UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is supporting African Union efforts to bolster its monitoring and protection presence in Sudan #39;s trouble Darfur region.

UN urges support for the AU in Darfur


The most enjoyable part of Rich Rodriguez #39;s message to his West Virginia football team yesterday was short and sweet. The Mountaineers will play in the Gator Bowl -- probably

WVU will play Florida State in Gator Bowl


For a guy who would have preferred to see the SkyDome lid closed, Noel Prefontaine did a fine job of putting the boot to the football yesterday in the chilly, open air of the topless stadium.

Prefontaine hoofs the Lions


With one federal approval received yesterday and another coming as soon as today, Cingular Wireless is finally poised to complete its \$41 billion takeover of AT T Wireless Services Inc.

Cingular set to complete takeover


Fighting near a village in Sudan #39;s crisis-plagued Darfur region killed at least 17 people Monday, while helicopters rescued dozens of workers who fled into the bush to escape.

Aid workers evacuated as violence flares in Darfur; at least 17 <b>...</b>


Second Sight offers a compelling storyline that keeps gamers coming back for me.

Psychic action enthrals gamers


A suicide bomber in Qaim drove a vehicle packed with explosives into four American soldiers, killing all of them. The US military also confirms that one of their soldiers was killed in Mosul.

Ramadan Begins with Attacks in Iraq


Fujitsu Limited and Cisco Systems announced a strategic alliance focusing on routers and switches for the Japanese markets. Specifically, the companies agreed to jointly develop high-end routers and will collaborate

Fujitsu and Cisco Form Strategic Alliance


HOUSTON (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors are investigating  whether the wife of former Enron Corp. <A HREF=

Wife of Enron's Lay Investigated


Apple notes that the model and serial numbers are located on the label on the bottom of the battery, and can be viewed by removing the battery from the computer. Apple is providing an online form for consumers to begin the battery recall ...

Apple Recalls 28,000 PowerBook Batteries


LONDON (CBS.MW) - US stock futures were tracking lower on Monday, indicating expectations for a weaker start despite a couple of anticipated deals.

Schwab said to sell capital markets business to UBS


Chris Bosh faced the best power forward in the NBA last night and did not blink. The Raptors #39; second-year standout put together a career game, guiding his struggling squad to a 96-90 upset win over the powerful

Bosh front and centre


NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar so far has brushed off  signs the U.S. property market could be overheating as house  prices keep rising quickly and consumer demand stays robust.

Dollar Shrugs Off Overvalued U.S. Housing


Czech company Zoner Software has explained why it employed a prominent former virus writer to develop anti-virus software on its behalf.

News: Anti-virus outfit defends job for VXer


Changes in North Korea's economy have led to spiralling food prices many people cannot afford, the UN says.

N Korea food prices 'rocket'


TORONTO (Agence France-Presse) - Media baron Conrad Black, facing battles with shareholders in the United States and Canada, will quit as chairman and chief executive officer of the Canadian holding company Hollinger Inc.

Black to quit posts soon at Hollinger


Investor Carl Icahn issued a \$20-per-share bid to acquire Mylan Laboratories Inc. on Friday and said  quot;at least quot; three other potential buyers in the generic drug industry could offer more.

Letter rankles Mylan


MIAMI - The Florida Marlins postponed Sunday #39;s game against the Chicago Cubs as Hurricane Frances crept ashore on the eastern coast of Florida.

Frances takes out sports events


Oil prices above \$50 a barrel -nd rising  - now starting to adversely affect the economy and consumers in ways that had not been happening only a few months ago.

\$50-plus Oil Drags on Economy


Iran has become the latest country to edge towards ditching the ubiquitous Microsoft computer operating system in favor of the open-source Linux solution, even if its refusal to abide

Safety concerns spark Linux drive in Iran


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

Microsoft expands mainframe pitch


Coventry Health Care Inc. on Thursday said it agreed to buy rival health plan First Health Group Corp. for \$1.8 billion in stock and cash as it looks to expand its geographic reach and keep pace with rivals.

Coventry Health to Buy First Health


The low-intensity civil war fought by extremists on the left and right - known as the  quot;years of lead quot; -as marked by waves of bombings, assassinations and kidnappings that included the 1978 murder of former prime minister Aldo Moro.

Italy pays kidnappers, no questions asked


The longest serving astronaut in history, who flew twice to the moon and commanded the first space shuttle mission, has announced his retirement after 42 years at NASA.

NASA #39;s Longest-Serving Astronaut to Retire


PARIS The French prime minister has expressed concern about the loss of a bag containing explosives at Paris #39; main airport. The bag containing plastic explosives disappeared during a dog training exercise at Charles de Gaulle airport on Friday.

French Prime Minister expresses concern about loss of passenger <b>...</b>


American Express said Friday it expects to record a fourth-quarter pre-tax restructuring charge of up to \$120 million and cut 2,000 jobs.

Amex sees \$120M charge; axes 2,000


PHOENIX - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, a psychiatrist who revolutionized the way the world looks at terminally ill patients with her book

'On Death and Dying' Author Dies at 78


OAKVILLE, Ontario (Reuters) - Hometown hero Mike Weir  surged into the lead after an incomplete second round at the  100th Canadian Open Friday, hotly pursued by new world number  one Vijay Singh.

Record-Breaking Singh Stalks Canadian Leader Weir


AP - U.S. troops have recovered personal effects of a U.S. Marine who was once feared beheaded by Iraqi insurgents after disappearing from his unit, U.S. officials said.

GIs Find Belongings of Once-Missing Marine (AP)


US consumer spending rose 0.8 percent in July after a smaller decline in June than previously reported, a sign the economy is accelerating.

US July Spending Increases 0.8; Incomes Up 0.1 (Update2)


AP - President Bush and Democrat John Kerry are concentrating on Iraq and relegating other international issues to the sidelines. Their preoccupation is not lost on other world leaders.

Analysis: Iraq Dominates Policy Debate (AP)


Pro basketball: WNBA playoffs: Sun vs. Washington (Game 3) at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn., 8 p.m.

Today's schedule


I.B.M. said that it had agreed to pay \$320 million to its employees to settle in part a class-action lawsuit over its pension plan.

I.B.M. Employees Get \$320 Million in Pension Suit


The Football Association will investigate the crowd violence that marred Chelsea #39;s 1-0 win over West Ham in the League Cup. Mateja Kezman, who scored the only goal Wednesday night at Stamford

FA to investigate Chelsea-West Ham violence after League Cup match


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blue-chips ended slightly lower  on Wednesday after Honeywell International Inc. <A HREF=

Blue Chips End Lower, Earnings Disappoint


Tight end Jeremy Shockey, as flustered as anyone with the Giants #39; four-game losing streak, said Thursday that he had made a magnanimous offer to any teammate who thinks the Giants cannot make the playoffs.

Shockey Gives the Giants a Blast From the Present


Mumbai, Oct. 6 (PTI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, today said the foreign direct and portfolio investments are welcome in various sectors of the economy, including the banking sector.

Foreign investment welcome in banking: PM


Oracle unveiled Business Intelligence 10g at OracleWorld this week, surprising some of its customers with its entry into the BI market.

Oracle pushes on BI


INDONESIAN prosecutors today called for a two-year prison term for a man accused of using his science degree and Islamic militant experience to run bomb workshops and plot terror attacks on Western interests.

Jail sought for  #39;JI bomb tutor #39;


Southern California tailback LenDale White remembers Justin Holland from high school. The Colorado State quarterback made quite an impression.

Rams QB has USC #39;s attention


Trainer Nick Zito has come to Lone Star Park with Birdstone, an outstanding 3-year-old who has a shot in Saturday's \$4 million Breeders' Cup Classic. It is less known that Zito also brought two good 2-year-olds, a colt, Sun King, and a filly, In The Gold, but they are legitimate contenders in the juvenile divisions.

Zito taking shot at triple crowning


AP - A toxic algae bloom off the coast of Washington state has grown to about 30 miles wide, the largest and most potentially lethal algae yet found by scientists in the region.

Toxic Algae Bloom Grows Off Wash. Coast (AP)


AP - Advances in genetic testing are straining the sacred bond of confidentiality between doctor and patient as physicians grapple with whether to keep private diagnoses that might also afflict patients' relatives.

Genetic Testing Challenges Medical Ethics (AP)


Nascar will allow liquor companies as sponsors for its Nextel Cup and other stock-car racing next season, ending a 30-year ban and creating a new funding source for racing teams.

Booze boost to Nascar


Business confidence is rising in Hong Kong with a third of companies saying that economic prospects will improve in 2005.

Hong Kong business more confident


AP - Archaeologists are set to begin an expedition this month in hopes of finding a Spanish ship that wrecked along the jagged reefs off the Turks and Caicos Islands in 1841 carrying a cargo of African slaves.

Expedition Aims to Find Lost Slave Ship (AP)


WASHINGTON -- The IRS has more than \$73 million in tax refunds for thousands of taxpayers whose checks were returned to the tax agency as undeliverable.

IRS seeks people to claim refunds


With the countdown for compliance with radio-frequency identification mandates from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and others #39; closing in, concern is growing that supplies of the necessary

Concern Grows Over RFID Tag Production


Microsoft is investigating a security flaw in Windows server software that could allow an attacker to gain complete control over systems running the software, the company said.

Microsoft investigates Windows Server flaw


Fast Forward columnist Rob Pegoraro was online to discuss The Washington Post's annual cell phone guide.

Annual Cell Phone Guide


TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei stock average fell 0.29  percent by midday on Wednesday as investors took a breather  from the market's recent rises and sold shares of gainers such  as Sharp Corp. and other technology issues.

Nikkei Falls by Midday, Techs Down


At least four people have been killed in the latest US onslaught on the Iraqi city of Falluja overnight. Ten others were injured on Tuesday as US warplanes again bombed Falluja, targeting the area of al-Askari

Falluja takes more US hits


ISLAMABAD, DECEMBER 10: At least 10 people, including a soldier, were killed when a bomb exploded near an Army truck in a busy market area in the Pakistani city of Quetta today.

Blast in Quetta market kills 10


Foreign investors may be allowed to bid for the key oil producing subsidiary of embattled Russian oil firm Yukos. Moscow authorities are forcing the sale of Yuganskneftegas, which accounts for 60 of the firm #39;s

Russia invites foreign Yukos bids


The biggest challenge for the open source community is that there are too few open source developers, according to Michael Tiemann, vice president of Open Source Affairs at Red Hat Inc.

Q A: Red Hat exec talks of challenges to open source


Reuters - Some 200 storks migrating from Europe\to Africa flew to their deaths in Israel Monday, landing in an\acid-filled pool of waste outside a chemical plant, veterinary\officials said.

