AP - Tampa Bay pitcher Dewon Brazelton, who bounced from home to home with a twin brother who has cerebral palsy, will receive the Tony Conigliaro Award for overcoming adversity through spirit, determination and courage.

Dewon Brazelton Wins Conigliaro Award (AP)


At least 12 people have been killed in an explosion at a fuel pipeline on the outskirts of the Nigerian city, Lagos. Reports from Imore village, to the north of Nigeria #39;s biggest city, say that some of the

Pipeline blast kills 12 in Lagos


AP - Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle and former Rep. John Thune sparred over political ads and the increasingly negative tone of South Dakota's Senate race Sunday during a nationally televised debate.

Daschle, Thune Debate Campaign Tactics (AP)


Sinn Fein, political ally of the Irish Republican Army, said Tuesday it had found a British bugging device at party offices, days before crucial talks on Northern Ireland #39;s future.

N.Ireland #39;s Sinn Fein Says Bugged by British


The Dow Jones industrial average is down four points at ten-thousand-94. Decliners on the New York Stock Exchange hold a narrow lead over advancers.

Stocks stick close to the flatline


Reuters - Storm-weary Floridians emerged from\east coast hurricane shelters on Sunday as a weakened Tropical\Storm Frances moved to the state's west coast after whipping\off roofs, washing sailboats ashore and cutting power to nearly\6 million people.

Frances Weakens, Continues to Hammer Florida (Reuters)


VIENNA, Austria - Members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries were divided Tuesday on whether output should be increased in a bid to boost global supply that might cause prices to drop.

OPEC Members Split on Increasing Output


NEW YORK-- Business news publisher Dow Jones  amp; Co. said today it is acquiring MarketWatch Inc., an online financial news and information provider, for \$519 million in cash, broadening the company #39;s presence in the growing realm of online advertising.

Dow Jones buys MarketWatch for \$519 million


VIENNA/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Talks on where to build the  world's first nuclear fusion reactor ended indecisively on  Tuesday, while the European Union toned down threats to site  the plant in France.

Talks on Nuke Fusion Plant End Without Decision


Lucky me - is the brand name of the packaged instant noodle that Celia Huerto shows me. Her family of seven gets only two packages of Lucky me, two kilograms of rice and two cans of sardines every day as food aid from the local authorities.

Oxfam Responds to Philippines Typhoons


WASHINGTON (AFP) - Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning can set a National Football League record for touchdown passes in a single season Sunday and secure a playoff spot for the Colts three games before the season #39;s end.

Manning takes aim at NFL touchdown record


ABIDJAN (Reuters) - West African leaders meet in Nigeria on  Sunday to discuss a deepening crisis in Ivory Coast, one of the  region's former economic powerhouses where a week of unrest has  caused some 5,000 expatriates to flee.

African Leaders Meet to Discuss Ivory Coast Crisis


North Korea will find it difficult to return to nuclear talks if the United States keeps insisting that Pyongyang renounce peaceful as well as military atomic activities, the North #39;s main newspaper said on Tuesday.

Return to Nuclear Talks Tricky, N.Korea Daily Says


Reuters - Intel and Nokia will jointly\develop smart phones that run on the Symbian operating system,\the two tech giants said on Tuesday, unveiling their first\major cooperative effort in cell phones.

Nokia, Intel Join Forces to Develop Symbian Phones (Reuters)


When one considers the United States #39; cold war preoccupation with containing or destroying socialism over the past 50 years, and Washington #39;s exemplary record at destabilizing communism world-wide, it is a mystery that some cannot for a moment imagine

Milosevic on trial; Reacting to terrorism; A general #39;s crusade; A <b>...</b>


Bromwich, England (Sports Network) - West Bromwich signed Japanese international Junichi Inamoto to a 2 1/2-year contract on Tuesday.

West Brom acquires Inamoto


SEATTLE - Junior Jill Bell and sophomore Cameo Hicks accounted for 10 of Washington #39;s 14 points in overtime Monday, leading the Huskies to a 72-67 overtime win over 14th-ranked Minnesota in the final game of the WBCA BTI Classic in Seattle.

Huskies Topple No. 14 Minnesota in OT Thriller


Australia #39;s election campaign is in its final stages, with the country #39;s role in Iraq again a major talking point. Australian Prime Minister John Howard says he does not need to apologize for joining last

Iraq Again In The Forefront as Australian Election Approaches


Ziff Davis - Motive has introduced three application management and configuration products designed to automate and speed up the process of fixing software performance glitches.

Motive Tools Trio Troubleshoots App Performance Problems (Ziff Davis)


Oprah.com and Pontiac.com see  quot;massive quot; website traffic as a result of the giveaway. If you ever want to increase traffic to your website, just try giving away 276 Pontiac G6 automobiles.

Increase website traffic by giving away cars


Reuters - Internet bloggers have drawn blood\and American journalism may never be the same.

Is 'Rathergate' a Watershed Moment for U.S. Media? (Reuters)


Yahoo Inc. plans to release in January the beta version of a desktop search application, as the giant web portal looks to catch Google Inc.

Yahoo Plans Desktop Search To Compete With Google, Microsoft


The talk in the computer world seems to be whether or not to get Microsoft #39;s Windows XP Service Pack 2. Both sides of the argument offer pros and cons as to whether or not computer users should proceed with this upgrade.

To get or not to get Windows XP Service Pack 2? That is the <b>...</b>


High gasoline prices and lofty insurance rates drove vehicle sales lower in Canada for another month, industry experts said. According to data provided by the auto makers and compiled by analyst

Insurance, high gas costs hurt vehicle sales


Air Berlin, Germany #39;s second-biggest airline, has agreed to order 70 Airbus A320 aircraft, worth 4 billion euros (\$5.09 billion), with options for 40 more, it said on Thursday.

Air Berlin to Order 70 Airbus A320 Planes


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co. <A HREF=

Coca-Cola Sees Earnings Below Estimates


NEW DELHI: The foreign ministers of India and Pakistan concluded talks Monday, declaring that the South Asian rivals had made significant progress in improving relations, despite their inability to agree on the future of divided Kashmir.

India-Pakistan talks conclude with claim of progress on Kashmir


Symbian Expo, London, UK - 5 October 2004 -ymbian, developer of Symbian OS, the market-leading mobile phone operating system today opened the Symbian Expo  - smartphone show.

Smartphone industry gathers for Symbian Expo


AFP - Stephon Marbury scored 31 points and the United States defeated Spain 102-94 in a pressure-packed Olympic men's basketball quarter-final to keep alive their hopes of a gold medal.

US NBA stars advance by ousting Spain (AFP)


Reuters - Under fire from troops who complain they are being sent to war in Iraq with inadequate gear, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld promised on Thursday that more would be done to protect forces.

Rumsfeld tries to soothe angry U.S. troops (Reuters)


BESLAN, Russia When one small boy saw the armed soldier guarding the door of his school Wednesday morning, he pulled on his mother #39;s hand and burst into tears.

School reopens in a town of silence


AP - The House ethics committee Thursday night turned the tables on Majority Leader Tom DeLay's accuser, rebuking Rep. Chris Bell for exaggerating misconduct allegations against the GOP leader.

House Ethics Panel Rebukes DeLay Accuser (AP)


Because of the Canadian robot named

Robot Helps NASA Refocus on Hubble


The EU Council of Ministers has today approved plans for Safer Internet Plus - a programme designed to make the internet safer for children by tackling illegal, unwanted and harmful content -ncluding spam  - to promote awareness.

EU safer internet plans approved


The Hungarian weightlifter Ferenc Gyurkovics has failed a drugs test and risks losing his Olympic silver medal, a national Olympic committee spokesman said yesterday, while the Russian 400m

Weightlifter and runner fail tests


The flip side of low-carb dieting is high-protein eating, and that #39;s helping boost profits at Virginia #39;s Smithfield Foods, the world #39;s biggest pork producer.

Smithfield profits from protein-rich pork


NewsFactor - In Part 1 of this series, \Gartner research director Scott Nelson made the case that the decision to buy a CRM application involves much more than price, implementation costs and strategic goals of the company.

What Is Your CRM Personality? - Part 2 (NewsFactor)


Visiting my neighbor Max Faget at his home on the banks of Dickinson Bayou here in rural Galveston County, Texas, was like a trip into a space museum.

Tribute to an unsung space hero


Dan Orlovsky threw three touchdowns and Connecticut strengthened its postseason bowl credentials with a wild 41-35 victory over Rutgers yesterday.

Pittsburgh climbs over Mountaineers


Goldman Sachs Group Inc. on Thursday said fourth-quarter profit rose as its fixed-income, currency and commodities business soared while a rebounding stock market boosted investment banking.

Goldman Sachs Fourth-Quarter Profit Rises


DENVER - A plan by Colorado #39;s largest utility to build a \$1.3 billion coal-fired power plant in Pueblo is facing strong opposition from people who say both environmental and financial concerns make the facility a bad idea.

Opponents of proposed coal-fired power plant line up to sound off


IBM will continue pushing its Linux on Power strategy Monday when it unveils a new line of Linux-only servers running on its 64-bit Power5 processor.

Power5 Revs IBM #39;s Linux-Only Server Line


Albania stunned Euro 2004 winners Greece with two goals in the first 10 minutes of their World Cup qualifier on Saturday and then hung on to win 2-1 and send their fans into a frenzy as they celebrated with fireworks.

UPDATE 1-Albania double stuns European champions Greece


GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian gunmen killed an Israeli  soldier and a woman jogger in Gaza on Thursday as the army  intensified an offensive to root out militants behind a rocket  attack that killed two Israeli children in a border town.

Israeli Soldier, Woman Jogger Killed in Gaza Ambushes


AP - Filipino and British wildlife researchers say they've stumbled upon what appears to be a new species of flightless bird found only on the tiny forested island of Calayan in the northern Philippines.

New Bird Species Found in Philippines (AP)


AP - Gene Snyder's eighth-grade science students are supplying their own specimens for a dissection project in the spring.

Ky. Students Brace to Dissect Deer Hearts (AP)


BAGHDAD : Kidnapped British aid worker Margaret Hassan pleaded for London to save her life by scrapping a plan to redeploy Britain #39;s troops in Iraq, as seven people died in US air and artillery strikes on rebel-held Fallujah.

British hostage begs London to scrap redeployment


AGRA, India (Reuters) - Hundreds of schoolchildren gathered  outside India's Taj Mahal on Monday, releasing heart-shaped  balloons and setting free white pigeons to mark the 350th  birthday of the world's most famous monument to love.

India Celebrates 350th Birthday of Taj Mahal


LOS ANGELES: It takes a special kind of person to stay up all night and stand in a line nearly 250 people long just to buy a video game - but for rabid fans of the first Halo on the Xbox video game console, it was well worth the wait to buy the new Halo

Fans throng for first shot at Halo 2


washingtonpost.com - You'd better hope your computer doesn't break down today. There's a good bet nobody will be around to fix it. That's because every self-respecting geek with  #36;10 and a pulse will be queuing up to see

Technology Rules in 'World of Tomorrow' (washingtonpost.com)


SPORTS NETWORK - Former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams on Friday was ordered by an arbitrator to pay a huge sum of money to the NFL team, which filed a grievance against the star prior to training camp.

