Executives around Boston ended business meetings with a handshake and a cheer of ''Go Sox quot; yesterday, turned office televisions from CNN to baseball, and left the office early to catch the team's first playoff game against the Anaheim Angels, which the Sox won 9-3. The weekday afternoon matchup, which started around 4 p.m., sparked workplace debates across Massachusetts, as some ...

Playoff fever hits some on the job


Like a big, real-life Buddha, he slumped on the stool in front of his locker stall espousing to his audience how it was that a Detroit Lions team that entered this

Lions defenders get after Warner


BRITISH business is open to the threat of terror attack unless it works more closely with the Government to assess and counter active security risks, a former intelligence chief will tell the CBI today.

Warning of terrorists #39; threat to businesses


New service will compete with sites like Travelocity.com and Expedia.

AOL Enters the Online Travel Market


ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - A British man's attempt to  become the first person to row across the North Pacific Ocean  ended after his boat capsized, the U.S. Coast Guard said on  Wednesday.

Mishap Ends Briton's Transpacific Rowing Attempt


David Coulthard has set his sights firmly on a drive for Williams after trailing Juan Pablo Montoya, the man who will replace the Scot in the McLaren line-up next year.

Coulthard has one race to prove his worth


The NBA has suspended Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest for the remainder of the season for his part in a brawl during the final minute of Friday #39;s win at Detroit.

Artest suspended for rest of season


AFP - German authorities extradited a leading Islamic extremist known as the Caliph of Cologne to Turkey, ending a protracted legal battle over his case.

Turkish militant deported from Germany after legal battle (AFP)


REALNETWORKS #39; attempt to get Steve Jobs to open up its proprietary eyePods is getting attacked by Apple #39;s fanatical supporters.

Apple zombies attack RealNetworks


Betting on strong demand for high-speed internet access in the next few years, Brazilian phone companies are rushing to set up for a broadband boom.

Brazilians Hot For Broadband


If Arsenal is having a bad time in the English Premiere League after their defeat to Manchester United, they are not alone. Even Manchester United is failing to capitalize on that win with more draws in the league.

Manchester United draws and makes it harder for themselves


Application migration specialist ArtinSoft is planning tools to smooth customers #39; transition from Oracle to Microsoft Corp #39;s SQL Server.

ArtinSoft tackles database migration


GM is showcasing a range of near, mid- and long-term solutions for cleaner, sustainable transportation at China #39;s Challenge Bibendum, which is being held in Shanghai from October 12-14.

GM Showcases Hydrogen and Hybrid Technologies at China #39;s Challenge <b>...</b>


That summed up NHL commissioner Gary Bettman #39;s appearance on a special segment of CBC #39;s The National with Peter Mansbridge last night.

Bettman blames union


The festive segment of the Paralympic closing ceremony was cancelled today after seven teenagers were killed in a bus accident on the way to the games.

Fatal crash casts pall over Paralympics


US forces backed by helicopter gunships killed 22 insurgents in southern Afghanistan, the US military said today. The fighting occurred late Sunday in Shinkay district of Zabul province, a hotbed

Fighting in Afghanistan kills 22


CBC SPORTS ONLINE - The Toronto police are taking a threat made against Vince Carter seriously. Toronto Police Detective Sgt. Sneddon of the 52 Division told Sportsnet.

Police conduct investigation on Carter threat


With only the game's top 20 women fending for the Samsung World Championship, Annika Sorenstam knows that in Palm Desert, the event truly is a survival of the fittest.

Elite Field Hits Desert


It happens all the time in hockey, football and basketball, and maybe it will catch on in baseball, too, after players from both teams exchanged handshakes Sunday after the St.

Cardinals, Dodgers shake things up


SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp.'s <A HREF=

Microsoft Search Encounters Glitches on First Day


Ruud van Nistelrooy is set to undergo a scan on his calf today as concerns deepen about the lingering problem. The prolific Dutchman - who tops United #39;s goal chart this season with 12 - reported the injury

Ruud to undergo injury scan


December 10, 2004. Making clear its intention to stay a player in the search wars, Yahoo! announced plans this morning to introduce a free, high-speed desktop search tool after the first of the year.

Yahoo! Enters Desktop Search Realm


The deal would create a new wireless telecommunications giant with 39 million customers.<FONT face=

Directors Approve Sprint-Nextel Merger


Lot, Poland's national airline, could float on the Polish stock market as early as next spring, the company has said.

Polish airline may float in 2005


Congress last week passed legislation that extends by three years the prohibition of states and localities from imposing  quot;discriminatory quot; taxes on electronic commerce, and the ban on Internet access taxes.

Congress Votes to Extend Ban on Internet Access Taxes


CAIRO (Reuters) - Sudan's foreign minister rejected  Wednesday a revised U.N. Security Council draft resolution  threatening to consider sanctions on Sudan and said it had  complicated talks on Darfur between rebels and Khartoum.

Sudan Rejects Revised U.N. Darfur Resolution


LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Tony Blair went into hospital  on Friday for heart treatment -- but first sought to quell  speculation over his future by pledging to serve a full third  term if re-elected.

Blair Heart Op Sparks Succession Debate


AFP - Singapore may post double-digit economic growth this year, above the official forecast of 8.0-9.0 percent, Manpower Minister Ng Eng Hen said.

Singapore may post double-digit economic growth in 2004 (AFP)


A Freaky Future? The mid-term economic outlook from the University of California-Los Angeles Anderson Forecast contends a recession may be brewing just over the horizon.

Freaky Future:  #39;R #39; Word in Economic Forecast


Reuters - Newspaper tycoon Conrad Black and his\top lieutenant were charged by regulators on Monday with\siphoning more than  #36;85 million from the company they ran, and\they face a move to bar them from serving as officers of a\public company.

SEC Charges Black with Fraud (Reuters)


DESPITE Ruud van Nistelrooy #39;s apology to Ashley Cole, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger may be reluctant to let the dust settle on the second successive  #39;Battle of Old Trafford #39;.

Wenger takes second swipe at Ruud


A family tug-of-war over whether to reveal Yasser Arafat #39;s cause of death bubbled over in public yesterday, with a brother of the late leader insisting the Palestinian people are entitled to know.

World Briefs Column


WASHINGTON -- At least four members of a special operations task force in Iraq have been disciplined in connection with an investigation of the abuse of prisoners, a Pentagon spokesman said yesterday. In at least one case the violation involved a Taser stun gun.

4 soldiers disciplined in abuse case


com December 12, 2004, 2:25 PM PT. Firefox, the open-source challenger to Web browsing heavyweight Microsoft Internet Explorer, has surpassed 10 million downloads in a little more

Firefox surpasses 10 million download mark


TEHRAN, Iran Oct. 6, 2004 - Iran has converted a few tons of raw uranium into hexafluoride gas needed for enrichment, a necessary step toward producing nuclear fuel or nuclear weapons, a top nuclear official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

AP: Iran Converts Uranium Into Gas


ATLANTA - Today in Athens, Georgia and Georgia Tech resume the states most bitter rivalry for the 96th time (if you believe Georgia) and the 98th time (according to Tech).

Dawgs and Jackets at it again


President Bush on Tuesday asked Congress for \$126 million to help NASA repair the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which was damaged by recent hurricanes.

Bush Requests NASA Storm Aid


Forget democracy, sport and Grecian Formula 16. There #39;s so much more we need to steal from the Greeks -- immediately and maybe sooner. Cheese pies, for instance. Our No. 1 priority should be getting these cheese pies. Lovely, flakey pastries with the ...

Life of Reilly: Athens style


Irish airline Aer Lingus offers workers at least 40,000 euros each to take voluntary redundancy under cost cutting plans.

Aer Lingus unveils cost cut plans


In a transaction that infuses familiarity and speed into the Ravens #39; stagnant passing game, Baltimore signed wide receiver Patrick Johnson on Monday to a one-year contract.

Ravens sign Patrick Johnson


England has eased the pressure on national football coach Sven-Goran Eriksson with a 2-1 win over Poland in a European qualifying match for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Football: England Beats Poland in 2006 World Cup Qualifier


When Sergio Garcia was a little lad, he was actually a very little lad - not very tall and extremely slight of build. But throughout his early teens he was so outrageously talented in every other area of the

Garcia walks tall with a 65


JOHN Stewart, Michael Ullmer and Ahmed Fahour have devised a simple plan to restore the fortunes of National Australia Bank - they are returning to an updated version of the management systems used by former chief executive Don Argus in the first half of

Back to basics to save bank


of striking most of Asia and parts of the United States, a Japanese newspaper says. Rodong missiles are capable of reaching any part of Japan, the paper said.

Activity seen at North Korea missile bases


The e-commerce Web services specialist is helping a growing list of retail manufacturers sell their wares via Amazon.

Mercent making cents of Amazon for Guess


WASHINGTON Nov 12, 2004 - The Expos cleared another logistical hurdle in their move to Washington on Friday, announcing an agreement with Ticketmaster to handle ticket sales.

Washington-Bound Expos Hire Ticket Agency


Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is close to victory with almost 90 percent of votes counted in Indonesia #39;s presidential election that took place on Monday, the General Election Commission said.

Indonesia #39;s Yudhoyono on Brink of Victory to Become President


Nortel Networks Corp., North America #39;s biggest maker of phone equipment, will pare 3,250 jobs, 250 fewer than it predicted last month, as it reduces other costs including real estate.

Nortel Will Cut 3,250 Jobs, 250 Fewer Than Expected (Update6)


Theater critics reportedly were unimpressed with Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey #39;s debut as artistic director of Cloaca at London #39;s Old Vic Theater.

Critics unimpressed with Kevin Spacey


While grid computing vendors Sun and IBM are taking the reins of the utility computing market, the competition is collaborating to provide proof-of-concept projects to improve and showcase their services and offerings.

Major Vendors Explore Grid Frontiers


The MPAA estimated that global film piracy costs the US movie industry more than \$3 billion annually, but it did not give an estimate for how much online piracy costs the industry.

Film Industry Files Wave of Anti-Piracy Lawsuits


Fast Forward columnist Rob Pegoraro will be online to discuss recent reviews, including Portable Media Centers and Apple's iMac G5. He'll also answer your personal tech questions.

Fast Forward Live


ATLANTA Delta Air Lines today released new details on the up to 69-hundred jobs it plans to eliminate starting January first. Delta earlier this year announced it #39;s dropping Dallas-Fort Worth International

Delta releases new details on up to 6,900 job cuts


The bad news keeps piling up on the Carolina Panthers, who learned yesterday that running back Stephen Davis will be sidelined up to five weeks by a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery.

Panthers #39; back Davis out up to 5 weeks with knee injury


President Bush backs his policy on Iraq, despite confirmation that Saddam Hussein did not have WMD.

Bush defends action against Iraq


The Motley Fool - Did you know that September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month? Well, it is. It's also National Head Lice Prevention Month. But perhaps of most interest to us financially minded Fools, it's College Savings Month -- so says the College Savings Plan Network (CSPN) of the National Association of State Treasurers.

