BANGALORE, Oct. 7. - Reuters, the 3.2-billion information group, opened its back office here today, its fourth such centre in the world after Tiverton in the UK, New York and Singapore.

Reuters opens Bangalore office


ING Groep NV has disclosed new details of trading improprieties in its mutual funds and variable-insurance products, but research firm Morningstar Inc.

ING Names Business Units in Trade Woes


Koreas Olympic delegation filed a petition on Saturday, appealing for a correction of a scoring error committed during Yang Tae-youngs performance in mens gymnastics with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Shin Bak-je, the headperson of

Korean Olympic Team Files Petition with CAS


com. On a chilly, gray afternoon in St. Louis, Busch Stadium erupted on the sweet Jim Edmonds home run swing the Cardinals #39; faithful have come to know so well.

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images


: A misdemeanor court convicted a defrocked Irish priest for tackling the marathon leader during the Olympic race and on Monday gave him a one-year suspended sentence.

Defrocked Irish priest gets one-year suspended sentence


Malaysia #39;s former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim has called the March 2004 elections  quot;the most seriously flawed in the history of the country quot; and said he expected more reform from Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.

Anwar critical of Malaysian poll


Apple's latest computer is as cool and sleek as its best-selling music player

The iPod's Big Brother


Analysts have offered their latest judgment of the Christmas shopping season: good, but not great, although online sales set records.

Retail in Review: More Bah Than Sis-Boom


AP - Federal regulators gave a boost Tuesday to the fledgling Internet phone industry, removing a regulatory hurdle that threatened to drive up the cost of making calls through cyberspace.

FCC Rules in Favor of Net Phone Industry (AP)


ATHENS, Greece - Redemption came from the perfect spot - the 3-point line - for Sarunas Jasikevicius. The Lithuanian guard, whose off-target 3-pointer kept his team from pulling off the biggest upset of the Sydney Olympics, didn't miss when it counted Saturday night against the Americans in a thrilling 94-90 victory...

Lithuania Deals Dream Team Second Loss


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of stun gun maker Taser  International Inc. <A HREF=

UK OKs Taser Stun Guns for Some Police


The European Commission is to start monitoring China, Ukraine and Russia to see if they are making genuine efforts to stop counterfeit goods.

EU to monitor anti-piracy efforts


A 17-year-old was arrested after authorities received a tip that he was making threats in an online chat room about his high school and fellow students, police said Friday.

Teen accused of making threats about school, possessing weapons


By KATHARINE WEBSTER     MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) -- A Nobel laureate in medicine says the Bush administration's limits on funding for embryonic stem cell research have stopped the clock on American scientists' efforts to develop treatments for a host of chronic, debilitating diseases...

Scientist Advocates for Embryonic Stem Cell Research


Peter Forsberg signs with MoDo of the Swedish Elite League while Rick Nash and Joe Thornton have an auspicious debut with HC Davos of the Swiss Elite League.

Apathy grows as lockout enters second week


AP - In a break with tradition, The Tampa Tribune, a Republican standard-bearer for decades, refused Sunday to endorse anyone for president for the first time since 1964.

Tampa Newspaper Withholds Endorsement (AP)


Surprise package VfL Wolfsburg remained on top of the Bundesliga following a comfortable 3-0 home win over VfB Stuttgart. The three points saw Wolfsburg, only promoted to the Bundesliga in 1997, open up a

Wolves lead Bundesliga pack, unlucky seven for Schalke


Documentaries on the effects on children of the Chernobyl nuclear accident and the Indian Point power plant will be broadcast back-to-back by HBO.

Filmmakers Examining the 'What Ifs' of Nuclear Power


siege that started when a group of inmates identified as al Qaeda killed their guards in an attempted jailbreak. prison complex on the outskirts of the capital, prison governor Abdul Salam Bakhshi told journalists.

Eight killed in al Qaeda jailbreak


MILAN : Alitalia headed into eleventh-hour talks with unions to clinch plans to avoid bankruptcy, after winning a key deal with pilots.

Alitalia pursues rescue talks with Italian unions


Negotiator for D.C. hotel workers faces crucial test of his leadership.

Broadman Takes Tougher Stance


Cable  amp; Wireless has agreed to sell its Japanese unit to Softbank for 72.4 million pounds. The deal, under which the Japanese Internet communications company will assume debt worth 9.5 million

C amp;W to sell Japanese arm to Softbank


The United States is on the verge of winning its first fencing medal in twenty years.  Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou are out of the hospital but not out of the woods.

Court Throws Out Challenge to Blimp


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sprint Corp. <A HREF=

Sprint Reports Wider Loss on Writedowns


Netflix, PalmSource, Research In Motion, TiVo and Vonage have great products and were first to market, but can they hold their leads?

Five tech firms face crossroads


Hitachi #39;s 400 GByte Deskstar got company: Seagate announced it is shipping its Barracuda 7200.8 to retail stores and system builders, also offering up to 400 GByte storage space.

Seagate announces 400 GByte harddrive


TORONTO (CP) - Centerra Gold Inc. reported a sharp increase in quarterly profits compared with a year ago, helped by increased gold sales and better prices.

Centerra Gold reports Q3 profit of \$28.7M, up from \$2.8Ma year ago


EMC has made its biggest push to date into the fast growing small and midsize business market with the acquisition of Dantz Development, a suppler of backup and recovery software.

EMC takes Dantz for SMB connections


IBM is claiming a storage management victory over EMCand has said it can control its entire line of storage arrays with the latest version of its San Volume Controller appliance.

IBM claims virtualisation victory over EMC


VANCOUVER, British Columbia Todd Bertuzzi (bur-TOO #39;-zee) of the Vancouver Canucks goes on trial January 17th on an assault charge.

Sports: Date set for Bertuzzi #39;s trial


Two men who had been hospitalized with severe burns have died, raising to 15 the death toll from a blaze in a sugarcane field that engulfed a group waiting to pounce on rabbits fleeing the flames.

11 children, 4 adults die in Honduras sugarcane fire while hunting <b>...</b>


The United Auto Workers and an automotive supplier have reached an agreement that covers current hourly workers and possibly those at yet-to-open factories, the first multi-plant pact negotiated by the UAW in 20 years.

UAW, DaimlerChrysler subsidiary reach multi-plant labor agreement


Peace talks between the Iraqi government and the office of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadron his army #39;s weapons were facing troubles, the Dubai-based al-Arabiya TV channel reported Monday.

Peace talks face troubles in Sadr on weapons handover


LEESBURG, Va. A North Carolina man convicted of illegally sending (m) millions of pieces of junk e-mail to America Online subscribers was granted bond today while he awaits sentencing.

Online spammer free on bond


com September 16, 2004, 2:25 PM PT. This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been improving or obtaining CRM and ERP software for the past year and a half.

Jan Baan launches Web services firm


Internet service providers and other technology firms are proposing to soften a bill in Congress that they claim will make them targets of frivolous entertainment industry copyright lawsuits.

Tech Firms Seek to Soften Anti-Piracy Bill


Reuters - International Business Machines Corp.\ on Monday posted a flat quarterly net profit, weighed\down by a legal settlement, but said fourth-quarter results\would be better than expected, and its shares rose 2.3 percent.

IBM Net Flat; Sees Strong Fourth Quarter (Reuters)


Punter Tom Tupa has emerged as one of Washington's most valuable players, and has played well enough for Pro Bowl consideration.

Tupa Is a Key Cog


McAfee on Monday announced an add-on to its enterprise anti-virus software that boosts spyware protection for businesses. Called McAfee Anti-Spyware Enterprise Edition Module, the add-on integrates with McAfee #39;s

McAfee Battles Spyware With Enterprise Add-On


Wages rose faster than expected in the June-August period but analysts say the increases are still not high enough to cause inflation worries at the Bank of England.

Wages rise more than expected


AP - Annika Sorenstam realizes winning her fourth Samsung World Championship won't be easy since the other 19 players are also among the elite of women's golf.

Strong Field Ready for World Championship (AP)


Eight years ago, Andrew Murray survived the Dunblane massacre. Now, the 17-year-old has just become the first British player to win the junior US Open.

The winner


AP - Highlights from the eight states that held primaries Tuesday:

Highlights From Tuesday's Primaries (AP)


AP - President Bush blistered Sen. John Kerry on Wednesday as an apostle of

Bush Hits Kerry in Debate Rebound Bid (AP)


Russia #39;s government will take an active role in managing industry as it seeks to curb inflation and open markets to attract investment, Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov said.

Russia to Curb Inflation, Manage Industry, PM Says (Update1)


When former Jets linebacker Mo Lewis knocked the Patriots out of the Drew Bledsoe Era and into the Tom Brady Era, it began a renaissance of Patriots football, not unlike what happened with the advent of Joe Montana in San Francisco, Troy Aikman in Dallas, and John Elway in Denver.

A hike in his play


Kidde moved a step closer yesterday to being bought by America #39;s United Technologies, which increased its offer for the UK fire extinguisher maker to 1.39bn.

UTC raises its offer for Kidde and gets closer to 1.4bn deal


CARACAS, Venezuela - Summoned by bugle calls and the detonations of huge firecrackers, Venezuelans turned out in unprecedented numbers Sunday to vote on whether to force leftist President Hugo Chavez from office.    Some lines at polling places extended for 1.25 miles, stunning even veteran election monitors...

Venezuelans Line Up to Vote on Chavez


Reuters - Microsoft Corp. unveiled a preliminary\version of its Web search engine late on Wednesday, in its\first attack on Google Inc. leading position in the market.

Microsoft Launches Its Own Web Search Tool (Reuters)


After much fanfare last week over Tiger Woods's decision to play at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Pennsylvania, his agent said he was worn out from the Ryder Cup.

Woods Drops Out of 84 Lumber Classic


Oil futures prices sank to their lowest level in nearly a month yesterday on a continuation of the sell-off sparked last week by rising US supplies of crude

Crude prices fall to near \$50 a barrel


The Invesco Funds Group and an affiliate, AIM Advisors, agreed on Tuesday to a \$450 million settlement with regulators, who accused the companies of improperly allowing

Invesco to Pay \$450 Million to End Inquiry of Fund Trades


A lacklustre Real Madrid lost further ground to Barcelona at the top of the Primera Liga table after they were held to a 0-0 draw at Villarreal last night.

Real lose more ground to Barcelona after stalemate


MILWAUKEE Baseball fans in the Washington area will be keeping an eye out for news out of Milwaukee, where Major League Baseball #39;s Management Council is meeting.

Owners may make recommendation at meeting today


SHREWSBURY, Mass. - A carnival ride broke apart during a church fair Sunday, killing a man and injuring two other people...

Mass. Fair Accident Kills 1, Injures 2


First baseman Wil Cordero agreed on Monday to a one-year contract with Washington.

Nationals Sign Cordero


Wizards center Brendan Haywood worked hard in the offseason to improve enough to play in the fourth quarter of close games this season.

Haywood Looks to End


Ten years after the World Series was canceled and fans left in droves, Major League Baseball will tell you it has never been healthier.

