The proposed legislation would break up the C.I.A. and divide its responsibilities among three new spy agencies.

A G.O.P. Senator Proposes a Plan to Split Up C.I.A.


ATHENS (Reuters) - The United States rebounded from a shock  opening game loss to narrowly beat Greece 77-71 at the men's  Olympic basketball tournament on Tuesday.

U.S. Rebounds with Narrow Basketball Win Over Greece


America's trade deficit swelled to an all-time high of \$55.5 billion in October as imports  --  including those from China  --  surged to the loftiest levels on record.

Trade Deficit Swells to Record \$55B


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Top U.S. life insurer MetLife Inc.  <A HREF=

Insurance Probe Drives Down Stocks


WASHINGTON - Crude oil prices soaring to nearly \$50 a barrel have heightened concerns that sustained high energy costs could drag the slowing US and world economies into a more serious downturn.

Oil raises economists #39; concerns


Analysts speculate that the software giant will focus on the low end of the market, at least initially.

Microsoft to enter backup market


To some consumers, the self-destructing DVD sounds like a device out of  quot;Mission: Impossible. quot; To Atlanta entrepreneur Jeffrey Arnold, it sounds like money.

Entrepreneur thinks disposable DVD technology a keeper


AP - Herman Edwards believes not giving Quincy Carter a second chance would be a crime.

Jets Sign Quarterback Quincy Carter (AP)


BESLAN, Russia (Reuters) - Russia began counting the cost  on Saturday at the end of a siege of a school captured by  Chechen gunmen which killed at least 200 people and cast fresh  doubts on Moscow's policy in the turbulent region.

Russia Counts Cost of Bloody End to School Siege


TOKYO (CBS.MW) - Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Monday reshuffled his Cabinet with the hope of drastically reforming Japan #39;s massive postal savings system the way some credit his administration with turning around banks #39; bad loan problem.

PM Koizumi creates cabinet post, taps former FSA head


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Treasury debt prices slipped  on  Tuesday after a big jump in October U.S. producer prices raised  the risk of a more aggressive Federal Reserve campaign to raise  interest rates.

Treasuries Off on Rate Hike Fears


Stephen Richards will retire from his positions as chief operating officer and chief financial officer.

Top McAfee exec to step down


BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A car bomb and a mass shooting killed 59 people in Iraq on Tuesday, many of them policemen and unemployed young men seeking to join the country #39;s beleaguered security forces.

Insurgents continue bombing; 59 dead


Former Dutch prime minister Wim Kok has delivered a damning report on Europe #39;s growth and competitiveness, warning that it will be  quot;extremely difficult quot; for the EU to meet its 2010 targets.

Gloom for EU growth targets


King Abdullah II of Jordan said in an interview published Tuesday that he thought it was impossible under  quot;the chaos which Iraq knows today quot; to go ahead with elections there scheduled for January, and that if the vote were held  quot;the extremists quot; would win.

Misgivings from Jordan on Iraq vote


Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez fired a second-round 64 to grab the lead at the halfway stage of the Hong Kong Open on Friday. Jimenez claimed six birdies to open up a two-shot lead

UPDATE 1-Inspired Jimenez surges ahead in Hong Kong


PeopleSoft has no desires to get into making its own middleware, and IBM doesn #39;t want to get into the applications business, according to analyst Tad Piper of Piper Jaffray.

PeopleSoft, IBM Deal Adds to Oracle Mix


More than 120 whales and dolphins died after swimming on to beaches on two southern Australian islands, where rescue teams were yesterday desperately trying to prevent others becoming stranded.

Whales and dolphins beached in Australia


KHARTOUM (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair  warned Sudan on Wednesday the international community would not  rest until violence was ended in Darfur and a comprehensive  peace deal was struck across the whole country.

Blair: World Will Keep Pressure on Sudan for Peace


9.15am: The BBC has closed a 2bn deal with Siemens Business Services for the contracting out of its technology wing. The ten-year Technology Framework Contract, approved by the government, will see the corporation save an estimated 30m a year.

BBC off-loads technology wing


AP - Bengals defensive tackle Tony Williams was taken off the field on a cart Monday night after hurting his left ankle on a low block by Denver's George Foster late in the first quarter.

Bengals DL Tony Williams Hurts Ankle (AP)


Reuters - The NBA has entered into a new\five-year collective bargaining agreement with the National\Basketball Referees Association (NBRA), thus eliminating the\possibility of having replacement officials work the upcoming\season.

NBA, NBRA Approve Collective Bargaining Agreement (Reuters)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Diversified health-care company  Johnson   Johnson <A HREF=

Johnson   Johnson Profit Up on Drug Sales


Chips that help a computer's main microprocessors perform specific types of math problems are becoming a big business once again.\

Designer puts 96 cores on single chip


The results matched the consensus estimate of 38 cents per share with health care and transportation among the businesses with a jump in orders.

General Electric Posts Higher 3rd-Quarter Profit


ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia vowed  Sunday to guarantee world crude supplies and said it would hold  1.5-2.0 million barrels per day of spare production in reserve.

Saudi Vows to Guarantee Oil Supplies


LONDON (Reuters) - Police said on Monday they have arrested  a 20-year-old British man on suspicion of stealing Cisco  Systems <A HREF=

UK Man Held Over Cisco Source Code Theft


Northwest Airlines did not violate its own privacy policy and did not mislead customers when it shared passenger records with the government as part of a secret airline security project after the terrorist attacks in 2001, the Department of Transportation has ruled.

Privacy Complaint Against Airline Dismissed


SPACE.com - If you were disappointed \  with the meager showing put on by this year's Leonid meteor shower, don't fret. \  What could be the best meteor display of the year is scheduled to reach its \  peak on Monday night, Dec. 13.

Strong Meteor Shower Peaks Monday Night (SPACE.com)


The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is forecasting another decline in gross domestic product (GDP) of between 4 to 5 percent, but says the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono #39;s inflation forecast is achievable if the central bank

IMF Forecasts Decline in Gross Domestic Product


Reuters - World number one Roger Federer's top target for the year -- an Olympic tennis gold medal -- was taken away from him in a

Paes-Bhupathi overcome Federer-Allegro (Reuters)


AP - The Russian Cabinet will approve ratification of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, the Interfax news agency reported Wednesday.

