Reuters - People's brains react to a\photograph of a frightened face, even when it is flashed on a\screen too quickly to be consciously recognized, U.S.\researchers said on Wednesday.

Scary Faces Have Subliminal Effects, Study Finds (Reuters)


SAN FRANCISCO - Sun Microsystems Inc. is preparing to launch two systems that will bring its UltraSparc IV processor into the low end of the company's server product line. Called the Sun Fire V490 and V890, the servers are slated to be introduced during Sun's Network Computing quarterly product announcement on Sept. 21, Sun said.

Sun adds UltraSparc IV to 4-way, 8-way servers


OCTOBER 28, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - A new fuel cell for notebook PCs, more compact and powerful than competing technologies, could be on the market in early 2006 at a price of around \$90, its Japanese inventors said this week.

Smaller, more powerful PC fuel cell is on the way


A militant group that has claimed responsibility for kidnapping three foreigners in Afghanistan said on Saturday the hostages were safe for now but would be killed unless all Taliban prisoners were released.

Afghan Group Says Foreign Hostages Safe; Offers Proof


Larry Bowa wasn #39;t going to be the manager of the Phillies next year. He wasn #39;t even going to be the manager of the Phillies next week.

Club should have pulled trigger earlier


Reuters - Department store operator J.C. Penney\Co. Inc. (JCP.N) on Tuesday posted a second-quarter profit,\reversing a year-earlier loss, helped by inventory controls and\strong department store sales.

J.C. Penney Posts Second-Quarter Profit (Reuters)


Rasheed Marshall set a Big East career rushing mark for quarterbacks and threw three touchdown passes while leading No. 15 West Virginia over Syracuse, 27-6, last night.

West Virginia in a rush to win


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

Symantec to Buy Veritas for \$13.5 Billion


The price hit \$44.51 per barrel after a Russian court decision to freeze some bank accounts of the Yukos oil company. Without the \$2.

US Oil Prices Rise on Yukos Concerns


Reuters - A U.N. conference gave tiny Swaziland\the green light Tuesday to export some of its white rhinos and\bring in trophy hunters occasionally to shoot the massive\animals.

CITES Allows Swaziland to Export, Hunt Rhinos (Reuters)


AP - Democrat or Republican, whether for this fall or 2006, it's never too early to jockey for position in the Senate, especially if party leadership might be the prize.

Jockeying for Top Senate Job Under Way (AP)


Canadian Press - WINNIPEG (CP) - RCMP are investigating whether convicted pedophile and killer Robert Bliss Arthurson committed sex crimes against three more young girls.

Manitoba RCMP investigating whether convicted pedophile committed more crimes (Canadian Press)


LUKE DONALD will tell Bernhard Langer next week he is confident enough to be paired with any of his European team-mates in the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills.

Golf: Cool-head Luke up for the cup


DAMASCUS: Syrian Information Minister Mehdi Dakhlallah said Tuesday that the bombing of a car belonging to a member of the Palestinian movement Hamas in Damascus showed Israel continued to reject peace.

Syria: Bomb shows Israel does not want peace


With aftershocks still fresh from the Oracle-PeopleSoft deal, another buyout has rocked the enterprise market - Symantec #39;s multi-billion dollar buyout of Veritas.

Symantec And Veritas To Merge


AP - The Italian team Lazio was ordered Friday to play its next European game without fans as punishment for a game last month marked by racial taunts from the stands.

Italian Team Ordered to Play Without Fans (AP)


Yesterday, Michael Powell, US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman said that technology and telecommunications companies are working on ways to develop pipe television shows to consumers #39; homes via high-speed Internet lines.

US FCC: High Speed Internet and television


It's only a matter of time before Redskins fans clamor for backup quarterback Tim Hasselbeck.

Backup, Go  Forward


Noah Lowry won his sixth straight decision and remained unbeaten in 13 major league starts, and Ray Durham hit a two-run double to lead the Giants to a 5-1 victory over the Houston Astros last night in San Francisco.

Giants win, cut gap to half game


Nintendo trimmed the price of its Game Boy Advance player on Wednesday as the company prepared for one of the most serious challenges yet to its dominance of the portable game market.

Nintendo trims Game Boy Advance price


com. The Rangers issued a statement from owner Tom Hicks on Tuesday apologizing for the event.  quot;On behalf of the Texas Rangers, I want to apologize for the conduct of some members of our club last night in Oakland, quot; said Hicks.

MLB investigating Oakland fracas


By EMMA ROSS    MUNICH, Germany (AP) -- More than half of European smokers who suffer a heart attack, bypass surgery or other serious heart problem are still smoking a year later, despite anti-smoking campaigns and doctors' advice to stop, a new study found.    Experts said the findings, presented Monday at Europe's largest medical conference, indicate that smoking cessation efforts are failing many of the most vulnerable victims...

Heart Attacks Don't Stop Most Smokers


Vienna, Austria (Sports Network) - Top seeds David Nalbandian, Nicolas Massu and Rainer Schuettler were all quarterfinal losers Friday at the indoor BA-CA Tennis Trophy.

Top-three seeds waltz out of Vienna


The most satisfied new-home buyers in the Washington area last year were those who purchased a home from Pulte Homes Inc., the nation #39;s largest builder, according to a survey released this week.

Area New-Home Buyers Happier, Survey Shows


Conflicts and bombings still rampaged across Iraq on Monday, killing at least 16 people including an American soldier and an Estonian trooper.

Conflicts across Iraq as powerful explosives disappear


Business India: Mumbai, Oct 26 : Reserve Bank of India today said it will clamp risk containment norms and raise risk weightage for housing and consumer credit to avoid  quot;asset bubble quot; like condition and ensure sustainable growth in credit to these

Risk norms for home, consumer loan to avoid asset bubble: RBI:


Roger, wilco and out went enough Breeders #39; Cup Pick 6 tickets to burn down Lone Star Park yesterday when Euro-invader Wilko, dismissed at 28-1 in a field of eight, rolled

DETTORI-LED WILKO RUNS PAST YOUNG FIELD AT 28-1


The Popular Front of Yorkshire #39;s takeover of the England dressing room is in full swing. The Holy not-far-from Wakefield Trinity of skipper Jason Robinson, fly-half Charlie Hodgson and vice-captain Mike Tindall

Yorkshire #39;s finest enjoy an afternoon of pure luxury


SUFFOLK -- Virginia Tech scientists are preparing to protect the state #39;s largest crop from a disease with strong potential to do damage.

Scientists work to protect crops


Aylwin Lewis is smiling. He #39;s the president and chief executive of Kmart Holding (nasdaq: KMRT - news - people ), which posted its fourth straight quarterly profit on Wednesday.

Lewis: Kmart Profit Lets CEO Do  #39;More With More #39;


Real Madrid coach Jose Antonio Camacho has offered to resign after the Spanish club #39;s poor start to the season, according to reports in Spain.

Real #39;s Camacho offers to resign


ATI Technologies Inc. has announced that PCI Express (PCIe)-enabled graphics cards are set to account for 25 of the global graphics card market by year-end.

Middle East emerges as prime growth market for graphic solutions


The EU has hit back after Washington filed a case at the World Trade Organisation over state aid for aircraft maker Airbus EAD.PA , filing its own case over what it called  quot;massive illegal quot; aid for Boeing BA.

EU hits back over Boeing #39;s  quot;massive quot; aid


Authorities in Finland have warned their citizen against using Microsofts Internet Explorer 6, citing a serious security flaw within the browser.

Finnish Warn against IE6


p2pnet.net News:- Microsoft #39;s Windows Server 2003 Compute Cluster Edition doesn #39;t like servers built around Intel #39;s Itanium 2 chip.

Microsoft disses Itanium 2


By BOBBY ROSS JR. Associated Press Writer. play the Atlanta Hawks. They will be treated to free food and drink and have. their pictures taken with Mavericks players, dancers and team officials.

Mavericks fans offer front-row seats to wounded soldiers


(08/30/04)-- A house fire in Oakland County #39;s Waterford Township has claimed the lives of a township police officer and his wife and child.

Deadly weekend fires kill 5


USATODAY.com - Consumers are snatching up old and new TV favorites on DVD as quickly as studios can release them. TV shows on DVD are one of the fastest-growing trends in the home video business.

Old TV shows never die... (USATODAY.com)


We first reported on the speculation about this a couple of weeks ago, now everyone is aflutter of the news that Sony is supposedly (big emphasis on the supposedly, ok?

PStwo on October 26th?


In a new study, scientists have found that the left and right ears process sound differently.

The Right Ear Is From Mars


Gas prices in the UK are likely to remain high for at least another three years, a report predicts, due to record oil prices and supply shortages.

UK gas prices 'pushed up by oil'


When Australia scored a token run in the fifth inning of the gold medal game Monday at the Olympic Softball Stadium, it was the first scored here against the US - in the ninth and final game

US softball team enjoys dominant Olympic run


AOL Instant Messenger message directs victims to Web sites that host the dangerous images.

JPEG virus found circulating via IM program


Fossilised remains found in southern China may hold the answer to a question that has long stumped palaeontologists: Just what is the purpose of the long neck on a group of predatory reptiles that roamed the earth millions of years ago?

Dinosaur long-necked for a reason: experts


ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The wind and Willis McGahee are providing the Buffalo Bills a formidable 1-2 punch.

Jets can't weather McGahee, Bills


Uruguayan opposition candidate Tabare Vazquez captured enough votes to win the presidency in today #39;s first-round vote, exit polls from the country #39;s four-biggest pollsters showed.

Uruguay #39;s Vazquez Wins Presidency in 1st Round, Exit Polls Show


Yahoo #39;s face-off with France over Nazi paraphernalia took its latest twist Monday, with a federal appeals court reversing an earlier decision that found the First Amendment protected the Web portal from legal action over the issue in the United States.

New turn in Yahoo tussle with France over Nazi items


Providence goaltender David Cacciola expected to face a lot of shots when the Friars visited Boston College on Saturday. But he did not expect about three games' worth.

Goalie Gets Long Workout


Citing need for fairness to other nonprofits, bell ringers will be banned from stores this year. By David Kaplan. Target #39;s branding campaign is the darling of the advertising world.

To Salvation Army, Target is the Grinch who stole Christmas


John Reid, the health secretary, yesterday championed personal choice over state dictation as he launched the government #39;s wide-ranging blueprint for disease prevention ranging from smoking bans to personal health trainers, curbs on advertising junk food

Reid offers blueprint for fitness


Women #39;s bodies have become part of the terrain of conflict, according to a new report by Amnesty International. Rape and sexual abuse are not just a by-product of war but are used as a deliberate military strategy, it says.

How did rape become a weapon of war?


A new virus outbreak emerged on Thursday that packs a baffling message: a photograph of accused German virus author Sven Jaschan that security officials believe to be a geeky taunt from a rival gang of computer programmers.

Net Virus Turf War Resumes


Ukrainian prosecutors reopened their investigation into allegations Viktor Yushchenko was poisoned after doctors who treated the opposition leader confirmed he had been slipped the toxic chemical dioxin.