Migrating Storks Die in Israel Chemical Waste Pool (Reuters)


CRAWFORD, Texas - It's a classic pre-debate dance, maybe as important as the matchup itself: lower expectations for your candidate's performance and jab the other guy while you're at it. While President Bush and Democrat John Kerry remained secluded half a country apart on Sunday in preparation for their prime-time showdown Thursday, representatives for each side employed their own double-barreled debate strategy...

Campaigns Aim to Lower Debate Expectations


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

U.N. Forces Ex-Soldiers From Aristide Home


BBC Sport's Dan Warren joins the fans as they welcome home Team GB from the Olympics.

Heroes get warm welcome


Indonesian prosecutors plan to file charges against detained cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir next week.

Indonesian cleric to be charged


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Circuit City Stores Inc. <A HREF=

Circuit City Growth Misses Estimates


ATLANTA -- It came down to simple math. Three teams trying to squeeze into two slots. No computer printout, no voter bias, no pleas by coaches could solve that problem for the Bowl Championship Series.

Unbeaten Auburn gets squeezed out of Orange


Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira is more worried about playing rank outsiders Venezuela than the likes of Germany or Argentina.

Brazil Coach More Worried About Venezuela Than Germany


Investors might be willing to forgive Tellabs (Nasdaq: TLAB) for missing expectations on its latest Q3 earnings. These things happen, especially when there are extenuating circumstances.

Will Tellabs Push Its Luck?


The Anaheim Angels traded troubled outfielder Jose Guillen to the Washington-bound Expos for outfielder Juan Rivera and prospect Maicer Izturis yesterday.

Troubled Guillen dealt to Washington


An additional display of the rift formed between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and the settlers came late Monday night after residents of Gush Katif canceled a meeting scheduled for today with Sharon, explaining that the meeting would be pointless since

Gush Katif heads cancel scheduled meeting with PM


JIMMY CHOO, the luxury footwear brand worn by Sex in the Citys Carrie Bradshaw, has been bought by Hicks Muse, the owner of Typhoo tea and Weetabix.

Typhoo tea tycoon bags Jimmy Choo for 100m


Sci/Tech News, SAN FRANCISCO: Google Inc. announced a new test service that allows people to use mobile phones or handheld devices to tap Google #39;s Web search via text messages, or short message service.

Sci/Tech ; Google search via mobiles


Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaat said earlier today that the US presidential elections, which will be held on November 2, have impaired the Middle East peace process.

Palestinian FM: US Elections Hinder Peace Process


President Bush enlisted his two predecessors to lead an effort to raise money from corporations for disaster relief.

Bush Asks His Father and Clinton to Raise Funds


Wed auctioneer eBay (Quote, Chart) continued its expansion into classified listings late Thursday with the acquisition of Rent.com for \$415 million in cash and stock.

eBay Grabs Rent.com for \$415M


The Motley Fool - No, the U.S. is not on the verge of a solar revolution, and sunshine won't provide the country with

Here Comes the Sun (The Motley Fool)


Investors sent US stocks sharply lower today as oil prices continued their climb higher and new questions about the safety of arthritis drugs hit pharmaceutical stocks.

US Stocks Lower


PARIS - As France awaited word on two journalists being held hostage in Iraq, officials made clear that they expected to benefit from their stand against the US-led invasion and occupation.

HOSTAGE TALKS: France hopes anti-American stance will help


NEW YORK (Reuters) - UBS AG is expected to buy Charles  Schwab Corp.'s institutional research and trading unit for \$265  million, the Wall Street Journal said Monday, citing unnamed  people familiar with the matter.

UBS to Buy Schwab Units - WSJ


Brent Geiberger hardly had time to talk, but he took the cellular phone from a PGA Tour official anyway. On the phone with him was the champion of the 1976 Greater Greensboro Open.

Geibergers: Like father, like son in Greensboro


ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan successfully test-fired  Tuesday an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of  carrying nuclear warheads as parts of its efforts to boost its  defenses, a military statement said.

Pakistan Test Fires Nuclear-Capable Missile


WASHINGTON - Fox Broadcasting Co. disagrees with a finding by federal regulators that an episode of

Fox Disagrees With FCC Indecency Finding


Vijay Singh, who took more than 20 years to get to the top of his profession, culminated his career year Monday when he was named 2004 Player of the Year on the PGA Tour.

PGA Player of the Year Singh ready for more in  #39;05


It was pitch-black out on the field when this match came to its sensational climax at 6.36pm with an astonishing West Indies victory by two wickets.

Browne and Bradshaw complete mission improbable for West Indies


The IT services company may lay off as many as 20,000 from its global workforce of 125,000, in an effort to remain competitive with archrival IBM and low-cost offshore service providers.

EDS May Cut Up To 20,000 Jobs


TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's financial regulator on Friday  ordered the Japanese commercial banking unit of Citigroup Inc.  to close four offices for violating banking laws.

Japan Orders Citigroup to Close 4 Offices


AMD has teamed up with partners in India, Mexico and the Caribbean in an ambitious bid to equip half of the world #39;s population with internet connectivity and computing capabilities by 2015.

AMD digs into high growth markets with PIC


Nigeria #39;s main labor union on Monday lifted its threat of a nationwide strike that would have shut down the oil industry in the world #39;s No.

Unions suspend strike threat targeting oil in world #39;s No. 7 <b>...</b>


A suicide car bomber detonated his vehicle near a police academy in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Saturday, killing at least nine people and wounding 20, police said.

Suicide Car Bomb in Iraq #39;s Kirkuk Kills 9 - Police


Southwest Airlines is planning to cut as many as 88 flights from its schedule to free up the planes for more profitable markets, according to a published report.

Report: Southwest to cut 88 flights this fall


InterContinental Hotels Group passed another milestone in its wide-ranging asset disposal programme yesterday when it sold 13 of its North American properties for \$425m (220m).

IHG sells 13 North American hotels


If we #39;re talking about 15-year-old kids and Game Boy video games, well, then, it must be time for another On Golf column. Michelle Wie is back in the news, fresh off her latest birthday last week, meaning

Wie is older, but still just 15


England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is confident Michael Owen will prove his fitness for England #39;s crucial World Cup qualifier against Wales on Saturday.

Owen #39;s injury minor - Eriksson


Florida #39;s head football coach Ron Zook tries to maintain his composure during his remarks to the media following his firing by the University of Florida Monday, Oct. 25, 2004 in Gainesville, Fla.

Gators Fire Ron Zook After Two-Plus Years


In a fitting end to a season dominated by Russian women, the country won its first Fed Cup title Sunday by edging defending champion France 3-2 when Anastasia Myskina and Vera Zvonareva beat Marion Bartoli and Emilie Loit 7-6 (5), 7-5 in the deciding doubles match.

Russia Beats France to Win First Fed Cup


European Union officials on Friday called on the United States to clarify its position on a possible court challenge at the World Trade Organization over alleged unfair subsidies given to European aircraft maker Airbus.

EU Calls for Official to Clarify Position


STUART, Fla. - Hurricane Frances weakened but still pounded Florida with high wind and heavy rain Sunday after it smashed across the state's east coast, knocking out power to 4 million people, shredding roofs and uprooting trees...

Frances Strikes, Knocks Out Power to 4M


In a ruling that could open the United States to offshore Internet gambling, a World Trade Organization panel Wednesday said Washington should drop prohibitions on Americans placing bets in online casinos.

WTO Eyes U.S. Offshore Web Gambling Ban


Despite sluggish ticket sales and a scandal involving their star athletes, members of Winnipeg #39;s Greek community are still thrilled Greece is hosting this year #39;s Olympic Games.  quot;There #39;s a lot of excitement, quot; said Chris Iacovidis, president of the Greek ...

Greek jubilation no myth in  #39;Peg


South Africa openers Herschelle Gibbs (right) and Graeme Smith gave the team a good start in the ICC Champions Trophy match against the West Indies at The Oval in London on Saturday.

South Africa vs West Indies


AFP - British Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President Jacques Chirac called for  quot;a stable and democratic Iraq quot; as well as urgent efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Blair, Chirac try to put Iraq war behind them (AFP)


Ian Thorpe sets the fastest time in the 200m freestyle as swimming's top names cruise into the semi-finals.

Thorpe leads big guns


AP - Best Buy Company Inc., the nation's largest electronics retailer, said on Wednesday that third-quarter earnings rose 21 percent, but gave hints that profits during the holiday selling season may not be quite what analysts were hoping for.

Best Buy's 3Q Earnings Climb 21 Percent (AP)


Beijing - The Tibetan capital Lhasa has launched a renovation drive to keep its original ethnic flavour after years of unrestrained urban development filled the city with modern architecture, China #39;s state media said Monday.

Tibet: Preserving the culture


Reuters - Shooting erupted on\Wednesday outside Haiti's presidential palace while Secretary\of State Colin Powell was inside talking with the interim\leaders of the violence-plagued country.

Gunfire Erupts During Powell Visit to Haiti (Reuters)


A car bomb explosion killed five people and injured 10 others outside the ministry of education in the al-Azamiah neighborhood in northern Baghdad Tuesday.

Baghdad car bomb kills five


Encinitas high school student Aaron Goldin has parlayed some old appliance parts plucked from his garage into a \$100,000 college scholarship, the top prize in one of the country #39;s most prestigious science and math competitions.

Student #39;s sea-energy device wins \$100,000


AP - Manchester United's largest fan group is launching a registration drive to stop U.S. businessman Malcolm Glazer from buying the Premier League club.

Manchester United Fans Oppose Takeover (AP)


About 600 baggage handlers and maintenance staff working for air services provider Servisair have gone on strike at Gatwick Airport in a dispute over working conditions.

Baggage handlers begin strike


One of the UK #39;s leading security consultants says the kidnapping of aid co-ordinator Margaret Hassan in Iraq may be the work of a new kidnap group.

Security chief #39;s view on kidnap


His hand on a toggle switch and his eyes on a computer screen, Oregon State University graduate student Anthony Kirincich uses an array of scientific instruments to probe the vibrant waters of the Pacific. He is searching for the absence of life.

Scientists Probe Pacific Ocean for Dead Zones


WASHINGTON : The US Supreme Court agreed Friday to hear a case to determine whether music-swapping services can be held liable for copyright infringement if their networks are used for illegal digital copies.

US Supreme Court to hear appeal on music-swapping, copyright


MIR ALI: Helicopters dropped Pakistani commandos into North Waziristan on Monday, to launch an operation near the Afghan border against suspected Taliban forces that were chased into Pakistan

Army commandos launch operation against militants


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress on Friday  reinstated a ban on Internet access taxes after the House of  Representatives agreed to extend it for another three years  rather than make it permanent.

Congress Reinstates Internet Tax Ban


A weakened Yasser Arafat broke his Ramadan fast at the urging of doctors Tuesday and was undergoing more medical tests, aides said.

Arafat breaks Ramadan fast


Clayton, NC -- A woman apparently upset about the firing of a friend took five people hostage at a Caterpillar heavy-equipment factory Tuesday, police said.

