US stocks edged barely higher in early Tuesday afternoon trading as investors anticipated the Federal Reserve would stay on its course of only  quot;measured quot; interest-rate increases.

Stocks Rise as Goldman, Lehman Earns Gain


A replacement crew for the International Space Station blasted off aboard a Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Russia early today.

Relief Crew Is on Its Way to Space Station


IRVING, Texas -- By now, according to the script, Bill Parcells should be deep into a Super Bowl journey, with a Monday night opportunity to take in a little more of the breathtaking scenery.

McCaffery:Desperate Cowboys are Eagles challenge


WASHINGTON It #39;s a global celestial event and scientists say the annual Geminid Meteor Shower is the best astronomy show of the year.

Geminid meteor showers alarm area residents


CHIP FIRM AMD has got itself very excited because Atari has released a game that takes advantage of 64-bitness. The game, called Shadow Ops: Red Mercury, has more detail, uses artificial intelligence and  quot;never before seen textures quot;.

Atari launches 64-bit AMD 64 game


BAGHDAD, Iraq Aug. 30, 2004 - Rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called for his followers across Iraq to end fighting against US and Iraqi forces and is planning to join the political process in the coming days, an al-Sadr aide said Monday.

Al-Sadr Calls on Militia to Stop Fighting


Among the promoters of electronic voting machines are advocates for disabled voters. But critics say money connections between disability groups and voting-machine companies suggest the groups may be concerned with more than independent access for the disabled. By Kim Zetter.

Diebold and the Disabled


SEPTEMBER 21, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Microsoft Corp. may make more large acquisitions than it has done historically and become a more distributed company rather than moving key employees to its Redmond, Wash

Microsoft CFO: Expect more acquisitions


Industrial orders have jumped to a six-year high this month, a survey showed yesterday as a sharp fall in mortgage approvals pointed to a slowdown in the housing market.

Industry buoyant as orders flood in


The world must do far more to reduce greenhouse gases than merely meet the targets set in 1998 at the Kyoto environmental conference in Japan, Australias environment minister says.

World in Brief


BO THONG, THAILAND - Thailand #39;s prime minister has admitted that the army made mistakes dealing with an anti-government demonstration that left dozens of people dead.

Thai PM apologizes for riot  #39;mistakes #39;


DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp. <A HREF=

GM Hikes Incentives After Weak Sales


A group that earlier this year offered for sale the source code of a popular intrusion detection system now is selling what it says is a copy of the source code for a recent version of Cisco Systems Inc.

For Sale: Cisco Firewall Source Code


Once Wall Street stalwarts, the future of Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley are now being questioned - a sign of the broad changes in the financial landscape in recent years.

The Incredible Shrinking Investment Bank


Cox Enterprises, the privately held parent of the cable giant Cox Communications, reached an agreement yesterday to buy out the public minority shareholders in its cable business for \$8.

Cox Parent to Buy Out Public Shareholders


Nigel McFarlane boils down all the competition between browsers into a single score for each browser. Take this article to your local second-hand browser dealer to test his honesty.

Searching for Substance: Web Browser Olympic Scorecard


ATHENS - The Australian women and American men ended the swimming competition at the Athens 2004 Olympics Games in style Saturday, both breaking world records in the 4x100 meter medley relays.

World marks go in the pool


Denver-based Qwest Communications International Inc. (NYSE: Q) has agreed to a pay \$250 million fine to settle a wide-ranging fraud investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Associated Press reported Thursday.

Qwest agrees to pay \$250 million to settle fraud case


College basketball: Men -- Indiana vs. UConn at Hartford Civic Center, noon; Pioneer Valley Classic at Westfield, 1 and 3 p.m.; BU at UNH, 2 p.m.; Harvard at Maine, 2 p.m.; Babson at Salem St., 2 p.m.; Wheaton at Endicott, 2 p.m.; Tufts at Clark, 2 p.m.; Maine-Presque Isle Tournament at Presque Isle, Maine: Boston Baptist vs. Bowdoin, 2 p.m.; ...

Today's schedule


Changes are likely when the Tour de France route for 2005 is announced on Thursday.

Cycling: Tour de France changes


TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar edged up against the euro on  Tuesday, expanding the previous day's gains as traders took  stern words from European officials against the U.S. currency's  weakness as a signal to take profits.

Dollar Inches Up


The Democrats appear to be gaining the upper hand in the battle to sign up new voters in the all-important swing states, an Associated Press analysis suggests.    The AP analysis of the most up-to-date figures from across the country found that the Democrats have registered more new voters than the Republicans have in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and New Hampshire, while the GOP has done better in Iowa and appears to be holding its own in Florida...

Democrats Signing Up More New Voters


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Corey Dillon ran for a pair of  touchdowns and Tom Brady threw for 315 yards as the New England  Patriots registered a 27-19 win over the Chiefs in the Monday  night game in Kansas City.

Dillon, Brady Lead Patriots to 24th Win in 25 Games


AFP - The United States posted disappointingly weak jobs growth in September, adding firepower to a pre-election Democratic assault on President George W. Bush's record.

US posts tepid jobs growth in September, potential blow to Bush (AFP)


The prospect that a tropical storm and a hurricane - or possibly two hurricanes - could strike Florida on the same day is something meteorologists say they have never seen.

Simultaneous Tropical Storms are Very Rare


The trial pitting software giant Oracle Corp. (ORCL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) against unwilling takeover target PeopleSoft Inc.

Judge: Oracle, PeopleSoft Drawn Closer


Paul Peterson threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez with 54 seconds left to give Boston College a 24-23 victory over No.

Boston College 24, No. 24 Notre Dame 23


SYDNEY (Dow Jones)--OPEC should reaffirm its willingness to increase oil production when it meets next month and give a clear commitment to boosting production capacity, the head of the International

INTERVIEW: IEA Head Renews Call For OPEC Capacity Boost


London: Manchester United, the worlds wealthiest football club, confirmed on Monday they have received a preliminary approach regarding a possible takeover bid.

Club confirms preliminary approach


AFP - Mark Thatcher and his lawyers fought a call to answer questions on his alleged role in a coup plot in Equatorial Guinea, saying any trial in the oil-rich west African state would amount to a  quot;military tribunal. quot;

Thatcher fights questions by Equatorial Guinea on coup plot (AFP)


The federal government has long imposed unique ethical responsibilities on its contractors. Following the defense procurement scandals of the 1980s such as Operation Ill Wind, Congress considerably increased

Infotech and the Law: Druyun fallout will be felt long and hard


Calpers, the biggest US pension fund, said on Thursday that it had tendered its 1.5 million shares of PeopleSoft Inc. (PSFT) to Oracle Corp.

Calpers Tendered Its PeopleSoft Shares


TOKYO/SEOUL (Reuters) - Heavy rain from typhoon Megi has lashed South Korea and Japan, prompting the evacuation of some 3,000 people and leaving at least 12 dead. Some 165 Japanese children were trapped at a nature centre.

Typhoon Megi kills 12


The South African Richard Sterne rescued his European Tour career in brilliant fashion yesterday by winning the Madrid Open with a closing 65.

Sterne wins in Madrid to salvage European career


Oil prices were hovering close to last weeks record high today after breaking through the 50 US dollars mark again. Production problems in the Gulf of Mexico due to

Oil Prices Nudge Record High


Telstras embattled chief executive resigned on Wednesday as Australias largest telecommunications company prepared for the A\$30bn sale of the governments remaining shareholding.

Telstra chief resigns ahead of privatisation


THE enduring mystery of why the chicken really did cross the road has come a step closer to being solved definitively, following a detailed analysis of the birds genetic blueprint.

We #39;re closer to knowing why the chicken crossed the road


SINGAPORE (Reuters) - NYMEX crude oil futures <CLc1> hit a  new record of \$46.76 on Monday on worries about possible unrest  and disruption to oil supply as Venezuelans voted in a  referendum on whether to recall President Hugo Chavez.

NYMEX Crude Hits Record \$46.76


LONDON - The compact disc has at least another five years as the most popular music format before online downloads chip away at its dominance, a new study said on Tuesday.

CDs to dominate for years over net downloads, study shows


From a changed attitude at PeopleSoft Inc. to the company's acquisition of J.D. Edwards   Co. last year, Craig Conway clearly made a difference during his five years as CEO.

PeopleSoft's Craig Conway had hits, losses


NTT DoCoMo Inc., Japan #39;s largest mobile-phone operator, and MMO2 Plc will introduce a cellular- phone service in the UK, Ireland and Germany based on the Japanese carrier #39;s i-mode wireless Internet technology.

DoCoMo, MMO2 to Offer I-Mode Service in UK, Ireland (Update1)


NetSuite, a growing provider of on-demand CRM and ERP capabilities, has released Version 10 of its application suite, introducing a range of new analytical capabilities aimed at improving management visibility and customer profitability.

NetSuite Retools With Analytics and a Recommendation Engine


MSN's Search Engine Preview is Back\\At the end of July I reviewed MSN's first tech preview for their new search engine. I wasn't impressed. (Man, I'm getting crabby. Hey you kids, get off my lawn! Where's my Geritol?!) Now there's another preview available at http://techpreview.search.msn.com/ and the relevancy is much ...

MSNs Search Engine Preview is Back


In an effort to help ensure standardization, the Free Standards Group has officially released the Linux Standard Base (LSB) 2.0, a specification composed of interoperability standards, a base set of APIs and libraries and developer environments and test

To Standardize Linux


Intel unveiled its latest ultra-high-end processor platform, the Pentium 4 Extreme Edition, with a higher-speed frontside bus and more cache and memory.

Intel Offers Ultra-High-End P4 Extreme Edition


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

Tiny chips to keep track of drug bottles


MORE than 50 military aircraft dropped 120 million origami birds over southern Thailand yesterday in a gesture of peace towards three largely Muslim provinces where 540 people have died in violent clashes this year.

Paper birds of peace fly to appease Thailand #39;s Muslims


the Georgia #39;s equipment truck arrived at Commonweatlth Stadium enabling the Bulldogs to dress for the game. David Greene, who passed for 259 yards, and Thomas Brown, who rushed for a career-high 130 yards.

Trackin #39; the Top 25


Rep. John Conyers says unnecessary political divisions have brought the Federal Communications Commission to a policy standstill.

Broadband needs a nonpartisan FCC


NEW YORK - Yesterday, Howard Stern--who loudly claims to dominate media, but has rarely, if ever, added one iota to the sum of human knowledge--made waves by announcing he will move his act to another medium.

Google Print: The Next Big Thing


COLLEGE STATION, Texas (Ticker) -- No. 22 Texas A amp;M hopes to avenge a brutal loss to Oklahoma when it hosts the second-ranked Sooners on Saturday.

Texas A amp;M Aggies


So instead of phoning home, it could have been more energy-efficient if ET had inscribed information and physically sent it, because radio waves disperse as they travel.

ET should have written home instead...


AP - Former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu was suspended for seven months and fined about  #36;35,000 by the English Football Association on Thursday after testing positive for cocaine.