Ukraine reopens poisoning inquiry


AFP - The widow of Yasser Arafat has questioned the right of his nephew to receive a copy of the medical file of the late Palestinian leader, Suha Arafat's lawyers said in a statement.

Arafat widow contests right of nephew to receive medical file (AFP)


Bill Nicholson, widely regarded as one of the greatest football managers of the 20th century and the first to win the league and FA Cup double in modern times, has died aged 85 after a long illness.

Football #39;s Nicholson dies at 85


Boeing and Northrop Grumman have inked a memorandum of agreement which will see the two aerospace giants join forces to compete for the contract to build NASA #39;s Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) - part of the Agency #39;s Constellation project to send robotic

Boeing and Northrop Grumman forge space alliance


MOSCOW, December 17 (Itar-Tass) -- Gazprom gas giant has applied to the Russian Federal Property Fund for taking part in the Yuganskneftegaz auction.

Gazprom applies for participation in Yuganskneftegaz auction


Jeff Zimmerman's recent baseball biography reads like a broken record, or in a more modern idiom,

A Pitcher Hopes to Hop Off the Injury Treadmill


Why has Yasser Arafat not  quot;groomed quot; a successor (like some petty oriental despot), commentators have demanded to know in recent days, and why he is leaving a chaotic power-vacuum?

Karma Nabulsi


Instead of the fireworks and all night partying that usually accompanies such an event, it was a scaled back closing ceremony for the Athens Paralympics in tribute to seven teenagers killed in a bus crash on their way to the Games.

PARALYMPICS SOMBRE CLOSING CEREMONY


TOKYO -- American and Japanese negotiators agreed Saturday to ease a 10-month-old ban on American beef exports to Japan, a deal that will reopen the US beef industry #39;s biggest overseas market to at least some products.

World News In Brief


The intensity, expectation and pressure began to heighten for the 35th Ryder Cup on Tuesday as the United States and Europe completed the first day of official team practice.

Ryder-Waiting game almost over at Oakland Hills


Team USA goaltender Chanda Gunn makes the save off Team Canada Colleen Sostorics as USA #39;s Katie King looks on during first period Four Nations Tournament action Thursday, Nov. 11, 2004 in Burlington, Vt.

Canada-US Tie 1-1 in Four Nations Cup


SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The dollar held near a record low  against the euro and a 4-1/2-year low versus the yen on Monday,  sending Asian shares sharply lower, after a meeting of rich and  developing nations said nothing to arrest its fall.

Stocks Sink as Dollar Hovers Near Lows


Oil prices fell below \$48 US a barrel Wednesday after the US government reported increases in the US supply of crude oil and distillate fuel, which includes heating oil.

Crude oil prices fall as US government reports growing supplies


Captain David Beckham emerged as England #39;s main injury concern ahead of Wednesday #39;s World Cup qualifier against Poland. Beckham was forced to leave training here early Monday after picking up a rib injury in Saturday #39;s 2-2 draw against Austria.

Beckham injury concern for Poland


VIENNA (Reuters) - OPEC may resist calls to raise oil  output quotas much, if at all, when it meets this week for fear  of turning a decline from record prices into a rout.

OPEC Wary as Supplies Weigh on Oil Price


Dick Cheney backs away from comments that warned of another terror attack if John Kerry is elected president.

Cheney tempers criticism of Kerry


GEORGETOWN, Del. - The terms on the options Walt Disney Co. gave its former president Michael Ovitz when he was hired were less generous than the terms for many other industry executives, a former compensation consultant testified Wednesday.

Witness Testifies on Ovitz #39;s Option Terms


ATHENS (Reuters) - Twice Olympic beach volleyball medallist  Natalie Cook helped new team mate Nicole Sanderson battle  nerves to propel Australia to a 21-19, 17-21, 17-15 win against  China Monday.

Beach Volleyball: Cook Propels Australia to Win


The Armed Services Committee's hearings will include an examination of criticism that the Defense Department failed to prepare for the insurgency and went into action with a shortage of armor for trucks and Humvees.

Senate Panel to Set Hearings on Insurgency, Shortages


Though Fred Funk had been rather morose after missing the cut by a stroke in the 86th PGA Championship on Friday, there was great joy on Sunday.

Funk Still Gets Cup Spot


Eat your spinach, Mom used to say. It will make your muscles grow, power your laptop and recharge your cell phone...  OK. So nobody's Mom said those last two things. But researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say they have used spinach to harness a plant's ability to convert sunlight into energy for the first time, creating a device that may one day power laptops, mobile phones and more.

MIT Works to Power Computers With Spinach


LONDON A judge rejected a claim Wednesday for a record 230.5 million in special damages in a libel case against the Financial Times newspaper that is being pursued by the London-based brokerage firm Collins Stewart Tullett.

Court rejects FT damage claim


FONTANA, United States : Brazil #39;s Tony Kanaan can clinch the Indy Racing League season championship by finishing in the top four at the Toyota Indy 400 here Sunday.

Racing: Brazil #39;s Kanaan set to clinch Indy-car crown


Chelsea, London, Nov. 5 -- Sacked Chelsea striker Adrian Mutus amazing FA escape after testing positive for cocaine, has angered Chelsea, as the FA have suspended Mutu from football for seven months with 20,000 fine.

Chelsea accuse FA of lenient Mutu drugs ban


Bruce Wasserstein, the combative chief executive of investment bank Lazard, is expected to agree this week that he will quit the group unless he can pull off a successful

Wasserstein ready to quit Lazard


EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- All-Pro defensive end Michael Strahan will miss the rest of the New York Giants #39; season with a torn pectoral muscle.

Strahan out for year with torn pectoral muscle


ATLANTA, Ga. -- Prosecutors are working on a plea deal with Baltimore Ravens star running back Jamal Lewis, the WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team has learned.

I-Team: Jamal Lewis, Prosecutors Working On Plea Deal


Boston College junior forward Craig Smith , who slimmed down to a svelte 255 pounds during the offseason, yesterday earned preseason All-Big East first-team honors. Smith, who averaged 16.9 points and 8.3 rebounds last season, said he was driven in part by the nightmarish memory of his subpar performance in Boston College's 57-54 loss to Georgia Tech ...

Smith still feels sting


Auto and Truck component supplier ArvinMeritor Inc. on Wednesday said it sold its Roll Coater Inc. coil coating unit for about \$162.5 million to an affiliate of private equity firm Willis Stein  amp; Partners.

ArvinMeritor Sells Coil Coating Unit


Amin Saikal, the director of the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University, talks to ABC News Online #39;s Nadia Farha about Yasser Arafat #39;s

What is Arafat #39;s legacy?


AP - Sasha Victorine and Arturo Torres scored for Los Angeles, and the Galaxy ended a seven-game winless streak with a 2-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night.

Galaxy Beat Earthquakes 2-1 (AP)


A lot of people got excited when Fidelity Investments announced recently that it was cutting fees on five index mutual funds. You heard talk about price wars with the Vanguard Group, of a new  quot;low-cost leader quot; in fund investing and more.

Fidelity fee cuts all about strategy


Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.com Inc. filed one joint and several separate lawsuits on Monday against companies and individuals accusing them variously of trying to defraud

Microsoft, Amazon.com file phishing, spamming lawsuits


The US economy grew in September and early October despite being restrained by rising energy costs and increased uncertainty over the presidential campaign, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday.

Fed finds economy growing in survey


Palestinian gunmen have confronted a column of Israeli armoured vehicles in the Gaza Strip, sparking a fierce firefight which has left at least one dead and five wounded.

Fighting breaks out in Gaza strip


Microsoft (Quote, Chart) has released its second Community Technology Preview (CTP) for SQL Server 2005, adding greater performance and 64-bit support for SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services and SQL Server 2005 Integration Services.

Microsoft Pads 64-bit Support in SQL Server


A laser that can beam data from Mars to Earth at 10 times the rate of current radio links will be flown to the Red Planet in 2009, say NASA scientists.

Mars laser will beam super-fast data


Reuters - Anecdotal evidence of public criticism of

N.Korea Criticism Reports Don't Mean Kim Weaker Yet (Reuters)


MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio - The man who invented the small, long-lasting alkaline batteries that power Walkmans, Gameboys and other portable devices has died.

Cdn-born inventor of long-lasting batteries dies


AP - Sweden's Robin Soderling won his first ATP singles title, using a strong serve to defeat Belgium's Xavier Malisse 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 Sunday in the Lyon Open final.

Soderling Beats Malisse to Win Lyon Open (AP)


BAGHDAD -- A militant group said it has kidnapped a missing Western journalist with Boston-area ties and would kill him if US forces did not leave the holy Shi'ite city of Najaf within 48 hours, Al-Jazeera reported yesterday.

Militants in video threaten to kill journalist


A vulnerability in AOL's instant messenger could allow attacks. Also: A new Bagle variant rumbles across the Net.

PC security under fire


NEW YORKCrude oil hit \$55 (US) a barrel yesterday as traders worried over thin heating oil inventories ahead of winter and Federal Reserve Board chairman Alan Greenspan predicted the soaring costs would not crimp economic growth like in the 1970s.

Crude oil touches \$55 US a barrel


How do you top a battle between Marines and an alien religious cult fighting to the death on a giant corona in outer space? The next logical step is to take that battle to Earth, which is exactly what Microsoft

#39;Halo 2 #39; is worth the wait


The Philippine central bank should raise interest rates or price inflation will bust out of the government #39;s 4 percent to 5 percent target for the year, a former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor says.

Philippine economy faces more inflation


Canadian Press - VIENNA, Austria (AP) - The UN nuclear watchdog agency failed Monday to make a judgment on the origin of some technology for Libya's weapons program, a finding that diplomats said kept concern alive of North Korean involvement.

UN nuclear watchdog leaves open question of N. Korean involvement with Libya (Canadian Press)


AFP - The Philippines' most influential Roman Catholic leader, Cardinal Jaime Sin, is in stable condition  but remains under intensive care after suffering a heart attack, his church says.

Philippine Catholic leader Sin in stable condition after heart attack (AFP)


Margaret Hodge, the children #39;s minister, was handcuffed to a Fathers 4 Justice protester yesterday as she gave the keynote speech at a Law Society conference.

Minister handcuffed to fathers protester


Mel Karmazin, who quit as president of Viacom after a power struggle with his boss, has resurfaced as the new chief executive of Sirius Satellite Radio.

Former Viacom Chief Named to Lead Sirius


Ames, IA (Sports Network) - Former Iowa State standout wrestler Cael Sanderson has joined the school as an assistant for the upcoming season.

Sanderson joins Iowa State coaching staff


TOURNAMENT host Tiger Woods shot a five-under 66 yesterday to overtake a fading Colin Montgomerie and win the \$7 million Target World Challenge in California.

Tiger casts off paw form


Wireless carrier Sprint has signed contracts with Lucent, Nortel and Motorola for network upgrades, including the development of high-speed Internet services.