Baseball and its fans recover from 1994 strike


LOS ANGELES (Reuters)  Qualcomm has dropped an \$18 million claim for monetary damages from rival Texas Instruments for publicly discussing terms of a licensing pact, a TI spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday.

Qualcomm drops licensing suit against TI


Fannie Mae, the nation #39;s largest mortgage buyer and a financial juggernaut that affects tens of millions of home buyers, agreed Monday to major changes in its accounting and management

Fannie Mae makes deal, but more probes due


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

Roddick, Fish lead US challenge


The eagerly anticipated Doom 3 has stormed to the top of the UK games charts.

UK gamers rush to snap up Doom 3


SYDNEY The Australian government said Wednesday that terrorists may be preparing an attack in Indonesia, possibly at a Hilton hotel.

Australia warns of terrorist threat


SEVILLE, Spain (Reuters) - Teenage rookie Rafael Nadal  blunted the world's fastest serve on Friday to beat Andy  Roddick and give Spain a 2-0 lead over the United States in the  Davis Cup final.

Nadal Nails Roddick to Give Spain 2-0 Lead


FERGUS FALLS, Minn. - People who went to a local clinic to get a flu shot didn't receive the vaccine they wanted...

Chicken Soup Replaces Flu Vaccine


Sept. 27, 2004This week EPCglobal US, the US chapter of EPCglobal, holds its second annual user conference and celebrates EPCglobals anniversary, as well as its own.

EPCglobal One Year Later


Stephen Jackson continued a strong preseason, scoring 29 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 93-92 victory Tuesday night over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Pacers 93, Timberwolves 92


AP - Former Wimbledon and U.S. Open winner Lleyton Hewitt cruised to a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Michael Llodra on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the TD Waterhouse Cup.

Hewitt Cruises to Waterhouse Quarterfinals (AP)


AP - Automaker Volkswagen said Monday there is

Volkswagen Says 'No Room' for Wage Hikes (AP)


Thirty-three people were confirmed dead in a gas explosion, which also injured six, at a coal mine in Central China #39;s Henan Province on Friday, according to local safety authorities.

Mine blast kills 33, injures 6 in Henan


A federal appeals court on Tuesday ruled that the maker of a universal garage door remote did not violate the anti-circumvention provisions of the DMCA, putting the brakes on one of the more adventuresome interpretations of the controversial copyright law

Appeals court slams garage door DMCA claim


WASHINGTON  - The US sugar industry is taking a wait-and-see attitude toward the nomination of Kellogg Co. Chief Executive Carlos Gutierrez to be the new secretary of the Commerce Department.

Sugar industry wary of commerce nominee


New entry-level programs from Adobe and Pinnacle bring plenty of editing power to desktop directors.

First Look: \$100 Video Editing Apps Square Off


Reuters - Militants behind the deadly\bombing of Australia's Jakarta embassy have a second group\poised for attack, Australia's top policeman warned as Canberra\said on Saturday all its diplomatic missions would be made\bomb-proof.

Australia: Second Cell Poised for Indonesia Attack (Reuters)


Russian tax officials are reportedly asking for tax arrears of  \$87.5m from oil firm TNK-BP, which is half-owned by UK oil giant BP.

Tax query for BP's Russian ally


Reuters - A new reporting period for company\earnings kicks into gear next week, giving investors a bit of\hard data to chew on, and markets could be volatile if the\price of crude oil stays north of  #36;50 a barrel.

Oil, Profit Reports to Weigh on Stocks (Reuters)


Reuters - Recent storms, droughts and heat\waves are probably being caused by global warming, which means\the effects of climate change are coming faster than anyone had\feared, climate experts said on Thursday.

Global Warming Effects Faster Than Feared - Experts (Reuters)


AP - Philadelphia defensive end Jerome McDougle missed practice Friday because of an irregular heartbeat and was doubtful for the Eagles' game this weekend against Cleveland.

Eagles' McDougle Has Irregular Heartbeat (AP)


Crude oil climbed more than \$1 in New York on the re-election of President George W. Bush, who has been filling the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Crude oil prices climb


BEAVER CREEK, Colorado (Reuters) - Norwegian Lasse Kjus won  a World Cup giant slalom for the first time in nine years as  Alpine skiing's golden oldies relived their past glories on  Saturday.

Kjus Ends Long Wait for Giant Slalom Win


BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan (Reuters) - Tiger Woods has not  won a major in two years and lost his world number one ranking  but U.S. Ryder Cup captain Hal Sutton says reports of his  demise will prove badly exaggerated this week.

You Can Bank on Tiger, Says Sutton


AP - The Air Force expects planes will be able to fire non-lethal microwave rays at enemy ground troops with the help of a new superconducting generator system developed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base after about 25 years of research.

Air Force Looks at New Microwave Weapon (AP)


Scottie Pippen on Tuesday announced his retirement from the Chicago Bulls, the team he and Michael Jordan led to six NBA titles in the 1990s.

Roundup: Pippen retires


TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar paused from recent heavy  selling on Wednesday, holding near overnight levels against the  euro and the yen as investors brushed aside revised data that  confirmed sluggish growth in Japan's economy.

Dollar Stalls Vs Yen


A US aircraft dropped a half-ton(500 lb) bomb on the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Saturday after guerrillas attacked a US patrol that was trying to capture an insurgent arms dump, a military spokesman said.

US Bombs Mosul Rebels, Guerrillas Kill Top Police


A man died from asthma after being bitten several times by his pet hamster in a city north of Tokyo, the Mainichi Shimbun reported Tuesday.

Man dies after pet hamster bites him


Facing hearings on her nomination as European Union Competition Commissioner, Neelie Kroes is virtually certain to be asked whether the honorary degree she awarded to Microsoft #39;s Bill Gates in 1996 could influence her handling of the ongoing EU antitrust

New EU Competition Chief Gave Honorary Degree To Gates


Liverpool, England (Sports Network) - Former English international and Liverpool great Emlyn Hughes passed away Tuesday from a brain tumor.

Liverpool great Hughes passes away


Officials made no immediate statements about the possible causes of the twin crashes but the timing raised suspicions of a terrorist attack.

2 Russian Jets Crash Within Minutes


A British soldier has been killed and another injured after clashes with militia forces in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, said the British Army.

British Soldier Killed in Iraq


Leaders from various parts of the world have started arriving in the Egyptian capital Cairo to pay their last respects to the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who died on Thursday morning.

Arafat #39;s funeral today, world leaders arrive in Cairo to pay last <b>...</b>


AP - Joe Paterno ended his 39th season at Penn State as a winner.

Paterno Ends 39th Penn St. Season With Win (AP)


Which search engines are adequately disclosing their paid placement and paid inclusion practices? Which ones are failing to do so?  A new report offers some surprising insights.

Rating Search Engine Disclosure Practices


Torrential rains hit the region this week and floods submerged more than 10,000 houses and brought traffic to a standstill. A disaster management official from the coastal province of Quang Ngai says a red

Typhoon flooding kills 25 in Vietnam


And when you do all three as well as the Red Sox did on Tuesday afternoon, the result is a 9-3 win over the Angels in the first game of the American League Division Series.

Red Sox open with a bang


TALLAHASSEE  A \$250 million per year rate cut for Florida Power  amp; Light Co. customers will stand, but the Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a health care group can ask state regulators for a much bigger reduction.

Ruling backs FPL rate decrease


CHARLESTON, S.C. - Andy Roddick hit a record 155 mph serve in his 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win over Vladimir Voltchkov on Friday to help the United States to a 2-0 lead over Belarus in the Davis Cup semifinals...

Roddick Powers U.S. to Lead in Davis Semis


Sure, there are more brands than ever. But their value is plummeting as consumer loyalty evaporates. Who's to blame? A new breed of hyperinformed superconsumers. By James Surowiecki from Wired magazine.

Brand Names Take a Beating


The veteran relief pitcher was told by manager Terry Francona and pitching coach Dave Wallace prior to last night #39;s game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays stats, schedule

Williamson on playoff bubble


Reuters - U.N. peacekeepers beefed\up security on Thursday in the Haitian city of Gonaives where\more than 1,000 people died in floods, after desperate\survivors fought each other to get at emergency food supplies.

Troops Guard Relief Operations in Flood-Hit Haiti (Reuters)


GenVec Inc. shares lost almost half their value Thursday after the Food and Drug Administration halted a study of its lead product candidate because the anti-cancer drug may increase blood clots in patients.

GenVec Shares Plunge on Study Halt


The US secretary of state tours hurricane-hit Grenada and pledges millions of dollars in aid.

Powell pledges help for Grenada


A new MessageLabs report says more than 86 of the E-mail it sampled in June was spam--and nearly one in 10 contained a virus.

Study: Spammers, Virus Writers Getting Chummy


Singletary, a 4-year-old colt named for former Chicago Bears linebacker Mike Singletary, broke away from the back at the top of the stretch and won the Breeders #39; Cup Mile on Saturday, setting off a boisterous celebration.

Singletary surprise winner of Breeders #39; Cup Mile


Even by Michael Schumacher #39;s standards, qualifying on pole and then winning his 13th grand prix of the season in one day is a super-human effort.

Lucky 13 for Schumacher as he breezes to victory


WASHINGTON The US trade deficit narrowed 9 percent in July from the record of the previous month as exports rose and a decrease in oil shipments led to the first decline in imports in 11 months, the Commerce Department said Friday.

US trade deficit declines as exports increase


A single play changed the entire scope of the biggest game in Troy University football history. With 6:49 remaining in the second quarter and the Trojans trailing the No.

The  #39;Marshall pass #39; sparks Trojan rally


GENEVA - People are consuming the planet #39;s resources at a rate that outstrips its capacity to support life, a global conservation group said Thursday.

Overconsumption threatens ecological balance, WWF warns


BESLAN, Russia - At least seven people were killed and 310 others wounded Friday, reports said, after commandos stormed a school in southern Russia where hundreds had been held hostage for three days by Chechen rebels strapped with explosives.    Troops killed five of the hostage-takers but 13 others escaped, the ITAR-Tass news agency said...

At Least 7 Dead in Russia School Siege


IBM said Wednesday it had agreed to pay \$320 million to its employees to settle in part a class-action lawsuit over its pension plan in a case that will affect millions of workers at many companies and nonprofits.

IBM reaches pension accord


ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines Inc. #39;s tentative deal with pilots for \$1 billion in concessions gives the nation #39;s third-largest carrier much-needed breathing room.

Delta still not out of financial woods


AP - Defense Minister Robert Hill traveled to Iraq Saturday to meet with some of the 900 soldiers Australia has stationed there as part of the U.S.-led coalition, the ministry said.

Australian Official Travels to Iraq (AP)


Israeli troops shot and killed four Arab terrorists in separate incidents in and around the northern Gaza Strip. Israel Radio reports Israeli troops shot and killed two terrorists who managed to slip across

Israeli Troops Kill Four Arab Terrorists Near Gaza Military Camp


Virginia Tech keeps its coaching staff intact by signing its assistants to the longest guaranteed contracts in major college football.

