AP - At first glance, Les Seules might look like an all-girl rock band  #151; complete with sassy attitudes and fawning male groupies  #151; but the Swedish septuplet doesn't play instruments. They play competitive video games.

All-Girl Gaming Team Takes Aim at Boys (AP)


A new worm has been discovered in the wild that #39;s not just settling for invading users #39; PCs - it wants to invade their homes, too.

Spies prize webcam #39;s eyes


AP - Newly arrived Duke University freshmen got something considerably snazzier than the usual Blue Devils T-shirts and ball caps: Their goodie bags included a free iPod digital music player engraved with the school's crest and the words

Duke Welcomes Freshmen With New IPods (AP)


US President George W. Bush said on Saturday his tax cuts were working to lift growth but a senior aide acknowledged that the economy hit a  quot;soft patch quot; over the last six or eight weeks.

UPDATE 1-Bush touts tax cuts, aide acknowledges  #39;soft patch #39;


NetSuite has released the 10.0 versions of its NetSuite, NetSuite Small Business, and NetCRM products, all of which are generally targeted at the small and medium-sized business (SMB) segment.

NetSuite 10.0 Debuts


Ryder Cup star Miguel Angel Jimenez continued his love affair with Asia as he kept his nerve to take a one-stroke victory at the \$800 000 Hong Kong Open on Sunday.

Jimenez edges Kingston in Hong Kong


Officials dedicated the Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care, a 10-story, 400,000-square-foot addition to Massachusetts General Hospital that opened Tuesday with 1,200 patients being seen on the first day. The \$219 million glass and steel building on Cambridge Street, with underground parking for 725 cars, is the largest ambulatory care facility in New England. The project began more than two years ...

Yawkey Center building dedicated


Sharman Networks launched its counter attack against the record labels in the Australian Federal court yesterday. The company attacked the labels for their anti peer-to-peer tactic of deluging such services with so-called  #39;spoof files #39;.

Sharman counter attacks


SAN FRANCISCO San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has asked labor leaders and the management of fourteen hotels for a ninety-day cooling-off period in their contract dispute.

SF mayor seeks cooling-off period in hotel contract dispute


Reuters - Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric Grand\Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani urged his supporters converging on

Sistani Urges Supporters to Wait at Najaf Gates (Reuters)


Reuters - A senior official in Iraq's\Communications Ministry was shot dead as he was driving to work\in Baghdad on Thursday, a source at the ministry said.

Gunmen Kill Senior Iraqi Ministry Official (Reuters)


Shares in AstraZeneca fell 109p to 25.10 yesterday on news that its potential blockbuster drug offering stroke prevention, Exanta, might face delays in getting American approval.

AZ hit by drug-induced depression


MONTREAL (CP) - The Montreal Expos will probably leave the city after this season and the league will overcome any remaining hurdles that could keep the franchise in town, team President Tony Tavares said Tuesday.

Montreal Expos all but gone after this season, says team president


In an action that combines America #39;s love of sport and litigation, two baseball fans have called on the courts to resolve their opposing claims to own the ball with which a top player hit a record 700th home run.

Record home run hit lands in court


For the first time ever, more Americans are seeking faster connections to access the Internet.

Study: Broadband leaps past dial-up


Crude futures have surged above 52 dollars a barrel, reaching a new high in New York. Traders were reacting to a strike threat by Nigerian oil workers and to word that petroleum output in

Crude closes above \$52


Eurostar services to London will stop at St Pancras, instead of Waterloo, when the Channel Tunnel Rail Link is finished in 2007, it has been revealed.

Eurostar moves base to St Pancras


AFP - Houston Rockets guard Bob Sura underwent successful surgery to repair a herniated lower back disk but will miss the start of the National Basketball Association season, the club revealed.

Rockets' guard Sura will start NBA season on bench (AFP)


Wayne Rooney, the hero of England #39;s European Championship campaign in Portugal in June, makes his long-awaited return to action, probably as a substitute in Manchester United #39;s tricky Champions

All eyes turn to Old Trafford as Rooney returns


A funny thing has happened in the 18 months since Apple Computer launched its iTunes Music Store, offering legal music downloads for 99 cents.

Music-download business hits flat note


NASA managers said on Monday that neither money or time would ease the requirements to repair the space shuttle on-orbit for the first launch since the Columbia tragedy.

Repair processes still up in air for May liftoff


New technology and a faceless distribution network over the Internet are contributing to a rising number of counterfeit tickets to sports events and concerts.

When the Big-Game Ticket Is Just a Big Fake


WASHINGTON - Orders for  quot;big-ticket quot; durable goods crept up by a smaller-than-expected margin in September, hit by a sharp descent in demand for planes, government figures showed.

US  #39;big-ticket #39; orders rise


MADRID, Nov19 (SW) - A display categorised as Thuggish by some pundits led to England star Wayne Rooney apologising to head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson after Wednesdays 1-0 defeat in Madrid.

Rooney apologises for Madrid display


WASHINGTON -- A journalism professor sued the government yesterday to force the Defense Department to release pictures of the flag-draped coffins of soldiers arriving in the United States from wars overseas.

Suit seeks release of flag-draped coffin photos


ST. GEORGE #39;S, GrenadaThe most powerful hurricane to hit Grenada in a decade killed more than a dozen people, damaged 90 per cent of its homes and destroyed a prison, leaving criminals on the loose, officials said yesterday.

Ivan kills 12 in Grenada, threatens Cuba, US


AP - People who use public or workplace computers for e-mail, instant messaging and Web searching have a new security risk to worry about: Google's free new tool that indexes a PC's contents for quickly locating data.

Google's New PC Search Tool Poses Risks (AP)


Telecommunications equipment maker Lucent Technologies Inc., rebounding from multibillion dollar losses, reported a larger profit for its fourth fiscal quarter and recorded its first profitable year since 2000.

Lucent Post 1st Profitable Year Since 2000


Former Enron chair Ken Lay has been pressing to be tried on his own. A judge may have just given Lay more than he bargained for, as prosecutors ready for what could be one of the biggest corporate crime prosecutions in history.

Enron's Lay Gets Two Trials


07/12/2004 - Amcor, the worlds top manufacturer of plastic bottles, has ousted its chief executive after former staff in Australia were suspected of being involved in an illegal operation to drive up box prices.

Amcor ousts CEO in cartel scandal


The war crimes trial of Slobodan Milosevic is being put on hold for a month -- to give the former Yugoslav president #39;s court-assigned lawyers time to prepare a defense.

Milosevic trial postponed


Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden returns to Oakland tonight for the first time since leaving the Raiders after the 2001 season, then beating his old team in the Super Bowl after the 2002 season.

Homecoming weekend in the NFL


BESLAN, Russia - Commandos stormed a school Friday in southern Russia and battled separatist rebels holding hundreds of hostages, as crying children, some naked and covered in blood, fled through explosions and gunfire. Ninety-five bodies have been identified, but one official said the death toll could far exceed 150...

Russians Storm School; 150 May Be Dead


SAN FRANCISCO: IBM is reportedly in talks to sell its personal computer business in a deal that could be worth up to \$2 billion and would cap a gradual withdrawal from the business it helped to pioneer in 1981.

IBM to put its personal computer business up for sale, may fetch <b>...</b>


MUNICH - Seven leading wireless operators, led by T-Mobile USA, have signed roaming agreements that bring seamless worldwide high-speed internet access another step closer.

Wireless operators ink WiFi roaming agreements


AP - Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis AG said Tuesday it is temporarily withdrawing an application for European Union approval of its painkiller Prexige, but added that it will present new data this week to prove the safety and effectiveness of the drug.

Novartis Withdraws Application for Prexige (AP)


Mike Holmgren is thrilled to be 2-0 and quite pleased with his team #39;s defensive effort in a 10-6 win at Tampa Bay. He praised punter Tom Rouen for outstanding kicking.

Two solid weeks for Seattle defense, but offense needs a boost


AP - The chief of Nigeria's main labor organization vowed that a four-day nationwide strike to protest fuel price hikes will go ahead Monday as planned, and accused President Olusegun Obasanjo of shunning dialogue to resolve union grievances.

Nigerian Strike Over Fuel Rates to Go On (AP)


Telecoms regulator Ofcom has welcomed the arrival of Voice over IP (VoIP), aka  quot;Voice over Broadband quot; down at the telecoms regulator, and promised to stay well out of the way as services develop.

Ofcom sets out stall on VoIP


AFP - The whopping US trade and investment deficit is the result of a strong US economy and can be remedied by taking steps to boost growth elsewhere, a US Treasury official said.

Growth is remedy to big current account deficit: US official (AFP)


Frank Lampard believes Didier Drogba can do for Chelsea what Thierry Henry has done for Arsenal. The 26-year-old Ivory Coast striker Drogba scored twice as Chelsea opened their Champions

Drogba Can Be Our Henry - Lampard


Michael Howard brings his party's annual conference to a close with a pitch to Labour and Lib Dem voters.

'Come and join us' urges Howard


InfoWorld - Sun on Thursday announced that it settled the lawsuit Eastman Kodak had brought against it, but the charge that Sun #8217;s Java violated software patents held by Kodak brought to light the major impact patents can have on software techniques.

Sun settles Java suit with Kodak (InfoWorld)


Online store will continue to offer certain songs at low prices, company says.

Real's Music Deal Ends


The state's highest court affirmed an already approved 2.5 percent average increase in auto insurance premiums for this year, but said the insurance commissioner may have to revise her decision in a way that would ease premiums for certain drivers. The Supreme Judicial Court rejected Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly's challenge of a new formula used by Insurance Commissioner Julianne ...

2.5 auto insurance rate hike reaffirmed


Russia began counting the cost on Saturday at the end of siege of a school captured by Chechen gunmen which killed at least 200 people and cast

Russia Counts Cost of Bloody End to School Siege


The Pentagon is to end the contract Halliburton has to service US troops in Iraq, the Wall Street Journal reports.

US army 'to axe Halliburton deal'


AUGUST 18, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Despite four years in production and an investment of millions of dollars, Ford Motor Co. is pulling the plug on a major procurement software system built around Oracle Corp. #39;s 11i E-Business Suite of applications.

Ford kills  #39;Everest #39; procurement software system


HP, whose contributions made the Itanium so confoundedly complicated, has dropped out of the 10-year-old partnership with Intel that saw them develop the 64-bit chip.

HP Says Bye Bye Itanium: Carly Finds Way To Trim Another \$100m


Japanese company Seiko Epson says it has developed a mini helicopter that is the lightest of its kind and can be used for lifesaving and surveillance.

Seiko Epson unveils latest mini robot helicopter


Thanks to the SEC, shareholders now get a long-term picture of how their stock is doing, which helps in evaluating executive pay.

As XM Stock Recovered, Executives' Pay Modest


Smithfield Foods Inc. (SFD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the largest US pork producer, on Tuesday posted a 61 percent rise in quarterly earnings due to strong hog prices and the purchase of Farmland Foods last year.

Smithfield Profit Lifted by Hog Prices


AP - Less than a week after a collecting a  #36;536 million settlement from Microsoft Corp. over antitrust complaints in Europe, Novell Inc. filed a lawsuit accusing the software giant of violating U.S. antitrust laws.

