae in Deal to Up Capital


AP - An Anglican commission sharply criticized the U.S. Episcopal Church on Monday for consecrating a gay bishop and called on the Americans to apologize.

Anglicans Criticize U.S. Church on Gays (AP)


DUBAI (Reuters) - At least five workers were killed and an  unspecified number injured Monday when part of the ceiling of a  building under construction at Dubai airport collapsed,  officials said.

Five Dead in Dubai Airport Building Site Collapse


NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar dropped to record lows  against the euro on Friday, succumbing to negative sentiment  and erasing all of the U.S. currency's earlier gains following  a robust U.S. October employment report.

Dollar Plunges to Record Low Against Euro


The two-man crew of the international space station went outside again for more repair work. Gennady Padalka and Mike Fincke spent five and a-half hours plugging in new antennas

Space station crew completes EVA


London: On the eve of yesterdays clash between Australia and New Zealand, Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming, while referring to the one-sided nature of matches played thus far in the ICC Champions Trophy, had stated, in effect, that the fireworks would

Remorseless quest all the way


LYON, France -- Robin Soderling made sure none of the top four seeds would reach the semifinals of the Lyon Tennis Grand Prix. Soderling upset the highest seed remaining, No.

Soldering plays Spadea next


Los Angeles Times - WASHINGTON  #8212; In his campaign to become chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands) recently gave a group of his most conservative colleagues a flier showing a bloated Uncle Sam. The caption:

3 Jockey for Power of House's Purse Strings (Los Angeles Times)


Google Inc. won a major legal victory yesterday when a federal judge ruled that the Internet search engine's advertising policy does not violate federal trademark laws.

Google Wins in Suit Over Ads


Despite his disappointing performance in Portugal during the World Cup, England captain and Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham has at least one loyal supporter in the shape of Vodafone.

New Vodafone contract puts Beckham in picture


Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve chairman, yesterday gave the dollar a further push lower as he said the huge US current account deficit threatened to scare off foreign investors.

Greenspan does down the dollar


AP - 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.

Back-To-School Now Includes Electronics (AP)


NEW ORLEANS - Early returns indicated strong support among Louisiana voters for a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages and civil unions, one of up to 12 such measures on the ballot around the country this year.    With only 4 percent of precincts reporting, 33,255 voters or 82 percent supported the amendment, with 7,194 or 18 percent against...

Returns: La. Voters Back Gay-Marriage Ban


LONDON - Scientists have identified the one billion letters of the DNA code in chickens, a step they say could help them better understand our own biology and lead to better breeds for farmers.

Map of chicken DNA key to genetic comparisons


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

Weyerhaeuser 3rd-Quarter Earnings Rise


HAMISH ROBERTSON: But first this morning to that video footage of the kidnapped aid worker, Margaret Hassan, which has been broadcast on the Arabic language television channel, Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera airs video of Margaret Hassan pleading for her life


AP - IN AN OCTOPUS'S NURSERY: Aurora, a female giant octopus who hit it off with an elderly male of the species at the Alaska Sealife Center in May, had been tending thousands of eggs ever since. Her sweetheart, J-1, died in September.

Octopus Doesn't Give Up on Motherhood (AP)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Chipper Jones cracked two homers and  Julio Franco's two-run double in the seventh inning drove in  the winning runs as the streaking Atlanta Braves downed the St.  Louis Cardinals 9-7 in the National League Saturday.

NL Wrap: Jones Homers Twice as Braves Down Cards


UN nuclear watchdog head Mohamed ElBaradei has dismissed claims he timed news of missing explosives in Iraq to affect the outcome of the US election.

ElBaradei dismisses revenge claim


MOBILE phone users left talking to themselves when their battery runs out in the middle of a call could soon see an end to their frustration as scientists perfect a way to recharge electrical equipment while on the move.

Solar panels in clothing could keep us talking


Boots has seen good sales growth across the past six months, but has taken a hit on margins as customers respond enthusiastically to its Lower Prices Youll Love marketing campaign.

Lower prices driving Boots sales


ADRIAN MUTU, sacked by Chelsea after testing positive for cocaine, has dismissed his agents. Mutu came to our office and told us of his decision not to co-operate with our company any more, Gheorghe Popescu said.

Mutu back at Dinamo after dismissing agents


Bradley John Murdoch was ordered to stand trial over the alleged murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio beside a remote Northern Territory highway three years ago.

Murdoch to face trial on Falconio murder


LEIPZIG - Bewildered German coach Winfried Schaefer has revealed no-one has told him he has lost his job as Cameroon manager following yesterday #39;s 3-0 defeat by Germany.

Schaefer in the dark over dismissal


AP - Here's a dinosaur finding that parents can appreciate: The teenage Tyrannosaurus rex typically went through an explosive growth spurt, gaining nearly 5 pounds a day.

Growth, Mortality of T. Rex Gets Clearer (AP)


LABOR: Members march outside the Labor Department in Washington, DC, to protest the regulations that took effect Monday. BY LEIGH STROPE.

Unions protest overtime changes


Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - Canada's premiers are hopeful that Prime Minister Paul Martin's tenuous grip on a minority government will give them leverage to drive a hard bargain at this week's high-stakes health-care summit.

Premiers rely on Martin's minority troubles to drive hard bargain on health (Canadian Press)


NewsFactor - PeopleSoft (Nasdaq: PSFT) has announced a suite-wide upgrade of its human resources management applications, the first such revision in two years. The new release, version 8.9, includes over 250 individual changes and improvements, according to the company.

PeopleSoft Updates HR Suite (NewsFactor)


By all accounts here, Enzo Baldoni, the latest victim in Iraq of a videotaped killing at unknown hands, was a kind, light-hearted man.

Killing of Hostage Confounds Self-Image of Italians


Allstate Corp., St. Paul Travelers Cos., Ace Ltd. and other insurers face as much as \$10 billion in losses as hurricane winds batter Florida for second time in three weeks.