You Can Pay for College (The Motley Fool)


Nearly 200 years ago, a Mississippi River town experienced some of the most powerful earthquakes in U.S. history. Today, scientists say it's hard convincing people that major shakers can hit anywhere but the West Coast. Michelle Delio reports from New Madrid, Missouri.

Missouri Home to Seismic Hot Spot


An Arab TV station said Sunday it received a statement from Iraqi militants saying they had freed 10 Turkish hostages. An anchor on Qatar-based Al-Jazeera TV, citing  #39; #39;special sources, #39; #39; said

Al-Jazeera TV station says Iraqi kidnappers claim to have released <b>...</b>


AP - Al Onofrio, former head football coach at Missouri who also helped design defenses for Dan Devine for more than a decade, has died. He was 83.

Former Missouri Coach Onofrio Dies (AP)


Marine biologists say they have obtained the first proof that sharks can spot changes in magnetic fields, boosting evidence that the fish have an internal compass to guide them as well as a phenomenal sense of smell.

Magnetic sharks add bite to compass theory


He had given up three runs in the first inning of perhaps the biggest game of his life in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday, but Astros righthander Roy Oswalt wasn #39;t worried.

Oswalt leaves it all on field


Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan says the US trade deficit cannot be sustained indefinitely.

Greenspan warns over US deficit


A coalition of environmental and conservation groups calls for a ban on the damaging fishing practice known as bottom-trawling.

Deep-sea trawling's 'great harm'


PARIS -- Marat Safin hit 10 aces and beat Lleyton Hewitt 6-4, 7-6 (2) Friday in a showdown between US Open champions to reach the Paris Masters semifinals.

Safin plays injured Canas next


Alternative Web browsers like Safari and Firefox will grow in popularity and force Microsoft to respond by improving Internet Explorer, predicts Marc Andreessen, founder of Netscape Communications.

Netscape #39;s Andreessen Predicts New Browser Wars Ahead


Malaysian Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Singapore #39;s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will attend the inauguration of Indonesia #39;s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono this Wednesday, an Indonesian official said.

Malaysian, Singapore Leaders to Attend Yudhoyono #39;s Swearing-In


CANBERRA, Australia Aug. 29, 2004 - Prime Minister John Howard will become the first of three allied leaders who launched the US-led invasion of Iraq to face voters, having announced Sunday that Australians will go to the polls on Oct. 9.

John Howard 1st Iraq Invader to Face Vote


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A computer chip that is implanted  under the skin won U.S. approval on Wednesday for use in  helping doctors quickly access a patient's medical history.

FDA: Chip Implant Can Be Used to Get Health Records


AP - Top-seeded Elena Likhovtseva of Russia won the Forest Hills Classic on Saturday, defeating fourth-seeded Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-2.

Likhovtseva Wins Forest Hills Title (AP)


Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - The Dallas Mavericks signed free agent Avery Johnson on Thursday, bringing the guard back to the team for which he played during parts of 2002 and 2003.

Avery Johnson returning to Mavs


AP - Voting rights are not denied to those who use punch-card ballots, a federal judge ruled in the nation's first trial to challenge the system blamed for woes in Florida in the 2000 presidential election.

Ohio Judge Rules Punch-Card Voting Fair (AP)


FOXBOROUGH -- Veteran cornerback Terrell Buckley was the most notable casualty yesterday as the Patriots trimmed their roster to 53 to meet the league deadline, cutting a total of 12 players and placing two on the reserve/physically-unable-to-perform list.

Buckley is one of 12 players released


HBOS has decided against bidding for Abbey National, dampening hopes of a challenge to Spanish bank Santander #39;s agreed 8.8 billion pound takeover and hitting the target #39;s shares.

HBOS won #39;t bid for Abbey National


AP - After a car accident left him with a broken neck and a tragedy left him with a broken heart, DerMarr Johnson easily could have given up on his dream of playing in the NBA. He just wasn't going to let it happen.

Johnson Still Plugging Away After Accident (AP)


US stocks fizzed downward yesterday after Coca-Cola Co. and other firms reported disappointing sales and earnings projections - giving Wall Street a case of indigestion amid concern that the days of fat corporate profits may be over.

Coke #39;s flat earnings pop Wall Street rally, expectations


Charges stemming from a 2003 altercation are dropped as Mike Tyson completes community service on Wednesday.

Tyson Completes Service


Microsoft is starting to ramp up distribution of its massive security update for the Windows XP operating system. But analysts say they still expect the company to move at a relatively slow pace to avoid widespread glitches.

Microsoft slowly rolling on Service Pack 2 updates


Tony Blair was facing a damaging defeat last night over demands for the early withdrawal of British troops from Iraq after failing to buy off the votes of the four big unions at Labour #39;s annual conference.

Unions firm on deadline for Iraq troop withdrawal


McDonald #39;s Corp. new Chief Executive James Skinner, the company #39;s third leader in seven months, will continue the strategy of trying to boost sales in Europe after yesterday replacing Charles Bell, who is suffering from cancer.

McDonald #39;s Skinner Replaces Bell as CEO, Faces Test in Europe


A week later, the tape of the fight between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit fans sticks with me like a bad dream. I am still stunned to watch Ron Artest bound over rows of courtside chairs to attack a fan

A Black Eye for Sports


AP - Hicham Arazi of Morocco upset defending champion and second-seeded Rainer Schuettler 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 Wednesday in the first round of the  #36;980,000 Lyon Open.

Arazi Upsets Schuettler in Lyon Open (AP)


Ofcom, the United Kingdom #39;s regulatory agency for telecommunications, revealed plans to facilitate voice over IP in the residental market, including a new prefix for broadband numbers.

UK Gives VoIP Its Own Area Code


JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The spiritual leader of Israel's  influential Shas party ordered its 11 lawmakers on Saturday to  vote against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw  from the Gaza Strip.

Israel's Shas Party to Vote Against Gaza Pullout


Crude near \$53 a barrel level as Nigeria and Norway set strikes, bombings in Egypt, Paris. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Oil prices see-sawed Friday, getting closer to the \$53 a barrel level, as labor strife in Nigeria

Oil sways amid labor strife, attacks


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush asked Treasury  Secretary John Snow to stay in his job on Wednesday and Snow  agreed to do so, ending a frenzy of speculation that the  65-year-old former railroad executive was about to be replaced.

Snow to Remain as U.S. Treasury Secretary


YANGON (AFP) - Myanmar said it would release a second batch of prisoners taking the total announced in a week to more than 9,000. The military regime said it would free 5,311 prisoners on top of the 3,937

Myanmar to release another 5,000 prisoners: state radio


TORONTO (CP) - Two-thirds of banks around the world have reported an increase in the volume of suspicious activities that they report to police, a new report by KPMG suggests.

Banks report increase in suspicious activities, new survey <b>...</b>


Reuters - The United States and its G7 allies have\reached agreement on a deal to forgive 80 of Iraq's huge debts\without imposing any conditions, a G7 official said on\Saturday.

U.S., G7 Allies Agree Iraq Debt Relief (Reuters)


Only 24 players finished the second round at Firestone South, but the forecast was for dry, cool weather the final two days.

Rain Hampers Play at NEC Invitational


Showing that money can still be made in the old-line industries, the turnaround specialist Wilbur L. Ross is selling a steel company that he created over the last two years

Mergers Show Steel Industry Is Still Worthy of Big Deals


The Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros hope Texas will be the swing state in their National League division series after both teams #39; bats resembled toothpicks for much of Games 1 and 2 in Atlanta.

NL playoffs: Sticks need wakeup call in Braves vs. Astros series


For Sheikh Mohammad Ali Mohammad al-Ghereri, a Sunni Muslim cleric, the question is no longer whether to tell his followers to fight the Americans, but how to wage war properly.

Iraq #39;s Sunni holy  #39;warlords #39;


INDIANAPOLIS -- Peyton Manning is making the game look easy. When he gets a little help, he #39;s almost unbeatable. Manning shredded the sloppy Houston Texans for 320 yards and five touchdowns, and the Colts

Manning leads way in laugher


RALEIGH, NC -- Progress Energy says it will take nearly \$300 million to restore downed electrical lines, splintered utility poles and blasted transformers in hurricane-ravaged Florida.

Progress Energy Cuts Earnings Outlook Because Of Hurricanes


TechWeb - The vendor is offering free data migration to SalesForce.com and Siebel customers and a 1-gigabyte storage upgrade for paying customers.

FreeCRM.com Offers Free Data Migration (TechWeb)


(Sports Network) - A late schedule change certainly did not appear to faze the Titans in Week 1. Due to the threat of Hurricane Ivan in south Florida, Tennessees game against the Miami Dolphins was pushed up to Saturday, and resulted in a dominant, 17

Tennessee Titans Team Report


Washington - Phone calls made over the Internet cannot be regulated by states, the Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday.

FCC: States can #39;t regulate Net phones


Verizon Communications is boosting its broadband Internet offerings in an effort to lure customers from cable TV companies like Comcast Corp.

Verizon launching upgrade of broadband Net service


Greek sprint duo Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou will have to wait until after the Olympic Games to find out their fate following their missed drugs tests, according to athletics chief Arne Ljungqvist.

Greek sprinters face wait to learn fate


SAN FRANCISCO - Intel Corp. outlined its plans for a dual-core mobile processor and platform technology Wednesday, but declined to provide any details about the dual-core future of its flagship Pentium 4 desktop processor.

Intel unveils Yonah dual-core mobile chip


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Peyton Manning threw for 254 yards and  two touchdowns to win his showdown with fellow co-MVP Steve  McNair as the Indianapolis Colts beat the Tennessee Titans  31-17 in National Football League play at Nashville Sunday.

NFL Wrap: -Manning Wins MVP Battle as Colts Overcome Titans


On a 22-foot-long piano keyboard, dancers jumped on giant keys, each step setting off a note of  quot;Chopsticks. quot;. Over by the soda fountain, blue-shirted servers learned to make the Volcano, a

FAO Schwarz back in play


Three years ago, before the trendy Hotel Monaco in Washington's Penn Quarter filled its goldfish bowls and tucked in its high-thread-count sheets, managers went to a local human resources association to see what the unionized hotels in the area paid employees.

Most D.C. Hotels Have Kept Union at Bay


US Airways Group Inc. probably will need more cost cuts or a boost in revenue to attract the \$250 million in equity it says it needs to leave bankruptcy next year, the company said on Thursday.

US Air Needs Cuts to Entice Investors


Recently posted document throws a little light on a key feature of the next edition of Mac OS X.

Apple details plans to Spotlight desktop search


It may not be enough to tilt the championship this time, but Petter Solberg conjured a spectacular third consecutive victory at Rally GB to keep Sebastien Loeb waiting a little longer for the title.

Rallying: Sparkling Solberg win means title wait for Loeb


Sunni Muslims expressed outrage Saturday over an assault by Iraqi National Guard troops, backed by US soldiers, on their most revered mosque in Baghdad.

Iraqi troops raid key Baghdad mosque


LONDON (Reuters) - European airlines hoping for a 2005  industry recovery face new hurdles as record high oil prices  threaten to drive up costs and fuel surcharges for passengers,  officials said.