Retired Williams owes Dolphins: report


Editors Note: Stephen Gallacher won for the first time on the European Tour, beating Northern Irelands Graeme McDowell on the first playoff hole at the Dunhill Links Championship in at the Old Course in St.

Gallacher Wins Dunhill Links


DETROIT -- A broken hand and separated shoulder were not enough to stop Bruce Gradkowski from lifting Toledo to the Mid-American Conference championship.

Gradkowski stars despite injuries


Moscow -- President Vladimir Putin #39;s moves to scrap regional elections and reform parliament in the name of fighting terrorism will move Russia closer to authoritarianism without making the country any safer, analysts and liberal politicians say.

Putin shakeup won #39;t foster a safer Russia


Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - A nine-year-old boy from Afghanistan who came to Canada to have life-saving surgery was in critical condition after undergoing heart valve surgery Friday.

Nine-year-old Afghan boy in critical condition after heart valve surgery (Canadian Press)


A 5-year-old girl who was taken to Singapore for treatment after being critically wounded in the Australian Embassy bombing in Indonesia will be flown home to Italy.

Embassy bombing girl to go home to Italy


AP - Google Inc.'s plans to move ahead with its initial public stock offering ran into a roadblock when the Securities and Exchange Commission didn't approve the Internet search giant's regulatory paperwork as requested.

No SEC Decision on Google IPO Paperwork (AP)


Waterford Wedgwood and Royal Doulton - two of the grandest but most troubled names in the ceramics world - revealed yesterday they were engaged in merger talks.

Wedgwood bids for Royal Doulton


Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson says next week #39;s game against Premier League champions Arsenal is a  #39;must win #39; affair for his struggling side.

Ferguson tells United --  #39;You must beat Arsenal #39;


The UK government will store electronic records of people entering the UK in effort to tighten border control.

Border surveillance plan unveiled


NewsFactor - High-performance computing specialist SGI (Silicon Graphics) has launched a line of Linux-based visualization machines, providing the company's cutting-edge graphics capabilities on an open platform for the first time.

SGI Launches Linux Workstation (NewsFactor)


The thorniest issue left unresolved by a settlement in Najaf is the disarmament of the Mahdi Army militia.

G.I.'s in Talks With Rebels of Sadr Stronghold in Baghdad


In 2015, an array of 4400 twelve meter fully steerable paraboloid radio dishes, called the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) is scheduled to be complete and operational.    Astrobiology Magazine -- The project plans are being developed by a consortium of institutions headed up by Cornell, and funded by the National Science Foundation among others...

The Shape of Things to Come


Forty qualifiers were divided into eight groups of five at today #39;s draw for the inaugural UEFA Cup group stage in Switzerland, with the top seeds SS Lazio drawn in a testing pool alongside opposition from Spain, England, Serbia and Montenegro, and Greece.

Lazio face tough encounters


Bird #39;s Custard and Angel Delight have been sold for 70m to Premier Foods, the group which owns Ambrosia rice pudding and Rowntree #39;s jelly.

Premier splashes out 70m on custard bid


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell on Friday, led by  pharmaceutical shares after a U.S. health official raised  concerns about drug safety and a drop in chip-equipment makers  following a ratings downgrade by Goldman Sachs.

Dow, S P, Nasdaq All Down


Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - Hydro-Quebec had the right to cut power at the home of clients who refused to pay the utility money from another building they own, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled Friday.

Hydro-Quebec had the right to cut power at house of delinquent account holder (Canadian Press)


British drug maker Glaxo sees increased generic competition for its anti-depressant drugs.

Glaxo's Mild Depression


If you're interested in taking your video with you, the Creative Zen and Datexx Pavio portable media players are worth a look. Product review by John Gartner.

Making Portable Media Palatable


Florida will have the smallest orange crop in a decade after a series of hurricanes blew fruit off trees and flooded groves in the state that produces 75 percent of the nation's citrus, a federal forecast released yesterday shows.

Fla. orange crop to be the smallest in a decade


The rise in online scams has companies spending hefty sums to educate customers about fraud prevention and to address 'phishing' damage.

This week in security news


Lycos Europe took a bold step by starting the  #39;Make love not spam #39; project. They can publicly backfiere some of the biggest spammers of the world.

Lycos Europe Anti Project disturbs Spammers


Robert Pires has called for action to be taken against the Spain coach, Luis Aragones, over racist comments apparently aimed at his Arsenal and France team-mate, Thierry Henry, which were picked up on television.

Pires furious at Henry slur


For a league that prides itself on academic excellence, the ACC seems a bit geographically challenged. How else to explain Monday #39;s twin releases of next season #39;s ACC logo and the names for the league #39;s football divisions?

ACC: Jackets going Coastal


AFP - Australia's opposition has clawed back a potentially election-winning lead, boosted by its insistence on extra protection for cheap prescription medicines, two new polls showed.

Australian opposition pulls ahead in close election race, polls show (AFP)


Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf says he is confident his country is winning the war on terrorism. He spoke after meeting British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London to discuss the war on terrorism and other issues.

Musharraf Says Pakistan Has al-Qaida on the Run


China #39;s surprise decision to raise interest rates to cool its economy pulled the rug out from under Australia #39;s high-flying resource sector on Friday, dragging the local sharemarket down from record highs.

China move hits Australian mining stocks


Chief of General Staff Lt.- Gen. Moshe Ya #39;alon has decided there are no grounds to oust the Givati company commander who allegedly shot schoolgirl Iman al-Hams, 13, at close range and reportedly  quot;verified the kill quot; on October 5 near Rafah.

Hadash to petition AG over Gaza girl #39;s death


A bird known by her wing band number, 256, is about to cause a huge flap in genetics, one which could change our understanding of human evolution and bird behaviour and help to prevent another global influenza pandemic.

Chicken nuggets could save world


WARSAW (Reuters) - Russia's refusal to cooperate with the  West to ensure a fair election in Ukraine signals that Moscow  is slipping back to Soviet-style tactics, a senior Polish  diplomat was quoted Wednesday as saying.

Russia Using Soviet Tactics Over Ukraine -- Warsaw


AP - For the first time in four years, the donor nations that sustain the Palestinian economy have reason for optimism. For now, however, that optimism won't mean more money for the Palestinians.

Palestinian Donors Show Some Optimism (AP)


Palestinian officials appealed Thursday for international monitors to help with their presidential elections and urged Israel #39;s unilateral plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip

Palestinians Ask for Election Monitors


Aggadan beat Personal Touch by three-quarters of a length to win yesterday's \$60,000 allowance feature for older horses at Belmont Park.

Aggadan scores at Belmont


Munich: Ryder Cup wild card favourites Colin Montgomerie and Luke Donald inspired each other to challenge strongly in the first round of the BMW International Open yesterday.

Ryder Cup hopefuls boost chances


AP - Thousands of abortion-rights activists marched across the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, the latest in a growing procession of protests leading up to the Republican National Convention.

Protesters March Across Brooklyn Bridge (AP)


The Nursing and Midwifery Council is investigating the activities of seven women who claim they confirmed

'Miracle baby' nurses face probe


AP - Computers prefer Oklahoma over Auburn and Southern California. The Sooners held on to second place in the Bowl Championship Series standings Monday, staying ahead of third-place Auburn because of a stronger computer ranking.

Computers Keep Oklahoma No. 2 in the BCS (AP)


SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The personal trainer to baseball  slugger Barry Bonds says investigators searched his home  without showing a warrant last year and made threatening  comments to him, his girlfriend and his young son.

Bonds Trainer Says He Was Coerced, Threatened


Bee Garden Writer. Contrary to popular belief, Christmas tree farming is no longer a matter of clear-cutting stands of evergreens.

Stumps bounce back


Halting Palestinian rocket attacks could be crucial for Sharon #39;s plan to abandon occupied Gaza next year. Criticism has soared since a. Palestinian rocket killed two Israeli toddlers at a border town last Wednesday.

Sharon vows to pursue Gaza raid


Pedro Martinez, who replaced Roger Clemens on the Fenway Park mound in the late  #39;90s, has now matched the Rocket in Red Sox stats, schedule annals as the free agent pitcher who got away.

Pedro exit official: Passes physical, set to join Mets


JP Morgan Chase #39;s decision to in-source the bulk of the IT operations it recently outsourced points to what could be one of the great career-planning hazards over the next couple years: Divining what direction IT strategy is headed.

Career Imperative: Get Inside The Boss #39; Head


Reuters - Amazon.com Inc.'s  days as a\hot-shot dot-com may be behind it as the Internet retailer's\slowing growth makes its business suspiciously similar to that\of its brick-and-mortar peers.

Amazon May Be Losing Its Dot-Com Glitz (Reuters)


Ecuador upset Brazil 1-0 Wednesday to send the World Cup champions to their first loss in qualifying for the 2006 tournament, and it cost them the top spot in South America #39;s World Cup qualifying.

Brazil upset in Ecuador China eliminated


The deal is valued at about \$100 million, but the handset maker will be billed based on actual service consumption.

Nokia extends outsourcing deal with HP


CHICAGO (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. <A HREF=

Wal-Mart Same-Store Sales Up 2.4 Percent


At a

Debate Draws Distinctions in Candidates' Trade Policies


Tim Henman of the UK qualified for the season-ending Masters Cup tennis tournament in Houston this month after Andre Agassi and David Nalbandian, his closest rivals in the rankings, withdrew from this week #39;s Paris Masters.

Henman Qualifies for Masters Cup as Rivals Withdraw From Paris


When a 32-year-old patient with rapid heart palpitations showed up in the emergency room at Massachusetts General Hospital saying she suffered from Holt-Oram Syndrome, Dr. Jonathan Adler had no idea what this syndrome was. But he knew he had to work quickly. Using his computer, he looked up a comprehensive description on eMedicine.com, a Nebraska-based Web database of various diseases ...

After shakeout, medical websites find new health


Windows users could soon be paying for Microsoft software that keeps their machine free of spyware.

Microsoft sets sights on spyware


AP - A former general who has pledged to fight terror and fix the economy was headed for landslide win over incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri in Indonesia's landmark elections Monday, according a nationwide sampling of votes by an independent pollster.

Survey: Ex-General Will Win Indonesia Vote (AP)


or 79 cents a share -- for the third quarter, up a whopping 35 percent from the \$1.01 billion -- or 58 cents -- earned in the year-ago period.

PepsiCo Up Whopping 35 Percent


The steel tubing company reports sharply higher earnings, but the stock is falling.