Allstate, Other Insurers Face New Loss From Frances (Update1)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - National Commerce Financial  Corp.<A HREF=

National Commerce, Stockholders Settle


Ruud van Nistelrooy will miss Manchester United #39;s last Champions League Group D game away to Fenerbahce on Wednesday because of a calf injury, the Premier League club said.

Van Nistelrooy misses United #39;s last group game


Bangalore - India #39;s Vangipurappu Laxman says he is seeking to play a pivotal role again against Australia in their home Test series starting on Wednesday.

Laxman wants role in India #39;s comeback


Search Engine Watch editor Danny Sullivan recaps issues and concerns that marred the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization's first birthday last month and looks at ways the group could go forward.

Reflections On SEMPO


THE board of investment bank Lazard meets today to consider a float on Wall Street that could value the firm at 1.7bn, according to reports.

Lazard in vital float meeting


Google will gradually roll out Pop3 support over the coming weeks to Gmail users, allowing them to download e-mail messages from Gmail servers to e-mail applications.

Gmail starts to download messages


The Securities and Exchange Commission has ordered Fannie Mae to restate its earnings for the last four years after concluding that it had violated accounting rules.

S.E.C. Says Fannie Mae Violated Accounting Rules


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

Agreement Reached on Guillen Suspension


NEW YORK - The corporate pension crisis seems to be going from bad to worse. First, companies struggled to come up with the money to cover their benefit obligations, and now they want to ditch their plans altogether.

All Business: Corporate pension crisis still looming


NAJAF, Iraq - Militiamen loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr surrendered the sacred shrine of Imam Ali on Friday and then surrendered weapons as well, bringing a largely peaceful end to a ferocious three-week battle with US forces that challenged the

Najaf truce takes hold


(Sports Network) - The Milwaukee Brewers continue a three-game series against Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants tonight at Miller Park.

Milwaukee Brewers Team Report - September 15


The successful Airbus tests involved communications to and from several different types of GSM mobile phones onboard to mobile and fixed telephones on the ground, and to another mobile phone on the plane.

Airbus tests in-flight mobile phones


AFP - The ruling Labour Party was accused of planning dirty tricks by registering three Internet domain names which use the name of the leader of the main opposition Conservatives.

Tories accuse Labour of dirty tricks in cyberspace (AFP)


While Barry Bonds takes aim at 700 home runs, fans wait patiently on the waters of McCovey Cove behind SBC Park for the ultimate prize.

Barry Bonds Floats Their Boats


They wanted him captured alive so he could have been brought to account for more than 100 murders he has been associated with. That controversy reflects the widespread criticism over 20 years of the way security

Controversy haunts bandit death


Qualifying for the World Cup isn #39;t all that complicated. Get three points from every home game and one from every road match and you #39;ll make it every time.

US overcomes inconsistent play by following simple qualifying <b>...</b>


ATHENS -- For a while, if the Olympic repo men were to come looking for his gold medal, it seemed as if Paul Hamm would have to do the old twin spin that used to work so well back home in Wisconsin.  quot;Sorry, I'm his brother Morgan, quot; Paul would say.  quot;Paul's down at the Parthenon. Or maybe the Plaka. No, ...

Controversy mishandled all around


The news that Tim Henman is on the road to recovery from his magnesium deficiency will have come as good news to his followers in Switzerland - and after Roger Federer #39;s last-minute withdrawal

Players fit to drop, warns Rusedski


The United States has added its voice to a chorus of international concern over the continued detention of Myanmar #39;s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

US  #39;concerned #39; on Suu Kyi #39;s fate


Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez is wary of Olympiakos duo Giovanni and Rivaldo.

Football: Liverpool v Olympiakos


JERUSALEM Israel set off a mysterious explosion in an olive grove near the house of a senior Hamas activist Wednesday, killing five Palestinians and wounding seven. The strike came just before Prime Minister Ariel Sharon faced a key party test linked to ...

Five Palestinians killed Israeli attack that targeted Hamas activist in Gaza City


Like the death of Mark Twain, the demise of the Japanese Grand Prix proved greatly exaggerated. Typhoon Ma-On, due to lay waste to Suzuka mid-afternoon on Saturday, re-routed east to Tokyo, leaving the circuit untouched.

Schumacher home and dry


Telling people off activates a part of the brain linked to enjoyment and satisfaction, say scientists.

Why we enjoy telling people off


Sophos believes that the W32/Rbot-GR worm is evidence of a growing trend of more and more malware spying on innocent home computer owners and poorly-protected businesses.

Sophos: Worm Spies on Innocent Computer Users


MARK Webber revealed he can already feel the winning potential of his new team after just one day #39;s testing in Spain. The Australian was speaking as controversy engulfed his Williams team back in England when

Webber #39;s drive time


THE HEAD LAWYER at Microsoft has said that if the European Union insists it tweaks Windows to comply with its anti-trust ruling, it will be able to comply.

Microsoft will offer slim Windows if EU insists


After a day-long attempt to delay action, the Senate moved forward Sunday with debate on a \$136 billion corporate tax cut package.

Senate moves forward with corporate tax cuts


Repco Corp., the largest retailer of car parts and accessories in Australia and New Zealand, agreed to buy Alesco Corp. #39;s automotive division for A\$89.5 million (\$68 million).

Repco Buys Alesco #39;s Auto Business for A\$89.5 Million (Update2)


ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, on Friday flipped the switch on a new URL transfer policy, which aims to simplify the way domain names can be moved between registrars.

ICANN Flips Switch on New Transfer Policy


Opsware, a data-center automation software company, and EDS renew a contract worth \$50 million.

EDS extends Opsware contract


TOKYO (AP) -- NTT DoCoMo, Japan's top mobile-phone carrier, and Motorola Inc. (MOT), the world's No...

NTT DoCoMo and Motorola Strike Phone Deal


Handheld maker says it will close down its Palm.Net wireless e-mail and Web service soon.

PalmOne to turn off wireless service


MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. and Iraqi forces launched an  offensive in Mosul on Tuesday to retake control of rebel-held  areas after a week of anarchy that has seen insurgents  attacking across Iraq's third largest city.