Sprint Upgrades Wireless Network


Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has defended the attack on the rebel stronghold Falluja saying it would improve security across Iraq and pave the way for planned January elections.

Iraqi PM Allawi defends Falluja assault


LONDON - Fabless graphics chip company Nvidia Corp. has launched a graphics processor intended for mobile applications. The  #39;GoForce 3D 4500 #39; performs geometry processing, has a 40-bit color processing pipeline

Nvidia launches graphics processor for mobile apps


Revenue for the network computer maker rose year over year for the second consecutive quarter after three years of declines, the company said today.

Sun Microsystems Posts Narrower Quarterly Loss


AP - Jordan Collins was the perfect complement to North Carolina State's outside shooting. With five players making 3-pointers, Collins did all his scoring from the paint, finishing with a career-high 17 points to help the 19th-ranked Wolfpack beat New Orleans 92-58 on Wednesday night in the first round of the BCA Invitational.

N.C. State Wins BCA Invitational Opener (AP)


Towering over historic Beale Street, the NBA #39;s newest arena -- and one of its flashiest -- is almost ready for business. The \$250 million FedExForum scheduled a Labor Day party for the

Grizzlies #39; new downtown arena ready to open


Michael Dell has seen the future and it #39;s a 128-node  quot;MegaGrid quot; running the Linux operating system on Dell servers at Oracle #39;s lab in Austin, Texas.

Dell #39;s CEO rejects the idea of buying IBM #39;s PC business.


SINGAPORE - December 6, 2004 -MD announced the AMD Opteron processor family will include AMD PowerNow! technology with Optimised Power Management (OPM) in the first half of 2005.

AMD to provide on-demand power management for the Rack-Dense <b>...</b>


ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Arizona Diamondbacks continue to make waves in the free agent marketplace, reportedly signing veteran righthander Russ Ortiz on Friday in what could be a precursor to a blockbuster involving Randy Johnson.

D-Backs reportedly to sign Russ Ortiz


The US, Russia and Sudan are accused of being the biggest violators of housing rights.

Housing report slams US and Sudan


It #39;s going to be a long time before digital music downloads challenge CD sales, even in the online world. That #39;s the conclusion of a report by market watcher Informa Media Group (IMG), published this week.

Digital music a long way from displacing CDs


It used to be that the only way to build a skyscraper was up. But now the tall building is being totally reimagined and taken in some very unusual directions. Look out below

Kissing The Sky


THE Big Four accounting firms - Ernst  amp; Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG and Deloitte - made repeated mistakes in their auditing of US companies, a new watchdog has reported.

Big Four rapped for auditing errors


NEW YORK - The US Census Bureau publishes 12 economic indicators throughout the year. Four cover manufacturing, four deal with housing and construction, two measure retail sales and two concern trade.

The Census Bureau #39;s New Economic Indicator


WASHINGTON - Sen. John Kerry sought to make President Bush pay a political price Monday for the expiration of a partial assault weapons ban, but other Democrats reacted warily on an issue that has hurt the party in recent elections...

Kerry Chides Bush on Assault Weapons Ban


Reuters - A car exploded near the West Bank\city of Ramallah on Friday, killing two people, an Israeli\emergency service said.

Car Blast Kills 2 in West Bank - Emergency Service (Reuters)


Next, you could have a Motorola mobile phone with MasterCard PayPass to help you spend money faster.  quot;This is layering on more features to make the cell phone

Possibly the fastest way to spend money


Reuters - Somali lawmakers began voting on Sunday\for a president in the 14th attempt in a decade to return\government to the lawless Horn of Africa state.

Somali MPs Vote for President in Peace Bid (Reuters)


When Gary Kelly, the new chief executive of Southwest Airlines, dressed up as the Kiss frontman for Halloween, we should have known it was more than a prank.

Southwest changing ways under new chief executive


Following the third attack in eight days, the capability of security services against militants is questioned.

Russia terror wave exposes weak intelligence


Ebay Inc. has agreed to acquire property listings site Rent.com Inc. for US\$415 million in its latest move to expand beyond online auctions, the company said late Thursday.

Ebay snaps up Rent.com for \$415 million


Reuters - Shares FedEx Corp. (FDX.N) rose before\the bell on Monday, after the express shipping company raised\its earnings forecast for the first quarter and the full year,\citing strong demand for its services.

Before-the-Bell: FedEx Up After Outlook (Reuters)


ALBANY, NYGlaxoSmithKline PLC agreed yesterday to release negative data on the safety and effectiveness of its drugs to settle a lawsuit by New York #39;s attorney general that accused the pharmaceutical maker of misrepresenting data on prescribing its

Drug firm agrees to disclose all data


United Airlines will decrease capacity on about 30 routes from Denver as it reduces US flight capacity by 14 percent and adds international flights to focus on more profitable routes.

United cuts flight capacity out of DIA


CBC SPORTS ONLINE - A Missouri woman was acquitted of charges she helped NHL player Mike Dantion hire a hit man in a failed plot to kill his agent.

Wolfmeyer acquitted in murder-for-hire plot


Man pleads guilty to spamming people through unprotected hot spots, again raising concerns about risks of open-access Wi-Fi.

'Wardriving' conviction is first under Can-Spam


Andre Agassi goes through after Florian Mayer is forced to retire injured.

Tennis: Agassi goes through


South Africa has moved up a spot on the World Economic Forums Global Competitiveness Index; SA is now 41 out of 104 countries ranked on the basis of competitiveness.

SA edges up the pile


In the last couple of months, we have seen Google invading the Microsoft territory with GMail and Google Desktop Search. Now Microsoft is responding.

Microsoft enters Google Territory with MSN Spaces


Research in Motion (RIM), the company that first pushed e-mail over wireless, is teaming up with PeopleSoft to offer corporate users PeopleSoft Enterprise Sales for BlackBerry, a sales application with similar push technology.

PeopleSoft, RIM partner to deliver sales application


That was indeed a handshake line you saw moments after the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Dodgers in Los Angeles, three games to one, to settle half the bracket for the National League championship series.

Cards earn respect the old-fashioned way


Drug giant Johnson   Johnson agrees to buy Guidant Corp, a key player in the heart technology market, for \$25.4bn.

J J agrees \$25.4bn Guidant deal


THE discovery by Australian scientists on the Indonesian island of Flores of an entirely new humanoid species - colloquially dubbed  quot;hobbits quot; because of their diminutive stature -uts a new piece in place in the long scientific mission to understand

A giant step for humanoids


Arsenal skipper Patrick Vieira has played down his spat with teammate Lauren following their team #39;s disappointing UEFA Champions League draw with Rosenborg.

Vieira plays down spat


Israeli forces withdraw from the West Bank town of Jenin and its refugee camp after two weeks of  operations.

Israel army pulls back from Jenin


European aerospace firm EADS says it is ready to tender for a bid to supply refuelling planes to the US air force.

EADS 'ready' for US air force bid


PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad -- Hurricane Ivan tore down trees, blew off roofs, knocked out power, and forced hundreds of people to evacuate coastal areas as it pounded the tiny islands of the southeastern Caribbean yesterday.

Hurricane buffets eastern Caribbean isles


Two Russian passenger airliners from Moscow crashed within minutes of each other, killing all 89 passengers and crew, the greatest number of civilian Russian air deaths in a single day for more than three years.

Two Russian Planes Crash, 89 Die, After Hijack Alarm (Update7)


For Saif Saaeed Shaheen, the Memorial Van Damme in the Stade Roi Baudouin last night was the Lord Mayor #39;s Show, not after it. He made the most of it, steeplechasing in all his

Athletics: Shaheen record run lifts after-show party


Jeffrey W. Greenberg yesterday resigned as chairman and chief executive of embattled Marsh  amp; McLennan Cos. and said that the firm will announce  quot;significant reforms quot; today, a move that avoids criminal prosecution of the insurance broker.

Top Marsh exec resigns


NEW YORK (Reuters) - American International Group Inc.  <A HREF=

SEC May Charge That AIG Lied to Investors


AP - President Bush will make air pollution a top priority in Congress early next year, starting with

AP: Air Pollution a Top Priority for Bush (AP)


NEGOTIATIONS: The NHL and the players association haven #39;t held a negotiating session since Sept. 9 -- one week before the lockout was imposed, but NHLPA senior director Ted Saskin met with Bill Daly, the NHL #39;s chief legal officer on Oct. 26 in New York.

NHL Lockout Glance


Microsoft #39;s eagerly anticipated video game, Halo 2, will go on sale at midnight tonight, with the first copy to be distributed at the Toys  #39;R #39; Us flagship store in Times Square, New York City.

Microsoft #39;s Halo 2 Set for Midnight Release


NEW YORK - U.S. stocks are seen slightly lower at the open Friday as oil's latest push into record territory continues to unnerve investors...

Stocks to Open Lower on Oil Concerns


NEW YORK: Ingersoll-Rand has agreed to sell its Dresser-Rand energy equipment business to private equity firm First Reserve, which specialises in the energy industry, for \$1.

Ingersoll-Rand to sell Dresser unit for \$1.2bn


Connexion by Boeing, the only real-time, high-speed connectivity service available to commercial airline passengers and iPass, which operates the world #39;s largest Wi-Fi roaming network with over 11,000 active hotspots in 33 countries, complement each other

iPass Wi-Fi Network Access in the Sky


New Jersey Nets: Backup guard Lucious Harris, who played a big part in helping the Nets win two Eastern Division titles, was waived Wednesday.

Backup guard helps Nets win East twice


A federal judge has ordered a man known as the

'Spam King' Ordered to Disable Spyware


AFP - China and other Asian economies should brace themselves for possible severe trade friction with the United States due to large American trade deficits, a top US economist says.

China and Asia should brace themselves for US trade friction: economist (AFP)


Reuters - Though high winds and flooding\generated billions of dollars in damage in Florida, Hurricane\Frances is expected to be less costly for insurers than feared,\analysts and industry officials said on Monday.

Frances Seen Less Costly Than Feared (Reuters)


Tom Kite #39;s opening round in the SBC Championship on Friday didn #39;t look like much at the turn. Nine holes later, he was tied for lead.

Kite rallies for share of lead at SBC Championship


AP - Iraqi militants threatened to behead a Turkish truck driver if his company and the Kuwaiti contractor it works for don't stop their operations in Iraq within 48 hours, according to a videotape aired on Arab television Saturday.

Militants Threaten to Behead Turkish Man (AP)


The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has cleared the way for Internet access over the same infrastructure that carries electricity to homes and businesses in America.

FCC Clears Broadband over Power Lines Barriers


TOKYO - Sony Marketing (Japan) Inc said Tuesday it will begin selling a personal digital assistant Sept 25 equipped with an organic electroluminescent display, a next-generation monitor.

Sony unveils PDA with next-generation organic EL display


The next five days present the US men #39;s soccer team a pair of chances to reinforce why it is considered the region #39;s top squad.

US, El Salvador meet


 By Timothy Heritage

 PARIS (Reuters) - France has formally proposed formerEuropean Union Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy as a candidate tohead the World Trade Organization (WTO), Lamy said on Monday.