Hokies Ensure Stability


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures pointed to a flat  market open on Friday,  pausing after the previous day's big  rally, as Wall Street awaits key economic data, though gains by  computer maker Dell Inc. <A HREF=

Stock Futures Flat Ahead of Data; Dell Up


WAYNE Rooney will have a scan today which will determine whether he makes his Manchester United debut against Liverpool on September 20.

Liverpool showdown looming for Wayne


In California, mice peer from their cages with human brain cells firing inside their skulls. These are not outcasts from  quot;The Island of Dr.

Chimeras a Step Closer to Reality


Reuters - The amount of conventional\explosives missing from an Iraqi storage facility may be\substantially less than the 377 tons reported by Iraqi\officials, ABC News reported late on Wednesday, citing\documents obtained by the network.

Discrepancy Found in Explosives Amounts: ABC News (Reuters)


France says the European Union and Iran have made  quot;considerable progress quot; towards reaching a preliminary agreement on Tehran #39;s nuclear program at talks in Paris.

Progress made over Iran #39;s nuke issue


or, more accurately, the starter -- the Dodgers were in deep trouble in this one. Manager Jim Tracy made an early move to get his starting pitcher, Odalis Perez, out

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images


Australia cemented its position as the dominant cricket team of the past decade with its first series win in India since 1969, conquering what former captain Steve Waugh called the final frontier.

Australia #39;s Champion Cricketers Conquer Indian Final Frontier #39;


FrontBridge Technologies of Marina Del Rey, Calif., today revealed an acquisition and a partnership to enhance its hosted service offerings for message management and regulatory compliance.

FrontBridge Announces Acquisition, Partnership


HAVANA, Cuba -- Cuban leader Fidel Castro says he is fine after falling off of the stage in Santa Clara, Cuba. The fall is bringing back memories of when he collapsed two years ago.

Fidel Castro Tumbles Off Stage


UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday said it would buy Definity Health Corp. for \$300 million, as the No.

UnitedHealth to Buy Definity Health


Carmakers DaimlerChrysler and General Motors are to co-operate on developing a new type of transmission-based system to compete with Toyota and Honda in the growing hybrid market.

Daimler and GM gear up for transmission revolution


Advanced Marketing Services Inc., which provides customized wholesaling and distribution services for the publishing industry, on Monday slashed earnings expectations for fiscal 2004.

Advanced Marketing Lowers  #39;04 Estimates


GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Chris Leak threw three touchdown passes, DeShawn Wynn scored three times, and No. 22 Florida (4-2) rebounded from a home loss to LSU with a 52-16 victory over Middle Tennessee yesterday.

Leak, Gators bounce back


London - British ministers have condemned the  quot;disgraceful quot; racial abuse of England #39;s black players during Wednesday #39;s international friendly against Spain in Madrid and demanded that soccer authorities take action.

Spain in another racist football row


AP - IBM on Monday launched a new, cheaper line of computer servers designed for smaller businesses, with production at the plant here.

IBM Launches New Line of Servers at Plant (AP)


More than chance and coincidence have enabled John Murphy to be employed by the Eastern Conference championship team two of the last three seasons. If there were an award for most valuable assistant coach in Major League Soccer, the Quincy native would be a certain winner.

Murphy's Law has opposite meaning in MLS


AFP - A British soldier from the Black Watch regiment was killed and three others injured in a vehicle accident in Iraq's Babil province, where they had just moved from southern Iraq, a spokesman said.

British Black Watch soldier killed in Iraq vehicle accident (AFP)


Karnataka Chief Minister N Dharam Singh on Tuesday expressed happiness over the gunning down of forest brigand Veerappan, saying his menace had ended.

Karnataka CM compliments STF on killing Veerappan


NewsFactor - Siebel (Nasdaq: SEBL) has been on a mission to lower the TCO of its applications since last year's release of 7.5.3, a version that concentrated mainly on cost-savings modifications and other user-friendly improvements.

Siebel Taps Motive Software To Improve Usability (NewsFactor)


Profits at Premiership champions Arsenal soar and the club says construction of its new stadium is running ahead of schedule.

Arsenal cheers surge in profits


Unlike Overture (Yahoo!) who settled out of court with insurance company Geico, Google didn #39;t buckle and today won a major legal victory with a US federal court.

Google Wins Battle With Geico


Cisco Systems on Thursday agreed to buy up the remaining portion of routing software startup BCN Systems that it didn #39;t already own.

Cisco Buys Routing Software Startup BCN Systems


Hewlett-Packard, one of the most aggressive promoters of Intel #39;s Itanium family of processors, is 86ing its line of workstations that use the chips.

HP discontinues its Itanium workstations


AFP - Democratic candidate John Kerry charged President George W. Bush with  quot;incredible incompetence quot; over the disappearance of powerful explosives in Iraq, while Bush accused his rival of offering a  quot;strategy of pessimism and retreat quot; in Iraq.

Clinton jumps into campaign, as missing explosives force Bush on defensive (AFP)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks are set to open lower on  Monday with oil prices pushing higher and Wall Street on edge  as the Republican National Convention gets underway in New York  amid heightened security concerns.

Stocks Seen Sliding as Oil Moves Higher


AP - A closely watched measure of future economic activity fell in August for a third consecutive month, reflecting an uncertain climate for both businesses and consumers.

Future Economic Activity Gauge Falls (AP)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc. on Friday said its popular  Celebrex arthritis drug more than doubled the risk of heart  attack in a large cancer-prevention trial, a setback that comes  just weeks after Merck   Co. recalled its similar Vioxx drug  due to heart safety risks.

Celebrex Lifts Heart Attack Risk in Trial


Finland has kept its place at the top of a survey measuring teenagers #39; educational skills, with schools in some Asian countries also among the best performers.

Finnish teenagers come top again in school skills


Mutual funds aren #39;t just popular with the masses. They #39;re also investments of choice among the people who oversee the nation #39;s economy.

Mutual funds attract Fed governors #39; eyes


Oil prices fell sharply yesterday in what traders described as a wave of profit-taking after futures hit a new high above \$55 a barrel and after gasoline futures fell sharply on indications of declining demand.

Oil prices fall on profit-taking after futures pass \$55 a barrel


Reuters - The U.S. government posted a  #36;57.88\billion shortfall between receipts and outlays in the month of

U.S. Posts  #36;57.88 Billion Budget Deficit (Reuters)


The German teenager identified in May as the creator of the Sasser and Netsky worms was indicted and charged in court Wednesday, and may face as many as five years in jail for his escapades.

Sasser Hacker Faces Five Years


Russian investigators refuse to rule out sabotage after two airliners crash minutes apart, killing 89 people.

Hunt for clues to Russia crashes


Lauren Jackson scored 14 points to lead the Seattle Storm past the Minnesota Lynx 70-58 Saturday in the first game of their WNBA Western Conference semifinal series.

Storm 70, Lynx 58


AP - A University of Kentucky professor is pushing to set up a telescope in Australia that students could use via the Internet.

Ky. Professor Looks to Set Up Telescope (AP)


The first-round draft pick cried after she played a dreadful game, then unexpectedly found help from the NBA. The first-year coach called a team meeting after a two-game skid, sternly telling his players  quot;to produce if you want to keep your minutes.

Without Holdsclaw, Mystics make surprising run to playoffs


Brazilian driver Rubens Barrichello powers his Ferrari on the first turn as he leads the pack in the first ever Chinese F1 Grand Prix at Shanghai International Circuit Sunday Sept.

Barrichello crowned in Shanghai


ATHENS (Reuters) - Italian Stefano Baldini won the Olympic  men's marathon Sunday after an intruder dashed on to the course  late in the race and bundled the then leader Vanderlei de Lima  into the crowd.

Baldini Triumph in Marathon Marred by Intruder


SAN FRANCISCOBill Gross, the man behind Overture Services and the Idealab incubator, wants to reinvent Web search. During the Web 2.0 conference here on Tuesday, Gross unveiled search-engine Snap, which

Idealab Rethinks Web Search with Snap


BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich.The Europeans got more than they imagined possible and Hal Sutton got what he was asking for - a first-day disaster at the Ryder Cup.

Sutton gambles, loses


AFP - Shaquille O'Neal's new Miami Heat uniform is the most popular selling replica jersey among all National Basketball Association players, the league announced.

Shaq, McGrady pace NBA best-seller list (AFP)


The EU is backing a project that would let viewers personalise shows and films to suit their tastes.

Viewers to be able to shape TV


David Beckham and Michael Owen went about making their peace with England #39;s deflated supporters last night with a goal apiece to help launch England to victory against Ukraine.

England 3, Ukraine 0


China #39;s Lenovo Group is in talks with a major international IT company regarding an acquisition, it said in an announcement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Tuesday.

Lenovo confirms talks with  #39;major #39; IT company


Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) shares jumped as much as 16 percent on Monday, to their highest level in more than 4 years, after a Wall Street analyst nearly doubled his price target on the stock.

Apple Up After Analysts Raise Target


Earnings from hot new issue Jamdat Mobile don't live up to analysts' expectations.

Can Jamdat Survive the Hype?


Robert Sutor, IBM #39;s director of WebSphere Foundation Software, told ZDNet UK on Friday at a press briefing in Montpellier that the open-source application server JBoss was more of threat to BEA than to IBM #39;s own application server software WebSphere.

IBM: JBoss more of threat to BEA


quot;With him disappears the man of courage and conviction who, for 40 years, has incarnated the Palestinians #39; combat for recognition of their national rights.

Current Quotations


In a blistering, heart-pounding flight that briefly appeared to be in jeopardy, a privately built spacecraft safely returned to Earth after soaring to the edge of space over the Mojave desert in California yesterday.

One flight down, one to go


Relatives of the hostages seized in a school in North Ossetia faced a sleepless night on Wednesday, as they waited for more information about their loved ones.

No end to Russian crisis


BESLAN, Russia - Mothers wailed over the coffins of their children Sunday and dozens of townsmen dug graves in a football field-sized piece of scrubland next to the cemetery. Funeral processions snaked through the streets of this grief-stricken town as Russians began to bury victims of the terror attack on a school that left more than 350 people dead...

Russians Begin Burying Victims of Attack


For two weeks before MTV debuted U2 #39;s video for the new single  quot;Vertigo, quot; fans had a chance to see the band perform the song on TV -- in an iPod commercial.

U2 Talk iPod Strategy Band #39;s partnership with Apple has deep roots


JAKARTA: The Indonesian government has identified Singapore #39;s United Overseas Bank as one of 10 prospective bidders for the sale of a 51 stake in PT Bank Permata.

UOB among 10 prospective Bank Permata bidders named by Indonesian <b>...</b>


Microsoft has filed nine new lawsuits against those it says are responsible for spam, including a Web-hosting company that caters to people who send unsolicited e-mail, the software giant said Thursday.

Microsoft sues Web hoster over spam


1. A SIGHT FOR SORE GROINS: If anything can cure LaDainian Tomlinson, it should be the sight of the Raiders across the line of scrimmage.