Lone Star Boom and Bust


BEIJING : A gas explosion in a coal mine in China has killed at least 56 miners and left nearly 100 others missing. The death toll is expected to rise further

Death toll in China #39;s coal mine blast expected to rise


LAWYERS FROM the Music industry are on the attack down under as they try to close the popular P2P software network Kazaa. An Australian federal court was told that the developers of file-swapping technology

Music industry tries to shut Kazaa down


Computer Associates (CA) on Monday rolled out new editions of PestPatrol, the anti-spyware technology it picked up in August when it purchased the privately-held Pennsylvania company.

CA Updates PestPatrol Anti-Spyware Technology


The World Bank and International Monetary Fund get-together taking place this weekend in Washington is one of the great annual gatherings of practitioners of a dismal science.

Time for action


AFP - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi met Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi for talks on how to stop illegal immigrants using the north African state as a springboard for entry into Italy.

Berlusconi in Libya to discuss illegal immigration with Kadhafi (AFP)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Calpine Corp. <A HREF=

Before the Bell- Calpine Drops 6 Percent


An aide says jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti has withdrawn from the presidential campaign.

Barghouti 'pulls out of election'


They spent the summer marveling over their lineup changes and their improvement, the big-name veterans they signed and the strategic concepts they imported from the champion New England Patriots.

No one comes to defense on turnover-plagued day


Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:    -----       ACE Inhibitors Protect Artery Lining      Blood pressure drugs called ACE inhibitors not only lower blood pressure but also improve the health of artery walls, says an Italian study that reveals exactly how the drugs help protect people against heart attacks.      It's long been suspected that there had to be something else besides the ability of ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors to lower blood pressure to explain their benefit to patients...

Health Highlights: Aug. 31, 2004


Reuters - Former Miami Dolphins running\back Ricky Williams will remain retired after declining the

Ricky Williams Will Remain Retired (Reuters)


BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Boston Celtics used balanced scoring to end their preseason on a high note. Jiri Welsch scored 16 points and Tom Gugliotta and Ricky Davis added 12 apiece as the Celtics snapped a six

GAME DAY RECAP Wednesday, October 27


Some people still think the world is flat. Others firmly believe that the sun rotates around the earth. In spite of all the evidence to the contrary, they cling to their opinions based on the naive realism

And yet it melts


International Game Technology, the world #39;s largest designer and manufacturer of casino slot machines, said Tuesday that fourth-quarter profit declined year-over-year due to a \$77 million charge for the early redemption of the company #39;s senior notes

Intl Game Tech Posts Lower 4Q Profit


JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Reviving a long-dormant U.S.  peacemaking role, Secretary of State Colin Powell won an  Israeli pledge on Monday to allow Palestinians enough freedom  of movement to hold an election for Yasser Arafat's successor.

Powell Wins Israeli Pledge on Palestinian Election


Siebel Systems has agreed to acquire edocs, a maker of e-billing and customer self-service applications, for \$115 million, Siebel said Friday.

Siebel to acquire edocs for \$115 million


Athens -- In one incredibly thorough dismantling of LSU Saturday before a raucously red crowd at Sanford Stadium, Georgia exacted revenge on the team that beat it twice last season, validating its ranking as one of the nation #39;s best teams.

Dogs get revenge, dismantle LSU


Moments after the women #39;s Olympic 100-meter final last night, US sprinter Lauryn Williams looked up at the giant scoreboard in Olympic Stadium and saw an inspiring image, captured

Track and field: Big night for Lauryn Williams


NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar rebounded on Monday after  last week's heavy selloff, but analysts were uncertain if the  rally would hold after fresh economic data suggested the  December U.S. jobs report due Friday might not live up to  expectations.

Dollar Rebounds; Tone Cautious on U.S. Jobs


The Old Lady was finally humbled as Lady Luck teamed up with 10-man Reggina to bring coach Fabio Capello #39;s unbeaten run to an end with the Juventus team he inherited from Marcello Lippi in the summer.

REGGINA BURST CAPELLO BUBBLE


Top seed and French Open champion Anastasia Myskina wilted early on at the Wismilak International, falling in the second round to Maria Elena Camerin 6-3 1-6 6-2 on Thursday.

Early exit for Myskina in Bali


A Quebec glass manufacturer will have to replace about 100 4-by-8-foot windows at the new Boston Convention  amp; Exhibition Center in South Boston over the next several months, officials said yesterday.

100 windows to be replaced at new convention center


IBM has formed an industry consortium, called Power.org, to open up the process of building Power processors. Power.org is intended to give IBM #39;s partners better access to the Power technology so that they

IBM opens up on Power processors


Facing a major parliamentary vote next week on a plan for Israelis to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, Israeli opposition leader Shimon Peres

Peres voices optimism on Gaza withdrawal


Reuters - In what could be a page taken from a\science fiction novel, a scientist in his laboratory is trying\to teach bacteria how to devour and destroy the caffeine\contained in a coffee plant.

Scientist Teaching Bacteria to Eat Coffee Plant's Caffeine (Reuters)


LUFKIN, Texas (AP) -- A large piece of space shuttle Columbia debris was found recently in southeast Texas, a NASA official said.    The 6-foot-long piece of the crew compartment was discovered two weeks ago in Newton County by a wildlife biologist, sheriffs officials said...

Space Shuttle Columbia Fragment Found in Texas


AP - The United States could spend up to  #36;24 million a year in humanitarian aid for North Koreans, much of it for refugees who have fled the impoverished, totalitarian state, under legislation approved by the House Monday and sent to the president for his signature.

House OKs Humanitarian Aid for N. Koreans (AP)


AP - NASA said Friday it is aiming for a mid-May launch of the first shuttle flight since the Columbia tragedy almost two years ago.

NASA Picks May 2005 for Launch Date (AP)


Reuters - Archaeologists have unearthed\a treasure of gold and silver in a Thracian tomb in Bulgaria,\calling it a unique find from classical antiquity.

Bulgaria Discovery Sheds Light on Ancient Thracians (Reuters)


NEW YORK - Breathing on his own and sipping liquids, former President Bill Clinton continued to make what doctors called a satisfactory recovery after undergoing a heart operation to bypass four severely clogged arteries.    Clinton was

Clinton Making Satisfactory Recovery


Russian authorities yesterday claimed \$158m (94m) in back taxes from VimpelCom, the country #39;s second-largest mobile phone company, raising fears of new political interference in business.

Russia #39;s VimpelCom hit by \$158m claim for back taxes


Two British tourists are among the six victims of a plane crash in Zambia, the Foreign Office has said. The plane, a South African-registered light aircraft, developed engine problems soon after take-off.

Britons die in Zambia plane crash


MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Supply and demand in the oil market  are roughly in balance at the moment and current high prices  are due to the possibility of disruptions rather than any  shortage, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.

U.S.: High Oil Price Due to Supply Fears


England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson thanked David Beckham for killing off Wales in the 2-0 victory and denied his skipper had been irresponsible in getting banned from next week #39;s World Cup qualifier in Azerbaijan.

Eriksson praises Beckham for killer goal


Chantelle Newbery gave up diving after her son was born, but she returned to the sport, and on Monday morning she became the first Australian to win an Olympic diving title in 80 years.

Gold a family affair for champion Newbery


AP - President Bush on Thursday blamed the Clinton administration for the loss of hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs and warned against backing the Democratic ticket in November because of a

Bush Warns of 'Hidden Kerry Tax Plan' (AP)


LEICESTER, England Sept. 8, 2004 - One morning 20 years ago, Alec Jeffreys stumbled upon DNA fingerprinting, identifying the patterns of genetic material that are unique to almost every individual.

DNA Fingerprint Discoverer Has Concerns


PeopleSoft's board of directors today rejected Oracle's latest \$24-per-share

Update: PeopleSoft rejects Oracle's 'final' offer


Reuters - A survivor of a massacre during Hindu-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002 told a court on Wednesday he recognised seven men from the night of the attack accused of killing 14 people by hacking or burning them to death.

Survivor recognises accused in Best Bakery case (Reuters)


AFP - A former US presidential adviser has warned Australia is at increased risk of a Spanish-style attack ahead of the October 9 election, citing the opposition's plan to withdraw troops from Iraq.

Terror fears hang over Australian election (AFP)


Oracle  customers will be able to get the delayed version of the company's E-Business Suite 11i.10 within 60 days, Oracle announced today.

Oracle apps upgrade to ship within 60 days


COTABATO, Philippines: Thirteen people were killed and at least 52 others injured in a bomb attack in a public market in the southern Philippines Sunday, the military said.

13 dead, 52 wounded in Philippine bomb explosion


AFP - Iran returned to talks with Europe's three heavyweight countries aimed at resolving a long-running dispute over its nuclear program, although diplomats were sceptical of a breakthrough.

Iran to respond to EU nuclear offer, diplomats pessimistic (AFP)


WHEN he switches on the television on a Saturday night Sir Alex Ferguson must cringe at the sight of Peter Schmeichel in the pundit #39;s chair.

CARROLL #39;S COCK-UP ON A VERY GRAND SCALE


TOKYO (Reuters) - The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog,  Mohamed ElBaradei, said Thursday he hoped Iran would fully  suspend its uranium enrichment-related activities and that his  agency was working with it to do so.

ElBaradei Urges Iran to Suspend Enrichment Activities


The US House of representatives on Thursday passed a new corporate tax bill designed to end the trade war with Europe but the bill gives more tax cuts for some business including farmers and big companies.

US House of Representatives passes new corporate tax bill


Reuters - On the eve of President Bush's\address to the United Nations, domestic and foreign critics of\his Iraq war policy focused on a radically different\international agenda on Monday.

Iraq War Foes Focus on Alternative Agenda to Bush (Reuters)


Srinagar, Nov. 28 (PTI): Apparently furious over his humiliation by seniors, a CRPF constable went berserk killing seven of his colleagues, including a company commander, before being shot dead at the battalion

CRPF jawan goes berserk, guns down 7 colleagues


Infrastructure software developer Gluecode Software Inc. plans to release Monday a new Java application development platform that ties together a number of open-source components into one integrated system.

Gluecode releases open-source Java dev platform


Seven mobile phone companies with a subscriber base of 56 million across Asia announced on Wednesday a joint venture that will develop technology to build a common service platform across the region.

Seven Asian Mobile Phone Companies Link


washingtonpost.com - America Online Inc. yesterday put new leaders in senior posts and revamped its corporate structure, undertaking a sweeping overhaul just one month before the company plans to slash costs by firing more than 700 employees.

AOL to Be Split Into Four Units (washingtonpost.com)


The Redmond, Washington-based software allows the user to quickly locate files on personal computers -- just like Google #39;s two-month-old rival product.

Computer-scouring software rivals Google tool


NewsFactor - Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) will release a low-cost version of Windows for the Russian market in an attempt to combat the country's pirated software problem and growing Linux adoption.

Budget Version of Windows Headed for Russia (NewsFactor)


A company which makes software that infiltrates users #39; computers and demands \$30 to be removed has been targeted by US authorities.