France Proposes Ex-EU Trade Chief Lamy to Head WTO


Graeme McDowell, another great talent from the Walker Cup crop of 1999-01, equalled the course record yesterday and so took the lead in the Dunhill Links Championship.

McDowell rides Old Course luck


AP - The leading sponsors of the

Palestinians to Host Western Diplomats (AP)


Google Inc. #39;s initial public offering of stock remained on hold yesterday after the Securities and Exchange Commission delayed final approval of the company #39;s prospectus.

Google Offering Waits for Approval


Reuters - The first case of soybean rust, an\economically devastating disease for farmers, has been found in\the mainland United States, the U.S. Agriculture Department\said on Wednesday.

USDA: Devastating Soybean Disease Found (Reuters)


The 2002 NFL MVP has a broken vertebra in his neck that will sideline him at least eight weeks. Coach Norv Turner didn #39;t believe Gannon was at risk for paralysis and said the quarterback was walking around

Neck injury sidelines Raiders QB


----- COLUMBUS, Ohio (Ticker) -- The Columbus Blue Jackets retained a pair of players Tuesday, re-signing goaltender Marc Denis and right wing David Vyborny to multi-year contracts.

Blue Jackets re-signs G Denis, RW Vyborny


SRINAGAR (India held-Kashmir): Five Indian army personnel including a Captain were killed and 45 others injured when a car packed with explosives rammed into an army convoy in Baramulla district Saturday.

Ten including 5 Indian troops killed in Kashmir violence


The World Bank says fewer people than ever are living in extreme poverty in East Asia and the Pacific due to economic growth of around seven per cent.

World Bank reports drop in poverty levels in East Asia, Pacific


AFP - An outright ban on fox hunting with dogs in England and Wales appeared inevitable after a majority of over 100 MPs in the House of Commons rejected last-ditch compromises on the blood sport.

Fox hunting ban in England, Wales looms after compromise fails (AFP)


#39;You #39;re Fired! quot; Everyone knows Donald Trump #39;s weekly mantra from his NBC reality show. Most fans also know who won the fight for supremacy as 16 wannabes -- eight women and eight men -- competed in the corporate jungle of New York.

Choose  #39;The Apprentice #39;


Swiss watchmaker Swatch on Wednesday introduced  quot;Paparazzi quot; watches that use Microsoft #39;s Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT), giving Dick Tracy wannabes yet another watch brand to choose from.

Swatch to sell Microsoft-based wireless watches


Shaquille O'Neal feels the Heat needs to acquire a killer instinct after just edging out the Celtics, 106-104, on Sunday evening.

O'Neal Wants More


NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - US stocks traded mixed Thurday as Merck shares lost a quarter of their value, dragging blue chips lower, but the Nasdaq moved higher, buoyed by gains in the semiconductor sector.

Merck takes down the Dow


AP - Looking to rebound after poor showings in Euro 2004, England and Germany won tuneup games Wednesday in preparation for qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup.

England, Germany Win Cup Qualifying Preps (AP)


OCTOBER 05, 2004 -- Ten leading San Francisco hotels this week locked out employees in sympathy with the four hotels impacted by last week #39;s strike by the local Unite Here branch of the AFL-CIO.

San Francisco Hotels Lock Out Employees In Labor Dispute


BAGHDAD -- Militants sawed off the heads of three hostages believed to be Iraqi Kurds in a grisly videotape that surfaced yesterday, hours after Iraq's prime minister said that January elections would be held on schedule and asserted that US and Iraqi troops were winning the fight against an increasingly bold insurgency.

Iraq vote vowed as violence continues


SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A sharp slide in global metals  markets hammered industrial and mining stocks such as JFE  Holdings and BHP Billiton Thursday, while oil prices crawled  back toward record highs.

Asian Shares Hit by Metals Tumble, Oil


Reuters - Two blasts rocked a wholesale market in\the northern suburbs of Ukraine's capital Kiev on Friday,\wounding 13, two seriously, an Emergencies Ministry official\said.

Two Blasts Rock Market in Ukraine Capital, 13 Hurt (Reuters)


ST. LOUIS Keith Ginter hit a three-run homer as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-to-6. The NL Central champion Cards suffered a season-high fourth straight loss.

Sports: Brewers 7 Cardinals 6


The server maker plans to hold a series of technical workshops  geared for developers that work at financial institutions.\

Sun makes financial pitch


TOKYO (Reuters) - Iran should freeze all its uranium  enrichment-related activities by a Nov. 25 board of governors  meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the  head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Mohamed ElBaradei, said on  Friday.

ElBaradei: Iran Should Comply with IAEA by Nov. 25


The Zimbabwe Cricket Union was cleared on Sunday of racism by an International Cricket Council investigation. The probe was launched after 15 white players were dismissed for backing Heath Streak, who was

No racism within ZCU: ICC


INTERNATIONAL rating agency, Standard and Poor #39;s (S amp;P) has upgraded India #39;s BB #39; long-term foreign currency rating outlook to  quot;positive quot; from stable.

S amp;P upgrades India currency rating outlook


One of India's best known novelists and short-story writers, Mulk Raj Anand,  dies at the age of 99.

Indian author Mulk Raj Anand dies


hype7 writes  quot;CNet #39;s News.com.com is reporting that AT amp;T is reconsidering its corporate IT investment in Microsoft Windows - with both Mac OS X and Linux being considered.

AT amp;T Considers Mac OS X, Linux For 7,000 Desktops


Kabul (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Afghan militants threatening to kill three foreign hostages yesterday offered to negotiate with a United Nations envoy, but warned that any rescue attempt would end in bloodshed.

Afghan kidnappers offers to negotiate with UN


PC maker will offer 24-hour help desk services, on-site visits, and more.

Dell Delivers Help to Small Businesses


VIJAY Singh continued his extraordinary run with victory in the Pennsylvania Classic last night, completing his fifth PGA Tour win in six starts and breaking Tiger Woodss single-season earnings record.

Five out of six for awesome Singh


A shooting at a tent set up for mourners of Yasser Arafat in Gaza City has left at least one security guard dead and five others injured.

1 Dead 5 Injured at Arafat Mourning Tent in Gaza


McDonald #39;s took further steps to jazz things up for its customers Wednesday, unveiling a new cashless payment service and expanding the test of deli-style sandwiches at US restaurants.

New McD offerings come in waves


NEW YORK -- The David and Goliath storyline is not holding up for Game 1 of this American League Division Series. True, when the Minnesota Twins play the New York Yankees it is a one-sided match from the standpoint

Twins shrug off  #39;David vs. Goliath #39;


BERKELEY, Calif. -- Mysterious tremors deep beneath the San Andreas Fault could portend future earthquakes, according to University of California, Berkeley scientists.

Mysterious Tremors Could Warn Of Future Earthquakes


Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Olympic medalists Kostas Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou quit the Athens Games, overshadowing the start of track and field events on the fifth day of competition. Venus Williams and Andy Roddick were eliminated from the tennis.

Kenteris, Thanou Quit Games; Thorpe Record Bid Fails (Update6)


Sydney commuters get a day's free travel after an unprecedented protest against the city's rail network.

Sydney protesters get free travel


GARY MEGSON has termed West Bromwich Albion the most political football club Ive ever known and the job description is likely to gloss over the fractured dressing-room, boardroom

Disaffected Megson is shown exit by Albion


LONDON, England -- Eurostar, the high-speed passenger services, is celebrating 10 years of service between Britain, France and Belgium.

Eurostar turns 10 years old


In few other sports could three players across such a broad spectrum be in contention for a title. But such is the case after the first round of the Dunhill Championship, where only six of the world #39;s top 200 golfers are playing.

Lesser lights on leaderboard with Els


Volkswagen, Europe's largest carmaker, rejects a trade union offer  to limit workers' pay rises, saying it does not go far enough.

VW rejects union's salary offer


BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A US soldier was sentenced to a 25-year term Saturday after a court martial convicted him in the death of an Iraqi National Guard member in May, the military said.

US soldier gets 25 years in death of Iraqi


NewsFactor - Orange has launched its long-awaited 3G mobile service in the UK, with the goal of signing up as many as 2 million subscribers by the end of 2006.

Orange Launches 3G Services (NewsFactor)


The euro-zone economy grew by 0.5 percent in the second quarter of 2004, a touch slower than in the first three months of the year, according to initial estimates released Tuesday by the European Union.

Euro-Zone Growth Continues to Lag in 2Q


Reuters - Ethiopia said Thursday it\accepted

Ethiopia Accepts Eritrea Border Ruling in Principle (Reuters)


Google #39;s motion to dismiss legal proceedings brought against it by insurance company Geico was granted on Wednesday by a US District Court judge.

Google wins fight against Geico


Mountaineers are planting junipers on ledges to prevent them from being eaten by hungry sheep.

Mountaineers to rescue juniper


There are hundreds of considerations when selecting and implementing an IM management solution -- from product features and technology to pricing. Still, IM security consultants and vendors agree that the following points apply across the board.

A chat check list for IT managers


A US airline attendant is fighting for her job after she was suspended over postings on her blog.

Blogger grounded by her airline


Egypt asks the US to hand over five of its citizens detained at the American military base at Guantanamo Bay.

Egypt wants Guantanamo releases


Unions consider strike calls over government plans to raise public sector workers' pension age.

Strike move in public pension row


Beijing - Top seed Serena Williams advanced to the China Open quarter-finals on Wednesday, edging past Russia #39;s Dinara Safina for a thrilling 6-4 3-6 6-3 win.

Serena edges out Safina


Rookie tight end Kellen Winslow Jr., out for the season with a broken right leg, was placed on the Cleveland Browns' crowded injured reserve list Thursday.

Browns Place Winslow on Injured List


BOSTON - Red Sox manager Terry Francona expressed cautious optimism Friday that RHP Curt Schilling #39;s injured right ankle may allow him to pitch before the end of the American League Championship Series.

Francona Cautious About Schilling


com September 21, 2004, 5:30 PM PT. This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been improving or obtaining CRM and ERP software for the past year and a half.

Sun foresees global pool of computing power


Online Holiday Shopping Sales Increase Sharply in 2004\\The latest holiday online sales forecast numbers are up and running with predicitions all having online sales rise, anywhere from 19 to almost 30 over results from 2003. comScore Networks predicts that online consumer spending for November and December will total between \$15.1 ...


Instead, freshman Andrew Brackman took over in the second half of Wednesday #39;s nightmare against Louisiana-Lafayette to help salvage a 78-72 victory and protect the Pack #39;s perfect record.

A scare for State


International wireless solutions manufacturer Research in Motion (RIM) believes the days of disconnected PDAs are gone. The BlackBerry-maker said that users #39; information is changing too rapidly for disconnected

Disconnected PDAs are dead, according to RIM


At this year's Ars Electronica, the largest annual festival of technology and art, organizers are focusing on a simple question: Have the technological advancements of the last quarter century helped or hurt us? By Michelle Delio.