Novell Files Antitrust Suit Vs. Microsoft (AP)


London - Britain knew about an alleged coup plot in Equatorial Guinea at least five weeks before a team of mercenaries was nabbed in Zimbabwe as they prepared to carry it out, the Observer newspaper reported on Sunday.

Britian  #39;knew about E-Guinea #39;


The family of British hostage Kenneth Bigley was anxiously awaiting news of his fate tonight after the apparent deadline for his execution in Iraq passed.

Anxious Wait for News of British Hostage


Microsoft has decided to remove a key feature of its next major Windows operating system, codenamed Longhorn, in order to keep its 2006 shipping deadline intact.

Microsoft removes key feature from Longhorn


AFP - The US embassy in Malaysia was shut indefinitely after it received a letter containing a suspicious powdery substance, its second security scare in two weeks.

US embassy in Malaysia shuts indefinitely amid security threat (AFP)


AP - The Yukos oil company's appeal of its crushing 2000 back-taxes bill was put off until next month, the Interfax news agency reported Tuesday.

Yukos Appeal of Tax Claim Is Postponed (AP)


SBC Communications Inc., one of the nation #39;s largest telephone companies, introduced Wi-Fi service for business and residential DSL customers, giving them access to 3,900 hot-spots for \$1.

Wi-Fi Service Bundled With DSL By SBC


While Wayne Rooney #39;s debut hat-trick against Fenerbahce made all the headlines, it was not the only reason for Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson to be cheerful.

Rooney just one of Ferguson #39;s reasons to be cheerful


That was the verdict of Massachusetts lawmakers yesterday after BofA announced a fresh wave of 4,500 job cuts, including an estimated 140 in the Bay State.

B of A blindsides Mass.: Huge job-cut roster includes surprise 140 <b>...</b>


AP - Venezuela withdrew its ambassador from Panama on Friday to protest outgoing President Mireya Moscoso's argument that she pardoned four Cuban emigres for fear they might be sent to Venezuela and executed.

Venezuela Withdraws Ambassador From Panama (AP)


SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp. <A HREF=

After Delays, Intel Points to Chip-Making Advance


Siemens Communications Inc. reported Tuesday that it signed a multiyear agreement with Cingular Wireless to develop a third-generation, or 3G, universal mobile telecommunications system.

Siemens to Supply 3Q System to Cingular


LONDON - Britain #39;s leading scientific institution said yesterday it is calling for support from other countries to stop a possible ban on stem cell research as part of a global treaty to ban human cloning.

Britain seeking support to stop stem cell ban


Braylon Edwards sat slump-shouldered on the Michigan bench, not speaking a word. Chad Henne sat on another bench, staring straight ahead.

UM offense finally clicks


\

 TOKYO (Reuters) - Nintendo Co. will begin selling an\adaptor for its DS and Game Boy Advance handheld game players\to allow them to play music and video, the company said,\matching a popular feature on Sony's portable game machine.

Nintendo to Bring Music, Video to DS Game Machine


WASHINGTON -- The delayed decision on a planned \$440 million baseball stadium to house the Washington Nationals appeared close to the necessary seven votes Monday, with District of Columbia Council Chair Linda W. Cropp pledging not to stand in the way.

Mayor, Council Prepare For Stadium Vote


Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - The Atlanta Hawks signed free agent Kevin Willis on Wednesday, nearly a decade after the veteran big man ended an 11- year stint with the team.

Hawks bring back Kevin Willis


CTO envisions Intel-based servers acting as network nodes to reduce strain of millions of new devices and users.

Intel seeks role in development of the next Internet


Henkel, the German soaps and adhesives group, has shed its 29 percent stake in Clorox, raising \$2.84 billion to pay for its purchase of US detergents and cosmetics maker Dial Corp.

Clorox Helps German Soap Maker Buy Dial


In the final full-field event of the season, several players are under pressure to finish well at the Chrysler Championship for a variety of reasons.

A Lot on the Line


SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The nation #39;s biggest public pension fund, with a stock portfolio of \$167 billion, voted Monday to toughen its policies against multimillion-dollar  quot;golden parachutes quot; for executives who engineer corporate mergers.

CalPERS Votes to Toughen Merger Policies


ABIDJAN (AFP) - Ivory Coast was under an arms embargo after a unanimous vote in the UN Security Council aiming to quell a new wave of unrest that has convulsed the west African state and sent thousands of foreigners fleeing.

Ivory Coast under embargo as France wraps up evacuations


LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pulte Homes Inc. <A HREF=

Pulte Posts Profit in Line with Forecast


MOJAVE, Calif. -- SpaceShipOne is one flight away from clinching the Ansari X Prize, a \$10 million award for the first privately developed manned rocket to reach space twice within 14 days.

SpaceShipOne a flight away from claiming \$10 million X Prize


BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan (Reuters) - U.S. Ryder Cup  captain Hal Sutton enlisted the help of basketball great  Michael Jordan to boost his team's morale for this week's match  with a pep talk.

Michael Jordan Morale Boost for U.S. Ryder Cup Team


GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands - A strengthened Hurricane Ivan headed toward the tip of western Cuba with 160 mph winds Monday after pummeling the Cayman Islands with flooding that swamped homes and fierce winds that ripped off roofs.    The slow-moving, extremely dangerous Category 5 storm, one of the strongest on record to hit the region, killed at least 68 people across the Caribbean before reaching the Caymans, and threatens millions more in its projected path...

Hurricane Ivan Barrels Toward Western Cuba


Whether they #39;ve been ready for months or are frantically working overtime to catch up, employers of all stripes have until Monday to conform to new labor regulations.

Overtime rules go in effect Monday


Univision Television Group dropped a suit seeking to stop Nielsen Media Research Inc. from using a new television ratings system in Los Angeles that Univision said undercounts Hispanic viewers.

Univision, Nielsen Drop People Meters #39; Litigation (Update1)


INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) - The Indiana Pacers made a commitment to their floor general Friday, signing point guard Jamaal Tinsley to a contract extension.

Pacers sign Tinsley to extension


Reuters - Walt Disney Co.  is\increasing investment in video games for hand-held devices and\plans to look for acquisitions of small game publishers and\developers, Disney consumer products Chairman Andy Mooney said\on Monday.

Disney Expanding Video Game Investment (Reuters)


AP - The last time the Boston Red Sox visited Yankee Stadium, Derek Jeter was hurtling headfirst into the stands, Nomar Garciaparra was sulking in the dugout and New York was pulling away in the AL East. A lot has changed since then.

Red Sox, Yankees Renew Rivalry at Stadium (AP)


KABUL (Reuters) - Three foreign election workers were  kidnapped by armed men in the Afghan capital Kabul on Thursday,  government officials said.

Three Foreigners Kidnapped in Afghanistan


Thousands of child soldiers have been forcibly recruited by Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka despite a ceasefire called in 2002 between the government and the separatists, Human Rights Watch said yesterday.

Tamil Tigers still enlisting thousands of child soldiers


Westfield (WDC) and a new company to be formed by Multiplex Group(MXG) and the Reuben brothers today announced they are to propose a \$1.

Westfield joins proposed joint bid for Chelsfield


The Metropolitan National Horse Show was a reminder of how much of what one thinks of as fashion started in the equestrian world.

What Clotheshorses Owe to Horse Clothes


A master of mystery much of the time, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has vastly improved the central bank #39;s communications with Wall Street and Main Street over the past decade.

Greenspan Has Created More Transparent Fed


Michael Rogers made up for his disappointment in the Olympic time trial by collecting the gold medal in the world championships - twice.

Rogers wins unique double gold


Chelsea defender Wayne Bridge will be handed the chance to stake his claim as the long-term solution to England #39;s left-sided midfield conundrum.

CHELSEA DUO TO START AGAINST SPAIN


Natural disasters killed 76,806 people in 2003, three times the number of victims in 2002, a rise due in part to extremes in the global climate, the world #39;s largest humanitarian body said on Thursday.

Disaster Toll Tripled in 2003 Amid Quakes, Heatwave


As they have for millennia, wolves reign supreme in the temperate rain forest that drapes the inland fjords and islands of northwest British Columbia.

Canada's Rain Forest Wolves a Link to Past


DAMASCUS (Reuters) - A bomb blew up in a car owned by a  Palestinian in a crowded district of Damascus on Monday and a  Palestinian source in Beirut said the blast was an attempt to  kill a member of the militant Hamas group.

Hamas Member Escapes Damascus Bomb Attack, 3 Hurt


ATHENS - Playing without suspended forward Abby Wambach, the US women #39;s soccer team battled to a mutually beneficial 1-1 draw with Australia last night at Kaftanzoglio Stadium in Thessaloniki. The result was not unexpected, as the ...

Result knot all bad for US: Wins group after tie with Aussies


AP - After a 16-day delay while ballots were counted, a state representative Thursday conceded to the state's former state natural resources chief in the tight GOP primary for the 3rd Congressional District.

Colo. State Rep. Concedes in House Primary (AP)


Europe fears its exports will be choked off by the dollar's decline, while American manufacturers are rejoicing.

Diverging Fortunes, Tied to the Dollar


Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook is listed as questionable for Sunday #39;s Keystone State showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field.

Eagles #39; Westbrook listed as questionable


Forbes.com - Remember 1965? We had Vietnam and Watts, free love, Vatican II, the Beatles, Joan Baez. And we had the Mustang. Back then cars were really important, and the Ford 1965 Mustang, introduced at the New York World's Fair in April 1964, created a wave of car excitement in America never seen before or since. The Mustang and its evangelist, Lee Iacocca, were on the covers of Time and Newsweek the same week.

Can the Pony Ride Again? (Forbes.com)


United Airlines, seeking cost cuts to help it get out of bankruptcy, has reached a tentative agreement with its pilots union, the first labor accord on additional

United, pilots tentatively agree on additional cuts


Philippine rescue teams evacuated thousands of people from the worst flooding in the central Luzon region since the 1970s as hungry victims hunted rats and birds for food.

Philippine Flood Toll Hits 29, Survivors Hunt Rats


Fischer has been in custody since he was detained by Japanese airport authorities on July 13 with an invalid American passport. He is wanted in the US for violating international sanctions against the former Yugoslavia in 1992.

Japan to deport ex-champ


Proposed law could prevent the government from offering broadband access.

Philadelphia Faces Wi-Fi Woes


The Associated Press reports that the Warriors and Mavericks are close to completing a deal that would bring Eduardo Najera and Christian Laettner to Golden State and send Erick Dampier, Evan Eschmeyer and Dan Dickau to Dallas.

Mavs Acquire Dampier


NTT DoCoMo, Japan #39;s largest mobile operator, will join US cell phone company Cingular Wireless in a partnership aimed at unifying third-generation cell phone technology and services, the Nihon Keizai newspaper said on Thursday.

Japan #39;s DoCoMo in mobile deal with Cingular


About half the Viagra sold on the Internet could be fake, according to University of London researchers. The scientists used near infrared (NIR) microscopy to check the ingredients of various samples of Viagra that were purchased online.