Drug Test Sidelines Mutu for Seven Months (AP)


The next presidential debate will be held October 8th at Washington University in St. Louis. The notable difference between this debate and the last is that

Rocket Launchers Allowed in Presidential Debate


A technology that delivers internet audio programs directly to iPods and other MP3 players, podcasting is gaining a following among people who can't listen to their favorite shows when they're live. By Daniel Terdiman.

Podcasts: New Twist on Net Audio


LONDON (Reuters) - European stock markets hit fresh  29-month highs on Tuesday, tracking gains in New York and after  HBOS said it will beat forecasts as well as buy back shares.

European Shares at New 29-Month Highs


The owners of Major League Baseball #39;s 30 teams voted almost unanimously today to approve the relocation of the Montreal Expos to Washington, the league reported Dec. 3 on its website.

MLB owners approve Expos #39; relocation to Washington


A leading Hong Kong anti-establishment activist who won a seat in the Chinese territory #39;s legislature has been invited to a reception celebration China #39;s National Day.

Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Lawmakers Invited to China Reception


The 35th running of today #39;s New York City Marathon will test Meb Keflezighi, Paula Radcliffe, Deena Kastor and several other 2004 Olympians.

Olympians back on track


On the campaign trail today, President Bush stressed that the economy  quot;is strong and getting stronger, quot; after the Labor Department released data showing that the economy gained 144,000 jobs in August.

Economy adds 114,000 jobs; four year job growth still negative


AFP - Australian Prime Minister John Howard has vowed to use his government's expanded control over parliament to push through industrial relations, laws which unions said would be the most restrictive in the western world.

Australian PM to crackdown on unions (AFP)


Ottawa is selling off its \$3.1-billion stake in Petro-Canada, the Calgary-based oil company says. The stock sale would be the biggest in Canadian history.

Ottawa to sell off all Petro-Canada shares


People are responsible for the spike in global warming in the last 30 years, says a new US government report. The verdict, long accepted by most scientists, has encountered resistance from the Bush administration

White House report says people cause global warming


PSV Eindhoven look likely to break a run of eight previous failures to reach the knockout phase of the Champions League after their 1-0 win over Norwegians Rosenborg on Tuesday.

PSV on verge of breaking losing Euro streak


AFP - The US Senate voted to raise the debt ceiling by 800 billion dollars to nearly 8.2 trillion dollars, allowing the US government to avoid the unwelcome prospect of running short of operating funds.

Senate votes to raise US debt ceiling to 8.2 trillion dollars (AFP)


The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is following the Recording Industry Association of Americas (RIAA) footsteps by filing lawsuits against BitTorrent clients.

MPAA files lawsuits against P2P networks


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasuries prices slipped on Wednesday  after a survey of regional U.S. manufacturing showed a sharp  recovery in early September, countering signs of softness  elsewhere in the economy.

Treasuries Sag on Signs of Resilience


Police drove through a Darfur camp for displaced people on Wednesday, smashing makeshift homes with their trucks, a UN spokesman and Amnesty International said.

Police attack Darfur refugee camp


The FCC leads the campaign to rein in 'indecency' on the airwaves. But in a world of unlimited spectrum, some think shackling the First Amendment is what's obscene. By Frank Rose from Wired magazine.

Indecency Rules Enter Digital Age


Top leaders of Armenia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Moldova have paid homage to late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping on the occasion of his 100th birthday.

Foreign leaders commemorate centenary of Deng Xiaoping #39;s birth


A heavy bomb exploded near a government office in the Nepal capital, wounding at least 38 people. According to the police three men left a bomb on the first floor of the office of the Employees Provident Fund.

Dozens casualties in Nepal bomb explosion


And you know exactly what he means. Our man on Radio Four (ooooh!) Andy Gray says England should win but in all local derbies it #39;s always the lesser team who cares more.

England vs. Wales = Man Utd vs. Man City


quot;This is the closest Toutatis will come for another 500 years, and its orbit is very well known, quot; said Dr. Don Yeomans of NASA #39;s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif.

Large Asteroid Will Make Its Closest Approach to Earth Wednesday


Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Shawn Green will definitely sit out at least one game of a weekend series against the San Francisco Giants in observance of Yom Kippur, but will wait until Thursday to make his final decision.

Green still undecided on Yom Kippur games


USATODAY.com - Surfing the Web has never been more risky. Simply connecting to the Internet - and doing nothing else - exposes your PC to non-stop, automated break-in attempts by intruders looking to take control of your machine surreptitiously.

Unprotected PCs can be hijacked in minutes (USATODAY.com)


There are some signs of progress in resolving the Nigerian conflict that is riling global oil markets. The leader of militia fighters threatening to widen a battle for control of Nigeria #39;s oil-rich south has

Nigerian talks may aid oil price


Canadian Press - NEW DELHI (AP) - Firefighters and police evacuated thousands of villagers and battled a huge fire Thursday in a government ammunition depot in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, police said.

Huge fire erupts at ammunition depot in eastern India; thousands evacuated (Canadian Press)


washingtonpost.com - The e-mails, often forwarded by friends, vary in wording, but the underlying message is always ominous: Soon, all cell phone numbers will be made public to telemarketing firms. That means, according to one version, that

Bogus E-Mail Worries Users Of Cell Phones (washingtonpost.com)


United Airlines is expected to ask a bankruptcy judge to let it extract new concessions worth \$725 million a year from employees as it seeks to reorganize, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources.

United Airlines Seeks Staff Concessions


The Bush administration #39;s ambitious national missile defense program suffered a major setback on Wednesday when a malfunction forced a shutdown of the first test

First flight test of new missile defense interceptor fails


Tehran hoped to reach a compromise at talks on Saturday over its nuclear program with Britain, Germany and France, which are trying to persuade it to stop enriching uranium, an Iranian negotiator said.

Iran Seeks Compromise at Paris Talks with EU Trio


The Pirates stop a seven-game road losing streak with a 6-1 win over Philadelphia that eliminates the Phillies from playoff contention.

Pirates Eliminate Phillies


ATLANTA - When the Atlanta Braves were six games under .500 in late June, it appeared their streak of division championships would end. Similarly, when the Braves trailed the Florida Marlins in the eighth inning Friday night, it seemed as if they'd have to wait at least one more day to clinch the National League East...

Braves Clinch 13th Straight Division Title


Reuters - Inspectors from the U.N. nuclear\watchdog would like to visit a secret military site in Iran\that an exile group said was a nuclear weapons site, but they\lack the legal authority to go there, U.N. diplomats told\Reuters.

UN Lacks Right to Inspect Sites in Iran -- Diplomats (Reuters)


Singapore #39;s economic growth slowed to 7.7 percent in the third quarter after a 12.5 percent rise in the previous three months, as its central bank said it would keep a tight rein on monetary policy to support growth amid rising oil prices.

Singapore #39;s Growth Slows in Third Quarter


Brian Connolly, president of Furthermore Inc., an online publishing venture and a division of the Literati Group, has issued a letter to the open-source community that contends that his company owns the code behind Mambo Open Source.

Copyright Battle Erups over Open-Source  #39;Mambo #39; Code


It no longer matters that Montana #39;s drive to the NCAA Division I-AA football championship game has featured six straight homefield victories - all

Different routes, same result as teams gird for title game


ISLAMABAD, Dec 16 (AFP) - Taliban militants on Thursday denied any hand in the abduction and murder of a Turkish man in Afghanistan, the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported.

Taliban deny hand in Turkish engineer #39;s murder


Manchester United are within touching distance of a void, and victory by their occasionally-troublesome neighbours on Sunday would sever the remaining strands securing the line to Arsenal and Chelsea.

Manchester Derby has Added Significance for United


LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. shares were poised to start  slightly weaker on Tuesday as investors look past potential  merger activity to a Federal Reserve that is expected to raise  borrowing costs.

US Shares Poised to Start Slightly Weaker


FOXBORO - Sundays upcoming matchup between the Browns and Patriots features a rare twist - two head coaches who know what its like being on the hot seat in Cleveland while presiding over a floundering team.

Belichick feels Daviss pain


Sweden's Joachim Johansson beats defending champion Andy Roddick in five sets.

Tennis: Johansson stuns Roddick


WASHINGTON - Congress is letting employers hire an additional 20,000 foreign high-tech workers under a special visa program after businesses reached the annual ceiling on the first day of the government #39;s fiscal year.

Congress OKs foreigners #39; jobs


BRUSSELS, Dec 15 (AFP) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Brussels late Wednesday ahead of an EU summit widely expected to give Ankara a green light to start membership negotiations with the bloc.

Turkish PM arrives ahead of crunch EU summit


Canadian Press - GATINEAU, Que. (CP) - Transport Minister Jean Lapierre described Canada's ports Friday as

Canadian ports are 'sieves' says Transport Minister Jean Lapierre (Canadian Press)


China #39;s hike in interest rates was a double-edged sword for many investors and economists. At one level, it suggested that Chinese growth is

GLOBAL ECONOMY-China rate hike could avert global slowdown


The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have launched a criminal investigation into the financial accounting practices of network gear maker Nortel Networks just days before the company is set to release some of its restated financial results.

Mounties initiate Nortel investigation


Although Omar Minaya, the Mets' general manager, has not extended a contract offer, he is competing with the most prominent teams in baseball for Pedro Martnez.

Mets Meet Martnez for Dinner at Home


In the country #39;s biggest-ever privatization auction, ConocoPhillips on Wednesday paid nearly \$2 billion for a 7.59 percent stake in LUKoil, sealing a strategic alliance between the oil majors and revitalizing energy ties between Russia and the United

LUKoil-Conoco Deal Opens Way to Iraq


Microsoft will release its long-awaited update to its Windows operating system in 2006 without its advanced file search capability, the company said last week.

Microsoft Delays New Windows Search Feature


With political activity skyrocketing on the web, election officials may be forced to regulate. Also: Yahoo stays strong and growing   hellip;. 7-Eleven joins 21st century   hellip;. and more.

FEC Might MoveOn to the Internet


BASRA: A car bomb exploded near the US embassy office in the southern Iraqi city of Basra yesterday, killing two people and wounding three, but no Americans were injured.

Bombers target embassy


Google Inc. plans to announce on Thursday that it is adding a new search service aimed at scientists and academic researchers. Google Scholar, which was scheduled to

Google Plans New Service for Scientists and Scholars


Defensive lineman Bobby Fallon intercepted a tipped pass and ran 17 yards for a touchdown to start Penn on its way to a 20-14 win over Cornell yesterday in Ithaca, N.Y.

Big Red can't complete the job


Deutsche Bank AG, Germnany #39;s largest bank, said Friday it increased its net profit by 18 percent in the third quarter by clamping down on costs and bad loans while increasing profit from trading securities.

Deutsche Bank Boosts Profit Through Cuts


A Chilean judge questions former dictator Augusto Pinochet about secret US bank accounts.

Pinochet probed on bank accounts


Tim Henman, the British No 1, lost his rain-delayed opening match against the world No 2 Andy Roddick at the Masters Cup in Houston this morning.