U.S. Forces Launch Assault on Iraqi Rebels in Mosul


AP - Russia's military prosecutor said Thursday that Human Rights Watch was mistaken in its accusations of widespread hazing in the military and said Russia had already made serious efforts to combat the problem.

Russian Official: Hazing Report Inaccurate (AP)


He breaks up a scoreless tie with a three-run, ninth-inning homer to give Houston the victory and a 3-2 series edge on St. Louis. HOUSTON -- On a night when pitching suddenly took over the National League playoffs, someone was bound to get a hit.

Astros #39; Kent delivers, pleads for  #39;one more #39;


COOLUM, Australia - Australian Peter Lonard won the Australian PGA Championship by two strokes for his third tournament title in as many weeks on Sunday.

Lonard wins Australian PGA Championship


At least 56 people were killed in a major coal mine disaster in China today and the toll may rise to 204 with officials nearly giving up hope of finding the missing 148 miners alive in central Henan province.

204 feared killed in China #39;s coal mine disaster


Insurer Cigna on Wednesday posted a nearly two-thirds lift in third quarter earnings, but also said 2005 earnings should fall from 2004 levels.

Insurer says 2005 earnings to fall from 2004 levels


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

Transportation IT Spending Projected To Grow


MacCentral - Hewlett-Packard Co. is unveiling a broad new line of consumer electronics products and peripherals, including its first plasma and LCD TVs, new inks that purportedly print long-lasting photos, new paper, a clutch of printers and multifunction devices, and a home theater projector with an integrated DVD player.

HP unveils cavalcade of consumer products (MacCentral)


ARLINGTON, Virginia US Airways Group said Friday that General Electric, its largest creditor, had agreed to provide the bankrupt carrier with badly needed funds as it seeks to avoid liquidation.

US Air secures funding and lease deal from GE


Rasheed Marshall told a teammate at the start of the season he thought he would break Donovan McNabb #39;s Big East rushing record for quarterbacks against Syracuse.

WEST VIRGINIA 27, SYRACUSE 6 Mountaineers Roll Over Orange


BEIRUT, Lebanon -- President Emile Lahoud appointed staunchly pro-Syrian politician Omar Karami as prime minister on Thursday and asked him to form the next government, replacing billionaire Rafik Hariri in a move that consolidates Syria #39;s hold on

Lebanese president names pro-Syrian politician Omar Karami as next <b>...</b>


Reuters - Pedro Feliz bludgeoned a\tie-breaking grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the\eighth inning to hand the San Francisco Giants a 9-5 win over\the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Saturday.

NL Wrap: Grand Slam Helps Giants Close on Dodgers (Reuters)


AP - In a tradition that has become as venerable as the 103-year-old Nobel Prizes themselves, the guessing game over who will take home the world's most coveted awards this week has entered full swing.

Nobel Prize Winners Set to Be Announced (AP)


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

McDonald #39;s CEOs display pattern of chronic disease


A synchrotron acts like a gigantic microscope that generates intense beams of brilliant light to view the microstructure of materials.

Canadian Synchrotron Radiation Facility Opens


Auto parts maker Tower Automotive Inc. (TWR.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Tuesday its third-quarter loss would be twice as deep as previously expected because of lower vehicle production in North America and higher steel costs.

Tower Auto Sees Wider Loss, Shares Fall


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

Afghans vote in presidential poll


A German computer security firm has defended its decision to hire the self-confessed author of the Sasser worm.

Firm justifies job for virus writer


Reuters - Drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co.  on\Wednesday said it will make clinical trial information\available online amid calls by lawmakers and physicians for\more disclosure of negative trial results.

Eli Lilly Launches Online Clinical Trial Registry (Reuters)


Reuters - Genetically engineered grass\developed for use on golf courses can spread its modified genes\for miles, carried by ultra-light pollen particles, U.S.\government researchers said on Tuesday.

Gene-Modified Grass Spreads Far, U.S. Study Finds (Reuters)


Editor and Publisher - NEW YORK The current controversy over the validity of documents pushed in large part by bloggers and purporting to prove that President Bush received special treatment in the National Guard shows that partisan Internet pundits are having a growing impact on mainstream press, for better or worse, according to several newspaper editors.

Blessing or Curse? Top Newspaper Editors Examine Blogs' Role in the '60 Minutes' Uproar (Editor and Publisher)


Nordic countries are leading the way in global economic competitiveness, with Finland topping the World Economic Forum's latest rankings.

Nordic nations 'most competitive'


WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - Just hours away from the second presidential debate Friday night, politicians from both political parties said the September employment report supported their views on the US economy.

Politicians fight over jobs report


AFP - British soldiers operating south of Baghdad were targeted in two bomb attacks, including one suicide car bombing and another attack that left one soldier injured.

British soldier wounded in roadside bomb in Iraq (AFP)


A knock of 99 from Simon Katich lifted Australia into a commanding position in the third Test against India in Nagpur. At the close of play on day three, Australia were on 202 for the loss off three wickets

Aussies dominate in Nagpur


Israel says it will not limit the number of Muslims at Jerusalem's holy site during the Ramadan fasting month.

Al-Aqsa mosque restriction lifted


Using a makeshift roster a night after brawling with fans, the host Indiana Pacers pressed the Orlando Magic until the very end. Limited to just six players because of suspensions and injuries, the Pacers stayed close before dropping an 86-83 decision to Orlando last night.

Indiana falls a little short


Reuters - Swarms of pink locusts swept through the\Egyptian capital on Wednesday, evoking the biblical description\of the plagues which struck in the time of Moses.

Pink Locusts from North Africa Swarm Through Cairo (Reuters)


ATHENS -- Andre Ward never understood why he should settle for less than what he wanted, so he didn't.

Ward converts skeptics


Once the crown jewel of the Napa Valley, the Robert Mondavi name is on the auction block and its future is uncertain. Robert Mondavi, 91, who more than any other person put premium California wine on the map

Winery at a crossroads


AP - BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich.  #151; Oakland Hills' place in golf history was secure before the Ryder Cup arrived.