Oil Prices Drive Concerns for Airlines


Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Luis Sharpe, a former offensive lineman for the Arizona Cardinals, has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in state prison.

Former NFL lineman going to jail


AP - Determined to avoid a repeat of high-profile failures in 2000 and 2002, television networks will rely on new systems on Nov. 2 to help project election winners and analyze why voters made their choices. And they have turned to The Associated Press to count the vote for them.

Networks to Test New Exit Polling System (AP)


Early voters in the Sunshine State begin casting electronic ballots Monday, and it doesn't take long for the first problems to surface.

E-Voting Still a Florida Bugaboo


KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan intelligence agents backed by international peacekeepers arrested 25 people allegedly linked to the Taliban and al-Qaida in an early morning raid in eastern Kabul Saturday, a spokesman for the peacekeepers said.    Lt...

25 Terror Suspects Nabbed in Afghanistan


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

FedEx Boosts Profit Forecast, Stock Jumps


AP - The Federal Communications Commission gave its approval Tuesday to Cingular Wireless LLC's  #36;41 billion acquisition of AT amp;T Wireless Services Inc., completing the federal regulatory blessing necessary for creation of the country's largest cellphone company.

FCC Clears Cingular Acquisition of AT T (AP)


Alex Seropian #39;s Stubbs the Zombie in  quot;Rebel without a Pulse quot; uses Halo engine in new third-person action game. October 29, 2004 - Aspyr Media and Wideload Games today dug up their newest creation, revealing

Bungie Founder Unearths New Game


WASHINGTON Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison led Washington to its fifth victory in six games, a 95-to-68 blowout over New Jersey.

Wizards 95 Nets 68


An Australian gamer spends \$26,500 on a virtual island that exists only in a PC role-playing game.

Gamer buys \$26,500 virtual land


Jean-Marie Messier, the former chief of Vivendi Universal SA who is under investigation for alleged fraud and stock manipulation, was fined 1 million euros (\$1.3 million) by French regulator Autoritee des Marches Financiers.

Vivendi, Messier Each Fined EU1 Million by French Regulator


Statisticians release an analysis debunking a previous Berkeley study that said President Bush received more votes than he should have in Florida counties that used touch-screen voting machines. By Kim Zetter.

Florida E-Vote Study Debunked


Riggs has replaced Joseph M. Cahill as part the ongoing fallout from a recent internal investigation into failures to abide by federal laws designed to prevent money laundering.

Riggs Bank Replaces Its Chief Legal Officer


Microsoft last week quietly launched a pilot program to tackle the increasing problem of software piracy. Windows Genuine Advantage is the first trial of a validation scheme operating on Microsofts Download Center.

Microsoft launches validation program


He said he kept two sets of books, stole from clients for two decades, and hid his activities from regulators. But Bradford C. Bleidt's purported multimillion-dollar scam would never have gotten off the ground if clients of Allocation Plus Asset Management Co. had followed two basic investment rules.

How to avoid a scamming planner


Bankrupt Interstate Bakeries Corp., maker of Hostess Twinkies and Wonder Bread, received court approval Thursday for financing that will allow it to keep paying employees and vendors while it seeks to reorganize.

Interstate Bakeries gets OK for funding


The Internet Engineering Task Force has raised concerns about Microsoft #39;s Sender ID anti-spam technolgy as an industry standard.

Internet Group Shelves Microsoft Sender ID


AP - Prime Minister Ayad Allawi will travel to Jordan on Tuesday to meet with Iraqis outside the country as part of attempts to get as many Iraqis as possible to participate in upcoming elections, diplomats and Iraqi officials said.

Iraq's Allawi to Meet With Jordan Exiles (AP)


AP - A reminder from the government: check those holiday shopping lists to make sure no recalled children's toys are on them.

Regulators Warn About Recalled Toys (AP)


A Muslim man has filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination alleging that a Circuit City in Taunton contacted federal authorities and falsely accused him of threatening to rig a store-bought computer with a bomb.

Circuit City customer files bias complaint


ATHENS - Around the final curve they came, into the homestretch, and it was unfolding just how they had predicted: One, two, three.

Sweep fulfills trios expectations


A security advisory posted on Bugtraq demonstrates how hackers can compromise customers of T-mobile wireless and Verizon (landline) voicemail boxes. The advisory talks about the use of Caller-ID spoofing the customers number, allowing a bypass of the PIN code since the voicemail thinks that the customer is calling to check their own voicemail. According to Secure Science Corporation, there has been no response from the vendors. Comments have been posted that T-Mobile has optional PIN code protection off by default. Better turn it on.

Customers of Telco Companies Face Privacy Breach


Looking to give customers a reason to upgrade to Office 12, Microsoft will further tighten ties between its desktop and server software.

Microsoft wants servers to drive Office sales


Fraudulent phishing e-mail is forcing businesses to reconsider how they communicate with their customers online. Join Dave Jevans, chairman of the Anti-Phishing Working Group, as he discusses this growing form of online fraud with washingtonpost.com reporter Brian Krebs.

Phishing Schemes


Catches of dwindling U.S. marine fish stocks by recreational anglers now rival those of commercial fisheries, claims a new report.

Sport Fishing Puts Bite on U.S. Fish Stocks, Study Says


After nearly two years of investigation, the United Nations #39; nuclear watchdog said yesterday that it has not uncovered proof that Iran has

UN finds no proof of nuclear weapons in Iran


By PAUL FOY     SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- NASA scientists said Friday they had recovered some intact materials from the wreckage of the Genesis space capsule that crashed this week and were hopeful that the mission to gather solar atoms could be salvaged.

NASA Scientists Hopeful of Salvaging Genesis


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Arch Coal Inc <A HREF=

Court Won't Halt Arch Coal's Triton Bid


AP - Rafael Furcal will spend three weeks in a cramped, windowless jail filled with about 70 inmates when the postseason ends for the Atlanta Braves.

Furcal Shrugs Off Distractions in Playoffs (AP)


Stocks rose sharply yesterday, extending their rally for a second session as investors expressed relief over plummeting oil prices following a government report that showed a buildup in crude inventories.

Stocks surge on news about oil prices


Just five months after ground was broken on the Trilogy luxury apartments in the Fenway, the \$130 million construction price tag has jumped to \$138 million.

As steel prices soar, developers scramble


An extra 1.3 million Americans slid into poverty in 2003 while health care cover also fell, official figures show.

One million join ranks of US poor


Kurt Barnes held a two-stroke lead Thursday after shooting a 6-under-par 65 in the first round of the Australian Open, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

Golf roundup: Barnes takes Aussie lead


The Pittsburgh Steelers are accomplishing feats never seen in the NFL, largely because of rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers combined their new quarterback with a touch of the old -- a Jerome

Sunday #39;s NFL Capsules


AP - The House emphatically rejected a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage Thursday, the latest in a string of conservative pet causes advanced by Republican leaders in the run-up to Election Day.

House Defeats Gay Marriage Ban Amendment (AP)


According to BayTSP, eDonkey/Overnet had an average of 2.54 million users per day in September while FastTrack had an average of 2.48 million.

Kazaa in Decline


Brazilian singer Gilberto Gil and German romance singer Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau were named the 2005 winners of the Polar Music Prize for their contributions to music.

Winners of Polar Music Prize Announced


TEL AVIV -- Massive explosions ripped through a hotel last night on the Red Sea in Egypt, near the southern tip of Israel, killing at least 30 and injuring more than 160, many of them Israeli tourists, according to Israeli media reports and Egyptian officials.

Blasts kill at least 30 at Egypt hotel


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasuries trimmed early losses on  Monday as evidence of sluggish hiring by U.S. manufacturers   suggested little need for the Federal Reserve to be more  aggressive in hiking interest rates.

US Treasuries Cut Losses on Job Woes Hint


Guillermo Canas won his third title of the year yesterday with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over unseeded German Lars Burgsmuller at the ATP Shanghai Open.

Guillermo Canas wins championship at Shanghai Open


McAfee, on Monday, announced a launch of its multi-function e-mail service for small to medium sized businesses. It is a managed mail protection service that includes anti-spam, anti-virus, and content filtering technologies.

McAfee launches Managed Mail Security Service


Kurt Warner, perhaps more than maybe any other American Football athlete, understands the bright light of stardom, and how quickly it can fade.

Warner leads Giants revival


By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay Reporter    HealthDayNews -- Morphine, a potent painkiller typically derived from the opium poppy plant, appears to be made by the human body as well.    Small amounts of morphine have been found in animal tissue before, but researchers had assumed these traces came from environmental contamination, such as a diet...

Human Cells Make Morphine


Users of the music player should watch out for hacked themes; a flaw allows would-be intruders to take control of PCs.

Winamp vulnerable to camouflaged-skin attacks


Reuters - Vernon Wells cracked a two-run triple\in the seventh inning to earn the Toronto Blue Jays a 5-4 win\over the New York Yankees in the American League Wednesday.

AL Wrap: Jays Sink Yankees, Six-Hit Ibanez Mauls Angels (Reuters)


Great players do not almost lose to the Laura Granvilles of the women #39;s tour in the first round of the US Open in their first real bow after having won a Wimbledon championship for the ages.

Maria dials up big dose of heart


Shares of PalmSource (Nasdaq: PSRC) are down 17 to \$20.80 today after the company reported its first-quarter results yesterday afternoon.

PalmSource: Give or Take


ANAHEIM, California -- The Anaheim Angels are keeping it close in the AL West. Garret Anderson hit a tie-breaking double in the eighth inning, Darin Erstad had a three-run homer and the Angels beat Oakland

Angels doing devil of a job


Recently, GuitarWorld magazine published a list of top 100 of the worst guitar solos, riffs and licks of all time. I am a big sucker for this sort of thing, so I swallowed the \$7.95 price to purchase it, with a good expectation of what would be included. Just as literary scholars have a canon of great literature, the guitarist community has a canon of really awful guitar solos - including, for instance, Neil Young's infamous one-note Cinnamon Girl solo, anything by Van Halen, and anything played by Kurt Cobain. When I turned to the list, I suffered a cruel, horrible shock.

In Defense of Clapton's Layla


SPACE.com - Floating free above Earth and carrying out an experiment in space has long been the preserve of orbiting travelers, but at taxpayer's expense.

Zero G Flights Could Bolster Space Tourism, Research Industries (SPACE.com)


SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Electricity merchant Mirant (MIRKQ) said Thursday it appointed Michele Burns chief restructuring officer and the company #39;s main representative as it puts together a plan to get out of bankruptcy.

Mirant appoints Michele Burns to head restructuring


Reuters - A month-end sales blitz of incentives\by General Motors Corp.  and Ford Motor Co.  to\clear out older vehicles will spur a slight rise in U.S. car\and truck sales for September, analysts said.

Incentives Likely to Boost U.S. Car Sales (Reuters)


AP - In not-too-secret online forums, Wesley Snipes' latest movie,

Online Groups Behind Bulk of Bootleg Films (AP)


Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis is stripped of his bronze medal after testing positive for drugs.

