Scientists have solved the mystery of a global hum which has plagued them since it was discovered in 1998. The constant drone at low frequencies, well below the range of human hearing, shows up in seismic

Scientists rumble Earth #39;s hum


Federal agents have initiated a two-pronged attack against online crime by arresting dozens for alleged cyberfraud and raiding a file-sharing network that allowed users to download copyrighted movies and music for free.

Federal online gangbusters arrest dozens


Andre Agassi still has a few appointments left on the tour that he wants to keep. One is with Jim McIngvale, the Texas furniture businessman who last year seemed to think that the \$27m he had invested in the

Agassi strings Belarussian big-server along


Internet portal Yahoo Inc. said Tuesday that it agreed to buy Web-based digital music and software provider Musicmatch Inc. for \$160 million in cash, in a deal which will supplement the offerings of Launch, Yahoo #39;s digital music site.

Yahoo to Buy Musicmatch for \$160M in Cash


AP - Curt Schilling might not be able to make a second start in the World Series because the unprecedented surgical procedure to stitch together his injured right ankle might be too damaging to keep repeating.

AP: Game 2 May Be Schilling's Only Start (AP)


quot;A-list quot; IT suppliers Oracle Corp, EMC Corp, Dell Corp, and Intel Corp have banded together to forge an alliance to develop the grid computing systems of tomorrow.

IT heavyweights line up on MegaGrid


A Nato-chartered Ukrainian cargo plane is detained in Brussels after a court ruling in a financial dispute.

Belgium impounds Ukraine plane


AFP - Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade and the head of the African Union Commission, Alpha Oumar Konare, arrived in the Nigerian capital for talks on the recent violence in Ivory Coast, according to airport officials.

Senegal's Wade, AU's Konare in Abuja for talks on Ivory Coast crisis (AFP)


Indianapolis, Oct. 27 - A mere four days from Halloween, you can #39;t beat the sight of a full moon lighting up the night sky. Nothing except a full moon bathed in orange, almost like a pumpkin.

Eclipse will bring a Halloween glow to the moon


NDS, STMicroelectronics and Thomson announced on Friday that they will begin implementing new anti piracy technology to weed out video piracy.

Companies move to anti piracy chips


Middle East News, Israeli occupation troops have demolished homes and detained several Palestinians in the al-Askar refugee camp in Nablus on the West Bank.

Middle East ; Israel bombs Nablus homes


New York's attorney general is attacking the insurance business -- and a high-profile CEO

Spitzer Strikes Again


After being introduced as the new manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Wally Backman, left, is handed his game jersey by Arizona general manager Joe Garagiola Jr.

Diamondbacks Hire Backman As New Manager


Almost a third of the world #39;s frogs, toads, salamanders and other amphibians are threatened with extinction within 100 years, according to a study.

Third of world #39;s amphibians  #39;on edge of extinction #39;


SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Michael Jackson's defense lawyers aim to find out whether authorities violated his attorney-client privilege when they broke into the office of a private investigator hired by the pop star...

Jackson Lawyers Call Accuser's Stepfather


Pirates reliever Salomon Torres' wild pitch scores the go-ahead run for the Cubs in the 10th inning as Chicago defeats Pittsburgh, 5-4, on Tuesday.

Cubs Stay Hot


The Supreme Court heard initial arguments Tuesday regarding state laws in Michigan and New York that ban interstate sales of wines through the Internet.

Supreme Court hears initial arguments regarding state bans on <b>...</b>


UNITED NATIONS -- UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said yesterday that Sudan's government has not stopped attacks on  quot;terrorized and traumatized quot; civilians in its Darfur region and urged the speedy deployment of an expanded international peacekeeping force.

Annan says Sudan hasn't halted attacks on civilians in Darfur


Prime Minister Zapatero testifies Monday before the commission examining the March 11 terror attacks.

Spanish leader makes bid to reshape the war on terror


The New England Patriots stop a late Seattle comeback to beat the Seahawks, 30-20, on Sunday, running their streak to 20 wins.

Patriots Win 20th Straight


WASHINGTON _ Forget the polls, the football verdict is in and it goes to John Kerry. In every presidential election since 1936, the Washington Redskins #39; last home game before the election has accurately predicted the winner.

Gridiron prediction: Kerry


A Russian spacecraft ferrying a fresh crew to the international space station had to be docked manually Saturday after an unexplained glitch sent it toward the outpost too quickly.

Soyuz Spacecraft Docks With International Space Station


ATHENS, Greece - World gymnastics officials asked Paul Hamm to give up his gold medal as the ultimate show of sportsmanship, but the U.S. Olympic Committee told them to take responsibility for their own mistakes and refused even to deliver the request...

Paul Hamm Asked to Give Up Gold Medal


BAGHDAD - Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadrs movement will not participate in the national Iraqi elections due on January 30, Sadrs senior assistant asserted on Friday.

Shia leader Sadrs movement insists on Iraq election boycott


AP - All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki had to be helped to the Dallas locker room after twisting his left ankle Sunday night against the Denver Nuggets.

Nowitzki Injures Ankle Against Nuggets (AP)


King Norodom Sihamoni, right, prays to Buddhist monks after the bathing ceremony at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh Friday, Oct. 29, 2004.

Cambodia Crowns Former Dancer New King


World oil prices held firm on Friday after pipeline sabotage in northern Iraq kept up supply fears that have revived a powerful price rally.

Oil Holds Firm as Dealers Digest Iraq


The Motion Picture Association of America will begin suing online file traders this month, pursuing a strategy similar to one employed by the recording industry during the past year.

MPAA to Sue Movie File Swappers


The research firm says the new CEO, PeopleSoft founder Dave Duffield, could rally the forces. By Laurie Sullivan. There #39;s plenty of speculation about PeopleSoft Inc.

Yankee Group Weighs In On Conway Firing


GONAIVES, Haiti - Bodies lay in growing piles outside morgues as U.N. peacekeepers planned the first major distribution of food and water Wednesday in this city devastated by floods that have torn apart families and left hungry crowds that have mobbed truckloads of aid...

U.N. to Deliver Aid to Haiti After Floods


What if baseball had a steroid scandal and nobody cared?  quot;In all honesty, that's an issue, quot; said Gary Roberts, an expert in sports law at Tulane.  quot;For all we know, the American public may not give a damn. They may be happy if all their gladiators were stoked up on steroids and hitting 500 home runs.

A harsh injection of reality


In an attempt to retain its free e-mail account users and keep its competitors, Google and Microsoft on their feet Yahoo will be increasing the storage size for free e-mail accounts to 250 MB.

Yahoo! Storage Now 250 MB


Reuters - The Japanese government downgraded its\view on the economy slightly on Tuesday, citing weaker exports\and output, but it said a recovery was continuing due to steady\domestic demand, in terms of both personal consumption and\capital spending.

Japan Less Rosy on Economy (Reuters)


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

Technology ; Mozilla #39;s Firefox renews browser war


The Slap. That is what most of New England will gleefully remember about Alex Rodriguez now that the Boston Red Sox have shocked the Yankees.

Boston Responds to Rodriguez's Slap With Knockout Punch of Its Own


_ For the first time since 1975, a US passenger jet is flying from the US directly to Vietnam. The United Air Lines flight with 347 aboard took off from San Francisco today and is scheduled

First direct flight from US to Vietnam since 1975 is on its way


Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - DART: the name conjures up images of a fast-response, highly mobile team that can fly into a disaster zone, turn on a dime and deal with whatever catastrophe looms.

Canada's disaster response team little used, criticized as 'paper tiger.' (Canadian Press)


AFP - Finance ministers and central bank chiefs from the world's 20 most powerful nations were gathering for a weekend G20 summit in which exchange rates are expected to figure prominently.

G20 meets amid record-high euro and weak dollar (AFP)


Taking a break from fiery sermons, Malaysias fundamentalist Islamic opposition group enlisted rock singers to loosen up its image.

Rock to the rescue of Malaysia


Reuters - New York Yankees closer Mariano\Rivera is reportedly dealing with a personal issue that could\affect his availability early in the American League\Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox, which begins\Tuesday in the Bronx.

Yankees Could Be Without Rivera Early in ALCS (Reuters)


The Western Warriors are in a good position after day 1 against Pakistan at the WACA. The Warriors are 1/20 at stumps, 242 runs behind Pakistans first innings total.

Pakistan recovers after shaky start.


Reuters - Geologists unveiled\a fossil discovery on Tuesday they believe will help resolve a\long-standing mystery over whether dinosaurs ever roamed to\what is now Canada's Pacific coast.

Canadian Geologists Make Key Dinosaur Discovery (Reuters)


AP - Astronauts spend years training before they can lift off into space. They learn to operate shuttles, perform experiments in zero-gravity, and eat bugs if they must.

Astronauts Practice Survival Skills (AP)


Despite a strong profit outlook from Ford Motor Co., shares of automotive stocks moved mostly lower Friday on concerns sales for the industry might not be as strong as previously expected.

Auto Stocks Fall Despite Ford Outlook


British boxer Amir Khan outpoints European champion Dimitar Stilianov in style.

Khan crushes Stilianov


Vladimir Guerrero homered twice, and Troy Glaus and Jose Guillen also hit home runs as the Angels moved within a game of the first place Oakland Athletics in the West with a 9-5 victory over the Texas Rangers last night in Anaheim, Calif.

Angels narrow the gap


Hewlett-Packard Co. will no longer sell computer workstations using the Intel Itanium chip, which the two giant tech companies worked together to design.

HP dropping workstations with Intel chip


The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia #39;s index of regional manufacturing fell to 13.4 this month from 28.5 in August. The reading is lower than the median forecast of 25 in a Bloomberg News survey of 56 economists.

Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index Falls to 13.4 in September


The world #39;s largest chipmaker, which has had product delays, manufacturing snafus and canceled the 4-GHz version of Pentium 4, has now axed its plans to build chips for big-screen, high-definition TV sets.

Intel drops plans for LCOS chip


AFP - Eighty years ago the Artouste train in the French Pyrenees transported workers and materiel to build a dam at 2000 meters (6500 feet) altitude, but today it ferries tourists for a sometimes hair-raising ride along one of Europe's highest rail lines.

'All Aboard' France's Artouste Express, France's highest-altitude train (AFP)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Defending U.S. Open champion Andy  Roddick has qualified for the end-of-season Tennis Masters Cup,  tournament organizers announced on Tuesday.

Roddick Qualifies for Masters Cup


IBM on Thursday said it has joined the Liberty Alliance, indicating that industry support is shifting toward the identity-management group #39;s standard for using a single ID and password to access Web services across organizations.

IBM Gets Behind Federated-Identity Standard


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury yields touched their  lowest levels in over a month on Wednesday, driven by largely  technical factors in an illiquid year-end market.

Treasuries Rally, Yields Hit 6-Week Lows


For almost six months, he was just harmless, never-say-bunt Tito. A player's boss in the tradition of Pete Carroll, Terry Francona told us he loved his guys and he took blame for anything they did wrong. He drove some fans crazy with game strategy and pitcher deployment (the usual stuff), but most of Red Sox Nation viewed him as a ...