US gov targets spyware outfit


With an emotion-charged speech that had people in the audience alternately laughing and wiping tears from their eyes, Charlie Sifford made his long overdue entrance into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Monday night.

Sifford celebrates historic entry into Hall of Fame


Last week's international soccer schedule produced the usual club-vs.-country conflicts, inconvenience, and some surprising but deceptive results. Three of the great star players of the 1980s and '90s made their coaching debuts: Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany) won, and Hristo Stoitchkov (Bulgaria) and Marco van Basten (the Netherlands) tied. Marcello Lippi lost in his first game as Italy's coach, a 2-0 decision ...

Some friendly' fire


WASHINGTON, DC - The stock market got off to a quick start on news of President George W. Bush #39;s victory, with the S amp;P 500 and the Nasdaq on Wednesday morning both up by more than 1.

A Short-Lived Bush Rally?


While on the moon, John Young drove a motorized rover 16 miles and spent three nights on the lunar surface. He is the only person to go into space as part of the Gemini, Apollo and shuttle programs and was

Oldest Astronaut John Young Retiring


BAA, Britain #39;s main airport operator, saw its first-half profits soar by 16 as demand surged among holidaymakers and business travellers for long-haul flights from Heathrow.

Long-haul lifts BAA to 363m profit


Reuters - Cisco Systems Inc. , the\biggest maker of equipment that directs data over the Internet,\on Tuesday said quarterly earnings rose 29 percent on stronger\demand for gear such as wireless networks and Internet\telephone equipment.

Cisco Systems Earnings Rise 29 Percent (Reuters)


The Indonesian government yesterday opened the retrial of an Indonesian cleric who is charged with leading an al-Qaida-linked group and inciting its members to carry out terrorist attacks against US interests.

Indonesia says cleric incited two bombings


TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian hard-liners are angered over a  deal Tehran has agreed with the European Union to suspend all  activities related to its enrichment program in a bid to end an  international standoff over its nuclear program.

Iranian Hardliners Unhappy with Nuclear Deal


Shares in Hewlett-Packard have risen by 8 per cent in after-hours trading after the US computer and printer manufacturer reported record revenues in every division and in every region.

HP stock surges on record results


AFP - Bill Bryson, the American author who enjoys a cult following in Britain, lamented the demise of the red telephone box in his adopted homeland and its replacement by  quot;shower stalls quot;.

Bill Bryson regrets demise of Britain's red phone boxes (AFP)


Dakar - Funds are being offered to assist north and west Africa in the fight against the worst locust plague in more than a decade, but the cash may be too little, too late for Mauritania, which has been invaded for a second time since August.

No stopping locusts


Canadian Press - ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. (CP) - Ottawa and Newfoundland have agreed to disagree over offshore oil royalties.

Ottawa balking over new offshore royalty regime for Nfld., says minister (Canadian Press)


AP - Israel ratcheted up its rhetoric against Syria on Thursday, hinting of possible military action following this week's deadly suicide bombing in southern Israel.

Israel Hints at Military Action Vs. Syria (AP)


TEHERAN - Iranian officials are preparing to hold talks with Germany, Britain and France on over its controversial nuclear programme with Teheran torn between willingness to compromise and the urge to maintain national pride.

EU, Iran to hold talks - Teheran torn in nuclear dispute


One precaution TV icon Martha Stewart must take when serving her sentence at the Alderson, West Virginia, prison is refrain from doing any business.

Martha Stewart Begins Serving Sentence


The Maryland football coaching staff enters the offseason ready to reexamine everything from practice philosophy to its own performance.

'New Beginning' Needed


including this week #39;s road game against mighty Philly - to have any kind of shot at the sixth playoff spot in the NFC. Even if

Heath: Check the oven, Cowboys are done


The price of crude oil rose to a record high yesterday even as the Bush administration agreed to tap the nation #39;s emergency oil stockpile because of supply problems caused by Hurricane Ivan.

Price of Oil Rises Despite Loans From US Reserve


Researchers train a monkey to feed itself by guiding a mechanical arm with its mind. It could be a big step forward for prosthetics. By David Cohn.

Advent of the Robotic Monkeys


AP - Mike Mularkey has a message to those clamoring for rookie quarterback J.P. Losman to replace Drew Bledsoe as Buffalo's starter. Not yet.

Mularkey Sticking With Bledsoe As Bills QB (AP)


CHICAGO - Evans Rutto of Kenya won his second straight Chicago Marathon on Sunday, finishing in 2 hours, 6 minutes, 16 seconds, and making him 3-for-3 at the 26.2-mile distance.    Daniel Njenga of Kenya was second in 2:07:44 and Toshinari Takaoka of Japan was third in 2:07:50...

Rutto Wins 2nd Straight Chicago Marathon


Los Angeles The creators of SpaceShipOne are going for the ten (m) million-dollar prize. Despite an unexpected roll during its flight on Wednesday, designer Burt Rutan (ruh-TAN #39;) has given notice that he will

SpaceShipOne to proceed with second flight for X Prize


Developing countries with substantial reserves in US dollars will lose wealth if the American currency depreciates further, but are unlikely to quickly offload their

Weak Dollar Seen Pinching Developing Countries


Guidant Corp., a maker of cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators, said Thursday that third-quarter earnings, excluding items, rose on slightly higher sales to beat Wall Street expectations.

Guidant Posts Higher 3Q Profits, Sales


It is not everyday that Microsoft feels threatened by something so trivial. But I am pretty sure that they would be terrified of November 9. Well, not exactly they are going to rock the gaming world with

Mozilla Firefox: It is Microsoft vs. Online community


Senators threaten to enact an opt-in rule. Wireless carriers say it's not necessary because they're doing just that.

Will cell numbers be listed with 411?


Halliburton will restructure and may even sell  its controversial KBR subsidiary, which is mired in overcharging scandals in Iraq.

Halliburton may sell troubled KBR


Iranian striker Ali Karimi was named 2004 Asian Player of the Year on Wednesday at the Asian Football Confederation awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Karimi named AFC Player of the Year


Delray Beach  A return to one of his favorite and most successful ATP Tour stops wasn #39;t enough to stop Jan-Michael Gambill #39;s slide.

Gambill #39;s slump worsens


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court said on  Friday it would decide what regulations should apply to  high-speed broadband Internet service offered by cable  television companies like Time Warner Inc. <A HREF=

High Court to Hear Cable Internet Case


PARIS Getting to the bottom of what killed Yassar Arafat could shape up to be an ugly family tug-of-war. Arafat #39;s half-brother and nephew want copies of Arafat #39;s medical records from the suburban Paris hospital

Arafat family bickers over medical records of Palestinian leader


The Greek sprinter Kostas Kenteris left hospital yesterday protesting his innocence ahead of today #39;s International Olympic Committee disciplinary hearing that looks certain to land him with a ban.

It #39;s a big injustice, protests Greek sprinter


The first defence witness in the war crimes trial of  Slobodan Milosevic trial is set to take the stand.

First witness for Milosevic due


More than half of Europe #39;s Internet surfers now have a high-speed broadband connection at home, which has helped to push the number of Web users in Europe through the 100 million mark, a survey found on Thursday.

Broadband Pushes Europe Web Users to 100 Million


The sourcecode to Ciscos industry leading PIX firewall system was recently stolen and put up for sale by malicious hackers under the guise of The Source Code Club.

Cisco PIX Source Code Held at Gunpoint


Peru plans to hold a new trial next month before a civilian court for imprisoned Shining Path founder Abimael Guzman and 17 other top leaders of the Maoist insurgency, court officials said Monday.

Peru's Shining Path Leaders to Face Trial


BAGHDAD (Reuters) - As if the daily struggle to dodge  bullets and bombings is not enough, many Iraqis now face a  freezing winter shivering by candlelight as persistent attacks  keep the power out for more than 12 hours a day.

Iraqis Face Winter Shivering by Candlelight


What #39;s missing in Microsoft IE? Published: September 30, 2004, 4:00 AM PDT By Paul Festa Staff Writer, CNET News.com Print story E-mail story Your take.

What would you want to see in Microsoft #39;s IE?


Rulon Gardner defeated Iran #39;s Sajad Barzi, 3-0, in overtime in the 264-pound division of Greco-Roman wrestling at Ano Liossia Olympic Hall.

Gardner takes his bronze and retires


AFP - Defending champion Ernie Els and European Ryder Cup hero Lee Westwood clash for the one million pounds first prize in Sunday's final of the World Match Play Championship after winning their semi-final matches.

Els and Westwood clash for million pound Match Play title (AFP)


AP - The future suddenly looks shaky for online DVD rental pioneer Netflix Inc.  #151; a plucky home entertainment upstart that managed to hold its ground after retailing giants Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Blockbuster Inc. invaded its turf.

Netflix Girds for DVD Rental Price War (AP)


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund said  on Wednesday Iraq's official bilateral creditors had agreed to  defer debt the country owes them until the end of 2005.

Creditors Agree to Defer Iraq Debt Payments - IMF


Running back Corey Dillon carried 32 times for 158 yards. His performance, blemished only by a fumble that led to three Arizona points, was especially important because Tom Brady did not have one of his better days.

Patriots-Cardinals highlights


Insurgents threatened on Saturday to cut the throats of two Americans and a Briton seized in Baghdad, and launched a suicide car bomb attack on Iraqi security forces in Kirkuk that killed at least 23 people.

Militants Threaten to Kill US, UK Hostages in Iraq


Apple Computer #39;s stock has continued to soar along with sales of its iPod digital music player, topping \$50 a share for the first time in four years.

Apple shares show no signs of falling


Kmart (KMRT:Nasdaq - news - research) continued to make progress realizing value for its real-estate portfolio Monday, completing an agreement to sell 18 stores to Home Depot (HD:NYSE - news - research) for \$271 million.

Plot Advanced in Kmart Real Estate Story


The New York Mets will make manager Art Howe the first casualty of their dismal 2004 campaign. The Mets officially announced Wednesday that Howe will be relieved of his duties when the season comes to a close

Mets to fire Howe at the end of the season


AP - Stuart Appleby of Australia was the only player to break 70 Friday, shooting a 3-under-par 69 that left him with a one-stroke lead over Lee Westwood of England halfway through the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

Appleby Leads Westwood at Nedbank Golf (AP)


In his new book, Phil Jackson, the former Los Angeles Lakers coach, describes a dysfunctional team hurt by Kobe Bryants petulant anger and his pending rape trial.

Bryants Anger Hurt the Lakers, Jackson Says in a New Book


KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghans packed polling stations on Saturday for a historic presidential election that was blemished when all 15 candidates opposing U.S.-backed interim President Hamid Karzai withdrew, charging the government and the U.N. with fraud and incompetence...

Karzai's Opponents Claim Fraud in Election


The International Rugby Board today confirmed that three countries have expressed an interest in hosting the 2011 World Cup. New Zealand, South Africa and Japan are leading the race to host rugby union #39;s global spectacular in seven years #39; time.