Health Highlights: Sept. 28, 2004


Microsoft partners with Blockbuster Online, CinemaNow, and MovieTickets.com on one-stop entertainment portal.

MSN Adds Movie Downloads and Rentals


TORONTO (CP) - Eugene Melnyk, who used his personal fortune to buy the Ottawa Senators last year, stepped aside Thursday as chief executive of Biovail Corp.

Drug-industry veteran to be Biovail #39;s new CEO; Melnyk remains <b>...</b>


AFP - Embattled Russian oil giant Yukos cut its 2004 oil production target from 90 million tonnes to 86 million tonnes, saying its inability to access its frozen accounts had forced the firm to reduce operating costs.

Yukos cuts 2004 oil production forecast (AFP)


Former Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams was ordered yesterday to repay the team more than \$8.6 million for breaching his contract when he suddenly quit before training camp.

Dolphins finally get a victory


Powerful Typhoon Chaba hit southwestern Japan on Monday, leaving five people dead, 54 injured, and four freighter crew members missing since Sunday, and paralyzing transportation systems in the region.

Typhoon hits southwestern Japan, kills 5


When it comes to qualifying for the main draw of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, Robert Kendrick knows that survival takes precedence and friendships are put on hold.

Business Is Business


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. telephone and cable companiessaw the growth of high-speed Internet services slow in thesecond quarter to the lowest rate in a year, an industryresearch firm said on Tuesday.

U.S. Broadband Growth Slows - Analyst


PeopleSoft's ousted CEO walks away with a severance package in excess of \$16 million.

Conway's golden purse


Roger Clemens didn #39;t look like a pitcher who is about to retire. Pitching on just a few hours sleep, Clemens held the Japanese all-stars to three runs on eight hits over 5 2-3 innings Wednesday

Japanese stars beat Clemens


Deal will merge antivirus vendor with maker of backup and archiving software.

Symantec Will Buy Veritas


The world #39;s number-two PC maker Hewlett-Packard has lowed PC prices in China with the lowest price at 4,000 yuan or 480 US dollars, seen as a response to the recent Lenovo-IBM deal.

HP lowers PC prices in China


Advertisers have uncovered a world of young men with plenty of time on their hands and money to spend - a highly coveted demographic - in an unlikely place.

Advertisers find a demographic gold mine: fantasy sports


Description: We check in with the progress of search for extraterrestrial intelligence. A paper published this week in the journal Nature argues that for sending lots of data over long distances, it #39;s hard

ET Might Prefer a Letter


Reuters - No more Japanese nuclear reactors need to\be closed for inspections, electric power companies said on\Wednesday after submitting reports ordered by the government\following a reactor accident that killed four workers last\week.

No New Closures of Japan Nuclear Reactors Needed (Reuters)


AT amp;T Corp., the largest US long- distance telephone company, will eliminate 20 percent of its workforce this year and write down \$11.

AT amp;T to Cut Workforce 20, Take \$11.4 Bln Writedown (Update2)


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.6  hit Manila in the Philippines overnight, the U.S. Geological  Survey's earthquake center in Golden, Colorado reported on  Friday.

Strong Quake Reported in Philippines - U.S. Agency


Cap Gemini, the Paris-based technology consulting and outsourcing giant, is considering a sale of its struggling business in North America.

Cap Gemini Said to Weigh Selling Unit in America


AFP - Police and officials in Gujarat are slowly starting to reveal how Hindu nationalists ruling the western Indian state either turned a blind eye or deliberately inflamed deadly Hindu-Muslim riots in 2002.

Indian state govt under cloud as deadly riots probed (AFP)


BAGHDAD: At least 23 people were killed in Iraq overnight and on Sunday as US Secretary for State Colin Powell acknowledged that organising elections throughout the country in January could be difficult.

23 killed in Iraq violence


Iraqi officials say insurgents fired mortars at an Iraqi National Guard headquarters in al-Mushahida, north of Baghdad Tuesday. Iraq #39;s Defense Ministry says four National Guard soldiers were killed and as

Insurgents Kill 4 National Guards in Baghdad, Margaret Hassan <b>...</b>


Web search leader Google Inc. said on Wednesday it will soon make it possible for users of its Gmail service to check their e-mail via Microsoft Outlook or on certain handheld devices such as mobile phones.

Gmail Users Soon Able to Check E-Mail Via Outlook


Intel Corp. Chief Executive Officer Craig Barrett wanted to go out in glory like his old boss, Andy Grove. Instead, he #39;ll retire to slumping sales growth, restless investors and repeated product delays.

Intel Chief Barrett Laments Timing Sucks #39; for His Departure


BEIRUT (Reuters) - A member of the Palestinian militant  group Hamas escaped unhurt on Monday when a bomb blew up his  car in the Syrian capital Damascus, a Palestinian source said.

Hamas Member Escapes Damascus Bomb Blast


Novell Inc has released a new version of its ZENworks management software for Linux as it moves towards a common management interface for Linux, Windows, Unix and NetWare.

Novell set to fly with cross-platform management


IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Drew Tate threw two touchdown passes in his first start and No. 19 Iowa turned in a dominating defensive performance to blast Kent State, 39-7, in its season opener yesterday.

Hawkeyes make sure Flashes don't pan out


A new fossil found in Spain may be the closest yet to the common ancestor of all great apes, perhaps including humans, researchers say.

Fossil of Great Ape Ancestor Found


AP - West Darfur's governor on Sunday linked an alleged coup attempt against the national government to a rebellion in western Sudan, saying the same group was behind both insurrections.

Darfur Governor Says Rebels Attempted Coup (AP)


Despite peace deals, Sudan #39;s Darfur region is lapsing into chaos, with rebels attacking police and the government ignoring brutal tribesmen they once armed, according to a United Nations report released on Monday.

Law and order collapsing in Darfur - UN


Northeast Iowa farmers have said for years it was only a matter of time before soybean rust was found in the United States. Time #39;s up.

Soybean rust discovered in US


Manchester United chief executive David Gill has called for the Champions League second group stage to be restored. Old Trafford boss Alex Ferguson and Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger were among the major

Gill wants Champions League change


Billy Reay, the winningest coach in Blackhawks history and a two-time Stanley Cup champion as a player, died Thursday at age 86. Reay, who had suffered from cancer

Billy Reay, Hawks #39; winningest coach, dead at 86


Score one for the lion tamer. The federal regulator that oversees home-mortgage giant Fannie Mae finally persuaded that government-sponsored enterprise to agree to clean up its questionable accounting practices.

Clearing Out Fannie #39;s  #39;Phantoms #39;


Vivisimo, an Internet search engine company, is introducing a service that is meant to lessen online information overload.

New Company Starts Up a Challenge to Google


INDIANAPOLIS  Aaron Peirsol, who swept the backstroke events at the Athens Olympics, won the 100-meter backstroke at the Short Course World Championships on Friday night.

Peirsol wins 100 backstroke; Phelps withdraws


OTTAWA (CP) - Consumers pushed retail sales to a record \$29.1 billion in August, says Statistics Canada. That was up 0.8 per cent from July when sales rose 0.4 per cent and also set a record at \$28.

Consumers pushed retail sales to a record \$29.1 billion in August <b>...</b>


If you didn #39;t think anybody else could possibly get any more spam than you, then think of Bill Gates. The Microsoft Corp. chairman receives 4 million pieces of e-mail per day, most of it junk, said Steve Ballmer, the company #39;s chief executive.

Microsoft #39;s Bill Gates gets millions of spam daily


Reuters - An accelerating thaw of the Arctic\may open vast regions for oil and gas exploration but that\brings worries of spills in the fragile environment, experts\said Thursday.

Arctic Thaw Could Open Vast Oil and Gas Region (Reuters)


Chinese officials Monday rebuffed Secretary of State Colin L. Powell #39;s suggestion they use a possibly conciliatory speech by Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian to restart

China Rebuffs Powell #39;s Suggestion


Defence officials and independent experts on Iraq yesterday accused the government of seriously underestimating the task facing the Black Watch at their base south of Baghdad.

Ministers underestimated threat, say experts


AP - Takeo Spikes made good on his vow the Buffalo Bills would finally provide some good news for their fans this weekend.

Bills Get First Win Over Winless Dolphins (AP)


The Mild Seven Renault F1 Team preview for the Italian Grand Prix.

Mild Seven Renault F1 Team Preview, Italian Grand Prix


They lack solid political bases and support from ruling party elders. One felt the wrath of voters just four years ago when he lost his Diet seat.

ANALYSIS:Koizumi puts post reformers in key LDP executive posts


SPACE.com - A trio of new observations suggests several tiny, unseen moons orbit Saturn and control the shape of its rings.

Hints of Unseen Moons in Saturn's Rings (SPACE.com)


Canadian Press - TORONTO (CP) - The United Church of Canada is pouring cold water on unionizing efforts by a group of stressed-out clergy.

Canada's largest Protestant church opposes efforts by some clergy to unionize (Canadian Press)


Three U.S. border crossings have been outfitted with fingerprint readers and digital imaging equipment as part of the US-VISIT program.

Biometric pilot program to tighten U.S. borders


SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Recording companies looking to wring more profits out of music sales are hoping to sell retailers on a new hybrid disc. On one side is standard CD audio; on the other, the enhanced sound, video and other media capabilities of a DVD...

New Hybrid Disc Offers CD-DVD Combination


Nykesha Sales may have scored a team-high 18 points to lead the Connecticut Sun to a 76-56 victory over the Mystics in Game 3 of last night #39;s WNBA Eastern Conference

Mystics bow meekly out of playoffs


America Online, the world #39;s largest Internet service provider, plans to lay off about 5 percent of its US work force as it faces an ever-dwindling subscribership, a source close to the company said on Tuesday.

Time Warner #39;s AOL Unit to Cut 700 Jobs -Source


Information technology services provider Ciber Inc. said Monday that it will buy a 67 percent stake in German software consultant Novasoft AG from the company #39;s founders in a move to enter the German market.

Ciber Buys Majority Stake in Novasoft


Reuters - Former No. 1 overall pick\Kwame Brown returned from an off-season foot injury in\Washington's 95-68 rout of New Jersey Wednesday night.

Brown Makes Season Debut for Wizards (Reuters)


New Brewers outfielder Carlos Lee was expecting a trade. He just didn #39;t know where. The Brewers obtained the 28-year-old left fielder from the Chicago White Sox this week for center fielder Scott Podsednik, reliever Luis Vizcaino and a player to be named.

Lee expected trade from White Sox


Friendster has rolled out a new internet search service powered by Eurekster that taps into your online social network to personalize and enhance search results.

Friendster, Eurekster Team Up for Personalized Search


LONDON - After a year of negotiations two of the world #39;s giants of consumer electronics, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Sony Corp.

Samsung, Sony sign extensive cross-licensing agreement


AP - Whistling rockets streak through the sky each night, and firecrackers still echo through the streets in Venezuela this holiday season despite a long-standing ban and a new effort by authorities to crack down on the tradition.