Woman takes hostages at Caterpillar factory


Electronic Data Systems Corp., which lost business when customer US Airways Group Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection the first time, says the carrier #39;s latest filing also will hurt.

EDS stung by US Airways again


Derrick Story writes for the O #146;Reilly MacDevCenter, summarizing a Mac OS X Tiger preview recently presented to the O #146;Reilly Mac OS X Conference by Apple product manager Chris Bourdon. Nov 17

Mac OS X Tiger Features


ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Pakistanis  endured hours of stifling heat this week to accept an offer of  free mobile phone connections, a sign of the pent-up demand in  a country where cell phone usage has remained low.

Pakistan Mobile Phone Firms Vie for Pent-Up Demand


AP - Japan lodged a formal protest with Beijing on Friday after determining that a nuclear submarine that entered its territorial waters without identifying itself belonged to China.

Japan Lodges Protest With China Over Sub (AP)


The government has appealed to kidnappers holding hostage Kenneth Bigley in Iraq to make contact -- but still ruled out negotiations or ransom payment.

Britain wants contact with kidnappers


The capital of an Afghanistan #39;s western province was engulfed in tension as demonstrators loyal toformer governor of Herat province looted and burned local army barracks and UN

Herat in tension as mob attacks army barracks: UN offices


SAN FRANCISCO - With 15,000 attendees at PeopleSoft Inc.'s Connect user show waiting to hear how the company would address Oracle Corp.'s lingering hostile takeover bid, PeopleSoft Chief Executive Officer Craig Conway tackled the issue early in his opening keynote on Tuesday.

PeopleSoft's Conway maintains defiant tone


A seven-year-old Lebanese boy has been kidnapped on his way home from school in Iraq by militants demanding a \$US150,000 (\$A203,693) ransom for his release, Lebanese officials said today.

Iraqi militants take child hostage


New tests reveal Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko #39;s blood contains the second-highest level of dioxin poisoning ever recorded in a human - more than 6,000 times

AP: Yushchenko Shows Record Dioxin Level


Wanted: Brilliant economist. Must be politically savvy, trusted by Wall Street, a strong leader and consensus builder, cool in a crisis, able to calm world markets with a few words and likely to guide the economy into robust health in time for the 2008 presidential election.

Election will also decide Greenspan's successor


The NBA has no plans to change its rules for the 3-point shot, though it will proceed with an experiment for its developmental league in which all field goals will be worth

NBA: No Plans to Change 3-Point Shot


Reuters - Up to ten people were killed in\fierce fighting between Pakistani security forces and al\Qaeda-linked fighters Sunday, taking the death toll to over 70\in one of the deadliest actions against the militants.

Pakistani Forces Attack Militant Hideouts; 10 Killed (Reuters)


Boarding a flight would no longer mean doing away with your communication on your cell phone, with Airbus having developed technology that enables passengers to use their mobiles without interrupting navigational systems.

SMS and surfing go sky high!


Consumers showed a bit of cheer in November, boosting sales at the nation #39;s retailers by 0.1 percent. The newest report on consumers #39; buying, issued by the Commerce Department today, turned out to be somewhat

Retails Sales Up in November


GOOGLE, the web search engine, has slashed the price range on its eagerly awaited initial public offering to between 47 and 52 per share from 59 to 74 per share.

Web giant Google cuts IPO prices


AP - After losing back-to-back presidential elections, Democratic leaders are trying to figure out how to make the party more relevant to mainstream Americans and keep it from slipping into perpetual minority-party status.

Democrats Have Bad Case of the Blues (AP)


While Iraq remains the controversial center of debate about the war against terrorism, Indonesia is quietly emerging under its new leader as a potentially significant counter to Islamic extremism.

Task for Indonesian leader: Fight terror, but not for US


Lindsay Davenport will face Vera Zvonareva in the final of the Cincinnati Open, after Marion Bartoli was forced to withdraw with a hand injury.

DAVENPORT HANDED FINAL PLACE


LAUSANNE, Switzerland - The International Olympic Committee said Monday it has received bids from London, Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

IOC receives bids for 2012 Games


Steelers head coach Bill Cowher was hoping to bring rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger along slowly, allowing him to learn from veteran Tommy Maddox in his initial campaign.

Steelers #39; Roethlisberger gets baptism by fire


The judge in the WorldCom lawsuit ruled that the investment banks that sold billions of dollars in the companys bonds must persuade a jury that they conducted appropriate due diligence before the offering.

Judge in WorldCom Lawsuit Sides With Plaintiffs on Issue of Due Diligence by Banks


Resurgent oil prices paused for breath as the United States prepared to draw on its emergency reserves to ease supply strains caused by Hurricane Ivan.

Oil prices steady as US readies draw on strategic reserves


AP - SAP AG, the German business management software maker, reported a 15 percent jump in third-quarter net profit Thursday, citing increased sales across the globe.

SAP Reports 15 Percent Rise in 3Q Profit (AP)


AP - Microsoft Corp. finally debuted its own Web search technology on Thursday, hoping to challenge Google Inc.'s long dominance of the field with results tailored to a user's location and answers from its Encarta encyclopedia.

Microsoft Launches Web Search Technology (AP)


MOSCOW Russia #39;s lower house of Parliament took its first step on Friday toward adopting President Vladimir Putin #39;s sweeping overhaul of the country #39;s political system, despite signs of popular dissent, particularly in regions distant from the capital.

Putin plan for political overhaul easily passes its first vote


ROCHELLE, Ill. (Reuters) - Golden mountains are rising out  of the fertile farmlands of the U.S. Midwest, a changing  landscape formed by huge piles of corn from the most bountiful  harvest in U.S. history.

U.S. Heartland Is Bursting with Corn, Soy


Twenty people at Massachusetts colleges are among 761 being sued by the recording industry in its latest attack on illegal file-swappers.

Music industry sues 20 at Mass. colleges


Sales are flat for the company, but the valuation still appears to be fair.

Jo-Ann Stores Threading Water


Atari addicts young and old attend the seventh annual Classic Gaming Expo, getting a rare chance to mingle with their favorite game designers and stock up on rare collectibles. Chris Kohler reports from San Jose, California.

Games People Played


HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--China #39;s thirst for oil has created boom times for tanker companies. And despite Beijing #39;s efforts to cool the economy, demand for oil isn #39;t likely

INTERVIEW: Titan Petchem Sees No Flagging China Demand


AFP - China, Japan and North America will pull the global economy forward over the next two years despite headwinds thrown up by high oil prices and tenacious deficits, the OECD predicted.

Global economy to hit headwinds next year: OECD (AFP)


A US-drafted resolution telling Syria to withdraw its forces from Lebanon and warning against foreign interference in Beirut #39;s presidential election has squeaked through the UN Security Council.

UN tells Syria to quit Lebanon


A top official of the US Food and Drug Administration said Friday that he and his colleagues  quot;categorically reject quot; earlier Congressional testimony that the agency has failed to protect the public against dangerous drugs.

FDA Official Defends Drug Safety Record


It may take much longer than scientists have thought for violent turbulence to turn grains of space dust into new planets. A NASA telescope recently discovered evidence that

Scientists: New planets may take longer


IBM will soon begin shipping upgraded models of its HS20 and JS20 blade servers, including a new SCSI (small computer system interface) option for the HS20 that will double the number of SCSI blades that users can fit into a single chassis, the company

IBM upgrades blade servers


SAN FRANCISCO -- Shawn Green can sit out today knowing he was a huge help to the Dodgers during their crucial series against San Francisco.

Green #39;s homer lifts Dodgers over Giants


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Alpharma Inc. <A HREF=

Alpharma Launches Generic of Neurontin


An Islamic leader sought by Ankara on treason charges has been deported by Germany hours after a court cleared his extradition. Muhammad Metin Kaplan, 51, was detained at an Internet caf in Cologne and hustled

Germany deports Islamic leader


WASHINGTON - President Bush, undertaking a heavy campaign schedule in key states in the run-up to the Republican National Convention, acknowledges a

Bush Acknowledges Iraq 'Miscalculation'


Brazil #39;s Adriano scored a goal and set up another, leading Inter Milan to an easy 3-1 win over Anderlecht in Champions League Group G on Wednesday (early Thursday, Malaysian time).

Inter cruises to easy win over Andrelecht in Champions League


American soldiers venture out of their bases into dangerous streets, confronting myriad of  unseen risks.

In Sadr City, Stalking the Enemy Lair


FILDERSTADT, Germany (Ticker) - A day after struggling in her first appearance as the world #39;s top player, Amelie Mauresmo swept into the semifinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Friday.

Mauresmo, Davenport win at Porsche GP


NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- JPMorgan Chase  amp; Co.  #39;s (JPM) chief financial officer, Dina Dublon, will resign at the end of the year and be replaced by Michael Cavanagh , currently head of middle market banking.

JPMorgan Chase To Shuffle Management; Financial Chief To Leave


Analog Devices Inc. , the world's fourth-largest maker of signal processing chips for mobile phones, said US regulators are conducting an inquiry into the granting of stock options to directors and officers. The inquiry by the Securities and Exchange Commission covers the last five years, the Norwood company said in its annual report filed with the SEC. Analog Devices also ...

Chip company acknowledges SEC probe


The U.S. men's basketball team lost to Lithuania, 94-90, today at the Olympic Games.

Lithuania Upsets the United States


WASHINGTON, DC - Investors in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are feeling some pain in the wake of Fannie #39;s recent accounting problems.

Fannie, Freddie And Free Markets


Don #39;t look for Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger to sit down for a drink after today #39;s critical showdown between Manchester United and Arsenal.

Red Devils about to confront the Gunners


WASHINGTON - The House ethics committee unanimously concluded Wednesday that Majority Leader Tom DeLay appeared to link political donations to a legislative favor and improperly persuaded U.S. aviation authorities to intervene in a Texas political dispute...

Ethics Panel Rebukes DeLay Twice in a Week


Goldman Sachs yesterday reported record full-year earnings, following record results from Lehman Brothers earlier in the week and setting the pace for the rest of Wall Street.

Goldman #39;s record revenues fail to meet expectations


A mystery at the center of track and field #39;s biggest doping scandal has finally been solved. Top track coach Trevor Graham has admitted he was the coach who anonymously sent a syringe of THG to the US Anti

Graham finally admits he #39;s coach who turned in THG syringe


BRUSSELS, Dec 13 (AFP) - Cyprus wants Turkey to demonstrate willingness to normalize its relations with the Cypriot government before an EU summit next March, Cypriot Foreign Minister George Iacovou said Monday.

Cyprus wants Turkish  #39;normalisation #39; move by next March: FM


The success of this year's Olympic games in Athens rides on the fruits of high-tech labor, no matter whether it's the security system, events results or studying sharkskin to build a better swimsuit. <FONT face=

Tech Goes for Gold in Athens


AP - Jacksonville quarterback Byron Leftwich doesn't understand why his teammates and coaches rave about his toughness.