Oakland Hills Now Seen As Golf Mecca (AP)


FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - Rebels shot dead 21 Iraqi  policemen in cold blood on Sunday, a day after killing 34  people in attacks on security forces, in a clear show of force  ahead of an imminent U.S. offensive on insurgents in Falluja  and Ramadi.

Iraq Rebels Strike Before U.S. Attack on Falluja


My wife's friend  Lisa (not her real name) just had her eBay account suspended for selling unopened Juice Plus vitamins on eBay. You know, like Flintstone's chewables, but more expensive and poorer tasting (snake oil). We're not talking about a prescription product of any kind. Vitamins and herbal supplements are considered food products in the USA.  eBay, under their VeRO program, allowed Juice Plus to kill her auctions under the pretence of protecting their intellectual property rights and a few days later eBay suspended her account entirely.

VeRO: eBay's version of the DMCA


In a game that was postponed four days because of Hurricane Frances, Miami tries to blow Florida State away with a hurricane of its own in the third meeting between the two rivals in 11 months.

Four days later than planned,  #39;Noles get shot at ending Canes #39; <b>...</b>


As many times as the Dallas Cowboys hurt themselves with penalties, turnovers and missed opportunities, the Cleveland Browns somehow outdid them.

PENALTY ON JOAQUIN GONZALEZ IN END ZONE


LogoWatch Unpleasant, but not fatal

US games outfit catches rebranding cold


SHANGHAI - China #39;s state-controlled media on Monday rejected the Taiwanese President #39;s National Day call for peace talks with Beijing, saying it was  #39;too insincere and vague to be treated seriously #39;.

China rejects Chen #39;s  #39;insincere #39; call for peace


Coming into last night's showdown with undefeated Tri-Valley League rival Holliston, the Medfield Warriors had reason to be confident. They had been averaging more than 30 points per game, and they had the league's leading scorer in halfback Bryan Lee.

Holliston is pushed by Rogers


Real is in a running battle with Apple, whose iTunes download store dominates with about 70 percent of legal downloading and whose iPod device for music storage is hugely popular. The iPod and iTunes were designed to work exclusively ...

Download a Song for 49 Cents


AFP - Australian shopping center giant Westfield is teaming up with property group Multiplex and Aldersgate Investments to make a cash offer for Duelguide, the company which owns British developer Chelsfield.

Australia's Westfield, Multiplex join in new offer for Britain's Chelsfield (AFP)


Caribbean islanders are bracing for Hurricane Ivan -- only a few days since Hurricane Frances roared through the region. Ivan is heading for the Windward Islands packing sustained winds of 110 miles-an-hour.

Ivan stalks Caribbean islands


The chief operating officer of Enron Corp.'s failed Internet unit pleaded guilty yesterday to a single criminal conspiracy charge and agreed to cooperate with the government, as prosecutors continued to build their case against the Houston energy company's top leaders.

Enron Broadband Chief Makes Deal


Major League Soccer and its players #39; union tentatively agreed on a five-year labor contract Thursday, ending nearly 1 years of negotiations.

MLS, players #39; union reach tentative agreement


AP - Oregon lost its season opener and dropped out of the Top 25 thanks mostly to its own mistakes.

No. 2 Oklahoma Expects Good Oregon Team (AP)


Larry Ellison even compares himself to the warlord, according to PeopleSoft's former CEO, defending previous remarks he made.

Conway: 'Genghis Khan' comparison was fair


Investors are dumping tech stocks with abandon. As for Overland Storage, it is a buyer.

Overland Bullish on Tech


AP - Aberhet Amha was an aspiring runner, winning medals for her school and dreaming of adding her name to the long list of great Ethiopian Olympic athletes. But just before her 12th birthday, Aberhet stepped on a land mine.

Land Mines Remain a Danger to Ethiopians (AP)


Life in Mojave Town, the windswept and deserted frontier trading post in the Californian desert where the new Virgin Galactic base is located, is far from space age.

Branson plays space invaders in California desert


Roy Disney yesterday told a courtroom that he had sensed Michael Ovitz was not performing well as Walt Disney president within weeks of the Hollywood power broker joining the company in late 1995.

Disney tells court of early Ovitz tensions


Is Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) fine-tuning an enhanced iPod with roughly 50 percent more storage and a color screen to display photos?

Apple Fan Sites Buzz with Talk of Photo-Ready iPod


Hard-line Serbs led a boycott of this weekend's election, undercutting efforts to forge a multiethnic society.

Activists struggle to cool Kosovo's ethnic heat


With the offense rumbling and Jon Lieber in command, the Yankees walloped Boston at misty, wind-whipped Yankee Stadium.

Pouring It On, Yanks Cool Off Sox


Iraqis reacted with anger and disbelief on Wednesday to news that British-Iraqi aid worker Margaret Hassan, who worked in Iraq for decades before being kidnapped a month ago, had been killed by her captors.

Iraqis Angry, Distraught at Aid Worker #39;s Murder


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A tobacco industry lawyer  acknowledged on Wednesday that some executives may have acted  wrongly, but said cigarette companies have never engaged in a  conspiracy to mislead the public about the dangers of smoking.

Tobacco Cos. Deny Smoking Conspiracy


quot;Star Trek quot; star William Shatner and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Dave Navarro are among thousands who want to fly on Virgin #39;s proposed commercial space flights, company chief Richard Branson said Friday.

Thousands sign up for British tycoon Branson #39;s space flights


Two of Germany #39;s biggest banks became the latest victims of phishing attacks last week as internationally organized criminal groups roam the globe seeking new targets, according to a spokesman at Postbank.

Big German banks hit by phishing attacks


The German government has said surging oil prices are on track to cut economic growth by about 0.25 this year. Economy Minister Wolfgang Clement said on Monday that the government expected growth of 1.8 this year, falling to 1.7 in 2005.

Oil prices hitting German economy


Fernando finished fourth in Brazil after a masterful drive while Jacques took tenth place.

Brazilian GP, Race


BAGHDAD: Iraq #39;s US-backed government said yesterday that  quot;major neglect quot; by its American-led military allies led to a massacre of 49 army recruits at the weekend.