Venezuela Revels in Fireworks Celebrations (AP)


Reuters - U.S. consumer sentiment fell more\sharply in early October than analysts had expected, according\to a survey released on Friday.

U.S. Consumer Sentiment in Surprise Fall (Reuters)


Cheney and Rumsfeld are two of the most hawkish members of President George W. Bush #39;s cabinet and key architects of the. Washington-backed war that overthrew the Taliban in the wake of the

Karzai vows to bring Afghan peace


SEOUL, South Korea -- How long can the North Korean regime survive? A decade ago, it was taken as a matter of faith that it would soon be relegated to the same historical dustbin as the Soviet Union. But Kim Jong Il defied predictions of his political demise, and embarrassed pundits stopped even broaching the topic of the regime's life ...

Speculation about N. Korea resurfaces


BEIJING (Reuters) - Cisco Systems Inc. <A HREF=

Cisco Sees China as Center of World Tech Market


LAKE PLACID, NY (CP) - The Canadian women #39;s hockey team will try to regain the Four Nations Cup title Sunday after beating Finland 4-1 to advance to the championship game.

Canadian women #39;s hockey team advances to Four Nations Cup final <b>...</b>


US Airways Group Inc. president and chief executive Bruce Lakefield is determined that the airline will emerge from its second bankruptcy filing in two years in stronger shape than ever.

Bankrupt US Airways Faces Cash Peril


\A new mosque, thought to be the largest in central Asia, is inaugurated in the isolated republic.

Vast Turkmen mosque opens


Thousands of Americans have defected to satellite TV as the providers have reported hefty gains while the cable industry has declined. Consumers likely will see aggressive marketing promotions in the next six months as companies jockey for customers, analysts say.

Satellite TV Gains in Race Against Cable


Please read this first: Following is an independent investment commentary and analysis from the Reuters.com investment channel expressing views that are not connected with Reuters News.

Sailing away


A DETAILED plan to revitalise the Middle East peace process will be agreed today as Tony Blair and George Bush attempt to exploit the opportunity presented by Yassir Arafats death.

End of the Arafat era


JALAPA, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexico's main opposition party  put in a tepid performance in elections in a state it has run  since the 1920s, hitting a bump on the long road toward its  goal of returning to power nationally in 2006.

Mexico PRI Has Slim Lead in Veracruz Governnor Race


OSLO, Norway - Armed men stormed into an art museum Sunday, threatened staff at gunpoint and stole Edvard Munch's famous paintings

Munch's Famous 'Scream,' 'Madonna' Stolen


ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece staged an exuberant closing  ceremony on Sunday to bring the curtain down on the Athens  Games, which took the Olympics back to their roots and provided  drama right down to the last gold medal.

Olympics: Games Close with Drama Down to Last Medal


AP - First and foremost, delegates to the Republican National Convention want their next president  #151; whoever that may be  #151; to focus on fighting terrorism, an Associated Press survey found.

AP Survey: Terror Fight Is RNC Priority (AP)


FOR the second night running there were tears for British athletics. But this time, in stark contrast to the shock and bewilderment of Paula Radcliffe, they were tears of utter

Tears of joy as Holmes runs the race of her life


Redskins coach Joe Gibbs expects few major personnel changes in the offseason and wants to instill a culture of stability in Washington.

Desiring Stability


VfB Stuttgart blew a gilt-edged chance to go back to the top of the Bundesliga on Wednesday night after leading ten-man Werder Bremen for most of a match they eventually lost 2-1.

Stuttgart Slip Again Against Ten-Man Bremen


The Department of Civil Aviation Dubai, last night welcomed the inaugural Air China flight CA 941 from Beijing to Dubai International Airport.

Air China inaugural flight lands at Dubai International Airport


LONDON -- She's lived in Iraq for three decades and has been a passionate advocate for its people, arguing against the US-led invasion, but humanitarian worker Margaret Hassan finds herself a pawn as the latest hostage in the conflict gripping her adopted homeland.

Key advocate for Iraqis, seen as 'heroine', now a hostage


Microsoft is expected to launch a beta version of its Web search technology on Thursday, with ambitions to catch up to rivals Google and Yahoo.

Still awaiting Microsoft #39;s search entry


Tottenham have confirmed the signing of midfielder Michael Carrick this morning as the former West Ham star was given the green light following yesterdays medical.

Tottenham Sign Carrick


The Supreme Court declines to hear the music industry's appeal of a case that forbade it from trying to force phone and internet companies from turning over the names of people suspected of copyright infringement over peer-to-peer networks. Michael Grebb reports from Washington, D.C.

Music Industry Spurned by Court


PC World - Nation needs government help to maintain competitive edge, group says.

IBM, Others Push for Greater U.S. Innovation (PC World)


Ukrainian MPs fail to adopt election law changes the opposition says are needed to avert fraud in a new run-off.

Ukraine MPs reject election bill


World oil prices firmed on Friday after a five-session drop amid renewed concerns over unrest in Iraq despite a ceasefire in its holy city of Najaf.

Ceasefire in Najaf helps to steady global oil prices


PARIS (Reuters) - Oil prices up toward \$45 a barrel are  likely to mar sentiment on Wall Street on Wednesday, but solid  earnings from software giant Oracle <A HREF=

Oil Prices Seen Weighing on Wall Street


Most US companies - although not the largest ones - were given a reprieve Tuesday from requirements imposed in the wake of the Enron and WorldCom scandals that they and their auditors certify that the companies #39; internal financial controls are adequate.

SEC gives some companies a break


Daniel O #39;Neill, Molson chief executive officer, stands to make \$3-million following the successful completion of the company #39;s proposed merger with Adolph Coors Co.

Execs at Molson and Coors look at big packages


Voiceglo, a subsidiary of TheGlobe.com, has released a test version of an application designed to create interoperability among four major consumer instant message (IM) networks.

Update: TheGlobe.com subsidiary guns for IM interoperability


TORONTO - Nortel Networks said Friday it has hired consulting firm Accenture to help it revamp its financial organization. Accenture will review elements of Nortel Networks global finance organization and

Nortel hires Accenture to revamp financial organization


Hewlett-Packard has joined with Brocade to integrate Brocade #39;s storage area network switching technology into HP Bladesystem servers to reduce the amount of fabric infrastructure needed in a datacentre.

HP partners Brocade on Bladesystem servers


AP - In a change that could give new meaning to direct democracy, San Franciscans will soon cast ballots listing their first, second and third-place choices for municipal offices under a new

'Ranked-Choice Voting' Debuts in Calif. (AP)


December 05, 2004 - Ubisoft, one of the world #39;s leading video game publishers, today announced that Prince of Persia: Warrior Within(tm) is now available on store shelves for the PlayStation(r)2 computer entertainment system, Xbox(r) video game system

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within In Stores


The head of Britain #39;s security services has called on business to play a greater role in combating the threat of terrorism. Eliza Manningham-Buller, the

Head of MI5 warns business to guard against terrorism


AFP - British retailer Marks and Spencer announced a major management shake-up as part of efforts to revive its fortunes, saying trading has become tougher ahead of the crucial Christmas period.

Marks and Spencer unveils major management shake up (AFP)


Amazon.com Inc. has agreed to buy Joyo.com, China #39;s largest on-line retailer of books, music and videos, for \$75-million (US) to gain access to the world #39;s second-biggest Internet market.

Amazon to purchase Chinese on-line retailer


The Supreme Court overturned a five-figure damage award for an auto dealer's alleged loan scam, ruling that a federal appeals court had wrongly interpreted a federal fair-credit law when it upheld the award last year.

High Court Puts Limit On Lender Liability


The Internet Engineering Task Force has nixed Microsoft #39;s Sender ID proposal because of patent concerns. By Thomas Claburn. The Internet Engineering Task Force, an international standards organization, has

Standards Group Rejects Microsoft #39;s E-Mail Authentication Plan


ABIDJAN (Reuters) - France deployed troops in Ivory Coast's  main city on Sunday to protect its citizens from mob violence  which erupted after French forces destroyed most of the West  African nation's small air force.

French Troops on Streets After Ivory Coast Unrest


Finn Jarkko Nieminen reignited his rise through the rankings on Friday, this time at the expense of third seed David Nalbandian 6-2 2-6 6-2 at the China Open.

Finn blazes past Nalbandian


A Microsoft lawyer said the arrest was  quot;significant, quot; given the value of the source code.  quot;It is our secret recipe, our secret formula like the Coke formula, quot; associate general counsel Tom Rubin said.

Man Charged with Peddling Stolen Windows Source Code


Ice is sliding off the Antarctic continent much faster than it did during the 1990s, several teams of researchers have found. On the Antarctic Peninsula that sticks out from the western side of the continent

Glaciers are flowing faster


Japan #39;s Suzuki Motor Corp.  lt;7269.T gt; said on Monday it would spend about 10 billion yen (\$91.44 million) to build a diesel engine plant in India with output to start in 2006.

Suzuki to build engine factory, car plant in India


Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Ford Motor Co. (FN: Quote, Profile, Research) agreed on Wednesday to settle a shareholder lawsuit accusing Ford Chairman

Goldman, Ford settle IPO allocation dispute


Two people were in custody Sunday following a shootout between two groups of people that left two men dead and a third man wounded, police said Sunday.

Police: Shooting in Detroit leaves 2 men dead, 1 wounded


Rwanda #39;s president on Tuesday warned he would send forces after rebels that have launched attacks from neighboring Congo -- and suggested he may already have -- if Congo and the United Nations don #39;t do more to disarm the fighters.

Rwandan President Warns Forces Will Deal with Rebels in <b>...</b>


UK News, LONDON - Gerry Adams, the head of the IRA #39;s political ally has held unprecedented talks with Northern Ireland #39;s police chief amid frantic efforts to seal a lasting settlement in the London-ruled province.

UK ; Northern Irish parties scramble to seal deal


Tool that identifies Web sites pretending to be connected to banks, eBay, etc., could help leave phishing scammers dead in the water.

WholeSecurity program targets fraud sites


Boston Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo and team president Larry Lucchino took the World Series trophy to Rhode Island on Thursday, as fans gathered to celebrate the historic accomplishment.

Red Sox present World Series trophy to Rhode Island


Many people don #39;t use a handheld organizer for anything but tracking their calendar appointments and contacts lists. For them, there #39;s no reason to spend more than \$100, in the form of Palm #39;s Zire 21.

Tech Buying Guide: Organizers


Health-care insurer Humana Inc. on Monday said it agreed to acquire CarePlus Health Plans of Florida for about \$408 million in a transaction expected to give a solid boost to 2005 earnings.

Humana to Acquire CarePlus Health Plans


AFP - The number of people killed in the massive earthquake and tidal waves that hit Indian Ocean shorelines a week ago passed 144,000.

Death toll in Asian quake disaster passes 144,000 (AFP)


STOCKHOLM, Sweden --(Business Wire)-- Dec. 10, 2004 -- Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERICY) has been awarded a contract by China Telecom Corporation Limited (China Telecom) for building its next-generation IP backbone

Ericsson To Build China Telecom #39;s Next-Generation IP Backbone <b>...</b>


A politically progressive website at the forefront of discussions about electronic-voting machines and election irregularities is barring Black Box Voting founder Bev Harris from posting to its site. By Joanna Glasner.