Have 25 Years of Progress Helped?


roundup Plus: Open-source rival to Exchange released...Verizon sets up home in Circuit City...3i's Gagen resigns...Unify updates Java tool.

Briefly: Charter signs 3 phone deals


MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) -- An Australian inventor claims to have made the world's first commercially-viable motor vehicle powered by compressed air.       The vehicle is being tried out by contractors in Melbourne's parks and gardens over the next 12 months as an alternative to conventional diesel or petrol engines...

Inventor Makes Car Engine that Runs Off Air


AFP - President George W. Bush's election victory has won him the right to give the US Supreme Court, which plays a key social role, a much stronger conservative leaning.

Bush to give Supreme Court ultra-conservative edge (AFP)


AP - Plant geneticist Ted Hymowitz knew that finding an allergy-free soybean would take a painstaking search through thousands of varieties. So Hymowitz got a grant, fetched a hammer and pounded away until he proved he was right.

Allergy Free Soybean Plant Found in Ill. (AP)


Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern says

Ireland in bid to find aid worker


Indymedia seizures Site owners have 'no standing'

We seize servers, you can't complain - US gov


Board chairman of the Russian natural gas monopoly Gazprom , Alexei Miller, has signed an order to found the Gazpromneft company, the RIA-Novosti news agency reports.

Gazprom Head Orders Creation of Gazpromneft Company


Doing business from home is about to get easier. Charles Schwab Corp. will lower fees next month in a move that could trigger a price war as online brokers battle for customers.

Online Stock Trading Gets Cheaper


Interest rates on US 30- and 15-year mortgages fell in the latest week amid signs that inflation is being held in check, leaving consumers more cash to spend on other items such as purchasing a home, mortgage finance

US 30-, 15-year mortgage rates slip in latest week


BAGHDAD: A suicide car bomber blasted an American convoy north of Baghdad as US troops battled insurgents west of the capital yesterday in a wave of violence that killed at least 27 people.

27 killed in Iraq violence


Wagah (Amritsar), Oct. 4. (PTI): A 15-member delegation of Pakistani journalists on Sunday crossed over to India on their way to perhaps a first ever visit to Jammu and Kashmir by a team of scribes from that country.

Pak. scribes on visit to J amp;K


Bolton playmaker Jay-Jay Okocha insists he will be fit to face West Brom on Saturday. Okocha was forced to sit out the draw against Birmingham at the weekend after suffering a groin injury in training on Friday.

Okocha set to return vs Baggies


The four biggest accounting firms misapplied some standards and failed to properly maintain records of some audits, the new US auditing regulator said today in its first inspection reports.

US Audit Firms Used Wrong Standards, Report Says (Update3)


KABUL, Afghanistan - A bomb killed two American soldiers and wounded three others in southern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said Saturday, and an attack in an eastern province killed three children and two others on the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan...

Two American GIs Die in Afghanistan Blast


Keith Tkachuk had four goals and an assist to lead the United States into the World Cup of Hockey semifinals with a 5-3 victory last night over Russia in St.

US beats Russia, advances to semis


The instant message blinked on the computer at Jessica Cutler's desk in the Russell Senate Office Building.

Blog Interrupted


The kidnappers of British aid worker Margaret Hassan have released a video tape that appears to show her murder a month after she was seized in Baghdad, her husband and British officials said today.

British woman hostage in Iraq believed dead


Wanted man Andy Reid did his market value no harm by grabbing his first Republic of Ireland goal against Bulgaria at Lansdowne Road tonight.

Reid opens his Ireland account


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billie Jean King cut her final tie  with the U.S. Fed Cup team Tuesday when she retired as coach.

Billie Jean King Retires as U.S. Fed Cup Coach


FOXBOROUGH -- Chris Brown, who helped launch the Revolution's rally late last season with key goals, might have spoiled the Revolution's chances this season, providing a 48th-minute header for the San Jose Earthquakes in a 1-0 victory last night at Gillette Stadium.

Revolution kept down by Brown


Miyazaki - Tiger Woods will be looking for his first win in Japan when he tees off on Thursday in the Dunlop Phoenix golf tournament.

Tiger looking for his first win in Japan


Tammy Haulcy drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer, lifting UMass-Lowell to a 68-65 victory over Pace last night at Costello Gym in the River Hawks' Northeast-10 Conference opener. UMass-Lowell (2-0) sank eight 3-pointers in all, including four by Mariette Guillaume, who was one of three River Hawks in double figures. Sacha Simms led the way with 15 points, and Enjoli ...

River Hawks beat the clock, Pace


The ring sits in the spotlight of a tense, packed auditorium and the jittery fighters await the bell at their red and blue corners. Like any fight, there's always the danger of a punishing uppercut or left hook. But these boxers have even more worries  like battery failure and software bugs.

Battling Robots in Japan's Pop-Culture Tech


CAIRO -- Iraqi militants threatened to behead a Turkish truck driver if his company and the Kuwaiti contractor it works for did not stop their operations in Iraq within 48 hours, according to a videotape aired on Arab television yesterday.

Militants threaten to kill Turk hostage


TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo's Nikkei average rose 0.35 percent  by mid-morning on Tuesday as investors sought bargains among  technology and shipping firms, but gains were limited by  caution ahead of a monetary policy meeting in the United  States.

Nikkei Led Higher by Techs, Shippers


HBOS has yet to enter the bidding for Abbey National, yet it is already fighting its corner as if in the full intensity of battle.

Also from this section


even if they #39;re still contaminated from the World Trade Center attacks. Three years after the Twin Towers #39; collapse and eight months

FEDS #39; WTC PLAN SCRUBS CLEANUP FOR DOWNTOWN


AFP - The government approved the creation of a political party headed by a young ambitious lawyer, in only the third time that a new party was authorized in Egypt in almost three decades.

Egypt authorizes new party for only third time in 27 years (AFP)


MOSCOW: The US-Russian crew manning the International Space Station will redock a spaceship later this month in preparation for spacewalks planned for next year, Russian Mission Control said.

ISS crew to redock Soyuz


British companies plan to hire more new employees in the first three months of next year compared with plans made for the first quarter of this year, employment agency Manpower says.

British firms plan to increase hiring


auloises Fortuna Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi rode his Yamaha YZR-M1 to third place in today #39;s provisional qualifying order at Sepang.

Rossi on provisional front row


Microsoft announced today that it has filed seven lawsuits against spammers who failed to label their junk mail as sexually explicit - in contravention of the US #39;s CAN-SPAM law.

MS moves to can more spammers


Some gadget lovers might be disappointed this Christmas as experts predict a shortage of iPod minis.

Gadget show heralds MP3 season


BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen kidnapped a Lebanese-American businessman and militants released a tape yesterday showing the beheading of an Iraqi officer as a warning to those who deal with  quot;the infidel quot; Americans.

Another citizen of US abducted


WASHINGTON - Lawmakers revived a long-stalled effort Wednesday to block state and local governments from taxing Internet connections, in a last-minute agreement to ban the taxes until 2007.

Congress closes in on reviving Net tax ban


African Union mediators at peace talks for Sudan #39;s Darfur region say there has been an escalation of cease-fire violations during the past three months, and that these must stop before a comprehensive peace accord can be reached.

Darfur Mediators Demand Respect of Cease-fire


AP - Reaction from around the NBA to Friday night's brawl between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons:

Reactions to Pistons-Pacers Brawl (AP)


The late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat #39;s nephew said Saturday his uncle may have died an  quot;unnatural quot; death, a statement expected to renew speculation among Palestinians and in the rest of the Arab world where many already

Arafat #39;s nephew says he died  #39;unnatural death, #39; backing poisoning <b>...</b>


North Korea #39;s No. 2 leader, Kim Yong-nam, arrived in Beijing Monday as China renewed efforts to revive six-party talks on Pyongyang #39;s nuclear program.

China to revive stalled N. Korea talks


THE brother of Iraq hostage Ken Bigley was yesterday investigating whether it might be possible to buy his sibling #39;s life. Paul Bigley was looking into reports in a Kuwaiti newspaper that a Iraqi militant

Brother may  #39;buy #39; Bigley


When comedian Jon Stewart blasted the hosts of CNN's

Jon Stewart 'Crossfire' Feud Ignites Net Frenzy


What had been a tough, grinding game for seven innings suddenly turned into an easy one for the Boston Red Sox last night. Locked in a 5-5 tie with their arch-rival New York Yankees

Red Sox getting warmer


The USA took a 1-0 lead in their Davis Cup semi-final tie against Belarus when Andy Roddick defeated Vladimir Voltchkov 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in Charleston, South Carolina on Friday.

Davis Cup: US lead Belarus


Several thousand Israeli settlers and supporters demonstrate, during a rally against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon #39;s planned pullout and evacuation of Gaza Strip Jewish settlements, near Sharon #39;s residence, in Jerusalem, Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004.

Israel Winds Down Gaza Military Operation


From his very first service game of this US Open, defending champion Andy Roddick announced that he had his throttle on full power and wasn #39;t going to back off.

Roddick having a real blast


The online digital-music business became a little more crowded as Richard Branson #39;s Virgin Group launched a music Web site in the US The Virgin Digital service sells songs for 99 cents each

Virgin Group Enters US Online-Music Market


NEW YORK (Reuters) -  U.S. stock futures trimmed early  gains on Tuesday after oil prices hit a record high, pointing  to a flat opening on Wall Street as investors worried about the  impact of high fuel costs on economic growth.

Stock Futures Trim Early Gains Over Oil


CHICAGO (Reuters) - Wright Medical Group Inc. <A HREF=

Wright Recalls Hip Device, Shares Tumble


Oil futures prices rose in Europe Thursday amid concerns about heating oil supplies at the beginning of the Northern Hemisphere winter.

Oil Prices Rise in Europe


AFP - Tens of thousands of supporters of opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko took to the streets of Kiev, a week before the poll, to demand free and fair elections in this former Soviet state after a tense campaign marred by incidents.

Ukraine opposition rally draws hundreds of thousands (AFP)


Loss-making German department store giant Karstadtquelle plans a major shake-up to try to haul itself back into profit, amid rumours of thousands of job cuts.

German retail giant in shake-up


AFP - A Pakistani national and a US citizen were arrested over an alleged plot to blow up a subway station in New York, city police commissioner Raymond Kelly said.

Pakistani, US national arrested in New York bomb plot (AFP)


Computer Associates International plans to widen the field for open source alternatives to commercial databases with the general release of the Ingres r3 database on the Linux and Windows platforms.

Ingres r3 open source database ships for Linux, Windows


Outfielder Frank Catalanotto and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed Monday to a \$5.4 million, two-year contract extension through 2006. Catalanotto will make \$2.

Catalanotto, Blue Jays agree to two-year deal


TOKYO (Reuters) - A strong earthquake with a magnitude of  5.9 jolted northern Japan on Monday in the latest aftershock to  hit a region struck by a deadly tremor last month, scaring  thousands still seeking refuge in makeshift shelters.