Sampanis stripped of bronze


AP - More than ever, Brett Favre needs football as his escape. His wife, Deanna, is fighting breast cancer, the latest bad news for the star quarterback's family, which has dealt with two deaths in 11 months.

Favres Fight Year of Hardships (AP)


CARSON, Calif. Indiana University #39;s men #39;s soccer team goes up against third-seeded Maryland in a semifinal of the NCAA Men #39;s College Cup tonight in Carson, California.

Indiana soccer coach tries to extend Yeagley #39;s legacy


Afghans turned out to vote in large numbers today as Hamid Karzai and his rivals disputed the integrity of the vote.

Afghan Vote Is Peaceful, But Challengers Cry Foul


The success of Paris #39; bid for Olympic Games 2012 would bring an exceptional development for France for at least 6 years, said Jean-Francois Lamour, French minister for Youth and Sports on Tuesday.

Olympic Games 2012 great stake for France #39;s sports, says French <b>...</b>


JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon won  cabinet backing on Sunday for a bill on the nuts and bolts of a  Gaza pullout, and hours later Israel launched a new raid in the  Palestinian territory, killing three and wounding 16.

Sharon Wins Cabinet Vote on Gaza, New Raid Mounted


Iraq #39;s government has the capacity to proceed with a basic economic program, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday, even as authorities struggle to contain violence before elections set for January.

UPDATE 1-IMF says Iraq has place for basic economic program


Campaigning ends ahead of Namibia's presidential poll, which will elect a successor to President Sam Nujoma.

Namibia set to elect new leader


Oil prices held strong on Friday not far below the \$55-a-barrel mark as traders worried time is running out to top up low heating oil inventories before winter.

Oil Holds Near \$55 on Winter Fuel Anxiety


Reuters - At least 25 people were feared killed\Tuesday in a collision between two passenger trains in northern\India, television stations reported.

At Least 25 Dead in Indian Train Collision -- TV (Reuters)


AP - Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards took President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney to task Thursday on gay marriage, poverty, and other issues, using unusually harsh words at a forum that included undecided voters.

Edwards Has Harsh Words for Bush, Cheney (AP)


roundup Plus: RealNetworks loss widens on litigation...SmartDisk expands hard-drive line...Target to sell TiVo DVRs.

Briefly: Quantum to buy tape rival Certance


Johnson  amp; Johnson (JNJ.N: Quote, Profile, Research) will buy Guidant Corp. (GDT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) for \$23.9 billion in cash and stock, giving the health-care products

J amp;J to buy Guidant for \$23.9 billion in cash, stock


Intel #39;s board of directors has elected current president and chief operating officer Paul Otellini as its next chief executive, succeeding Craig Barrett, who was named new chairman of the board.

Intel appoints Otellini as CEO


LONDON -- Nobody has more problems at the start of the Champions League season than Real Madrid - unless it #39;s Italian side AS Roma.

Roma, Madrid battle problems


So if the back-up nose tackle of the Steelers (12-1) gets a sack in the 1:30 pm game, you know it #39;s going to be another long day for Manning and the Giants (5-8).

Steelers #39; defense has rookie quarterback Eli Manning in its sights


If Greece, with 10m people, can pull off the Games at the 11th hour, why not? THE final weekend of the Olympics is at hand, and the reckoning is nigh.

You can do it too, S #39;pore


Microsoft doesn #39;t seem to be too worried about the competition of Mozilla with their release of Firefox 1.0. Microsoft isn #39;t planning on releasing a new version of IE anytime soon, but Microsoft #39;s director

Microsoft #39;s Competition From Mozilla


NewsFactor - IBM (NYSE: IBM) has unveiled a collection of new services designed to bring the benefits of radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems to industrial firms and mid-size businesses. The goal is to help smaller companies comply with mandates to adopt the technology by \Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), the Department of Defense and other organizations.

IBM Expands RFID Offerings (NewsFactor)


We've been down this road so many times that it's easy to be skeptical, if not cynical. Except there are signs that this comeback by Grant Hill may not end up like the others.

Will he Magically reappear?


The court ruling that ended a yearlong legal battle between Texas Instruments Inc. and Qualcomm Inc. could boost TI #39;s presence in the wireless sector, analysts say.

Update 1: Texas Instruments May See Wireless Boost


GROZNY, Russia Aug. 29, 2004 - Chechens battered by five years of war, terrorism and misery voted Sunday for a president in an election that the Russian government portrayed as step toward stability, though

Deadly Blast Mars Chechen Voting


AP - San Francisco quarterback Tim Rattay and running back Kevan Barlow are questionable for Sunday's game at Arizona, the latest misery in the 49ers' 1-11 season.

Rattay, Barlow Questionable for 49ers (AP)


According to the Boeing-Northrup Grumman announcement, the two companies plan to alternate as prime contractor should they win the bid to build the CEV.

Big or Small NASA Space Vision?


The termination of the \$5 billion deal stands in opposition to a trend toward more IT outsourcing.

J.P. Morgan cancels IBM outsourcing contract


West Palm Beach, FLORIDA - Annika Sorenstam bogeyed the first hole of a playoff to win her third ADT Championship at Trump International Golf Club Sunday (Monday in Manila).

Sorenstam wins ADT Championship, Rosales 4th


Daniel Cabrera pitched three-hit ball into the eighth inning, and Jose Leon and Melvin Mora had two RBIs apiece to lead the surging Baltimore Orioles past the Minnesota Twins 4-1 on Monday.

Monday #39;s AL Capsules


A bidding war for Australia #39;s biggest hotel owner has helped push the Australian share market into record territory yet again.

Fresh ALH bid pushes market to new record


KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Afghan security forces killed a senior Taliban commander and two of his comrades in a raid in southern Afghanistan, an official said Sunday.    Maulvi Abdul Ghaffar, reportedly a former inmate at the U.S...

Taliban Commander Killed in Afghan Raid


Nasa is due to launch an experimental jet over the Pacific today in a bid to reach a record 7,000 mph. The first X-43A flight failed in June 2001 when the booster rocket used to accelerate it to flight speed veered off course and had to be destroyed.

NASA Set to Launch 7,000 Mph Jet


washingtonpost.com - A federal court yesterday struck down as unconstitutional a path-breaking Pennsylvania law designed to prevent Internet users from seeing Web sites that contain child pornography.

Court Rejects Child Porn Internet Law (washingtonpost.com)


A court appearance by Christos Tsekos, former coach to disgraced Greek sprinter Kostas Kenteris, has been delayed after his defence lawyer died.

New shock in Kenteris saga


AFP - Pakistan's penalty-corner expert Sohail Abbas said he was honoured to enter field hockey's Hall of Fame after he set a new world record for most goals.

Pakistan's Abbas 'honoured' to enter hockey Hall of Fame (AFP)


The Pentagon is engaged in bitter debate over how far it should go in managing information to influence opinion abroad.

Pentagon Weighs Use of Deception in a Broad Arena


Forty seven games and counting - that #39;s Arsenal #39;s unbeaten league record after the weekend victory at Manchester City. The Gunners are drowning in an avalanche of plaudits, the majority of them deserved, while

Under the Gunners #39; spell


By reaching antitrust settlements with two additional litigantsNovell Inc. and the Computer  amp; Communications Industry AssociationMicrosoft Corp.

Microsoft Moves Closer to Wiping Its Antitrust Slate Clean


Pakistan on Wednesday offered huge rewards totalling Rs 6.5 crore for information leading to the capture of six most wanted terrorists linked to al-Qaeda, including a member of the banned Jash-e-Mohammad who is accused of masterminding two suicide attacks ...

Get them caught, get 6 crores


ATLANTA Delta Air Lines Inc. #39;s chief executive said yesterday he is declining his six-figure salary for the rest of the year as he detailed a 10 percent pay cut that will affect senior officials, administrative staff and ticket and gate agents.

Delta CEO declines pay


ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States beat Canada in a world  best time to qualify for the final of the men's Olympic eights  race Sunday, as the two crews renewed their fierce rivalry in  front of a raucous crowd at Schinias.

Olympics-Rowing-U.S. Eight Beats Canada to Set World Best Time


HSH Nordbank was pursuing legal proceedings against Barclays to recoup losses on investments, a spokesperson for the German state-owned bank said yesterday.

German bank sues Barclays over losses


KABUL (Reuters) - An Afghan court is expected to announce a  verdict on Saturday in a closed-door trial of a man accused of  killing four foreign journalists, including two from Reuters,  just after the fall of the Taliban three years ago.

Verdict Due for Afghan in Killing of Journalists


England begin the Robinson era on Saturday when coach Andy takes charge for the first time and new captain Jason leads the team out at Twickenham against Canada.

PREVIEW-Rugby-England #39;s Robinson era set for high-scoring start


MOSUL: The bodies of six young men, all shot in the head as if executed, were discovered in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Tuesday, bringing the total of such corpses found to 14 in two days.

14 executed bodies found in Mosul


NEW YORK, New York, United States of America -- International Business Machines (IBM) Corp has put its computer business up for sale, the New York Times said Friday, quoting people close to negotiations.

IBM to sell computer unit, in talks with China #39;s Lenovo


US Marines launched air and ground attacks yesterday on the rebel bastion Fallujah after city representatives suspended peace talks with the government over Prime Minister Iyad Allawi #39;s demand to hand over terror mastermind Abu Musab Zarqawi.

United States Marines begin raids on Fallujah


Stepping up the battle of online search and services, Yahoo Inc. and Adobe Systems Inc. have joined forces to tap each other #39;s customers and put Web search features into Adobe #39;s popular Acrobat Reader software.

TECH BUZZ: Yahoo, Adobe team up for new Web services


BOSTON - Mark Bellhorn singled in two runs in the bottom of the ninth as the Red Sox rallied to a 3-2 victory over the Orioles last night, snapping a three-game losing streak after nearly blowing the game in the top of the inning.

Bosox claw back


News Corporation has awarded its executive chairman Rupert Murdoch a staggering \$US12.5 million (\$18 million) performance bonus for the latest financial year - believed to be the biggest in Australian corporate history.

News deals Rupert \$18m bonus


The Federal Reserve raised a key interest rate another quarter- percentage point Tuesday, continuing its campaign to gradually remove the cheap money stimulus that it used to help jump-start the recovery from the 2001 recession.

Federal Reserve raises rate again


AP - In his first moves as manager of the Seattle Mariners, Mike Hargrove decided to retain pitching coach Bryan Price and hired Ron Hassey as the team's bench coach.

Price to Return As Seattle Pitching Coach (AP)


Reuters - To witness the impact\of a warming planet, one need not make a costly trip to the\melting Arctic ice cap. Proof of climate change is right there\in most people's backyards, scientists said on Tuesday.

Climate Change Impact? Look in Your Backyard (Reuters)


JERUSALEM Israel began releasing more than 130 Palestinian prisoners on Tuesday in a move aimed at easing overcrowding in its jails, security officials said.

Israel frees Palestinian prisoners


MANILA : Philippine movie star and former presidential candidate Fernando Poe has slipped into a coma after suffering a stroke, a spokesman said.