Site Bars Black Box Voting Head


quot;Chief Executive Kevin Rollins said the company was considering using Advanced Micro Devices chips for some future server products, but stressed that Dell had no formal plans as yet to embrace AMD.

Dell Considers AMD For Server Lines


washingtonpost.com - BAGHDAD, Sept. 23 -- A British hostage threatened with death by a militant Islamic group appealed to  Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday to save his life by ordering the release of all women held in Iraqi prisons.

British Hostage Makes Appeal For Blair's Help (washingtonpost.com)


AP - The Government Accountability Office, responding to a request from Democratic lawmakers, will investigate the way votes were counted in the Nov. 2 election.

GAO to Investigate Voting Irregularies (AP)


AP - Consumer prices rose by a mild 0.2 percent in November as costs for gasoline and food products calmed down after posting sharp increases the month before.

Consumer Prices Up in Nov. As Gas Calms (AP)


Delta said it would cut 12 percent of its work force and that a bankruptcy filing was

Delta Aims to Cut Jobs 12, Drop a Hub and Reduce Pay


BOSTON - If this World Series comes down to a battle of sentiment and pathos, it ain #39;t even going to be close. The Red Sox, one senses, have became the people #39;s choice, the exceptions being jealous Cubs

It #39;s not party time yet, Boston


Napster, one of the world #39;s most well known music downloading services, has signed a lucrative deal with Dwango Wireless that could see a mobile phone capable of downloading ringtones from Napster by 2005.

Napster to Provide Mobile Ringtones


England marched into the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy as the Duckworth-Lewis method saw them secure a 49-run victory over Sri Lanka at the Rose Bowl.

Weather gods smile on England


Each week it #39;s about numbers. Numbers, numbers, numbers. Look at the opponent, analyze the numbers. This week is no different, but perhaps it should be.

MINNESOTA SPLATS


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A confession by the former No. 2 Air  Force arms buyer that she steered contracts to her future  employer, Boeing Co. <A HREF=

Boeing Probe Could Spur Rival Lawsuits


Both sides of the political spectrum twist the truth in their media briefs, according to a website that's tracking the spin. The system of half truths make it hard for ordinary folks to become informed.

Taking Aim at 'Arms Race of Spin'


The competition between two leading Internet search engines is heating up anew as Yahoo Inc. plans to announce today that it soon will offer a free, high-speed way to search for information on personal computers, challenging rival Google Inc., which released a similar product earlier this fall.

Yahoo to Release Desktop Search Tool


Treasury Secretary John Snow said Wednesday cutting the US current account deficit will be a top priority for the Bush administration #39;s second term.

Snow says cutting trade deficit a priority


THE child rapists of Pitcairn Island next year will move into the jail they helped build. Judges yesterday showed the mercy which for so long has been absent

Rapists to stay in jail they built


Paul Hamm of the United States won the gold medal Wednesday in all-around gymnastics.

Hamm Wins Gold for U.S.


DUBLIN -- Prime Minister Bertie Ahern urged Irish Republican Army commanders yesterday to meet what he acknowledged was ''a heavy burden quot;: disarming and disbanding their organization in support of Northern Ireland's 1998 peace accord.

Irish leader urges IRA to disband


By putting off a vote on banning all human cloning, nations have let embryo research for therapeutic reasons gain momentum. By Gregory M. Lamb  Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor.

UN delay: a boost for cloning advocates


In the wake of the uproar over the news that Notre Dame had fired football coach Tyrone Willingham, this headline appeared on the Internet.

Notre Dame does deserve credit for ending hypocrisy


PHILADELPHIA (Sports Network) - Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest will be back in the lineup for Friday #39;s game versus Philadelphia at the Wachovia Center.

Pacers #39; Artest Back in the Lineup


The US men #39;s basketball team finally got a convincing victory at the Olympic tournament on Monday, trouncing winless Angola 89-53 in their final preliminary round Group B match.

#39;Dream team #39; beat improved Angola


A large and powerful typhoon that has left eight people dead blew out into the Sea of Okhotsk Tuesday evening after hitting Hokkaido, the Meteorological Agency said.

Deadly typhoon hits Hokkaido


Verizon has announced an upgrade to its DSL service in 12 states, providing a maximum download speed of 3Mbps and up to 768Kbps of upload speed.

Verizon Gives Speed Boost To DSL


CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh -- Captain Stephen Fleming set two national records as New Zealand took control on the first day of the second test against Bangladesh in Chittagong.

Centurion Fleming sets two records


NewsFactor - Korean-based Samsung Electronics announced Wednesday that it will sell a new multifunction mobile phone, the SCH-S250, equipped with a 5-megapixel digital camera. The new phone will be available to Korean customers later this month.

Samsung To Release 5-Megapixel Phone (NewsFactor)


Jason Kidd hit a go-ahead basket early in overtime, and the Nets denied former coach Byron Scott a win in his return to New Jersey with a 94-91 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Friday night.

Nets 94, Hornets 91, OT


AP - The final report of the chief U.S. arms inspector for Iraq was expected to undercut a principal Bush administration rationale for removing Saddam Hussein, that Saddam's Iraqi government had weapons of mass destruction.

Report May Undercut Bush's Iraq Rationale (AP)


SYDNEY: Australian supermarket giant Woolworths raised its bid for pubs chain ALH to A\$1.2bn (\$898m) on Monday, but rival Coles Myer played for time by winning a deadline extension.

Woolworths ups bid for ALH, Coles buys time


Reuters - When businesses consider their\assets, they may look at obvious things like products,\buildings, equipment, patents, even valued employees. But the\company's history?

Newbiz: an Unconventional Asset-The Past (Reuters)


It is perhaps appropriate that the man who has killed the most-wanted brigand in the country should be called K Vijay Kumar. The 1975 batch police officer from the Tamil Nadu cadre had volunteered in 2000

The man who killed Veerappan


JPMorgan Chase  amp; Co. third quarter profits fell 13 percent, mainly because of weakness in trading operations and costs related to its merger with Bank One.

Update 4: JPMorgan Shares Fall on Poor Earnings


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dwyane Wade scored 25 points to  inspire the Miami Heat to their seventh straight win, a 107-100  victory over the Denver Nuggets Friday.

NBA Wrap: Wade, O'Neal Carry Heat to 7th Straight Win


Bank of America signs a deal to deploy 180,000 Cisco IP telephones nationwide over the next three years.

Cisco notches new Net phone deal


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The five top U.S. defense  contractors, communications companies joined on Tuesday with  some European rivals to develop technology standards that will  allow better communication among future weapons systems.

Defense, IT Companies Form Standards Group


Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has rejected criticism of his club #39;s decision to sack Romanian striker Adrian Mutu after he tested positive for cocaine earlier this month.

UPDATE 1-Kenyon refutes criticism over Mutu sacking


November 10, 2004 - Could it be? Another bit of videogame goodness graced by the Star Wars universe? It looks that way, as LucasArts President Jim Ward told Reuters that a new Star Wars RTS title for the PC is on the way.

New Star Wars RTS Coming?


The Iranian parliament votes against key parts of a reform plan aimed at opening the economy to foreign investment.

Iranian economic reform falters


Palestinians formally opened the campaign to replace Yasser Arafat yesterday as candidates aspiring to replace the long-time leader began seeking signatures to qualify for the January 9 ballot.

Palestinians open election process to select candidate to replace <b>...</b>


The Multiband OFDM Alliance (MBOA) has finished its ultrawideband (UWB) radio physical layer (PHY) specification. What this array of abbreviations means is that UWB chip makers can now finalise their designs

UWB group completes key radio spec


AP - The Hamburg Sea Devils joined NFL Europe on Wednesday, meaning five of the league's six teams are in Germany.

Hamburg Gets New NFL Europe Franchise (AP)


Oracle Corp. (ORCL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , in the midst of a hostile takeover attempt of rival PeopleSoft Inc. (PSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , on Monday raised its offer

Oracle sweetens Peoplesoft offer to \$24/shr


A Russian court has sentenced a physicist Valentin Danilov to 14 years in a Siberian prison for passing space secrets to China. Danilov, 53, a professor at Krasnoyarsk

Russia sends scientist to jail for spying


After a doubleheader sweep of the Minnesota Twins, the Yankees can clinch the A.L. East championship on Thursday by beating them again.

The Division Is Almost in the Yankees' Hands


About this time last year, I wrote a column following up on some pieces I'd written earlier to see what if anything new had happened to those topics. The reaction I heard afterwards convinced me that revisiting old news was a worthwhile exercise -- in general, it's too easy for tech reporters to lose sight of how a product works over time in the real world, as opposed to a brief trial in a reviewer's hands.

It Takes Time to Judge the True Impact of New Technology


AP - King Abdullah II stripped his half brother and heir apparent of his title as crown prince in an abrupt shake-up Sunday aimed at redeeming the full power the king inherited from his late father.

Jordan's King Strips Half Brother's Title (AP)


WASHINGTON - The Securities and Exchange Commission staff may propose expanding disclosure rules on executive pay to cover lower-paid executives including general counsels, a commission official said.

SEC mulls expanding rules on execs #39; pay


(Sports Network) - The Dodgers have been alone in first place in the National League West every day since July 8. That could change tonight, as Los Angeles tries to avoid being swept in a three-game series by the surging San Diego Padres at Petco Park.

SportsNetwork Game Preview


Almost 500 letters from friends, family, corporate leaders and celebrity sportsmen were sent in defence of convicted internet banker Frank Quattrone, it emerged yesterday.

Celebrities join family in plea for Quattrone


His team has a 5-1 record, his franchise quarterback is having an MVP-type season and his fan base is energized by the prospect of a Super Bowl run.

Vikings #39; McCombs openly lobbying for move -- or maybe he #39;ll cash <b>...</b>


UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has laid a wreath at the grave of former Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat. Mr Straw is meeting Palestinian leaders at their headquarters in the occupied West Bank, following talks in Israel.

UK minister visits Arafat grave


After winning the Pop Secret 500 Sunday night at California Speedway and all but nailing down a spot in NASCAR #39;s new Chase for the Nextel Cup playoff, Sadler could hardly contain his excitement about a possible trip to New York City in December for the

Pressure off for Sadler


AP - Top U.S. officials differed Friday over key details of planned Iraqi elections in January, including the unresolved issue of whether all Iraqis will be able to vote and who will protect them from their country's worsening violence.

U.S. Officials Differ on Iraqi Elections (AP)


Japan issued a deportation order today against former world chess champion Bobby Fischer, who is wanted in the United States for defying sanctions, but his lawyer immediately filed an appeal, blocking the move.

Japan to deport Fischer


Microsoft claims its new MSN search engine indexes more web pages than any of its rivals.

Microsoft seeks top search spot


The chances of scientists making any one of five discoveries by 2010 have been hugely underestimated, according to bookmakers.

Bookmakers slash science odds


The U.S. military presence in Iraq will grow to 150,000 troops by next month, the highest level since the invasion last year.