Strong Earthquake Jolts Northern Japan


KAMPALA, 15 Nov 2004 (IRIN) - The Ugandan government has announced a unilateral one-week cessation of the military offensive against the rebels of the Lord #39;s Resistance Army (LRA) in the northern region, in a move that could help end one of Africa #39;s most

UGANDA: Govt orders unilateral truce in the north


Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has admitted the 100million deal on offer from Emirates Airlines to secure the naming rights on their new stadium and an eight-year shirt sponsorship deal was too good to refuse.

Emirates Offer Too Good to Refuse - Hill-Wood


During a packed hearing on Fannie Mae #39;s accounting practices last week, Rep. Richard H. Baker (R-La.), a leading critic of the District-based mortgage finance company, displayed a poster

Fannie Mae Salaries Rile Hill


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury prices slid on Wednesday  as a major retreat in oil markets removed a key impetus for the  recent rally in bonds.

Treasuries Dive as Oil Drops Below \$53


LONDON - England will target Brian Lara in the Champions Trophy final after the West Indies captain was felled by a delivery from Shoaib Akhtar in the semifinals.

Cricket: Lara in target range of pacemen


Lindsay Davenport hobbled her way out of the US Open, losing a big lead and able to do little but watch Svetlana Kuznetsova win 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 and become the first Russian woman to reach the final at this tournament.

Kuznetsova beats injured Davenport, becomes first Russian woman to <b>...</b>


By ALLISON LINN    SEATTLE (AP) -- Researchers at the University of Illinois in Chicago have confirmed what many high-tech workers have long suspected: The job market for technology experts remains bleak, years after the U.S. recession officially ended in late 2001...

High-Tech Job Market Still Bleak


Iraq promised today to release one of two high-profile women prisoners, but officials denied the decision was linked to demands by militants.

Iraq Promises to Release Woman Prisoner


Medical device company says FDA not likely to greenlight a clinical trial of heart implant in 2004. CHICAGO (Reuters) - Edwards Lifesciences Corp.

Edwards sees valve trial delayed


The torment engulfing Paula Radcliffe after her failure to finish the Olympic marathon was plain yesterday as she tried to explain what went so horribly wrong in the burning heat of Athens.

I don #39;t know why I stopped, says Radcliffe


Among soldiers and other hired gunmen, it is said that the bullet always tell the truth. Its the triggermans way of passing moral responsibility for his deed, and his good or ill fortune, from the trigger to the target.

The bullet always tells the truth


BAGHDAD, Iraq - American and Iraqi troops clashed with insurgents north of Baghdad on Saturday, killing two militants and injuring three Iraqi National Guards, the US military said.

US, Iraqi forces clash with militants


All-rounder Dougie Brown believes Nick Knight can lead Warwickshire to further success over the coming years after clinching the Frizzell County Championship.

BROWN #39;S PRAISE FOR BEARS CAPTAIN KNIGHT


ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast -- Thousands of government loyalists massed outside the home of the president yesterday, facing off against French armored vehicles in response to urgent appeals for a ''human shield quot; around the hard-line leader, amid fears of an overthrow.

Ivory Coast loyalists in standoff


Though the MRI of Bill Mueller's sore right knee showed no apparent damage, the Red Sox third baseman flew to Phoenix yesterday to be examined by Dr. David Zeman , who performed arthroscopic surgery on the knee May 28.  quot;The initial call was pretty good, but the guy's been inside the knee, quot; said manager Terry Francona , who started Kevin ...

Mueller takes leave for opinion on knee


Gary Payton is way too much for second-year pro Luke Ridnour to handle. That #39;s why the Boston Celtics have notched two of Seattle #39;s four losses this season.

Celtics snap skid, beating Sonics 98-84


AP - Retired judge Bill Lee, the runner-up in the Republican gubernatorial primary in 2000, won his party's nomination for Delaware governor Saturday, setting up a November showdown with Democratic Gov. Ruth Ann Minner.

Retired Judge Wins GOP Del. Gov. Primary (AP)


According to Sunday #39;s NFL results, John Kerry is the odds-on favourite to win the US Election. The Washington Redskins loss on Sunday could mean the Democrat will win the election.

Football Game Could Lead to Kerry Win


Oracle may be the big winner in PeopleSoft #39;s firing of CEO Craig Conway. PeopleSoft offered little convincing rationale for the ouster, and speculation centered on the possibility that it is

Why Was Craig Conway Ousted?


OSLO (Reuters) - An Algerian-born man attacked two pilots  and a passenger with an axe on a domestic Norwegian flight  Wednesday in an unexplained assault that police said could be  linked to his asylum status.

Wounded Pilots Land Norway Plane After Axe Attack


William Safire's column has appeared on the Op-Ed Page of The New York Times for more than 30 years.

Safire to Step Down as Times Columnist


. Scot Coulthard called for Formula One commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone to reach an agreement with the owners of Silverstone, the British Racing Drivers #39; Club (BRDC), to save the race from extinction.

Save Silverstone: drivers


Rubens Barrichello continued his domination of the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend by recording a new lap record in pre-qualifying. The Brazilian Ferrari star stopped the clock in just 1:09.

Barrichello continues his Interlagos mission


Existing home sales in the Unites States surged 3.1 percent in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.75 million units, the third highest level on record, the

US existing home sales surge 3.1 percent in September


The nation added 96,000 jobs in September, a weaker-than-expected figure that could play a pivotal role in the presidential election.

Job creation falls short of forecasts


The Astros hoped for a rainout Thursday night to better set up their aces Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt in the National League Championship Series.

8th-inning homers to Pujols, Rolen sink Astros


Reuters - Former hockey force Pakistan finished the Olympics in fifth place on Friday while Egypt slumped out of the tournament 12th.

India take seventh place in Olympic hockey (Reuters)


Banks and insurers pushed European shares higher on Wednesday, with Britain #39;s HBOS spearheading the gains on relief it would not be wading into a bidding war for domestic banking peer Abbey.

HBOS Relief Spurs European Share Gains


Reuters - The head of China's space agency\will visit NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe next week, a move\one U.S. expert said could mean increased cooperation between\the two countries.

Chinese Space Official to Visit NASA Chief (Reuters)


An injury-time goal by Dutch substitute Robin van Persie saved Arsenal from a second successive defeat on Saturday, earning the champions a 2-2 home draw with Southampton.

Van Persie Saves Arsenal; Man Utd Loses 2-0


The evolution of whales from four-legged land dwellers into streamlined swimmers has been traced in fossilised ears, Nature reports.

Hearing clue to whale evolution


Finjan Software, the leading provider of proactive secure content management solutions for enterprises, announces today 10 serious security vulnerabilities discovered by Finjan #39;s Malicious Code Research Center (MCRC) in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2

Finjan Software warns of ten new vulnerabilities in Windows XP SP2


Three years after Manila-based Chikka.com launched its mobile instant messenger, Chikka is one of the most viewed and used electronic properties by Filipinos in the Philippines and all over the world, according to the companys chief operating officer

After email, its Chikka.coms instant messaging service for <b>...</b>


Israel killed the top bombmaker and rocket engineer of the Hamas militant group on Thursday in an airstrike in Gaza City, days before a key parliamentary vote on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon #39;s Gaza pullout plan.

Israel Kills Top Hamas Rocket Maker in Gaza Strike


Cambodia #39;s newly selected king returned from China on Wednesday to take up the throne after his father, outgoing monarch Norodom Sihanouk, abdicated earlier this month because of poor health.

Cambodia #39;s new king returns from China to take up throne


Medinol and former partner Boston Scientific Corp. (BSC) both responded positively over the weekend to a US court decision that the two former partners should go to trial to solve a case which could involve as much as \$1.5 billion in payments for damages.

Medinol #39;s BSC suit to go to trial


Credit Suisse Group, Switzerland #39;s second-biggest bank, may eliminate hundreds of jobs at its securities unit to lower costs that are among the highest on Wall Street, people familiar with the matter said.

CSFB May Cut Jobs as Costs Outstrip Goldman, Lehman (Update3)


Pilots at US Airways blamed the company for a breakdown in concession negotiations over the weekend, as time runs down on efforts to avoid a second bankruptcy filing in two years.

Airline talks nose dive


SUCH an embarrassment of riches. Apple Macintosh users have two new web browsers to choose from. It #39;s a curious market. All Macs come with two free browsers: Microsoft #39;s Internet Explorer 5.2, and Apple #39;s own slick and elegant Safari.

OmniWeb browser takes aim at minority Mac market


Japanese banks are turning to a new biometric identification system, based on the unique nature of the patterns of veins in our palms.\

News: Japanese banks deploy biometric palm scanners


Town Meeting on Monday decided that Maynard has more to gain than to lose by granting a tax break for a vacant technology park.

Voters OK tax break for technology park


Sebastien Bourdais and Bruno Junquiera spent much of the weekend together, eating and hanging out in the garage areas their Newman-Haas teams share.

Bourdais takes close victory from teammate Junquiera in Las Vegas <b>...</b>


The Mac Observer has confirmed through testing that the recently recently announced iTunes 4.7 release disables iPod Download, a plug-in to iTunes that allowed

iTunes 4.7 Disables iPod Download


quot;The most secure version of Windows today is Windows XP with SP2, quot; Microsoft explained in a statement it issued.  quot;We recommend that customers upgrade to XP and SP2 as quickly as possible.

Microsoft Won #39;t Give SP2 Security Fixes to Older Browsers


It #39;s been four months to the day since I last wrote on the subject of the cell phone industry #39;s plan to publish your unlisted cell phone number for all the world to see -- and charge you for the privilege.

Senate #39;s Cellular Stand


BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Suicide bombers killed 20 members of  Iraq's fledgling security forces near a U.S. marine base west  of Baghdad and at a checkpoint north of the capital on Saturday  in a spate of guerrilla attacks across the country.

Suicide Bombers Kill 20 Iraqi Security Personnel


SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Crude futures closed under \$43 a barrel at an almost three-month low Friday, logging a loss of 14 percent for the week amid rising US distillate and crude supplies and growing expectations that OPEC won #39;t agree to cut its output

Prices down 14 for the week as supply threat eases


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Apple Computer Inc. <A HREF=

Apple to Recall 28,000 Laptop Batteries


AP - Microsoft Corp. disclosed plans Thursday to offer frustrated users of its Windows software new tools within 30 days to remove spyware programs secretly running on computers. But it might cost extra in coming months.

Microsoft Software to Remove Spyware (AP)


MSN Spaces, Microsoft #39;s new blogging service, has sparked a new game for some of its users: trying to circumvent its censorship controls.

MSN bloggers try to foul up censorship tool


Microsoft this week said it will sacrifice some key advances it had planned for Longhorn so it can deliver the successor to Windows XP in 2006.

Microsoft Scales Back Longhorn Plans


Murdoch is battling Malone to keep a tight grip on News Corp. -- and benefit heirs, if not shareholders

It's a Family Affair


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

Halliburton to Restructure KBR Unit


At least 63 miners have been killed in the Chenjiashan coal mine gas explosion in Northwest China #39;s Shaanxi Province and more than 100 miners remained trapped underground.