There's little logic to Martinez decision


British Airways is in prime position for Europe #39;s most attractive potential airlines merger but analysts say strict ownership laws bar any speedy deal with Spain #39;s Iberia.

BA Reignites Iberia Takeover Talk with Qantas Cash


If I want to use the online banking services, I have to use IE. Why? No good reason I can fathom. Heaven knows IE isn #39;t more secure than Firefox (oh, were it so!

I Love Firefox But Can #39;t Escape Explorer


LONDON (Reuters) - WPP's <A HREF=

Acquisition of Grey Puts Focus on Havas


Microsoft Corp. plans to introduce several new consumer products on Oct. 12 at an event in Los Angeles. The announcements are expected to include an update to Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 and the first devices using Media Center Extender technology.

Microsoft to detail Media Center updates on Oct. 12


The bodies of two Turkish hostages have been found in the northern Iraqi town of Baiji. Qatar-based al-Jazeera satellite TV reported that the two Turkish captives had apparently been killed by gunfire.

Bodies of 2 Turkish hostages found


NEW YORK - CNN will shut down its CNNfn financial news network in mid-December after nine years on the air. Available to about 30 million US households, CNNfn could also be seen in Canada by viewers with grey market satellite dishes.

CNNfn going off the air


Nine Saturdays ago, the answer was Maria Sharapova, the 6-foot Siberian who made the opposition at Wimbledon seem like seven female dwarfs.

Pierce outshines Sharapova


AP - The boiling magma rumbling and rising within Mount St. Helens isn't the only thing scientists fear. When large volcanoes erupt they can unleash an awesome arsenal of natural weapons, devastating communities and landscapes even hundreds of miles from the blast.

Mount St. Helens Packs Natural Arsenal (AP)


Miguel Tejada homers twice and drives in five runs, rookie Daniel Cabrera throws six strong innings and the Orioles beat up on the Twins, 12-3, Saturday.

Tejada Rips Up Twins


After waiting three long years, Bill Hammons was eager to get the keys to his new hybrid Ford Escape. And it #39;s no exaggeration to say Ford Motor Co.

Escape Hybrid makes its debut


Turns out, Alex Rodriguez coming to the Yankees helped Derek Jeter in at least one very specific way. With Rodriguez having shifted to third base, and Cleveland #39;s Omar Vizquel having slipped

Yankees: Jeter wins first Golden Glove


MIAMI Virginia Tech can now proclaim itself the Atlantic Coast Conference #39;s best team _ and no one can argue. The 10th-ranked Hokies capped their inaugural ACC season with the league #39;s outright championship.

No. 10 Virginia Tech 16, No. 9 Miami 10


Thailand #39;s Queen Sirikit urged thecountry to unit to solve ongoing violence in the Muslim-dominated deep south. In a emotional plea for peace in the region, the Queen said theinnocent

Thailand #39;s queen urges unity in violence-plagued deep south


Report: News Corp. chief agrees to buy a Fifth Avenue penthouse apartment for a record price. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of media giant News Corp.

Murdoch #39;s \$44M New York pad?


Alexei Kovalev, Brad Richards and Nikolai Khabibulin became the latest NHL players to join a European team during the lockout, agreeing to play in Russia.

Kovalev, Richards and Khabibulin join Russian club


Screensaver offers to

Lycos Antispam Screensaver Draws Fire


Bombardier Inc. ousted Chief Executive Officer Paul Tellier after he failed to stem a decline in profit, shares and credit ratings during his two-year tenure.

Bombardier Board Ousts Chief Executive Paul Tellier (Update3)


The launch of the first Space Shuttle since the Columbia disaster has been delayed because of the impact of hurricane damage and the implementation of new safety measures.

NASA Forced To Delay Shuttle Launch


The record surge in the value of the Canadian dollar is going to test the Canadian economy, financial analysts here warned. The Canadian dollar, after briefly rose above 85 US

Rising Canadian dollars to test Canadian economy


(AP) - Online search engine leader Google is setting out make better sense of all the scholarly work stored on the Web. The company #39;s new service, unveiled late Wednesday at scholar

Google introduces new research tool


Microsoft will pay as much as \$500 million as a part of settlement of the antitrust lawsuit that may be filed by rival software maker Novell, the company said Monday, within an attempt to end its antitrust fight.

Microsoft to end antitrust issue


Police in Greece and Britain have broken up a software piracy ring and arrested two men who are accused of selling millions of dollars worth of pirated business software.

European Software Pirates Caught


Melbourne Cup betting was thrown into disarray with equal favourite She #39;s Archie battling to be fit for the race in a fortnight.

19/10/04 Cup Bets In Chaos As Archie Under Cloud


Here goes the Goal.com Serie A team of the week for the 10th round of matches. Toldo- Celebrated his return in the Inter starting line-up with a very impressive match.

Serie A Round 10: Best Eleven Of The Week


Once hunted by the thousands, the band-tailed pigeon is in decline. Mathew Tekulsky writes of the joy of seeing five or six of these big birds on his backyard feeder.

Birding Column: Enigma of the Band-Tailed Pigeon


Australian Prime Minister John Howard is sending bomb experts to Jakarta with Foreign Minister Alexander Downer Thursday night. That follows a powerful blast near the Australian

Howard sends envoy, bomb experts


Reuters - An Israeli tank opened fire on three\Egyptian troops Thursday on the sensitive border between the\two countries, mistaking them for Palestinian militants on the\way to carry out an attack, Israel Radio said.

Report: Israeli Tank Opens Fire on 3 Egyptian Troops (Reuters)


(Ramallah, West Bank-AP) Dec. 11, 2004 - Yasser Arafat #39;s nephew has given Palestinian leaders his uncle #39;s medical records.

Yasser Arafat #39;s nephew hands over Palestinian leader #39;s medical <b>...</b>


Reuters - U.S. claims for jobless benefits\jumped last week, while consumer spending was unexpectedly flat\in August as shoppers closed their wallets after splashing out\the previous month, the government said on Thursday.

US Jobless Claims Up, Consumption Flat (Reuters)


Much like Chuck Amato #39;s program at North Carolina State, Carter-Finley stadium is still a work in progress. Because of the renovation of the press box, facilities were not available

Lights, #39; Camera,  #39;Noles: Sunshine Focuses on FSU


Israel #39;s threats against Syria after the Beersheba suicide bombings would  quot;exacerbate the deteriorating situation in the region, quot; the Syrian foreign minister said yesterday.

Syria on offensive as Israel threatens to avenge bombings


Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard is confident his team #39;s spirit will be unaffected by their first league defeat of the season as they prepare for this weekend #39;s clash against arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Barca remain confident despite first league defeat


AP - In a newspaper opinion piece published Sunday, New Jersey's embattled governor says his decision not to leave office immediately because of a sex scandal was

In Op-Ed Piece, McGreevey Defends Choice (AP)


Dutch drug conglomerate Akzo Nobel NV is planning to set up a research laboratory in East Cambridge, joining a growing list of pharmaceutical firms that have established outposts to tap Greater Boston's biotechnology cluster.

Cambridge lands major drug maker


And this comes straight from the horses mouth! Software giant Microsoft has finally acknowledged Linux as its strongest competitor, much to the delight of Australias open source industry association (OSIA).

Yes, Linux Is Competition For Us, Admits Microsoft


Northwest Airlines did not violate its own privacy policy and did not mislead customers when it shared passenger records with the government, the Department of Transportation has ruled.
<FONT face=

Privacy Complaint Dismissed


Nextel Communications Inc. is seeking changes that according to some estimates could save Nextel as much as \$700 million.
<FONT face=

Nextel Wants Better FCC Deal


By altering a gene, scientists have produced

Modified Mice Stay Super-Fit -- Without Exercise


Shares of TiVo Inc. and Netflix Inc. rose Tuesday after a published report said the two Bay Area firms were set to join forces to rent downloadable movies over the Internet.

TiVo, Netflix may join forces


In about a year, a teacher who finds head lice on a child may be able to send her to the school clinic for a 30-second treatment of hair heating and drying - safely blowing those lice right out of her hair.

U. scientists create  #39;Louse Buster #39;


Running back Anthony Davis, who missed No. 20 Wisconsin #39;s last three games with an eye injury, has been cleared to play this weekend against Illinois.

Wisconsin running back Davis cleared to play


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc. <A HREF=

Goldman Sachs Quarterly Profit Up 23 Pct.


Mahmoud Abbas, the favourite to succeed Yasser Arafat as Palestinian leader, has called on his people to stop fighting Israel. Mr Abbas said Palestinians had a legitimate right  quot;to express their rejection of the occupation by popular and social means quot;.

Abbas calls for end to violence


Katzenberg is taking the animation unit public in a year that has seen box office success for the studio:  quot;Shrek 2 quot; has brought in \$876.

DreamWorks Animation Will Sell 29 Million Shares


A new government is named for Somalia but it remains too dangerous for them to be based in the capital.

New Somali cabinet named in exile


Britain #39;s Black Watch regiment, deployed to back up US forces outside Baghdad since the end of October, has returned to its base in Basra in southern Iraq, said a UK defense ministry spokesman.

Britain #39;s Black Watch Back in Basra, Will Leave Iraq This Month


AFP - The upbeat outlook from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has failed to convince many economists, who argue that the United States is likely to see tepid growth at best in the near future.

Rosy outlook from Greenspan fails to sway many economists (AFP)


Dell, the world #39;s largest seller of personal computers, recalled 4.4 million notebook computer power adapters because they may catch fire.

Dell recalls 4M laptop adapters for fire risk


More than 25,000 protesters marched through downtown Santiago on Friday, demonstrating against an economic summit of Pacific Rim leaders, the attendance of President Bush and the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Protests elsewhere turned violent and dozens were arrested.

Chile Police Clash With Summit Protesters


A Hindu cleric facing murder charges in southern India is sent to police custody for questioning.

Hindu seer sent to police custody


Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Yuriy Bilonog won the gold medal in the men #39;s shot put at Olympia, the home of the ancient Games, by virtue of his second-best effort after his last throw matched the leading mark set by US athlete Adam Nelson.

Bilonog Edges Nelson With Last Put as Shot Returns to Olympia


President Bush has turned his attention to domestic policy, seeking to leave historic stamps on the graduated tax code, the health care system and Social Security, all hallmarks of Democratic rule.

Domestic Issues on The Front Burner


AP - This hardly seemed possible when Pitt needed frantic rallies to overcome Division I-AA Furman or Big East cellar dweller Temple. Or when the Panthers could barely move the ball against Ohio  #151; not Ohio State, but Ohio U.

Pitt Emerges As Big East BCS Frontrunner (AP)


The great thing about football in America is that you never know when all hell is going to break loose. When two teams are going to detonate for 105 points, 1,202 yards of offense

Offense owns the night


Shares in India's largest power producer, National Thermal Power Corp, rise 13 on their stock market debut.