Report: Russia to OK Kyoto Ratification (AP)


Thayer Capital Partners, a DC private-equity partnership that buys companies, agreed to a deal that will give it a 24 percent stake in one of Canada #39;s largest trash haulers.

DC #39;s Thayer Gets Stake in BFI Canada


Roy Makaay ended a seven-game scoring drought Saturday with a goal and two assists, lifting Bayern Munich past Hannover 96 3-0 and moving it within a point of Bundesliga leader Wolfsburg.

Bayern climbs to second in Bundesliga


The SCO Group has asked the Utah district court overseeing its \$5 billion suit against IBM to postpone any decision on any IBM dispositive motions - like the one the court is supposed to hear on Wednesday seeking a partial summary judgment in IBM #39;s favor

Breaking News: SCO Tries To Squeeze Discovery Out of IBM


London - Bosses at a big British firm have sent out a memo to staff - asking them to stop having sex in the office. It comes after romps in toilets, in a meeting room and behind cabinets were caught on CCTV cameras, reports The Sun.

Bosses ban bonking


Allen Iverson had 31 points and 10 rebounds, and reserve Willie Green scored all of his season-high 17 points in the final 16 minutes, helping the Philadelphia 76ers overcome an 18-point second-half deficit in a 110-102 victory over the Denver Nuggets on

76ers 110, Nuggets 102


Scotland #39;s run of poor results could not be blamed solely on manager Berti Vogts, Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson claimed.

Ferguson comes to Vogts #39;s aid


FOAI Lands FAA Conversations


The 0.2 percent increase in the September consumer price index compares with a 0.1 percent rise in August, according to the Labor Department.

US Consumer Price Index Sees September Bump


KABUL (Reuters) - A man suspected of involvement in the  abduction of three U.N. workers in Afghanistan died in custody  last week and authorities are investigating whether he was  tortured to death, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday.

Death in Custody of Afghan Kidnap Suspect Probed


Switzerland #39;s struggling national airline swung to a profit for the third quarter but pledged Tuesday to keep cutting costs as it felt the bite of high oil prices and competition from low-cost carriers in Europe.

Swiss International Air Lines Posts Profit


Reading fans knew Middlesex League rival Woburn had a sensational player in Boston College-bound running back Mike McLaughlin. Yesterday, the host Rockets learned Woburn also has Hart.

Woburn's win is all Hart


Crude oil prices surged past the \$50 per barrel milestone in overnight trading in response to the triple threat of turmoil in the oil-rich countries of Nigeria and Iraq and a decline in production in the hurricane-battered Gulf of Mexico.

Oil Prices Break \$50 Milestone


SINGAPORE -- Don Ezra Nicholas is proclaiming himself to be the Burger King -- even though he was stuffing McDonald #39;s hamburgers into his mouth.

Wacky Records Set In Eating Contest


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Viagra, Pfizer Inc's <A HREF=

Study: Viagra Promising in Hypertension


Casio Computer Co. Ltd. has taken the wraps off five new digital still cameras it will begin selling worldwide in the run-up to this year #39;s end-of-year sales season.

Casio updates small, thin Exilim camera range


To help companies increase productivity, reduce risk and better meet regulatory compliance guidelines through improved management of unstructured data, Oracle announced the launch of its enterprise-class content management technology, Oracle Files 10g.

Oracle Redefines Enterprise Content Management With Launch of <b>...</b>


US shot-putter Adam Nelson stood outside the throwing circle, his hands on the back of his head, his hopes just dashed by a foul on a throw that would have won the gold medal.

Silver lining melts foul mood


Notre Dame's outgoing president criticized the decision to fire Tyrone Willingham after just three seasons, saying he was surprised the coach was not given more time to try to succeed.

President Blasts Firing


Miguel Arroyave, chief of a faction of the paramilitary Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC),has been killed in an ambush in the country #39;s central-south province of Meta, authorities said Monday.

Leader of Colombia #39;s paramilitary group shot dead


A meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has resulted in an increase of the cartels official oil production ceiling by one million barrels per day (bpd).

OPEC Raises Output by 1 Million bpd.; Tries to Gain Consumer <b>...</b>


NASA officials said Thursday that they had made significant progress in making shuttles safer and changing the way they do business.

NASA Notes Some Progress in Making Shuttles Safer


This fourth priority #39;s main focus has been enterprise directories as organizations spawn projects around identity infrastructure.

JBoss unveils workflow engine


Candles and flowers surround a portrait of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in front of the Percy Military Teaching hospital in Clamart outside Paris Saturday, Nov. 6, 2004.

Israel Plans for Arafat Burial in Gaza


In what has become an annual ritual, Forbes Magazine has released its

Wealth in America


WOLFSBURG, Germany -- Wolfsburg bounced back from last week #39;s 4-0 setback at Nuremberg with a 3-0 defeat of close rivals Stuttgart which moved them three points clear at the top of the German Bundesliga.

Wolfsburg move three points clear


IHURURU, Kenya - When Wangari Maathai got word she had won the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, she was campaigning to protect Kenya's forests and distributing food to villagers suffering from drought - the same work she's been doing for decades.    Maathai was in the countryside - just one hill away from her childhood home - when told she had won the \$1.3 million prize, joining a club that includes Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan and the Dalai Lama...

Kenyan Environmentalist Wins Peace Prize


Cricket-Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe by four wickets September 14, 2004 16:25:04 LONDON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe by four wickets in their ICC Champions Trophy Pool D match at The Oval on Tuesday.

UPDATE 1-Cricket-Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe scoreboard


The cell phone case is made of a new type of polymer that when buried will start to break down within two weeks.  quot;By incorporating a seed, and giving the consumer a reason to actually take the phone apart

Researchers Develop Flowering Cell Phone


Seven of the eight Breeders #39; Cup race winners on Saturday, including Classic hero Ghostzapper, will remain in training next year, their respective trainers said.

Cup stars to keep on racing


Before last night's game against the Red Sox, Tampa Bay's Lou Piniella didn't want to talk about speculation that he will

Not all sweet for Lou


Reuters - Britain's leading scientific institution\said Monday it is urging countries to back a campaign to stop a\possible ban on stem cell research as part of a global treaty\banning human cloning.