Five things to watch


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

Intel Seen Readying New Wi-Fi Chips This Week


England #39;s opening World Cup draw with Austria has posed a whole host of questions about coach Sven-Goran Eriksson and captain David Beckham - and they had better find some fast answers in Katowice on Wednesday.

England need to get real


Internal Revenue Commissioner Mark W. Everson called on Congress yesterday to boost the agency #39;s funding by the full \$500 million requested by President Bush, calling it a way to help shave the record federal budget deficit.

IRS Chief Pleads for Bigger Budget


Investors pulled back from shares of major air carriers Friday as concerns loomed that US Airways Group Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc. might soon declare bankruptcy, in what would mark yet another major setback to the embattled industry.

Delta, US Air Stocks Drop


Canada on Sunday confirmed its second case of mad cow disease, just days after the United States said it planned to reopen its border to Canadian beef.

Canada Confirms Second Mad Cow Case


Steve Christie, a 15-year veteran, knows there are no excuses for missing field goals of 30 and 33 yards, even if they were into a swirling wind.

Christie kicking himself


Ecuador #39;s 1-0 win over Brazil has ended the world champions #39; unbeaten run in the region #39;s World Cup qualifying competition.

Ecuador stun world champion Brazil


Host Marriott Corp. on Wednesday said its third-quarter results improved as occupancy and room rates increased to drive revenue. The lodging real estate investment trust reported quarterly funds from operations

Host Marriott #39;s Third-Quarter Loss Narrows


AP - President Bush said Wednesday that Sen. John Kerry's views on national security are so misguided that the Democrat would be unable to defeat terrorism.

Bush: Kerry Unable to Win War on Terror (AP)


AP - A report by a watchdog agency alleges widespread abuse against gays in this Caribbean island, known for the slogan

Report Alleges Gay Abuse in Jamaica (AP)


Jailed US lifestyle guru Martha Stewart signs a deal to present a new show for NBC from late next year.

Martha Stewart gets new TV series


Just two games into his return from a fractured right thumb, Delonte West suffered a broken right hand that will keep the rookie point guard out indefinitely. West broke his hand on an innocuous-looking fall early in the second quarter against Miami Sunday night. He iced the hand at halftime and came back to play in the ...

West has broken hand


At least nine people die in Pakistan's South Waziristan region after a shell hits a vehicle, the army says.

Tribesmen die in Pakistan attack


Security experts uncovered yet another bug in Internet Explorer this week, one that could let attackers replace the content of any legit site with their own, making it possible to spoof critical pages such as e-bank account access log-in forms or credit

IE #39;s Spoofing Sorrows Continue


Try this interactive ROI Assessment tool

Sponsor: Cost Savings Through Application Performance Management


A frail Pope John Paul II traveled to a hilltop shrine near the Adriatic Sea on Sunday, putting three more Catholics on the road to sainthood during an open-air Mass attended by some 200,000 pilgrims.

Pope Celebrates Mass Near Hilltop Shrine


Q: In a recent column you said that 95 percent of all viruses and spyware are aimed at Internet Explorer, so I decided to do away with IE.

Firefox browser outshines Explorer


Nine Law Lords ruled in favour of a group of men jailed without charge for up to three years. The British government had argued that the detention without trial of some terrorist suspects is a tough but necessary

Britain Cannot Detain Terror Suspects Indefinitely: Court


Buckle up, folks. The 100th World Series is off to a, shall we say, perversely entertaining start.

Nice to look at, but gem had some big flaws


India News: In normal circumstances, no news media, no matter how low-browed and given to dressing up the most mundane of events with a dash of masala to cater to the vicarious instincts of the public, would have lavished so much coverage on the gory

Who were Veerappan #39;s political patrons?:


Renault F1 Team Partner Hanjin Shipping will run unique Chinese branding for this weekends race in Shanghai.

Hanjin to run Chinese branding in Shanghai


Ryan Giggs joined an elite band of Manchester United players in chalking up his 600th appearance for the club. Giggs, 30, joined Sir Bobby Charlton (759) and Bill Foulkes (688) among United players to pass the landmark in the 2-1 defeat of Liverpool.

Giggs joins elite 600 club


Many people in golf are asking that today. He certainly wasn #39;t A-list and he wasn #39;t Larry Nelson either. But you couldn #39;t find a more solid guy to lead the United States into Ireland for the 2006 Ryder Cup Matches.

Tom Lehman: A closer look


LAS VEGAS - President Bush said Thursday the trio of prime-time debates with Sen. John Kerry demonstrated he is running on his record - and his opponent away from his own - even as the Republican campaign acknowledged that Kerry had gained from the confrontations viewed by tens of millions of Americans...

Bush Says Debates Highlight His Record


Cisco Systems, which has been under growing competitive pressure lately in the high-end router space, announced a series of initiatives this week designed to improve its market position, as well as bolster its relationship with telecom service providers.

Cisco Fights Aggressively In Telecom Space


NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Foundation Coal failed to fire up Wall Street Thursday, as investors sold off shares in the energy company after early interest boosted the initial public offering #39;s price.

Foundation Coal cools; OccuLogix, Symmetry gain


Munich, Germany (Sports Network) - European Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer finalized his team on Sunday when he added six-time Ryder Cup veteran Colin Montgomerie and rookie Luke Donald.

Monty #39;s in; Langer adds Montgomerie and Donald


GLOBAL media giant News Corp succumbed to intense institutional pressure yesterday and agreed to retain its full foreign listing on the Australian Stock Exchange if shareholders approved the company #39;s proposal to shift to the United States.

News deal paves way for move


Harbhajan Singh conceded that India had an uphill task to get back in the game, but expressed his happiness at taking a five-wicket haul.

#39;We need to stay positive #39; - Harbhajan


USATODAY.com - There's a new tier of retailers hawking officewear to young professionals.

Trendy retailers get dressed for work (USATODAY.com)


Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble rea-ched 400 Test wickets on the first day of the first Test against Australia on Wednesday, though the mi-lestone failed to stop Simon Ka-tich and debutant Michael Clarke hitting fighting half-centuries.

Australia prosper


In what may turn out to be an ominous sign of a short-lived recovery, foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. caught market watchers by surprise Tuesday with a grim

TSMC #39;s Chang sees plummeting Q4 utilization, capex down in 05


The Football Association is to introduce a test for the banned drug erthropoietin (EPO) in response to drug claims by Arsenal #39;s Arsene Wenger.

FA to launch EPO test


USENET PROVIDER Easynews says that it has turned up postings of porn pictures that are laced with a program that exploits the Windows JPEG glitch.

Porn pics further poisoned with virus


The chips are stacked so high that it #39;s becoming difficult to see the dealer. Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD) is on a roll. Its stock has doubled since February, and its most recent earnings have exceeded expectations.

Boyd Reaps Its Winnings


MonkeyDev writes  quot;Yahoo is reporting that Munich is ready to move forward with plans to  #39;abandon Microsoft Windows in favor of upstart rival Linux.

Patent Concerns Unlikely To Nix Munich Linux Plan


You may lock your doors and windows - and maybe even activate an alarm system to keep your home protected, but a new study indicates that most of us haven #39;t taken the equivalent of those basic steps when it comes to protecting ourselves when we go online.

Most computer users ignore basic online security measures


Reuters - Unions and big\communications companies spent more than  #36;1.1 billion in their\efforts to elect lawmakers and influence the government over\the past half-decade, according to a report released Wednesday.

Report: 'Huge Fortune' Spent on Media Influence (Reuters)


Hundreds of people took to the streets of Beslan on Wednesday to vent anger at Russian President Vladmimir Putin and demand the resignation of regional

Russian hostage town mourners vent anger at Putin


Detroit head coach Steve Mariucci knew that they had an uphill climb on tap against Philadelphia on Sunday. It would have taken a perfect effort to beat the red hot Eagles at Ford Field.

Lions get a reality check


Microsoft has announced that it is planning to distribute the low cost stripped down version of Windows XP in Russia, sources say.

Microsoft to sell Windows XP sta


NEW YORK (AP) -- RealNetworks Inc. (RNWK) survived the dot-com collapse and an assault from Microsoft Corp...

RealNetworks to Offer Paid Internet Content


 By Angus MacSwan

 SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil's ruling Worker'sParty (PT) was looking to strengthen its hand in its fight totransform this huge Latin American country with a goodperformance in nationwide municipal elections on Sunday.

Brazil Ruling Party Seeks Stronger Hand from Poll


LONDON, November 19 (newratings.com) The share price of the global music company, EMI (EMI.ETR), appreciated nearly 10 to 228.5p on the London Stock Exchange today, after the company guided to improved full year results, despite posting ay/y decline

EMI stock surges 10 on robust 2H outlook


JJB SPORTS saw its shares collapse nearly 20 per cent yesterday after it broke off talks with the private equity giant Cinven and posted dismal first-half sales.

City punishes JJB for takeover failure


SiS will next month join ATI, Nvidia and VIA in becoming a supplier of PCI Express chipsets for AMD processors. November will see the company commence volume production of its SiS761 North Bridge, which will

SiS readies November AMD PCIE chipset launch


Midland Co. on Thursday said third-quarter profits fell by almost half as the specialty insurer sustained heavy claims losses from the hurricanes that swept through the Southeast during the summer.

Midland #39;s 3Q Is Slammed by Hurricane Losses


CHINESE palaeontologists said they had found feathers on the fossilised legs of a primitive bird, which backs controversial theories that birds descended from four-limbed dinosaurs.

Birds, dinosaurs evolutionary link


Jason Campbell threw a 16-yard scoring pass to Courtney Taylor with 1:14 to play and No. 14 Auburn got two chances to kick the winning extra point in a 10-9 victory over No.

Saturday #39;s Top 25 Capsules


FILDERSTADT (Germany) - Amelie Mauresmo and Lindsay Davenport took their battle for the No. 1 ranking and Porsche Grand Prix title into the semi-finals with straight-sets victories on Friday.

Mauresmo, Davenport reach semis in Germany


AP - A peace activist who once fasted for 63 days to protest movie violence and war toys is launching another hunger strike to persuade Ralph Nader to abandon his presidential bid.

Activist Holds Anti-Nader Hunger Strike (AP)


By JANET McCONNAUGHEY    (AP) -- Women who get lots of painful yeast infections can safely ward them off with a weekly pill, the largest study on the subject has found. Regular, preventive doses of an antifungal drug for six months dramatically cut the number of episodes...

Taking Regular Pills May Thwart Yeast Infections


American troops are facing resistance in rebel strongholds in northern Fallujah despite claiming they have trapped the insurgents in the south of the city.

Fallujah fighting rages


BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Seventeen Iraqi political parties demanded postponement of the Jan. 30 elections for at least six months until the government is capable of securing polling places.