Iraq blames US for deadly raid


Theyve gotta stop meeting like this? Dont tell Yanks, Sox; theyll do battle for 46th time in 17 months. Who will the 2004 ALCS and in how many games?

No other pairing rivals it


AFP - The United Nations has reiterated a plea for the safe release of three UN workers taken hostage by alleged Islamic militants, as the crisis dragged into its third week with little known about the hostages' fate.

UN repeats plea for hostage release in Afghanistan (AFP)


By MARCIA DUNN    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- The third hurricane to hit NASA's spaceport in just over a month blew out more panels and left more gaping holes in the massive shuttle assembly building, but overall damage was not as severe as feared, a space agency official said Sunday...

Hurricane Jeanne Damages NASA Shuttle Building


Despite sub-\$1000 prices, the answer still depends on what apps you run.

Should Your Next PC Be a Workstation?


BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The EU's historic deal with Turkey to  open entry talks with the vast Muslim country was hailed by  supporters as a bridge builder between Europe and the Islamic  world.

EU-Turkey Deal Hailed as a Bridge Builder


AP - President Bush announced Thursday he was keeping the heads of the Transportation, Interior, Housing and Labor departments, ending the major shake-up that will put new faces on three-fifths of his Cabinet in his second term.

Bush Taps Nicholson for Veterans Affairs (AP)


Move signals a shift in strategy for company that competes against Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser.

Opera to launch browser for Windows Mobile


quot;I commend the National Academy of Sciences on this outstanding report. I fought to add \$300 million to NASA #39;s budget for a Hubble servicing mission and I will continue to advocate for a mission to take place.

Statement of Senator Barbara A. Mikulski on Hubble Report Issued <b>...</b>


Days after the event, Australian police have confirmed reports that a Sydney airport baggage handler found an  quot;incendiary device quot; in the cargo hold of a Virgin Blue jet.

quot;Incendiary device quot; on Virgin Blue flight


By ALICIA CHANG    (AP) -- Stroll down any pharmacy aisle these days and you'll find that the low-carb craze has invaded the \$20 billion dietary supplement industry.    From multivitamins to starch blocker pills, loosely regulated supplements are popping up in the burgeoning low-carb market dominated by food companies...

Dietary Supplement Industry Hops on Low-Carb Diet Trend


AP - The Democratic Party has neglected Hispanic voters for a decade and risks severe election losses unless it changes course, Hispanic lawmakers wrote party leaders Thursday.

Democrats Must Do More for Hispanic Votes (AP)


The Federal Reserve pushed US interest rates up by a modest quarter-percentage point on Tuesday and expressed confidence that inflation could be kept at bay by slowly lifting credit costs from rock-bottom levels.

Fed Raises Interest Rate to 2.25 Percent


LONDON (Dow Jones)--Dubai has started roadshows for a dollar-denominated, five-year, floating-rate sukuk note issue, IFR Credit reported Monday.

Dubai On The Road With 5-Year Dollar Sukuk FRN


ZIMBABWE #39;S ruling party today elected long-time cabinet minister Joyce Mujuru as the country #39;s first woman vice-president.

First woman deputy in Zimbabwe


Tool that identifies sites pretending to be connected to banks, eBay and more could help leave

Catching 'phishers' a WholeSecurity sport


Marion Jones made a low-profile return to the Olympics on Wednesday, four years after her name was up in lights for the duration of the Sydney Games.

JOHNSON AND JONES PROGRESS


The Philippines put the toll at more than 1,000 dead or missing in four storms in two weeks but, even with a break in the weather on Saturday

Manila appeals for storm relief; weather improves


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new device to treat uterine  fibroids, fibrous clumps that can cause miscarriages, painful  menstruation and other related problems in women won U.S.  regulatory approval on Friday.

US OKs Device to Treat Uterine Fibroids


Facing demands for quick action from the United States and UN human rights experts, Sudan #39;s foreign minister pledged to allow

Sudan accepts expanding mandate of international force


Some Macworld Online readers have experienced problems using the UK iTunes Music Store in recent days. Letters received by Macworld confirm multiple instances in which users trying to access

Apple iTunes UK suffers snags


British-Iraqi hostage Margaret Hassan made an emotional appeal for British forces to withdraw from Iraq, in a videotape broadcast on Arabic television channel Al Jazeera on Friday.

Hassan Pleads for Her Life


England #39;s middle order came up trumps today after early wickets fell in the 4th and final npower test at the Oval.

England #39;s middle order saves the day


SAO PAULO, Brazil, Oct. 5 -- Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said Tuesday he was  confident Brazil had no intention of becoming a nuclear power, but he called on the country to work out differences with the U.N. atomic agency over inspections.

Powell: Brazil Has No Nuclear Aspirations


Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - The prime minister says he's been assured by President George W. Bush that the U.S. missile defence plan does not necessarily involve the weaponization of space.

Martin says Bush assured him no plans for space-based weapons (Canadian Press)


PC World - Deal with ESS Technology will add support for Ahead's variant of the MPEG-4 video format on DVD players.

Ahead Pushes Nero Digital Format for DVDs (PC World)


AP - Jeff Bagwell homered and drove in three runs, becoming the 29th player in major league history to both score and drive in 1,500 runs, and the Houston Astros rallied to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 on Saturday night.

Astros Nip Brews in 11th-Consecutive Win (AP)


Maybe it #39;s too early to anoint Ben Roethlisberger as the next Dan Marino, but I have a feeling that his early success with the Pittsburgh Steelers is going to inspire some changes, perhaps

Clamoring for young QBs


TOKYO : Powerful typhoon Chaba, packing winds of up to 90 miles (144 kilometres) per hour, pounded Japan #39;s main southern island of Kyushu, killing at least two people and injuring more than 30.

Typhoon Chaba pounds southern Japan, leaving two dead


In the retirement game, sometimes the best offense is a good defense.