Philippine movie star, presidential candidate FPJ in coma after <b>...</b>


An Iraqi Islamic group says it has killed three members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party which cooperates with the Iraqi Government.

Iraqi group claims murder of Kurdistan representatives


----- ST. LOUIS, Missouri (Ticker) -- The St. Louis Blues on Friday re-signed defenseman Christian Backman, goaltenders Curtis Sanford and Chris Beckford-Tseu and forwards Erkki Rajamaki and Konstantin Zakharov.

Blues re-sign D Backman, four others


The battle for the United Kingdom developer Chelsfield intensified over the weekend, with reports from London that executives of the property giant are considering a management buyout to

Westfield battles for control of property giant


US economic growth will slow to 3.5 percent in 2005 from 3.9 percent this year, generating average monthly gains in payrolls of about 175,000 jobs, according to President George W. Bush #39;s administration.

White House Sees 2005 Economic Growth Slowing to 3.5 (Update2)


Up to your eyeballs in elec tion returns? Perhaps a review of Saturday #39;s pari-mutuel returns from the 21st running of the Breeders #39; Cup will make all those dizzying electoral permutations seem like losing Mega Millions numbers.

It #39;s neck-and-neck at polls for Horse of the Year bids


The  quot;Art of War, quot; the oldest military treatise in the world, tells aspiring generals to divide and conquer. For a certain open source operating system, this may be the approach needed to win the inevitable desktop battle.

Linux aims to divide and conquer the desktop


AP - President Bush and Sen. John Kerry bowed to the wishes of popular maverick John McCain on Thursday, as the president embraced the Republican senator's legal fight against big-money special interest groups airing negative ads and the Democratic nominee scrapped a commercial that featured McCain.

Kerry Pulls Ad of McCain Smear Complaint (AP)


AP - Former Vice President Al Gore touted the promise of stem-cell research for curing debilitating and deadly diseases on Friday  #151; using his pitch to stump for fellow Democrats Christine Gregoire and Dave Ross.

Gore Touts Promise of Stem-Cell Research (AP)


Dina Dublon, chief financial officer of JP Morgan Chase (JPM ), announced on Sept. 21 that she would be leaving by yearend. Considered one of the most powerful women on Wall Street, Dublon #39;s departure is a

JP Morgan Loses a Veteran


Freshman Darius Walker ran for 115 yards and scored two touchdowns, helping revive an Irish offense that had managed just one touchdown in the season's first six quarters.

After a Sloppy Start, the Irish Upset Michigan


In what it calls a first in international air travel, Finnair says it will let its frequent fliers check in using text messages on mobile phones.

Finnair Plans Mobile Check-In


InfoWorld - At TechXNY this week, Hewlett-Packard reminded business users that it is still an active innovator in printers and imaging devices.

HP unveils inkjet and laser printers (InfoWorld)


In Europe, soccer clubs continued their efforts in final group matches to reach the knockout stage of the Champions League tournament.

Champions League roundup


BLACKSBURG -- Jacksonville, Fla., will be the home for the ACC #39;s first two championship games in football in 2005 and  #39;06, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced Thursday.

ACC game gets home


TONY EASTLEY: In Britain, Prime Minister Tony Blair #39;s election hopes have been dealt a blow with the resignation of his Home Secretary, David Blunkett.

British Home Secretary resigns


Reuters - The U.S. government will charge Time\Warner Inc's  America Online unit with aiding and\abetting securities fraud but will defer prosecution for two\years, a U.S. Justice Department official said.

U.S. to Charge AOL with Fraud (Reuters)


Kenyan police seek the extradition of a UK-based evangelist over an alleged child-smuggling ring.

Kenya seeks 'miracle baby' pastor


SanDisk releases first digital audio players as it looks to expand the market for flash memory.

SanDisk plays up digital audio devices


The removal of the president of California #39;s largest public pension fund has raised questions about whether pension funds, endowments and other big activist investors can keep wielding clout in corporate governance campaigns.

Score one against activism?


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little changed on  Friday as investors worried high crude prices will hurt the  economy and corporate profits, but oil production companies  like Exxon Mobil Corp. <A HREF=

Stocks Near Flat as Oil Price Hits Record


Dodgers general manager Paul DePodesta restructured his baseball operations department with two new hires and a promotion on Tuesday.

LA restructures baseball operations


BAGHDAD, Iraq Suicide bombers and other attackers, apparently targeting US and Iraqi forces, struck in quick succession in three separate areas of the capital Thursday, killing at least 46 people and wounding 208 others, officials said.

Suicide bombers strike twice in Baghdad


AP - Japan's central bank decided Thursday to keep monetary policy unchanged to continue efforts to spur an economic recovery.

Japan Keeps Monetary Policy Unchanged (AP)


Al-Jazeera TV in Qatar said that one Islamic group has released two women of the relatives of the Iraqi prime minister Eyad Allawi, but still holding his cousin as a hostage.

Al-Jazeera TV: Two women of Allawi #39;s relatives released in Iraq


The PC maker is eyeing in-home services to go with its new consumer electronics line.

Dell to make house calls


US planes fire a missile into rebel positions in the Iraqi city of Falluja for the fourth day, killing a civilian.

US aircraft keep up Falluja raids


A Russian Soyuz spacecraft has brought back American and Russian astronauts from space. The capsule landed safely in Kazakhstan early today, precisely on time and on target.

Soyuz Brings Russian, US Astronauts Safely Back From Space


Santa Clara, Calif.-based Orion Multisystems has come up with a new type of workstation that can hold several processors clustered together for greater power.

A renaissance for the workstation?


IBM was to announce on Monday that it would invest \$250 million over the next five years and employ a thousand people in a new business unit to support products and services related to sensor networks.

IBM plans a big push into logistics


Bruno Junqueira may not end up winning the 2004 Champ Car World Series title. But he might look back on the Surfers Paradise weekend as the point where he came of age as a complete driver.

Junqueira drive his best yet


Both companies plan to start offering the super-speedy, cost-effective wireless technology as soon as possible.

AT T, Covad close in on WiMax


The U.S. dollar dropped to a new all-time low Tuesday against the euro, which rose to \$1.3335 even as new figures showed that U.S. economic growth in the third quarter was stronger than previously thought.

Dollar Drops to New All-Time Low Vs. Euro


India struggled to 22 for two on the rain-hit first day of the fourth and final test against Australia on Wednesday after losing openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir.

UPDATE 1-India lose early wickets in rain-hit final test


Fannie Mae, the largest US mortgage buyer, may slow purchases of home loans to meet its regulator #39;s demand to boost capital, hurting earnings prospects.

Fannie Mae May Buy Fewer Mortgages to Meet Capital Requirement


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

Shoemaker Nike's Quarterly Earnings Rise


NEW YORK Martha Stewart must report to prison in less than three weeks, a federal judge ruled yesterday in granting her request to begin serving her sentence for lying about a stock sale.

Stewart gets deadline


Reuters - German police arrested three Iraqis in a\series of raids on Friday and the federal prosecutor said he\believed they were planning an attack on visiting Iraqi Prime\Minister Iyad Allawi.

Germany Says Thwarts Attack on Iraq PM, 3 Arrested (Reuters)


Samsung #39;s advanced 60nm process technology is two thousandths the width of a piece of human hair and achieves approximately 30 percent reduction in cell size over the 70nm 4Gb NAND Flash memory developed last year.

Samsung Develops First 60-Nanometer 8-GB NAND Flash Memory


Charlton beat London rival Crystal Palace 1-0 yesterday with an injury-time winner from substitute Dennis Rommedahl. It was Charlton #39;s second away win of the season and lifted the club three places to 10th.

Charlton shuts out rival Crystal Palace


An RFID-based trial involving Philips, Nokia and a Frankfurt-based public transport authority hints of a future where ticketing is merely a matter of swiping ones handset.

Philips, Nokia trial contactless payments


United Airlines said Friday it needs even more labor cuts than anticipated to get out of bankruptcy, raising the likelihood of a new round of wage and benefit reductions.

United to Seek More Concessions


Linus Torvalds pronounced LEE-nus started a revolution of sorts in the computer industry when he created the Linux operating system and decided to share it with fellow programmers on the Internet.

Q amp;A: Linus Torvalds, inventor of Linux


Property prices in Scotland are still looking healthy, despite the steepest fall in nine years across the rest of the UK. The latest survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors shows that while

Healthy house prices in Scotland


Staff at three VW factories start a series of warning strikes, as the carmaker continues talks over cost-cutting plans.

Walkouts at three VW German sites


EADS is targeting \$10 billion in defense and security sales in the United States, its top managers said on Thursday, setting an ambitious goal for the European aerospace giant as it looks to crack the world #39;s richest defense market.

EADS Targets \$10 Billion in US Defense Revenue


Jeremy Bonderman strikes out a career-high 14 and pitches his first career shutout, leading the Tigers to a 7-0 victory over the White Sox.

Bonderman K's 14 in Win


No tickets matched all six numbers in the latest WinFall drawing, raising the jackpot for Saturday #39;s game to \$2.9 million. Saturday #39;s \$2.

No WinFall jackpot winner; prize now at \$2.9 million


Just two weeks after staging a defiant user conference in San Francisco , Craig Conway was ousted as CEO of PeopleSoft. Industry observers are divided on the cause: some say it was performance-related, while

PeopleSoft sacks CEO Craig Conway


When Cisco Systems unveiled its latest and greatest network router in May, it trumpeted the event as a watershed. Having grown from start-up to industry behemoth over the past two decades, the company claimed

Cisco turns 20


quot;INHERITANCE tax to rise 50 per cent, quot; thundered some Sunday newspapers.  quot;Blair plans relief from inheritance tax, quot; suggested others.

Death and taxes are certain - but so are con tricks


In some remote Alaskan villages, the coastline creeps closer each year, threatening the homes and livelihood of Inupiaq Eskimo, Inuit and other indigenous tribes.

Should the US toughen greenhouse gas policies?


LONDON - The earliest known relative of the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex had primitive feathers, probably to help it keep warm. Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing found the remains of the

Early T. Rex relative had feathers


QALQILYA, West Bank (Reuters) - A Palestinian suicide  bomber on a bicycle blew up at a West Bank crossing on Tuesday,  wounding two Israeli soldiers, the Israeli army said.

West Bank Suicide Bomber on Bike Wounds 2 Soldiers


SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices set new record highs above  \$54 a barrel for U.S. crude Tuesday, with global supplies  hounded by outages that are thwarting efforts to build winter  heating oil inventories.

U.S. Oil Over \$54 on Winter Worries


The FTSE 100 has fallen for the fifth session in a row, with insurers crowding the list of fallers after sentiment in the sector was damaged by news that New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer was suing a US firm.

Insurers lead FTSE lower


AP - A pair of new add-ons for Nintendo Co.'s Game Boy Advance turn the handheld into something considerably more than a gaming machine  #151; a video phone and a video player. As long as you bear in mind that you're dealing with a toy, you might not be too bothered by the less than stellar quality.