TRIO EXPRESS INTEREST IN WORLD CUP HOSTING


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will on Wednesday  file a complaint at the World Trade Organization over what it  called

U.S. to File Case Over Airbus Subsidies


Southwest Airlines Co. reported a 12 percent jump in profit today, as its decision to buy fuel in advance helped insulate the low-cost carrier from rising fuel prices.

Southwest Airlines Third-Quarter Profit Increases


ROME (CBS) The Arab television network Al-Jazeera announced that two Italian hostages were released Tuesday in Iraq. Italian news reports said Premier Silvio Berlusconi has confirmed the release.

Iraq: Italian Hostages Released


Reuters - Europe's top consumer electronics\group Philips cut the forecast for its closely watched chip\unit on Friday and predicted a significant slowdown for the\semiconductor industry next year.

Philips Warns on Chip Sales (Reuters)


Desktops will be available at several retailers, including CompUSA.

Intel Chips In for New Gateway PCs


Yasser Arafat died as the leader of a country that does not yet exist, and therein lies the tragic nature of the former leader and the ongoing tragedy of the people of Palestine.

The Irony Of Arafat


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Crowd favorite Jennifer Capriati  flirted with disaster before scrambling past Czech Denisa  Chladkova 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 to reach the second round of the U.S.  Open on Monday.

Capriati Scrambles Past Chladkova Challenge at Open


NASCAR returned to its roots Wednesday by lifting a ban on liquor ads on cars, opening the door for teams to be sponsored next season by distilled spirits.

NASCAR OKs liquor sponsorships


China is planning to raise domestic petrol and diesel retail prices by about 6 as crude oil prices stay near record highs.

China raises domestic fuel prices


ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Reuters) - The former No. 2 weapons buyer  for the U.S. Air Force, Darleen Druyun, was sentenced on Friday  to nine months in prison for negotiating a \$250,000 job with  Boeing Co. <A HREF=

Ex-Boeing Exec Sentenced on Conspiracy


The crew of the International Space Station is not in danger of running out of oxygen, Russian controllers said Friday. Gennady Padalka and Michael Fincke are breathing oxygen from reserves aboard the station, Itar-Tass reported.

Moscow: Space Station Has Lots of Oxygen


ATHENS, Greece - United States sprinters Shawn Crawford, Justin Gatlin and Maurice Greene advanced to the semifinals of the men #39;s 100-meter race on Saturday.

Crawford leads way to 100 semifinals


There was widespread rejoicing on Tuesday night in Italy at the release of two Italian female aid workers who had been held hostage in Iraq.

Italian hostages released


NewsFactor - On the heels of -- and perhaps in response to -- its recent struggles with declining market share, mobile-handset maker Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has signed former Coca-Cola executive Keith Pardy to head up its branding efforts. Pardy, a 17-year Coke veteran, was vice president of the company's non-cola branding efforts.

Nokia Taps Ex-Coke Exec for Branding Help (NewsFactor)


A new front has been opened in the long-dormant browser war, with an open-source program called Firefox aiming to challenge Microsoft #39;s dominant Internet Explorer.

Firefox renews browser war


GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli soldiers shot dead two Palestinian  militants early on Wednesday in separate raids in the West Bank  and Gaza Strip, Palestinian medics and witnesses said.

Israeli Army Kills 2 Palestinians -Medics


TOKYO (Reuters) - With its acquisition of Hollywood film  studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Sony Corp is one step closer to its  vision of linking hardware and content, and to winning the key  battle for the next generation DVD.

Sony Closer to Content/Gadget Vision with MGM Deal


Voters will be asked to cast their ballots on machines whose accuracy and security against fraud have yet to be tested on such a grand scale.

Ready or Not (and Maybe Not), Electronic Voting Goes National


LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Wendy's International Inc. <A HREF=

Wendy's Shares Rise on Baja Fresh Actions


Lycos Europe has released a special screensaver for Windows and the Mac OS platforms that will attack spam web pages. The screensaver Make Love No Spam will overload a variety of spam servers by flooding

Screensaver to attack Spammers


Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Nir Klinger said his side fully deserved their place in the Champions League despite finishing bottom of Group C after a 1-1 home draw with Juventus on Wednesday.

Juve draw showed Maccabi deserved place in elite - coach


PC World - Desktop systems will be available in 226 stores across the U.S.

CompUSA Agrees to Sell Gateway PCs (PC World)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Dow Jones industrial average fell  to an intraday low for the year on Friday as oil prices surged  to another record and Microsoft Corp. <A HREF=

Dow Hits Intraday Low 9,803.74 for Year


He balks at describing the Red Sox as  quot;idiots quot; -- even though the team jokingly refers to themselves that way -- but Sox owner John W. Henry had a firsthand understanding of the term as he spoke to Alan Embree in the Sox clubhouse following the team's dramatic Game 3 win over Anaheim.

Enjoying the view from the top


If there is a good rule of thumb about the Federal Reserve Board, it is this: A startling economic report is not enough to sway policy.

Report unlikely to affect Fed policies


An inventor from Canada has developed a computer mouse that is controlled by nose and eyelid movements. The invention is dubbed the  quot;Nouse.

Take A Sniff It #39;s The Nose Mouse


One of the seven great unsolved mysteries of mathematics may have been cracked by a reclusive Russian who is not remotely interested in the 560,000 prize his solution could win him, it emerged today.

Mathematical Mystery Believed to Have Been Solved


Qantas shares returned to trade this morning after the overnight sale of British Airways #39; (BA) billion-dollar stake in the airline.

Qantas returns to trading after BA sells stakehold


Reuters - The U.S. IPO market's first-half\revival from last year's moribund levels turned into a summer\of discontent for many eager companies trying to tap the public\markets.

IPO Outlook Muted (Reuters)


ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - The European Union is likely to  announce a contribution of more than 100 million euros to an  African Union force in Darfur, amid calls for extra AU soldiers  to be deployed in Sudan's troubled region.

EU Set to Announce Funding for AU Darfur Force


On Monday, Google requested final approval from federal regulators to begin trading their stock. Google has asked that the SEC declare its registration statement effective as of 1 pm pacific time today. Google ...

Google IPO Set to Trade this Week


The presidential race is being played out in several new video and online games.

It's all a game for Bush vs. Kerry


Top-seeded Serena Williams of the United States rallied in the final set Wednesday to beat Dinara Safina and reach the quarterfinals of the China Open.

Serena moves into China Open quarterfinals


Stocks rallied in quiet trading, as oil prices fell for a fourth consecutive day and a pair of government reports gave a mixed picture of the economy.

Drop in Oil Nudges Shares Higher on a Quiet Trading Day


Reuters - California Gov. Arnold\Schwarzenegger dedicated a pioneering hydrogen fueling station\on Friday, calling it the first stop in a

Schwarzenegger Opens Stop on 'Hydrogen Highway' (Reuters)


House prices rose 0.2 percent in September compared with the month before to stand up 17.8 percent on a year ago, the Nationwide Building Society says.

House prices rise again


Miracle


There was more scoring in todays games than usual, and several sides greatly improved their standing with important wins. Parma defended their home pitch against Lazio, with a 3-1 victory.

Serie A Sunday Wrap: Lecce Move Into Second Place


The legislation would require companies to keep their pension plans fully funded, encourages them to put in more money, even in boom times, and removes the legal uncertainty surrounding cash balance plans.

Congressman to Push for Tougher Pension Rules


JERUSALEM - A Lufthansa passenger plane en route to Tel Aviv was diverted to Cyprus on Tuesday, escorted by Israeli war planes, after the airline received a bomb threat, officials said.

Lufthansa passenger plane diverted to Cyprus after bomb threat


RAMALLAH: Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei called on Saturday for the United States to pressure Israel to release jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi and other imprisoned Palestinian leaders.

Palestinians want Powell to help release Barghouthi


Reuters - Paraguayan anti-drug agents\seized their biggest cocaine haul in 15 years after searching a\small airplane near the border with Brazil, a state prosecutor\told Reuters on Thursday.

Paraguay Seizes 300 Kg Cocaine at Brazil Border (Reuters)


quot;I don #39;t really have any regrets. I think I learned a lot from a lot of experiences that I dealt with over my career. There #39;s nothing for me to look back and regret.

Six-Time NBA Champion Calls It Quits After 17 Seasons


A PREVIOUSLY unheard of militant group claimed responsibility today for a car bombing outside the Baghdad offices of al-Arabiya TV that killed seven people, including five of the station #39;s Iraqi employees.

Second group claims bombing


US News, LOS ANGELES - Carlos Gutierrez, named as US secretary of commerce on Monday, left Cuba as a child when communists seized power and rose through the ranks of Kellogg Co.

US ; Cuban-born Gutierrez transformed Kellogg


Rookie quarterback Philip Rivers ended his lengthy holdout, agreeing to terms on a six-year contract with the San Diego Chargers last night.

Rivers's holdout is over


Canberra has been accused of playing politics after it called on Washington to ensure the military trials of two Australians are conducted fairly.

Australia accused over  #39;fair trial #39; call


TOKYO (Reuters) - The yen was cornered near a six-week low  against the dollar on Wednesday as record-high oil prices  dampened investors' outlook on the Japanese economy ahead of  the Bank of Japan's survey on business sentiment.

Yen Near 6-Week Low Vs Dollar


You have to go back to Weeks 8-9 of 2002 to find the last time Tony Dungy #39;s Colts dropped consecutive regular-season games, but Indianapolis will snap that streak if it doesn #39;t rebound from a loss in New England and get in the win column at Tennessee.

Sunday, 1 pm EDT


The Mystics had to rally late in the season so desperately that the team welcomed a chance to take in the fact that they have a chance at a championship.

Mystics Savor Moment


THE Coalition remains in a strong position to retain the nation #39;s key marginal seats - including Adelaide and Hindmarsh - Newspoll has found.

PM preferred leader


Best-selling writer Iris Chang is found dead in her car in California with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Author Chang found dead aged 36


Record oil prices are unlikely to inflict the economic pain they did in the 1970s, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday, adding that he thought the world could adjust to higher-priced oil.

Greenspan Says U.S. Can Weather Oil Prices


The government today faced calls to review the list of  quot;crown jewel quot; sporting events after Sky bought the rights to England #39;s home Test matches, sounding the death knell for live cricket on terrestrial TV after nearly 70 years.

Sky deal a  #39;disaster #39; for cricket


After years of signing big-name free agents who became busts, it's ironic that unheralded veterans have keyed the Redskins' top-ranked defense.

No-Names Fuel Rise


Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair sat out another practice Friday with a bruised sternum, and didn #39;t even try to throw even though coach Jeff Fisher said the injury is healing.

McNair sits out practice again, Carter added to injury list


Thai military and civilian aircraft rained 120 million paper doves down on Muslim southern provinces in a goodwill gesture, as Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra tries to ease violence that has killed 400 people.