5 Ways to Wreck Your Retirement


PARIS (AFP) - A German man has been able to eat his first solid meal in nine years, thanks to a pioneering surgical technique in which the patient incubated a replacement jawbone in a muscle on his back.

German man regrows jawbone in his back in surgical breakthrough


Reuters - A Pennsylvania law allowing the\state to force Internet service providers to block access to\child pornography sites is unconstitutional, a federal judge\ruled on Friday.

U.S. Judge Rejects Law to Block Child Porn on Web (Reuters)


ELEANOR HALL: It was one of the world #39;s worst industrial accidents but nearly 20 years after a gas leak devastated a shanty town on the outskirts of Bhopal in central India, many of the tens of thousands of people affected are yet to receive compensation.

Twenty years on: Bhopal victims still waiting for compensation


Galileo International is cutting privileges for Northwest Airlines on its travel reservation system, after the airline said it would put an extra charge on bookings made outside its Web site.

Northwest #39;s Net move hits more turbulence


HAT YAI, THAILAND - The Thai air force launched one of its biggest military operations in recent history on Sunday, dispatching 51 aircraft to drop 97 million origami paper cranes on Thailands troubled deep south to bring peace to the region.

Thai air force drops 97 million origami birds on southern Thailand


Cuba releases a journalist jailed in a dissident crackdown, the seventh prisoner freed in a week.

Cuba frees dissident journalist


In a series of apparently well-coordinated raids, British and Pakistani security forces arrested a number of terrorism suspects in early August. Some of the men arrested in the United Kingdom were charged with  quot;conspiring...to cause fear, panic, and ...

The Changing Face Of Al-Qaeda


AP - New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, whose white-collar crime investigations have sent a shudder through Wall Street, announced Tuesday he is running for governor in 2006.

Spitzer to Run for Governor in New York (AP)


There has been much talk lately about the chase for the championship and whether or not NASCAR has met its objectives by changing the points system.

Chase for the cup dividing fan camps


THE near-15-per-cent jump in William Morrisons shares yesterday shows the City is looking well beyond the short-term pain of the first fall in profits at the group in its 37-year history.

City has good reason to keep faith in Morrison


The World Trade Organization (WTO) starts on Friday a major review of the implementation of the Agreement of Textiles and Clothing (ATC) in the third stage of theintegration process.

WTO starts third major review of implementation of ATC


For the first time in the history of astronomy, scientists are about to glimpse the mysterious surface of Titan, Saturn #39;s haze-shrouded moon.

Saturn #39;s Titan about to surrender shrouded secrets


Those characters, as well as more familiar Marvel comics stars like Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk, are going mobile. Publisher Mforma Group Inc.

Spidey slings into wireless Web with Mforma deal


AP - Roy Oswalt was one worry the Houston Astros hadn't counted on against the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL championship series.

Astros Recover From Oswalt's Poor Start (AP)


Blogger is now surprisingly cool\\I have had a love hate relation with Googles Blogger service. I started blogging with it. It just stopped working for me one day and I moved on. But since then I have had minor brushes with the updates that Google added with time and it ...

Blogger is now surprisingly cool


Thirty-five American and two Chilean college students were injured Thursday when their bus overturned during a field trip, police and school officials said.

35 U.S. Students Hurt in Chile Bus Crash


Defending champions Netherlands will meet Australia in the finals of the men #39;s hockey event at the Athens Olympic Games. While Australia beat Spain, Netherlands got the better of Germany to qualify for the finals.

Aussies to take on Dutch in hockey finals


ATHENS  Four-time judo world champion Noriko Anno broke her Olympic jinx by winning gold in the women #39;s 78-kilogram event Thursday at the Athens Games but defending Olympic champion Kosei Inoue was dealt shock defeats to miss out on a medal in the ...

Anno breaks Olympic jinx with judo gold


AP - Larry Eustachy returned to Iowa with a new look and a new attitude. He also picked up a technical foul. Some things never change.

Eustachy Returns to Iowa, but Loses Game (AP)


AP - Democratic Sen. John Kerry said Tuesday that former President Clinton may be hitting the trail to campaign for him in the final two weeks before Election Day.

Kerry: Clinton May Campaign on My Behalf (AP)


Intel announced a new tri-mode wireless module (supporting IEEE standards 802.11a, b and g) for notebooks based on Intel Centrino mobile technology.

Intel Adds Tri-mode (802.11a,b,g) Wireless Module


Scientists examining pictures sent back from the Cassini spacecraft think they may be closer to showing there is liquid on Saturn's moon Titan.

Liquid 'suggested' on Titan


Reuters - Oracle Corp is likely to win clearance\from the European Commission for its hostile  #36;7.7 billion\takeover of rival software firm PeopleSoft Inc., a source close\to the situation said on Friday.

EU Likely to Clear Oracle Deal-Source (Reuters)


Shares of Vivendi and EMI fell on reports that state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has subpoenaed firms for information related to promoters payments to radio stations.

Vivendi, EMI hit by Spitzer probe


AP - Vice President Dick Cheney, who has a history of heart trouble, went to a hospital Saturday after experiencing shortness of breath. Tests found no abnormalities, an aide said, and Cheney left after three hours.

Cheney Leaves Hospital After Tests (AP)


BRIELLE, N.J. - An 8-year-old girl who suffers from a rare digestive disorder and cannot eat wheat has had her first Holy Communion declared invalid because the wafer contained no wheat, violating Roman Catholic doctrine...

Church Says Girl's Communion Not Valid


ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines will cut up to 7,000 jobs, reduce wages and pull back at its Dallas-Fort Worth airport hub as part of a sweeping restructuring plan that could still leave it vulnerable to bankruptcy.    The job cuts representing about 10 percent of its overall work force will come over the next 18 months, Delta chief executive Gerald Grinstein said Wednesday during a meeting with 300 of the company's middle managers...

Delta to Cut Up to 7,000 Jobs in 18 Months


The West Indian players and their supporters must be sick to death of reading comments that are highly critical of the way they have played in this series.