UK Seeks Global Support for Stem Cell Research (Reuters)


Airbus might tap up to 1 billion euros (\$1.25 billion) in controversial government loans to build a new A350 airplane model, which would be a rival to Boeing #39;s new 7E7 jetliner.

Airbus #39; new rival to 7E7 may utilize subsidies


Petroleum companies repairing hurricane damage to platforms and pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico have increased the flow of oil going to market by about 15,000 barrels per day this week, a federal agency reported.

Daily Gulf oil production increases a bit


Thomas M. Donahue, one of the country #39;s leading space and planetary scientists and a pioneer of space exploration, died Saturday of complications following heart surgery.

Planetary scientist Donahue dies at 83


I condemn the recent increase in violence in Darfur, including attacks by the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) on Tawilla and at Kalma.

Sudan - Chris Mullin Statement on Continuing Violence in Darfur


South African civilians own more guns than the police and military combined, a study finds.

S Africans 'armed to the hilt'


Congress guaranteed the flow of Internet aid to schools and libraries and provided federal funds to upgrade emergency 911 services for calls from mobile phones in a communications bill approved Wednesday and sent to the president for his signature.

Congress to Back Aid for Internet Schools


At least 29 people have been killed and 30 injured, when a bus crashed into a truck and a taxi cab on a highway linking two of Morocco #39;s popular tourist destinations.

Moroccan bus crash kills 29


Following the takeover of anti-spyware firm Giant, Microsoft said it would soon release a toolkit that strips machines of the irritating programs.

Microsoft sets sights on spyware


The European Court of Justice (ECJ) today issued a decision that paves the way for the Finnish Supreme Court to block Budejovicky Budvar #39;s use of an alleged trade name in Finland.

EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE RULING FAVORABLE TO


Big Blue fills out its Workplace initiative with bundles tailored for medium size-businesses and for specific industries.

IBM cranks up client software push


Microsoft has announced that start shipping its next version of its Windows operating system in 2006. However to meet the new tight deadline a number of technical innovations will have to be dropped from the OS.

Microsoft sets date for Longhorn


What do you get when you buy long-term care insurance? An unproven product sold by an industry in turmoil that will cost you a small fortune in premiums -- with no guarantee those premiums won't go even higher.

Long-term care insurance poses its own set of risks


BAGHDAD (Iraq): As the intensity of skirmishes swelled on the soils of Iraq, dozens of people were put to death with toxic shots by the US helicopter gunship, which targeted the civilians, milling around a burning American vehicle in a Baghdad street on

Hostility Sweeps Iraq: US Gunship Target Crowd Killing Dozens


Nokia, the world's biggest mobile phone manufacturer, is to start making handsets in India.

Nokia to make handsets in India


Computer disk drive maker Maxtor Corp. (MXO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday said Paul Tufano has resigned as chief executive, president and acting chief financial officer, less

Maxtor #39;s Tufano Resigns as CEO, President


Shares of Netflix, which pioneered renting movies by mail, plunged as much as 43 percent after the company cut its subscription price and said Amazon.

Investors fear no fix for Netflix


With Arsenal set to meet Manchester United in the quarter finals of the Carling Cup, the Football Association is keen for the two clubs to call a truce following their fiery league game last month.

Gunners, Devils to call truce


The Israeli government does not intend to honour the US-backed road map to peace in the Middle East once it has completed a planned pullout from Gaza, an Israeli newspaper reported today.

quot;Road-map quot; peace plan for Gaza Strip


PITTSBURGH The board of directors of the United States #39; largest flight attendants union today unanimously approved a resolution authorizing a nationwide strike.

Flight attendants union chief seeks nationwide strike <b>...</b>


BAGHDAD, Iraq - Kidnappers threatened in a videotape yesterday to slit the throats of three civilians -wo Americans and a Briton  -ess authorities released female prisoners from two US-run prisons in Iraq.

Release of female prisoners demanded


Microsofts monthly security bulletin has uncovered a critical buffer overrun vulnerability that exists in the processing of JPEG image formats.

SP2 Users Insulated From JPEG Flaw


STOLLBERG, Germany If Chancellor Gerhard Schrder wants to understand why his governing Social Democrats will lose votes Sunday in elections in the eastern German states of Brandenburg and Saxony, he need only visit the small town of Stollberg.

German nationalists count on resentment


Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - Edgerrin James ran for 124 yards and scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to lift the Indianapolis Colts to a 31-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans at The Coliseum.

NFL Game Summary - Indianapolis at Tennessee


The American men's elite eight crew ends a four-decade drought in rowing gold medals Sunday, pulling out to a big lead and fending off a late charge by the Netherlands.

U.S. Wins Rowing Gold


The brother leader issued an appeal to the kidnappers saying: We request the release of this poor Briton since his family had requested our help ... and if they have any conditions, convey them to us in any way possible, JANA said.

Gaddafi Joins Appeals for British Hostage #39;s Release


CHICAGO (Reuters) - United Airlines on Friday said it has  agreed with its creditors' committee to a 30-day extension,  subject to court approval, of the period during which it can  exclusively file a bankruptcy reorganization plan.

UAL, Creditors Agree to Extend Exclusivity 30 Days


Initial coverage of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer #39;s comments during an event in Singapore yesterday left the folks back at headquarters in Redmond trying to clarify things and put them in context.

Ballmer on Linux, part II


SEOUL (Reuters) - The chairman of South Korea's ruling Uri  Party resigned on Thursday after saying his father had served  as a military police officer during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial  rule on the peninsula.

S.Korea's Ruling Party Head Resigns on Father's Past


A 3.1-magnitude earthquake shook the crater at Mount St. Helens Saturday morning, the strongest quake at the volcano since its new lava dome began growing in mid-October.

St. Helens has largest earthquake since mid-October


Quarterback Quincy Carter signed with the Jets on Tuesday, three weeks after his surprising release by Dallas.