U.S. to Increase Its Force in Iraq by Nearly 12,000


New York beverage conglomerate Constellation Brands said Tuesday that it has offered \$1.3 billion -- \$970 million in cash and \$333 million in assumed debt -- to acquire Robert Mondavi Corp.

NY firm wants all of Mondavi


Continuing to fill out its Visual Studio tools line, Microsoft on Monday is announcing Visual Studio 2005 Standard Edition, intended for developers working in small organizations.

Microsoft adds to Visual Studio tools line


Rising fuel costs and high air fares push up UK inflation during November, according to official figures.

Transport costs fuel UK inflation


NEW DELHI -- Nuclear rivals India and Pakistan agreed yesterday to widen their peace dialogue in talks that focused on eight festering issues, including the decades-old dispute over the Himalayan region of Kashmir.

India and Pakistan agree to widen peace dialogue


Boston at Oakland (10:05 pm EDT). The Red Sox, opening a seven-game road trip, have won 17 of their last 19 games to cut the Yankees #39; AL East lead to 21/2 games.

Baseball Today


CUBAN President Fidel Castro, 87, wrote from his hospital bed today that he was doing well after an operation on a knee he broke in a fall.

Injured Castro  #39;still in control #39;


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

Waiting Game Almost Over at Oakland Hills


AFP - China's national team basketball star Liu Wei, aiming to become Asia's first guard to make it in the NBA, is getting high accolades from the coaches of the Sacramento Kings with whom he is trying out.

NBA hopeful Liu Wei wins praise from coaches on eve of China showdown (AFP)


AP - The record level of debt being carried by American households and soaring home prices do not appear to represent serious threats to the U.S. economy, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Tuesday.

Greenspan: Home Prices Not Hurting Economy (AP)


It #39;s a global celestial event and scientists say the annual Geminid Meteor Shower is the best astronomy show of the year. NASA #39;s Web site explains that the shower is created as Earth moves through a cloud

Geminid meteor showers alarm area residents


Struggling china maker Royal Doulton says it is in talks with about a possible takeover by Irish rival Waterford Wedgwood.

Royal Doulton in takeover talks


Getting Around Search Engine Optimization Roadblocks\\Today, I will cover the most difficult technologies and techniques to work with. While each of these technologies, techniques and designs have a useful purpose for web-designers, webmasters and general office staff tasked with keeping the site up to date, they each also present problems ...


AP - Details of a new television ad from Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry to begin airing this week:

AdWatch: Kerry Hits Bush on Health Care (AP)


Associates of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences on terrorism charges in an Israeli jail, said Sunday that he is withdrawing from the Jan. 9 election for president of the Palestinian Authority.

Barghouti Drops Out of Palestinian Election


Mark Loretta hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th to lift the San Diego Padres a 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants in National League action on Wednesday.

NL Wrap: Padres Edge Giants, Astros Soar to Wild-Card Lead


AnandTech have thrown up their Performance Preview for Nvidia #39;s nForce4 SLI MCPs using a pair of GeForce 6800GTs and 6600GTs! Here #39;s a snip.

Your Daily Tech News Service...


Computer-based matching system helps students to find the most compatible roommates.

In Dorms, a Method to The Matches


Top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo of France came back from a set down to beat Serb Jelena Jankovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 Saturday and reach the final of the \$585,000 Generali Ladies Open at the Intersport Arena.

Mauresmo and Bovina advance to Generali final


Advances in biotechnology are limiting the damage oil spills inflict, as scientists supercharge bacteria to devour petroleum. By John Gartner.

Oil Eaters Slurp Up Spills


It #39;s an encounter that everyone has been waiting for: on Tuesday, October 26, Cassini-Huygens will streak past Titan in the mission #39;s first close encounter with Saturn #39;s largest moon.

Cassini-Huygens Set for Closest-Ever Flight Past Titan


AP - Gunmen carrying flags of Iraq's most feared terror group surfaced in force in the central Iraqi city of Samarra on Tuesday for the first time since U.S. troops briefly entered it in a deal with tribal leaders that the Americans had portrayed as a success story in battling the insurgency.

Insurgents Surface in Streets of Samarra (AP)


AP - Tony Batista homered twice to reach 30 this season, Livan Hernandez pitched another complete game and the Montreal Expos beat the New York Mets 6-1 Tuesday night before just 3,839 at Olympic Stadium.

Thin Crowd Watches Expos Beat Mets 6-1 (AP)


Lord Black, the former owner of the Daily Telegraph and the Hollinger International newspaper group, is charged with fraud by US regulators.

Lord Black is charged with fraud


LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE -- When a capsule from NASA #39;s Genesis spacecraft appears in the sky above the Utah desert on the morning of Sept. 8, it will have withstood more than three years in space and will contain samples of the ...

Pilots prepare for mid-air catch of Genesis capsule


ARSENE WENGER was today given a huge Premiership title boost after Arsenal agreed a multi-million pound sponsorship deal for their new 400m Ashburton Grove stadium.

EMIRATES STADIUM CASH FOR GUNNERS


The news that 12 Nepalese hostages in Iraq have been killed has shocked everyone in the country. Ever since the first images of the hostages pleading for their lives was aired on television

Nepal shocked by hostage murders


BAGHDAD, Iraq - An Iraqi militant group appealed Sunday to an influential Sunni Muslim organization for an edict on whether the kidnapping of foreigners who work for occupation forces is acceptable under Islam.    The appeal came as a Turkish transportation company, Renay International, announced it would withdraw from Iraq a day after Iraqi militants threatened to behead one of its employees - the latest company to meet kidnappers' demands to go...

Militants Seek Group Edict on Kidnappings


This summer movie actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman wrapped up a motorcycle trip across Europe, Asia, and North America. In an interview, they discuss the open road, cranky border guards, and roadside hygiene.

Actor Ewan McGregor on Globe-Spanning Motorbike Adventure


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices slid from record highs  above \$50 a barrel Wednesday as the U.S. government reported a  surprise increase in crude stocks and rebels in Nigeria's  oil-rich delta region agreed to a preliminary cease-fire with  the government.

Oil Ends Below \$50 on Nigerian Ceasefire


But IDC researchers voice a more cautious view, based on factors including high oil prices.

Report: companies expect fast IT spending growth


Mozambique used canoes and helicopters to ferry ballot papers to remote rural districts for Wednesday #39;s election to pick a successor to President Joaquim Chissano who spent 18 years in office.

Mozambique Votes to Elect Successor to Chissano


America Online Inc. announced Monday that it is launching an  quot;AIM Bot Program quot; that will automatically distribute targeted advertising and  quot;online presence quot; campaigns to its 100 million instant message users.

AOL Marketing  #39;Bots #39; to Target AIM Users


Reuters - U.S. economic expansion remains on\track and inflation under control, top Federal Reserve\officials said Wednesday in comments likely to reinforce views\the Fed will hike rates again this year.

Fed: Economic Growth on Track (Reuters)


The Homeland Security Department could access data stored in the electronic container seal, but failure rates must be below 5. By Larry Greenemeier.

Port Security May Be Aided By Electronic Container Seals


It took 50 matches for a team to finally beat Arsenal in the English Premiere League. Arsenal, unbeaten through entire last season lost a match after more than a year.

Manchester United breaks Arsenals winning Streak


Leeds chairman Gerald Krasner is confident the club will be in the hands of new owners before Christmas after turning his attention to a group of local businessmen - and his back on Sebastien Sainsbury.

KRASNER TURNS TO LOCAL BIDDERS


TOKYO (Reuters) - Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s DS video game player  saw strong sales on its debut in Japan on Thursday, kicking off  what is expected to be a fierce fight with rival Sony Corp.'s  Playstation Portable.

Nintendo DS Game Player Makes Strong Japan Debut


JERUSALEM - The Israeli man at the center of New Jersey Gov. James E...

Man Linked to N.J. Gov. Says He's Straight


J Sainsbury, the deeply troubled supermarket group, yesterday gave its third profits warning since March, and some analysts fear that a fourth could arrive as early as next Tuesday.

Sainsbury warning  #39;could be followed by another #39;


OPEC ministers yesterday agreed to increase their ceiling for oil production to help bring down stubbornly high prices in a decision that traders and analysts

OPEC votes to lift output, aims to ease fears


COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Joel Statham threw for 333 yards and ran for a score, and Maryland held on to beat fifth-ranked Florida State, 20-17, yesterday.

Terps snap Seminole hex


The Vindicator/Scott R. Galvin REACHING OUT: Cleveland Browns quarterback Jeff Garcia dives for a touchdown as he is hit by Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed in the fourth quarter of Sunday #39;s game.

Browns back up their talk with 20-3 win over Ravens


HONG KONG - Pro-democracy opposition figures gained more clout in Hong Kong #39;s legislature with three new seats, but they fell short of expectations and resumed grumbling yesterday about a system they said was unfairly rigged.

HK pro-democrats dismayed


LONDON (Reuters) - Scandal-hit oil giant Royal Dutch/Shell  will invest \$45 billion over three years to boost reserves and  production but its shares fell on disappointment it did not  extend a stock buyback program.

Shell Plan Disappoints Investors


The US space agency flies its X-43A hypersonic jet to a speed in excess of nine times the speed of sound.

Superfast Nasa jet pushes Mach 10


US President George W. Bush signed into law a bill replacing an export tax subsidy that violated international trade rules with a \$145 billion package of new corporate tax cuts and a buyout for tobacco farmers.

Bush Signs \$145 Bln Corporate Tax Cut, Tobacco Buyout (Update1)


AUGUST 19, 2004 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Apple Computer Inc. has issued a recall for about 28,000 PowerBook batteries sold between January and August for use with its 15-in. PowerBook G4 computers. The batteries, which were made by LG Chem Ltd. of South Korea, ...

Apple recalls 15-in. PowerBook batteries


Mumbai: The board of directors of Reliance Industries Ltd had considered the letter written by Anil Ambani, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, regarding the decision taken at the July 27 board meeting on powers and authorities of the CMD.

#39;RIL board rejected Anils contention #39;


AFP - T-Online, Deutsche Telekom's majority owned Internet service provider, said it was lifting its forecast for full-year core earnings after reporting better-than-expected results.

T-Online raises outlook after better-than-expected results (AFP)


_ Newly minted World Series hero Curt Schilling canceled a scheduled campaign appearance with President Bush on Friday, saying his doctors advised him not to travel because of his injured ankle.

Schilling cancels scheduled appearance wih Bush


Elan Corp. PLC, Ireland #39;s largest pharmaceutical firm, reported widening third-quarter losses Thursday but predicted a return to profit in 2006.

Elan Corp. Reports Widening 3Q Loss


Reuters - Carolina Panthers punter\Todd Sauerbrun was arrested Wednesday night and charged with\driving while impaired.

Panthers Punter Sauerbrun Arrested for DWI (Reuters)


AP - Janel McCarville had 22 points and 11 rebounds to help No. 12 Minnesota beat Indiana 61-47 on Sunday.