Death toll rises to 63 in Shaanxi coalmine explosion


Cassini #39;s close fly-by of Titan, Saturn #39;s largest moon, has left scientists with no clear idea of what to expect when the Huygens probe lands on the alien world, despite the amazingly detailed images they now have of the surface.

Titan hangs on to its secrets


AP - A long-serving member of Deutsche Bank AG's supervisory board announced he was quitting Thursday in a dispute over strategy, Germany's biggest bank said.

Deutsche Bank Board Member Quits (AP)


The ability of early human ancestors to run long distances may have influenced the transition to today's body form, researchers report.

Running Extra Mile Sets Humans Apart in Primates' World


Facing increasing budget pressures, the US Air Force is considering asking rivals Boeing Co. (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Lockheed Martin Corp.

Industry doubts Boeing, Lockheed launch team viable


At least 100 Delta Air Lines pilots are expected to retire effective Wednesday, the start date for a 32.5 percent pay cut agreed to in a \$1 billion concessions package to help save the nation's third largest air carrier from bankruptcy.

Union: At Least 100 Delta Pilots to Retire as Pay Cuts Start


The head of UAL Corp. #39;s United Airlines on Thursday said the airline #39;s restructuring plan would lead to a significant number of job losses, but it was not yet clear how many.

United Airlines CEO Sees Job Losses


ABU HAMZA AL-MASRI, the radical Muslim cleric, was charged yesterday with 16 offences of encouraging murder, stirring up race hatred and possessing a terrorist document.

Abu Hamza accused of inciting hate and murder


A British mercenary who conspired to buy a fighter jet as part of a plot to kill a Colombian drugs baron is jailed.

Death plot Briton jailed in US


Scientists have salvaged intact materials from the Genesis space probe that crashed in the Utah desert last week after its parachutes failed to deploy, the US space agency said.

Star dust survives crash landing


The European Union closed antitrust cases Tuesday against six major Hollywood studios after they agreed to drop clauses in contracts with pay television operators that the EU said keeps the price of films artificially high in Europe.

E.U. Closes Antitrust Cases Against Six Studios


Thumbs. For centuries, they have conveyed the simplest of messages. Up/down, good/bad, salvation/lion chow. But look at the folks in the elevators, the checkout lines, even crawling along in traffic jams.

Thumbthing For Everyone


The Giants' defense has thought about little else except Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick this week.

Giants Are Wary of Vick, on the Ground or in the Air


Crude oil prices fell Tuesday astraders widely anticipated a continuing increase in US inventories of crude oil. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude oil futures for

Crude oil prices fall amid optimism over US oil stockpiles


Rugby star Jonny Wilkinson returned to Buckingham Palace - along with the entire squad of the victorious England World Cup team. The 30 players were dressed in tails and waistcoats for their meeting with the Queen.

Queen honours England rugby stars


A North Carolina man and his sister became the first two people convicted of a felony for sending fraudulent unsolicited commercial e-mail.

Virginia Convicts NC Spammers


SpaceShipOne's pilot received a new honor: commercial astronaut wings awarded by the Federal Aviation Administration for those who fly more than 50 miles above Earth.

Now Earning Wings, a New Kind of Astronaut


ConAgra Foods Inc. is recalling voluntarily 85,600 pounds of chicken breast strips that may contain pieces of metal, the US Food Safety and Inspection Service said on Thursday.

ConAgra Recalls Chicken Breast Strips Across US


HOUSTON (Ticker) -- Now that they have used up their two pitching stars to even the National League Championship Series at two games apiece, the Houston Astros must turn to the back end of their rotation in a crucial Game Five vs.

NLCS: Down to a best-of-three


On Thursday, in what could be a breakthrough for the interim Iraqi government and the coalition forces, a representative of Moqtada al-Sadr, the 30-something Shiite seminary student, announced

Weakening Sadr is easier than it seems


The United States crashed to its second defeat in the Olympic men #39;s basketball tournament Saturday when a late shooting spree by Sarunas Jasikevicius propelled Lithuania to a 94-90 victory.

Olympic Basketball: Lithuania Guard Shoots Down US


Bloomfield Hills, MI (Sports Network) - Colin Montgomerie teamed with Padraig Harrington Friday morning to defeat Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson 2  amp; 1 to the lead European squad to a 3 1/2 - 1/2 lead after the morning fourball matches at the 35th Ryder Cup

Europeans dominate morning Ryder Cup matches


PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Reuters) - One of the joys of the games  in the

Programs: for Stealth Lovers, 'Thief' Is a Steal


AOL has launched its 9.0 Security Edition, which includes McAfee #39;s VirusScan Online application, offering protection against infection from peer-to-peer file sharing, Web site downloads, CD-ROMs and disks, or multimedia files.

AOL Tightens Security


AP - A record 17 home-opener sellouts brought NBA attendance to 95 percent capacity for the first week of the season.

NBA Sets First-Week Attendance Record (AP)


LOS ANGELES - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson urged the University of California on Wednesday to fight to keep its contract to manage the nation #39;s top nuclear laboratory.

NM Governor Want UC to Manage Los Alamos


Former investment banker Frank Quattrone was sentenced on Wednesday to 18 months in prison, two months more than the harshest recommended penalty, for obstructing probes

Ex-Banker Quattrone Gets 18 Months Prison


Fixtures and fittings from Damien Hirst's restaurant Pharmacy sell for 11.1, 8m more than expected.

Hirst restaurant sale makes 11m


Rafael Benitez has told his ambitious skipper Steven Gerrard that he can achieve all of his dreams at Liverpool. The Anfield manager understands fully Gerrard #39;s dilemma as the England midfielder contemplates

BENITEZ OUT TO KEEP GERRARD


Callaway Golf Co., which has struggled in recent months amid lackluster demand for its equipment, warned yesterday that its results for the third quarter and the year could be far below previous forecasts.

Callaway expecting subpar numbers


US Airways said Monday it will change its flight schedules in February to increase departures at its Charlotte and Philadelphia hubs and create a minihub in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

US Airways flight changes emphasize Philadelphia, Charlotte


AP - Rwanda's President Paul Kagame said Saturday he has not ruled out sending troops to eastern Congo if Hutu rebels continue to threaten his country.

Rwanda May Still Send Troops Into Congo (AP)


ADAM Gilchrist flew to Singapore last night for a mid-tour holiday urging people to stop fretting about the pressures that have swamped him on the Indian tour.

Gilly rejects  #39;pressure #39;


An estimated half-million people make a full- or part-time living by auctioning everything from macram to Maseratis on the Internet.

EBay Merchants Trust Their Eyes, and the Bubble Wrap


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

Iraq Blames US-Led Forces for Army Massacre


NEW YORK (Reuters) - German banks, looking to put bad  investments behind them, are hanging 'For Sale' signs on  billions of euros in distressed loans in a move that's  attracting major U.S. vulture funds.

MergerTalk: U.S. Distress Funds Eye Germany


EVEN as Zee Telefilms chalks out its strategy for the cricket rights, legal experts are of the opinion that the Bombay High Court #39;s suggestion for a fresh round of bidding could open options for the other broadcasters who had lost out in the first round.

Cricket telecast: Opportunity for lost bidders


Nation's largest wireless carrier says it's leading the race to cover the United States with a third-generation network.

Verizon Wireless brings 3G to more cities


COLUMBIA -- The Lou Holtz era at the University of South Carolina will soon come to an end. The 67-year-old South Carolina coach plans to officially announce his retirement Monday morning, ending one of the

Holtz To Announce Retirement


AP - Honduras tightened security at foreign embassies and declared a national terror alert after receiving information that al-Qaida was trying to recruit Hondurans to attack embassies of the United States, Britain, Spain and El Salvador, a government official said Sunday.

al-Qaida Tip Boosts Security in Honduras (AP)


\\Great .torrent link of Joshua Kinberg being arrested.  \\This is of course being documented over on this MSNBC HardBlogger blog \(which btw is news in of itself).\\

Torrent Joshua Kinberg being Arrested


The Dallastown resident said he #39;d wager that the \$11 billion merger of Kmart Holding Corp. and Sears, Roebuck and Co. will create a stronger retailer that is better equipped to compete with discount chains such as Wal-Mart and Target.

Local shoppers see the logic of Kmart-Sears deal


For the first time since the Vietnam War ended, a US commercial airliner landed in Vietnam on Friday night, marking another milestone in the improving relations between two former enemies.

Jetliner is first US one to land in Vietnam since war #39;s end


The cycle is now complete: The Lions are back to playing as poorly on the road as they have been at home. The only thing that saved them from total annihilation Sunday

Even Drummond #39;s 2 return TDs don #39;t add up to enough


Jet Propulsion Lab -- Genesis team scientists and engineers continue their work on the mission's sample return canister in a specially constructed clean room at the U.S. Army Proving Ground in Dugway, Utah...

Genesis Team Hopeful About Samples


CALGARY - Calgary #39;s already sizzling business community has scooped its biggest prize yet with the move from Toronto of Imperial Oil Ltd.

Calgary crows over Imperial


RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian leader Yasser  Arafat is

Palestinian Icon Yasser Arafat 'Very Sick'


Dell and Microsoft have launched a joint development project to improve the management of Dell servers with Microsoft software. The two companies said Monday that they have integrated their respective management

Dell, Microsoft make a patch pact for servers


The city #39;s mayor says about four-thousand unionized maids, bellhops, cooks and other hourly wage earners will return to their jobs Tuesday following an eight-week lockout.

San Francisco hotel workers to return to work after lockout


AP - If you've ever been pulled over for speeding, you may already know something about LIDAR. A laser-based radar system, LIDAR can tell if you're speeding by bouncing a light beam off your car and seeing how quickly it returns. From an airplane or a satellite, LIDAR can calculate the distance to the ground, and by repeating the process millions of times as it flies over, map the lay of the land.

LIDAR Laser Radar Finding More Uses (AP)


IBM, in the latest turn in a pension plan case that could reverberate through the Fortune 500, said on Friday it is in talks to resolve some of the issues in a lawsuit that could cost Big Blue billions of dollars.

IBM in Discussions on Issues in Pension Suit


The first results are declared in Ghana's general elections, with the two major parties ahead in their strongholds.

Ghana waits for election verdict


Appeals court judges hear from Slobodan Milosevic's lawyers, who want  the ex-Yugoslav president to defend himself.

Milosevic lawyers plead to quit


AP - A Cleveland Indians pitcher was shot in the right calf when a bullet pierced the team's bus and grazed another player late Wednesday night.

Indians Pitcher Kyle Denney Shot (AP)


A quarter of online Americans have taken advantage of one of the Internet's true powers: the ability to let users collectively decide whether to trust a product, service or individual.

Americans Using Online Reputation Systems


Sony plans to launch a new camcorder in November that can record and play back high-definition video. The device, part of the company #39;s Handycam line, records and plays back video with a resolution of 1,440

Sony readies high-definition camcorder


London: World energy demand is expected to rise by some 60 per cent by 2030, two-thirds of which will come from developing countries such as China and India, the International Energy Agency said Tuesday.