Jets Sign Quincy Carter


Stockholders have pounded home builders this week on an earnings warning from Pulte Homes Inc., but credit investors believe the company #39;s Las Vegas troubles do

US CREDIT-Pulte #39;s price hike troubles likely fleeting


At an ordinary filling station about a mile east of the Capitol that has the usual selection of regular, premium and diesel at the pumps and chewing gum and soda next

Washington Station Offers Gas, Snacks and Hydrogen


But look to lawsuit stick rather than iTunes carrot for the cause

EMI looks to digital as download sales quadruple


AP - Some highlights of the 1994 Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act:

Veterans Glance (AP)


The Security Council unanimously passed a Russian-initiated antiterror resolution today that declares all intentional acts of violence against civilians unjustifiable

Security Council Condemns Acts of Violence Against Civilians


WASHINGTON: US President George W Bush on Wednesday received a rap across the knuckles from the Los Angeles Times which observed that he might have done better at wooing broader international

LA Times chides Bush for self-justification


Dell is to certify and pre-install Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 on select Dell PowerEdge servers worldwide, the system vendor announced today.

Dell pushes Linux into the data centre


SEOUL (Reuters) - Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova  trounced Marta Domachowska 6-1 6-1 to win the Korea Open on  Sunday.

Sharapova Strolls to Korea Open Title


Halliburton said Monday the U.S. Army had decided to give the company more time to resolve a billing dispute before withholding payment of up to 15 percent of the company's bills in Iraq and Kuwait.

Halliburton: Army  to Give Company More Time to Resolve Billing Dispute


Reuters - Business activity in the U.S. Midwest\expanded in August for a 16th straight month but at a slower\pace than expected, as pricing pressures mounted, a report\showed on Tuesday.

Midwest Business Growth at Slower Pace (Reuters)


The iTunes Music Store now has more than one million songs available for download in the US, the first online digital music service to offer consumers a million-song catalog. Aug 10

iTunes Music Store Catalog Tops One Million Songs


The US Olympics basketball team took a trip back to its former days of dominance Monday, and it was only appropriate the opponent was Angola.

America again takes the fight out of Angola


NEW YORK - Charge and credit card giant American Express Company said it rung up record third quarter profits as consumers went on a shopping splurge and extended their borrowings.

American Express rings up record profits


It had been thought the clubs assistant manager had handed in his resignation earlier today when boss Harry Redknapp announced he was quitting the south coast club.

Smith Denies Quitting Pompey


A Palestinian suicide bomber has hit a bustling open-air market in Tel Aviv, killing three people in a show of force by militants three days after Yasser Arafat was airlifted to France for urgent medical treatment.

Suicide bomber kills 3 in Tel Aviv


The Mets are hoping to use Pedro Martnez as a tool for expanding their appeal in the Caribbean and South America.

Martnez's Value Goes Beyond Mound


The last may not be first in the NFL, but the seconds became first in several league cities by the end of the day Sunday. Both the Green Bay Packers and St.

Wins over division rivals force


Apple Computer Inc. rolled out its latest iMac desktop computer at a convention for Mac users in Paris Tuesday, a sleek model in which the processors and drives are packaged behind its 2-inch-thick monitor.
<FONT face=

Apple Unveils Its Latest iMac, Months Late


The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter point on Tuesday as widely expected, saying growth  quot;appears to have regained some traction.

Fed Makes It Three Hikes in a Row


The co-creator of Microsoft #39;s Xbox is ramping up to launch a new online subscription gaming platform with the help of Sun Microsystems (Quote, Chart), the companies said.

Sun Micro, the Phantom Gamer


Pakistan, or for that matter any other country in the world, has no monopoly on being a victim of terrorism. In Dhaka to attend a conference of the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA), I was a witness

VIEW: No monopoly on terrorism Rashed Rahman


million for new Cingular and 40.4 million for Verizon Wireless. ADDS new final graf with stock prices. By CURT ANDERSON. WASHINGTON-- Justice Department antitrust regulators cleared the way Monday for Cingular

Justice OKs Cingular-AT amp;T Wireless deal


the second UN peacekeeper to be shot in Haiti over the weekend. On Saturday a Brazilian was hurt in the capital

UN troops hurt in Haiti violence


Helped by spectacular individual performances from Barry Bonds and Ichiro Suzuki and some pulsating division battles, Major League Baseball underlined its position as the great American pastime setting a single season attendance record

Major League Baseball Sets Attendance Record


Canadian Press - OTTAWA (CP) - Rosie Abella, whose brother died in a concentration camp and whose father could not practise law when he came to Canada because he was Jewish, came near tears Monday as she was sworn in as a justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Charron, Abella sworn in as Supreme Court justices (Canadian Press)


Brian Griese replaced injured rookie Chris Simms Sunday and threw for 194 yards and a touchdown as Tampa Bay fought off New Orleans, 20-17.

NFL: Tampa Bay 20, New Orleans 17


LookSmart and UpSNAP Partner for Cell Phone Directory\\Looksmart has partnered with UpSNAP! to offer its customers a new way to extend their reach off-line and directly to consumers via text-enabled cell phones under a pay-per-click/call model. UpSNAP! recently launched its free 411 service allowing mobile users to access White Pages ...


By The Associated Press. Bob Melvin is out as manager of the Mariners, a day after Seattle ended its worst season in 12 years with its 99th loss.

BASEBALL ROUNDUP Mariners Dismiss Manager


Australia #39;s Nicole Pratt has advanced to the third round of the tennis event at the Athens Olympics with a three-set win over Italian Tathiana Garbin.

Pratt advances to third round


Ingram Micro Inc. today announced during a conference call that it has entered into an agreement that will increase its reach in the Asia Pacific region.

Ingram Micro Expands Asia Pacific Presence


An auction of shares in Google, the web search engine which could be floated for as much as \$36bn, takes place on Friday.

Google auction begins on Friday


It was early in the fourth quarter, and last Sunday #39;s game against Washington was still in reach if only the Detroit Lions could make a move.

Time is here for Jones


Judith Miller was held in contempt after she refused to divulge sources to prosecutors investigating the leak of an undercover C.I.A. officer's identity.

Times Reporter Is Held in Contempt in Leak Inquiry


NEW YORK - When it comes to selecting a wireless phone for myself to use, I have in the past been a bit of a neo-Luddite. Sure, as part of this job I get to play with all the very latest and greatest that

A Great Phone, Tied Down


Former National League Most Valuable Player Ken Caminiti, who in 2002 admitted he used steroids, died of a heart attack in New York on Sunday, Major League Baseball reported on its Web Site.