No. 12 Minnesota Women Beat Indiana 61-47 (AP)


At this point, we #39;re not just watching football anymore. We #39;re watching history. Every week, the Indianapolis Colts #39; offense uses the football field as its canvas, and every week, it creates an art form that

We #39;re all witnesses to something special


Reuters - Kmart Holding Corp. (KMRT.O) on Monday\reported its third consecutive quarterly profit despite\slumping sales as it cut jobs and reduced advertising and\discounts, boosting its cash pile to  #36;2.6 billion.

KMart Posts Profit; Cash Pile Grows (Reuters)


A US-led operation targeting ID fraud crooks has led to the arrest of 28 people across seven countries this week. The arrests follow an undercover operation headed by US Secret Service agents that successful

US Secret Service busts 28 ID fraudsters


Foxboro, MA (Sports Network) - Tom Brady threw for a pair of scores and Corey Dillon ran for 94 yards, as the New England Patriots set an NFL record with their 19th consecutive victory in a 24-10 triumph over the winless Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium

Pats set NFL record with 19th straight win


This priority retains its ranking at number five as more and more companies deploy Web Services to share business logic, data and processes with each other and with clients.

Former Yahoo top exec to head start-up Blinkx


When Google first burst on the stock market scene, the guys running the place sounded like political newcomers attaining public office for the first time and vowing to clean up the place: Mr. Smith Goes to Wall Street, as it were. In Frank Capra's classic film

Google's New Approach Followed the Same Old Path


BEIJING: China sought yesterday to soothe concerns over a surprise interest rate rise, its first in nearly a decade and one which is expected to start a series of increases to cool growth in the world #39;s seventh-biggest economy.

China seeks to soothe markets on rate rise


An Iraqi insurgent group said on a Web site it had taken 11 Iraqi National Guard soldiers hostage.

11 Iraqi Guardsmen Taken Hostage


THE Iraqi Government shut down Al-Jazeera #39;s Baghdad operations indefinitely today, extending a one-month closure order imposed after the pan-Arab channel was accused of inciting violence.

Iraq extends Al-Jazeera ban


A ruling that Visa and Mastercard had violated anti-trust law has been upheld by the US Supreme Court. The case stemmed from a 1998 Justice Department lawsuit challenging the credit card issuers #39; regulations.

Credit card giants lose court bid


Normally, there are few sure things in golf, but here's something we can be certain of: The lads in today's final pairing at the 84th New England PGA Championship at Brae Burn Country Club will not require introductions.

Philo is in the know


Two-and-a-half years after Congress passed the most sweeping corporate reforms since the Great Depression, trade groups are maneuvering to revise them, arguing that they are too expensive, too time-consuming and too much trouble for small businesses.

Firms Push to Ease Tough Federal Scrutiny


Ziff Davis - The company's third supercomputing center will focus on the energy industry.

IBM Brings High-Performance Computing to Houston (Ziff Davis)


The scientist who created Dolly the Sheep at Edinburgh #39;s Roslin Institute wants to clone human embryos to help find a cure for motor neurone disease.

Dolly scientist in clone bid


Roger Federer leads Andre Agassi two sets to one before rain interrupts their US Open quarter-final.

Tennis: Federer leads Agassi


SOTOGRANDE, Spain -- The European Tour will feature three, and possibly four, tournaments in China next season. The new schedule, released Thursday at the Volvo Masters, begins Nov. 25-28 with the China Open in Shanghai.

China stops included in  #39;05 European Tour


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks looked to open flat on  Thursday under pressure from the surge in oil prices and  lackluster September sales reports from U.S. retailers.

Stocks Seen Flat with Oil Above \$52


AP - President Enrique Bolanos told U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld Friday that Nicaragua would completely eliminate a stockpile of hundreds of surface-to-air missiles with no expectation of compensation from the United States.

Nicaragua Says It Will Destroy Missiles (AP)


AP - LaDainian Tomlinson missed practice Wednesday and will probably sit out Thursday because of a strained groin, but the San Diego Chargers running back expects to play against the Oakland Raiders.

Tomlinson Expects to Play Against Raiders (AP)


HATRA, Iraq, Oct 13 (AFP) - Forensic experts digging for evidence against ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein have carried out their first full exhumation of a mass grave filled with the skeletons of scores of women and children, many shot in the back of

Investigators dig up mass grave seeking evidence to nail Saddam


Michael Phelps, who thrilled packed crowds for a week with his record-breaking feats in the pool, bowed out in true style on the penultimate evening of the Athens Olympic swimming competition.

Swimming: Phelps Wins a Classic Then Steps Aside


Reuters - Dell Inc. (DELL.O), the world's\largest PC maker, said on Monday it has left the low-end\consumer PC market in China and cut its overall growth target\for the country this year due to stiff competition in the\segment.

Dell Exits Low-End China Consumer PC Market (Reuters)


FLUSHING, NY, (Sports Network) - The New York Mets are bringing Willie Randolph across town from the Bronx to be their 18th manager.

Mets Going with Randolph


NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc. appeared set  to start trading on the Nasdaq on Wednesday, after the Web's  No. 1 search engine asked regulators for final approval to  price its closely watched initial public offering.

Google Could Make Market Debut Wednesday


Alarmed by software glitches, security threats and computer crashes with ATM-like voting machines, officials from Washington, D.C., to California are considering an alternative from an unlikely place: Nevada.

Nevada's E-Vote Free of Serious Problems


ATHENS (Reuters) - A passenger was seen leaving a hijacked  Greek bus Wednesday five hours after two foreign gunmen seized  the vehicle carrying 26 passenger in an Athens suburb, a  Reuters correspondent at the scene said.

Passenger Leaves Hijacked Greek Bus


China #39;s state media have again issued a release stating that local governments have closed 1600 Internet cafes between February and August this year.

China Reissues Information Of Internet Cafe Closures


com September 12, 2004, 9:00 PM PT. With the economy slowly turning up, upgrading hardware has been on businesses radar in the past 12 months as their number two priority.

Cisco routers get an upgrade


Fame is nice. Fame gets you money, women and if you just so happen to be an athlete, your name in video games. Thousands of professional and college athletes around the country participate in these video games

Woods give up number one to Vijay


Cyberkinetics Inc. of Foxborough, a pioneering company developing a medical device that could one day enable paralyzed people to control computers and even their own limbs just using thoughts, went public yesterday by merging into the shell of an unsuccessful Canadian mining company.

Cyberkinetics gets public stock listing


US President George W. Bush on Monday reofferred the backup for Colombian President Alvaro Uribe in his war against drug production and rebels nationwide.

Bush renews support for Colombia in fighting drug, terrorism


Japanese regulators shut four branches of Citigroup's private banking operations for breaking the law.

Japan closes Citigroup branches


TEHRAN : Iran will test fire a long-range missile amid fears in the West that Tehran is developing nuclear weapons and an ongoing review by the UN watchdog of the country #39;s atomic energy program.

Iran tests long-range missile as UN watchdog reviews nuclear <b>...</b>


Reuters - Myanmar's military ruler, Senior General Than Shwe, arrives in India on Sunday on a landmark visit to strengthen economic and political ties with one of the few friends his junta has in the world.

Myanmar strongman begins historic India visit (Reuters)


Harvard University's \$12 billion man doesn't wear a tie, takes the subway to work, and eats his lunch in the cafeteria on the fourth floor of the Federal Reserve Building. Jack Meyer is a person of few pretensions, but strong beliefs.

Harvard's\$12 billion man


VIENNA (Reuters) - Top seeds David Nalbandian and Nicolas  Massu were beaten in the quarterfinals of the Vienna Trophy  Friday.

Top Two Seeds Ousted in Vienna


MARKS  amp; Spencer sacked six executives yesterday as the troubled giant announced profits were down by 128million. New boss Stuart Rose halved the board and is likely to continue price cuts in stores.

AXE  amp; SPENCER


Israeli soldiers killed a seven-year-old Palestinian girl yesterday when they fired at Palestinians in the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza.

Seven year old Palestinian girl shot by Isreali sholdiers


When asked if he was concerned with losing to arch-rival Georgia Tech for the second time in three years last Friday night - that after the Lady Bulldogs won the first 24 meetings in the series by an average of more than 26 points per game -ndy

Lady Bulldogs Host Sun Devils


LISBON - Despite the growing profile of Linux, continued security concerns and an anticompetion ruling from the European Commission, Microsoft Corp. faced no coup d'etat when it rolled into Lisbon on Portugal's revolution day Tuesday.

Microsoft looks to enlist European partners in SMB push


George W. Bush, Vladimir Putin, and leaders from other 19 Asian - Pacific nations including China #39;s Hu Jintao and Japan #39;s Junichiro Koizumi are beggining to arrive in Santiago to attend to Chile #39;s APEC summit on Saturday.

Activists ready to frustrate Chile #39;s APEC Summit


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. <A HREF=

Anheuser Profit Up on Price Hikes, Growth


AP - U.S. officials were warned about the vulnerability of explosives stored at Iraq's Al-Qaqaa military installation after another facility  #151; the country's main nuclear complex  #151; was looted in April 2003, the U.N. nuclear agency said Thursday.

IAEA Says It Warned U.S. About Explosives (AP)


Washington, Sept. 28 (NNN): The United States on Monday greatly welcomed as an  quot;important development quot; the capture and killing of several al-Qaeda terror network suspects by the Pakistan #39;s security forces

US Hails Capture, Killing of Al-Qaeda Suspects By Pak Forces


AP - Jets defensive tackle Josh Evans is out for Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers with a back injury.

Jets' Josh Evans Out With Back Injury (AP)


PHILADELPHIA - Larry Bowa took the job as Phillies manager facing rows of cameras and scores of reporters. He said goodbye to the job Saturday with a quiet, lonesome walk in the bowels of Citizens Bank Park to his car.

Phils fire Bowa


Service Pack 2 is the long-awaited mega-bug fix for Windows XP, and pretty much the last bit of excitement until Longhorn. But what does it mean for you?

Sarah #39;s Download of the Day: Windows XP Service Pack 2


VANCOUVER, Wash. Oct. 7, 2004 - Geologist David Johnston wouldn #39;t have died on Mount St. Helens today. New equipment developed since the 1980 eruption of the volcano has made it possible for volcanologists

New Technology Helping Volcanologists


How does one even begin to analyze the latest unforgettable installment of a rivalry that always seems to produce an indelible and searing memory?

Matthew Zemek / FOXSports.com Posted: 3 minutes ago


It looks like the Washington Huskies search for a new head football coach has picked up in the last several days. Reports from around the country have stated that Washington has met with or contacted former

Jim Mora Jr., Tom O #39;Brien are top Washington candidates


Cricket-New Zealand 198-9 v Australia - ICC Champions Trophy September 16, 2004 12:40:46 LONDON, Sept 16 (Reuters) - After being put into bat by Australia captain Ricky Ponting, New Zealand hit 198-9 in 50 overs in their Champions Trophy Pool A match

Australia v New Zealand- ICC Champions Trophy scoreboard


TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan and the United States agreed on  Saturday to resume imports of American beef from animals with  birth records up to 20 months, Japan's Foreign Ministry said in  a statement.