Roddick ousts Henman in Houston


One of the most feared members of the Bosnian-Serb army, who was accused of decapitating between 80 and 100 Muslims in 1995 and of carrying out the

Suspect in Srebrenica massacre arrested


AP - Mark Calcavecchia briefly took the lead Friday before a double bogey left him one stroke behind leader Roland Thatcher after the first round of the rain-delayed Reno-Tahoe Open.

Golfer Thatcher Leads at Reno-Tahoe Open (AP)


UNITED NATIONS Washington wants the UN Security Council to meet next month at the site of peace talks in Kenya between rebels in southern Sudan and Khartoum's government, US Ambassador John Danforth said yesterday. Such a meeting would underline how important nailing down a peace deal in southern Sudan is to reaching overall peace across the vast northeast African nation, ...

Security Council focuson Sudan urged by US


It #39;s unfortunately not the next Uncharted Waters game, but the remake of a classic Sid Meier #39;s title will certainly do... Atari and Firaxis Games announced today that the highly-anticipated sequel to one of

Pirates! Ships!


 By Ignacio Badal

 SANTIAGO, Chile (Reuters) - Three court-appointed doctorsexamined Chile's former military dictator Augusto Pinochet onThursday, a key step that will decide whether the 88-year-oldgeneral will stand trial for human rights abuses.

Court Doctors Examine Pinochet for Trial


Mizuho, one of Japan #39;s four biggest banking groups, reported Monday that group net profit for the first fiscal half fell 8.4 percent from the previous year, despite some progress in getting rid of bad debts.

Japanese Banking Group Mizuho Reports Dip


Hall of Famer Juli Inkster, looking to extend to her streak of winning a tournament to eight years, shot a 5-under 66 Friday and took a one-stroke lead over Christina Kim after two rounds of the LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge.

Inkster takes one-stroke lead over Kim


BURLINGAME, CALIF.-- BEA Systems is expanding the open source Beehive initiative but still has no plans to participate in the Eclipse open source tools organization, despite the embrace of Beehive by Eclipse.

BEA buzzing about Beehive


Intel has teamed up with Globio, a nonprofit educational group, to set up a wireless network for researchers at China #39;s Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan province, the home of the endangered giant panda.

Intel gives wireless boost to Chinese panda research


DreamWorks Animation creator of  quot;Shrek quot; and  quot;Shark Tale, quot; raised \$812 million in an initial public offering to fund more moviemaking.

DreamWorks #39; initial offering pulls in 812M


Janette Fennell became an auto safety crusader on the terrible night nearly a decade ago when she and her husband were robbed at gunpoint and forced into the trunk of their car. The Fennells escaped unharmed, and the experience led them to form a group that lobbied successfully to get the government to require release levers in trunks.

Woman's Crusade Prompts Car Safety Improvements


Inside a University of Colorado lab, simulated earthquakes rattle steel beams. Frequently, the beams shatter, mortar walls crumble and welds break.

CU at epicenter of efforts to help fight quake damage


SPACE.com - Next Fourth of July, NASA will slam a heavy probe the size of a garbage can \  into a comet, purposely carving a football-field sized crater for inspection. \  As for nbsp;what exactly nbsp;will happen, nbsp;however, nobody really knows.

How Collisions Shaped an Asteroid (SPACE.com)


Talladega, AL (Sports Network) - Veteran Joe Nemechek circled the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway in 50.202 seconds (190.749 mph) to win the pole for Sunday #39;s EA Sports 500 Nextel Cup event.

Front Row Joe takes pole at Talladega


Reuters - T-Mobile USA, the U.S. wireless unit\of Deutsche Telekom AG (DTEGn.DE), does not expect to offer\broadband mobile data services for at least the next two years,\its chief executive said on Thursday.

T-Mobile USA Sees High-Speed Network 2 Years Off (Reuters)


Argentines irate over perceived security lapses in a nightclub fire that killed 188 people, many of them teenagers, banged pots and pans in protest Monday and vowed to march against city officials.

Argentine Protesters Want Mayor to Resign


Tony Siragusa is right: Joey Harrington isn #39;t his kind of guy. But being a Siragusa kind of guy was never high on Harrington #39;s priority list anyway.

Harrington fires back in response to Siragusa #39;s comments


AP - An anti-union group is urging the Federal Election Commission to investigate one of the largest unions in the country, claiming the Service Employees International Union unlawfully spent workers' dues to elect Democrats in last week's election.

FEC Union Election Spending Probe Sought (AP)


Fans of wireless internet access can now find their nearest wi-fi hotspot using their mobile phone.

Mobiles track down wi-fi hotspots


ORACLE CORP. <A HREF=

Stocks to Watch


Reuters - Negotiations on where to build the\world's first nuclear fusion reactor ended without an agreement\on either of the two sides under consideration in France and\Japan, a Western diplomat said on Tuesday.

No Deal on Nuclear Fusion Reactor Site - Diplomat (Reuters)


US Army Sgt. Charles Robert Jenkins -- accused of defecting to North Korea 39 years ago -- is back on active duty Saturday after voluntarily turning himself at a military base in Japan.

#39;Deserter #39; surrenders at US base


CHICAGO (Ticker) -- After splitting a doubleheader Friday, the Chicago Cubs and Florida Marlins continue battling for the National League wild card when they meet Saturday at Wrigley Field.

C. Zambrano, P


STUNNING images have captured what astronomers call  quot;the graceful interactions of a galactic ballet, played out on a stage some 300 million light years away quot;.

UK scientists help astronomers capture  #39;galactic ballet #39; 300m <b>...</b>


First-base umpire Ed Montague left Sunday #39;s game between the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers before the start of the fifth inning because of an elevated blood pressure.

Umpire leaves Mariners-Rangers game


The leadership of the pilots #39; union at US Airways voted late Friday night to hold last-ditch talks with the airline on its bid for wage and benefit cuts.

US Airways pilots offer last-ditch talks


The networking giant announces plans for its first research center in China and for a venture investment program in India.

Cisco to invest more heavily in Asia


AP - A bomb targeting a prominent Shiite cleric killed seven people outside one of southern Iraq's holiest shrines Wednesday as campaigning began for Iraq's first post-Saddam elections  #151; a vote that is going ahead despite suicide attacks and assassinations by Sunni insurgents.

Bomb at Shiite Shrine Kills 7 in Karbala (AP)


Cazenove and JP Morgan Chase  amp; Co. unveiled a joint venture that effectively ends 181 years of independence for the UK stockbroker and gives a big boost to the US investment bank #39;s UK presence.

Cazenove, JP Morgan Unveil Joint Venture


The Israeli military says a Palestinian mortar has slammed into a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip, killing a woman. The military says the mortar fell in the Neve Dekalim settlement, located in the southern part of the territory.

Israeli Woman Dies in Mortar Attack


Chargers Coach Marty Schottenheimer lashes out at his news conference at Jacksonville center Brad Meester for what he believes was a cheap shot on Chargers nose tackle Jamal Williams.

Marty Gets Mad


STANFORD, CALIF. -- On Monday, the same day the California Senate passed a bill that would ban state agencies from contracting services out to companies that use overseas labor, opponents and proponents of offshore outsourcing clashed during a conference at Stanford University.
ADVERTISEMENT

<img src=

Outsourcing issue flares up at chip conference


AP - Jury selection began Monday for a Haitian paramilitary leader convicted in absentia of killing a businessman and ordering a massacre in the early 1990s but is facing the charges again after returning to lead a revolt against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Haitian Rebel Leader Appears for Trial (AP)


IronPort Systems today unveiled new versions of its C-Series line of Email Security Appliances, offering new features to help administrators predict new virus outbreaks and manage corporate e-mail security.

IronPort updates e-mail security appliance


Carolina Panthers punter Todd Sauerbrun was arrested and charged with driving while impaired, a police spokeswoman said Thursday. Sauerbrun also was charged Wednesday night with speeding and with driving while

Panthers punter arrested for DWI, other charges


A California start-up thinks so. Its 96-processor unit is aimed at the film industry and life sciences researchers, among others.

A renaissance for the workstation?


AP - When divers first reported lionfish off the North Carolina coast four years ago, biologist Paula Whitfield thought it must be a mistake or an aberration. The poisonous, carnivorous Indo-Pacific lionfish is native to tropical waters half a world away  #151; not the seas off the Outer Banks.

Mission Studying Lionfish Off N.C. Coast (AP)


HOBART : A second pod of 17 whales has died in a mysterious mass beaching on King Island in the Bass Strait off Australia #39;s south coast following the fatal stranding of 80 whales and dolphins at the weekend.

More whales dead and stranded off Australia #39;s south coast


Home builder Lennar Corp. reported a 12 percent rise in quarterly profit Monday, and a stable economy led it to raise its profit forecasts for the current and following year.

Lennar 3Q profit up by 12


No one may be more prepared to brave this week #39;s holiday travel rush than Craig and Angela Koven, of Indianapolis, who plan to fly to Orlando to visit family.

Let the stuffing begin


NEW YORK (Reuters) - CNNfn, the financial news cable  network owned by Time Warner Inc. <A HREF=

CNNfn Network to Close by Mid-December


College field hockey: Providence at URI, 3:30 p.m.; Elms at Becker, 4 p.m.; Union at Middlebury, 4 p.m.; Bates at Husson, 5 p.m.; Northeastern at Harvard, 7 p.m.; UConn at BC, 7 p.m.; Dartmouth at UNH, 7 p.m.; Quinnipiac at Yale, 7 p.m.

Today's schedule


The Northwestern boys' basketball team has been barred from postseason play after an infractions committee found they violated state rules for the third consecutive year.

Northwestern Barred


While the world #39;s best athletes fight the noble Olympic battle in stadiums and pools, their fans storm the streets of Athens, turning the Greek capital into a huge international party every night.

Games Rock Athens, Thousands Party Nightly


Prague, Czech Republic (Sports Network) - Juventus star and Czech national team captain Pavel Nedved will sit out international matches until he completely recovers from a knee injury, even though he is still playing for his club team Juventus.

Nedved just taking a break from international play


AP - The NHL and the players' association appeared headed toward a lockout when talks broke off Thursday after the union's first new proposal in nearly a year.

NHL Lockout Looming As Talks Break Off (AP)


Washington - Four of the nations largest Internet providers Thursday announced a new round of lawsuits designed to thwart email spammers, including the first major case involving spam sent via an instant messaging service.

DAILY DIGEST


LONDON (Reuters) - The United States swept past Belarus  Saturday to clinch their first Davis Cup final appearance since  1997.

Bryans Lead U.S. Into Final, Spain Leads France


The U.S. Interior Department can keep its computers connected to the Internet despite the fact that hackers could manipulate royalty payments owed to American Indians for use of their land, an appeals court ruled Friday.

Court Says Interior Dept. Web Site Can Stay Online


Most investors envy Jack R. Meyer with his double-digit returns over the past year, but even he says he will have trouble making much money in the years to come.