Former MVP Caminiti Dies of Heart Attack at 41


Beijing, Oct. 25 (PTI): China and the US today agreed to work jointly to re-energise the six-party talks mechanism aimed at dismantling North Korea #39;s nuclear programmes while Washington urged Beijing to resume

China, US agree to revive talks on N. Korean nuke issue


DELRAY BEACH, Florida, United States of America -- Ricardo Mello of Brazil rallied to oust second-seeded American Mardy Fish 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 Wednesday in the second-round of the 380,000-dollar Millennium International tennis tournament.

Brazil #39;s Mello ousts second-seeded Fish in ATP tour


Rebels refuse to return to AU-sponsored talks with Sudanese government until latter stops attacks in Darfur. ABUJA - Rebel leaders accused the Sudanese government of pursuing an offensive in the western region

Darfur rebels accuse Sudan of continuing attacks


Futures point to lower open for US markets as investors look to catch their breath. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Stocks looked to open lower Friday as investors appeared ready to consolidate the gains of the past three weeks.

A slip to end stock week?


The last 48 hours have turned into a nightmare for the England  amp; Wales Cricket Board. The one thing that the board wanted to avoid from the off was a repeat of the near-farcical scenes which surrounded the

Morgan backs himself into a corner


Shares of Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) jumped more than 16 percent on Monday on expectations that the carrier was near an agreement with its pilots union

UPDATE 1-Delta shares rise on hope that pilot deal near


SHANGHAI - While much has been made of efforts by Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Intel Corp. to bring dual-core processors to PCs and servers, Freescale Semiconductor Inc. announced Tuesday at a conference in Frankfurt, Germany, details of a dual-core PowerPC processor designed for embedded applications, such as networking and storage.

Freescale announces dual-core PowerPC processor


AP - Manny Ramirez hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly, and Kevin Millar and Mark Bellhorn had two-run homers Wednesday night to lift the Boston Red Sox to an 8-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Red Sox Hold Off Devil Rays 8-6 (AP)


Italian Stefano Baldini won the Olympic men #39;s marathon overnight after a spectator dashed on to the course late in the race and bundled the then leader Vanderlei de Lima into the crowd.

Spectator assaults marathon leader


For Putnam Investments, the end of the Jeffrey W. Greenberg reign at Marsh  amp; McLennan Cos. is bittersweet.

Mixed bag for Putnam Marsh chief's exit met with relief, concern


Vote counting started Thursday in Afghanistan #39;s landmark election, widely expected to install US-backed interim leader Hamid Karzai as the war-ravaged country #39;s first popularly chosen president.

Vote counting begins 5 days after Afghan presidential election


Michael Schumacher returned to top spot in Friday #39;s first practice for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The Ferrari driver suffered a rare defeat two weeks ago in Belgium, although second place was enough to clinch a seventh world title.

Schumacher grabs top spot


Reuters - ConocoPhillips  on Tuesday said\third-quarter crude oil and natural gas production will be 7\percent lower than levels in the previous quarter due to\scheduled maintenance in the North Sea and Alaska, as well as\normal seasonal declines.

ConocoPhillips Sees Lower Oil, Gas Output (Reuters)


Liverpool may have battled back from the brink of defeat to book a League Cup semi-final berth but a penalty shoot-out win against Tottenham did nothing to alter manager Rafael Benitez #39;s view of a competition his club have won a record seven times.

League Cup still last on Benitez #39;s trophy list


Administrators are hoping that the victor in this year's presidential election will win by a wide margin. A close race, they fear, will result in more charges of voter fraud and demands for recounts. Kim Zetter reports from Washington.

Election Overseers Want Big Win


A militant group in Iraq said it had killed two Macedonian hostages it accused of spying for the United States, Arabic television Al Jazeera reported Monday.

Jazeera: Iraq Militants Kill Two Macedonia Hostages


One bill safeguards wireless phone numbers; the other targets malicious snoops.

Senate Panel Approves Spyware and Wireless Privacy Bills


AFP - Poland will pull all of its troops out of Iraq by the end of 2005, with Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski for the first time setting a firm timetable for withdrawal by this key US ally.

Poland to pull troops from Iraq by end of 2005: defense minister (AFP)


The European Commission said on Wednesday that it would sue Greece for submitting incaccurate deficit figures before joining the euro zone in 2001.

Europe to Sue Over Data Greece Gave on Economy


Verizon's agreement with Philadelphia brings new life to the city's WiFi plans.

New life for Philly WiFi


0100 GMT - US Treasuries little changed in Asian trade after yields fell to seven-month lows on high oil prices that have fuelled concerns of a slowdown in the US economy.

US Treasuries flat, investors wary of high prices


Banking group Lloyds TSB said Tuesday it will transfer about 1,000 British jobs to India by the end of next year. The group will transfer jobs in its information technology and group operations departments

British Bank Shifting 1,000 Jobs to India


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- A man who launched a militant Islamic group to fight US forces in Afghanistan has been arrested in connection with the kidnapping of three UN workers there in October, a senior Pakistani Cabinet minister said yesterday.

Militant leader held in Pakistan


VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran said Monday it was losing patience  with U.N. inspections of its nuclear program and announced that  its agreement with the Europeans to halt uranium enrichment  would soon come to an end.

Iran Plans to Resume Nuke Enrichment


ATA Airlines Inc., the 10th-largest airline in the United States, filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday - the latest US carrier brought low by rising fuel costs and fare wars.

Tenth-largest US airline ATA files for bankruptcy protection <b>...</b>


Reuters - The Justice Department has opened an\investigation of possible accounting fraud at Fannie Mae, the\Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, after a federal\regulator said the mortgage giant may have manipulated its\earnings targets.

Justice Dept. Opens Fannie Criminal Probe (Reuters)


Investor's Business Daily - A few years ago, a cell phone could go three days without a battery recharge. Today, it's up to a week -- and climbing, says C.H. Chen, chief executive of chipmaker Diodes.

Nothing Too Discreet About Diodes' Plans For Continued Success (Investor's Business Daily)


Netscape Communications upgraded its namesake browser on Tuesday to version 7.2, a rare sign of life at America Online #39;s moribund browser division.

AOL releases Netscape update


A sharp fall in oil prices boosted European stock markets and energy import-dependent Japan #39;s yen on Thursday, but depressed government bonds as investors factored in a rosier economic outlook.