India power shares jump on debut


SEATTLE (AP) -- Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) said Thursday it has agreed to buy Joyo.com Ltd., China's largest online retailer of books, music and videos, for \$72 million...

Amazon.com to Acquire Joyo.com


PITTSBURGH, United States : France #39;s Brian Joubert won the men #39;s short programme at Skate America, the first stop in the ISU figure skating grand prix series.

Figure Skating: France #39;s Joubert leads Skate America after men #39;s <b>...</b>


Amateur stargazers who stayed up late into the early hours today were rewarded with fleeting glimpses of a total eclipse of the moon.

An Unearthly Ball of Rust in the Sky


Marks  amp; Spencer chief executive Stuart Rose yesterday took hands-on control of the underperforming retailer, announcing the departure of four main board directors and two other senior executives.

Rose wields the axe as M amp;S slide continues


US retail sales in November were up 0.1 per cent from the previous month, slightly higher than expected. Sales were 7.2 per cent up on the same month last year, according to advance estimates

US retail sales up 0.1 per cent in November


MOSCOW -- The Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, voted yesterday to overturn a ban on political party leaders becoming ministers, raising fears that Soviet-style one-party rule could make a comeback.

Narrow rule feared after Russia lifts leader limits


The new version of the personal finance program drops support for a widely used file format.

Customers bemoan changes in Quicken 2005


More than 700 hostages were rushed to hospitals, but many bodies lay in the charred wreckage of the school's gymnasium.

Captives Escape After Hours of Pitched Battles


AP - NATO and the Belgian government signed an agreement Wednesday to build new alliance headquarters adjacent to the current site, confirming Brussels as the home of the military bloc and underscoring improved relations between the host and the United States.

NATO, Belgium Sign Deal to Build New HQ (AP)


US Airways' pilots' union ratified a new labor contract Thursday that will cut their base pay by 18 percent and save the airline \$300 million a year.

US Airways Pilots' Union OKs Labor Deal


GENEVA : China called on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help small textile and clothing exporting countries that are threatened by the end of import quotas at the end of the year.

China calls on World Bank to help small cotton producers hit by <b>...</b>


The Notre Dame message boards are no longer discussing whether Tyrone Willingham should be fired. Theyre already arguing about whether the next coach should be Barry Alvarez or Steve Spurrier.

Willingham is already fired in fans #39; minds


The nation's top telecommunications regulator said yesterday he will push -- before the next president is inaugurated -- to protect fledgling Internet telephone services from getting taxed and heavily regulated by the 50 state governments.

FCC chief pushes to protect Net phone services


ATHENS, Greece - Michael Phelps doesn't mind making history while sitting in the stands. The man who dominated the attention at the Olympic pool gave up a coveted spot on the 400-meter medley relay team to Ian Crocker...

Phelps Gets Five Golds, Then Steps Aside


The University of California, Berkeley, has signed an agreement with the Samoan government to isolate, from a tree, the gene for a promising anti- Aids drug and to share any royalties from the sale of a gene-derived drug with the people of Samoa.

Aids and a Samoan tree


 By Jennifer Tan

 SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. said on Thursday itwill begin shipping a low-cost version of its Windows XPoperating system to three Asian countries and Russia byearly-2005, tapping developing markets as growth slowselsewhere.

Cut-Down Windows Eyes More Markets


NASA officials on Monday postponed for a day the launch of an unmanned experimental jet that would have attempted to shoot out across the Pacific Ocean at a record speed of more than 7,000 mph (11,265 kph) after an apparent glitch

NASA Postpones Launch of Super-Fast Jet to Tuesday


A pilot test of a program to expedite passenger screening and increase airline security has been successful enough to be worth continuing for the foreseeable future at five airports, Transportation Security Administration officials said.

Registered Traveler extended indefinitely


UK government officials said they were seeking to corroborate reports by Abu Dhabi television that British hostage Kenneth Bigley has been killed.

UK Seeking to Corroborate Reports of Hostage Bigley #39;s Death


Reuters - Since Microsoft won the browser wars in\the late 1990s, its Internet Explorer software has been the way\most people surf the Web. But with some slick new challengers\on the scene, that may be about to change.

Savvy Web Surfers Catch New Wave of Browsers (Reuters)


AFP - Prime Minister Tony Blair huddled with his cabinet after a reshuffle that reinforced his grip on the Labour Party, at least for the time being, ahead of an expected general election.

New cabinet fails to squelch power-struggle talk (AFP)


A few years ago, when MP3 players were establishing themselves as the hot cool thing, the next step seemed clear: What if you could take along not only music but movies, television programs, home video and still pictures in a high-tech box svelte enough

Is portable video ready for prime-time viewing?


MIAMI Nov 16, 2004 - The Internet auction house eBay Inc. reversed itself Tuesday and is allowing bids for half of a 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich that its owner says bears the image of the Virgin Mary.

Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese Back Up on EBay


Alaska Airlines plans to test a pay-to-eat plan on some flights in a move to cut costs.

Would You Pay for Airline Food?


Any lingering doubts as to whether rookie Julius Jones possesses the necessary toughness to be the Cowboys #39; carry-the-mail back now, and in years to come, were disposed of Monday night in Seattle.

Rookie has become  #39;the man #39;


Two economists argue that economic reporters slant the news unequivocally in favor of the Democrats.

Do Newspapers Make Good News Look Bad?


The European Commission was wrong to bar the takeover bid by US telecoms firm WorldCom for rival Sprint, a European Union court said on Tuesday, annulling the action taken four years ago.

EU Court Overturns Bar on Merger


(CP) - The NHL pulled the plug on hockey Wednesday, with an emotional Gary Bettman painting a bleak picture of a Grand Canyon-sized divide between owners and the Players #39; Association.

Game off, NHL votes to lock out players saying economics have to <b>...</b>


This week, the 62 stations controlled by the Sinclair Broadcasting Group plan to show a documentary about John Kerry's antiwar activities 30 years ago. The film could negatively affect both Mr. Kerry and Sinclair.

Risks Seen for TV Chain Showing Film About Kerry


com. Edgar Renteria, for nine years one of the Majors #39; best all-around and most underrated shortstops, has agreed with the Red Sox on a four-year contract.

Sox to ink Renteria to four-year pact


STRIKERS Ronaldinho and Ronaldo face each other for the first time in tonight #39;s eagerly anticipated league clash of Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Nou or never for samba stars


The University of Connecticut is still not sure what life will be like without Diana Taurasi, the two-time national player of the year who led the Huskies to three straight national championships. Taurasi, who was the No. 1 draft pick in the WNBA last spring (Phoenix Mercury), lost only eight games in her four-year career.

Time to step to the fore


Kolkata, Nov 14 (UNI) The Indian cricket team #39;s forthcoming campaign against South Africa suffered a major setback as its skipper Sourav Ganguly was slapped a two-Test ban for slow over-rates in the BCCI Platinum Jubilee day and night match against

Ganguly suspended for two Tests by ICC


David Garrard, in for injured quarterback Byron Leftwich, keeps the Jaguars steady improvement going with a 23-17 overtime win over the Lions on Sunday.

Garrard Subs Nicely


US stocks were set for a slightly lower open Thursday as disappointing results from coffee shop chain Starbucks and volatile oil prices may take the steam out of yesterday #39;s rally.

Stocks Seen Lower; Starbucks Weighs


TSV Holdings Ltd share offer closed oversubscribed and a week early following strong institutional and retail support. TSV Holdings raised \$6 million after offering 30 million shares at 20 cents each to investors

TSV Holdings IPO closes


Let the champagne flow. A Braves team that will forever be known for its resilient spirit captured its 13th consecutive division title in fitting fashion on Friday, with a dramatic comeback victory.

Braves rally, win division title


Forget about Hubie Brown, Jerry Sloan and Larry Brown Terry Porter should have been last season #39;s Coach of the Year if only for getting the most out of the least.

Porter deserved top coach honors last season


Liselotte Neumann wins her first LPGA Tour title in six years, holding off a late charge by Grace Park for a three-stroke victory at the LPGA Asahi Ryokuken International.

Neumann Hits Mark


Dr. Azahari and others suspected of terrorism have stayed a step ahead of the police for two years. So, why haven #39;t the police asked for the public #39;s help to apprehend them?

Lucrative prizes for the terrorists #39; head


A sudden flood surge on a river in China swept an overcrowded bus full of young students and farmers into a river, killing three people and leaving 41 missing, state media said on Sunday.

Bus swept into China river, 3 dead, 41 missing


AP - National security adviser Condoleezza Rice on Sunday defended her characterization of Saddam Hussein's nuclear capabilities in the months before the Iraq invasion, even as a published report said government experts had cast doubt at the time.

Rice Defends Comments on Iraq Nuke Threat (AP)


washingtonpost.com - Before me lies the patient, a Gateway computer running Windows 98. It is suffering from extremely clogged Internet arteries, unable to reach the Web. As one of The Washington Post's digital doctors, my task is to nurse the machine back to health so my colleague Kathleen Day can access her e-mail and file stories from home.

A Digital Doctor Treats Computer Contamination (washingtonpost.com)


JAKARTA, Oct 17 (AFP) - Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri will not attend the swearing in of her successor Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the country #39;s first directly-elected leader, a close aide said Sunday.

Indonesia #39;s Megawati will not attend swearing in of successor <b>...</b>


AP - Cambodia began three days of celebrations Thursday as its new king, former ballet dancer Norodom Sihamoni, prepared to take over the throne from his father, who was adored by his people for more than 60 years.

Coronation Begins for Cambodia's New King (AP)


Mark Hughes took over as manager of Blackburn Rovers on Friday but will still lead Wales in its next two World Cup qualifying games.

New Blackburn manager Hughes to stay on with Wales for two games


In some of the worst violence in recent weeks in Baghdad, insurgents launched attacks Friday against Iraqi security forces in the north and west of the capital, killing at least 30 people.

30 killed in pair of major attacks against mosque, police station <b>...</b>


Sales of existing homes edged down 0.1 percent in October, but low mortgage rates continued to contribute toward what might become a record year in home sales, a trade association report showed on Tuesday.

Home Resales Dipped Slightly Last Month


Some 80,000 computers at the Department for Work and Pensions went down during  #39;a routine software upgrade #39; of its Microsoft machines this week.

Microsoft upgrade knocks out 80,000 government PCs


TAMPA, Fla. (Sports Network) - Tampa Bay quarterback Brian  Griese will start next Monday's game against St Louis. Chris  Simms is doubtful with a sprained left shoulder.

Simms Doubtful; Griese to Start for Bucs


JAKARTA: Indonesian authorities on Thursday ordered a nationwide security crackdown after several foreign governments warned that terrorists were preparing to launch attacks against Western targets ahead of Christmas.

Indonesia orders security clampdown after terror attack warnings


Landover, MD (Sports Network) - Rudi Johnson rushed for 102 yards and a score, Carson Palmer threw a touchdown pass and the Cincinnati Bengals became the fourth straight team to win in Washington, beating the Redskins 17-10 at FedEx Field.