Leftwich Set for Showdown at Indianapolis (AP)


NBC #39;s Olympic track and field production and announcing unit needed just three days of competition to show it is one of the network #39;s best groups in Athens.

Track team is tops for NBC


Microsoft has introduced a package of tools, training and technical support designed to lure users away from Novell #39;s Netware, to Windows Server 2003.

Microsoft to NetWare Users: I Want You


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Friday, hurt by a  slew of negative reports from top drug makers and oil prices  climbing by \$2 a barrel.

Stocks Drop Under Drug Sector's Weight


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

Sony May Open Retail Stores


BERLIN - German automaker Volkswagen AG said Friday it will cut investment in auto operations by 6 percent over the next two years and reshuffle its management board as part of an overall reorganization process meant to trim costs.

Volkswagen to Cut Investment, Shuffle Board


roundup Plus: OSDL hires lawyer, opens China office...Ex-Palm CEO Yankowski to head Majesco...Oracle gives PeopleSoft shareholders more time.

Briefly: Phone defect could affect hearing


BRAD HODGE was not waiting to be asked if he would be included in the Australian Test team. He got on the front foot and made the call himself.

Hodge to tour but Clarke favoured


NEW YORK - President Bush was reaching out to Americans to keep him on the job, recalling the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks

Bush Ready to Accept GOP Nomination


File-swapping company Grokster is teaming up with newcomer Mercora to distribute an advanced streaming radio service to the peer-to-peer crowd.

Grokster teams with P2P radio


A false alarm on a Pittsburgh sports-talk show Thursday morning ignited a nationwide firestorm of speculation about the job status of Penn State coach Joe Paterno.

False alarm triggers response from PSU


Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Typhoon Megi churned through the Tsushima Straight dividing Japan and South Korea, leaving nine people dead and thousands homeless as it damaged crops, dumped heavy rains and grounded flights.

Typhoon Hits Korea, Japan; Kills 9, Grounds Flights (Update1)


The Anfield manager saw Portsmouth snatch an injury-time leveller last night to scupper hopes of a victory which was in demand after Saturday #39;s derby slip-up.

Benitez frustrated by Pompey draw


\\A few days ago Kerry sent around this ad:\\

Kerry's Disgusting Ad


OPEC members were divided yesterday on whether their output should be increased in a bid to boost global supply that might cause oil prices to drop.

OPEC wrestles over output increase as hurricane, Iraq attacks lift prices


The California insurance commissioner said on Wednesday night that the broker had agreed to cooperate in developing a case against the insurers.

California Regulator Is Suing Four Insurers and a Broker It Says Received Kickbacks


The automated life used to be the exclusive realm of the rich. Now home automation is coming to a subdivision near you. By Tom Vanderbilt from Wired magazine.

Commonor's Remote Control Castle


Twenty-nine North Koreans sought asylum Wednesday at a Japanese school in Beijing, hoping to ultimately reach South Korea, the Kyodo news agency reported.

29 N. Koreans seek asylum in Beijing


The interim president of Iraq, Ghazi al-Yawer, says the US-led coalition made a big mistake when it disbanded the Iraqi armed forces after last year #39;s invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.

Iraqi President Faults Army #39;s Dissolution


In Bosnia, where one man #39;s hero is often another man #39;s villain, some citizens have decided to honour one whom Serbs, Croats and Muslims can all look up to - the kung fu great Bruce Lee.

Bruce Lee statue for divided city


Under a definitive agreement reached Thursday by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. and a consortium led by Sony Corporation of America, MGM will continue to operate as a private movie-making company

Agreement lets MGM survive merger with Sony


Ernie Els finally looks to be over the disappointment of not winning any of this year #39;s major championships. The South African fired an 8-under-par 64 Friday

Els fires 64 to surge into lead at WGC-American Express


No Pistons players were charged for the Nov. 19 brawl the brother of Detroit's Ben Wallace, was charged for throwing punches at the Pacers' Fred Jones.

5 Pacers and 5 Fans Are Charged in Fight


European regulators have approved a movies-on-demand joint venture between Sony #39;s Columbia Pictures and Walt Disney Co. that could help UK cable

EU Clears UK On-Demand Venture by Disney, Sony


At least six people die and a number of others are hurt in a bomb explosion in the Pakistani city of Quetta.

Six die in Pakistan bomb blast


US new home sales and new mortgage supply are expected to fall in 2005, but will still run near historically high levels, said Franklin Raines, chief executive officer at Fannie Mae (FNM.

US new home sales, loan supply to fall-Fannie CEO


Jefferson Graham writes for USA Today,  #147;Apple #146;s trendy iPod digital music player, which has revitalized the company, is giving laptop sales a boost during back-to-school season. Many students, after falling in love with the iPod, are packing for college with new Apple Macintosh computers. #148; Aug 23

Satisfied Customers


US retail sales rose modestly as expected last month, but the underlying message from the consumer was strong at the start of the fourth quarter after record oil prices failed to deter shoppers.

Retail Sales Up Slightly as Expected


Palestinian leaders rushed to Paris on Monday to check on the critically ill Yasser Arafat, but hospital officials said visiting rights were restricted - setting the stage

Arafat #39;s top lieutenants en route to Paris


Former France playmaker Zinedine Zidane has been making the most of his new-found freedom since retiring from international football.

Zidane - enjoying new found freedom (Getty Images)


Global IT services powerhouse EDS extended it contract with Opsware (Quote, Chart) for data center automation software and services, the company said Tuesday.

EDS Signs With Opsware, Again


Why count in binary when you can use hundreds of different digits at once? That #39;s the principle that has allowed British physicists to develop a video disk that stores far more data than has ever been possible before.

Video disks ditch binary storage


The energy provider said household gas bills would rise by 12.4 per cent and electricity by 9.4 per cent from September 20. The company blamed the increases on the record price of wholesale gas, which also impacts on the cost of producing electricity.

British Gas bills to rise


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. chain store retail sales rose in  the latest week as a holiday weekend gave Americans more time  to shop, a report said on Tuesday.

Chain Store Sales Rise in Latest Week


Left unfettered, Anthony Konieczka, 9, would happily thumb away at his Game Boy Advance or PlayStation2 from the minute he gets up to the moment he crawls into bed, 14 bleary-eyed hours later.

How the toy industry is being outplayed by video games this <b>...</b>


LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Freddie Mac <A HREF=

Freddie Mac May Face SEC Civil Action


Apple has introduced the iPod Photo, a version of the popular digital music player that can hold up to 25,000 digital photos alongside the user #39;s music library and displays them on its colour screen.

Apple introduces iPod Photo, digital  #39;box set #39;


TOKYO (Reuters) - An earthquake with a preliminary  magnitude of 5.8 jolted the northern Japanese island of  Hokkaido Tuesday but there were no reports of injury or major  damage.

Strong Quake Hits Northern Japan's Hokkaido


ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan has arrested up to 10 al  Qaeda suspects, including two Egyptians, suspected of planning  major suicide attacks against the government and the U.S.  embassy earlier this month, ministers said Saturday.

Pakistan Says It Holds Suspects Planning Big Attacks


HANOI (Reuters) - South Korea might put forward a candidate  to take over from U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan when his  term expires in 2006, a South Korean official said Sunday.

South Korea Not Out of the Running for U.N. Post


AFP - A donkey cart beat a Porsche in a race held in a northern Portuguese city over the weekend to see which mode of transportation could best handle car congestion.

Donkey cart beats out Porsche in Portuguese road race (AFP)


Search Engine News Weekly Report - Clusty, Yahoo, and MSN\\The end of September and beginning of October has seen some changes in search engine news and the addition of a new search engine into the second tier search mix - Clusty. Additionally, MSN is planning on including search in their ...

Search Engine News This Week - Clusty, Yahoo, and MSN


Bank of America Corp. (BAC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , which in September promised to move 100 wealth and investment management jobs to Boston, on Friday said it would move an additional 300 jobs to that city next year.

UPDATE 1-Bank of America says moves 300 more jobs to Boston


MacCentral - Hewlett-Packard's online store, HPshopping.com, on Friday introduced

Hewlett-Packard debuts 'Apple iPod from HP' (MacCentral)


Two UN workers who spent nearly a month in the hands of Afghan kidnappers left Kabul on Sunday as relatives and friends awaited their arrivals in Northern Ireland and Kosovo.

Freed UN workers head home


Greece avoided any suspense about whether it would advance by taking an 18-point halftime lead on the way to an 88-56 victory over Angola on Saturday night.

Greece 88, Angola 56


First, let #39;s put our hands together and thank Johnny Damon and the Boston Red Sox for beating a franchise and a fan base who act more entitled than Donald Trump #39;s children.

One Nation, Indivisible


Auditors at  Delta Air Lines raise doubts about the company's ability to stay  in business.

Fresh doubts over Delta Air Lines


One might assume there was little reason for optimism. The University of New Hampshire, a once-mighty Division 1-AA program that has posted just one winning record since 1997, entered last night's game against defending Division 1-AA national champion and top-ranked Delaware battling staph infections that sidelined many of its players.

Wildcat strike stuns Hens


PC World - Upcoming chip set will include built-in security features for your PC.

Nvidia Puts a Firewall on a Motherboard (PC World)


GAZA CITY, Oct 12 (AFP) - A car bomb exploded outside Palestinian security headquarters in Gaza City late Tuesday in what witnesses said appeared to be an assassination attempt against a top security official.

Car bomb explodes at Palestinian security HQ in Gaza


PARIS (Reuters) - Twice winner Marat Safin outshone Lleyton  Hewitt in straight sets at the Paris Masters on Friday and  looks ideally placed to be crowned for a third time here.

Safin Outclasses Hewitt, Heads for Paris Treble


The Indianapolis Colts will be in search of their fourth consecutive win on Sunday, when Tony Dungy #39;s crew welcomes the Oakland Raiders to the RCA Dome.

NFL Game Preview


Reuters - Masked gunmen occupied the Palestinian\governor's office in a southern Gaza Strip town on Sunday,\demanding compensation for Israeli raids in a protest that\added to signs of growing lawlessness.

Gaza Gunmen Seize Governor's Office in Protest (Reuters)


LONDON (AFP) - Apple is to open its first retail store in Europe on Saturday, a state-of-the-art boutique in central London selling the latest products from the US computer and technology group.

Apple to open first European retail store in London


Squats stopped muscle wasting in simulated experiment    HealthDayNews -- High-intensity resistance training may help astronauts maintain muscle strength and size during long space voyages, according to a new study.    The study, published in the Journal of Physiology, included 12 volunteers confined to their beds for 84 consecutive days in order to mimic the effects of living in a zero-gravity environment...

High-Intensity Training May Prevent Astronauts' Muscle Loss


New Delhi, Aug. 29 (UNI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was indisposed yesterday, due to viral fever, is taking complete rest today, a PM #39;s aide said.