Thailand Drops Millions of Paper Doves on Muslim Provinces


Singapore shares ended slightly higher Friday in a session dominated by Singapore Telecommunications Inc., which fell sharply following news of a placement of its shares by parent Temasek Holdings.

Singapore Shares End Slightly Higher


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

Limited Brands Posts Lower Earnings (Reuters)


LONDON (Reuters) - World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight  champion Vitali Klitschko will defend his title against  Britain's Danny Williams in New York on December 11, Williams's  promoter said on Thursday.

Williams to Fight World Champion Klitschko in New York


Alan J. Lacy will not be the top man at Sears, Roebuck  amp; Company any longer if the announced merger with Kmart is completed. But he will receive a raise and could take out more than \$20 million by cashing out his existing options on Sears stock.

Less Power, More Money for Sears Boss


The presidential election took center stage this week, with technology playing a role everywhere from e-voting machines to Web sites that tracked the election results.

Week in Review: Election takes center stage


Masters champion Phil Mickelson shot 13-under 59 to win the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. Masters champion Phil Mickelson tapped in a birdie on the final hole to become the fifth

Mickelson wins PGA Grand Slam of Golf


AP - Peyton Manning broke one of Dan Marino's records, took a big step toward another and didn't even have to play the whole game to do it. Manning threw for six touchdowns in less than three quarters and raised his season total to 41 scoring passes to lead the Indianapolis Colts past the Detroit Lions 41-9 Thursday.

Manning Shines As Colts Gobble Up Lions (AP)


BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide car bomber killed at least  seven Iraqis at an entrance to Baghdad's government and  diplomatic compound on Monday, a year to the day since U.S.  forces captured Saddam Hussein.

Bomb Hits Iraq Govt., Year After Saddam Capture


Last meeting  It #39;s the first meeting since the Browns rejoined NFL as expansion team in 1999. Players to watch  Jeff Garcia showed he still knows how to win, engineering an upset of the Ravens last week.

Browns (1-0) at Cowboys (0-1)


Stocks sank on Thursday as crude oil climbed to a record \$53 a barrel and major drug makers #39; shares slid on the possibility they will face more stringent scrutiny from regulators.

Stocks Fall on \$53 Oil, Drug Sector Woes


ATHENS, Greece  With flag-waving, chanting Hungarians creating a chaotic atmosphere at the Olympic Aquatic Center yesterday morning, a young water polo team from the United States discovered something about itself.

USA plays inspired, but falls to No. 1 Hungary in water polo


Miami, Fla. (Sports Network) - Miami Dolphins head coach  Dave Wannstedt has officially named Jay Fiedler the starting  quarterback for Sunday's season opener against the Tennessee  Titans.

Fiedler to Start for Dolphins Sunday


A day after Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer sent out a missive pushing Redmond #39;s message that  quot;free software isn #39;t free, quot; the UK #39;s Office of Government Commerce (OGC) said open source software is a viable desktop alternative for most government users.

UK Agency Report Greenlights Linux


WASHINGTON  Google closed the unusual auction for its shares yesterday and prepared for its stock to begin trading at \$85 per share, after weaker-than-expected demand from investors forced it to drastically slash the price and size of ...

Google prices its shares at \$85


NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - US stockpiles of crude oil rose by 1.1 million barrels last week, the government reported Wednesday, coming in at half of what analysts had expected.

Oil inventory rise less than forecast


BUCHAREST, Romania -- Romanian centrist Traian Basescu scored an upset presidential win yesterday and vowed to replace the ruling ex-communists with a reformist team in the run-up to European Union entry in 2007.

Centrist victorious in Romania


Forget GDP. A better metric for prosperity is Gross National Happiness. By Daniel H. Pink from Wired magazine.

The True Measure of Success


Nigeria #39;s main labor union on Monday indefinitely suspended a looming nationwide strike that had threatened to shut down the oil industry in the world #39;s No.

Update 1: Nigerian Union Suspends Looming Strike


The European Commission has set out its formal objections to Microsoft and Time Warner taking control of digital rights management company ContentGuard Holdings.

EU lays out objections to ContentGuard deal


AFP - Jermain Defoe has urged Tottenham to snap up his old West Ham team-mate Joe Cole who is out of favour with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.

Defoe pitches in for pal Joe (AFP)


Washington coach Keith Gilbertson, whose team lost to Notre Dame and Stanford the past two weeks, thinks Stanford (3-1) might have some advantages in its game Saturday at Notre Dame (3-2).

STANFORD NOTEBOOK Gilbertson gives edge to Stanford


TOKYO (Reuters) - The yen was flat against the dollar on  Friday after a rally on an upbeat reading for the

Yen Flat After 'Tankan' Rally


Russian oil giant Yukos says it is about to miss a deadline on a back tax payment of more than \$6bn due from 2002.

Yukos faces \$6.2bn tax deadline


So where should the Boston Red Sox start their World Series parade? That #39;s the question. At Bill Buckner #39;s house? How about from in front of Aaron Boone #39;s plasma screen?

Wicked good outcome


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Roger Federer and Andre Agassi return  to battle at Flushing Meadows Thursday with their U.S. Open  quarter-final balanced on a knife edge.

Federer and Agassi Return to Battle


AP - Andy Roddick is known for his power. He'll need patience, too, in the Davis Cup final against Spain.

Roddick Will Need Patience in Davis Cup (AP)


SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) - UAL Corp., the bankrupt parent of United Airlines, is seeking to slash another \$2 billion in operating costs as it struggles to overcome record-high fuel costs and the lowest airfares in over a decade.

UAL seeks another \$2 bln cost savings


The software maker has released AutoSketch 9, an update of its drafting application.

Autodesk updates hobbyist tool


LOS ANGELES - Walt Disney Co. (DIS) on Wednesday agreed to sell its money-losing Disney store chain to Children #39;s Place Retail Stores (PLCE) in a deal analysts described as positive for Children #39;s Place.

Disney to sell mall-based stores to Children #39;s Place


. (antiTainment) The film industry seems to be following the example of the music business in battling online piracy. On Thursday, Dan Glickman, president and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America

Studios To Sue Online Movie Swappers


ST. PETERSBURG  The Red Sox crept closer to the Yankees in the AL East on Tuesday night, beating the Devil Rays 10-8 on Kevin Millar #39;s two-out, two-run homer in the 11th.

Millar #39;s homer in 11th lifts Sox


Late last week, Yahoo! Inc. said it will begin testing a new desktop search engine in early January, with the hope of extending its search engine #39;s reach, thereby contributing added, incremental paid search revenue.

Yahoo! To Roll Out Desktop Search


The government was accused of politicizing the military trials of two Australian terror suspects ahead of October 9 elections when it called on Washington to tighten legal procedures to ensure hearings at the US base in Cuba are fair.

Australia leaders accused of point scoring


The wait already has been longer than expected for Eli Manning and Philip Rivers, the top two quarterbacks selected in the NFL draft in April.

Rookies Wait it Out


washingtonpost.com - Holiday season in the video game industry is the equivalent of television's sweeps week, which perhaps is why new reports painting game designers as 21st century-style Dickensian factory laborers are proving especially noteworthy.

Serf's Up in the Video Game Industry (washingtonpost.com)


TiVo Inc., a maker of digital recorders for televisions, on Monday posted a wider third-quarter loss on an investment in subscription acquisition activities, but the company performed better than Wall Street expected.

Tivo 3Q Loss Widens, Gives Outlook


Officials from Sprint and Nextel Communications today announced a definitive agreement to merge their two companies, creating the third-largest mobile phone company in the U.S.

Sprint, Nextel herald 'future of communications'


NEW YORK, September 2 (New Ratings) - eBay (EBAY.NAS) intends to continue with its expansion in Asia with an increased stake in Internet Auction Co.

eBay plans S. Korean expansion with Internet Auction bid


BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO has postponed a Thursday meeting  between its foreign ministers and their Ukrainian counterpart,  to avoid high-level contacts with a government accused of  election fraud, NATO sources said.

NATO Postpones Talks with Ukrainian Minister


The movie and music industries have filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to overturn a federal appeals court decision that favored makers of file-sharing software.

Entertainment Industry Asks Justices to Rule on File Sharing


Bayern Munich #39;s Dutch striker Roy Makaay hit a hat-trick as they romped to a 4-0 victory over Ajax Amsterdam in Champions League Group C on Tuesday.

UPDATE 2-Bayern thrash Ajax as Makaay nets hat-trick


Indonesians go to the polls to choose their next president on Monday amid tight security following the Australian embassy bombing in Jakarta.

Indonesia prepares for elections


British police Thursday arrested radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri under the Terrorism Act at a prison in southeast London where the cleric was already jailed under a US extradition warrant.

British anti-terrorism police arrest radical cleric Abu Hamza


Electronic anti-rollover systems will become standard equipment on 1.8 million sport utility vehicles from GM and Ford in 2005, the automakers announced today.

Anti-rollover devices to hit 2005 SUVs


You know, it has not ceased to amuse me watching the various search engines fall over themselves and each other, in their march towards offering  #39;local search.

Local Search; Still A Long Way To Go


AFP - Once feeding a scourge which ruined the lives of millions of Asians, opium-smoking paraphernalia has returned, but this time as hot and hip art collectibles being snapped up across the region at skyrocketing prices.

Opium paraphernalia jumps from Asian taboo to hot collectible (AFP)


Toshiba Corp. said on Monday it had won support for the HD DVD optical disc standard from Warner Bros. Studios, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures

Toshiba Wins Support for HD DVD from 4 Film Studios


Not allowing a 12-yard sack on third down with less than a minute to play, turning a potential game-tying 36-yard field goal into a 48-yarder.

Colts don #39;t follow Dungy plan


Intel Smart Wireless Solutions is being delivered in conjunction with Intel #39;s new Wi-Fi client software, Intel PROSet/Wireless version 9.0, also announced today, and will work with new Intel Centrino mobile technology notebooks and select Linksys wireless

Linksys and Intel Team On Smart Wireless Solutions


OPEC responded to recent high oil prices yesterday by raising its output quotas by 1 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude, effective from 1 November, a move analysts said was largely cosmetic in light of its current overproduction.

OPEC pushes up oil output


Cendant Corporation, the travel and property services company that owns Avis and Budget, is in talks to acquire Orbitz.com, an online travel company, in a deal valued at around \$1 billion.

Cendant in talks to buy Orbitz for \$1 billion


AP - Dennis Green made his reputation with high-powered offenses. Two games into his tenure as coach at Arizona, the Cardinals are sputtering like an engine with bad spark plugs that's low on oil.

Green Looks for Way to Spark Cards Offense (AP)


A Chechen rebel leader is vowing to bring to justice warlord Shamil Basayev over the Beslan school hostage-taking that ended with the deaths of more than 300 people, according to a posting on a Chechen rebel Web site.

Beslan: Vow to put rebel on trial


BASEBALL Arizona (NL): Signed a two-year player development agreement with Tennessee (Southern).