NFL Game Summary - Cincinnati at Washington


JUSTIN Langer sniffed the rarified air of cricket #39;s 20-century club, but it took Darren Lehmann #39;s 28 not out to give a nervous home city sweet dreams last night.

Langer exploits popgun attack


NEC's LT265 can connect to an 802.11g wireless network, but getting it set up can be tricky.

First Look: NEC's Slick Wi-Fi Projector


AFP - Florida's Governor Jeb Bush asked the US Supreme Court to intervene to keep a comatose woman alive, over the wishes of her husband, who wants to disconnect the feeding tube that has sustained her for 14 years.

Florida governor turns to US Supreme Court in euthanasia case (AFP)


FoTW Inability to follow a story by reason of anger, part 73

Australia blamed for bin Laden panto appearance


Mark Hughes has been warned that Blackburn are no longer the bottomless pit of cash that they were a decade ago - but the new Rovers manager will have some money to spend when the transfer window reopens in January.

More Blackburn Rovers Stories


Michael Ovitz, the former Hollywood powerbroker, yesterday said the first cracks appeared in his stormy relationship with Walt Disney chief and former boss Michael Eisner even before his appointment as president of the company was announced in 1995.

Ovitz  #39;fell out with Eisner from start #39;


The Cleveland Browns have confirmed this afternooon reports which have been on BerniesInsiders.com all day long. According to TV reports this morning, quickly relayed by Browns fans to the Tipline, the Browns and Cowboys have swapped wide receivers.

Browns Land WR Antonio Bryant


Andre Ward beats Magomed Aripgadjiev of Belarus for gold in the light heavyweight division.

Ward Wins Gold


But women have increased their representation in all the natural science professions, especially medical science, a study says.

Fewer women in computer jobs these days


Americans did not see a true presidential debate on September 30, 2004. What they saw was a carefully planned bipartisan press conference in which George W. Bush and John Kerry, acting through their corporate campaigns, agreed to appear and respond to questions. Third party candidates Michael Badnarik (Libertarian), David Cobb (Green), Ralph Nader (Independent), and Michael A. Peroutka (Constitution) were not invited to participate, despite having a mathematical possibility of obtaining enough electoral votes to secure the office of President of the United States.

Americans Denied a True Presidential Debate


Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, front right, listens to a musical group at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, late Sunday, Dec. 5, 2004.

DONZI MARINE Is hiring skilled workers now! We


Reuters - The early-morning\splash in the Bering Strait off the Russian coast should have\been bigger given the diplomatic wrangling that led up to it.

Arctic Science Mission Faces Cold War-Style Hurdles (Reuters)


AFP - European stock markets climbed in early trading, shaking off a mixed showing on Wall Street overnight in the wake of surging oil prices.

European stock markets higher in early deals (AFP)


Oracle Corp. finally scooped up rival PeopleSoft Inc. after 18 months of legal and verbal strife, ending a nasty feud with a \$10.3 billion deal that promises to shake up the business software industry.

Oracle finishes deal for PeopleSoft


INDIANAPOLIS - Australia set a world record in winning the 400-meter medley relay at the Short Course World Championships on Saturday night.

Australia sets world short course record in 400 medley relay


Mauritanian security forces foil a coup attempt, the third in 15 months, says the interior minister.

Mauritania thwarts 'coup plot'


Coca-Cola, suffering from weak sales in North America and other important markets, said yesterday that it would sharply scale back its projections for the amount of beverages it expects to

Coke Warns of Slack Sales for a Year or So


Outrun 2 looks great, plays great but ultimately offers too short a challenge.

Outrun 2 stays in neutral


JOHANNESBURG Zimbabweans, weary of political conflict, are increasingly losing faith in democracy and tempted to accept a one-party system, a survey released Thursday has found.

Zimbabwe losing faith in democracy


Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has said the Government will ban Jemaah Islamiah (JI), which is believed to have links with international terrorist network Al Qaeda, if it is proven to exist.

Yudhoyono not convinced JI exists


One of the Web #39;s largest e-mail providers is looking to make its service safer with the adoption of DomainKeys, a cryptographic-based e-mail authentication technology, Monday.

Yahoo for DomainKeys


Several notable ventures have launched or raised money this year to create local news sites online in which readers contribute all or most of the news.<FONT face=

On Local Sites, Everyone's a Journalist


MacCentral - As soon as Apple announced its iPod U2 Special Edition model, clad in black and with a red Click Wheel, peripheral maker Griffin Technology Inc. announced its matching iTrip-Black FM Transmitter, a device that enables the iPod to play its music over a nearby FM receiver. On Tuesday Griffin announced it's shipping the new iTrip-Black. The iTrip-Black costs US #36;35.

Griffin ships iTrip-Black FM transmitter for iPod (MacCentral)


JBoss, owners of the popular JBoss open source development community, added another piece to its middleware product portfolio with the addition of the Java Business Process Management (jBPM) Project, officials announced Monday.

JBoss Takes On jBPM Project


Billionaire financier Carl Icahn offered to buy Mylan Laboratories Inc., the largest US maker of generic medicines, for about \$5.38 billion to block Mylan #39;s proposed purchase of King Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Icahn Offers to Buy Mylan Laboratories for \$5.38 Bln (Update2)


Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann is  quot;thrilled quot; by the news that his team will kick-off the 2006 World Cup at Munich #39;s new Allianz Arena.

KLINSMANN HAPPY WITH FIFA


Zaurus has a 4GB hard disk, 416-MHz chip, 16MB of flash memory, 64MB of SDRAM, a 3.7-in. VGA screen, and QWERTY keyboard.

Sharp adds hard disk to its Linux PDA


US factories posted their biggest gain in four months on orders for costly manufactured goods, but new-homes sales slid, according to a pair of reports offering a mixed picture of economic activity in July.

Orders for durable goods sizzle in July


SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - San Francisco Giants slugger  Barry Bonds captured a record seventh MVP award on Monday,  providing a sparkling finish to a season tainted by doping  allegations.

Bonds Wins MVP Award Despite Tainted Season


GENTLEMEN, LOAD your weapons. It is being billed as the shootout at the Homestead-Miami corral today as the five top NASCAR drivers load up every bit of horsepower they can handle

Nascar to Crown a Champion


Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, hospitalized in Paris, condemned Monday a suicide bombing which killed three civilians and the bomber in Tel Aviv, his senior advisor Nabil Abu Rudeina said.

Arafat condemns Tel Aviv attack


AP - Former U.S. prisoners of war who blamed their years of captivity in Vietnam on activists such as John Kerry are the only voices in a documentary that Sinclair Broadcasting has decided not to air in its entirety.

Former POWs Blame Kerry for Captivity (AP)


Software giant contesting order to pay \$521 million in patent infringement verdict.

Federal Court to Hear Microsoft Appeal of Internet Explorer Case


AP - Amare Stoudemire scored a career-high 38 points, leading the Phoenix Suns to a 95-84 victory over the winless New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night.

Stoudemire, Suns Sting Winless Hornets (AP)


Internet networking giant Cisco Systems Inc. on Thursday said it plans to open a research and development center in Tokyo in February.

Cisco to Open Tokyo Research Center


(November 4, 2004) - Constellation Brands Inc. has signed a \$1 billion deal to acquire The Robert Mondavi Corp., a Napa Valley vintner that makes some of the world #39;s most widely known wines.

Constellation acquires Mondavi


SBC Communications (SBC) will cut 10,000 jobs from its workforce through the end of 2005 using attrition and involuntary cuts, the company said in a filing with US market regulators on Friday.

SBC Will Cut 10,000 Jobs by 2005-Filing


A federal judge has granted Verizon Wireless a permanent injunction in its suit against a man accused of sending unsolicited text messages to its customers.

Verizon wins injunction against text spammer


Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling made a surprise appearance Monday morning with President Bush, limping to the stage to give Bush a strong endorsement.

Injured pitching ace makes surprise appearance for Bush


Reuters - A senior North Korean official dismissed\reports that the secretive country was preparing a missile\launch, calling them speculation, Japan's Kyodo news agency\reported on Saturday.

N.Korea Calls Missile Launch Reports 'Speculation' (Reuters)


BASEBALL Detroit (AL): Exercised option on manager Alan Trammell. Philadelphia (NL): Retained first base coach Milt Thompson, bench coach Gary Varsho, bullpen coach Ramon Henderson, and catching instructor Mick Billmeyer.

Transactions


The regular season that cost Art Howe and Jim Duquette their titles ended nearly two weeks ago, but jobs are still being lost. Having just started their search for a new

Minaya #39;s First Move With the Mets Is to Clean House


The Pistons returned to the scene of their most recent triumph last night, taking the floor at The Palace of Auburn Hills for the first time since capturing the 2003-04 NBA championship.

Celtics learn a lot in loss to Pistons


Description: Guerillas dressed as policemen ambush and kill about 50 newly trained Iraqi soldiers in a remote eastern region of Iraq.

Dozens of Iraqi Troops Massacred in Ambush


Lindsay Davenport and Amelie Mauresmo are in a battle for the No. 1 ranking at the WTA Championships this week at the Staples Center, however, both players downplay the faceoff.

WTAs elite on display in LA


SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - The United States stopped  short of endorsing Brazil's ambition for a permanent seat on an  expanded U.N. Security Council but did say the country would be  a

US Stops Short of Backing Brazil on UN Council Seat


BANGALORE, INDIA - India's software services and business process outsourcing (BPO) industries could face a shortage of skilled workers in the coming years, according to the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) in Delhi.

Indian software services, BPO face worker shortage


CAIRNS, Australia A doctor says a pair of Australian campers are  quot;pretty lucky quot; after tangling with a big crocodile. Authorities say the 14-foot croc grabbed a man as he slept in a tent at a campsite in Queensland.

Crocodile attacks two campers in northern Australia


British troops may end up in one of the most violent flashpoints in Iraq in an operation to help the United States forces poised for an assault on the rebel stronghold of Fallujah.

British Army wanted in town where bombing and murder are the norm


Reuters - Rising oil prices will weigh on U.S.\economic growth, but the increases seen so far will not derail\the expansion and need not fuel a troubling inflation, Federal\Reserve Board Governor Ben Bernanke said on Monday.

Oil Won't Derail U.S. Expansion -Bernanke (Reuters)


The US economic embargo of Cuba jumped to the top of the Castro governments agenda on Thursday. For the 13th year in a row, the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution condemning the US embargo.

UN Condemns US Cuba Embargo


ROCHESTER, NYEastman Kodak Co. and International Business Machines Corp. said yesterday they have agreed to develop and make image sensors for digital still cameras and camera phones.

Kodak, IBM to team up


AP - A state appeals court on Tuesday lifted an order that had stopped San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy from being sworn in for a second term.

San Diego's Incumbent Mayor to Be Sworn In (AP)


PORT-AU-PRINCE : A senior French government official was evacuated from a Haitian hospital after unknown gunmen opened fire, in an apparent attack on the official.

Senior French official evacuated under fire in Haiti


Amazon.com says it has reached an agreement to buy Joyo.com, the largest Internet retailer of books, music and videos in China, in a deal worth \$75 million. The rapid growth of broadband access in the region makes Asia a particularly ...