Don #39;t bank on double-digit returns from funds


Whether you're into science fiction's predicted future or just like bizarre creatures, here's an art show for you. Rachel Metz reports from New York.

Sci-Fi Paints a Pretty Picture


Foxboro junior Tim Cheney opened last night's Hockomock League heavyweight matchup against North Attleboro at his 2-yard line with a bobble and a stumble. He was fleet-footed the rest of the way, regaining control to take the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and lead Foxboro to a 32-7 romp of the Red Rocketeers.

Cheney in fine form for Foxboro


US stocks advanced on Friday as a jump in September retail sales boosted investor confidence in the economy, but oil prices at a fresh record of \$55 a barrel kept gains in check.

Stocks End Higher; Oil Curbs Gains


French President Jacques Chirac says France will hold a referendum on Turkey #39;s entry to the European Union. Speaking to reporters Friday in Strasbourg, France, Mr.

France Wants Referendum on Turkey #39;s EU Entry


Arsenal equaled Nottingham Forest #39;s 42-match unbeaten league record by battling back from 3-1 down to beat Middlesbrough 5-3 at Highbury, with French international striker Thierry Henry scoring twice.

Arsenal fight back to match record


The head of information security at Toyota spoke candidly this week to an audience of press, analysts and IT bosses about his concerns over claims made by some security vendors and resellers.

Toyota: Some security firms promise too much


The government, keen to make Italy the first country to ratify the EU constitutional treaty, was setto greenlight the necessary bill in a cabinet meeting late Friday afternoon.

Italy govt set to begin European Constitution ratification


The offices of the Equestrian Federation of Ireland were broken into in another twist in the Irish Olympic gold medal controversy, it has emerged today.

Break-in Twist in Olympic Horse Dope Test Probe


Amazon and Microsoft have filed lawsuits against companies that used their names to commit fraud on the Internet. One suit accuses Gold Disk Canada of  quot;spoofing, quot; or sending e-mails that appear

Amazon, Microsoft Sue Spammers


Huntsman Corp., one of the world #39;s largest chemical makers, on Wednesday said it plans to sell about \$1.6 billion of its common shares in an initial public offering, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Huntsman Files for \$1.6 Billion IPO


Merck Labs has pulled Vioxx, their arthritis drug, off the market after discovering during trials the possibility of a link to stroke or heart attack.

Why put this drug on the market?


US long-term mortgage rates dropped this week to their lowest levels seen in six months, Freddie Mac reported Thursday in its weekly nationwide survey.

US long-term mortgage rates fall this week


With Adrian Mutu embroiled in a drugs scandal, Didier Drogba recovering from an operation and Mateja Kezman looking off-colour, Chelsea have few attacking options as they prepare to host CSKA Moscow on Wednesday.

UPDATE 2-CSKA looking for point against misfiring Chelsea


\\Sam  posts an interesting proposal.  This is better than the HTTP delta\suggestion but still has a few issues.\\The client needs to know the ETags before it can start performing differential\fetches.  With date ranges you still preserve the initial archive query.  For\example when you first subscribe to a feed you could fetch 30 days worth of\posts.  If you like the feed you can even fetch *older* posts which could be\really cool.  Also even if you still use faster checksum algorithm like CRC32 or\Adler32 you still have an O(N) performance hit for your document.  If you have a\btree on your post dates you will gave O(log(N)) for search for a much smaller\string (64bit in most situations).  F ...\\

Vary: ETag Extensions


HOUSTON (Reuters) - A fired-up Lleyton Hewitt underlined  his determination to end the season with a third Masters Cup  title as he rallied past Spain's Carlos Moya 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 to  complete their rain-delayed opening match Tuesday.

Fired Up Hewitt Rallies Past Moya


PARIS, France -- Swiss striker Alexander Frei left Marseille fans calling for the resignation of president Christophe Bouchet with the only goal as Stade Rennes won 1-0.

Frei piles the agony on Marseille


Gebrselassie has already won everything under the sun. Twice an Olympic champion, in Atlanta and Sydney, the 10,000m legend has dominated the event for nearly ten years. By the time of Atlanta 1996, Gebrselassie was already the reigning world record ...

Swansong for Gebrselassie


The New York Yankees are comfortably the richest team in baseball. Their \$180m annual wage bill is more than double that of most of their counterparts, and they have many of the game #39;s most luminous stars in their line-up.

Yankees humbled in the Bronx


A SUICIDE car bomber ploughed into an Iraqi military checkpoint north-west of Baghdad, killing 16 Iraqis and wounding about 30, as United States and Iraqi forces sealed off roads south of the capital to curb insurgency.

Suicide car bomber kills 16


Bomb blasts rocked southern Thailand on Friday as Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra promised to get to the bottom of the deaths of 78 Muslims in military custody and punish any  quot;wrongdoers.

Thai PM Says Will Punish  #39;Wrongdoers #39; Over Deaths


In the World Series, the best theater usually involves a revival of hallowed or haunting history, a geographic rivalry, a conflict of personalities or the possibility, as the Red Sox know so well, of ending decades of suffering.

Baseball: World Series duels haunted by history


TORONTO -- Royal Bank #39;s RBC Insurance is selling Liberty Insurance Services Corp., its US business process services division, to IBM Corp.

RBC sells Liberty Insurance to IBM


Nova Chemicals Corp., Canada #39;s largest chemical maker, will join Petroleos Mexicanos, Mexico #39;s state- owned oil company, and two other partners to study a plan to build a \$2 billion petrochemical complex in Mexico.

Nova Chemicals to Join Pemex to Study Mexican Plants (Update3)


TAIPEI (Reuters) - Dennis Tseng is an avid Web surfer who  loves to hang out in Taipei's upmarket Hsinyi district, where  wireless Internet access is freely available to all.

Taipei to Cloak City in World's Largest Wi-Fi Grid


Shaquille O #39;Neal helped Miami improved to 4-0 for the first time in team history, but he was concerned about the Heat #39;s defensive effort in Tuesday night #39;s 103-93 win over the Washington Wizards in Miami.

Shaq keeps Heat perfect


Reuters - Oracle Corp. Chief Executive\Larry Ellison, one of the world's richest people, is looking at\possibly owning a National Football League franchise, the Los\Angeles Times reported on Thursday.

LA Times: Oracle's Ellison Mulls NFL Team Purchase (Reuters)


WASHINGTON Oct 25, 2004 - Internet users at home are not nearly as safe online as they believe, according to a nationwide inspection by researchers.

Security for Internet Users Deemed Weak


PTI, New Delhi, Nov 28: The battle between Ambani brothers over ownership issue of Rs 90,000 crore Reliance empire today intensified with Mr Anils camp mounting attack on elder brother and Reliance Industry CMD, Mr Mukesh accusing him of rebuffing

Reliance row: Anils camp mounts attack


Cell phones and special network let officials, reporters access info on event results, medal counts, event cancellations and the like.

Samsung network aims to keep Olympics on track


New Delhi (VNA) - Myanmar and India are expected to sign some cooperation agreements, including a protocol on fighting terrorism, during a five-day India visit by Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of Myanmar Than Shwe, which started on

Myanmar, India to sign cooperation agreements


The Justice Department announced Thursday that more than 150 people had been arrested, charged or convicted in the last three months in a wide-ranging sweep of criminal activity on the Internet.

US Tally in Online-Crime Sweep: 150 Charged


The brain reacts more powerfully to the body language of a person in a posture denoting fear than it does to a fearful facial expression, according to a study released yesterday.

VITAL SIGNS Reactions: Your Posture, a Telltale Fright Sign


A British hostage appeared on a video posted on an Islamic Web site Wednesday weeping and pleading for his life as Iraq #39;s leader and US

British hostage pleads for his life as US officials rule out <b>...</b>


Alana Beard had 23 points and nine rebounds to help Washington lock up a playoff spot. Washington (17-16) overcame an 11-point halftime deficit to win its fifth in a row and seventh in 10 games without Chamique Holdsclaw.

UNDATED: 10 assists.


Palestinians must act quickly to hold elections for a leader to replace Yasser Arafat if they are to peacefully transform their political system after more than

Palestinians Say the Future Rests on Vote, Israeli Action


TUCSON -- A 45-year-old woman collapsed and died days after learning her son had been killed in Iraq, and just hours after seeing his body.

Woman dies days after son's death in Iraq


Beyond mapping out a strategy to take on Novell, Microsoft is putting an enormous amount of effort into its  quot;get out the facts quot; campaign, which makes direct comparisons of Linux costs and Windows pricing.

Microsoft #39;s Linux Strategist Speaks Out


: Two Italian women aid workers and their two Iraqi colleagues abducted in Baghdad have been freed after difficult negotiations, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told a delighted parliament today.

Joy in Italy as hostages freed


Reuters - Determined to make sure their voices\count, some American expatriates who missed registration\deadlines or are worried about the reliability of absentee\ballots are flying home next week just to vote.

U.S. Expats Jump on Planes to Vote in Home States (Reuters)


China #39;s Jia Zhanbo claimed the gold medal in the men #39;s 50-metre rifle three-position target event at the Athens Olympics, after American Matthew Emmons was ruled to have fired at the wrong target on the verge of victory.

Wrong target drama costs US shooting gold


AP - Staff Sgt. Ivan

G.I. Says Prisoner Humiliation Encouraged (AP)


Garabito writes  quot;Scientists at the University of Florida made a living  #39;brain #39; by extracting 25,000 neurons from a rat #39;s brain and culturing them inside a glass dish.

Flying By Brain


Citigroup Inc. shares on Monday suffered their biggest one-day percentage decline in 18 months after a prominent Wall Street analyst downgraded the world #39;s largest

Citigroup Falls on Downgrade


PHOENIX - Bob Melvin spoke to the Arizona Diamondbacks about becoming the team #39;s manager on Monday, joining Mark Grace and Al Pedrique as candidates interviewed for the job.

Melvin, Grace Candidates for D-Backs Job


Jon Stewart's Humiliation of Tucker Carlson the Most Popular Blog Story of 2004\\According to Intelliseek's BlogPulse, the transcript of comedian Jon Stewart's October debate with CNN

Jon Stewarts Humiliation of Tucker Carlson the Most Popular Blog Story of 2004


Reuters - Anxious Britons awaited news\on Wednesday of hostage Kenneth Bigley after his captors in\Iraq said they beheaded the second of two Americans being held\with him.

Britain Hopes and Prays for Hostage in Iraq (Reuters)


The Chinese Government will trim spending next year in an effort to slow economic growth to a more sustainable pace. Vice Finance Minister Lou Jiwei says China will reduce the

China to cut public spending in 2005


PSV Eindhoven defender Andr Ooijer is expected to miss upwards of a month due to an injury suffered during their weekend romp over Heerenveen.

Ooijer Ruled Out Until November


Oil futures prices advanced to a new high Monday as a strike began in Africa #39;s largest exporter of crude, exacerbating global supply concerns at a time of strong demand and reduced

Strike shakes crude oil costs


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Top seed Roger Federer survived a  stirring comeback from twice champion Andre Agassi to reach the  semifinals of the U.S. Open for the first time on Thursday,  squeezing through 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

Federer Survives Agassi Comeback to Reach Semifinals


Today, the official website for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was updated. Included in the update is a new official trailer. The easily offended (and those underage) should be warned: it #39;s set to 2Pac #39;s I Don #39;t Give aF***, uncensored.