Review: Game Boy Add-On Video Is Limiting (AP)


Nearly an hour after knocking out Oscar De La Hoya in the ninth round Saturday night in the MGM Grand Garden Arena, undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins

Hopkins Makes a Case for Greatness


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks barely moved above the  unchanged mark on Wednesday as crude oil prices touched a  record over \$52 per barrel, boosting oil stocks.

Stocks Near Flat as Oil Tops \$52


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Marsh   McLennan Cos., the insurance  broker at the center of a bid-rigging scandal, on Tuesday said  it will lay off 3,000 employees, or 5 percent of its work  force.

Marsh   McLennan to Cut 3,000 Jobs


Everton is sending Wayne Rooney football merchandise, worth 65,000, to needy soccer-mad youngsters in west Africa. All the unsold stock from the Rooney section of its shop is being sent to help children and youths in Liberia.

Everton send Rooney shirts to Africa


Dhaka - New Zealand tightened the screws on Bangladesh with a superb maiden century from Brendon McCullum in the opening Test at the Bangabandu National Stadium here on Thursday.

McCullum ton swings Test match in NZ #39;s favour


Bye-bye, PMI. So long, souped-up interest. Time to streamline your mortgage budget.

Don't Overpay for Your Mortgage


The Iranian parliament, which is dominated by hardliners, passed a bill yesterday obliging the government to press ahead with efforts to develop a nuclear energy programme.

Iran votes to resume nuclear programme


A plane owned by the Hendrick Motorsports organization crashes on its way to a NASCAR race in Martinsville, Va., on Sunday, killing ten people.

Tragedy in NASCAR


France #39;s Brian Joubert was ready for a win after a second-place finish earlier this year at the World Championships. Despite trouble landing several jumps, Joubert got his victory in the men #39;s free skate Friday

France #39;s Joubert wins Skate America men #39;s title


Labor Party Chair Shimon Peres is facing growing opposition from his party over his decision to continue coalition talks with Likud despite the Likud convention #39;s resolution last week against bringing Labor into the government.

Peres facing attack from Labor MKs over continued talks with Likud


AP - Tiger Woods already lost out on the majors. Next up could be his No. 1 ranking.

Woods' Top Ranking on Line at NEC Invite (AP)


AP - Curt Schilling allowed three hits in seven shutout innings for his 15th win and Manny Ramirez hit a grand slam to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Chicago White Sox 10-1 Friday night.

Schilling Shines As Red Sox Rout White Sox (AP)


US antitrust regulators are investigating possible anti-competitive practices at the American Stock Exchange and Chicago Board Options Exchange, according to the annual report of the National Association of Securities Dealers.

UPDATE 1-Amex, CBOE face antitrust probe, NASD says


AP - United Airlines became the first U.S. carrier to fly to Vietnam since the war ended nearly 30 years ago, marking a new milestone in relations between the former enemies as VIPs on board were greeted at the airport with lotus blossoms and silk lanterns.

U.S. Jet Flight to Vietnam Makes History (AP)


TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average fell for a fifth  straight day to hit a one-month closing low on Wednesday as key  exporters and techs such as Kyocera Corp. dropped on renewed  caution about the country's economic outlook.

Nikkei Hits One-Month Closing Low


AT LEAST 40 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in a double bomb attack at a religious commemoration in Pakistan yesterday, the nations second suspected sectarian attack in less than a week.

40 die in sectarian bomb attack


I look at  quot;Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, quot; a new urban crime role-playing game for the PlayStation 2, about the same way I might view gorgeous graffiti painted on my front door.

The biggest game of the year


Voice over IP, online presentations, and multiparty video conferencing under consideration.

AOL to Adapt WebEx Services for AIM Consumers


BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan (Reuters) - Inspired by a  brilliant putting display in overcast conditions at Oakland  Hills, Europe led the United States in three of the four  opening fourball matches at the 35th Ryder Cup on Friday.

Ryder Cup: Europe Takes Early Control


AP - Rick Ankiel walked off the mound after throwing a scoreless inning and was met with a rousing reception of high-fives and slaps on the back.

Ankiel Throws Scoreless Inning for Cards (AP)


10 December 2004 - One day after the United States Ambassador to the United Nations John Danforth gave his full backing to Secretary-General Kofi Annan - who had heard calls for his resignation from certain quarters in that country - a UN spokesman

UN welcomes support of United States for Secretary-General


Research by professors at Northeastern University shows that a college student's major is more important than what college they attend in determining their starting salary upon graduation.

Job Market Shifting by Degrees


17 November 2004 - The top United Nations envoy for Iraq today discussed the situation in Fallujah with Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawar, focusing on humanitarian conditions in the town and the impact of the hostilities on the civilian population

UN envoy discusses Fallujah fighting with Iraqi president


GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli tanks and troops raided southern  Gaza on Friday in response to increasing Palestinian mortar  attacks, killing at least six Palestinians and prompting  hundreds to flee their homes, witnesses and medics said.

Israeli Army Raid Into Gaza Kills 6 Palestinians


VIENNA - The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed Wednesday to boost its current daily crude oil production quota by 1 million barrels to 27 million barrels from Nov 1 to try to stabilize recently high-flying crude oil prices.

OPEC to hike crude oil output quota by 1 mil barrels


NEW YORK - Texas Instruments is to bring live digital television broadcasts to mobile phones for the first time in a development that it claims could revolutionise the industry.

Texas Instruments brings Hollywood to mobile phones


IMlogic Inc. on Tuesday announced plans to use honey pots to track malicious virus activity on instant messaging and peer-to-peer networks.

Group Enlists Honey Pots to Track IM, P2P Threats


THE COMPETITION from Boston is obviously becoming too much, and New York is starting to crack. It #39;s not simply the Red Sox on a late season streak that is baking the Apple, but the events of July when a bean

Sour apple


Hedge fund advisers will have to register with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and submit to examinations under a new rule approved in a 3-2 vote by the market-policing agency on Tuesday.

UPDATE 2-US SEC orders hedge funds to register


Reuters - Making the genetic codes of\dangerous pathogens a secret will not save anyone from\bioterrorism and may make the population vulnerable to attacks\from Mother Nature, scientists said on Thursday.

Hiding Genome Data Won't Protect Us, Experts Say (Reuters)


WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - A narrow majority of Securities and Exchange Commission members voted Tuesday to require hedge funds to share more information with the agency.

SEC to require hedge fund registration


LAS VEGAS Caesars Entertainment Incorporated announced today that it has agreed to sell its Bally #39;s Casino New Orleans for about 24 (m) million dollars.

Caesars agrees to sell Bally #39;s New Orleans in \$24 million deal


Japanese videogame maker Nintendo Co Ltd said on Wednesday it would cut the price of its handheld videogame console Game Boy Advance SP by 21.

Nintendo cuts Game Boy Advance price


AFP - Britain said it would deploy six Royal Air Force Harrier jets to Afghanistan, the first time it has sent combat planes to the country following the fall of the Taliban regime.

Britain to deploy fighter planes to Afghanistan (AFP)


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

T-W, Comcast in Pact on Cable Unit Stake


AMD launched an initiative to enable 50 of the world #39;s population with Internet connectivity and computing capabilities by 2015.

AMD Aims Low-cost Personal Internet Communicator at Developing <b>...</b>


BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Oracle Corp is likely to win clearance  from the European Commission for its hostile \$7.7 billion  takeover of rival software firm PeopleSoft Inc., a source close  to the situation said on Friday.

EU Likely to Clear Oracle Deal-Source


Pitcher and Piano owner Wolverhampton  amp; Dudley says it is buying smaller rival Burtonwood for 119 million pounds after meeting forecasts with higher annual profits.

Wolves to devour Burtonwood


America #39;s space program owes an unexpected debt to Batman - as well as to Seabiscuit, the Hulk and dozens of other movie projects.

Here Comes the Sun


College students around the country start groups to teach their peers about copyright law and how Hollywood and record companies abuse it. To fight vacant stares, they frame the issue like this: Save the iPod. By Katie Dean.

Students Fight Copyright Hoarders


Crude oil futures stayed within range of the \$55 milestone Friday, a day after a decline in the US inventory of heating oil roiled a market already on edge over tight supplies, high demand and unrest among key producers.

Update 7: Crude Oil Hugs Milestone \$55 Mark


England will have a semi-final place in their sights when they face Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy.

Stakes high for England


Reuters - Britain is ready to listen to kidnappers\holding a British hostage in Iraq but is not prepared to\negotiate with them or pay them a ransom, Foreign Secretary\Jack Straw said on Thursday.

UK Will Listen, Not Negotiate, with Iraq Kidnappers (Reuters)


LONDON, Aug. 21. - England beat the West Indies by 10 wickets on the third day of the fourth and final Test at the Oval, here today giving them a 4-0 sweep.

Clean sweep by England


The Chicago Cubs' 24-hour visit to Miami included a brief stay atop the N.L. wild-card race. Then they lost their lead because they couldn't beat David Weathers.

Cubs Get Doubleheader Split in Miami


On the heels of a new Netscape preview release and the launch of Firefox 1.0, a UK company has released a web browser it claims is more secure than Internet Explorer (IE) or Firefox.

Deepnet browser guards against phishing


Like millions of computer users, Bob Davis found out the hard way that Microsoft #39;s Internet Explorer has security flaws.  quot;My computer was taken over with viruses and spyware and so, unfortunately, I had to reformat my entire hard drive, quot; Davis said.

More Internet Users Surfing Away From Microsoft #39;s Explorer


AP - Vijay Singh is making it look easy by winning tournament after tournament, and millions upon millions of dollars, while chasing Tiger Woods' single-season money record. Singh's ability to turn bad lies into good shots helped him to an even-par 72 that kept him in the 84 Lumber Classic lead Saturday.

Singh Maintains Lead at 84 Lumber Classic (AP)


Microsoft Corp., world #39;s largest software maker, published numerous patches to fix 21 flaws in its software applications yesterday.

Microsoft issues security patches to fix 21 flaws


AFP - LG Philips LCD is to invest five billion dollars in new facilities to produce next-generation flat panel displays in order to strengthen its global market leadership.

LG Philips LCD announces five-billion dollar investment despite output glut (AFP)


Reuters - 3M Co.  on Monday said\third-quarter earnings rose 17 percent due in part to the weak\dollar, but the diversified manufacturer's results came in\below Wall Street's estimates for the first time in at least\seven quarters.

3M Posts Higher Profit, Misses Estimates (Reuters)


Hollinger International Inc., publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times, said a committee of its board investigating allegations of wrongdoing against former Chief Executive Conrad Black filed a report with a court in Chicago.

Hollinger Committee Files Report on Black, Directors (Update1)


President George W. Bush picked Carlos Gutierrez, who rose from being a political refugee from Cuba to chairman and chief executive of Kellogg Co.

Bush Picks Kellogg #39;s Gutierrez as US Commerce Chief (Update1)


The US Fish and Wildlife Service has delayed the adoption of a plan designed to protect Florida panthers from encroaching development.