Amazon Snaps Up China #39;s Largest Web Retailer


Thousands of demonstrators brought protests against benefit cuts to the German capital yesterday, but the Government insisted it would make no further change to measures it sees as key to a more competitive economy.

Demonstrators protest benefit cuts in Berlin


US News, A total of 21 Iraqis -- 17 civilians working for coalition forces and four Iraqi security personnel -- were killed Sunday in three separate insurgent attacks, US military officials said.

US ; US: 21 Iraqis killed in three attacks


DELEGATES gathered in Brighton this week for what will almost certainly be Labour #39;s last annual conference before the general election.

Labour Party Conference 2004


Reuters - The European Union's battle against\global warming will force companies to change automobile air\conditioning systems and restrict the sale of air-cushioned\sports shoes, European Union ministers said on Thursday.

EU Wants to Cut Greenhouse Gases in Cars, Shoes (Reuters)


A GERMAN BANK #39;S \$900-million offer to refinance Stelco Inc. was approved yesterday as the benchmark bid for the restructuring Hamilton steelmaker by a judge, who challenged others to step up and prove

German offer sets bar at Stelco


Hurricane Ivan has battered the Cayman Islands with ferocious 240kph winds, flooding homes, ripping off roofs and toppling trees three stories tall as its powerful eye thundered past just offshore.

Hurricane Ivan slams Grand Cayman


Second on the LPGA Tour with 300 birdies, Kim fired a 7-under-par 64 to take a one-shot lead after Thursday #39;s opening round of the \$1 million Longs Drugs Challenge.

Christina Kim shoots 64, leads LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge


Federal regulators fined CBS today a record \$550,000 for Janet Jackson's

CBS Fined \$550,000 for Janet Jackson Incident


A preview page at Walmart.com reveals expected pricing and availability for Nintendo's DS handheld game player.

A Game Boy for \$200?


AP - David Carr put together a huge comeback of his own after Brett Favre showed him how to do it last week. Carr threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns and Domanick Davis rushed for a season-high 129 yards and a score to help the Houston Texans rally from an 18-point deficit in a 31-21 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Texans Top Titans, Break Losing Streak (AP)


VILLANOVA - The difference between Amelie Mauresmo and Vera Zvonareva in the WTA rankings is less than 10 places. The difference between Mauresmo and Zvonareva on the court is considerably wider.

Mauresmo makes waves at Advanta


The US Food and Drug Administration Friday said it had approved Tarceva (erlotinib) tablets for patients with metastatic lung cancer.

FDA approves new lung cancer drug


JERUSALEM (AP) - The Israeli government on Tuesday issued bids for 1,000 new homes in Jewish West Bank settlements, in a violation of an internationally backed peace plan, but insisted the construction has the tacit approval of one of the backers, the US ...

Israel invites bids for construction of 1,000 more homes in West Bank


The British watchdog agency charged with monitoring fairness and accuracy in advertising has ordered Microsoft to pull print ads comparing the total cost of ownership of Linux and Windows.

Microsoft Ordered to Pull Anti-Linux Ad


Computer Associates in Islandia, NY, said Wednesday it has agreed to acquire Netegrity Inc., in Waltham, Mass. Netegrity is a provider of enterprise security software for managing user identities and access.

Computer Associates to buy Netegrity


It won't be long before speculation of Charlie Weis's future employment will begin trickling out. He is a fascinating figure -- an offensive coordinator who has worked for Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick, the guy who took Tom Brady to two Super Bowls in three years. Weis had stomach surgery and nearly lost his life in the summer ...

Aiming to call his own shots


Ziff Davis - Industry analysts say there are many pluses to BT buying Infonet Services, including giving BT more resources to be a more effective global networking player.

Analysts Laud British Telecom's Pursuit of Infonet (Ziff Davis)


\$2.5 million in prize money is on the line as gamers from Uzbekistan to Ecuador compete in the World Cyber Games.

Photo 3 of 8: Global gamers clash for cash


BANGALORE, India Anil Kumble, the Indian spin bowler, took three wickets Wednesday to reach 400 in test matches as the first day of the first test against Australia finished finely balanced.

Cricket: Kumble reaches 400 test wickets


Senior defense officials dismissed as  quot;empty words meant for domestic political consumption quot; Foreign Minster Silvan Shalom #39;s call to expel Palestinian Authority head Yasser Arafat.

Defense officials: Arafat expulsion unlikely


ROME: AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini (pic) believes adversity will bring out the best in his faltering team when they visit high-flying Lazio tomorrow.

Skipper Maldini stands tall as AC Milan look to halt slide


LONDON: Manchester United said on Tuesday US sports tycoon Malcolm Glazer had lifted his stake in the worlds richest soccer club to 27.

Glazer hikes stake in ManU to 28


LOGAN, Utah -- Alex Smith threw for one touchdown and ran for another, and Utah converted three Utah State turnovers into touchdowns to rout its rival, 48-6, last night.

Utah puts it away early


At its Network Computing  #39;04Q4 launch today, Sun Microsystems, Inc. (sun.com) launched the much anticipated Solaris 10 Operating System (OS), addressing the enormous waste of resources forced upon customers

Sun Launches Solaris 10


Opposition activists have brought many towns and cities in Bangladesh to a halt, the day after 18 people died in explosions at a political rally.

Bangladesh paralysed by strikes


News that Apple has sold 200 million songs over its iTunes online music store came amid rumors that the company would collaborate with Motorola to launch an iPod phone in the first half of next year.

Apple #39;s iTunes Hits 200 Million Mark


VANCOUVER (CP) - Intrawest Corp. lost money in its fiscal first quarter as sales dipped, though the Ski resort operator said the drop was expected a year after it made gains on the sales of certain resort properties the company had developed.

Intrawest posts Q1 loss as revenue drops


The European Union was ready to announce a settlement Tuesday of its long-running antitrust case against The Coca-Cola Co. after the beverage giant agreed to modify its

Sources: EU, Coca-Cola reach settlement


One of the new handsets invokes Garbo, according to the Finnish phone giant. Another is described as

Nokia to offer phones with 'old world' styling


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

Loews to Buy Entergy-Koch Pipeline


AFP - The Dutch police said they had arrested a man suspected of aiding former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in committing war crimes and genocide by supplying him with the materials to make chemical weapons used in attacks in the 1980s.

Dutch arrest man suspected of aiding Saddam war crimes, genocide (AFP)


of Switzerland holds up his trophy after defeating Lleyton Hewitt of Australia in the men #39;s final match of the 2004 US Open in New York, September 12, 2004.

Roger Federer wins US Open 2004


The US Joint Forces Command has awarded a \$29 million contract to design, establish and maintain a Joint Advanced Training Technology Laboratory to Anteon International Corp.

Anteon gets Defense contract


French President Jacques Chirac is to go to Libya on Wednesday, for the first such visit since 1951.

Chirac makes historic Libya trip


Babelplex Multilingual Search Engine - the C3PO of Search\\I live in a bilingual household, well, make that trilingual. I'm an English speaker from the US and my wife is a dual Brazilian/Japanese citizen. I lived in Japan for 18 months and then spent about the same amount of time in ...


Reuters - The U.N. Security Council voted\unanimously on Friday to send another 5,900 peacekeepers to the\Congo, less than half of what U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan\had requested.

UN Council Approves 5,900 More Troops for Congo (Reuters)


Chip giant Intel Corp. reported Wednesday that its board doubled the company's quarterly dividend and authorized an expansion of its ongoing stock repurchase program.

Intel Doubles Dividend, Expands Buyback


NATIONAL Australia Bank Ltd today became the first of the Australia #39;s big banks to report a fall in 2004 annual net profit and said the result reflected problems that had been accumulating for years.

NAB profit down 20pc


LOS ANGELES - Steve Finley's grand slam capped a seven-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers won the NL West, beating the San Francisco Giants 7-3 Saturday.    The Dodgers reached the postseason for the first time since making it as the wild card in 1996...

Dodgers Stun Giants 7-3, Capture NL West


World Match Play: Ernie Els beat Lee Westwood 2 and 1 in the final yesterday on his 35th birthday in Virginia Water, England, to capture golf #39;s biggest payday - \$1.

Golf Roundup Els wins match-play title; Sorenstam overtakes Park


TABA, Egypt -- Dozens of Bedouins have been detained on suspicion that they may have supplied explosives for car bomb attacks at two Egyptian resorts that killed at least 34 people, officials said yesterday.

Bedouins held in blasts at Egyptian resorts


The flight recorders from a plane that crashed in northern China at the weekend, killing 55 people, have been found after a three-day search.

Chinese crash black boxes found


Shandon Anderson got his freedom yesterday, and the Knicks got some roster flexibility.

Finally, the Knicks Waive Anderson


In Afghanistan, seven people including two US soldiers died in explosions as early results from historic elections gave President Hamid Karzai a strong lead over his rivals.

Violence in Afghanistan claims seven lives


BEAVER CREEK, Colorado (Reuters) - Benjamin Raich won the  opening slalom of the men's World Cup season on Sunday after a  big mistake on the second leg relegated his Austrian team mate  and race leader Rainer Schoenfelder to third.

Raich Wins Opening Men's World Cup Slalom


LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were set for a steady start  on Friday with a billion dollar share buyback plan at Texas  Instruments <A HREF=

Wall Street Seen Flat; TI Buyback to Buoy


AFP - India came from behind to defeat new-look Germany 3-1 and remain in contention for a podium finish in the men's Champions Trophy field hockey tournament here.

India fight back to beat Germany in Champions Trophy (AFP)


Two goals each from Brazilian forward Branca and Bulgarian Dimitar Berbatov gave Bayer Leverkusen a decisive 4-1 victory over Bayern Munich on Saturday.

Branca and Berbatov help Leverkusen crush Bayern


The first privately funded manned rocket to reach space completed the first half of a \$10 million flight competition yesterday by soaring to an altitude of

Private rocket #39;s wild ride lands it closer to big prize


just a couple of days -- before newfound Lycos Europe enemies organized a multi-pronged counter-attack with delirious affects that forced Lycos to turn tail and

Lycos Europe Withdraws Its Spam-Fighting Screensaver


EBay Inc., which has been aggressively expanding in Asia, plans to increase its stake in South Korea's largest online auction company.

EBay to boost stake in South Korean firm


NEW YORK - The New York Liberty needed a last-second shot in the decisive game of their first-round series against Detroit to earn a trip to the Eastern Conference final, and will try to advance to the WNBA Finals for an unprecedented fifth time.

Sun stands between Liberty and finals


The French media giant and its former chief executive Jean-Marie Messier are each fined 1m euros for misleading the public and investors.

Vivendi and its former boss fined


Sweden #39;s Thomas Johansson overcame the odds to beat top seed Andre Agassi 3-6 6-3 7-6 in a thriller to take his first title since the 2002 Australian Open.