Transactions


People who use public or workplace computers for e-mail, instant messaging and Web searching have a new privacy risk to worry about: Google's free new tool that indexes a PC's contents for quickly locating data.

Google's New PC Search Tool May Pose Risks


The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has debunked fears of job losses in industrialised nations due to outsourcing of services to developing nations.

Developed nations needn #39;t fear outsourcing: IMF


UAL Corp., parent of United Airlines, announced Wednesday it plans to slash the number of domestic flights and increase its more profitable international schedule, while at the same reducing the size of its fleet.

United Airlines to reduce US flights


MUNICH, Germany : European Ryder Cup captain Bernard Langer said he plumped for Colin Montgomerie and Luke Donald as wild cards, and not Swede Fredrik Jacobson, because he thought they would perform better at the Oakland Hills golf course.

Golf: European Ryder Cup captain Langer explains wild card choices


Captain Stephen Fleming completed his second test double century on Wednesday as New Zealand piled on the runs against Bangladesh.

UPDATE 2-Fleming completes second test double century


Two carriers plan hosted, IP-based services that provide automatic call distribution, interactive voice response, call control, monitoring and customer-history databases.

Call center services on the horizon


Less than a day after Microsoft detailed the latest Windows vulnerability, hackers were hunting for exploit codes. By Gregg Keizer, TechWeb News.

Hackers Jump On Reported Windows Flaws


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Children's Place Retail Stores Inc.  <A HREF=

Children's Place to Buy Disney Stores


BAGHDAD -- Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi announced plans yesterday to extend a cash-for-weapons program for Shi'ite fighters in Baghdad's Sadr City to cities nationwide in an attempt to disarm the country.

Iraq seeks to extend arms-for-cash


AFP - President George W. Bush vowed Friday that no public money would be spent on abortion -- which with embryonic stem cell research provoked an impassioned ethical clash with Democratic challenger John Kerry.

Abortion provokes ethics clash for US presidential contenders (AFP)


PeopleSoft shareholders have rejected Oracle #39;s  quot;final quot; offer for the company, but could Oracle make a comeback? The board is hoping it can hold off its rival for just a few more innings.

PeopleSoft, Oracle: Like Red Sox vs. Yankees?


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

Experts See Demand for Web Insurance Bids (AP)


For \$690 a month, her family rents a three-bedroom, two-bath house, located close to the middle school her 12-year-old daughter attends.

Valleys rental prices on the rise


Mateja Kezman believes he can go on a goalscoring spree after finally opening his account for Chelsea. The former PSV Eindhoven striker scored the matchwinner in the 57th minute to give Chelsea victory over

Kezman vows to hit the goal trail


BILL Kenwright, the Everton chairman, admitted yesterday that it was  quot;inevitable quot; Wayne Rooney would be leaving Goodison Park.

Everton admit Rooney will be sold


SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. -- The parachute re-entry system for the failed Genesis space capsule was one of several projects designed and developed by a Connecticut-based aerospace company.

Connecticut-based company engineered parachute system


New Jersey Nets center Alonzo Mourning, who underwent a kidney transplant in December, will attempt a return to the NBA. Mourning, 34, will participate in the team #39;s training camp, which begins in about a month.

Mourning Contemplates a Return to the NBA


British billionaire Richard Branson announced Monday that his company Virgin Atlantic airline will launch the world #39;s first commercial space flight in near future.

British billionaire unveils plan for commercial space flight


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Clinton Portis ran 64 yards for a  touchdown and had 164 yards rushing as the Washington Redskins  used a stifling defense to edge the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16-10  on Joe Gibbs' NFL return Sunday.

Gibbs Returns with Win as Redskins Edge Buccaneers


David Ortiz homered in the 10th inning to give the Red Sox an 8-6 victory over Anaheim and completing a three-game sweep.

Red Sox Advance


BROCKTON -- A new era? Nah. Just the same old Brockton coached by a different Colombo.

Brockton tops Eagles


The al-Qaida (website - news) terror network spent less than \$50,000 on each of its major attacks except the Sept. 11 suicide hijackings and one of its hallmarks is using readily available

UN: Most Terror Attacks Cost Under \$50G


Reuters - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. , the\world's largest retailer, said on Saturday that it still\expects a 2 percent to 4 percent increase in November sales at\its U.S. stores open at least one year.

Wal-Mart Sees Nov. U.S. Sales Up 2-4 Pct (Reuters)


Moscow - The next crew of the International Space Station (ISS) is to contribute to the Russian search for a vaccine against Aids, Russian cosmonaut Salijan Sharipovthe said on Thursday.

ISS crew to help search for Aids vaccine


Intel added a faster Pentium M processor speed-grade to its Centrino chip-set bundle for laptops onn Wednesday (Oct. 20). The Pentium M 765 runs at 2.1-GHz, packs 2-Mbytes of level 2 cache, and uses Intel #39;s

Intel bumps up the speed of fastest Centrino


Most people are accustomed to automatic tellers at the mall that spit out cash and stamps. Eduardo Alvarez wants to persuade you to use an automatic teller at the grocery

An ATM approach to renting movies


15 September 2004 - The United Nations war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia today adjourned the already long-running genocide trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Miloevic again, this time for almost a month, to allow his recently

UN war crimes tribunal delays Miloevic trial by nearly a month


Q:I am now happily using Mozilla Firefox for Web browsing instead of Microsoft Internet Explorer. Now I wonder whether I should also switch to Mozilla #39;s free e-mail program.

Firefox e-mail program free and feature-packed


Sybase (Quote, Chart) announced it has tailored its Linux-based database to run on rival IBM #39;s eServer OpenPower systems, providing customers more choice in the increasingly popular market for Linux systems.

Sybase, IBM Embrace Over Linux


Nashville police were able to catch a robber within minutes after a robbery victim used a camera cell phone to snap a mug shot of the criminal as well as the getaway vehicle.

Camera Phone Used To Catch A Thief


Peer-to-peer company accuses RIAA and its partners of infringing upon its patents.

Altnet Fights Back, Sues RIAA


Several hours after Bradford C. Bleidt, an investment manager who owns Boston radio station WBIX, drove home from a festive station party last week at

WBIX owner attempts suicide, said to admit scam


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. blue chips closed near the  unchanged mark on Thursday in ultra-light volume, but  technology stocks slipped lower after a broker cut its growth  forecast on the semiconductor industry.

Blue Chips Near Flat, Tech Stocks Fall


Latest figures from Principality Building Society show that net savings have increased by almost 50 since the base rate rise in August.

Savings back in vogue as rates climb


Opposition Leader Mark Latham today urged Prime Minister John Howard to either call an election and dissolve parliament or allow this week #39;s parliament sitting to proceed.

Parliament should sit if election not called: Latham


Reuters - U.S. and Iraqi troops took control\of government and police buildings in Samarra early on Friday\after insurgents had undermined security in the Iraqi city, the\U.S. military said.

U.S., Iraqi Forces Take Key Samarra Buildings (Reuters)


A four-letter term that came to symbolise the difference between old and new media during this year #39;s presidential campaign tops US dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster #39;s list of the 10 words of the year.

US: US election makes blog the word of the year


AP - It's a voluntary army vs. a professional force. Button-down Republicans vs. street-wise Democrats. It's the ground war of American politics, with allies of President Bush and Sen. John Kerry spending fortunes to find their supporters and  #151; here's the hard, final part  #151; get them to vote.

No Clear Winner 'Til Election Day, if Then (AP)


Angry mobs loyal to ousted Gov. Ismail Khan burned half a dozen international aid compounds, looted their contents and stoned national army troops sent to keep order

Angry mob burns aid compounds


BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) - The Houston Astros hope their miraculous run towards the postseason spills over into their National League Division Series with the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.

Braves and Astros open second day of playoffs Wednesday


The European Union and China agreed to boost relations yesterday, but the EU made clear there can be no early lifting of its 15-year-old

EU sees no lifting of China arms ban


BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. and Iraqi forces raided suspected insurgent hideouts in the heart of the capital Wednesday, sparking clashes along a main Baghdad thoroughfare...

Clashes Break Out in Heart of Baghdad


SEOUL: South Korea #39;s police detained more than 140 public sector workers for their involvement in an unprecedented illegal strike against a controversial government labor reform bill, officials said.

South Korea #39;s police round up striking civil servants


Approximately three hours ago, I decided to do mushrooms for the first time in nearly four years. Seemed as good a time as any. It's a sunny October day in Denver. Brown leaves constantly cascade on me as I walk down the sidewalk, blissfully trying to ignore the crackheads who think I'm a walking ATM and a group of ese's who are giving me the evil eye. Church bells are ringing (ringing...ringing really loud...does that always happen around noon?...shit) crazy black dudes are singing along with their 1991-era Walkmans. Everything was peaceful, and I felt at one with the universe.  Why oh why did I decide to fuck it all up by going to vote today?

Shroomin' at the Ballot Box


Despite some defiant batting by tail-enders Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan, the Aussies proved too good for the Indians and bundled them for 239.

India lose first Test by 217 runs


Iran says it has arrested dozens of alleged spies, including several it accuses of sending nuclear secrets abroad to Iran #39;s enemies.

Iran Arrests Dozens on Suspicion of Spying on its Nukes


EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ (Ticker) -- An NHL lockout did not stop general manager Lou Lamoriello from conducting some business. The New Jersey Devils signed left wing Dean McAmmond to an American Hockey League contract with Albany on Tuesday.

McAmmond signs AHL contract


If you can bring yourself to just do it, returning things bought! on the Web is getting easier.

Bad Fit? Bad Color? Good Riddance


UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown pledged to spend 100 million pounds (\$180 million) a year relieving the debts of 30 of the world #39;s poorest nations, challenging the US to chip in as well.

UK #39;s Brown to Provide \$180 Mln for Debt Relief (Update1)


AP - Fourth-string quarterback Seneca Wallace led Seattle on two touchdown drives and the Seahawks took advantage of Tim Couch's dismal debut for Green Bay in a 21-3 exhibition victory over the Packers on Monday night.

Seahawks Defeat Packers 21-3 in Preseason (AP)


FORT PIERCE, Fla. - President Bush on Wednesday helped distribute bottled water, bags of ice, food and \$2 billion in federal aid to hurricane-battered residents of this vital electoral state...

Bush Visits Fla., Gives \$2B in Relief Aid


BEA Systems said it will release a test version of its latest WebLogic Server software later this month and detailed product delivery plans for next year.

BEA readies  quot;Diablo quot; server


Second seed Amelie Mauresmo powered into the quarter-finals of the US Open with a 6-4 6-2 demolition of Francesca Schiavone, the 16th seed from Italy.

Mauresmo crushes Schiavone to ease into last eight


Iran is secretly producing enriched uranium for nuclear weapons at a military site in Teheran in direct breach of an agreement signed earlier this week, according to Iran #39;s most prominent opposition group.