PM advised complete rest today


LIKE beetles scurrying for cover after a stone is lifted, the oil companies of the West feigned disinterest yesterday in the \$8 billion (4.3 billion) fire

Oil majors cannot spurn Yukos morsels


Reuters - CNNfn, the financial news cable\network owned by Time Warner Inc. , on Thursday said it\will cease business operations by mid-December, after fighting\a losing battle against the far larger rival CNBC.

CNNfn Network to Close by Mid-December (Reuters)


US Treasury prices initially slipped and then made a slight recovery after the Philadelphia Federal Reserve #39;s business activity index showed surprising strength.

Treasuries prices initially slip after Philly Fed


Reuters - Mozambicans began voting on Wednesday in\presidential and parliamentary elections focusing on who will\succeed President Joaquim Chissano, stepping down after 18\years in office.

Mozambique Votes to Elect Successor to Chissano (Reuters)


AP - Insurgents in Iraq have kidnapped more than 150 foreigners in their campaign to drive out coalition forces and hamper reconstruction:

150 Foreigners Taken Hostage in Iraq (AP)


Convicted insurance mogul Michael Segal is scheduled to get a full hearing Tuesday on whether he should be let out of a federal lockup as he awaits sentencing.

Segal to get full hearing on release


(Sports Network) - Jarrod Washburn tries to put the brakes on a personal three-game losing streak this evening when the Anaheim Angels continue their critical three-game series with the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium.

Anaheim Angels Team Report - September 25


An advanced system of video surveillance will alert Chicago police whenever anyone viewed by the cameras acts suspiciously.

Chicago Moving to 'Smart' Surveillance Cameras


SPACE.com - This is a series of four articles each with a separate explanation of different phenomena. Each of the four articles is a piece of a mosaic and so every one is needed to understand the final explanation of the quantum astronomy experiment we will be proposing to do possibly using the Allen Array Telescope and the narrow-band radio-wave detectors being build by the SETI Institute and the University of California, Berkeley.

Quantum Astronomy: The Double Slit Experiment (SPACE.com)


New York -- A new study shows that genes from genetically engineered grass can spread much farther than previously known, a finding that raises questions about the straying of other plants altered through biotechnology.

Genetically altered grass spreads like wildfire


For the first time of his career, Rubens Barrichello finished the Brazilian Grand Prix on the podium. Michael Schumacher started from the back of the field and finished in the points despite spinning in the early stages of the race.

Podium finish for Barrichello


Free agent Troy Percival and Detroit agree Wednesday on a \$12 million, two-year contract, giving the Tigers two closers for their bullpen.

Percival Signs With Tigers


Reuters - U.S. consumers turned more gloomy in\October, beset by soaring energy prices, relentless violence in\Iraq and the increasingly bitter end of the presidential\election campaign.

Consumer Confidence Hits 7-Month Low (Reuters)


FALLUJAH, Iraq, Dec. 9 -- When the residents of Fallujah begin trickling back to their devastated city, they will be routed through sandbagged checkpoints where U.S. and Iraqi troops will take their fingerprints, issue ID cards and in some cases scan their irises, part of an elaborate plan to keep insurgents out of the former radical militant stronghold.

Security Checks to Greet Fallujah's Returning Residents


OTTAWA - The best new toys on Canadian store shelves as the shopping season approaches include a dancing robo t and an electronic guessing game, according to a new report.

Top toys list released by testing council


AP - Some fans who had not heard the news showed up at a downtown restaurant Wednesday expecting to witness the unveiling of the Washington Nationals uniforms.

Expos' Preparations Thrown a Curve (AP)


Microsoft appears to be using its smash  quot;Halo 2 quot; game as a vehicle to crack down on mod chips and other hacks of its Xbox video game console.

Is Microsoft using  #39;Halo 2 #39; to thwart Xbox hackers?


Specialty food maker Lancaster Colony Corp. said Monday that its board raised the company #39;s quarterly cash dividend by nearly 9 percent to 25 cents per share from 23 cents.

Lancaster Colony Board Raises Dividend


BOSTON - Boston ace Curt Schilling will not start Game 5 of the AL championship series Sunday because of an injured right ankle, though it's possible he could return later in the series.    Derek Lowe will start in his place - unless the schedule is pushed back by rain that is forecast for Game 3 on Friday night...

Injured Schilling to Miss ALCS Game 5 Turn


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks gained on Tuesday after  two separate economic reports showed inflationary pressure was  held in check in July and U.S. housing starts rebounded sharply  in the same month.

Stocks Up, Data Shows Inflation in Check


COLD professionalism reigned over raw optimism yesterday as the Socceroos used their visit to the Solomon Islands to clinch a spot at next year #39;s rich Confederations Cup.

Socceroo hot-shots


Veritas has retooled its OpForce management software to improve the way the code works with its existing products and to make it easier for administrators to control applications.

Veritas puts homemade touch on new OpForce


Goldman Sachs reported strong fourth quarter and full year earnings of \$1.19bn, up 36 per cent on the previous quarter. Full year profit rose 52 per cent from the previous year to \$4.55bn.

Goldman reports quarterly earnings up 36


SAN FRANCISCO - Online auctioneer eBay will stop supporting Microsoft's .Net Passport identification system by the end of January.

eBay drops Microsoft's Passport


FOXBOROUGH -- Before yesterday's kickoff, Corey Dillon spotted Marvin Lewis across the field, approached the Cincinnati coach, and gave him an embrace. As they brought their heads together, the Patriots running back told Lewis that his grudge against the Bengals finally would be gone. And the Cincinnati coach reciprocated, agreeing that after the game the hatchet would be buried forever. ...

Making the playoffs a rush for Dillon


World marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe has decided to run at 34 in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing after Athens disappointment.

Radcliffe declares to run in Beijing Olympics


The software industry enters 2005 with several antitrust issues behind it, a result of a handful of court decisions and out-of-court settlements this year.

Progress Is Made in Resolving Antitrust Issues


Rubens Barrichello will start tomorrow #39;s Italian Grand Prix at Monza from pole position after setting the fastest time in final qualifying of 1 minute 20.

Barrichello on Pole at Monza


ANKARA - The European Union (EU) Commissioner, Enlargement, Guenter Verheugen arrived in Ankara late on Sunday. Speaking to reporters at Ankara #39;s Esenboga Airport, Verheugen said that his visit to Turkey was

Verheugen Arrives In Ankara


TOKYO (Reuters) - The Nikkei stock average rose 1.02  percent by midsession on Monday as investors were encouraged to  seek bargains by a recovery in U.S. stocks after crude oil  prices retreated from record highs.

Nikkei Up Over 1 Percent at Midday


Russian authorities demand a further \$1.2bn in back-taxes from stricken oil firm Yukos, the Interfax news agency reports.

Yukos 'hit with fresh tax demand'


Reuters - The Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Center\will begin a campaign in January to flush out the last\surviving Nazi war criminals in Germany, the head of the\center's Jerusalem office said Sunday.

Drive to Nab Last German Nazis to Begin in January (Reuters)


Equatorial Guinea resumed on Tuesday the trial of 19 suspected mercenaries accused of plotting a coup in the oil-rich African country, after a two-month adjournment to give

Equatorial Guinea resumes coup trial


NEW YORK (Reuters) - PeopleSoft Inc. <A HREF=

PeopleSoft Fires CEO Who Battled Oracle


Coca-Cola Amatil is offering cash or shares in a scheme of arrangement that values the ordinary equity of SPC Ardmona at just over \$480 million.

Coca Cola launches bid for SPC


Fidelity National Financial Inc. said Thursday that it agreed to acquire InterCept Inc., a provider of technology services to banks, in a deal valued at about \$400 million.

Fidelity National to Acquire InterCept


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Friday, helped by  reassuring consumer confidence data and a bounce in technology  stocks, but volume was extremely thin before next week's  Republican convention in New York City.

Stocks Gain; Techs Ahead But Volume Thin


Shares in Rentokil Initial slumped today as the services company warned that profits had fallen and would suffer next year as it it continues to be hit by increased competition and shrinking margins.

Rentokil plummets on profits warning


SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Advanced Micro Devices Inc.  <A HREF=

AMD Posts Profit, Sees Sales Growth


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

Blue Jays agree to buy SkyDome


TORONTO -- Shares of Nortel Networks edged lower yesterday after Canadian officials said they were opening a criminal investigation into accounting practices at the telecommunications equipment maker.

Canada begins probe of Nortel #39;s accounting


AP - Software vendor Lindows Inc. formally postponed its initial public offering Wednesday, citing adverse market conditions.

Software Vendor Lindows Postpones IPO (AP)


BUENOS AIRES: Pakistan has ratified the Kyoto Protocol on Climatic Change, Environment Minister Malik Khan said on Thursday. He said that Islamabad has notified UN authorities of ratification, which formally comes into effect in February 2005.

Pakistan ratifies Kyoto Protocol


Covert use of a hardware keystroke logger does not violate federal wiretap law, court rules.

News: Judge dismisses keylogger case


It is the body's internal chemicals and hormones that send diseases out to strut their stuff at night.

Nighttime, and Fevers Are Rising


NEW YORK (CP) - The NHL Players #39; Association made the biggest move of the 2-month-old lockout Thursday, inviting the NHL back to the negotiating table with the lure of a new proposal.

NHL, NHLPA to resume bargaining talks next Thursday in Toronto


AP - Armed militiamen surged into a western border area where some Darfur refugees attempted to return to their raided village, U.N. security officials said Sunday, raising further concern about how quickly 1.4 million displaced Sudanese could return home safely.

Armed Militiamen Worry Sudanese Refugees (AP)


GAME NOTES: The fourth-ranked Miami Hurricanes take to the road for the first time this season, as they travel to Reliant Stadium in Houston, to take on the

(4) Miami-Florida (2-0) Vs. Houston (1-2)


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

Income Tax to Be Cut by 1 point to Boost Economy


Comcast Corp. plans to begin offering music videos on demand to its broadband Internet subscribers early next year, part of a multiyear deal with the television network Music Choice.

Comcast Plans Music Video-Web Offering


Federal Reserve policy-makers raised the benchmark US interest rate a quarter point to 2.25 per cent and restated a plan to carry out

Federal Reserve lifts target rate to 2.25


BERLIN (Reuters) - Boeing Co. Chief Executive Harry  Stonecipher said on Friday the U.S. aircraft maker's archrival  Airbus was exaggerating the speed of recovery in the commercial  airplane market.

Boeing CEO: Jet Market Recovery Slower


Shares of Netflix Inc. (NFLX) plunged 40.2 percent before the bell Friday, the morning after the online DVD rental company said it would charge a lower subscription fee as of Nov. 1. On

Before-The-Bell: Netflix, Delta Drop


A string of disappointing economic reports released Tuesday heightened concerns that Japan's recovery may be fading fast.