Iraqis want elections delayed


Knight Trading Group Inc., an equities trading company serving institutional and broker-dealer clients, said Wednesday that it will report a third-quarter operating loss of 1 cent to 4 cents per share due to poor performance in its equity market trading

Knight Trading Sees 3Q Operating Loss


AP - Allegedly abandoned by their American mother in Africa as she took up military contract work in Iraq, seven children from Texas begged small change to buy food and shuttled from a neglectful stranger's care to a concrete-block orphanage, Nigerians said Thursday.

AP: Kids Left in Africa Begged for Change (AP)


Paul Hamm said yesterday that he would give back his Olympic gold medal if sport's highest court ordered him to. But lawyers for the American gymnast and the US Olympic Committee told the sport's highest court that there are no grounds to change the results of last month's men's all-around competition, which Hamm won with the greatest comeback in the ...

Hearing held on Hamm medal


This week, Popeye made his debut as a computer-generated 3-D character in a 44-minute movie called

A Sailor Man, 75, Gets a Digital Nip and Tuck


HAVANA Nov 1, 2004 - Fidel Castro is healing nicely after shattering a kneecap and breaking an arm in an accidental fall, his older brother Ramon said Monday, adding that their family has always enjoyed good health and longevity.

Brother: Castro Improving After Fall


AP - A bomb ripped through a U.S. patrol in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing two American soldiers and wounding another, a reminder of the country's insecurity after a newly resolved hostage drama.

Deadly Afghan Blast Follows Hostage Drama (AP)


Three people who allegedly sent America Online customers millions of junk e-mail messages touting penny stocks and other Internet gimmicks went on trial Tuesday in the nation #39;s first such felony case.

Update 1: Defendants Accused of Sending Spam


roundup Plus: Cray signs two supercomputing customers...MSN Messenger beta leaks onto Web...Level 3 to buy Sprint's dial-up business...Cisco CEO's salary shoots up from \$1...SanDisk ups capacity on flash memory cards.

Briefly: Legal expert joins open-source screening firm


The experience of Ibrahim Mohamed Doud and his two wives, one African and one Arab, illustrates the tangled ethnicity of Darfur, the scene of the violent displacement of 1.5 million people.

A Family Crisis in Divided Sudan


Reuters - Canadian wildlife\officials warned visitors to Jasper National Park on Tuesday to\be on the alert for cougars after one the animals attacked a\five-year-old boy.

Boy Escapes Cougar Near Canada's Jasper Park (Reuters)


AP - A bomb exploded early Friday in a pickup truck owned by a prosecutor who is pressing charges against supporters of the failed 2002 coup against President Hugo Chavez, and a charred body inside appears to be that of the prosecutor, the government said.

Prosecutor Feared Dead in Venezuela Blast (AP)


Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl running back Jamal Lewis pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Atlanta to trying to set up a drug deal.

J. Lewis pleads guilty in drug case


Autodiscovery Hall of Shame


TOKYO - Japan #39;s Transport Ministry has urged bus operators across the country to idle all buses made by scandal-hit Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, after passengers were injured by faulty seats that suddenly broke away from the floor.

No go for Mitsubishi Fuso buses because of faulty seats


HOUSTON (Reuters) - Carlos Beltran's record-tying eighth  post-season home run capped the Houston Astros' 6-5 comeback  win over the St Louis Cardinals to even the National League  Championship Series at two games apiece on Sunday.

Record-Tying Beltran Blasts Astros Into Series Tie


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea's explanation that a  blast last week was demolition work for a power project rather  than a nuclear explosion squared with what Washington saw,  Secretary of State Colin Powell said Tuesday.

US: Blast Consistent with N.Korea Explanation


quot;I spoke to Howard about helping Leicester out and he #39;s accepted that situation, quot; Bassett said in an interview with Sky News.

Wilkinson takes over at Leicester


Oil prices slid towards \$US49 a barrel, after United States crude stocks rose unexpectedly and rebels in Nigeria #39;s oil- rich delta region agreed to a ceasefire with the Government, reducing an imminent threat to supplies.

Ceasefire brings oil price slip


Allan Houston was stuck in a corner, surrounded by the opposition and working against the clock. And yet, at the game #39;s most frantic moment, there was something reassuring about

Knicks deep-six Philly in OT


Diebold Inc. today reduced its third-quarter and full-year earnings forecasts as it absorbs costs for recertifying its electronic voting machines in California and for expenses related to a pending civil action in that state.

Diebold cuts forecast


Merrill Lynch raised estimates on Apple Computer (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) after the company unveiled its iPod Photo--earlier than the research firm expected--and announced the iPod U2 special edition.

Higher IPod Shipments To Boost Apple #39;s Q1


Once the champagne ran out Friday night, most of it sprayed or dumped, the Red Sox showed again how resourceful they could be. The players went through the beer as their primary weapon

Spirited Sox wear out Angels


Brett Hull may be the most accomplished and best-known American player in National Hockey League history, but he was not in the lineup Friday night when the United States

UNITED STATES 3, SLOVAKIA 1 With Hull Out of the Lineup, the US <b>...</b>


DETROIT JD Power  amp; Associates, the company millions of people turn to for quality rankings on everything from cars to cameras, is exploring the possibility of putting itself up for sale.

US quality analyst seeks finance


Harmony Gold Mining Co., the biggest miner of South African gold, may have to raise its hostile 39.3 billion rand (\$6.7 billion) offer for Gold Fields Ltd.

Harmony May Have to Raise Bid for Gold Fields, Trading Shows


The Red Sox open a crucial seven-game West Coast road trip with an 8-to-3 victory over the Athletics in Oakland. David Ortiz hit a solo homer and had four RBI #39;s for Boston.

Sox kick off road trip with win over A #39;s


Lamar Hunt announced on Thursday that he will sell the Kansas City Wizards, opening up the possibility that the club will leave the area for any number of opportunities throughout the United States or even Canada.

Hunt decides to sell Wizards


DUBAI (AFP) - The death of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan, president of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates (UAE), is not expected to have a major impact on already climbing world crude prices, experts said.

UAE president #39;s death makes little impact on oil prices


CAIRO - The kidnapped director of CARE International in Iraq tearfully urged British forces to withdraw from Iraq in a videotape broadcast Friday by Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite television news channel.

Kidnapped CARE director urges British forces to leave Iraq


In the spirit of full disclosure, the Big Pharma company publishes clinical trial results online.

Eli Lilly Bares All


AP - Pro Bowl kicker Mike Vanderjagt and starting tight end Marcus Pollard were inactive for the Colts' game Sunday against Oakland.

Colts Deactivate Pollard, Vanderjagt (AP)


BRISBANE, November 21: Australia crushed New Zealand by an innings and 156 runs in the first Test at the Gabba on Sunday to retain the Trans-Tasman Trophy.

Kiwis Aussiehilated


After having his 2003 season shortened by a shoulder injury, Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon will miss at least six weeks with a broken vertebra in his neck.

GANNON SUFFERS BREAK


Seeing a rare and probably fleeting opportunity to influence the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, the Bush administration is preparing financial assistance to help Palestinians

Powell: US will aid Palestinian elections


BANGKOK : Thailand said on Tuesday that at least nine farms had been contaminated by genetically-modified crops after a seed selling scandal shut down a major part of the country #39;s GM testing programme.

Contaminated GM crops found at nine Thai farms


The Ukrainian presidential election and its aftermath have been marked by propaganda that is exposing old fractures in the former Soviet republic. Differences that are broadly defined by an east-west divide are bursting to the surface.

Old Divisions Resurface


Reuters - An agricultural region\in eastern Mauritania faces the loss of its entire crop to\swarms of locusts unless action is taken immediately, a\regional government official has warned.

Locusts Ravage Key Mauritanian Farming Region (Reuters)


ROME: Calling himself an innocent victim, Italys Rocco Buttiglione withdrew as a candidate for the incoming European Commission on Saturday to help ease an unprecedented crisis for the executive.

Buttiglione resigns to ease EU crisis


BERLIN, Germany -- A German court has acquitted Johannes Weinrich, said to be the right-hand man of international guerrilla  quot;Carlos the Jackal, quot; of charges that he took part in a deadly series of bombings in France in the early 1980s.

#39;Jackal aide #39; in case 2 acquittal


NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 10: India does not believe that a purely military solution is the answer to the crisis afflicting Nepal and hopes that the Maoists will participate in a peace process after they have laid down arms, Foreign Secretary Shyam

Army alone not the answer to Maoist mess: Delhi to Deuba


A former Walt Disney Co. director testified that CEO Michael Eisner hoped that Sony Corp. would take Michael Ovitz off his hands and save Disney a  quot;bundle quot; in severance pay.

SONY BID COULD #39;VE SAVED DISNEY \$


AP - John Kerry says President Bush

Newsview: Kerry Avoids Calling Bush 'Liar' (AP)


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

Genta Shares Soar on Cancer Drug Data


AP - You'd think the details would be scorched into a veteran's memory like a cattle brand: ducking gunfire, seeing someone die in battle, bracing against a blast's concussion. Who could forget?

Kerry War Debate Hinges on Fickle Memories (AP)


WASHINGTON : The US economy is expanding but the performance is patchy as roaring energy prices begin to stifle spending, the Federal Reserve #39;s Beige Book survey showed.

US Federal Reserve #39;s Beige Book says oil price curbs spending


The Chicago Cubs can afford few mistakes in their quest for a playoff spot over the seasons final week. Chicago will look to remain atop the NL wild-card race when it opens a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field.

Cubs seek to stay atop wild-card race


Honda #39;s all-new four-door midsize pickup truck will be called the Ridgeline when it goes on sale next year as a 2006 model, the company announced at an auto-parts exhibition Tuesday.

THE RIDGELINE: Honda touts pickup


Virus writers have created a proof-of-concept file infector specifically for machines that run Advanced Micro Devices Inc. #39;s AMD64 64-bit processors, antivirus companies said yesterday.

Concept virus works on AMD64


CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury prices rose on Monday  after an inflation gauge favored by the Federal Reserve was  flat for July, suggesting no need for accelerated rate  increases by the Federal Reserve.

Treasury Prices Up After Inflation Flat


A Texas-based Web site is promising hunters worldwide the chance to shoot deer and antelope with the click of a mouse. At live-shot.

In Texas, a mouse can kill a deer


Users of the Treo smartphone will get out-of-the-box compatibility with Microsoft #39;s Exchange Server, thanks to a licensing deal between Milpitas, Calif.

PalmOne Hooks into Exchange


Five-time Olympic medalist Marion Jones goes for gold medals in the long jump and 400-meter relay at the Athens Games, while the US basketball team plays Argentina for a spot in the men #39;s basketball final.

Marion Jones Seeks 2 Golds, US Plays Argentina in Basketball


Led by Maurice Ager #39;s 19 points, No. 10 Michigan State scored more than 100 points for the third straight game in a 102-52 win over Nicholls State on Saturday.

No. 10 Michigan St. 102, Nicholls St. 52


The Reds are in desperate need for a striker following the injuries to Djibril Cisse and Milan Baros, whilst Luis Garcias hamstring problem has hardly helped matters.