Johansson upsets Agassi to win Stockholm Open


Japan has taken another step towards freeing itself from military restrictions in place since the end of World War II. The changes are a significant retreat from the pacifist policies that

Japan Adopts Major Defense Changes


Unusually Good


The St. Louis Cardinals became the first major league team to clinch a playoff spot this season, winning the Central for the third time in five seasons.

Cardinals clinch title in Central


LLEYTON HEWITT was supposed to be playing defending champion Andy Roddick in the US Open semi-finals at Flushing Meadows, not the longtime boyfriend of his little sister.

Swede wins date with other Hewitt


NAMPA, Idaho (Reuters) - Jeffrey Moeser and his company are  aiming to change the future of home entertainment.

Land of Potatoes Aims to Be High-Tech Hot


An unmanned experimental jet broke a world record for speed on Tuesday, cruising over the Pacific Ocean at just under 7,000 miles per hour in a NASA test of cutting-edge  quot;scramjet quot; engine technology.

NASA Test Flight Nears 7,000 Mph, Breaks Record


A North-South summit could provide a breakthrough in the crisis over Pyongyang #39;s nuclear ambitions, South Korea #39;s prime minister was quoted as saying on Friday, but the

South Korea Plays Down Talk of North Summit


Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced that his country began on Sunday to levy 16.6 percent of taxes on foreign companies which are extracting crudes from the Orinoco oil field.

Venezuela raises tax on foreign oil companies


Cosmologists may have to reassess their understanding of the evolution of the early Universe after surprising new data from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Hubble's deepest shot is a puzzle


Korean students topped a problem-solving literacy among 40 countries, breaking a traditional image that they focus on memorizing and lack reasoning capabilities, a major international survey released yesterday showed.

Study finds Korean students best at solving problems


NEW YORK It was getting late, and the pregame rock song  quot;Let #39;s Get It Started quot; still applied to the New York Yankees.

Baseball Playoffs: Twins double up to beat Yankees in Game 1


AP - Barry Bonds left Milwaukee without No. 700. Aramis Ramirez left the Cincinnati Reds in awe.

Bonds Heads Home Still Looking for No. 700 (AP)


Louis Rukeyser, for 33 years the beloved host of a Wall Street talk show for the masses, is going off the air. The 71-year old Rukeyser hasn #39;t been on the show since Oct. 31 of last year because he #39;s battling cancer.

Closing bell sounds


The Bad: Not cheap, when you add the cost of Internet access; no service during power outages; no 911 emergency service. The Verdict: You may not want to give up your regular phone line, but Vonage #39;s VOIP service is very handy.

Vonage VoIP service


From the ruins of a failed logging venture in Chile's Tierra del Fuego, an effort to manage and preserve the world's southernmost old-forest wilderness is about to begin.

Preserving an Old-Forest Wilderness at the Ends of the Earth


Real or fake? Natural or artificial? Such is the great Christmas tree debate. To put it in Shakesperian terms, it unfolds like this: To clean up pine needles or not to clean up pine needles?

Real vs. Artificial: Shoppers love  #39;em both


New York state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is preparing to file his second civil suit against an insurance broker, San Diego, Calif.

Spitzer readies new insurance suit


Seven big US airlines have signed up to sell tickets through a new low-cost electronic distribution network. The announcement Wednesday of the network, Trueconnect, is the latest in the big airlines #39; assault on high ticketing costs.

7 airlines to sell tickets on new electronic system


Negotiations between the interim Iraqi government and insurgent leaders who control Fallujah have broken down, officials say.

U.S. Forces on the Brink of Attacking Fallujah


AP - Insurgents unleashed a pair of powerful car bombs Monday near the symbol of U.S. authority in Iraq  #151; the Green Zone, where the U.S. Embassy and key government offices are located  #151; and hotels occupied by hundreds of foreigners. Two other explosions brought the day's bombing toll to at least 24 dead and more than 100 wounded.

Car Bombs Kill 24, Wound Over 100 in Iraq (AP)


Thirty-one years on the Chilean army has acknowledged the human rights violations committed during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.

Army admits human rights violations during dictatorship


WASHINGTON - The United Nations special envoy to Iraq met with US Deputy Secretary of Defense Richard Armitage Friday to discuss Iraqs January elections, the State Department said.

UN envoy to Iraq discusses elections with top US official


What rights will you give up in order to get some work?      We are guaranteed certain protections against the tyranny of the State, but what's to stop private companies from ignoring those protections, so long as they can require us to agree to forego them in order to receive employment?

What will you give up, just to get some work?


Tottenham Hotspur slumped to their sixth defeat on the spin at Villa Park, deservedly undone by a fine display of penalty-box pyrotechnics from Nolberto Solano, whose goal

Solano calls tune for Villa


TOKYO - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Monday he is considering visiting areas in Niigata Prefecture hit Saturday by powerful earthquakes that killed at least 25 people and injured over 2,100.

Koizumi eyes visit to quake-hit areas


The Angels weren #39;t playing the same game as the Yankees this weekend. Not in the wide-angle sense of being a first-place team with the luxury of a comfortable lead.

Angels wouldn #39;t be a good playoff foe


After a night to cool off and think about what he'd done, Paul Pierce showed up at Celtics practice yesterday and apologized to his coach and teammates for staging a very public hissy fit with coach Doc Rivers late in Wednesday's game. Rivers accepted the mea culpa, said the two would talk before tonight's game with Toronto, and both men ...

Pierce stands and delivers


The work of Prof. Naomi Ehrich Leonard at Princeton University shatters barriers, interweaving control theory, fluid mechanics, robotics, and biology.

Dancing to That Robotic Engineering Beat


FOXBOROUGH -- The game has been hyped on national television for a week. It will be played in a stadium full of fans wearing T-shirts made for that night. One player has dubbed the contest,  quot;Super Bowl No. 2, Round 2. quot;

Hype aside, Patriots hope to rebound


Whether Donovan McNabb is eluding 300-pound linemen in a stadium or dragging designer luggage away from it, he is the picture of cool.

Eagles 30, Lions 13


After a daylong wait for an afternoon doubleheader that got turned into a single night game, the New York Yankees found their 1-2 punch.

Yankees settle for single win


Michael Schumacher took on the new track during qualifying Saturday for the first Chinese Grand Prix. The track won. The seven-time Formula One champion was barely five seconds into his lap and just starting

Schumacher spinout gives Barrichello the pole at Chinese GP


CELTIC manager Martin O #39;Neill last night insisted that club commitments could prevent Tommy Burns staying onas Scotland #39;s No.2.

FOOTBALL: BURNS FACES SCOTS KO


Marwan Barghouti, a popular politician now in an Israeli prison, called for Palestinians to support Mahmoud Abbas in elections on Jan. 9.

Inmate Agrees, for Now, Not to Seek Palestinian Authority Presidency


Madagascar moves to protect its remarkable biodiversity, more than trebling the area of forest and wetland in special reserves.

Milestone for 'land of the lemur'


The Pentagon #39;s top weapons buyer Tuesday said he expected officials to decide soon whether to solicit new bids for a multibillion-dollar deal to begin replacing the Air Force #39;s aging fleet of KC-135 refueling tankers.

Boeing tanker deal unlikely


A MONTH after becoming a father for the fourth time Paul Broadhurst is hoping to have something else to celebrate tomorrow night - his first European Tour victory since 1995.

Broadhurst homes in on title win after difficult few years


ATHENS, Greece Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis has been stripped of his bronze medal for a doping offense. It was the first medal to be stripped from an athlete in Athens because of doping.

Sports:Greek weightlifter stripped of medal


ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger launched a scathing attack on his team after the English champions threw away the chance to leapfrog Chelsea at the top of the table with a haphazard display against West Bromwich Albion yesterday.

Shaky Gunners blow it


Financial group Fortis has reported a bigger-than-expected rise in earnings and says it is growing more upbeat about 2004, with both its banking and insurance units posting strong gains.

Fortis earnings beat forecasts


Philip Morris, a unit of Altria Group Inc. (MO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , told wholesalers on Thursday it would reduce its  quot;off-invoice quot; discounts to \$5.50 a carton from \$6.50, a move that

Philip Morris Eases Discounts, Ups Prices


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks got a mild boost on Friday  as government data showed better-than-expected demand in August  for durable goods other than transportation equipment.

Stocks Up on Durable Goods News


UEFA yesterday warned Real Madrid that they could be handed stiff punishment for the racist chanting of their supporters which marred Tuesday nights Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen at the Bernabeu.

Real face penalty after racist chants


Lindsay Davenport will take over the number one spot from Amelie Mauresmo when the rankings are released next week after reaching the Kremlin Cup quarter-finals

UPDATE 1-Davenport takes over top spot from Mauresmo


UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose approval rating slumped because of his support for the Iraq war, may win an unprecedented third term as voters give him credit for an expanding economy and falling unemployment, polls show.

UK Economic Boom May Bolster Blair as Election Deadline Nears


Australia #39;s largest seizure of the party drug Ecstasy was expertly hidden inside the metal shell of a bakery oven from Poland.

Huge drug haul hidden in oven


GAZA (Reuters) - Israel fired a missile into a refugee camp  in Gaza Saturday, killing a Palestinian and extending a vortex  of violence that could complicate an Israeli plan to pull out  of the occupied territory.

Israeli Air Strike Kills One in Gaza Refugee Camp


NEW YORK, USA -- World number one and top seed Roger Federer stayed on course for his third grand slam title of the year with a straight sets victory over Fabrice Santoro of France in the US Open at Flushing Meadows on Saturday.

Federer races to US Open last 16


Five groups will compete for a contract to build a long-awaited bridge linking Sicily with mainland Italy, reports from Italy say.

Five eye Sicilian bridge contract


Reuters - Darfuri Dowsa Ahmed Hassan\said he was standing in the market place when he heard the\Antonov plane's drone and watched it drop three bombs on his\village, killing a mother and her three children.

Darfuris Fleeing Villages, Report Govt Attacks (Reuters)


AP - Russia's space program is recovering from its post-Soviet financial meltdown, but government spending is still just a fraction of what is needed to revive the program to its former glory, top Russian space experts said Monday.

Experts Seek Aid for Russia Space Program (AP)


AP - Companies and others that secretly install

House OKs Bill Imposing 'Spyware' Fines (AP)


AFP - The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page.

European tourism sector grappling to adapt to quick-moving Chinese (AFP)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rebounded on Wednesday  morning after the government reported a bigger-than-expected  rise in crude oil inventories last week, triggering a sharp  slide in oil prices.

Stocks Up as Oil Drops Sharply


PORT-AU-PRINCE, (AFP) - Armed UN peacekeepers and Haitian police evicted former soldiers who were occupying ousted president Jean Bertrand Aristide #39;s luxurious mansion here.

Former soldiers occupuing ex-president #39;s home evicted


Chad Pennington put yesterday #39;s 17-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers squarely on his own shoulders, but he is certainly not the only one to blame, as the Jets

Pennington shoulders blame in loss to Steelers


Reuters - Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. Ltd. moved\on Monday to prevent a hostile bid from U.S. cable company\Liberty Media Corp., launching a plan to issue stock options\that would dilute the stake of any predator.