Signs That Japan's Economic Recovery Is Fading


NEW YORK - For good or bad, tennis players' fortunes change as quickly as the direction of the swirling wind at the U.S. Open...

Capriati, Federer, Moya Win at U.S. Open


AP - Worn down by four years of bloody conflict with Israel, Palestinians found a welcome diversion Sunday: watching Ammar Hassan, one of their own, compete for the title of best singer in the Arab world.

Palestinians Cheer 'Superstar' Contestant (AP)


Canadian Press - TOKYO (AP) - Japanese financial authorities announced Friday they would shut down Citibank's private banking business in the country after finding

Japanese financial authorities crack down on Citibank (Canadian Press)


Germany said on Saturday that Italy #39;s opposition to its campaign for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council could mean Europe loses out.

Germany Says Italy #39;s UN Stance Will Hurt Europe


South African Retief Goosen, the US Open champion, shot a final-round 69 to win the US\$4.06 million (euro3.05 million) Nedbank Golf Challenge on the 7,162-meter (7,835 yard) par-72 Gary Player Country Club course.

Goosen wins Nedbank Challenge


TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average closed over one  percent higher on Tuesday after positive U.S. retail sales data  eased concerns about demand in Japan's main export market and  spurred buying of blue chips such as Sony Corp.

Nikkei Closes Up 1 Pct; Canon, Sony Gain


A consortium of nonprofits aim to restore sections of the Inca Road, the 500-year-old route that linked the Inca Empire from present-day Colombia to central Chile.

Today Inca Trail, Tomorrow Inca Road


BRUSSELS - Greece #39;s membership of the eurozone is not in doubt despite a damaging review of its budget data stretching back five years, a European Commission official said Monday.

Greek membership of eurozone not in doubt


RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Thousands of Palestinian  prisoners in Israeli jails began a hunger strike for better  conditions on Sunday, but Israel's security minister said he  didn't care if they starved to death.

Palestinians in Israeli Jails Start Hunger Strike


WASHINGTON -- A meteor shower that had some startled motorists calling police is expected to continue over the next few days. Saturday night #39;s light show was part of the Geminids meteor shower, News4 reported.

Geminid Meteor Showers Alarm Area Residents


AP - Palestinians at home and abroad wept, waved flags and burned tires Thursday in an eruption of grief at the death of Yasser Arafat, the man they consider the father of their nation. The quick appointment of successors did little to dispel the huge question marks now hanging over Mideast peace efforts.

Palestinians Grieve Over Arafat's Death (AP)


AP - Tight end Billy Baber signed a one-year contract with the San Diego Chargers on Wednesday, taking the roster spot of suspended backup fullback Andrew Pinnock.

Chargers Sign TE Baber to One-Year Deal (AP)


World News  gt; London, Oct 1 : British Prime Minister Tony Blair was today admitted to the Hammersmith Hospital in west London for corrective treatment of an irregular heartbeat.

Blair admitted to Hammersmith Hospital for heart operation :


There #39;s something very strange about the Royals and Tigers on Thursday afternoons. Baseball scores start looking more like football scores.

Kansas City Royals News


TORONTO (CP) - Early stock market indicators turned positive Friday as oil-price pressure eased, General Electric posted robust earnings and Canada reported employment growth.

Stock market signals positive on GE profit report, job news, oil <b>...</b>


GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian militants angry over Yasser  Arafat's death attacked a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip  on Thursday in what they said signaled the start of a new round  of clashes against Israel.

Palestinians Attack Settlement After Arafat Dies


The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has announced that its member companies filed a new wave of copyright infringement lawsuits against 754 individual file-sharers.

Recording Industry Files Another 754 Copyright Lawsuits


Former Manchester United striker Mark Hughes has been appointed the new manager of Blackburn Rovers. The Wales boss had been the favourite to take over the Lancashire club after former manager Graeme Souness

Hughes new man at Blackburn


Jason Robinson has become the first former rugby league player to captain England #39;s rugby union team. The Rugby Football Union appointed Robinson on Monday as captain for Saturday #39;s test against Canada at Twickenham.

Robinson named England rugby union captain


Dallas-based Blockbuster Inc. announced Tuesday that its doing away with late fees starting Jan. 1. Watching a movie may now become the relaxed activity

Late fees end for some movie rentals


USATODAY.com - Pitching again through pain and seeping blood, Curt Schilling helped Boston move halfway to snaring its most elusive prize: a first World Series title in 86 years. Backed by another big hit from surprising Mark Bellhorn and unfazed by a defense that made four more errors, Red Sox beat St. Louis 6-2 Sunday to take a commanding 2-0 lead.

Red Sox take another big step (USATODAY.com)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Toys R Us Inc. <A HREF=

Toys R us Posts Operating Loss


With Sun Microsystems set to detail its plans for Solaris 10 on Monday, Sun President and COO Jonathan Schwartz spoke with Computerworld about what the company has up its open-source sleeve.

Q A: Sun's Jonathan Schwartz on the Solaris 10 launch


AP - The Minnesota Twins were in great shape just two days ago. Now they're on the brink of being eliminated by the New York Yankees for the second straight year.

Playoff Series Quickly Turns Against Twins (AP)


Increasing NTT DoCoMo #39;s reach outside Japan, the Japanese carrier has partnered with Motorola to build a 3G FOMA phone that also does GSM/GPRS.

DoCoMo, Motorola to build FOMA/GSM handset


An international research team claims that it was major climate change, not hunting that led to major bison extinction. Moving in huge herds, more than 20 million bison roamed the American West before white men arrived.

Climatic change put an end to bison existence


Leaving their orbiting outpost unmanned, the international space station #39;s two astronauts floated outside on a spacewalk Friday and plugged in new antennas

Astronauts float outside ISS for spacewalk


Open Text Corp. shares plunged to their lowest in more than a year yesterday after the business software maker warned that profit in the current quarter will fall short of forecasts and analysts

Open Text plummets on profit warning, analysts slashing targets


A world wide ring of pirates based around five Poles has been penetrated by police. A spokesperson for the Polish cyber cops have told Reuters that it had wound up an organised group, involving more than 100

Poland Based Pirate Ring Collared


The telecommunications equipment maker, mired in accounting irregularities, has missed three self-imposed deadlines for correcting its financial reporting.

Nortel to Release Delayed Financial Results


EU files counter-case at World Trade Organization over US aid to Boeing; US files over Airbus. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The EU said Wednesday it will file a counter-case at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over

EU, US aerospace aid spat heats up


It only seemed fitting that Rusty Wallace would announce his coming retirement at Daytona Speedway. After all, that #39;s where Wallace #39;s friend and competitor Dale Earnhardt lost his life in a 2001 accident.

Hanging Up The Helmet: NASCAR Legend To Retire


The Great One hit town yesterday and he sure was welcome. He made it feel a bit more like winter. Wayne Gretzky was a pretty fair player in his day, and his time as an executive have been equally well spent.

Coaching a real possibility


#39;Midland F1 #39; will put two Dallara-built cars on the Formula One grid in 2006, it was announced on Friday. Official website F1.

Midland #39; team to race in 2006 - official


SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--Australian economic growth slowed sharply in the third quarter, hurt by a sluggish export sector with some offset coming from still buoyant domestic demand.

DATA VIEW: Australian Economy Puts Brakes On In 3Q -2-


NEW YORK - A row over intellectual property claims from Microsoft Corp. has dealt a fatal blow to an ambitious effort by Internet engineers to create a technical standard for curbing junk e-mail.

Anti-Spam Effort Killed Amid Patent Row


Almost 13 million UK viewers tuned in to watch Paula Radcliffe attempt to run the Olympic 10,000 metres on Friday. Radcliffe dropped out of the race with 12 of the 25 laps to go, just five days after quitting the marathon in tears.

Radcliffe agony  #39;seen by 12.8m #39;


Prices are heading up for the firm's trademark cigs. Is it party time for investors?

Altria Smokes Up


A team in California led by Boeing Co. successfully completed the first laboratory trial of a system to destroy ballistic missiles just after they are launched.

First step a go in shooting down missiles


Figuring it's had enough of fighting over options, the chip giant is waiting to see what Congress comes up with.

Intel awaits government move on expensing options


Vince Wilfork came to the Patriots this offseason as a defensive lineman, meaning that in college he was accustomed to working his way to the opponent's backfield when the ball was snapped. But New England's first-round draft pick is now playing nose tackle, which means he must stay put and keep a crease from forming in the middle.

Wilfork has a nose for his new position


AP - Moises Alou drove in a pair of runs with a bases-loaded single in the first inning to lead his major league teammates to a 7-2 win Tuesday over the Japanese All-Stars in Game 4 of an eight-game exhibition series.

Alou Leads Major Leaguers to Win in Japan (AP)


AFP - Britain complained to the United States over the deportation of pop singer turned Islamic activist Cat Stevens, who was denied entry on national security grounds.

Britain complains to US over Cat Stevens deportation (AFP)


Two of Colombia #39;s most powerful drug lords were trapped in prison cells yesterday as the state seized their fortune estimated at more than 120 million.

Drug lords stripped of 120m fortune in prison


TOKYO Sept. 27, 2004 - Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reshuffled his Cabinet on Monday, in hopes of solidifying his power and boosting his ability to carry out reforms.

Japanese Cabinet Resigns Before Reshuffle


John Musarra, a long-time Mozilla fan, is getting ready to help launch the forthcoming release of the Firefox 1.0 browser the old-fashioned way: by throwing a party.

Firefox #39;s Volunteer Launch Brigade


Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world #39;s largest retailer, lowered its sales forecast for August, citing slow back-to-school sales and the effects of Hurricane Charley.

Update 8: Wal-Mart Lowers Sales Forecast for August


AP - Brazil's economy expanded 6.1 percent in the third quarter compared to same period a year ago, lifted by exports and rising domestic consumer demand, the government said Tuesday.

Brazil's Economy Expands in 3Q on Exports (AP)


In order to prevent neck injury during a rear-end collision, a vehicles seat and head restaint have to work in tandem to keep the neck from being whipped forward.

Saab, Volvo Rated Best at Preventing Whiplash


LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices fell sharply to \$45 on  Tuesday, extending losses to a third day as a more optimistic  Iraq export picture helped unwind some of the supply worries  that have lifted the market to historic levels.

Oil Prices Fall to \$45 as Iraq Oil Flows


PILILIA, Philippines : Another powerful typhoon is bearing down on the eastern Philippines where rescuers are desperately trying to find survivors from floods and landslides that have left nearly 500 dead or missing.

New typhoon heading for flood-hit Philippines


GAPAN, Philippines (Reuters) - Floods and landslides caused  by heavy rains killed at least 26 people in the northern  Philippines, disaster officials said Tuesday, a week after  storms left about 160 dead or missing.

Fresh Philippine Flooding Kills at Least 26


NASA's \$264 million Genesis mission came to a sudden and violent end on Wednesday morning, when a capsule returning with samples of the Sun slammed into the desert.