Liverpool Football Club eye Italian


LONDON (Reuters) - Sony, the world's largest  consumer-electronics group, is having trouble meeting soaring  demand for flat televisions as its assembly lines did not gear  up quickly enough, a senior official said on Friday.

Sony Unprepared for Flat TV Demand


Oil prices continued their recent slide as optimism that supply would hold up this winter had more traders shifting money out of energy markets.

Lower oil fails to lift stox


SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard Co. <A HREF=

HP Profit Tops Lowered Forecast


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasury debt prices rose on Tuesday  after July inflation figures proved subdued and soaring oil  prices pointed to slower U.S. consumer spending down the line.

Treasuries Gain After Tame Inflation


Investor's Business Daily - A week after shaking up its enterprise hardware business following a poor showing last quarter, Hewlett-Packard put its best face forward before more than 7,000 customers and partners at the HP World conference in Chicago.

HP Execs: Supply Chain, Order Processing Hurt U.S. Q3 Results (Investor's Business Daily)


US and European trade officials began a politically charged meeting Thursday to discuss the future of government support for aviation titans Boeing and Airbus Industrie.

EU, US hold crunch talks on Boeing-Airbus


LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices fell again on Tuesday, taking  U.S. crude below \$53 a barrel, on signs that energy costs are  slowing the economic growth that drove this year's sharp  increase in world fuel consumption.

Oil Below \$53, Fuel Costs Hit Economy


Nigerian unions called off a general strike which had jeopardized oil supplies from the world's seventh-largest exporter for four days, but threatened more action within weeks unless the government cut fuel prices.

Nigerian unions end strike but threaten more action


Net income in the fiscal first-quarter rose to \$509 million, from \$440 million a year earlier, while revenue rose seven percent to \$2.

Oracle Q1 net up 16


Laoping writes  quot;News.com has a story about a new Web services management specification designed to simplify network administration across a wide range of devices.

Goodbye SNMP? Hello, WS-Management


THE calamity-prone Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann will be the centre of more derision from Gunners fans after his two horrendous blunders cost the English giants an important win in a 2-2 draw with Panathinaikos in Athens.

Lehmann in the blunder zone


BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- America is sick of losing these Ryder Cups. Sick, sicker, sickest. The Euros have whupped the bejesus out of us now four of the last five times and, as American player Kenny Perry

If the US is ever going to defeat Europe, these changes need to be <b>...</b>


DONGDUCHON, South Korea (Reuters) - South Korea said  Tuesday an investigation into a hole found cut in a border  fence along the Demilitarised Zone frontier with North Korea  did not suggest infiltration from the communist country.

S.Korea Probe Suggests No Infiltration from North


CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Tenth-ranked California jumped out to an early 28-7 lead and never let up in a 49-7 rout of Oregon State yesterday.

No rust on Golden Bears


Oracle may be breathing fire down its neck with an ongoing hostile takeover effort, but PeopleSoft is trying to withstand the siege by striking a deal with IBM. <FONT face=

PeopleSoft's Knightly Quest


The Greek government appealed for calm today, fearing a public backlash against immigrants following the bungled bus hijacking by two Albanian gunmen.

Greece Appeals for Calm after Bungled Hijack Ends Peacefully


A prominent Cuban doctor returned home Thursday after an overnight stay at the Argentine Embassy that raised tensions between the two nations amid reports she was seeking political asylum.

Cuban Doctor Returns Home From Argentina


SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - IBM <A HREF=

IBM Gathers Asian Backers for Its Power Chip Push


Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc., whose founder is scheduled to begin serving a prison sentence Oct. 8, said it had agreed to work with the television producer Mark Burnett to create

Prime-Time TV Plan for Martha Stewart


Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic stepped down on Friday, refusing to enact police and army reforms demanded by top peace overseer Paddy Ashdown.

Bosnia Serb PM Resigns, Rejects Western Pressure


The battle for the Cape Ann League begins tomorrow. With four teams undefeated in league play and three boasting 6-0 overall records, the final four weeks of the season will pit prolific offense against immovable defense. The fight for supremacy begins as Wilmington (6-0) travels to Pentucket at 2 p.m.

Cape Ann teams set for collision


It was a tale of two penalties at Highbury, where Arsenal could only manage a 1-1 draw against Panathinaikos. Henry converted Arsenal #39;s spot-kick to open the scoring on 16 minutes, but Basinas failed to deliver

Champions League: Group E - roundup including a tale of 2 <b>...</b>


VIENNA (Reuters) - Leading OPEC producer Saudi Arabia said  on Monday it had made a renewed effort to deflate record high  world oil prices by upping crude output again.

Saudi Says OPEC Easing Oil Price Pressure


Dick Vermeil walked around the visitors #39; locker room at M amp;T Bank Stadium as Monday night gave way to Tuesday morning, offering pats on the back, congratulatory handshakes and hugs to his Kansas City Chiefs players.

Chiefs #39; First Win Was Crucial


AP - Terrell Owens and Jevon Kearse arrived in Philadelphia this spring as the top receiver and pass rusher who can elevate the hopes of a team that has lost three straight NFC title games. But as the 2004 NFL season starts, the Eagles are battered, a reminder that injuries are the great equalizer that can neutralize any big-money, big-name offseason moves.

Eagles Have T.O., but Also Need Some TLC (AP)


A Test match that had looked to be building up into a great climax was ruined yesterday by a six-hour downpour that forced the final day to be abandoned without a ball bowled.

Relieved Australia take break


Dubai, August 31 (NNN): At least 12 people were killed and 20 others injured in a suspected twin suicide bombing attack on two buses in the southern Israeli city of Beersheva on Tuesday, according to reports reaching here.

12 Killed, 20 Hurt In Twin Bus Attacks In Israeli City


Four churches in Mexico have unobtrusively installed Israeli-made cell-phone jammers to thwart those who don't seem to understand they should turn the thing off in during services or weddings. They're not the only ones in the world to do it.

Word From on High: Jam Cell Calls


HP is replacing its over-ambitious HP/UX utility data centre (UDC) service with a business automation module for OpenView, which it says will let companies be more flexible.

HP ditches data centre service for new automation module


AP - At least seven people were killed and 310 others wounded Friday, reports said, after commandos stormed a school in southern Russia where hundreds had been held hostage for three days by Chechen rebels strapped with explosives.

At Least 7 Dead in Russia School Siege (AP)


AFP - A key prosecution witness is lying when he implicated one of the Sikh men charged with the mid-air bombing of an Air India plane that killed 329 people in 1985, the defense team argued in the closing arguments of the case.

Accused Air India bomber is a victim of lies: defense lawyers (AFP)


In the aftermath of the Friday night fight between the Pacers, the Pistons, and raucous fans at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle borrowed a phrase from Winston Churchill, saying,  quot;the imagination is baffled by the facts. quot; During a pair of news conferences at Conseco Fieldhouse yesterday that addressed the unprecedented NBA penalties levied against ...

Pacers circle wagons


Microsoft is recasting ambitions for its .Net Passport identification system, saying the service now will be limited to its own online offerings and those of close partners.

No Go-Ahead Stamp for Microsoft #39;s Passport


About 32 million people in the US read a blog in 2004 but less than half of Americans know what a blog is, says a survey.

Blog reading explodes in America


New York -- Few things stir the heart of stock investors like a huge merger deal. And last week #39;s shotgun wedding between Kmart and Sears, two limping retailers, was no exception.

The fizz could go out of Sears merger euphoria


AP - Ashley Earley scored 20 points and Carla Thomas added 19 to lead No. 14 Vanderbilt to a 94-51 victory over Saint Louis on Sunday.

No. 14 Vanderbilt Tops Saint Louis, 94-51 (AP)


Canadian Press - WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration for the first time on Thursday labelled as

U.S. calls abuses in Sudan's Darfur region 'genocide'; calls for UN sanctions (Canadian Press)


A sweeping voter registration campaign in heavily Democratic areas has added tens of thousands of new voters to the rolls in the swing states of Ohio and Florida.

Both Parties See a Big Increase in New Voters


Fannie Mae #39;s newly discovered accounting artifices could give lagging reform efforts in Congress some impetus. Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are financial behemoths and political sacred cows - escaping

Fannie #39;s funny accounting


Cingular Wireless is now offering the Sony Ericsson Z500a handset. The Z500a is a GSM/GPRS/EDGE clamshell phone, offering high-speed data transfers for MMS, web browsing, and either POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail access.

Cingular releases Sony Ericsson Z500a


Reuters - A lonely\pensioner who turned to Italy's classified pages to find\someone willing to

Lonely Italian Pensioner Gets Adopted (Reuters)


That #39;s the hardest part of cleaning a room at the Renaissance Mayflower hotel in downtown Washington, where she is a housekeeper, so she does it first.

Housekeeper Advocates For Changes


With Vince Carter a non-factor, you would #39;ve expected a Pistons victory Friday night at Air Canada Centre before a crowd of 15,284.

NO BACKUP: Pistons #39; bench outscored, 30-8, in first defeat


MOSCOW (Reuters) - Investigators examined flight recorders  Thursday from Russia's mystery double air crash in which 89  people died, but one official doubted they would be of any use.

Russia Air Crash Flight Recorders May Not Help


AP - Jonathan Adelstein, a former staffer for outgoing Senate minority leader Tom Daschle, was approved for a full term on the Federal Communications Commission in a Senate vote early Sunday.

Senate Confirms Adelstein for FCC Term (AP)


Microsoft has confirmed that it is to start selling its cut-down, wallet-friendly, version of Windows in India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Russia.

India to enjoy cut-price Windows


A senior journalist was killed in northern Sherpur town of Bogra district early Sunday by unknown assailants. Dipamkar Chakraborty, the executive editor of a newspaper The Durjoy

Senior journalist killed in northern Bangladesh


Crude oil prices in New York stayed higher Tuesday after passing 50 dollars per barrel as Nigerian rebels threatened oil output and Hurricane Ivan slashed production in the US Gulf of Mexico.

Crude oil prices stay higher amid Nigerian fighting, lower <b>...</b>


AP - The roar of Air Force One and a tip of its wing over the playing field signaled President Bush's arrival Saturday at the Army-Navy football game, a matchup steeped in tradition and shadowed today by the war in Iraq.

Bush Attends Army-Navy Football Game (AP)


The crash happened along a rural stretch of track between the cities of Pathankot and Jalandhar, in India #39;s northern Punjab province, about 180 miles north-west of New Delhi.

15 killed as trains collide in India


By TED BRIDIS    WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. government will offer over the Internet low-quality images of its new \$50 bill for artists, students and others who discover that their computers, scanners or printers won't allow them to view or copy pictures of the new currency...

U.S. Offers Internet Downloads of \$50 Bill


MARKHAM (CP) - Graphics chip maker ATI Technologies Inc. says its fourth-quarter profit almost tripled to \$61.2 million US as revenue soared 50 per cent.