Lara must lead by example or face losing the captaincy


NewsFactor - AMD (NYSE: AMD) says software vendors

Novell, Red Hat, Sun Pledge Support for AMD's Dual-Core Chips (NewsFactor)


ARE Arsenal truly the Invincibles or are we merely witnessing the breakdown of what is laughably called the best football league in Europe?

Arsenal expose England #39;s soft underbelly


AP - Reaction to Iraqi interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's speech Thursday to a joint meeting of Congress:

Quotes From Allawi Speech (AP)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Department store operator JC Penney Co. Inc. (JCP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday posted a quarterly operating profit, reversing a year-earlier loss, on inventory controls and strong sales of jeans, home furnishings and career ...

JC Penney Posts Operating Profit


AP - Dajuan Wagner often wonders how so many things went wrong at once.

Off-Court Woes Burden Cavaliers' Wagner (AP)


It was a fine occasion, but it could have been a grand one without a touch of avarice. There were plenty of empty seats here despite the presence of two of the most charismatic sides in the world.

Youhana #39;s efforts in vain


For infoworkers on the move, the wireless Internet is popping up on planes, trains and automobiles

Commuter Fix


US forces haved launched air and ground attacks against insurgents in Fallujah, about 40 miles west of Baghdad. The military says  quot;precision strikes quot; are being used.

US launches Fallujah offensive


CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Mark L. Attanasio was introduced Monday as the incoming owner of the Milwaukee Brewers. Attanasio, 46, has completed negotiations to purchase the Brewers from the family of baseball commissioner Bud Selig.

Attanasio excited to own Brewers


NEW YORK - Activity in the nation #39;s manufacturing sector grew in October for the 17th straight month, but at a slower pace than the previous month, the Institute for Supply Management reported Monday.

Manufacturing Sector Grows in October


#147;I just received my sixth, an iPod photo, and if I loved my iPod before, I really love it now, #148; writes Bob LeVitus for the Houston Chronicle.  #147;The new iPod photo stores not only your songs, but also your digital pictures. The 2-inch color display is the best little color display I #146;ve seen, and I #146;ve heard many remarks about its clarity and rich, saturated images. Photos look amazing, and iPod photo stores and displays album art for songs which have cover art available. #148; Nov 23

Keeping Up with iPod


Attempts by Balarus #39; president to change the constitution to allow him to run for a third term have been dubbed flawed by a poll observer group.

Soviet-style Belarus election  #39;flawed #39;


New M-rated, non-NFL game will feature off-field political fallout, on-field unnecessary roughness, and post-play partying. At least one sports video game publisher in the industry isn #39;t bothered by the exclusive

Midway sending an all-out Blitz


Reuters - A Chilean judge on Monday\formally charged Augusto Pinochet with homicide and kidnapping\in one of many pending cases related to human rights abuses\committed during his 17-year rule, and ordered house arrest for\the former dictator.

Chilean Judge Charges Pinochet in Rights Case (Reuters)


For an imaginary point in the midst of an ice-capped sea, the North Pole is a surprisingly hot piece of real estate.

Jockeying for Pole Position


Canadian Press - SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The international community is losing patience over the slow-moving six-way talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program, and the UN Security Council should act on the matter, the UN nuclear chief said Wednesday.

UN nuclear chief: patience wearing thin over lack of progress on North Korea (Canadian Press)


For teenagers, online harassment has become a part of life, but many schools and parents have only just become aware of it.

Internet Gives Teenage Bullies Weapons to Wound From Afar


Memory manufacturer Spansion said it has developed new Flash memory technology supporting the Serial Peripheral Interface communication standard.

AMD #39;s Spansion Delivers Serial Flash


A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a key element of insurer Geico #39;s trademark infringement case against online search engine Google.

US rejects key part of Geico case against Google


Jacques Chirac announced France would receive the Iraqi President, Ghazi al-Yawar, in early September. French President Jacques Chirac announced the decision during a major

France to receive Iraqi president


If Michelle Collins were a Major League Baseball player, she would have received a slap on the wrist for using banned performance-enhancing drugs.

Collins slapped with 8-year ban Sprinter, 33, faces end of her <b>...</b>


As part of a renewed effort to curb false weight-loss claims, the Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday it has sued six companies that sold products ranging from cellulite cream to diet teas and patches.

US FTC Sues Firms for False Weight-Loss Claims


ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States swept the Olympic  medals in the men's 400 meters Monday and Briton Kelly Holmes  ended years of frustration to beat friend and foe Maria Mutola  in the women's 800 meters.

Olympics Wrap: U.S. Sweeps 400m, Holmes Wins Gold


Germany #39;s Deutsche Post AG said losses at its US express and logistics business will be 200 million euros (\$246.1 million) greater than expected this year, sending its shares down over 4 percent.

Deutsche Post Sees a Big DHL US Loss


Delta Air Lines is to cut wages by 10 percent and its chief executive will go unpaid for the rest of the year, but it still warned of bankruptcy within weeks unless more cuts are made.

Delta To Cut Wages, CEO Forgoes Pay


Darryl Sutter, who coached the Calgary Flames to the Stanley Cup finals last season, had an emergency appendectomy and was recovering Friday.

Flames #39; Sutter has emergency appendectomy


BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Fired HealthSouth chief executive Richard Scrushy will go on trial January 5th.

Trial date set for ex-HealthSouth CEO Scrushy


China spurned Taiwan President Chen Shui-bians peace overtures on Wednesday and said that his calls for easing tensions were false.

China spurns Taiwan presidents peace overtures


GROZNY. Nov 9 (Interfax) - Guerrilla commander Rezvan Isayev, a close associate of Chechen separatist leader Shamil Basayev, is among the fighters killed in a recent large-scale operation in Chechnya #39;s Vedeno

Basayev associate killed in Vedeno operation


Hoping to whet the appetite of developers specializing in mobile and embedded devices, Microsoft on Monday made available a free technology preview of Windows XP Embedded containing Service Pack 2 (SP2) that it expects to deliver by year's end.