Space Probe Fails to Deploy Its Parachute and Crashes


quot;We are dispelling the industry notion that blade servers are only a large enterprise play, quot; Jeff Benck, vice president for IBM eServer BladeCenter, said.

New IBM Blade Cuts into Small Businesses


CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Sports Network) - Carolina Panthers  running back Stephen Davis will miss his seventh game of the  season on Sunday when the club travels west to face the San  Francisco 49ers. Davis was officially listed as

Carolina's Davis Will Not Face 49ers


TAIPEI - Taiwan #39;s High Court on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit filed by opposition parties seeking to nullify the March presidential election and upheld President Chen Shui-bian #39;s victory.

Taiwan court upholds Chen #39;s election victory


Is Saturday the end of a football season or Election Day? Between speculation about polls and appeals to voters, it #39;s difficult to tell.

Campaign season lasting into December


The SEC is looking into whether the financial-information provider failed to correct inaccurate data it published regarding a single mutual fund in a timely manner.

Morningstar under SEC probe for incorrect data


Taiwan condemned China #39;s plan to draft an anti-secession law, describing it Saturday as a move to establish a legal basis to attack the self-ruling, democratic island that Beijing claims as a province.

Taiwan Says China Forming Legal Basis to Attack


The New York Jets on Wednesday announced they have signed quarterback Chad Pennington to a contract extension. Pennington current contract expires after the 2004 season, and the Jets didn #39;t want to wait until

Jets ink Pennington to extension


NEW YORK - PalmSource #39;s planned acquisition of China MobileSoft signals its desire to expand its presence in Asian markets, as well as to produce a new, Linux-based version of its handheld operating system.

PalmSource Embraces Linux Through China Buy


The US government is not taking cybersecurity seriously enough and should spend more money and energy on the topic, a group of computer security firms said Tuesday.

Cybersecurity post needs a promotion, firms say


The Linux specialist formerly known as Lindows announces that it has completed its name change to Linspire.

Linux seller completes name change


SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Chargers' long nightmare is coming to an end. And if the Chargers do go on and break their eight-year playoff drought, they can thank their anonymous defense.

Defense keeps San Diego in charge


BEIJING: China #39;s ruling party leadership began a much-anticipated meeting in Beijing amid an apparent power struggle at the heart of the organization.

China #39;s communist party leaders kick off key meet as power <b>...</b>


Reuters - This decade has been a tough\one for fund investors. The average stock fund has lost almost\6 percent annually since the beginning of 2000, a return that\encompasses huge losses from 2000 through 2002 and big gains in\2003.

Funds: What's Ahead for Fund Investors? (Reuters)


Reuters - Five-time American\League batting champion Wade Boggs, two-time NL batting champ\Willie McGee and former Cy Young Award winner Jack McDowell are\among 12 first-year candidates on the 2005 Baseball Hall of\Fame ballot.

Boggs Heads 2005 Hall of Fame Ballot (Reuters)


NO one has said it yet, but John Howard is looking more and more like Paul Keating, circa March 1996. Keating won the seemingly unwinnable election in 1993 against John Hewson, then crashed three years later.

Ross Fitzgerald: Overexposed, overwrought and overboard


STAMFORD, Conn. (CP) - The US Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the operations of a Thomson Financial division that collects information on stock ownership, the company revealed Monday.

SEC investigates part of Thomson Financial #39;s intelligence service


ABIDJAN (Reuters) - French soldiers fired to disperse  protesters in Ivory Coast on Tuesday after days of rioting in  the main city Abidjan.

Fresh Unrest in Ivory Coast Despite Peace Efforts


San Diego Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer is keeping his team -- including quarterbacks Drew Brees and Philip Rivers -- and its fans in suspense.

Schottenheimer holds off on QB call


Accumulated lead exposure may increase the risk of developing a cataract, research suggests.

Lead exposure link to cataracts


Peter Mandelson yesterday denied being involved in discussions over the alleged coup plot in Equatorial Guinea as the Conservatives began to put pressure on the government over what it knew and when.

Mandelson denies discussing coup plot


NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Chinadotcom Corp. (CHINA) said government-controlled China Mobile Communications Corp. imposed sanctions on its Go2joy mobile applications unit for alleged offenses in its business practice.

Chinadotcom Gets Sanctions From China Mobile Communication


Crude futures prices fell sharply Wednesday, falling below \$54 a barrel, as traders shelved concerns about tight winter-fuel supplies and focused on government data showing faster-than-expected growth in US oil inventories.

Oil prices below \$54 a barrel


A federal prosecutor made a comment suggesting that a Virginia man held in a Saudi Arabian prison had been tortured.

Official Allegedly Hinted At Saudi Torture of Man


Israel #39;s Foreign Ministry Director General, Ron Prushor, said on Sunday that the Egyptian ambassador might return to Israel in the near future.

Egyptian ambassador might return to Israel soon


ATHENS, 26 August - New Zealand triathletes created history today, after 33-year-old Hamish CARTER executed the perfect tactical race to win the Men #39;s Triathlon at Vouliagmeni, holding off teammate Bevan DOCHERTY, the fastest runner in the sport of

New Zealand dominate Men #39;s Triathlon to claim historic double


The Food and Drug Administration gives doctors the go-ahead to implant radio frequency microchips in patients. When scanned, the chips will release patients' medical information to doctors, speeding care.

FDA Says Docs Can Chip Patients


Apple should be pushing its Mac OS X software aggressively into corporations running Windows, says a Microsoft solution provider in Massachusetts, but others claim that Apple might be missing

Windows world gets OS X wake up call


Any cash that Italy #39;s Fiat (FIA.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) may gain from agreeing to scrap an option to sell its loss-making car unit Fiat Auto to General Motors Corp.

Fiat cash from GM for option would be modest-S amp;P


IBM held tight to its top ranking for server revenue, laying claim to a 30.7 percent market share in the quarter. HP -- which topped the charts in terms of units shipped -- remained in second place on the revenue list with 27.

Global Server Revenue Jumps in Second Quarter


ALBANY, NY RS Investment Management agreed to pay 30 (m) million dollars to settle allegations it allowed  quot;excessive quot; market timing in its mutual funds.

Boutique mutual fund settles timing case for \$30 million


MARTINSVILLE - Halfway into the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup, the competition comes to a half-mile track where intensity -nd history  - inherent.

Half-mile hot spot at halfway  hang on!


OTTAWA - An indicator that gives an early look at Canada #39;s economic situation showed more signs of slowing in September, Statistics Canada said Wednesday.

Leading economic indicators slow again in September


British Gas has lost almost one million customers this year, its parent company Centrica has revealed. The gas and electricity provider, which has put up prices twice in 2004, lost 290,000 customers in the first half of the year and 630,000 in the second.

British Gas loses a million users


Sir Alex Ferguson is clearly excited over the prospect of Wayne Rooney making his debut for Manchester United Football Club. The England international is yet to play for the Reds since his 26million transfer

Manchester United Football Club boss excited over Rooney


A federal bankruptcy judge in Alexandria has granted US Airways permission to immediately cut the pay of its union workers by 21 percent.

Judge Gives US Airways OK to Cut Workers Pay by 21 Percent


By Randy Dotinga, HealthDay Reporter    HealthDayNews -- Do sprawling communities translate into expanding waistlines? Absolutely, according to a new study that adds to a growing body of evidence that suburban living makes people fat.    A Boston University researcher found that people who live in spread-out communities are heavier than their city-bound counterparts...

Suburbia's Just Another Name for Fat City


The appliance maker freezes pay and asks workers to quit, but rewards its executives with stock options.

Maytag Stuck in Spin Cycle


The team said that an ultrasound at Henry Ford Hospital revealed that Williams indeed had suffered a sprained ankle, but not the more severe high ankle sprain.

Williams is day-to-day after ankle injury


TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese stocks edged lower by  mid-morning on Friday as a retreat on Wall Street and worries  about record-high oil prices prompted profit-taking in some  technology and bank shares following the market's recent gains.

Japanese Stocks Edge Lower


washingtonpost.com - The Justice Department is set to announce a major crackdown on cyber-crime that will include arrests, subpoenas and property seizures of alleged e-mail spammers and online scam artists, according to law enforcement and industry sources.

Justice Dept. to Announce Cyber-Crime Crackdown (washingtonpost.com)


Susan Lyne, once a hot-shot magazine editor and later president of ABC Entertainment, was tapped yesterday to head troubled Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

New boss for Martha


CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, Switzerland (Reuters) - Miguel Angel  Jimenez offered a good-natured rebuke to his young compatriot  Sergio Garcia Friday for trying to persuade him to rest before  the Ryder Cup.

Garcia Takes One-Stroke Lead at European Masters


Two small bombs exploded in front of branches of the British HSBC Bank in Turkey on Tuesday and a third blast hit a Turkish-American Association in the capital Ankara, Anatolian news agency reported.

Three small bombs explode in Turkey, no injuries


AFP - The Bank of England's nine-member monetary policy committee voted unanimously to raise interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.75 percent earlier this month, official records showed.

Unanimous vote to raise British interest rates: official minutes (AFP)


Germany has unveiled an international plan to wipe out tens of billions of dollars of Iraqi debt so that the war-torn country can rebuild in earnest.

Plan unveiled to ease Iraq debt


CHICAGO (Reuters) - Shares of Kos Pharmaceuticals Inc.  <A HREF=

Kos Sinks, Generic Drug Blamed


Human rights groups said the proposed compensation for those tortured under Chile #39;s former military regime isn #39;t enough, La Tercera reported Tuesday.

Chilean groups condemn torture payout plan


Because some antidepressant drugs have been shown to lead to suicidal thoughts among children and teens, the FDA decrees that all manufacturers must carry a warning on their labels.

Antidepressants and Suicidal Kids


Restructuring charges of \$44 million contributed to Monsanto #39;s reported fourth-quarter 2004 loss of \$42 million, compared to a loss of \$188 million in the same quarter last year.

Monsanto posts Q4 loss, boosts outlook


VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Magma continued to push into Mount St. Helens, where it was building a lava dome in the volcano crater, scientists said Monday.

Magma Moving At Mount St. Helens


Chad Henne #39;s freshman orientation came off largely without a hitch. If his first road trip is as smooth, Michigan could be on its way to a special season.

Michigan shows confidence in freshman QB


Four former Merrill Lynch and Co. executives and two former midlevel Enron executives conspired to push through a sham sale of barges in 1999 because they didn #39;t think they #39;d get caught, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

Update 2: Prosecutor: Execs Conspired on Sham Sale


Authorities are trying to determine how a hacker gained access to a University of California computer that contained personal information for up to 600,000 state residents.

Update 1: Feds Probe UC Berkeley Hacker Attack


BASEL, Switzerland (Reuters) - Double Olympic gold  medallist Nicolas Massu registered his best win since Athens on  Friday, striding into the semifinals of the \$1.26 million Swiss  Indoors tournament with a 6-2, 7-6 win over Bohdan Ulihrach.