GTA: San Andreas Website Update


Giants slugger Barry Bonds is at the center of another steroids controversy after statements made by his trainer. In Saturday #39;s San Francisco Chronicle, Bonds #39; personal trainer Greg Anderson claimed on tape

Report: Trainer says on tape he gave Bonds steroids


AFP - EU lawmakers are expected finally to declare the European Union's new executive arm fit for office Thursday, ending an unprecedented three-week state of limbo for the expanding bloc.

Europe eyes end to limbo in EU assembly vote (AFP)


Three of Japan #39;s largest electronics companies, Hitachi Ltd., Toshiba Corp. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., have reached a basic agreement to create a joint venture to manufacture and sell LCD

Hitachi, Matsushita, Toshiba to form LCD venture


Rosa Parks, who helped set off the American civil rights movement, is at the center of a legal controversy that her relatives say could forever taint her legacy.

Legal Cloud Lingers for Rosa Parks


he difficult road conditions created a few incidents in the first run of the Epynt stage. Francois Duval takes his second stage victory since the start of the rally, nine tenths better than Sebastien Loeb #39;s performance in second position.

Marcus Gronholm out of the race


About 3,000 shoppers were evacuated from a Toys  quot;R quot; Us store in Times Square yesterday after pepper spray was set off inside, fire officials said.

Pepper spray spurs toy store evacuation


Oil prices fell more than a dollar to a three-month low on Tuesday as mild winter weather sapped demand in the heavy energy consuming US northeast.

Oil Falls to 3-Month Low on Mild Weather


The World Trade Organization granted authorization Friday to the European Union, Japan, Canada, Korea, Mexico, India, and Chile, to slap retaliatory sanctions if the US fails to repeal the Byrd amendment.

Byrd amendment buys US \$150 million in WTO sanctions


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks ended lower on Tuesday,  after data indicated that the critical holiday shopping season  got off to a sluggish start for retailers.

Stocks Finish Lower, Retail Sector Weighs


Beacon Hill's new enthusiasm for embryonic stem-cell research would seem to be good news for the biotechnology industry.

Both legislators, firms split on stem-cell incentives


World champion pairs skater Tatiana Totmianina of Russia was in good condition late Saturday after falling headfirst onto the ice during the free skate at Skate America in Pittsburgh.

Scary fall ends skate meet


Manchester City Football Club are prepared to sell Nicolas Anelka in the New Year transfer window. The controversial French striker was blasted by the City fans at the weekend following his comments he wants

City prepared to sell 5million Anelka in the New Year


If we're going to start worrying about porn, doesn't it make sense to actually study its role in society rather than make stuff up? Commentary by Regina Lynn.

Porn Prohibitionists Miss Point


The fluid security environment has convinced the Red Crescent that it must coordinate its relief efforts with US forces.

US smooths way in Fallujah for Muslim relief agency


AP - Seville will host the Davis Cup final between Spain and the United States in December, with the matches played on a clay court.

Seville to Host U.S.-Spain Davis Cup Final (AP)


Security specialist issues patches for vulnerabilities that could have allowed denial-of-service attacks against some hardware models.

Symantec plugs holes in firewall


In the Lyric Opera of Chicago's reprise of Wagner's

Rhinemaidens Turn Bungee Jumpers


Semiconductor supplier AMD announced Thursday (Oct. 28) it has launched an initiative to give 50 percent of the world #39;s population Internet connectivity and computing capabilities

AMD Announces Strategy To Hook Up World To Internet


An probe is launched after paramedics allegedly leave a homeless man in South Africa to die because he was dirty.

Shock as SA vagrant left to die


DuPont agreed on Thursday to pay as much as \$343 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging the chemical giant contaminated drinking water supplies in West Virginia and Ohio with a key ingredient of its Teflon product.

Update 3: DuPont Agrees to Settle in Teflon Suit


AP - Katie Achille grew up with the Internet. She was 9 when she first tapped into it  #151; and quickly became an avid e-mailer, Web surfer and sender of instant messages. But when recent computer troubles left her without regular Web access, something unexpected happened: To her surprise, she suddenly felt free.

Experts Urge People to Unplug Occasionally (AP)


Sharman Networks Ltd., distributor of the Kazaa file-sharing software, on Monday launched its latest version which enables users to make free online calls anywhere in the world.

Kazaa Offers Unlimited Free Internet Phone Calls


MONTREAL (Reuters) - ID Biomedical Corp. <A HREF=

ID Biomedical Gets U.S. Flu Drug Deal


Experts say improper trading flourishes in periods of rampant mergers and acquisitions, fueling insiders to cash in on their advance knowledge. But even in the relatively slow dealmaking scene of the past few years, the SEC has brought about 60 cases a year.

Regulators Attacking Insider Trading


Scientists name an asteroid after the professor responsible for the failed Beagle 2 mission to Mars.

Asteroid named after professor


If you #39;ve noticed that the price of everything from milk to gasoline to automobiles seems to be going up, you #39;re as observant as Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan.

Rate hikes by Fed work in two ways


Manchester United have received a  quot;preliminary approach quot; regarding a  quot;possible offer quot; to takeover the club. The club #39;s board said they are  quot;seeking clarification of this proposal quot; and that at this stage  quot;it is unclear whether any offer will be made quot;.

United face takeover bid


(OfficialWire) -- 12/11/04 -- Staff Sergeant Johnny Horne, 30, from Winston-Salem, North Carolina has been sentenced to just three years in prison for murdering a severely

US soldier sentenced to three years for murder


Russian space officials on Tuesday unveiled a full-scale high-fidelity mockup of the spacecraft they hope will replace the veteran Soyuz space capsule.

Next-generation Russian spaceship unveiled


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=

RIM Patent Suit Partly Upheld


Intel will work with Clearwire, a wireless internet service provider, on future networks based on WiMax wireless broadband technology.

Intel and Clearwire to work on WiMax together


\A computer program can predict a woman's risk of breast or ovarian cancer with unprecedented accuracy.

Program predicts cancer risks


\

 By Matt Daily

 HOUSTON (Reuters) - Halliburton Co. <HAL.N>, the world's

Halliburton Posts Loss on Asbestos Charge


Burma #39;s military government began releasing almost 4,000 prisoners yesterday whose detentions were ruled irrelevant or improper, state-run radio and television said.

Junta frees prisoners in Burma


An Israeli Labour court ordered tens of thousands of state employees back to work today. But the Histadrut Labour Federation said the workers would continue to strike until their demands are met.

Striking Israelis Defy Court Order


IPOD MAKER Apple has come down hard on a man who made an add-in that allowed file-sharing on iPods. iPodDownload #39;s creator has stopped distributing the iPodDownload software after a visit from Apple lawyers who applied pressure.

Apple shuts down iPodDownload


Indonesian police name the man believed to have bombed Australia's embassy in Jakarta last month.

Jakarta embassy bomber named


ABUJA, Nigeria Huge quantities of arms and ammunition have poured into Sudan #39;s Darfur region in the past two weeks and the government is poised for a major military offensive, the African Union said Friday.

Arms flow into Darfur, monitors say


A Washington-based public opinion firm has released the results of an election day survey of Nevada voters showing 81 support for the issuance of paper receipts when votes are cast electronically.

Nevada exit poll shows voters prefer paper receipt


British semiconductor designer ARM Holdings said Monday it has agreed to buy US technology firm Artisan Components for \$913 million in cash and stock to boost its product range and reach more customers.

UK #39;s ARM to buy Artisan of US


VIENNA (Reuters) - A senior Iranian official said on  Thursday that the latest allegation that Tehran is hiding a  nuclear site from U.N. inspectors was a lie and denied that the  U.N. nuclear watchdog had even asked to visit it.

Iran Dismisses New Nuke Site Charge as 'A New Lie'


Microsoft is offering a patch for a critical security flaw related to the processing of JPEG images by its operating systems and other applications.

Network Security Microsoft Image Flaw Opens Door to Hackers


The Governments chief scientist was today drawing attention to the problem of global warming. Professor Sir David King will address the issue in the Greenpeace business lecture tonight.

Call for More Action to Cut Global Warming


ATHENS (Reuters) -

Olympics: 'People Power' Stops Games Event, Holmes Wins


The British and Irish Prime Ministers, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern, at talks in London, appear to have pushed Northern Irelands reluctant politicians some way to a restoration of devolved government in Belfast.

Softening in Northern Ireland


For a brief moment Monday night, the celebration for Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire stopped following his team #39;s division-clinching 8-2 victory over the White Sox and 21,991 at US Cellular Field.

White Sox victims of clinch


BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Communist Party is due to wrap  up a four-day meeting on Sunday at which military chief Jiang  Zemin is expected to give up his last post, completing a  historic leadership succession.

China Plenum to End, Military Boss Jiang May Retire


The Dave Matthews Band is sued for allegedly dumping human waste from a bus onto a boat in the Chicago River.

Band 'dumps sewage on tourists'


Infosync is reporting that Napster will be available through AT amp;T/Cingular wireless services for \$14.99/month.  quot;Napster today announced that Napster To Go, the first portable music subscription service for

Napster To Be Available On AT amp;T Wireless


British Prime Minister Tony Blair was among the hundreds of people that attended an emotional service for a man kidnapped and killed in Iraq.

Britain Pays Final Respects to Beheaded Hostage


GEORGETOWN, Del. - Michael Ovitz, Walt Disney Co. #39;s former president, said Thursday it was  quot;common knowledge quot; while he was at Disney that he was receiving payments for selling his stake in the talent agency he co-founded.

Ovitz: Disney Execs Knew of Agency Pact


Norwich City climbed out of the bottom three and Tottenham maintained their unbeaten start to the start to the season in a 0-0 draw notable for some fine goalkeeping and defending.

Honours Even At White Hart Lane


Next week, the Wi-Fi Alliance will release Wi-Fi Multimedia, or WMM, an interim standard that will provide early quality-of-service functionality for multimedia equipment based on the emerging 802.

Wi-Fi Alliance to Announce Interim Multimedia Spec


Three major movie studios have signed on for Sony #39;s high-definition technology for the discs. But a competitor has drawn big support, too.

Will Blu-ray Zap a Rival DVD Format?


Jeff Wilkins made a 31-yard field goal with 3:02 left in overtime to give the St. Louis Rams a 32-29 win over the Jets as both teams made the playoffs.

Jets and Rams Make Playoffs


CHICAGO (Reuters) - American Airlines on Thursday said it  will begin testing onboard food sales to coach passengers in  September on a handful of flights, including several in the  Dallas and New York markets.

American to Test Onboard Food Sales


The kinks have not yet been ironed out of Microsoft Corp #39;s web search engine, but the company has gone ahead with another beta launch of MSN Search that showcases many of the bells and whistles rivals launched incrementally well after they were mature.