Fish and Wildlife Service delays panther protection plan


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - President Bush told supporters Tuesday in the conservative heart of Colorado that John Kerry cannot pay for the domestic programs he is proposing unless taxes are raised on the middle class...

Bush: Kerry's Plans Would Require Tax Hike


Harvard, one of three undefeated 1-AA football teams in the country, and Princeton, whose only loss was to 18th-ranked Colgate by 3 points, meet in a pivotal Ivy League game Saturday. Harvard and Princeton are 2-0 and tied for first with defending league champion Penn, which plays at Yale.

Unbeaten Harvard faces test vs. Princeton


Reuters - Mylan Laboratories Inc.'s  board\on Monday rebuffed financier Carl Icahn's bid to buy the\company, and said it remains committed to its  #36;3.37 billion\purchase of brand-name drug-maker King Pharmaceuticals Inc.\.

Mylan Labs Board Rebuffs Icahn Pitch (Reuters)


TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average rose 0.73 percent  at the opening on Thursday as investors bought exporters such  as Canon Inc. after a fall in oil prices boosted confidence  over the U.S. economy and lifted Wall Street stocks.

Nikkei Opens Higher on Economic Optimism


AP - Yasser Arafat's latest health crisis  #151; a severe flu, gallstones, a battery of cancer tests  #151; has exposed how unprepared the Palestinians are for their leader's death, making a chaotic transition period all but inevitable.

Arafat's Health Crisis Prompts Questions (AP)


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

Wal-Mart to Increase Space by 8 Percent


WASHINGTON -- With an eye on peer-to-peer networks, the US House Judiciary Committee approved legislation Wednesday criminalizing some acts of copyright infringement.

House Panel Gets Tough on Spyware, P2P Piracy


SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Although it was more competitive than most of their other trips to the West Coast in recent years, the result was the same.

Bulls play hard, lose


Hurricane Frances has lost some of its bluster, but not enough to bring solution providers back to work. Calls were not answered at about a dozen Miami-area solution providers Friday, who no doubt were home bracing for the storm.

Florida VARs, Distributors Close Shop


President Bush defended the US decision to invade Iraq in a United Nations General Assembly address Tuesday in which he also urged the world community to fight terrorism and promote democracy.

Bush Defends US Policy on Iraq, Promotes Democracy in UN Speech


Richard Rohmer, a friend of Conrad Black and director of Black #39;s holding company, Hollinger Inc., may resign from the board as early as next week because he #39;s tired of dealing with complex

Hollinger Inc. Director Rohmer May Leave Board, Post Reports


Reuters - Villagers returning to their\homes in Sudan's Darfur region are living in fear of the Arab\militiamen who initially drove them away, the United Nations\said in a report received by Reuters Monday.

Darfur Displaced Return to 'Live in Fear' of Militia (Reuters)


Ziff Davis - Opinion: With security holes to the left of us and program incompatibilities to the right, SP2 is giving corporate IT departments more reasons than ever to consider a move to Linux desktops.

XP SP2 Gives Reasons to Switch to Linux (Ziff Davis)


BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) - Argentina's leftist  president called IMF head Rodrigo Rato an old-style

Argentina Leader Calls IMF Head 'Plantation Owner'


The search engine that revolutionised how people use the Internet has teamed up with some of the world #39;s greatest libraries to put their books in your living room.

Google turns over new leaf


AP - A bomb exploded in a movie theater in northwestern Pakistan early Wednesday, killing two people and injuring 29 others, police said.

Pakistan Movie Theater Explosion Kills 2 (AP)


AFP - The Khartoum government and rebels pledged to sign a final accord ending a two-decade war in southern Sudan by the end of the year, as the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution pushing for peace in the war-ravaged country.

UN adopts resolution on Sudan, slammed by aid agencies as 'weak' (AFP)


Brian McBride and 20-year-old Eddie Johnson strike for goals on Saturday night to secure the U.S. national team a hard-fought, 2-0 win over host El Salvador.

Lineup Shifts Pay Off


MOSUL, Iraq : US and Iraqi forces backed by aircraft swept into the northern Iraqi city of Mosul to secure police stations and restore order as insurgents in Fallujah fought US-led troops to the death.

US forces launch assault on Iraqi rebels in Mosul


BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's interim government, preparing  for an election next month while fighting a bloody insurgency,  asked some of Saddam's Hussein's disbanded army to come back to  work on Wednesday.

Iraq Asks Some of Saddam's Soldiers to Return to Work


New Delhi: India made it clear late on Wednesday that if Pakistan thought that Hurriyat Conference was the only set of people who express the wishes of people of Kashmir then it is  #39;on a wrong tree #39;.

Hurriyat is not the only face of Kashmiris


International Business Machines Corp., the world #39;s largest seller of computers and related services, said it agreed to settle part of a lawsuit that claimed the company #39;s pension plan discriminated against older workers.

IBM Agrees to Settle Part of Illinois Pension Lawsuit (Update1)


Despite a 2 increase in IT employment early in the year, IT job growth for the rest of 2004 is expected to be slow, according to the Information Technology Association of America.

ITAA: IT job growth to slow for rest of 2004


29 people have been found dead after a methane gas explosion in a coal mine in Henan, central China. According to the New Chinese News Agency, the explosion occurred in the city of Lushan at Xingsheng Coal mine on Wednesday (November 10).

29 Die in Mine Accident in China


Toyota Motor Corp., the world #39;s second- largest carmaker, had an unexpected drop in quarterly profit as earnings at its truck making unit fell and a stronger yen cut the value of its overseas sales.

Toyota #39;s 2nd-Qtr Profit Shrinks on Yen, Units #39; Slump (Update5)


Apple added to its 64-bit Power Mac G5 line a 1.8GHz single processor Power Mac G5 desktop priced at just \$1,499, making the entry price even more affordable. Oct 19

New 1.8GHz Model Added to Power Mac G5 Line


Moving a step closer to its goal of storage on demand, IBM Corp. today announced updates to its TotalStorage Open Software product line with the intention

SNW  #39;04: Eyeing on-demand storage, IBM refreshes software


Stephon Marbury had 22 points and nine assists to help the New York Knicks end a three-game losing streak with an 86-79 victory over New Orleans on Wednesday night, dropping the Hornets to 0-9 at home.

Knicks swat Hornets 86-79


Reuters - Business software maker Siebel\Systems Inc.  on Monday said third-quarter revenue\would beat Wall Street estimates, driven by a rebound in\licensing revenue, sending its shares up almost 16 percent.

Siebel Raises Forecast, Stock Up 16 Pct. (Reuters)


Toronto-Dominion Bank, Canada #39;s second-largest bank by assets, agreed Thursday to buy a 51 percent stake in Banknorth Group for \$3.

Canada rival to control Banknorth


Fans of sailing can watch one competitor in the Vendee Globe challenge from the convenience of their mobile.

Yacht race sails onto mobiles


When Tony Cecchini decided to buy a house in South Fayette Township, Allegheny County, he selected an adjustable-rate mortgage with an interest-only payment for the first five years.

More buyers choosing ingterest-only loans


Creative Technology will today begin shipping its anticipated Zen Portable Media Center in the US, with a UK roll-out in the middle of the month.

MS Portable Media Centers to ship mid-Sept


In the first three games of this season, the Redskins have been unable to gain vital yards on the ground at the most crucial junctures, particularly in goal line situations.

Running Into Trouble


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bankrupt US Airways Group. Inc.  <A HREF=

US Air to Cut Some Management Jobs


The Yankees have batted around 30 times this season. The crowd of 41,932 put the Angels over the 3 million mark in attendance for the second year in a row -- and just the second time ever.

AL Notables


The nascent petroleum division of natural gas giant Gazprom will bid for the crown jewels of the battered Yukos oil empire, its chief said yesterday -- a move that could put the heart of the company jailed billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky created in Kremlin-friendly hands.

Russia's Gazprom to bid for Yukos unit


NEW YORK -- Martha Stewart must report to prison by Oct. 8, a federal judge ruled Tuesday in granting the celebrity homemaker #39;s request to begin serving her sentence for lying about a stock sale.

Stewart to start serving prison time by Oct. 8


Austin, TX (Sports Network) - Cedric Benson rushed for 140 yards and five touchdowns, as the sixth-ranked Texas Longhorns rallied from a 28-point deficit to erupt for a 56-35 victory over 19th-ranked Oklahoma State.

NCAA Game Summary - Oklahoma State at Texas


Suit professional fraudster, n/s, gsoh

419er seeks flatshare with <cite>Reg</cite> reader


Iran is unlikely to accept European incentives to get it to suspend uranium enrichment, diplomats said yesterday, raising the prospect of a showdown next month between Tehran and the UN nuclear-watchdog agency.

Diplomats: Iran likely to reject incentives


THE United States helped negotiate the protocol under former President Bill Clintons administration. But President George W. Bush ditched the agreement shortly after coming

Washington rejects protocol for industry


When professional athletes start slugging fans, severe penalties pretty much are a no-brainer. So few tears will be shed for the nine basketball players suspended - at the cost of millions in salary -fter

From road rage to fan rage, civility takes a beating


AP - The U.N. nuclear watchdog is investigating a secret nuclear fuel experiment that South Korean scientists conducted four years ago, the country's science agency said Thursday.

Watchdog Probes S. Korean Nuke Experiment (AP)


China confirms reports that the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found in its pig population.

China confirms bird flu in pigs


PAULA RADCLIFFES husband and coach Gary Lough always believed she would bounce back in style from her Olympic nightmare. Radcliffe, 30, pipped Kenyan Susan Chepkemei to win the New York

I had faith in Paula


MOSS BLUFF, Texas - A second explosion in less than 24 hours rocked a burning underground gas storage facility early Friday, prompting authorities to expand an evacuation zone around the site.    The fire at Duke Energy's Moss Bluff natural gas facility intensified overnight, an official said...

Second Explosion Rocks Texas Gas Facility


The United Nations is closely following the situation in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is reportedly ill, a UN spokesman said Thursday.

UN paying attention to Arafat #39;s health: spokesman


UPDATED: In a coordinated attack against spammers, some of the country #39;s largest ISPs have filed new lawsuits against businesses and individuals that allegedly deluged users with unwanted and offensive e-mails.

ISPs Band Together Against Spam


Oil prices rebounded quickly from a brief fall late last week as fierce fighting in the Iraqi city of Najaf overshadowed Iraq #39;s resumption of full exports following a two-week disruption.

Oil rebounds above \$47


Washington - US consumers #39; confidence skidded for a third consecutive month in October as they fretted over jobs, a Conference Board survey showed yesterday.

Consumer confidence at seven-month low in US


A team of American ocean researchers have claimed to have found the lost kingdom of Atlantis off the coast of Cyprus. According to The Telegraph, the researchers led by Robert Sarmast used the latest sonar

Lost kingdom of Atlantis found in Cyprus


Officials at the Mozilla Foundation are getting ready to release the final version of Thunderbird 1.0 next week, officials said Friday.

Mozilla Thunderbird Final Is Set


KHARTOUM, Sudan -- Sudanese troops set up roadblocks near the presidential palace and military headquarters in Khartoum after the government claimed to have uncovered a coup plot.