News Corp. Acts to Block Bids (Reuters)


Reuters - Cisco Systems Inc. , the\world's largest maker of gear for directing Internet traffic,\plans to offer twice as many new products this year as ever in\its history, its chief executive said on Wednesday.

Cisco Plans to Accelerate New Product Offerings (Reuters)


Javalobby, an online community of Java developers, has removed from its new JDocs documentation Web site several vital Java APIs at the request of Java founder Sun Microsystems, an official with Javalobby said on Friday.

Javalobby removes Java specs at Suns request


AP - Oklahoma is the only No. 2. After a week of sharing the No. 2 ranking with Auburn, Oklahoma edged ahead of the Tigers in The Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday.

Auburn Slips Back to No. 3 Behind Sooners (AP)


AP - Northern Ireland's major Protestant party broke off relations with the Irish government Monday after Prime Minister Bertie Ahern indicated he had accepted the IRA's refusal to provide photographs of disarmament.

Group Leader Ends Irish Gov't Relations (AP)


The WTO case was brought by the Caribbean state of Antigua and Barbuda, host to many of the online casinos whose use is illegal in the US.

WTO rules against US gambling ban


Australia #39;s Qantas Airways Limited said Wednesday British Airways is selling its 18.25 percent stake in Qantas. Qantas asked the Australian Stock Exchange to stop trading

British Airways selling Qantas stake


AP - Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton was fired by his cycling team two months after testing positive for blood doping.

Cycling's Hamilton Fired After Doping Test (AP)


SunTrust Banks, which fired three executives this week over accounting for bad loans, restated first-half profit yesterday, raising it by \$25.

SunTrust Posts Restated Figures


CHINA #39;S police ministry has handed out rewards of up to 2000 yaun (\$330) to people who reported pornographic web sites. Some 445 people have been arrested and 1,125 web sites shut down with the help of public

Porn site reports net Chinese reward


AP - PeopleSoft Inc. is trying to create a party-like atmosphere at its annual customer conference, but this week's gathering may feel more like a wake with rival Oracle Corp.'s  #36;7.7 billion takeover bid looming larger than ever.

Customers Anxious at PeopleSoft Gathering (AP)


The European Commission announced Wednesday it will extend an antitrust investigation of a move by Microsoft and Time Warner to take control of technology that could help the music and movie industries fight piracy.

Europeans investigate Microsoft #39;s intentions


Points: The Big East race is barely under way, but the winner of this matchup of teams with 1-0 league records takes sole possession of first place.

Thursday #39;s preview


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange  Commission is looking into possible accounting abuses involving  companies' assumptions about employee pension funds, the SEC's  top enforcement official said on Thursday.

SEC Eyes Possible Abuses in Pensions


A gold-backed security named streetTRACKS Gold Shares made a much-hyped debut on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, aimed at attracting the investment capital

UPDATE 2-Gold-backed security streetTRACKS debuts on NYSE


Calculate race strategy and watch live telemetry from the first ever sessions of the inaugural Chinese Grand Prix.

Ready to go in Shanghai!


IBM has established a new technology centre in the Washingon DC to help IT departments to better define their Tivoli-based infrastructure management strategies.

IBM sets up hands-on user test centre


Kmart Holding Corp. may have found its best  quot;Blue Light Special quot; ever: retailing rival Sears Roebuck  amp; Co. Still, many experts questioned whether the \$11 billion buyout would keep the blue lights flashing

Kmart and Sears #39; merger troubling


Penalties imposed on Microsoft by the European Union are unlikely to rein in the software giant and could result in higher costs for other software developers, regulators said on Friday.

Penalties unlikely to rein in Microsoft


Oracle has signed a definitive agreement to acquire PeopleSoft for \$26.50 (13.79) per share, or about \$10.3bn. The transaction has been approved by both companies #39; boards of directors and is expected to close by early January.

Oracle wins battle for PeopleSoft


On Monday IBM #39;s BlueGene/L was placed first on a list of the world #39;s 500 fastest computers. The ranking is issued twice each year.

Panel Urges More Funding for US Supercomputers


AFP - An Islamic militant group published on a website the alleged pictures of twelve Nepalese citizens whom it said it had abducted for cooperating with US forces in Iraq.

Islamic group posts alleged pictures of Nepalese abducted in Iraq (AFP)


A broad list of copyright owners, artists, law professors and state attorneys general on Monday asked the Supreme Court to hear a controversial case on the legality of file-swapping software.

AGs, artists urge top court to hear P2P case


Verizon Wireless is buying wireless spectrum licenses covering 23 US markets from bankrupt NextWave Telecom Inc. for \$3 billion, bolstering the cell phone company #39;s ability to compete with the big new rival

Verizon Wireless to Buy NextWave Licenses


Reuters - The Cleveland Cavaliers\Thursday picked up the team's 2005-06 contract option on\forward Drew Gooden.

Cavs Pick Up Option on Drew Gooden (Reuters)


NEW YORK Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani of New York, who forged a reputation as a tough prosecutor in the 1980s partially by going after Wall Street cheats, is now joining Wall Street by forming his own investment advisory practice.

In about face, Giuliani goes Wall Street


Kevin Bookout scores all 12 of his points in the second half to lead Oklahoma to a 66-48 victory over Purdue.

Sooners Come Through


AP - Hoping to build on the momentum sparked by SpaceShipOne's dash into space, supporters of opening the heavens to civilians are turning the winner-take-all race into an annual competition that might further fuel imaginations.

Annual Competition for Public Space Flight (AP)


Petter Solberg of Norway won his third straight rally as he drove his Subaru to victory at the Rally of Italy in Sardinia. The win kept alive his fading chances of retaining the world title.

Petter Solberg Claims Victory at Rally of Italy


NewsFactor - Seeking an edge in the entry-level computing system space, \IBM (NYSE: IBM) has unveiled a Linux-based \server using the company's Power5 processors. The OpenPower 720 product is being touted as an alternative to basic Unix systems from \HP (NYSE: HPQ) and Sun.

IBM Launches Power5 Linux Server (NewsFactor)


London - The British team behind the ill-fated Beagle 2 probe to Mars, which vanished without trace in December 2003 while attempting to land on the Red Planet, unveiled plans on Wednesday for a possible successor mission.

Europeans to send another Beagle to Mars


Jerry Bailey, the seven-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey, will miss the next four weeks because of a fractured wrist, his agent, Ron Anderson, said Wednesday.

Bailey breaks wrist, out a month


SEOUL, South Korea - A large explosion occurred in the northern part of North Korea, sending a plume of smoke more than two miles wide into the air on an important anniversary of the communist regime, a South Korean news agency reported Sunday. Secretary of State Colin Powell said the explosion Thursday was not a nuclear test but that it was not known yet what caused it...

Powell: N. Korea Explosion Wasn't Nuclear


The explosion followed a blast late on Thursday that killed two people and wounded about 20 in a border town in Narathiwat province.

Thai PM to address nation on protesters #39; deaths


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bengie Molina had four hits, including  a three-run homer, as the Anaheim Angels completed a three-game  series sweep of the New York Yankees with a 4-3 win on Sunday.

A.L. Wrap: Molina Leads Angels to Sweep of Yankees


WASHINGTONCrude futures prices surged above \$48 (US) per barrel yesterday as oil production and shipping disruptions caused by Hurricane Ivan prompted domestic supplies to shrink more than expected.

Fall in US oil inventory pushes prices higher


One of the leading figures in the Greek Orthodox Church, the Patriarch of Alexandria Peter VII, has been killed in a helicopter crash in the Aegean Sea.

GREEK PATRIARCH KILLED IN CHOPPER CRASH


Sprint and Nextel Communications each have 15 retail stores in Colorado and both are known for offering a popular push-to-talk service, or walkie-talkie-like product that

In Colorado, a merger of equals and opposites


AP - Lindsay Davenport rallied for a 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Serena Williams in the WTA Championships on Saturday, although her No. 1 ranking remained in peril.

Lindsay Davenport Tops Serena Williams (AP)


The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday it expects to resume formal loan talks with Argentina following the completion of the country #39;s delayed debt exchange deal with private creditors.

IMF says talks with Argentina to follow debt swap


Lunch crush is coming and the deli crew is busy making burgers, lime tarts and pizza dough. Things are really cooking - at least figuratively. In fact, none of the food being prepared at In The Raw will touch a flame or a griddle.

Raw, Unprocessed Food Trend Catching On in U.S.


THE arrival of Microsoft #39;s Windows XP Media Centre on October 13 will be not so much a launch as a co-ordinated assault. A brigade of vendors, including Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba, Acer, Creative Labs, iRiver

Media Centre on the march


MONACO have lost only one of their last 26 European home games while Olympiakos have never beaten a French side in 12 years. DYNAMO have never lost in the Champions League in Spain, where they have drawn twice with Real and also defeated Barcelona 4-0.

Champions League snapshots


AP - Serena Williams still loves playing tennis, although her passion for fashion is undeniable.

Serena Williams Keen on Fashion Career (AP)


MANILA, Nov 10 (AFP) - A kidnapped Italian aid worker was recovered unharmed in the southern Philippines on Wednesday, the military said.

Kidnapped Italian freed in southern Philippines


The cash rebates and financing deals that Detroit #39;s three automakers have used to drive business in recent years are diminishing the value of their vehicles in consumers #39; eyes, a quarterly survey of customer satisfaction indicates.

Incentives on domestic cars tarnish image, customers say


Resurgent Aberdeen, all of brave, magnificent and lucky, bludgeoned Celtic in their own back yard last night. This was a mesmerising match, distinguished by two impossibly early Aberdeen goals followed by

Celtic hit by Dons in full spate


The Bush administration yesterday accepted a petition for new quotas on Chinese-made pants, one in a series of decisions that may lead to extensive protection for US textile and apparel

Labor targets Chinese textiles


New Delhi, September 29: Lifter Sanamacha Chanu, who was slapped a life ban by the Indian Olympic Association, today accused the authorities of adopting double standards saying they should have followed the same yardstick while dealing with other dope

Ban others as well by the same yardstick: Chanu


AP - California air regulators on Thursday took up the world's most ambitious rules to reduce car emissions that contribute to global warming  #151; an effort that could have a sweeping effect on how the country fights vehicle pollution.

Calif. Regulators Weigh Smog Restrictions (AP)


IT WILL take as long as two years to disarm the Arab Janjaweed militias that have carried out a campaign of genocide in the Sudanese region of Darfur, the top United States envoy to Sudan said yesterday.

Darfur #39;s refugees face years in camps


THE Australia and New Zealand Banking Group announced a record increase in full-year profit of almost 20 per cent yesterday. ANZ, the smallest of Australia #39;s big four banks, generated after-tax profit of \$2.

ANZ boosts profit to record \$2.81b


NASA -- Imagine seeing clear skies all the time. It's not some weather fantasyland, but a revolutionary cockpit display technology being developed by NASA to make flying safer...

NASA Develops Revolutionary Cockpit Display Technology


The release of three United Nations workers who had been held hostage for more than three weeks took place early Tuesday in what appeared to be an orchestrated handover.