Another search beta for Microsoft


Texas Instruments is prepping a new single-chip solution designed to bring live broadcast television to mobile phones and other portable devices.

TI plans live TV for mobile phones


\\Using images to denote context has been within UIs for year.\\When Internet Explorer ipmlemented support for favicons I was really impressed.\Gravatars  provide images for users and even FOAF provides support for\associating an image with a profile.\\Rojo has a cool feature where we thumbnail blogs that don't provide images\within their RSS feed.\\Here are two examples:\\My question is why can't I have Linux show me a thumbnail for processes while\I'm switcing between them with Alt-Tab in KDE?  \\OS X can do it!  Windows XP can do it!\\

More Thumbnails Please


The most satisfying images from the Boston Red Sox's latest win are the X-rays of Manny Ramirez's knee. The Boston slugger fouled a ball off his knee in the fourth inning of the Red Sox's 5-3 home victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night...

BoSox Beat Tigers, Keep Pace With Yankees


Taleban-linked militants who are holding three UN workers hostage in Afghanistan say their captives #39; lives depend on whether the Kabul government can reach an agreement Monday on the kidnappers #39; demands.

New Hostage Deadline Set in Afghanistan


A year ago, Boston College coach Tom O'Brien described his team's 35-25 victory at Rutgers as  quot;the greatest gut-check I've ever been around, quot; after the Eagles rallied from a 22-13 halftime deficit to earn their all-important sixth win of the season, making them bowl eligible.

BC has mountain to climb


British world number four Tim Henman was knocked out of the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors tournament, falling 7-6 7-5 to unseeded Czech Jiri Novak.

Henman crashes to Novak


WASHINGTON -- The number of poor Americans grew by 1.3 million last year, according to a sobering and politically sensitive Census Bureau report issued Thursday.

Poverty grips more in nation


Yahoo is adding a tool to search computer hard drives as it scrambles to catch up with Google and stay a step ahead of Microsoft in the battle to help users sort through gobs of information on the internet and the desktop.

Yahoo Searches Desktops, Too


US space agency Nasa celebrates the first year on Mars of its Spirit robot rover vehicle.

Martian explorer marks first year


washingtonpost.com - Congressional lawmakers are taking a cue from Hollywood with an aim to beef up penalties against people who illegally swap copyrighted movies and songs over the Internet. Meanwhile, lawmakers also are targeting spyware and hackers with the threat of jail time for evil cyberspace deeds.

Congress Puts Hooks in Spyware, Copyright Crooks (washingtonpost.com)


French President Jacques Chirac has sent his Foreign Minister to the Middle East to try to secure the release of two journalists who are being held hostage in Iraq.

French minister attempts to secure release of journalists


Failed US energy giant Enron has been given permission to sell its most prized remaining asset - its natural gas pipeline arm CrossCountry Energy.

Enron gets go ahead to sell pipes


SPACE.com - A\swarm of NASA flight controllers, astronauts and engineers have reached one\step closer to returning to space agency's shuttle program to launch status,\performing the first of many full-scale simulations for its first\return-to-flight mission.

STS-114: Discovery Astronauts, Flight Controllers Simulate ISS Docking (SPACE.com)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks traded slightly higher on  Friday, even as oil flirted near the \$50-per-barrel mark,  suggesting that investors were snatching up beaten-down shares  and growing confident that oil prices may be leveling off.

Stocks Higher as Oil Eases


Longtime foes palmOne and Microsoft on Tuesday announced a licensing deal that will allow the next generation of palmOne #39;s Treo smart phones to work directly with Microsoft #39;s Exchange e-mail system.

PalmOne, Microsoft in deal on mobile e-mail


AP - Making big splurges this holiday season? The IRS released tax tables Friday to help taxpayers calculate whether they would benefit from a new sales tax deduction.

IRS Releases Tax Tables for New Deduction (AP)


As part of its strategy to focus on travel and residential real estate, Cendant Corp. today said it plans to spin off its mortgage and fleet operations.

Cendant to spin off mortgage unit


TREASURER Peter Costello yesterday declared Telstra would not be sold until its share price was more than \$5. That came despite the Coalition having secured a Senate majority.

Telstra for sale at \$5 a share


PC World - Upcoming mobile phones will support Secure Digital flash memory.

Nokia Embraces SD Memory Cards (PC World)


sameerdesai writes  quot;Seattletimes is carying this story on Intel helping major countries like China and India to help build Linux machines as an alternative to Microsoft Windows.

Intel Helping Asia to Use Linux


India #39;s unmanned moon mission -Chandrayan - is expected to take place in 2007-08 as it is progressing smoothly, the country #39;s space agency chief G. Madhavan Nair said Sunday in New Delhi.

India #39;s unmanned moon mission going smoothly: official


Twenty-one Iraqis were killed when a bus carrying petrol exploded in a fireball after colliding with a car north-east of Baghdad, a hospital official said today.

Twenty-one die as  #39;petrol bus #39; explodes after collision


ATLANTA -- Delta Air Lines Inc. is selling eight jumbo jets to shipping giant FedEx Corp. The nation #39;s third-largest airline, which has warned of the possibility of a bankruptcy filing, said Thursday the agreement

Delta selling eight planes to FedEx


For so long, linebacker Rosevelt Colvin couldn't do what he wanted, couldn't play football. Now, he feels he can do whatever his coach wants him to.

For Colvin, it's hip hip hooray


Sharemarket watchdog the Securities Commission has filed unprecedented insider trading action against high-profile former owners and executives of Tranz Rail.

Massive insider trading claim


BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. troops and Shi'ite militiamen  battled in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf Monday, just hours  after political and religious leaders in Baghdad agreed to make  a last-ditch appeal for peace.

Iraq Conference in Najaf Peace Bid; Oil Well Ablaze


Home decor retailer Kirkland #39;s Inc. on Thursday said the hurricanes that wreaked havoc throughout the southeastern United States will cause it to lose \$1.

Kirkland #39;s Tallies Hurricane Losses


Credit Suisse Group (CSGN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) posted forecast-beating third-quarter earnings on Thursday, as solid insurance income and one-off tax gains

UPDATE 5-Credit Suisse Q3 boosted by insurance, one-offs


PARIS (Reuters) - French regulators fined Vivendi Universal  <A HREF=

Ex-Vivendi Boss Is Fined 1 Million Euros


Palestine #39;s legendary leader, Yasser Arafat, was taken to France for treatment yesterday. Arafat, who was reported to have leukemia, arrived yesterday at Percy Military Hospital near Paris via Jordan on a plane belonging to France.

Arafat off to Paris, Middle East Discuss  #39;New Period #39;


a limousine driver -sed his cell phone #39;s camera to snap photos of the robber and the robber #39;s truck, police said.

Cell phone camera photos make arrest a snap for police


TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo stocks climbed to a two week high  on Friday after Tokyo Electron Ltd. and other chip-related  stocks were boosted by a bullish revenue outlook from industry  leader Intel Corp.

Tokyo Stocks Climb to a Two-Week High


THE TIMES is running a fortnightly series of economic briefings alongside Target Two Point Zero, the competition for sixth-formers run in conjunction with the Bank of England.

Rating the relevance of the US Federal Reserve


A summit of African leaders in Libya seeks a solution to the crisis in the Sudanese region of Darfur.

Africa leaders seek Darfur peace


AP - Iranian President Mohammad Khatami called on the international community Wednesday to recognize Iran's right to enrich uranium, again insisting Tehran will pursue a nuclear program that some  #151; including the United States  #151; suspect is aimed at developing weapons.

Iranian Leader Says It Has Nuclear Rights (AP)


The iPod Photo looks and feels exactly like the existing iPod -- except it can display your photos on a bright screen. Should you buy it?

The IPod's New Trick: Photo Show


IBM Corp. and the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science introduced a new supercomputer on Friday that they hope will be the most powerful in Europe, and among the10 most powerful in the world.

IBM aims for top 10 with new Spanish supercomputer


The tsunami triggered by a massive undersea earthquake Dec. 26 not only washed away thousands of people living on India's coastlines, it may have also permanently altered its geography.

Quake May Have Permanently Shifted Islands


For environmentally minded urbanites, no kitchen is complete without an accessory that treats hundreds of wriggling, red guests to dinner: a composting worm bin.

Worm Bins Turn Kitchen Scraps Into Compost


SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- State Compensation Insurance Fund today announced it has filed with the Department of Insurance an average rate decrease of 5 percent on new and renewal workers #39; compensation

State Compensation Insurance Fund Files an Average 5 Rate <b>...</b>


Japan's cabinet agrees the controversial privatisation of its multi-trillion dollar postal savings system.

Go-ahead for postal savings sale


TORONTO, Nov. 11 -- The chairman of the newspaper industry's circulation-auditing body said Thursday that the organization would work to repair its image, tarnished by circulation scandals over the past year at four large U.S. newspapers.

Circulation Fraud Contained, Audit Group Says


The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to decide whether online services can be held liable for enabling copyrighted songs and movies to be shared freely.

Justices to Hear Case on Sharing of Music Files


McDonald's Corp. rode strong U.S. sales to a 42 percent increase in third-quarter earnings, its fifth straight quarter of increased profits since snapping out of a slump last year.

McDonald's Profits Up on Strong U.S. Sales


Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL) on Tuesday introduced its new iMac, the latest version of the consumer desktop computer that restored the company's fortunes as a force in personal computing.

Apple Unveils New IMac at Paris Expo


AFP - A deal between French energy group Total and Russian gas firm Novatek shows that oil majors have an appetite for Russia's energy riches despite the Yukos affair, but also the limited role now possible for foreigners in this strategic sector, analysts say.

Total deal shows appetite for Russian oil, but limits foreign role (AFP)


NASA #39;s Cassini orbiter had its closest encounter with Saturn #39;s smog-shrouded moon, Titan, on Tuesday, but scientists must wait to see their first glimpse of its icy surface.

NASA #39;s Cassini Has Closest Encounter with Titan


Dr. David Andorsky, a resident at Brigham and Women's Hospital, woke up from a two-hour nap in the on-call room at 6:30 a.m. last Tuesday. Andorsky had been on duty since 7 a.m. the previous day and still had a few hours to go caring for patients in the intensive care unit.

A wake-up call


Orchard Park, NY (Sports Network) - Veteran cornerback Troy Vincent and wide receiver Josh Reed will not play Sunday when the Buffalo Bills host the St.

Vincent, Reed out for Sunday #39;s game


Apple and PayPal announced on Friday that the US incarnation of the iTunes Music Store (ITMS) now accepts payment via PayPal #39;s Virtual Wallet.

Apple iTunes accepts PayPal


GAINESVILLE, Fla. Florida assistant basketball coach Major Parker has been suspended indefinitely following his arrest on drug charges.

Gators hoops assistant arrested on drug charges


Geothermal sources remain untapped as leaders focus instead on the country's reserves of fossil fuels.