Sudanese troops search for coup plotters


Is Turkey ready to officially become part of Europe? The world will know the answer in another 10 years. A decade may sound a long time, but the ball is finally rolling on Turkey #39;s European Union membership after 40 years of wavering talks.

A European Turkey stands to be a guiding light for the Muslim <b>...</b>


The trials of seven Pitcairn Island men charged with almost 100 child sex abuse crimes have been delayed till tomorrow. Prosecution police and some court officials had arrived on the island only

Pitcairn sex trials delayed


Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has launched new efforts to widen his shaky coalition after a stinging setback in parliament that complicated his plan to withdraw from some occupied territory.

Sharon out to save Gaza pullout plan


Manchester Airport is the only one of the three major airports serving the Boston area that has increased its market share since 2001, according to a Boston Globe analysis of passenger data.

Taking flight in N.H.


ATHENS: The Australian Olympic women #39;s eight have been reprimanded for a breach of team protocol over an ugly war of words between crew members after one quit rowing three quarters of the way through the Olympic final.

Australian rowers reprimanded


AP - Chad Pennington agreed to a  #36;64 million, seven-year contract extension with the New York Jets on Wednesday that includes  #36;23 million in guaranteed money.

Jets QB Pennington Signs  #36;64M Extension (AP)


Sprint Corp.'s agreement to buy Nextel Communications Inc. , in a \$35 billion deal unveiled yesterday, will shake up the mobile phone market and create the third largest US wireless service provider.

Wireless deal will shake up market


SureType effectively converges a phone keypad and a QWERTY keyboard to fit elegantly within the size constraints of a traditional mobile phone form factor.

Breakthrough Keyboard Technology for Smaller Handsets


Salton Inc. , a maker of household appliances with brands such as Westinghouse and George Foreman, on Wednesday reported wider quarterly losses, hurt by hefty restructuring charges.

Salton Loss Widens, Hurt by Charges


Honda Motor Co., Japans third-biggest car maker, reported a 9.2 percent rise in quarterly operating profit thanks to improved domestic and Asian sales and raised its full-year forecast by 7 percent.

Honda raises forecast on strong demand


Shares of Varsity Group Inc., the online bookseller that rose to prominence during the e-commerce boom only to stumble badly, will return to trading on the Nasdaq National Market this morning.

Retooled Varsity Group Set to Return to Nasdaq


College basketball: MEN -- Boston University at Harvard, 7 p.m.; Wesleyan at Emmanuel, 7 p.m.; Emerson at Babson, 7 p.m.; Plymouth St. at Tufts, 7 p.m.; Newbury at Salem St., 7 p.m.; Merrimack at Bentley, 7:30 p.m.; Curry at Eastern Nazarene, 8 p.m.; Clark at Brandeis, 8 p.m.; Endicott at Gordon, 8 p.m.; WOMEN -- Becker at Emerson, 6 p.m.; ...

Today's schedule


Have you seen gas prices? Purists can wait for hydrogen. The market can't. By James Surowiecki from Wired magazine.

Why Hybrids Are Hot


SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Baseball star slugger Barry Bonds told a grand jury that he used a clear substance and cream from a firm embroiled in a doping scandal, but never thought they were steroids, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Baseball legend Bonds testifies using BALCO substances: report


Several companies will be making product announcements at this week's Computer Security Institute (CSI) show in Washington, but the show opens on an eye-opening note with a new study indicating network attacks are on the increase.

Security stats sobering as CSI show opens


LYNNFIELD, Mass., Nov. 1 - NetSky-P and Zafi-B were the top two viruses in circulation in October, security company Sophos says in its monthly top-10 viruses and hoaxes lists.

NetSky variant tops virus list again


AP - Researchers studying DNA from 500-year-old bone slivers said Friday that preliminary data suggests Christopher Columbus might be buried in Spain, rather than in a rival tomb in the Dominican Republic  #151; but for now they cannot be sure.

Data: Columbus Might Be Buried in Spain (AP)


AP - Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle hugged President Bush from one end of South Dakota to the other this summer  #151; in his own campaign commercials.

Kerry Ties Hurt Some Democratic Senators (AP)


Mocked as the First Lady of Paris, not Palestine, Suha Arafat is the spoiled socialite who swapped the West Bank of the Jordan for the Right Bank of the Seine.

Outburst hints at battle over Arafat  #39;inheritance #39;


An Israeli child was killed by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants on Wednesday, an Israeli rescue service said.

Rocket Attack Kills Israeli Child


Financial Secretary Henry Tang said Monday that Hong Kong #39;s extended streak of deflation is officially over after 68 months.  quot;According to the trend of the consumer price index of the past few months, I believe

Hong Kong Official: Deflation Run Is Over


A rose by any other name may smell as sweet. But when it comes to accurately counting the flowers in that bouquet, the numbers #39; names matter.

Math concepts may be limited by language


goosman writes  quot;The ARRL is reporting that the FCC has approved revised Part 15 (unlicensed services) rules to specifically regulate the deployment of broadband over power line (BPL) technology.

FCC Approves BPL Despite Interference Concerns


Bernstein: UN peacekeepers are now collaborating with the Haitian police and death squads, in a bloody purge of thousands of pro-democracy supporters of President Jean Bertrand Aristide.

Tearing up the UN Charter


Internet-based holiday company Ebookers confirms it is in talks over a possible sale, sending its shares 22 higher.

Ebookers admits possible sell-off


British Sky Broadcasting has strengthened its grip on live television coverage of sport with a deal giving Sky Sports exclusive rights to the live broadcast of all home international and domestic cricket in England and Wales.

Sky nets four-year deal to air live cricket


LONDON : Europe #39;s efforts to catch up to and then outpace the US economy have been  quot;a big failure, quot; the outgoing head of the European Union executive commission, Romano Prodi, told the Financial Times in an interview.

EU bid to catch US economy  #39;a big failure #39;: Prodi


KUNSAN, South Korea -- The clerk in the police station gives a quizzical look to the young woman in the short green sundress. She has Korean features, but something about her manner and the sweep of her ponytail is distinctly American.

South Korean adoptees encounter hurdles in search for roots


Reuters - New tremors detected overnight at Mount\St. Helens increased the likelihood that the Washington state\volcano would erupt again, scientists tracking renewed\earthquake activity at the mountain said on Sunday.

New Tremors Detected at Mount St. Helens Volcano (Reuters)


Microsoft has turned to a Swiss telecommunication operator for the first commercial trial of its system that delivers television signals to consumers over a broadband telecommunications network, it announced this week.

Microsoft Tests Broadband TV


SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR - Rival inmates fought each other with knives and sticks Wednesday at a San Salvador jail, leaving at least 31 inmates dead and two dozen injured, officials said.

31 inmates die, dozens wounded at overcrowded Salvadoran facility


CALGARY, Alberta - A fossilized jaw found in an Alberta gravel pit may have cleared up a mystery for researchers wondering how brown bears originally made it across North America.

Fossil Indicates Brown Bears Went South


Google has won a trade mark dispute, with a District Court judge finding that the search engines sale of sponsored search terms Geico and Geico Direct did not breach car insurance firm GEICOs rights in the trade marked terms.

Google wins AdWords trade mark case


Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani said Saturday that Iran has achieved an  amp;quoteffective deterrent power quot; to confront its enemies in the region, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Iran says it has achieved effective deterrent power


Mobility and scallops marinated in truffle oil, anyone? Fine dining will be the reward for...

A taste of mobile blah blah


Banish underwear from your gift-giving list this year! Your smarty-pants friends and relatives aren't as hard to buy for as you might think. The web is full of brain-gratifying gift ideas. By Kristen Philipkoski.

Science Geek Gifts for All


HUNTINGDON VALLEY, Pa. (Dow Jones/AP) -- Toll Brothers Inc. Wednesday said profit for its latest quarter surged 56 percent as demand for new luxury homes remained strong.

Toll Brothers #39; profit soars 56


Reuters - New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark sidestepped differences with India over nuclear disarmament on Wednesday and sought to boost business ties between the two countries during a visit to New Delhi.

New Zealand ignores nuke differences to woo India (Reuters)


eWeek: Security partnerships and technology advances are making it increasingly safer to keep corporate data up in the air. To better fight the threat of wireless network subterfuge, Cisco Systems Inc.

Cisco, Symbol Keep Wireless Data Safe


Hewlett-Packard yesterday announced it was quitting the microprocessor making business by severing its 10-year partnership with Intel to develop Itanium chips for server computers.

HP quits chipmaking alliance with Intel


NEW YORK (Dow Jones/AP) -- Video-game maker Atari Inc. said Monday it named James Caparro president and chief executive officer, effective immediately.

Atari names James Caparro president, CEO


AP - Oracle Corp. announced Monday that it has signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire PeopleSoft Inc. for approximately  #36;10.3 billion.

Oracle Signs Merger Deal With PeopleSoft (AP)


Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - The Oakland Athletics have acquired infielder Keith Ginter from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for pitcher Justin Lehr and outfielder Nelson Cruz.

Athletics acquire Ginter from Brewers


AP - No Diana Taurasi, no Alana Beard. Nicole Ohlde is gone and so is Nicole Powell. Lindsay Whalen and Kelly Mazzante? They've moved on, too. A class that might have been the best in women's basketball is no longer around. It's time for some new stars to emerge.

Women's Preview: Time for Some New Stars (AP)


The Internet is pretty scary these days. I wish I could say that it was always a treat, but more often than not, you encounter plenty of tricks while surfing the Web.

AOL #39;s Viral Marketing


The deals with a university medical center and a California health care provider come two weeks after a win with the Mayo Clinic.

IBM chalks up two health care wins


LONDON (Reuters) - Fraudsters have developed a potent new  computer program that steals Internet banking customers'  details by duping them into opening up a bogus e-mail, a  British security firm said Wednesday.

Net Banking Fraudsters Step Up the 'Phishing' Scam


Oil prices raced to new record highs above \$50 on Tuesday as rebel threats against Nigerian oil facilities threatened to inflict further strain on global supplies.

Oil Charges Over \$50 on Nigeria Threat


The secretary of defense signaled he favors a slower, more cautious approach to revamping U.S. intelligence than the Sept. 11 commission does.

Rumsfeld Warns Against Fixing Intelligence in 'Single Stroke'


AP - Notre Dame has contacted Utah coach Urban Meyer about its coaching vacancy and was to meet with him Thursday, The New York Times reported.

Report: Notre Dame Contacts Meyer (AP)


ALL four living former US presidents have agreed to become honorary directors of the project for a permanent memorial to the victims of the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Centre.

Presidents line up for 9/11 victims


Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who heads for disputed Kashmir this week, said on Sunday his visit was aimed at putting an end to years of violence in the troubled Himalayan region.

Indian PM Seeks to End Violence in Kashmir


SIPTU has said it is strongly opposed to any privatisation of Aer Lingus as pressure mounts on the Government to make a decision on the future funding of the airline.

SIPTU opposed to Aer Lingus privatisation