European Stocks Rise as Oil Slips


Relief supplies are reaching Port-au-Prince but are slow to reach hardest-hit Gonaives. A man tries to hang on to a sack of rice he apparently swiped from a truck near Gonaives.

Haitian death toll rises to 1,500


Amazon to Purchase Chinese Retailer Joyo.com\\Amazon.com agreed to buy Joyo.com which is China's largest online retailer of books, music and videos. The agreed purchase will be at \$75 million for Amazon to enter the world's second largest populated Internet market.\\Amazon will pay \$72 million in cash and assume employee stock ...


BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A delegate at Iraq #39;s National Conference in Baghdad says a militant Shiite cleric has agreed to disarm and pull his forces from a shrine in Najaf.

Iraqi official: cleric agrees to withdraw forces from Najaf shrine


Schalke 04 and VfB Stuttgart moved closer to to the Bundesliga summit with impressive wins in Sunday #39;s league programme. Ralf Rangnick #39;s Schalke made it six wins out of six in beating Thomas Doll #39;s Hamburger SV 2-1 at the AOL Arena.

Schalke  amp; Stuttgart Close In On Wolves


Actor Christopher Reeve became a worldwide advocate for spinal cord research after a near-fatal riding accident left him a quadriplegic.

Christopher Reeve, 'Superman' Star, Dies at 52


The South African company Gold Fields Limited announced Friday that the New York Stock Exchange has suspended trading in its stock.

NYSE suspends Gold Fields trading


Prosecutors in the Kobe Bryant case suffered yet another setback yesterday when a court shot down their last-ditch attempt to keep the accuser #39;s sex life out of the looming trial.

Kobe win on sex life of accuser


A planned strike by British Airways staff that threatened to disrupt the travel plans of half a million people was halted yesterday after management and workers reached an agreement.

BA staff call off holiday strikes


The United States reassured Turkey over a military operation in northern Iraq which has reportedly claimed the lives of ethnic Turkmen civilians, but Ankara appeared unimpressed.

US-Turkish Relations Strained


Reuters - Pakistan published pictures of six\

Pakistan Publishes 'Most-Wanted Terrorists' List (Reuters)


South Korea #39;s top diplomat said Friday that the Gando Convention, signed about a century ago between China #39;s Qing Dynasty and imperial Japan on the dominion of the disputed Gando region, was null and void, #39; #39; at least by law.

Seoul Says Gando Convention Invalid


Authorities here announced a nationwide ban on all political and religious meetings except Friday prayers after a car bombing early Thursday in the central city of Multan killed 40 people and wounded at least 100.

Pakistanis ban religious meetings


SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain (Reuters) - A Basque nationalist party  banned by Spain as ETA's political wing unveiled a plan to end  the long-running conflict in the region on Sunday, saying it  wanted peace talks.

Banned Basque Party Calls for Peace Talks


Patrick Kluivert eased Newcastle towards the group stage of the UEFA Cup in Graeme Souness #39; first game in charge - but at some cost.

FOOTBALL LIVE REPORTS


Reuters - Movie studios and record labels on\Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that\Internet

Hollywood Asks Top U.S. Court to Weigh File Trading (Reuters)


Sun Microsystems wants to distinguish its future servers by fitting them with new chips that get their jobs done more efficiently.

Sun looks to chip performance to bring brighter days


The nation's top telecommunications regulators are convinced that electric-power lines are finally ready to become a revolutionary new way for Americans to get high-speed Internet access, unleashing competition for cable and phone giants.

Utilities take pass on offering broadband


Croatian Ivan Ljubicic edged into the Madrid Masters semi-finals with a 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 victory over seventh seed Joachim Johansson of Sweden on Friday.

Ljubicic Edges Into Madrid Semifinals


Mortgage rates are at record lows. Save \$1000s on your mortgage payment. Free quotes.

ADV: \$175,000 Mortgage for Under \$730/Month


NICK FALDO #39;S caddie Fanny Sunesson has announced she has carried her last golf bag - - but only after falling victim to the rules of the Hong Kong club.

GOLF: FANNY #39;S TIRED OF CARRYING TEE BAG


The Earth #39;s last total lunar eclipse for nearly two and a half years didn #39;t disappoint. Baltimore resident Davis Sherman visited the Maryland Science Center with his 15-year

Stargazers enjoy total lunar eclipse


ATLANTA (Ticker) -- The Atlanta Braves will have to wait at least one more day to celebrate. Gabe White worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth inning to record his first save in more than

SI.com


Sachin Tendulkar, whose absence from the last few tournaments has been sorely felt by the Indian team, is likely to be fit for the third cricket Test against Australia beginning in Nagpur on October 26.

CRICKET: Tendulkar likely to play third Test


Paramount has acquired film rights to Tom Clancy #39;s video game Splinter Cell and hired Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) to direct.

Peter Berg to Direct Splinter Cell


The begin reshaping their roster, sending Kenny Lofton and cash to the Phillies for setup man Felix Rodriguez and nearing a trade to reacquire Mike Stanton from the Mets.

Yankees Send Lofton to Phillies for Rodriguez


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury debt yields hit a  seven-month low on Monday as stubbornly high energy prices  hinted at a slowdown in economic growth.

Treasury Flat After Testing 7-Month Low


Honda Motor Co., with help from partner IBM Corp., is preparing to introduce an improved speech-recognition system that will allow drivers to get voice navigation guidance without having to manually punch in any information or take their eyes off the road to read a computer screen.

Honda Enhances Speech-Recognition System


Under the measure, property owners who can prove that environmental or zoning rules have hurt their investments can force the government to compensate them.

Rule Change in Oregon May Alter the Landscape


Andre Agassi came away with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Sargis Sargsian, setting up a high-profile match on Wednesday with top-seeded Roger Federer.

Agassi Handles Friend; Now Faces Tougher Foe


While the official result of the US election won #39;t be known until Tuesday night, at the earliest, John Kerry #39;s campaign may already feel they know the result, thanks to a weekend football game.

Redskins defeat spurs Kerry hopes for victory


LONDON (Reuters) - The dollar strengthened against major  currencies for a second session on Thursday, as investors  continued to take profits on bets against the long-suffering  U.S. currency.

Dollar Extends Recovery for 2nd Session


Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has arrived in northern Iraq for talks with Kurdish political leaders. The plans were not published before Mr Straw trip, which comes amid the continuing crisis over British hostage Ken Bigley.