Markham #39;s ATI Tech triples profit


ATHENS, Greece - Top American sprinters Jason Lezak and Ian Crocker missed the cut in the Olympic 100-meter freestyle preliminaries Tuesday, a stunning blow for a country that had always done well in the event.    Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands and Australian Ian Thorpe advanced to the evening semifinal a day after dueling teenager Michael Phelps in the 200 freestyle, won by Thorpe...

Americans Falter in 100M Freestyle Prelims


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan said yesterday that there was no evidence Osama bin Laden is hiding in the country, and denied it allowed CIA agents to set up bases along the border to search for the Al Qaeda leader.

Pakistan reports no sign of bin Laden, denies CIA bases


A chemical compound shelved as a failed treatment for inflammation has unexpectedly become the most promising new tuberculosis medicine to emerge in 40 years.

Compound Shows Promise Against TB


Over-the-air fixes for cell phones comes to Qualcomm's CDMA.

Qualcomm plans to phone it in on cellular repairs


National Treasure


Sir Mark Thatcher is waiting to find out when he will be questioned over his alleged involvement in an attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea.

Thatcher waits to be questioned


AP - President Bush has decided to name Harriet Miers, a longtime Texas associate, as White House counsel, a senior administration official said Wednesday.

Miers Picked As White House Counsel (AP)


General Mills Inc. (GIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday said it will sell an \$835 million stake in its cereal business to an affiliate of Lehman Brothers Holding Inc.

General Mills to Sell Stake in Cereals


KABUL: Two US soldiers died yesterday in a fire-fight with insurgents in a troubled southeastern Afghan province, the American military said.

Two American soldiers killed


MOJAVE, Calif. -- By the time test pilot Brian Binnie shut down the rocket engine on SpaceShipOne Monday morning, the view out his cockpit windows had turned from bright, desert blue to black.

SpaceShipOne successful again


The Skinny: Beckett is facing the Padres for the first time in San Diego. In two career starts in Florida, Beckett is 2-0 against the Padres with a 1.93 ERA.

On deck: Marlins (60-60) at Padres (65-56), 7:05 tonight


In a vote of confidence for BBDO Atlanta, the now-largest cell phone company Cingular Wireless will keep its business with the Atlanta advertising agency.

Cingular keeps BBDO Atlanta


While Peyton Manning tried to downplay his individual accomplishments, receiver Brandon Stokley heaped on the praise.  quot;Hes the best thats ever played this game as far as quarterbacks are concerned, quot; Stokley said.

Colts 41, Lions 9


They may never be mistaken for the boys from the Bronx as Boston #39;s archrivals. But the Devil Rays picked up last night where the Yankees

Plunkings strike a sour note


Israeli helicopters fired eight rockets in Gaza City in response to an earlier attack by Hamas movement against an Israeli army post on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

Sharon will not talk to Palestinian leaders until the fighting <b>...</b>


By Bloomberg News. Michael D. Eisner, the chief executive of Walt Disney, kept board members abreast of the negotiations to hire the talent agent Michael S. Ovitz as the company #39;s president

Ex-Disney Director Says He Was Briefed on Ovitz #39;s Pay


Running back Ahman Green scored three touchdowns, two rushing and one on a pass from quarterback Brett Favre.

Packers Go Right to Top in Their Bid for N.F.C. Supremacy


MALELANE, South Africa (Reuters) - Sweden's Peter  Gustafsson shot a four-under 68 to take a two-stroke lead after  the second round of the Dunhill Championship at the Leopard  Creek Country Club on Friday.

Gustafsson Leads at Leopard Creek as Els Wilts


The new Open Source Software Resource Centre will be funded with \$1.2 million over three years and will try to promote open-source software by establishing a portal for exchanging information on the subject and initiating proof-of-concept projects.

IBM promotes open-source in India


Bernie Ecclestone will return to court on Monday for the start of the High Court case involving Formula One Holdings (FOH) and Speed Investments.

Bernie #39;s back in court


POIANA BRASOV, Romania, Oct 13 (AFP) - The United States persuaded its NATO allies Wednesday to consider ways to merge Alliance-run and US-led forces in Afghanistan, despite deep reservations notably from Germany and France.

US presses NATO to merge Afghan forces, speed Iraq mission


Derek Jeter, Hideki Matsui and Bernie Williams each homered and the New York Yankees held on for an 8-7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.

AL Capsules


Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula One champion, may drive for Renault in this year #39;s final three races if he impresses in tests today and tomorrow, team manager Flavio Briatore said.

Villeneuve May Drive for Renault F-1 Team in Final Three Races


Manchester United #39;s Sir Alex Ferguson has told Arsenal they got away with  quot;murder quot; for their part in the infamous match at Old Trafford last season.

Ferguson takes swipe at Arsenal


McAfee announces an add-on to its enterprise anti-virus software that boosts spyware protection for businesses. By Gregg Keizer, TechWeb News.

McAfee Battles Spyware With Enterprise Add-On


Bodies remained in the streets and in growing piles outside morgues in a Haitian city that has been devastated by floods that have torn apart families and left hungry crowds mobbing truckloads of aid.

Haiti Storm Death Toll Soars as Bodies Pile-Up


General Motors and DaimlerChrysler have announced plans to join forces to develop a new generation of hybrid-powered vehicles, underlining the potential for environmentally friendly cars which use much less fuel.

Mercedes and GM to develop hybrid cars


There's an old truth about hurricanes: they take out the trees that gardeners don't have the heart to cut down.

Ill Winds Improve the View


The Securities and Exchange Commission is scrutinizing biotechnology companies as part of a wider effort to ensure that companies don't mislead investors by covering up negative results of clinical trials.

SEC focusing on drug makers


XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (XMSR) will soon begin broadcasting some of its stations to subscribers over the Internet, fresh on the heels of the company's discontinuation of a receiver for PCs that some users used to circumvent the music industry's crackdown on illegal file sharing.

XM Satellite Radio to Begin Broadcasting on Web


Dan Rather offered an apology for a report on President Bush's service, but not a personal accounting.

Even Humbled by Error, Dan Rather Has His Thorns


Former Enron Corp. chief executives Jeffrey K. Skilling and Kenneth L. Lay should stand trial together because they engaged in a  quot;single overarching conspiracy quot; to enrich themselves by inflating

Enron Case Prosecutors Calling for a Single Trial


Dell is expected to expand its line of line of consumer electronics this week, possibly taking the wraps off of a challenger to Apple Computer #39;s iPod Mini music player.

Dell hears consumer electronics call


Cambodia's King Sihanouk has announced his abdication, his son tells the country's National Assembly.

Cambodia's king 'has abdicated'


The emergence of another Toy Story flick leads one to wonder who has the upper hand in Pixar's relationship with Disney.

Pixar's Folly


Serena Williams delivered a carefully scripted message during her first-round match at the US Open: Her presence hasn #39;t diminished, even if her ability has.

S. Williams #39;s Boots Are Made for Walkin #39;


With only three of the Chase for the Championship contenders among the top 10 starters for Subway 500, Ryan Newman figures Sunday #39;s race at the Martinsville Speedway may be his last chance to make a run at the title.

Pole could boost Newman #39;s Chase chances


Pakistani PM Shaukat Aziz is to continue dialogue with India in talks with counterpart Manmohan Singh.

South Asian PMs to hold key talks


Search engine Google has plans to introduce a new service that lets users search complete texts of books and helps publishers sell them.

Google Library meets Bookstore


NEW YORK (Reuters) - J.C. Penney Co. Inc. said on Thursday  its September sales at department stores open at least a year  rose 2 percent.

J.C. Penney Same-Store Sales Rise 2 Pct


BEIJING (AFP) - Prime Minister Wen Jiabao will urge the European Union to lift a 15-year-old arms embargo and call on the continent to view China as a full market economy during an EU-China summit beginning Wednesday in the Hague.

China to seek end of arms embargo at Sino-EU summit


AP - Vice President Dick Cheney on Tuesday raised the possibility of terrorists bombing U.S. cities with nuclear weapons and questioned whether Sen. John Kerry could combat such an

Cheney: Terrorists May Bomb U.S. Cities (AP)


Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Sports Network) - American international Earnie Stewart has signed an 18-month contract with VVV Venlo, the club where the midfielder began his career.

American Stewart back with Venlo


British number one Tim Henman is currently facing world number 80 Anthony Dupuis of France at the Davidoff Swiss Indoors event in Basel.

Davidoff Swiss Indoors, Basel


It would be foolish to get too excited about the Wizards after years of disappointment but this team will bear watching this season.

Building Blocks in Place


Saint Colin is no more, and like many a consecrated counterpart there was always more plaster to the man than marble. Gone is the administration  quot;moderate, quot; and while radicalism is not necessarily

After Saint Colin, an unprincipled doctor


The SX-8 is the latest incarnation of the high-end but relatively rare

Photo Gallery: NEC's new SX-8


NewsFactor - New statistics from IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker show that commercial \demand for PCs is rising in tandem with the growing economy, with PC shipment \growth in the second quarter the highest since mid 1999.

Report: PC Sales Growing as Economy Rebounds (NewsFactor)


TEHRAN, Iran - Iran is willing to talk with the United States about a nuclear program that Washington alleges is aimed at secretly acquiring the bomb, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said Monday.

Iran says US could join nuclear program talks


One day after taking on the role of team motivator, George Steinbrenner was the team psychic. For one night, he actually was able to foresee the Yankees #39; future.

Strong message from Boss keeps paying off


AP - Lindsay Whalen matched her career-high with 21 points and the Connecticut Sun beat the Washington Mystics 80-70 Monday night to even the best-of-three WNBA Eastern Conference semifinal.

Sun Beat Mystics 80-70 to Even Series (AP)


Though they met in the preseason in Philadelphia, this is the game we #39;ve been waiting for since headline machine Terrell Owens spurned the receiver-needy Ravens for the receiver-needy Eagles this offseason.

Marquee Matchup


NAZARETH, Belgium (Reuters) - Belgian drugs distributor  Omega Pharma boosted its presence in Italy and Scandinavia on  Friday, buying two local firms after raising \$285 million in  debt finance in the United States.

Omega Buys Two Firms, Raises \$285 Million


AP - A U.S.-Russian crew prepared Saturday to bid goodbye to the International Space Station and hurtle back to Earth inside a Russian Soyuz space capsule, ending a six-month mission in space.

Crew Prepares to Leave Space Station (AP)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sysco Corp. <SYY.N>, the largest U.S.  distributor of food to restaurants and hospitals, on Monday  said quarterly profit rose as an extra week in the period and  acquisitions helped offset the effects of higher food prices.

Sysco Profit Rises; Sales Have Slowed


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chief executive and chief  financial officer of mortgage finance company Fannie Mae  <A HREF=

Congress to Hear Fannie Mae CEO, CFO


Juventus coach Fabio Capello has ordered his players not to kick the ball out of play when an opponent falls to the ground apparently hurt because he believes some players fake injury to stop the match.

CAPELLO FED UP WITH FEIGNING


AFP - When residents in a district of the Marshall Islands capital quench their thirst, the water is more than likely to be contaminated by human waste and the decomposed bodies of relatives.