World energy demand to rise 60 by 30


Getting aid to those who need it remain a big problem in storm-ravaged Haiti, where up to 1,500 were killed in flooding and 300,000 people were left homeless.

Poor roads, looters keep Haiti victims from aid


Greek athlete Fani Halkia finished in 52.82 to win the gold medal in the women #39;s 400m hurdles final on Wednesday. She is the third Greek athlete to win Olympic gold in an athletics event, after Voula Patoulidou and Costas Kenteris.

Today #39;s Home News


Air travelers moved one step closer to being able to talk on cell phones and surf the Internet from laptops while in flight, thanks to votes by the Federal Communications Commission yesterday.

FCC Considers Cell Phone Use On Airplanes


China #39;s fastest driver, Rubens Barrichello, would rather rent a bed on the main straight of the Formula One track than commute to a Shanghai hotel every day.

Rubens on hunt for rent-a-bed


Iran could acquire a nuclear bomb in the next one to four years and would become more willing to aid terrorist groups once it has an atomic

US Study Says a Nuclear Iran Would Aid More Terror


Entering the National League Championship Series, the St. Louis Cardinals appeared to have a decisive edge over the Astros in several areas, including the bullpen.

Lidge, Wheeler shine brightest in relief


US President George W. Bush #39;s administration welcomed Monday a European plan to lift US trade sanctions imposed over an illegal export tax break scheme.

US welcomes EU plan to lift trade sanctions


Netscape Communications yesterday released Netscape 7.2, which is based on Version 1.7 of Mozilla, the most recent version of the Mozilla Internet application suite.

Netscape 7.2 released


Oracle rang in the first day of its OpenWorld European conference series on Monday by touting the growth of grid computing in Europe, followed with the main news of the day: the release of E-Business Suite Version 11i.

Oracle touts grid computing to open show


Reuters - Iraq's new prime minister, in\his debut appearance before the U.N. General Assembly, appealed\to world governments on Friday to put aside their differences\over the war and help Baghdad rebuild.

Iraq PM Asks UN States to Put the War Behind Them (Reuters)


After a convincing knock out of the brash Ricardo Mayorga in his return from retirement, Felix Trinidad must figure out who to fight next.

Who's Next for Tito?


ATI saw its income almost triple during its most recently completed fiscal quarter, Q4 2004, the company said yesterday after announcing record results.

ATI Q4 sales, income rocket


Samsung Electronics Co., the world #39;s second-largest semiconductor maker, said it expects global chip sales next year to grow at half of this year #39;s pace on increased supply from new plants coming online.

Samsung Forecasts Global Chip Sales to Slow Next Year (Update4)


AP - A new study shows that golf courses can be good homes for more than one kind of birdie. The study by South Carolina researchers tracked bird mating seasons for two years on 24 golf courses along the Grand Strand. The study found that natural vegetation on the region's courses increases the bird population and variety of birds, as well as drawing other animals.

Study Shows Golf Courses Good for Birds (AP)


Reuters - Iranian officials like to portray U.S.\presidential elections as a choice between bad and worse but\there is little doubt they would prefer Democratic challenger\John Kerry to win next week.

Iran's Clerics Lean Towards Kerry to Ease Pressure (Reuters)


Wreckage from the Genesis space capsule yielded good news on Friday when NASA scientists announced the solar payload may still fulfill its scientific promise.

High hopes to salvage Genesis science


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Amelie Mauresmo's hopes of a first  grand slam title remained intact Wednesday but she had to come  from behind to beat Ukraine's Julia Vakulenko 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in  the second round of the U.S. Open.

Mauresmo Through After Nervy Start


And if you don #39;t understand the importance of this week, look closely at the words used by coach Dave Wannstedt and General Manager Rick Spielman on Tuesday.

Dolphins #39; starter job seems week-to-week


BESLAN, Russia, Sept. 5  Shafts of light passed through the bullet holes in the pupils desks, which had been stacked at windows, makeshift barricades against attack. Grisly scenes awaited behind them.

Wrecked Russian School Is Opened to Public


Dutch police were laying siege to a house in The Hague today where an unknown number of terrorism suspects were holed up. Three policemen were injured by a hand grenade thrown when a raid was launched on the house, officials said.

Grenade Thrown as Police Lay Siege to Suspected Terror House


In this mountainous area, James Madison #39;s Dukes seemed to play offense downhill last night. With a veteran offensive line and two physical runners, JMU overpowered Montana

Fenner, Banks give JMU ground control on way to I-AA title


But this time in Athens, they have to accept the bitter fact that South Korean Ryu Seung Min was a better player in the pulsating men #39;s singles final against Chinese Wang Hao.

Day 10 roundup: Ryu denies China 3rd clean sweep


Power network distribution charges are to rise by an average 1 next year, regulator Ofgem has announced. The electricity charges will then be capped at the rate of inflation for the next four years, Ofgem said.

Regulator agrees power price rise


WANA, Pakistan - Pakistani security forces used artillery against suspected militants Monday in the restive South Waziristan tribal region even as the army reported that fighting had subsided with about a dozen people dead.

Clashes continue between security forces and militants in <b>...</b>


Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali won a landslide victory over three rivals in the presidential elections, officials said Monday.

Tunisia #39;s Ben Ali wins landslide victory


Facing growing competition from open source software providers, Microsoft Corp. has decided to allow governments and international organizations access to source code for its Office 2003 productivity suite.

Microsoft provides Office source code to governments


USATODAY.com - Linux takes a step - a small one - toward desktop acceptance.

Andrew Kantor: CyberSpeak - Linux takes a step (a small one) toward desktop acceptance (USATODAY.com)


The General Motors #39; European unit accepted a deal Thursday to cut as many as 12,000 jobs to end four years of revenue losses, the BBC reported.

GM Europe cuts 12,000 jobs


The company is wrestling with its third scandal in just over a year, raising questions about whether board members were doing an adequate job.

Is Marsh #39;s board responsible for its troubles?


Everton have rejected bids from Premier League rivals Manchester United and Newcastle United for England striker Wayne Rooney, the club said on Thursday.

UPDATE 2-Everton reject Rooney bids


JOHANNESBURG - Zimbabwean police yesterday arrested 20 supporters of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai after he was cleared of plotting to kill President Robert Mugabe, although most were later released, an opposition party official said.

Tsvangirai cleared but 20 MDC held


CHAPEL HILL -- They came down from the hills Saturday, down from the hot springs and natural bridges of Virginia, deep into the heart of ACC darkness.

Ed Hardin: Bowl situation not so Peachy


French President Jacques Chirac declared on Saturday that France was a natural trade partner to China and, amid a flurry of air, rail and energy

Chirac Sees Opportunity in China #39;s Economic Surge


At a

Bush-Kerry Surrogates Debate Trade Policies


Some spammers are getting their messages through using techniques designed to spot and stop them. A survey shows that spammers are the biggest users of a technique designed to find out if e-mail comes from the net address it says it does.

Spammers exploit anti-spam trap


On his way out, whenever that day comes, Terrell Owens will rip Donovan McNabb, Andy Reid and the Eagles, too. That notion hung in the air Tuesday as Jeff Garcia, the three-time Pro Bowl

Owens #39; mouth places Eagles in tough spot


The Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors are reportedly talking about a seven-player blockbuster trade involving Vince Carter that could amount to a wish granted for the disgruntled superstar, according to a broadcast report.

Raptors reportedly considering Carter trade


Northern Arizona #39;s spate of fall storms could mean healthier winter vegetation, better stream flow and more moisture - at least in the short term, experts say.

Rain moves northern Ariz. down drought scale


: Crude oil futures fell today as workers in Norway conceded to Government demands to end a strike that could have threatened exports from the world #39;s third-largest supplier.

Crude prices fall after good news from Norway


The government named a special prosecutor for anti-terrorism cases Monday, moving to prevent a repeat of a trial disruption last week by the Shining Path rebel founder and his followers.

Peru Names Prosecutor to Oversee Retrial


It #39;s official. Cingular Wireless may continue to use the AT amp;T Wireless brand in its advertising, at least in the short term, following its planned merger with the carrier.

Cingular, AT amp;T Reach Branding Agreement


The open-source app already has a cult following, a major portion of which like it because no one has written viruses to attack it yet.

Mozilla #39;s Firefox Makes Formal Debut Today


The European Parliament approved a new slate of commissioners Tuesday in a delayed start of the new president #39;s administration.

European Parliaments OKs new commission


British public borrowing is set to rise and the government will need to raise taxes or reduce spending to decisively cut the deficit, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said yesterday.

UK may need to raise taxes to cut deficits - OECD


The group led by the Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said that it would release a video of the second killing soon.

Islamist Web Site Reports Beheading of Second American


Business India: Hyderabad, Nov. 15 : Microsoft Corp. will hire several hundred new staff at its new Indian campus in the next year, its chief executive said today-- a move aimed at strengthening its presence in Asia #39;s fourth-biggest economy.

Microsoft to hire hundreds more in India:


VIENNA (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog called on Iran  on Saturday to immediately halt activities related to uranium  enrichment, a process that can be used to make atomic weapons.

UN Calls on Iran to Freeze Nuke Enrichment Plans


Ziff Davis - Sybase is offering a free version of its leading enterprise database management system for Linux.

Sybase Offers Free Linux Database (Ziff Davis)


Oracle has launched a new set of business intelligence (BI) tools for its grid-enabled database technology. The BI 10g product has been separated out of Oracle #39;s existing application server software.

Oracle launches business intelligence tools


An Islamist website which has posted unsubstantiated claims about hostages in the past says that a group led by al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has killed British construction engineer Ken Bigley.

Website says Bigley killed


The Nets took a big step back toward viability today with the completion of a blockbuster deal for Toronto Raptors' swingman Vince Carter.

Nets Get Carter From Raptors in Bid to Rebuild Fractured Core


Copycats are keeping busy. Security researcher says the Net threat's source code is

New Netsky worm linked to South Korea


Reuters - About half of Brazil's\original Amazon rainforest has been occupied by man, deforested\or used for industry like logging and its destruction is worse\than government data shows, a leading environmental group said\on Tuesday.

Half of Brazil's Amazon Jungle Occupied-Study (Reuters)


BEIJING (Reuters) - A group of foreign diplomats left  Pyongyang on Thursday to visit the scene of a mysterious  explosion in North Korea, an embassy official said.

Foreign Diplomats Visit Scene of N.Korean Blast


RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's first open trial for democratic advocates was abruptly closed by the judge yesterday, a decision seen by progressive Saudis as a setback to reform efforts in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia's first open trial of reformers closed by judge


NORMAN, Okla. -- Jason White was 21 of 31 for 238 yards and three touchdowns and No. 2 Oklahoma ended its first two-game losing streak since 1999 with a 40-24 victory over Bowling Green in its opener yesterday.Kejuan Jones rushed for a career-high 148 yards to lead Oklahoma. Adrian Peterson, the Sooners' top-rated high school recruit, flashed brilliance with a ...

White helps Oklahoma get off to a fresh start