A hotbed of energy waits to be tapped in Indonesia


Ziff Davis - The judge in the Oracle antitrust trial gave little credence to Microsoft's testimony on the enterprise ERP market. And with good reason.

Microsoft (Deservedly) Takes Its Lumps (Ziff Davis)


Reuters - A team of market forecasters that\correctly predicted the oil bust of the 1980s thinks history\will not repeat itself, at least for now.

Forecasters See No Repeat of 80s Oil Bust (Reuters)


The Federal Reserve didn #39;t surprise anyone yesterday, as its policy-making body increased its key interest rate by one quarter percent, to 2 percent.

Key interest rate at 2


British Airways, Europe #39;s second-biggest airline, says second-quarter operating profit rose 23 percent on tighter costs and higher passenger numbers.

BA earnings up


AP - Drew Brees and Antonio Gates are making it look too easy. Brees, the quarterback the front office didn't want coming into this season, threw four more touchdown passes  #151; three to tight end Gates  #151; and the San Diego Chargers beat the punchless New Orleans Saints 43-17 on Sunday.

Chargers Trounce Saints, 43-17 (AP)


GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Dec 18, 2004 - Israeli troops killed three Palestinians Saturday on the second day of an Israeli raid in the Khan Younis refugee camp in southern Gaza, witnesses and hospital officials said.

3 Palestinians Said Killed in Gaza Raid


Reuters - Unsolicited Internet messages account\for more than half of all e-mails received in China, an\international

Spam Makes Up Half of All Emails in China -Expert (Reuters)


SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Even with the highest scoring offense and the third highest-rated quarterback, Marty Schottenheimer wasn #39;t afraid to reach into his bag of tricks.

San Diego Chargers


A Polish woman taken hostage last October in Iraq has been returned to Warsaw, the BBC reported Saturday. Appearing at a press conference alongside Polish Prime Minister Marek

Polish hostage freed in Iraq


ISN SECURITY WATCH (17/12/04) - Bosnian Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic has been banned from entering the US, as Bosnian Serb officials come under pressure for failing to arrest Europes two most-wanted war criminals, Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan

Bosnian foreign minister banned from US


India asks the US to withdraw sanctions on two scientists accused of selling nuclear technology to Iran.

Delhi issues plea on US sanctions


Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left here Sunday for a three-day visit to The Hague to attend the fifth India-European Union Summit aimed at promoting their growing ties to a strategic level.

India to forge strategic partnership with EU


The most satisfying images from the Boston Red Sox's latest win are the X-rays of Manny Ramirez's knee. The Boston slugger fouled a ball off his knee in the fourth inning of the Red Sox's 5-3 home victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night...

Ramirez OK After Fouling Ball Off Knee


Australia #39;s largest listed company, telecommunications giant Telstra Corp., announced Wednesday that its chief executive will stand down by July 2005 - two years before his contract ends.

Update 1: Telstra Announces CEO Departure


Corporate spin can be a powerful thing. Just ask Fannie Mae #39;s investors. They spent the last year hearing the mortgage giant #39;s chief executive Franklin D. Raines continually

What did Fannie Mae #39;s leader know?


New-home sales showed signs of buckling under the weight of higher interest rates, and orders for durable goods rose more than expected in July, two government reports showed Wednesday.

New-Home Sales Fall; Durable Goods Rise


Frank Lampard is backing Englands three-pronged attack to put the frighteners on Wales in Saturdays World Cup qualifier at Old Trafford.

Wayne of Terror Will Threaten Wales - Lampard


MONTREAL - Montreal mayor Grald Tremblay is back from Toronto with a renewed vigour to improve his city #39;s aging infrastructure system.

Mayors agree to wait for gas tax revenue


The former chief of the BBC has accused Britain #39;s Prime Minister Tony Blair of being incompetent or lying to Parliament about the war in Iraq, the BBC said.

Ex-head of BBC says Tony Blair lied


The Internet portal will introduce on Tuesday advanced navigation tools to let people store, search and share their favorite Web pages--creating for users what it calls  quot;My Web.

Yahoo wants users to get personal with Search


AILING former McDonald #39;s chief executive Charlie Bell will fly home to Australia in a company plane specially fitted with medical equipment.

McDonald #39;s adapts jet for ailing ex-boss


NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Shares of Google Inc.  rose as much as 20 percent on Friday, to trade at more than  twice the level of it cut-price IPO, after the Web search  leader posted strong quarterly results in its first reported  quarter as a public company.

Google Results Revive 'Dot-Com' Fervor


The ostensible confusion within Sun over the relationship between its first-born Solaris and sibling-rival Linux won #39;t be cleared up by the open source license it submitted to the Open Source Initiative (OSI).

Sun closer to open source Solaris with draft license


LONDON - Archaeologists in northwestern England have found a burial site of six Viking men and women, complete with swords, spears, jewelry, fire-making materials and riding equipment, officials said Monday.

Viking burial site unearthed in England


President Bush on Monday nominated Carlos M. Gutierrez, among the most prominent Hispanic business executives in the United States, to be his commerce secretary

Bush Nominates Kellogg Executive for Commerce Secretary


Researchers at a Department of Energy lab are developing fuel rods that could halve the amount of nuclear waste produced. That's good news for Yucca Mountain, Nevada, where 40 years' worth of radioactive material is slated to be stored. By John Gartner.

Reactors Trim Radioactive Waste


LONDON (Reuters) - British police voiced astonishment on  Sunday that so many people survived a high-speed crash of a  300-passenger train that rammed into a car at a rail crossing,  killing six people.

Police Surprised So Many Survive British Rail Crash


MLS Cup 2004 has the makings of a classic match-up, pitting the freewheeling attack of DC United against the solidly defensive Kansas City Wizards.

United attack versus Kansas City defense could produce a classic <b>...</b>


BANFF, Alta. (CP) - Parks Canada brass from Ottawa are trading their three-piece suits for park uniforms to help relieve managers in Alberta who have been working without a break since a strike began over a week ago.

Parks Canada sends managers from Ottawa to Alberta to help during <b>...</b>


AP - Houston at St. Louis (8:10 p.m. EDT). Jason Marquis goes for his 15th win of the season against the Astros.

Baseball Today (AP)


THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Dutch officials are promising tougher measures against Islamic radicals, as one lawmaker laments the arrival of  quot;jihad quot; in the Netherlands.

Lawmaker Laments  #39;Arrival Of Jihad #39; In Netherlands


A suspected car bomb has exploded in a diplomatic quarter of Damascus wounding two people, Syrian officials say. The car was quickly removed by security teams who collected debris on the street in the Mazze area, reports said.

Blast rips through Syrian capital


Intel Corporation has decided not to enable the wireless access-point function in its new Intel  quot;Grantsdale quot; chip. A company spokesman confirmed that Intel has decided to phase

Intel: no WiFi in  quot;grantsdale quot; chipset


Reuters - Upbeat earnings from U.S. computer\company Hewlett-Packard drove an index of Asian stocks outside\of Japan toward a 5-year high, but the dollar's weakness\against the yen pressured shares in Japanese exporters.

HP Fares Well in Much of Asia (Reuters)


Micro Focus has extended its  #39;Lift and Shift #39; legacy Cobol migration service, adding the option of migrating CICS-based mainframe Cobol applications to HP and IBM Unix and Linux servers.

Micro Focus lifts and shifts Cobol to Linux


Lyon coach Paul le Guen has admitted his side would be happy with a draw at Old Trafford on Tuesday night. The three-times French champions have assured themselves of qualification for the Champions League

LE GUEN AIMING FOR DRAW


The Moscow Arbitration Court ruled on Monday that the YUKOS oil company must pay RUR 39.113bn (about \$1.34bn) as part of its back tax claim for 2001.

YUKOS ordered to pay part of tax claim


Newborn babies with brain damage could one day be treated by stem cell therapy using cells taken from their bone marrow, scientists say.

Stem cells 'arrest brain damage'


Despite Microsoft's release of 10 new software patches, IT managers said the monthly patching approach that the company has been using for the past 12 months is making it easier for them to keep their systems up to date on fixes for security vulnerabilities.

Users buoyed by monthly patch releases


Tony Clark whacked three consecutive home runs as the New York Yankees reeled off six homers and nine ninth-inning runs to bulldoze their way past the Toronto Blue Jays 18-6 in the American League Saturday.

AL Wrap: Blue Jays Blitzed by 6 Homers from Yankees


Short for wireless fidelity and is meant to be used generically when referring of any type of 802.11 network, whether 802.11b, 802.

T-Mobile Announces Wi-Fi Roaming Agreement


AP - The New Orleans Saints survived it all: Hurricane Ivan, the loss of Deuce McAllister, and the San Francisco 49ers.

Saints Rally to Beat 49ers, 30-27 (AP)


The 2004 shopping season is turning out to be the year of the blockbuster for video game companies as they race to score one more big hit before the current generation of Xboxes and PlayStation 2s makes way for new machines.

Video Game Makers Rush to Cash In


A study in Central Africa suggests that logging and tropical rain forests can coexist. Some environmental groups disagree.

Can Central Africa's Rain Forests Live With Logging?


Manchester United has warned that lower TV revenues will hit earnings this year, after posting a dip in annual profits. The world #39;s richest soccer club and the subject of

Man Utd warns of lower TV revenues


Not satisfied to be feared solely for its explosive triple-option ground game, Navy added two more successful methods of attack Saturday and rolled to a 42-13 victory over Army at Lincoln Financial

Navy has too much Eckel for Army


AP - The ritual was replayed from Boston to San Francisco: Exuberant gay couples sharing marriage vows and slices of wedding cake. Gays thought barriers were finally crumbling. Then came the elections.

Gay Rights Activists Reassess Strategies (AP)


AP - A steady downpour didn't qualify as bad weather to Suzann Pettersen. Playing through heavy showers was fine to Pettersen, who took a one-stroke lead Friday at the Wendy's Championship for Children. More than an inch of rain pounded Tartan Fields Golf Club, suspending play late in the afternoon  #151; as was the case in the first round.

Pettersen in Lead at Wendy's LPGA (AP)


MANHATTAN, Kan.  With a thrilling comeback, Iowa State is a win away from a surprising championship. Iowa State trailed the Wildcats by two touchdowns early in the fourth quarter, but freshman Bret Meyer

Cyclones near title after big comeback


An international team of astronomers has suceeded solving the 100 yearl old mystery about the origin of the cosmic rays by producing the first ever image of an astronomical object using high energy gamma rays.

Mystery behind the origin of cosmic rays unraveled


Gamers should welcome the latest news from ATIfive new graphic processors from one of leading GPU manufacturers. The new entrants in the war for gamers #39; hearts and systems are the ATI Radeon

Five New GPUs from ATI


A new computer should deliver about 10 times the performance of a desktop personal computer.

A PC That Packs Real Power, and All Just for Me


Yasir Arafat, who has been confined to his battered compound in the West Bank for nearly two and a half years, has permission to visit a nearby hospital in Ramallah for medical

Israel to Let Arafat Travel for Medical Treatment


BOSTON (Reuters) - The New York Yankees scored the most  runs in an American League Championship Series game as they  pounded the Boston Red Sox 19-8 on Saturday to move within one  victory of a return trip to the World Series.