Foreign secretary visits Iraq


TV chip cancellation joins a long list of 2004 canceled projects and missteps.

Intel Switches Off LCOS TV Chip


Quarterback Steve McNair left Tennessee #39;s 20-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings yesterday after aggravating the bruised chest that kept him in the hospital for two nights last month.

Air Is Knocked From Titans #39; McNair Once Again


The US economy will grow solidly in 2005 and the outlook is similar under President George W Bush or John Kerry, top US business economists said in a survey released today.

Kerry or Bush will not impact US growth


Iraqi insurgents who claim to be holding two French journalists in Iraq demanded a \$5 million (2.8 million) ransom yesterday as part of a disturbing set of new conditions for their release.

#39;\$5m ransom #39; for kidnapped journalists


Johnson   Johnson will acquire the cardiac device manufacturer for \$25.4 billion. The acquisition is the largest business deal in J J's 118-year history

Johnson   Johnson to Acquire Guidant


The medical device maker receives FDA clearance for new heart monitoring technology.

A Big Beat for CardioDynamics


Reuters - Global semiconductor sales rose 1.1\percent to  #36;18.2 billion in August from the previous month and\it appears as though chip inventories are declining, an\industry trade group said on Thursday.

Chip Sales Rise; Inventories Seen Down (Reuters)


Underpromising in order to overdeliver can't make up for sluggish operating results.

What's the Deal With CarMax?


Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. will announce plans for a large-scale clinical trial of the ability of blockbuster drug Celebrex to prevent heart attacks and strokes in patients with

Pfizer to Fund Study of Celebrex as Heart Aid -WSJ


OSLO, Norway - Police launched a nationwide investigation Monday for armed robbers who barged into a lightly guarded Oslo museum and ripped the Edvard Munch masterpiece

Norway Searches for Treasured Masterpieces


Once limited to Web content and images, content delivery network providers are shifting focus to tackle the on-demand delivery of distributed applications. To that end, Akamai Technologies this week plans to introduce four J2EE-based Web applications that enterprises can deploy quickly without purchasing any hardware or fixed assets. Meanwhile, Speedera Networks next week will launch its FlexComputing service for distributed application hosting and delivery.
ADVERTISEMENT

<img src=

Content networks deliver on-demand apps


JERUSALEM - A Palestinian teenager blew herself up at a busy Jerusalem bus station Wednesday, killing two Israeli policemen who stopped her for a security check and wounding 16 bystanders in an attack that evaded Israel's clampdown on the West Bank for the Jewish holidays.    Early Thursday, two armed Palestinians infiltrated an Israeli army outpost in a Gaza Strip settlement, killing at least three Israelis in a fierce gun battle before being shot dead, Israeli media reported...

Suicide Bomber Kills Two in Jerusalem


Elliott Sadler all but locks up his spot in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, pulling away with 10 laps to go to win the Pop Secret 500.

Sadler Prevails


AP - There is no

NYC Not Likely to Be Bush's Town Nov. 2 (AP)


Reuters - New York Yankees manager Joe\Torre said Monday he was unsure if closer Mariano Rivera would\be available for Tuesday's opener of the American League\Championship Series against Boston after a tragic accident at\the reliever's home in Panama over the weekend.

Torre Unsure of Rivera's Availability for Tuesday (Reuters)


AP - Iran said Saturday it successfully tested a

Iran Tests 'Strategic Missile' (AP)


Hurricane Frances spared NASA #39;s depleted shuttle fleet but ripped away siding from a towering landmark Kennedy Space Center facility, exposing the critical enclosure to the

Hurricane spares shuttles, but ...


TEHRAN, Iran - Iran and European nations reached a preliminary agreement about Iran #39;s nuclear program at talks hoped to avoid a UN showdown, but all countries involved still must approve it, Iran #39;s chief negotiator said Sunday.

Preliminary pact reached on Iran nukes


AP - Victims of the Sept. 11 attacks were mourned worldwide Saturday, but in the Middle East, amid sympathy for the dead, Arabs said Washington's support for Israel and the war on terror launched in the aftermath of the World Trade Center's collapse have only fueled anger and violence.

Arabs: Terror War Has Spread Instability (AP)


Visitors to Tibet can see clearly that commercialism has invaded this ancient land.

Shangri-La No More: The Dragons Have Settled In


KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - After spending three years and \$2  million, Eric Meyer has got the go-ahead from a gaggle of  lawyers, regulators and -- crucially -- four different Sharia  scholars to market the first hedge fund for Islamic investors.

Future Bright for Islamic Finance


The Original Stars Hockey League is denying it has suspended play, saying a statement released Wednesday with league letter-head was not legitimate.

OSHL denies it has suspended play


Allied Domecq Plc, the world #39;s second- largest liquor maker, said fiscal 2004 earnings rose on US demand for spirits including Malibu rum.

Allied Domecq Says Profit Rose on US Spirits Demand (Update2)


CHELSEA enforced a zero tolerance policy against drugs yesterday when they dismissed Adrian Mutu, the Romania striker, for gross misconduct after his positive test for cocaine.

Chelsea lay down the law on drugs as Mutu is shown door


washingtonpost.com - One of the Internet's more fascinating social experiments was born at a time when it seemed all the dot-coms were dying. Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia started in January 2001, has since surprised Web watchers by maturing into a popular reference site.

A New-Age Reference (washingtonpost.com)


In its third presidential election, the Internet has finally reached political adolescence. Candidates use it to raise millions and rally their followers.

Internet expands political exposure, study finds


GAZA - At least 25 people died in the northern Gaza Strip as violence erupted yesterday between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians.

25 dead, scores killed in latest Gaza flare-up


GAZA (Reuters) - Defiant Palestinian militants fired  rockets into an Israeli border town on Monday despite Israel's  vow to stop such attacks from the Gaza Strip with a massive  military offensive that has killed 64 Palestinians.

Defying Army Offensive, Hamas Rockets Hit Israel


31 October 2004 -- Exit polls show that Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich and challenger Viktor Yushchenko finished on top in Ukraine #39;s presidential election today and will face each other in a run-off next month.