Iran  #39;breaking nuclear deal with secret site #39;


BOUAKE, Ivory Coast (Reuters) - Government warplanes and  helicopter gunships pounded rebel-held towns in northern Ivory  Coast for a second day on Friday, fueling fears of a slide into  all-out war in the world's top cocoa grower.

Ivory Coast Bombs Rebel Zone Again, War Fears Rise


Peace talks between the Sudanese government and rebel groups in Darfur will resume in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, today. The talks are aimed at resolving the conflict which has left thousands of people dead and more than one million destitute.

Darfur peace talks resume in Nigerian capital


LONDON - Chelsea claimed its fourth straight win of the season by beating Southampton 2-1 on Saturday while Alan Smith scored a controversial late equalizer for Manchester United to draw 1-1 at Blackburn.

Premiership roundup


LA PAZ, Bolivia (Reuters) - Indigenous groups and  independent candidates were poised to win local elections in  Bolivia on Sunday, while support for traditional parties sank  further after a popular revolt last year toppled former  president Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada.

Indians, Independents Dominate Bolivia Election


Two years after the killing of highly popular anti-immigration populist Pim Fortuyn, Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh is thought to have died a politically motivated death.

Dutch filmmaker, known for criticism of Islam, murdered


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Anadarko Petroleum Corp. <A HREF=

Anadarko to Sell Gulf Assets for \$1.3 Bln


A nonpartisan national group is trying to get a record number of voters to the polls this year. By MARK ZALOUDEK. Scientists are unlocking some of the mysteries of the universe as planetary exploration forges ahead on several fronts.

Teen Newsbreak - Getting out the vote


Michael Phelps collected his fifth gold medal of the Games with victory in the men #39;s 100 metres butterfly today.

Phelps adds yet another gold


More than 100 undocumented asylum seekers claiming to be Palestinians rest after being rescued by the Italian Coast Guard off Sicily 21 August 2004 in the harbour of the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Over 100 undocumented asylum seekers rescued in Italy


Middle East producer Kuwait has told key crude oil lifters in Asia that it will supply full contract volumes in January despite OPEC #39;s latest agreement to curb excess supplies, traders said on Tuesday.

Kuwait  #39;to meet full oil supplies #39;


Tommy Haas, once ranked second in the world, surprised the 12th seed, Sebastien Grosjean of France, 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-1, in the second round.

Haas on Road to Recovery with Surprise Victory at the Open


Reuters - Madonna and m-Qube have\made it possible for the star's North American fans to download\polyphonic ring tones and other licensed mobile content from\her official Web site, across most major carriers and without\the need for a credit card.

Madonna.com Calls Shots on Ring Tone Offer (Reuters)


LONDON (Reuters) - British American Tobacco the world's  second biggest cigarette maker, beat forecasts with a 13.5  percent rise in third-quarter profits as upbeat trading from  Italy and Russia offset Canadian problems and the strong pound.

Tobacco Giant BAT Q3 Results Smokin'


AP - IBM Corp. and plaintiffs challenging the legality of its pension plan agreed to a deal Wednesday that settles most claims and caps the company's potential liability at  #36;1.7 billion. The company previously had estimated a settlement could cost as much as  #36;6.5 billion.

IBM Partial Settlement in Pension Suit (AP)


SAN FRANCISCO - Microsoftwill let customers configure the next major release of Windows Server for specific server tasks, rather than selling a host of different Windows Server Longhorn editions tailored to those tasks, a company executive said Friday.

Longhorn Server to have one version for many roles


NEW YORK (Reuters) - The blue-chip Dow average ended  slightly higher on Monday and the tech-driven Nasdaq also  gained as declining crude-oil prices made equities aside from  energy names attractive.

Dow, Nasdaq Rise as Crude Falls


Privateer Formula One team Jordan will be Toyota-powered next season, it was revealed on Monday. The one year deal - for the  #39;affordable #39; 2005-spec RVX-05 V10 supply - was concluded before the weekend, according to a Toyota statement.

Toyota sign Jordan deal


PC World - New device offers 1TB of storage, can record seven channels simultaneously.

Sony's Vaio X: Like TiVo on Steroids (PC World)


LOS ANGELES - Toxicology and other tests determined that funk singer Rick James died last month from a heart attack due to an enlarged heart, with numerous drugs including methamphetamine and cocaine contributing factors, the county coroner announced Thursday.    The death was declared an accident, said coroner's spokesman David Campbell, who emphasized that none of the drugs were found to be at life-threatening levels...

Heart Attack, Drugs Caused James' Death


If Thursday was supposed to sort out a favorite for the Heisman Trophy, Jason White and Matt Leinart both can take heart. Each won separate national player of the year honors, two highlights

White, Leinart split top honors


It has been a long and tortured courtship. For years, health-care giant Johnson  amp; Johnson (JNJ ) has held on-again, off-again acquisition talks with medical-device maker Guidant (GDT ). Now Wall Street sources say the companies are talking again.

Don #39;t Stop Dealmaking


AirTran and Southwest emerged Thursday as the leading airline bidders for valuable gates at Chicago #39;s Midway Airport, where troubled discounter ATA is selling assets for cash.

AirTran, Southwest seek Midway gates


The official news agency of Egypt says leaders there have reached an understanding with Israel, the Palestinians, the United States and Europe.

Report: Egypt brokers Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire, peace <b>...</b>


Oracle co-president Safra Catz said today Oracle's hostile \$7.7 billion bid for PeopleSoft could drop by one-third to one-fourth.

Oracle May Drop Its PeopleSoft Bid Lower


Pakistani commandos on Thursday freed two Chinese engineers taken hostage near the Afghan border and killed their five kidnappers, who are led by a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner, officials said.

Pakistani Security Forces Free Chinese Hostages


LUXURY carmaker Jaguar is slashing production levels for the rest of this year by 11 to make up for a shortfall in sales. The Ford-owned car marque is bringing in the cuts - a reduction of 15,000 cars - as

Jaguar puts brake on production


AP - Brian Ching got another big goal, and the United States received the gift of jewelry. Ching scored just five minutes in on the Americans' first shot, and El Salvador was forced to play a man short after a defender was ejected midway through the first half for wearing a gold chain. Landon Donovan went on to score a second-half goal, and the United States won 2-0 Saturday to move into good position to advance to the regional finals of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup.

U.S. Wins World Cup Qualifying Semis (AP)


In the spring, when Orlando Hernndez was signed by the Yankees after missing the 2003 season, it was an insurance policy for the already deep pitching staff.

Hernndez Moving Up on Yanks #39; Depth Chart


Microsoft believes that any hacker looking to exploit this issue would have to rely on considerable help from users. The company said an attacker would need to first entice the user to visit a specific Web site and then entice them to drag ...

Researchers Spot XP SP2 Security Weakness


PATTANI, Thailand (Reuters) - Bomb blasts rocked southern  Thailand Friday as Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra told  southern Muslim leaders the deaths of 85 protesters in military  custody should have never happened.

Thai PM to Address Nation as More Bombs Rock South


A court in South Africa has postponed until next April the trial of Mark Thatcher on charges he helped fund a coup attempt in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea.

THATCHER TRIAL POSTPONED


CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Rex Grossman #39;s latest stint as starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears lasted all of three games. Grossman, 24, suffered a season-ending ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in Sunday #39;s 27-22 loss at Minnesota.

Bears lose Grossman for season


LOS ANGELES -- California #39;s love affair with the SUV has deepened since the early 1990s, with one in eight motorists driving the soccer-mom standby and registrations soaring 250 percent, a US Census Bureau report released yesterday said.

Californians still loving their SUVs


Reuters - Sudan's government and Darfur rebels said\on Thursday they were waiting for African Union mediators to\decide if peace talks would continue despite a stalemate on\security in the western Sudanese region.

Sudan and Darfur Rebels Wait for AU Talks Decision (Reuters)


Qwest posted a third-quarter loss of \$569 million after setting aside money to settle lawsuits stemming from a three-year accounting fraud.

Qwest posts loss of \$569 million in third quarter


Microsoft Corp. today released an unprecedented number of software security updates to plug flaws in its products, including seven  quot;critical quot; defects that it said hackers could use to hijack

Microsoft Releases New  #39;Critical #39; Patches


J Sainsbury, the third-largest supermarket chain in Britain, said Monday that first-half profit fell by about 66 percent as the company lost business to companies including Tesco and Wal-Mart Stores #39; ASDA.

Sainsbury profit drops two-thirds


Reuters - Javier Valentin smacked a three-run\homer in a five-run ninth inning off John Smoltz to carry the\rallying Cincinnati Reds to an 11-8 victory over the Atlanta\Braves in the National League Wednesday.

NL Wrap: Rallying Reds Make Braves Wait for East Title (Reuters)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Media company Gannett Co Inc. <A HREF=

Gannett Profit Rises Advertising Growth


Microsoft Corp. MSFT.O is making a renewed push this week to get its software into living rooms with the launch of a new version of its Windows XP Media Center, a personal

Microsoft Renews Push for Living Room PC


Abbey National staff were today expected to discover how many jobs will go in the banks planned takeover by Spanish group Santander Central Hispano.

Abbey Staff to Learn Scale of Takeover Job Cuts


BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission is sticking  with its plan to lift sanctions on \$4 billion worth of U.S.  goods on Jan. 1 following Washington's repeal of illegal export  tax subsidies in October, a spokeswoman said on Thursday.

EU to Lift U.S. Sanctions Jan. 1


Matthew Seu and his two sons yesterday became the first to boldly go where no tourist had been before: within a few feet of the spaceship Enterprise.

Up Close and  #39;Awesome #39;


Despite the controversy surrounding his gold medal in the all-around, Paul Hamm has a chance to win two more golds Sunday. The American will compete in the finals of the pommel

Hamm Goes for More Gold Amid Controversy


A Soyuz capsule made a precision landing in Kazakhstan Sunday, safely delivering two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut to Earth after several months on the International Space Station.

Soyuz Landing Delivers Fincke, Padalka to Earth After Six Months <b>...</b>


A former sales rep for Diebold Election Systems becomes a county election official in California. She sold the state millions of dollars worth of untested machines, which led to a scandal. Critics are asking, 'What's wrong with this picture?' By Kim Zetter.

Diebold Rep Now Runs Elections


NEW YORK (Reuters) - The mystery of what went wrong for the  software industry in late June when sales stalled at more than  20 brand-name companies is not even close to being solved  although the third quarter is nearly halfway over.

Missing June Deals Slow to Return for Software Cos.


Moscow - Russia plans to combine Gazprom, the world #39;s biggest natural gas producer, with state-owned oil producer Rosneft, easing rules for trading Gazprom shares and creating a company that may dominate the country #39;s energy industry.

Russian authorities plan to merge gas and oil producers


The United Nations has called on all factions involved in several days of fighting in eastern Congo to agree to a cease-fire. Clashes continued Monday as the United Nations ordered the government

UN Calls For Cease-Fire As Congo Factions Continue Fighting