Yankees Crush Red Sox, One Win from Sweep


UNDATED Gap may be looking at opening its first new retail chain in a decade. A published report says the San Francisco-based retailer is preparing to test specialty clothing stores aimed at women over 35.

WSJ: Gap to test new stores that target boomer women


AP - Wales' Stephen Dodd won the China Open for his first PGA European Tour title, shooting a 4-under 68 on Sunday for a three-stroke victory over Denmark's Thomas Bjorn.

Stephen Dodd Wins China Open (AP)


NASA -- Guinness World Records has recognized the world speed record set by NASA's hypersonic X-43A aircraft earlier this year in an experimental flight over the Pacific Ocean.     Using a scramjet engine, the unpiloted, 12 foot-long aircraft achieved Mach 6.83 -- almost seven times the speed of sound - - or nearly 5,000 mph, in a March 27 flight...

Guinness World Records Recognizes NASA X-43A Speed Record


LONDON, December 6 (newratings.com) - The South Korean memory chipmaker, Samsung Electronics Company (SSUN.FSE), said today that it intends to invest approximately 25 trillion won (\$24 billion; 12.36 billion) in building new chip production lines in

Samsung ups chip production spending; \$24bn in new lines


CHICAGO - One strike from an important victory, the Chicago Cubs ended up with another agonizing defeat that damaged their drive to the playoffs.

Cubs crumble, lose in 12th


Oracle is in merger talks with other technology companies as it awaits the outcome of its \$9.2 billion hostile takeover attempt for rival PeopleSoft.

Oracle in merger talks with other firms


For about eight hours, an  quot;extreme geomagnetic storm quot; raged in the upper atmosphere, as high-energy particles emitted by the sun three days ago swept over Earth.

Solar weather whips up Northern Lights show


By The Associated Press. Investors resumed their December rally yesterday, looking past higher oil prices and focusing instead on building up their portfolios before the end of the year.

STOCKS  amp; BONDS Rising Dollar Helps Shares Gain Despite Higher Oil <b>...</b>


NAJAF, Iraq - Explosions and gunfire shook Najaf's Old City on Sunday in a fierce battle between U.S. forces and Shiite militants, as negotiations dragged on for the handover of the shrine that the fighters have used for their stronghold...

Blasts, Gunfire Shake Najaf As Talks Drag


JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Indonesia #39;s new president has named a cabinet line up that includes several surprise choices, appointing professionals and several women to key posts.

Surprises in new Indonesia line up


As part of a special promotion, Blockbuster has cut prices again. But will it be enough?

DVD Rentals for \$15.99?


OAKLAND, Calif. -- Jacksonville's first winning season in five years wasn't enough to make the playoffs. Byron Leftwich looked out of synch, but the Jaguars still managed to beat the Raiders, 13-6, yesterday. Though the Jaguars (9-7) were in postseason contention when the game started, they were knocked out when Denver beat Indianapolis.

Jaguars lose out even after victory


LSU coach Nick Saban met with the Miami Dolphins about their opening Tuesday night, the school announced Wednesday morning.  quot;I owe it to the people of Louisiana and the fans of LSU football to let them know

LSU #39;s Saban meets with Dolphins for  #39;preliminary conversation #39;


SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Analysts who follow Google Inc.  <A HREF=

Analysts Expect Strong Google Quarter


A win today over Boston College gives West Virginia no worse than a share of the Big East championship and a berth in either the Sugar Bowl or the Fiesta Bowl.

Its all there for the taking


LONDON: Three British soldiers were yesterday killed in a suicide and mortar fire attack at a checkpoint, only days after being redeployed to an insurgent-hit region near Baghdad, Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram told the parliament.

Three British troops killed


The European Parliament (EP) will hold a vote of confidence in the new members of the European Union (EU) Commission led by Jose Manuel Barroso tomorrow.

New Vote of Confidence in European Parliament Tomorrow


Military court proceedings for four detainees from the US-led war in Afghanistan are due to start on Tuesday at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Guantanamo trails set to begin


More than a thousand paramilitary fighters began demobilizing Friday in the remote jungles of Colombia, where the main road is marked by crosses, burned vehicles and blown-up bridges - the scars of a protracted and bitter battle between their right-wing faction and leftist rebels for control of the region's cocaine industry.

1,400 Colombian Fighters Begin to Disarm


Palestinian officials on Sunday accused the United States of harming prospects for Mideast peace after the latest indications that Washington is ready to accept some Israeli expansion of West Bank settlements.

Palestinians criticize US shift on settlements


NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar rebounded on Monday after a  heavy selloff last week, but analysts were uncertain if the  rally could hold as the drumbeat of expectation began for to  the December U.S. jobs report due Friday.

Dollar Rebounds But Data May Cap Gains


Engineers sought to determine what caused a temperature control system to malfunction after an aborted launch Saturday.

Second Delay for Rocket


Reuters - Specialty chemicals company Engelhard\Corp.  on Monday posted flat third-quarter results as\higher raw material costs and an unusually severe hurricane\season offset slightly higher sales.

Engelhard Posts Flat 3rd-Quarter Results (Reuters)


AD Foley had no choice, they agree, but it #39;s a sad day for Gator Nation. By Del Milligan. While two influential Gator football boosters in Polk County expressed sadness at the Monday morning firing of head

UF Boosters Support Decision


Sir Alex Ferguson has attempted to quell his strikers recent profligacy in front of goal by offering advice he received as a striker during his playing days: just hit the target.

Fergie Urges Strikers To Make Their Mark


AP - Holiday on ice takes on new meaning when you're high above the rooftops of Paris doing figure eights inside the Eiffel Tower. During the 115 years of the Eiffel Tower's existence, it has added refreshment stands, trinket shops and fancy restaurants  #151; but nothing quite matches the skating rink in the sky that opened to the public Friday.

Eiffel Tower Opens Elevated Skating Rink (AP)


Osama bin Laden #39;s chauffeur was arraigned Tuesday at the first US military tribunal since World War II, appearing at a pretrial session as defense lawyers sought to challenge the process.

Bin Laden driver arraigned in first Guantanamo hearing


Apple's Newton was a failure for its maker, but not for the die-hard Newton community. A leading researcher believes the user community has done a better job looking after the PDA than Apple ever did. By Leander Kahney.

Newton Nuts Show How It's Done


KDE'S developers unveil plans to make things easier for people with disabilities through their Linux desktop software.

Open-source developers focus on accessibility


KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- The task seems straightforward. The Royals need an interim third baseman to bridge the gap until Mark Teahen is ready for regular duty in the majors.

Royals seeking Mr. Right Now


Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan praised predecessor Paul Volcker for being willing a quarter-century ago to ratchet up interest rates to end a long bout of dangerous inflation.

Greenspan Has Kind Words for a Predecessor


Reuters - International Business Machines Corp.\ said it is making the design of its

IBM Opens Up Design of Its Blade Servers (Reuters)


SUPREME COURT The US Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a case that could lead to sweeping changes on how alcoholic beverages are regulated and sold.

High court hears dispute over Michigan interstate wine sales


AP - Rodrigo Lopez shut down the Yankees into the eighth inning, outpitching Kevin Brown and leading the Baltimore Orioles to a 3-1 victory Friday night that cut New York's AL East lead over Boston to 2 1/2 games.

Streaky Orioles Stop Yankees 3-1 (AP)


VIENNA (Reuters) - OPEC is keeping its foot to the pedal on  production in a bid to drag down oil prices but may be  reluctant to rubber-stamp extra supplies by lifting official  output limits, Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia Leads OPEC Oil Rush


This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been improving or obtaining CRM and ERP software for the past year and a half. BARCELONA, Spain--Microsoft has sucked billions of dollars out of the IT industry that could

Novell: Microsoft  #39;sucked \$60 billion #39; out of IT


The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) announced on Friday that Perth will host the fourth Australian team in a Super 14 competition to begin in the 2006 season.

Perth to host Super 14 franchise


SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Web search leader Google Inc.  <A HREF=

Google Profit Rises as Sales Double


Interactive posters at 25 underground stations are helping Londoners travel safely over Christmas.

Hi-tech posters guide commuters


General Electric Co. will sell a majority stake in its global outsourcing business to two US-based equity firms in an all-cash deal totaling \$500 million, the industrial, financial services and media conglomerate said Monday.

Update 2: GE to Sell Stake in Global Outsourcing Unit


IMG Group, the agency behind Tiger Woods, Liz Hurley, James Brown and Michael Schumacher, is being sold to a New York investment house for an estimated 400m.

IMG sold for 400m


After they both finished 6-10 a year ago, the Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers have found themselves linked again, but now in their rise to the N.F.L.'s upper echelon.

From Season, and Game, to Forget, Steelers and Jets Are Teams to Beat


LOS ANGELES - The ashes of legendary actor Marlon Brando were spread in Tahiti and Death Valley, according to a newspaper report.    A memorial service for Brando, who died of lung failure at age 80 on July 1, was held at the home of Hollywood producer Mike Medavoy and was attended by Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson and Sean Penn, the Los Angeles Times reported in Wednesday editions...

Report: Marlon Brando's Ashes Scattered


Doing things right isn't enough. In today's fast-churning marketplace, business leaders must do the right things right.

Advice for top managers in tricky times: Get real


Thats Tracy McGradys answer to questions about whether or not he will look to keep his scoring up despite joining Houston and Yao Ming.

NBA title is T-Macs next target


Automaker Volkswagen AG and Germany #39;s biggest industrial union said Tuesday they have made some progress in difficult pay negotiations, but were cautious on prospects of a quick deal in talks that were marked by worker protests.

Volkswagen workers stage marches as  #39;difficult #39; pay talks continue


Boston information management giant Iron Mountain Inc. , a leader in the archiving and backup of business records, accelerated its push into the digital market yesterday with an agreement to buy Framingham's Connected Corp. for \$117 million in cash.

For \$117m, Iron Mountain adds unit to store bits as well as boxes


washingtonpost.com - Yahoo's Spartan home page will look even less flashy soon, thanks to an upcoming makeover. The Web media giant offered a preview of its redesigned front page Tuesday (www.yahoo.com/upgrade) and said the simpler look will replace the old one in a few weeks.

Yahoo's Home Page Gets Functional Facelift (washingtonpost.com)


Syria Monday rapped the UN Security Council for passing a resolution which demands Syria #39;s respect for Lebanon #39;s sovereignty and withdrawal of its troops from the neighboring country, but turning a blind eye to Israeli  quot;aggression quot; against the Palestinians

Syria raps UN over Lebanon resolution


Letters I ordered ProLiant servers, but all I got was this lousy fan

Memo to Carly - HP customers need help!


Basra, Iraq -- The British military says its troops have begun heading north to Baghdad from their base in southern Iraq. Large flatbed trucks can be seen carrying armored British vehicles up a road through Iraq #39;s southern desert.

British Military Begins Deployment North Toward Baghdad