Taste for the dead in desperate Marshall Islands neighbourhood (AFP)


Damien Martyn has made it back to back centuries against India as Australia looked to build a big first innings total in the third Test in Nagpur.

Martyn continues his run feast


Phillips Idowu dyed his hair red for the triple jump final last night and it proved prescient. Four times the Londoner was shown a red flag as he failed to make it into the final eight left to contend for the gold medal.

Idowu put out by judge blunder


AP - American forces bombed a site in the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah early Tuesday where several militants loyal to terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi were believed to be holed up, the U.S. military said.

American Forces Bomb Site in Fallujah (AP)


Bayer continued with its strategic refocusing, announcing on Monday the sale of its plasma business to two US private capital funds.

Bayer sells plasma unit to US consortium


quot;Mulling quot; is not the word Tom Coughlin uses to describe the attention he has given to changing his quarterback. He hasn #39;t given a lot of thought to the Kurt Warner-Eli Manning

Back to basics for Giants offense


RAWALPINDI (Pakistan): Sri Lanka qualified for the final of a three-nation one-day tournament yesterday after their match with Zimbabwe was called off due to overnight rain.

Sri Lanka reach final


Five people were killed yesterday when a small airplane crashed in bad weather near an apartment complex for seniors, authorities said.

Small plane crashes in Texas, killing all five aboard


The No. 5 U.S. bank said third-quarter profit rose 14 percent, helped by increased lending to consumers and a decline in bad loans.

Wachovia Profit Rises 14 Percent


AP - The NFL agreed Monday to  #36;8 billion in contract extensions with Fox and CBS to televise Sunday afternoon games for six more years, deals that would also allow the league to show better matchups late in the season in prime time.

NFL OKs 6-Year Extensions With Fox, CBS (AP)


BP PLC reported an 11 percent increase in production for the third quarter on Monday, which may help its profit results over the same period.

Oil Giant BP Reports Increase in 3Q


By John Carroll Special to ZDNet November 4, 2004, 6:11 AM PT. This priority retains its ranking at number five as more and more companies deploy Web services to share business logic, data and processes with each other and with clients.

Firefox, bah humbug


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Top U.S. retailers reported  double-digit profit gains in the third quarter, with industry  titan Wal-Mart Stores Inc. <A HREF=

Wall Street Not Buying Retail's Optimism


With more people having high-speed connections at home, there will be less holiday shopping at work.

The Internets Retail Appeal


Defensive coordinator Greg Blache spent the last five seasons in the same position in Chicago and has Washington prepared for Sunday.

Loaded for Bears


JBoss Application Server 4.0, the next version of the open-source application server, was released on Monday. The company claims that JBoss AS 4.0 is the first open-source application server to achieve J2EE

JBoss reaches certification landmark


Reuters - British advertising firm WPP has agreed\to buy smaller U.S. rival Grey Global for  #36;1.31 billion,\equally divided in cash and shares, to put it on par with\industry leader Omnicom.

WPP Buys Grey Global for  #36;1.31 Billion (Reuters)


Private insurers have told the Bush administration that they will not expand their role in Medicare if they have to serve large multistate regions.

Insurers Object to New Provision in Medicare Law


Rowing Australia, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and women #39;s coach Harold Jahrling had to take some responsibility for Sally Robbins #39; failure to keep going in the women #39;s eight final, sports psychologist Jeff Bond said.

Psychologist cutback to blame: claim


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

4 studios back Toshiba #39;s HD DVD


All-Star shortstop Edgar Renteria told The Boston Globe he has agreed to a \$40 million, four-year contract with the Red Sox, the paper reported on its Web site Wednesday.

Report: Renteria OKs Deal With Red Sox


Version 7.2 is the first update since mid-2003. The new release is based on version 1.7 of Mozilla, the most recent version of the Mozilla internet application suite.

AOL releases Netscape browser update


ST. LOUIS - The designers of the first private manned rocket to burst into space were handed a \$10 million check yesterday, a prize to encourage technology that will open the heavens to tourists.

National Briefs


AP - Yana Klochkova of Ukraine completed an Olympic sweep of the individual medleys, winning gold in the 200-meter IM Tuesday night. Amanda Beard of Irvine, Calif., made a dramatic move from fifth to second on the breaststroke portion and earned the silver in 2:11.70  #151; her fifth career Olympic medal.

Klochkova Wins 200 IM, Beard Takes Silver (AP)


KABUL: Afghans vote Saturday in the first direct presidential elections in their history, under the threat of violence from anti-US militants and Osama bin Laden #39;s terror network.

Afghans vote in first elections under shadow of violence


ATLANTA -- Normally when the first week in November rolls around, there are still some golf accounts to be settled, bragging rights to be declared.

Only thing left is Vijay #39;s coronation


The nation #39;s largest provider of satellite radio will launch a premium internet music service in early October. XM Satellite Radio, the nation #39;s largest provider of satellite radio with more than 2.1 million

XM Radio To Launch Online Radio Stations


CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Catcher Doug Mirabelli reportedly is the first of 16 free agents to re-sign with the World Series champion Boston Red Sox.

Mirabelli, Red Sox reach terms: report


In what promises to be a second record-breaking flight in less than eight months, NASA aims to make aviation history today by flying an airplane powered by a scramjet engine at 10 times the speed of sound.

NASA aims for fastest flight


Payless ShoeSource beats analyst estimates, but is its stock too expensive?

Too High for a Comfortable Fit


Damien Martyn blasted an unbeaten 80 as Australia powered to 245-4 at tea in the first day of the third Test in Nagpur. He was ably supported by Darren Lehman, who made a quickfire 70 before being dismissed

Martyn on fire as Aussies pile on the runs


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

The Great Southwest Salt Saga


Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has approved bids for construction of 1,000 homes in Jewish West Bank settlements after freezing them earlier this month, amid growing friction with the United States over continued settlement expansion.

Sharon Resumes West Bank Construction


F5 bolsters firewall family\The latest additions to F5 Networks lineup are two new security products announced Monday that are designed for enterprise networks. FirePass 4100 is the latest version of F5s firewall product line designed to provide secure remote access to corporate applications and data using a standard Web browser. The firewall secures Web-based remote access to corporate applications and desktops. TrafficShield 4100 is a Web application firewall designed for the application layer of networks that enforces granular security policies to protect Web applications, as well as database information from both random and targeted application security attacks. Prices for FirePass begin at \$24,990 for 100 concurrent users, and TrafficShield prices begin at \$39,990. FirePass 4100 and TrafficShield 4100 are available this week.\FirePass 4100, TrafficShield 4100, F5 Networks

Product Previews


TORONTO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court upheld  a patent infringement finding against BlackBerry e-mail device  maker Research In Motion Ltd. <A HREF=

BlackBerry Maker's Patent Suit Upheld


MOSCOW (Russia): The editor of Russia #39;s top daily Izvestia was forced to resign Monday after its owner ruled that the paper #39;s coverage of the Beslan school hostage crisis was  quot;too emotional quot;.

Editor sacked, Arab TV bureau chief arrested over Beslan coverage


The head of the International Monetary Fund on Tuesday urged developed countries to do more for Africa, including opening their markets to trade.

IMF Official Urges Nations to Do More


AP - Arab foreign ministers backed Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday against international calls to remove Syrian forces from its tiny neighbor, even though several Arab nations have publicly stepped up pressure on Syria to comply.

Arab Leaders Acquiesce Over Syria, Lebanon (AP)


Mozilla browser is less complete than Internet Explorer but is much more than just an anti-Microsoft statement. Is computing not making the progress it used to, or did I just read a story

Firefox Is a Worthy Adversary


Olympique Lyon midfielder Florent Malouda will earn his first cap for France on Wednesday after coach Raymond Domenech named him in his starting line-up for the friendly against Poland.

Lyon #39;s Malouda to earn first France cap against Poland


The Seattle Mariners signed catcher Dan Wilson to a one-year contract Tuesday, bringing back a fan favorite who represents a link to the team #39;s historic 1995 breakthrough.

Seattle catcher Dan Wilson agrees to one-year contract


Reuters - A senior U.S. official said on Saturday\Iran was

U.S. Says Iran 'Isolated' in Nuclear Quest (Reuters)


AP - Jaret Wright and the Yankees closed in on a three-year contract Tuesday night worth  #36;20 million to  #36;21 million, the first major move by New York to revamp its aging rotation.

Yankees Close in on Deal With Wright (AP)


Reuters - Oil prices extended recent heavy losses\on Wednesday ahead of weekly U.S. data expected to show fuel\stocks rising in time for peak winter demand.

Oil Retreat Deepens Ahead of U.S. Data (Reuters)


OSLO, Norway - Confronting a grocery store with its promise to pay shoppers a bonus if they found any products with expired freshness dates, two enterprising teens turned a 7,000 kroner (\$1,030) profit by loading up shopping carts with out-of-date beer they weren't old enough to buy.    The boys, ages 14 and 15, got their reward despite being underage, the Oslo daily Verdens Gang reported Tuesday...

Underage Teens Turn Profit on Old Beer


Jeff Bagwell and Raul Chavez homered, and the Houston Astros took a 2-0 lead over the Atlanta Braves heading into the fourth inning Thursday, as Houston moved a step closer to winning a playoff series for the first time.

Astros Lead Braves


The grip on the steering wheel will be a little tighter, aggressions will run a little higher and emotions will be flowing stronger than ever.

Drivers hope to cut to the Chase


BMW has reported a lower-than-expected 7.6 percent rise in third-quarter pretax profit, but has reaffirmed its forecast for record revenues, earnings and car sales in 2004.

BMW misses 3rd quarter forecast


When Ayatullah Sistani speaks, millions obey. Can the conscience of\the nation make it safe for democracy?

Iraq's Shadow Ruler


JEDDAH, 30 November 2004 - Saudi Arabia plans to raise its oil production capacity to 12.5 million barrels per day from the current 11 million bpd over the next few years, Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Ali Al-Naimi said yesterday.

Kingdom to Raise Oil Output Capacity to 12.5m bpd: Naimi


Traveling this Thanksgiving may not be as easy as it was last year. And that is both good and bad news. On the upside: The long lines at airports

Holiday travel back on the map


Luke Donald kept his cool in the Swiss mountains to see off two of his more distinguished Ryder Cup team-mates and win the European Masters here yesterday.

Donald #39;s revival lifts Langer


Lazio will have to play their next European home game behind closed doors following racist abuse by their fans, UEFA has announced.

Lazio given stadium ban over racist fans


The Capitals join several teams in announcing the cancellation of the preseason and some regular season games on Tuesday.

Home Games Scrapped


Senator John Kerry said that the plan to move 70,000 troops out of Europe and Asia was ill-advised in view of the North Korean nuclear threat.

Kerry Criticizes President's Troop Plan


Danish electronics equipment maker RTX Telecom (RTX.CO: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Monday it had signed an agreement with Skype, a provider of Internet-based voice telephony, to develop and market cordless handsets.

RTX Provides Cordless Phones for Net-Based Calls