Japan, U.S. to Resume Some Beef Imports


Office Depot plans to cut 900 jobs as it consolidates operations at eight call centers and offices in six states. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Office

Office Depot Says It Will Cut 900 Jobs


For centuries the whereabouts of the Holy Grail, supposing it exists at all, has exercised the minds of scholars and tested the endurance of treasure hunters.

Has the mystery of the Holy Grail been solved?


AFP - Prime Minister Tony Blair kicked his Italian host Silvio Berlusconi so hard on the left knee during a game of soccer earlier this month that the Italian premier had to have the injury scanned at a hospital near his vacation villa in Sardinia.

Berlusconi knocked out by left in tackle by Blair (AFP)


Minister of Disinformation

Kerry slams Cheney as


FT.com - KDDI, Japan's second largest telecoms group, on Wednesday announced that its mobile arm, au, would launch the world's first service offering music downloads directly onto mobile phones.

KDDI to offer music downloads for mobile phones (FT.com)


TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc. #39;s new president starts today, about a month after he and others were acquitted of federal grand jury charges of kickbacks and conspiracy.

Acquitted TAP executive to lead company


Vodafone Group PLC launched high-speed Internet services for mobile phones across much of Europe on Wednesday, ending a wait of several years since the world #39;s biggest cell phone company spent billions for new wireless licenses at the height of the

Update 3: Vodafone Unveils High-Speed Net Services


BATON ROUGE, La. - Agriculture officials are testing plant samples from three Louisiana parishes and one Mississippi county for the fungus soybean rust, which damages crop production and forces farmers to use costly fungicide treatments.

More samples from La. and Miss. being tested for soybean rust


WASHINGTON - Saddam Hussein was obsessed with his status in the Arab world, dreaming of weapons of mass destruction to pump up his prestige. And even as the United States fixated on him, he was fixated on his neighboring enemy, Iran...

Saddam Told Interrogators of Iran Fixation


MIAMI (Reuters) - Hurricane Jeanne veered westward in the  Atlantic Ocean on Thursday on a path toward the Bahamas and  then Florida, which has already been hit by three deadly and  devastating hurricanes since August.

Hurricane Threatens Bahamas, Florida - Again


BEIJING, Aug 18 (Reuters) - China said on Wednesday it hoped all six parties taking part in talks on the North Korea nuclear crisis would keep calm, remain flexible and continue negotiations despite inevitable difficulties.

China says hopes N.Korea nuclear talks to continue


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Four people were able to control a  computer using their thoughts and an electrode-studded

'Thinking Cap' Controls Computer in New Experiment


Miami- Drew Gooden did not get much sleep following the Cavaliers #39; double-overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.

Heat hot, Cavs not


Given that we #39;re in the final days before a big election, Steve Ballmer could have picked a quieter time to do his campaigning.

Ballmer settles on scary penguin costume for Halloween


com. Arizona general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. spoke with Sexson #39;s agent, Casey Close, on Monday afternoon and did not read too much into the fact that the veteran filed for free agency.

Sexson files for free agency


NEXT YEAR CELL PHONE COMPANIES WILL BEGIN RELEASING YOUR ONCE UNLISTED MOBILE NUMBER TO TELEMARKETERS. THAT #39;S THE WARNING FROM AN E-MAIL BEING CIRCULATED ON-LINE.

NO CALL LIST FOR CELL PHONES?


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. chain store sales fell in the  third week of October, with sales being delayed by the summer  like weather, a report said on Tuesday.

Chain Store Sales Fell in Oct 23 Week


LONDON - British engineering firm GKN will take another look at buying Boeing #39;s Wichita manufacturing plant, it said yesterday.

British firm reconsiders Boeing #39;s Wichita plant


Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is expected in Mexico City Friday, where he and President Vicente Fox are set to sign a free trade pact.

Mexico to Sign Trade Deal With Japan, Reduce Dependence on US


LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices struck a fresh record on  Thursday, spurred higher by renewed violence in Iraq and fresh  evidence that strong demand growth in China and India has not  been slowed yet by higher energy costs.

Oil Sets Record Amid New Violence in Iraq


Why Windows isn't Unix


Iran backs down on its demand to exempt some of its technology from a nuclear freeze, diplomats say.

Iran offers nuclear 'concession'


Video-on-demand specials have so far appeared without advertisements. But Fox Cable Networks and Visa plan to try including ads in a show in January.

Advertisements You Didnt Demand


China's retired elders are using the 100th anniversary of Deng Xiaoping's birthday to emphasize the urgency of political reform.

Chinese Advocates of Reform Seek Help From Deng's Spirit


Rookie Ben Roethlisberger completed 11 consecutive passes on the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers #39; last two scoring drives Sunday, leading them to a 24-20 comeback victory against the Dallas Cowboys.

Roethlisberger moves to 4-0


EMI sees download music sales rise by nearly 600 in the six months to the end of September and says they are becoming a major part of its business.

EMI's download music sales soar


It #39;s a morality play as old as Ruth, Joe D. and the Mick. Who among the bit players has not come to the moment adrift in an ocean of clichs and platitudes:  quot;They pull their

Izenberg: Twins shouldn #39;t be fooled by near miss


Microsoft acknowledged on Monday it continued to battle a technical glitch that prevented MSN users from logging on to the service #39;s instant-messaging system, MSN Messenger, for the past three days.

MSN Messenger hit with outage, virus


By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay Reporter    HealthDayNews -- Last year's influenza vaccine was far from a perfect match against the virus that sickened people, but it offered more protection from the illness than experts had previously thought.    In very young children, the shot was found to be 25 percent to 49 percent effective in preventing influenza-like illness, which is a suspected case of flu that wasn't confirmed in a laboratory...

Last Year's Flu Shot Imperfect But Effective


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street is hoping its traditional  year-end

Hope Santa Rally Can Outrun the Grinch


Both Bernard Hopkins and Oscar de la Hoya, in the days leading up to their fight, had expressed hope that their respective careers might be defined by Saturday night #39;s events at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Hopkins takes wind out of De la Hoya


A team managed by Johnson  #39;Drax #39; Hippolyte with a star striker known as DJ Campbell playing at a ground used in the movie Bend It Like Beckham -- welcome to Yeading FC.

Yeading determined to ruffle Magpies #39; feathers


KABUL (Reuters) - At least 17 people including children  died in two explosions within 24 hours in Kabul on Sunday and  overnight at a religious school in a southeastern province of  Afghanistan, officials said Sunday.

Two Afghan Blasts Kill at Least 17; Taliban Claims 1


A TINY unmanned jet has soared above the Pacific Ocean at nearly ten times the speed of sound - almost 7000mph - in a record-breaking demonstration of a radical new engine technology.

Jet zooms into record books - at 7000mph


US Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman William Donaldson rejected a staff proposal to sanction Gary Winnick as part of a settlement with Global Crossing Ltd.

SEC Drops Winnick Charges From Global Crossing Pact, People Say


FOXBOROUGH -- He needed a long hit of mouthwash when the festivities at Gillette Stadium were over yesterday.

A backfield in motion


THE SINGAPORE Government has decided to reverse the world-wide outsourcing trend and ship some work to HP. Singapore #39;s ministry of manpower has transferred IT staff to Hewlett Packard under an outsourcing contract.

Singapore outsources to HP


A storm lashed Friday in western andnorthern France and the region of Paris, killing four people and injuring several others as well as cutting power to 385,000 homes.

Four killed, several injured in storm lashing western, northern <b>...</b>


Annika Sorenstam birdied four of the last five holes Thursday, twice with a 7-iron into greens surrounded by trouble, giving her a 6-under-par 66 and a one-shot lead after the first round

Sorenstam #39;s lead follows birdies


HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--China Petroleum  amp; Chemical Corp. (SNP), China #39;s second-largest oil producer, said its first-half net profit rose 51, on increased domestic demand and higher oil prices.

China Sinopec 1H Net Rises 51 To CNY16.15 Billion


Delta Air Lines #39; pilot union has agreed to negotiate the early retirement issue that the company says could lead it into bankruptcy if it is not settled by the end of this month.

Delta pilots agree to talk on retirements


Ireland coach Eddie O #39;Sullivan said his team #39;s  quot;mental preparation quot; had been the key to Saturday #39;s 17-12 victory over South Africa at Lansdowne Road.

O #39;Sullivan lauds Ireland victory


Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said he would seek financial aid during his visit to Kuwait on Sunday, the first such trip by a top Palestinian official since the 1990-91 Gulf War soured Kuwaiti-Palestinian ties.

Abbas to seek aid during Kuwait visit


IRVING, Texas (Reuters) - Oil prices have shaped the  Federal Reserve's outlook for the U.S. economy but an upgrade  of second quarter GDP boosts its confidence that growth is  regaining momentum, a top Fed policymaker said on Thursday.

Bies: Oil Has Shaped Fed Growth Outlook


My thoughts were solely fixed on  quot;Grand Theft Auto quot; as I made my way to my local game store Monday night. What new surprises did the notoriously closeted developers at Rockstar Games have in store for me and

My First Night In San Andreas: One  #39;GTA #39; Addict #39;s Account


Every online gambling site is paying extortion, says Alan Paller of the SANS Institute.

Expert: Online extortion growing more common


PISCATAWAY, NJ -- After winning 20 games in a season for the first time in 21 years and reaching the NIT championship game, Rutgers rewarded men #39;s basketball coach Gary Waters with a two-year extension.

Waters rewarded with two-year extension


Reuters - Freddie Mac , the No. 2 U.S.\mortgage finance company, said on Monday it will no longer\serve as a broker dealer in the multi-trillion-dollar mortgage\bond market, a move some said is designed to lower risk and\placate regulators.

Freddie Mac Shuts Bond Broker Business (Reuters)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures rose on Wednesday,  after dipping briefly, after a government report showed that  consumer prices, excluding food and energy, rose only slightly  more than Wall Street expected.

Stocks Seen Opening Higher After CPI Data


ABUJA, Aug 29 (AFP) -- The Sudanese government said here Sunday that it must approve any increase in the number of African Union troops to crisis-ridden Darfur above the 300 soldiers agreed last month with the AU.

Sudanese govt must approve additional AU force in Darfur: al <b>...</b>


Wired  amp; Wireless continues its reign as the top IT priority among IT managers due to widespread IP telephony deployment and other network infrastructure upgrades.

Kazaa offers unlimited free Internet phone calls


Cairo: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak held telephone talks with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat about Israel #39;s plan to pull troops and the 8,000 Jewish settlers out of the Gaza Strip next year, the Egyptian news agency Mena said.

Mubarak and Arafat discuss Israeli pullout plan


People are being warned about a scam e-mail which uses the US presidential poll to con them out of their money. A junk e-mail invites people to dial a premium rate number to express their

E-mail scam plays on US elections


High-definition television and the National Football League are going to be entwined this season. All ABC and ESPN games are scheduled to be broadcast in HD. Fox plans to do as many as six games each week in HD, and CBS will do three. And each Wednesday and Thursday at 9 p.m., the NFL Network will have a 60-minute condensed ...

Defining moment for NFL