Microsoft rolls out embedded Windows XP


The Motley Fool - To coin a phrase: It was the best of product placements. It was the worst of product placements. On Sept. 10, Finnish cell-phone handset maker Nokia (NYSE: NOK - News) will become a major Hollywood action movie star opposite Kim Basinger. Its new Nokia 6600 videophone will get the title role in the film

Nokia Goes Hollywood (The Motley Fool)


The deaths of five labourers at the construction site of the new airport terminal in Dubai will renew questions about conditions in which migrant workers toil in the United Arab Emirates.

Workers #39; safety queried in Dubai


A study on mutations in the brains of mice may someday be used to help smokers quit. By Ed Edelson. THURSDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDayNews) -- Researchers say they have identified brain cell receptors that appear

Nicotine Addiction Gene Identified


ATHENS (CP) - Hicham El Guerrouj passed Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia with about 50 metres remaining in the 5,000-metre race Saturday, making the Morocco runner the first man in eight decades to sweep the middle-distance races at the Summer Olympics.

Guerrouj makes history in middle-distance running in second-last <b>...</b>


Sun Microsystems plans to beef up its NAS (network-attached storage) product line with support for utility computing and its new zettabyte file system (ZFS), according to an executive of the company's network storage products group.

Sun executive reveals NAS strategy


Gallaher Group Plc, the UK maker of Benson  amp; Hedges and Silk Cut cigarettes, said first-half profit rose 31 percent as the company sold more tobacco in Eastern Europe.

Gallaher 1st-Half Net Rises 31 on Eastern Europe (Update1)


AP - Tetsum Atom is a butt-kicking, pint-sized hero that wants nothing more than peace between humans and robots. More than a half-century after debuting in Japanese comic books,

'Astro Boy' Makes Video Game Debut (AP)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hurricane Ivan, which left a swath of  death and destruction across the Caribbean, wrought havoc on  oil drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico before rampaging  across the Florida and Alabama coast on Thursday.

Hurricane Ivan Uproots Oil Rigs


TORONTO - Nortel Network #39;s ongoing work on its financial restatements means the transfer of its Montreal manufacturing facility to Flextronics will be delayed until early 2005.

Nortel transfer of Montreal plant to Flextronics delayed


AP - The decision to fire Florida coach Ron Zook was welcomed by Gator fans around the country. It didn't get the same reception in the locker room.

Gators Bemoan Coach Ron Zook's Firing (AP)


Between 6,000 and 10,000 people are dying from disease and violence each month in Sudan's Darfur region as heavy rains and a marauding militia hinder U.N. efforts to respond to one of Africa's worst humanitarian crises, according to a survey of mortality rates by the United Nations' World Health Organization.

Death Rates in Darfur Rising, WHO Says


SYDNEY -- The mayor and five other men on the small Pacific island of Pitcairn were sentenced to up to six years in prison for a string of rapes and sex attacks dating back 40 years on the remote and isolated home of the HMS Bounty mutineers, British authorities in New Zealand said today.

Six men sentenced on Pitcairn


Australia has won two medals on the first day of the World Shortcourse Swimming Championships in Indianapolis. The Australian 4x200 metre women #39;s freestyle relay team took silver, while 17-year-old Lara Carroll

Carroll takes bronze for Australia


International Business Machines Corp. has settled portions of an ongoing lawsuit related to pensions, and will take a charge of \$320 million in the current quarter, the technology company said on Wednesday.

IBM Settles Pension Suit, to Take Charge


India and Pakistan resolved to widen their peace dialogue yesterday as they discussed festering issues including their decades-old dispute over Kashmir.

Kashmir peace dialogue resumes in India


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks looked set to open flat on  Monday, with high oil prices expected to take center stage amid  light trading volume on the Columbus Day holiday.

Stocks Seen Flat as Oil Hits New Highs


Perhaps just as good as the release of Half-Life 2 this week is the introduction of Steam, a service that lets gamers buy and download sophisticated PC games. It's the way game retailing ought to be. Commentary by Suneel Ratan.

Please, More Steam-Powered Games


AP - Peja Stojakovic scored 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and the Sacramento Kings made a late rally for their fifth straight victory, 88-79 over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night.

Kings Rally Past Bucks for 5th Win in Row (AP)


While crows have a reputation for being clever birds, research now suggests they could be as intelligent as great apes.

Crows as Clever as Great Apes, Study Says


Tribal leaders in a remote area of Pakistan are trying to negotiate the release of two Chinese hostages. The engineers were abducted on Saturday along with two Pakistanis in South Waziristan, bordering Afghanistan.

Tribesmen seek release of Chinese


Motherboard chip sets don #39;t normally excite much attention in the security world, but Nvidia #39;s NForce 4 could turn out to be the exception.

Nvidia Puts a Firewall on a Motherboard


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

Palace denies Harry security threat in Argentina


ATHENS (Reuters) - Roger Federer was bundled out of the Olympic tennis tournament Tuesday by unheralded Czech Tomas Berdych.

Federer #39;s Games Dream Shattered


The Governments chief scientist will today highlight the need for action in combating global warning amid reports the main greenhouse gas is rising sharply.

Action Urged over Soaring Greenhouse Gas Levels


Intel is targeting extreme gamers and power PC users with its latest high-performance platform based on the Pentium 4 processor Extreme Edition and a faster system bus enabled by the 925XE Express chipset.

Intel unveils  #39;Extreme #39; system for power users


Reuters - US Airways Group Inc. \issued a general appeal on Tuesday to the carrier's 3,000\pilots after their union's leaders rejected proposed\concessions the company says are crucial to avert insolvency.

US Airways Appeals Directly to Pilots (Reuters)


For its fiscal 2004 fourth quarter, Apple posted a net profit of \$106 million, or \$.26 per diluted share. These results compare to a profit of \$44 million, or \$.12 per share, a year ago. Revenue for the quarter was \$2.35 billion, up 37 from a year ago. Gross margin was 27, up from 26.6 last year. International sales accounted for 37 of revenue. Oct 13

Apple Reports Fourth Quarter Results


CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Free-agent pitcher Woody Williams rejoined the San Diego Padres more than three years after he was traded away.

Williams rejoins Padres rotation