3 Kidnapped UN Workers Are Released in Kabul


(Kalamazoo County, November 12, 2004, 1:34 pm) Officials with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer are working with the Environmental Protection Agency to repair maintenance problems at its facility in Portage.

Possible pollution concerns at Pfizer facility in Portage


Lindsey Kildow of the United States won her first World Cup race yesterday, capturing the season's first downhill in 1 minute 23.44 seconds. The 20-year-old Kildow battled wind and swirling snow on a shortened men's Olympic downhill course.

Kildow fastest down mountain


A former US Marine in Iraq, testifying Wednesday at a hearing for an American military deserter seeking asylum in Canada, said several men

Former US Marine in Iraq tells Canadian board some comrades became <b>...</b>


VIENNA -- Brazil has tentatively agreed to let the UN atomic agency view parts of its equipment used to enrich uranium -- a deal that would end squabbling over access to technology that can be used to build nuclear weapons, diplomats said Wednesday.

WORLD IN BRIEF


WHITEHOUSE STATION, NJ - Merck and Co. shares fell more than 10 per cent in trading on the NYSE on Monday amid reports that company documents showed the pharmaceutical firm knew for years about health issues related to its arthritis drug Vioxx.

Merck knew of Vioxx health risks: report


PC World - Software giant settles with Novell and the CCIA, ending years of legal wrangling.

Microsoft Makes Another Antitrust Deal (PC World)


Leaders of a Burundian rebel group said Friday they were ready to defend themselves in an international court against war crimes charges after they took responsibility for the massacre of 163 refugees, their spokesman said.

Burundian rebels: we #39;re ready to defend ourselves in court in <b>...</b>


At the head of the class, Rosabeth Moss Kanter is an intellectual whirlwind: loud, expansive, in constant motion.

The confidence factor, from one with plenty of it


NEW YORK (Reuters) - The yen fell to a six-week low against  the dollar on Tuesday as investors worried that soaring oil  prices could jeopardize Japan's economic recovery.

Oil Knocks Yen, Dents Dollar


Best Buy will sell AT amp;T #39;s residential voice over Internet protocol service through 628 stores nationwide as well as online, beginning this fall, the companies said.

Best Buy to sell AT amp;T #39;s Internet phone service


THENS, Aug. 19 - Tim Duncan nearly tore the backboard from its moorings when he dunked the basketball on Thursday, hanging on the rim for emphasis, stretching out his frame for all of Helliniko Indoor Arena to see.

With Duncan Providing a Beat, the US Finds Its Rhythm


This oil thing is just temporary, Wall Street has been figuring, and figuring and figuring. The surge in prices is a temporary phenomenon that #39;s lasted for two years now.

Wall Street Not Troubled by Oil Rise--Yet


BERGAMO/ROME, Dec 11 (SW) - Udinese were the stronger side at Atalanta Bergamo, while Lazio Roma refused to give up against Lecce, to eventually reach a draw.

Italy: Udinese beat Atalanta, Lazio draw with Lecce


Mississippi State #39;s victory over 20th-ranked Florida -- easily the biggest upset of the 2004 season -- signaled the beginning of a bright future for first-year Bulldogs coach Sylvester Croom and the beginning of the end for third-year Gators head man Ron

Loss to Mississippi St. is death knell for Zook


It may go down as one of the most innovative, quick-fix medical procedures in the history of postseason baseball, and it may have been possible only because the doctor who brainstormed the breakthrough first tested his technique on human cadaver legs.

Morgan magic


Thursday, Sept 16: Kenneth Bigley and two Americans - Jack Hensley and Eugene Armstrong - are seized by militants in a dawn raid in the wealthy Al-Mansour district of Baghdad.

Hostage timetable


Rugby fans across the Tasman will have to enter a ballot to obtain tickets for next year #39;s Lions tour. Fifteen thousand visitors are also expected to follow their team from Britain.

Lions-NZ tickets set for ballot


With the end to a grueling regular season in Saturday nights 21-13 loss to Auburn, there is finally some time for Alabamas players to rest and recover, but that time has not yet begun for the Tide coaching staff.

Tide Staff Shifts Modes


Auburn has put together one of the greatest years in school history, claiming a spot in today's Southeastern Conference title game against No. 15 Tennessee.

Auburn is likely the odd team out


U.S. jets pounded suspected Shiite militant positions in the Baghdad slum of Sadr City on Monday, killing at least five people and wounding 40. Elsewhere, insurgents detonated a car bomb and fired rockets, killing at least four National Guardsmen, in separate attacks targeting Iraq's beleaguered security forces.

U.S. Jets Pound Militant Positions in Iraq


LONDON (Reuters) - Police arrested a man in central England  on Thursday under anti-terrorism laws.

UK Police Arrest One Man Under Anti-Terror Laws


A witness testified in a Delaware courtroom Tuesday that the compensation package given to former Walt Disney Co. President Michael Ovitz was unreasonable, Reuters reports.

Witness: Ovitz #39;s compensation was unreasonable


With the advent of smartphones and declining popularity of personal digital assistant (PDAs), IDC has reported a drastic fall in sales of PDAs worldwide with the industry recording a year-on-year fall for the third successive quarter.

PDA Market Continues its Downslide: IDC


The European Union said Tuesday the Palestinian government remained fully in power, though President Yasser Arafat lies in a Paris hospital suffering from a serious, but undisclosed illness.

EU: Israel Must Know There is No Power Vacuum in Palestinian <b>...</b>


AP - All of New England would have been quaking with anticipation. Just imagine: Roger Clemens back at Fenway, wearing the enemy's colors for a fourth time in the postseason, this time in Game 7 of the World Series.

Sportsview: Clemens at Fenway Not to Be (AP)


quot;Madden NFL 2005, quot; the latest version of Electronic Arts Inc. #39;s pro football video game franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first week of release, the company said on Thursday, citing internal figures.

EA Video Game  #39;Madden #39; Tops 1.3 Million First Week


SAN FRANCISCO -- A computer hacker accessed names and Social Security numbers of about 1.4 million Californians after breaking into a University of California, Berkeley, computer system in perhaps the worst attack of its kind ever suffered by the school

Hacker Hits California University Computer


ALEXANDRIA (Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday  dismissed a key element of insurer GEICO's trademark  infringement case against online search engine Google Inc.  <A HREF=

Google Scores Court Victory Over GEICO


Victor Diaz hit a tying, three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning, and Craig Brazell's first major league home run in the 11th gave the Mets a stunning victory.

Mets Win in Dramatic Fashion


Maybe a morbid thought, but wouldn't this be a fitting epitaph on Wayne Ferreira's tombstone:

Ferreira was a major headache at big ones


NewsFactor - IBM (NYSE: IBM) is making a big deal out of its announcement of three Power5 processor-based servers. The machines are faster than those built by competitors Hewlett-Packard and Sun. What is more, their price point is set lower.

IBM Goes After High-End Server Market (NewsFactor)


Spain begin their third final in five seasons at the Olympic stadium hoping to secure their second title since their first in Barcelona against Australia in 2000.

Arrese sure of Spanish Davis Cup win


AP - Julius Hodge scored 17 points on his 21st birthday to join an exclusive group of Atlantic Coast Conference players, leading No. 19 North Carolina State past Elon 71-45 Thursday night in the semifinals of the BCA Invitational.

No. 19 N.C. State Demolishes Elon 71-45 (AP)


In California, a Laotian refugee remembers the long suffering of his country's Hmong tribespeople

A Blackbird's Song


The rocket plane SpaceShipOne is just one flight away from claiming the Ansari X-Prize, a \$10m award designed to kick-start private space travel.

SpaceShipOne set to take X-Prize


British Airways workers plan to strike for 24 hours during the August Bank Holiday weekend unless a pay row is settled, the GMB union said.

BA workers approve holiday strike


Suspect accused of stealing and distributing source code over the Internet.

Arrest Made in Cisco Source Code Theft


AP - Two armed men who hijacked a public bus and threatened to blow it up surrendered just after midnight Wednesday and released their six remaining hostages, ending an 18-hour standoff.

Hijackers of Bus in Greece Surrender (AP)


AP - President Bush has tapped former Presidents Clinton and Bush to lead a nationwide charitable fund-raising effort for victims of the Asian tsunamis, the White House announced Monday.

Elder Bush, Clinton to Lead Relief Effort (AP)


NEW YORK - In its biggest purchase ever, Johnson  amp; Johnson is dropping \$24.5 billion to get into the fast-growing market for implantible devices that automatically restart stopped hearts.

J amp;J #39;s Big Buy


CHICAGO (Reuters) - Motorola Inc. <A HREF=

Motorola to Build Cell Phones Into Ski Jackets


PHOENIX -- Wally Backman was hired Monday as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, taking over a team coming off one of the worst seasons in major league history.

D-Backs hire Backman


Five California counties and two cities sue the software giant under state antitrust laws, for taking advantage of government buyers.

California sues Microsoft for antitrust...again


TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar sat tight near recent lows on  Thursday after soft manufacturing data failed to dispel  concerns that the U.S. economy may be running out of steam.

Dollar Near Lows on ISM, Looming Data


The Sword of Damocles no longer hangs over Real Madrid. Trailing Barcelona by nine points in the Spanish league, defeat here last night would have put them out of the competition they consider their own.

Silence is golden for relieved Real


CBC SPORTS ONLINE - The Anaheim Angels exercised catcher Bengie Molina #39;s contract option on Monday, but not that of pitcher Ramon Ortiz.

Angels renew Molina, not Ortiz


FRANKFURT Choosing this German city to be the home of the European Central Bank and its new currency, the euro, was a diplomatic challenge worthy of Talleyrand.

ECB delays task of choosing architect


U.S. News   World Report - What a difference a couple of weeks make. Polling during and just after the Republican National Convention, Time and Newsweek have George W. Bush ahead of John Kerry 52 to 41 percent. Post-convention polls show Bush ahead 52 to 45 percent (CNN/ USA Today /Gallup), 49 to 42 percent (CBS), 47 to 43 percent (Fox News), and 52 to 43 percent (ABC/ Washington Post ). Post-convention polls in battleground states show similar results. ...

The Democrats' real problem (U.S. News   World Report)


Southeast Asian countries came close to issuing a critical statement on the Myanmar military government #39;s treatment of detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi at their summit, but the plan was shot down by Thailand, sources said.

S Asian countries came close to criticizing Myanmar


The Champions Trophy, despite still being at the pool stage, reaches its knockout phase when world champions Australia meet New Zealand at the Oval on Thursday.

PREVIEW- #39;Real #39; tournament begins at the Oval


One year after US forces found him hiding in a spider hole near his hometown of Tikrit, former dictator Saddam Hussein remains imprisoned at an undisclosed location awaiting his trial on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Military Family Network


The 78-year-old Communist dictator stumbled, tumbled to the ground and fractured his left knee and right arm as he left the podium at a graduation ceremony Wednesday night in Santa Clara, central Cuba.

FALL OF FIDEL