Massu and Koubek Reach Basel Semis


Wearing many tam-o #39;-shanters. Callaway Golf (nyse: ELY - news - people ) executive William C. Baker will take the mantles of president and chief operating officer from Patrice Hutin, the company announced Monday.

Baker: Callaway CEO Adds Two New Executive Feathers To Cap


Volleys of gunfire greeted a military helicopter carrying Yasser Arafat #39;s coffin as it landed Friday at the late Palestinian leader #39;s West Bank compound, which has been overrun by tens of thousands of mourners.

Gunfire Greets Arafat #39;s Coffin Upon Arrival in Ramallah


Washington - The fossil of what may be one of the earliest baby birds has been found in northeast China. The fossil, estimated at 121 million years old, is curled up as though still in its shell.

Ancient bird fossil found


AP - A California condor chick that was part of an ambitious breeding program was found dead near its nest, the week after another was discovered with a broken wing and 35 bottle caps in its gullet.

California Condor Chick Dies Near Nest (AP)


Reuters - SBC Communications  will cut\10,000 jobs from its workforce through the end of 2005 using\attrition and involuntary cuts, the company said in a filing\with U.S. market regulators on Friday.

SBC Will Cut 10,000 Jobs by 2005-Filing (Reuters)


The open source Apache Software Foundation (ASF) is refusing to adopt technology promising to curtail the rising tide of spam, citing restrictions with Microsoft Corp.

Apache glitch for Microsoft-backed anti-spam technology


Dublin - Ireland will block direct dial telephone calls to 13 countries, most of them South Pacific islands, in an effort to crack down on growing Internet scams, the country #39;s communications regulator said on Tuesday.

Ireland blocks calls to rub out Internet scam


Judge Juan Guzman yesterday indicted former General Augusto Pinochet for his involvement in the Condor operation, while he had Chile under military rule between 1973 and 1990.

Judge declares Pinochet fit to stand trial


Prominent venture capitalist at Silicon Valley's New Enterprise Associates wants to

TiVo backer Aslop to leave VC firm


TV - tvelwtvscwtvpcwtvnrw. Radio - WQAM (560 AM) WSUA-Spanish (1260 AM), WVUM (90.5 FM), WEFL (760 AM). Coaches: UM #39;s Larry Coker is 39-3 in his fourth season; Louisville #39;s Bobby Petrino is 13-4 in his second season.

No. 18 Louisville at No. 3 Miami


Ten Virginia high school cross country runners disqualified for wearing Lance Armstrong #39;s LIVESTRONG wristbands during a meet last week have had their results reinstated.

LIVESTRONG band decision provoked furor


AP - Experts fighting a major locust outbreak plaguing West Africa will use a new technique for fighting the crop-devouring insects: attacking the flying swarms with pesticide from aircraft, a U.S. diplomat said Tuesday.

In War on Locusts, Experts to Use Techni (AP)


Sometimes bad things happen to good companies. Consider drug maker Forest Laboratories (NYSE: FRX). The company is debt-free, cash-rich, and pumping out free cash flow at \$700 million a year.

A Pall Falls Over Forest


Reuters - Three Indian states, including impoverished and crime-ridden Bihar and Jharkhand in the east, will vote in February to elect new legislatures, the Election Commission said on Friday.

Bihar, Jharkhand and Haryana to hold elections in February (Reuters)


MPs say Zimbabwe will run out of food before next year's harvest, despite government assurances.

Zimbabwe 'faces food shortages'


Sometimes if you make believe something doesn #39;t exist it does somehow manage to go away. But that #39;s not the case with the browser security flaw discovered by Danish security research firm Secunia.

Eye on IT


Reuters - A former Enron Corp.  \assistant treasurer pleaded guilty on Tuesday in U.S. District\Court to conspiracy to commit securities fraud for disguising\the company's weak finances before its dramatic collapse.

Ex-Enron Asst Treasurer Strikes Plea Deal (Reuters)


Captain Becks has been out since suffering two fractured ribs in the World Cup qualifier against Wales five weeks ago. But the Real Madrid star expects to return to action during tomorrows home game with Spanish minnows Albacete.

Beck in the fold


Denmark's largest bank is to buy a Belfast-based and Dublin-based bank from National Australian Bank for 967m.

Danske buys two banks from NAB


Egypt said Monday a Palestinian and a group of Bedouin Egyptians planned and executed the bombings in Taba that killed 34 people earlier this month.

Taba bombings masterminds identified


Wednesday saw another twist in the drawn-out cliffhanger on Yasser Arafats demise which started 13 days ago. The senior Palestinian Muslim cleric Sheikh Taissir Tamimi who was dispatched to the Percy hospital

Arafats Demise  a Never-Ending Story


Dutch publishing group VNU is to sell its directories business, including the Golden Pages in Ireland, to venture capital groups Apax and Cinven for just over 2 billion.

New owner for Golden Pages business


Russian cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov and US astronaut Leroy Chiao were due to leave on October 11th aboard a Soyuz space craft to replace the current crew.

Russian Space Launch Delayed Again


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

Aziz, Zia discuss regional cooperation, bilateral issues :


Can food-poisoning bacteria E. coli make chips better than humans? Start-up says yes, but primordial soup will take time to steep.

Start-up to use genes to build better chips


Reuters - Iraq's president on Wednesday insisted\elections should go ahead next month as planned and the United\States said it would send thousands more soldiers to provide\extra security for the ballot.

More U.S. Troops to Go to Iraq for Elections (Reuters)


Sounds like a stupid question doesn #39;t it? A mouse is simply a tool that you use on your computer to point at various things and click on them.

A good mouse makes a world of difference


Kurt Busch came to Homestead-Miami Speedway with more in mind than just winning the NASCAR Nextel Cup championship.  quot;I was just joking in the prequalifying interview that we needed a pole to get into the Bud

Busch wins pole for season-ending race


The two primary architects of Congress's last major tax reform say President Bush has failed to lay the groundwork for his ambitious tax agenda and will have to invest a vast amount of political capital to succeed in simplifying the code.

Tax-fight veterans see hurdles for Bush


HAVANA (Reuters) - Fallen soccer great Diego Maradona will  return to Cuba Monday to be shut away in a mental clinic for  more drug treatment, Argentine diplomats said Friday.

Maradona to Return to Cuba on Monday for Drug Rehab


A Chilean judge has ordered the house arrest of the country #39;s former dictator, General Augusto Pinochet, on human rights charges.

Pinochet indicted on human rights charges


TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei closed down 0.84 percent  Monday after a weak U.S. jobs report kept the dollar near a  five-year low against the yen, helping reverse recent gains in  exporters such as Nissan Motor Co.

Tokyo Stocks End Lower


AP - President Bush sought backing from female voters Friday, asking them to look beyond rising violence in Iraq to a day when a democratically elected leader will lead the nation.

Bush Travels South Seeking Women's Votes (AP)


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

Vodafone plans worldwide 3G expansion (FT.com)


Hospitality Properties Trust is purchasing 13 hotels for 450 million dollars from InterContinental Hotels Group. Newton-based Hospitality has also signed 25-year

Hospitality Properties to buy 13 InterContinental Hotels


BOSTON (CBS.MW) -- Pharmaceutical conglomerates Schering-Plough and Bayer have entered into a broad joint-marketing deal Monday for several of the companies #39; leading drugs.

Schering-Plough, Bayer strike deal


Merck said it voluntarily pulled the drug after new data from a clinical trial found an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Merck Pulls Vioxx Painkiller From Market, and Stock Plunges


Reuters - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf promised visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday that Pakistan would not allow Islamic militants to use Pakistani soil to disrupt Afghanistan's October elections.

Pakistan won't let militants disrupt Afghan poll (Reuters)


Microsoft #39;s big move into the anti-spyware business has hit an immediate speed bump, with questions swirling around a Florida company #39;s claim that it co-owns the Giant AntiSpyware codeand all future definition updatesthat Microsoft purchased earlier

Microsoft Spyware Acquisition Hits Ownership Snag


Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy and Irish foreign minister Brian Cowen will chair talks involving unionists and nationalists at Stormont aimed at ending the stand-off over proposed changes to devolution.

New bid to end talks deadlock


Australia beat Spain 6-3 this morning to win a place in the Olympic men #39;s hockey final. The Kookaburras will play the Netherlands, the defending champions, in the final on Friday.

Kookaburras beat Spain to reach men #39;s final


Web search leader Google Inc. (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday unveiled Google Scholar, a new search product aimed at helping users search scholarly literature such as technical reports, theses and abstracts.

Google Rolls Out Search Product for Scholars


LOS ANGELES (CBS.MW) -- SAP won a multi-year deal to provide technology to overhaul the US Postal Service #39;s human-resources system, the German corporate software giant said Monday.

SAP gains \$35 mln Postal Service deal


1. The toilets. What is that thing, you say? Well, its not a urinal, but rather what is known in English as a squat-toilet. It might seem hard to believe, but many people in Japan prefer using these floor holes to a standard Western toilet.

The Worst Things About Tokyo


Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac will hold talks in London tomorrow - with Downing Street insisting their differences over Iraq and the UK-US relationship need not be a barrier to progress on other issues.

Blair and Chirac to Hold Downing St Talks


NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Slower growth and reduced profits will likely squeeze three of the nation #39;s top 10 personal computer manufacturers out of the market by 2007, a research firm predicted Monday.

Technology


Winners lost. Cereals bowled. Online storefronts schooled their offline storefronts yet again. In sum, it was another week of twisted holiday cheer.

A Fool Looks Back


Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The first case of transmission of the H5N1 virus between humans could have taken place in Thailand, this according to Kumara Rai, acting Thailand representative for the World Health Organisation (WHO).

First probable case of bird flu transmission between humans


Historians and conservationists are breathing a little easier after the Scenic Hudson Land Trust bought 336 acres of forest in President Roosevelt's old estate.

A Sigh of Relief in Hyde Park


Finding a ski bum working in a ski town restaurant is easy. But Peter Willis took it a step further.

Southwestern adventure in a ski town


Bank of Ireland has announced that profits before tax were up 6 from 670m in the six months to the end of September last year to 713m this year.

Bank of Ireland profits up 6


Federal authorities have asked a US District Court judge to shut down an operation that they said installed intrusive spyware on people #39;s computers and then sold the victims anti-spyware software

FTC Files First Federal Lawsuit Against Spyware


Redskins quarterback Patrick Ramsey, for the first time since preseason, will spend time working with the first-team offense.

Ramsey Settles In


If ever a global takeover deserves to be shot down by Ottawa, the China Minmetals senseless plan to play games of global Monopoly with Noranda Inc.

Someone must stop this deal


Dr. Robinson worked to find the best possible solution to cartography's frustrating

Arthur H. Robinson, 89, Dies; Reinterpreted World Map