Ukraine Election To Go To Second Round


ZURICH (Reuters) - Third seed Elena Dementieva came through  a scrappy battle with Russian Fed Cup team mate Elena Bovina  7-5, 3-6, 6-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the Zurich  Challenge on Thursday.

Dementieva Beats Bovina to Reach Zurich Quarterfinal


Vodafone, the UK-based telecom company that co-owns Verizon Wireless, denies that it is involved in a bid to take over US telco Sprint.

Vodafone Denies Reports of Sprint Takeover Talks


The 13th patient to receive the world #39;s first fully implantable artificial heart died Sunday night after an unexpected malfunction in the device made by Abiomed Inc.

13th recipient of artificial heart dies


Mark Webber has re-ignited the war of words with former Jaguar teammate Antonio Pizzonia, accusing the Brazilian of lying about quality of their cars.

Webber stirs Pizzonia row


ATLANTIC CITY, NJ-In early August, Trump Hotels  amp; Casinos announced it had struck a deal with DLJ Merchant Banking Partners for an infusion of cash to reduce Trumps debt and restructure the company through bankruptcy proceedings.

Trump Casinos Deal with DLJ Is Off


Asian stocks rose in US trading. Sony Corp. gained after the world #39;s No. 2 consumer-electronics maker agreed to resolve a dispute over patents related to digital cameras.

Asian Stocks Rise for Fourth Day in US Trading; Sony Climbs


Laws require that sexually oriented solicitations be marked with a label warning users of the content in both the subject line and the initially viewable area of the message.

Microsoft Sues Spammers over Porn E-Mails


Reuters - A Belgian woman has given birth to the\first baby born after an ovarian tissue transplant, a medical\breakthrough that brings hope to young cancer patients whose\fertility may be damaged by treatment.

First Baby Born After Ovarian Tissue Transplant (Reuters)


SonicWall Inc. is introducing a stand-alone content filtering appliance for businesses with between 50 and 1,000 users.

SonicWall releases stand-alone content filtering device


Reuters - Microsoft Corp.  on Tuesday\unveiled a new version of its Windows XP Media Center, adding\features such as instant messaging and high-definition\television to a personal computer designed for the living room.

Microsoft Launches New Media Center PC (Reuters)


Wisconsin Rapids-based Northland Cranberries Inc. has agreed to sell its cranberry processing operations, including its Wisconsin Rapids plant and cranberry inventory, to rival Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc.

Northland sells cranberry processing business to Ocean Spray <b>...</b>


NASA #39;s Mars rover Opportunity has found an unusual pattern of cracking on a rock it discovered inside a Martian crater -- evidence, perhaps, that water may once have soaked parts of the crater bed, researchers said yesterday.

Cracking May Signal Past Water on Mars


US stocks reversed course suddenly on Tuesday and drifted lower as chatter on the Internet speculated that early exit polls had Sen. John Kerry leading the presidential election in key swing states.

Blogs Send Stocks Into Reverse


Microsoft Purchases GIANT Anti-Spyware\\Here's an interesting story. Microsoft, who's Internet Explorer browser is full of holes which make it able to accept browser programs and add-ons which  sometimes can be spyware, has now purchased an Anti-Spyware company. Something kind of stinks here. \\Why not fix Internet Explorer security holes ...

Microsoft Purchases GIANT Anti-Spyware


The European Union's competition commissioner is ready to allow Oracle to proceed with its \$7.7 billion hostile takeover bid for PeopleSoft, people close to the case said Friday

Europe Is Said to Be Close to Allowing Bid by Oracle


Internet telephony application balks on IPaq and Axim Pocket PC devices.

Pocket PC Users Report Trouble With Skype


Spanish bank Santander Central Hispano says the referral of any competing offer for Abbey National to regulators need not mean Santander would pull out of the fray.

Santander says referral no cause to drop Abbey bid


By Paul Connors, AP. The NFL #39;s elders made their mark Sunday, and in at least one case it resembled tire tracks. Emmitt Smith, 35, in his 15th season, became the oldest running back

Cardinals #39; Smith, 35, leads oldies but goodies hit parade


US tanks raided the Baghdad Shi #39;ite Muslim stronghold of Sadr City in the early hours of Wednesday as aircraft bombed the area and helicopters flew low overhead, witnesses said.

US Tanks, Planes Strike Baghdad Shi #39;ite District


JC Penney Co. Inc. named Myron Ullman, a former executive at French luxury goods retailer LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton as its next chairman and chief executive Wednesday, reaching

JC Penney names new chairman, CEO


Two of Greeks most adored athletes have pulled themselves out of their host country #39;s Olympics. Sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou missed an International Olympic Committee mandatory drug test last week. Thanou and Kenteris were then involved ...

Sprinters Withdraw from Olympics Amid Swirling Controversies


A FORMER US Marine said today his unit killed more than 30 innocent Iraqi civilians in just two days, in graphic testimony to a Canadian tribunal probing an asylum claim by a US Army deserter.

Unit killed Iraqi civilians: marine


The popularity of cut-price airlines and the Eurostar rail service to the continent is threatening to sink the ferry industry, where 1,200 job losses were announced yesterday.

Rail and air sink ferries as 1,200 jobs are cut


Macedonia #39;s national referendum on abolishing local autonomy for the country #39;s restive ethnic Albanian minority appeared to have failed Sunday, early turnout figures suggested.

Macedonians Vote on Ethnic Albanian Rule


Reuters - A Tokyo court on Friday rejected a\request by former world chess champion Bobby Fischer to have\Japanese authorities halt procedures to deport him, Kyodo news\agency reported.

Japan Court Ex-Chess Champ Fischer Can Be Deported (Reuters)


people and stoking fears that sectarian divisions over when to hold elections could unleash further bloodshed. In a second dawn attack in the capital on Friday, guerrillas killed at

Baghdad violence kills at least 25


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Poultry producer Sanderson Farms Inc.  <A HREF=

Poultry Producer's Stock Falls 23 Percent


LONDON (Reuters) - European stocks touched two-month highs  on Monday as tech shares rallied after STMicroelectronics    stuck to its full year forecast while government bond yields  firmed on continued speculation about interest rate increases.

European Stocks, Bond Yields Edge Higher


IBM Corp. bolstered the new eServer i5 server lineup with the i5 550, a new system based on the Power 5 chip that can run multiple operating systems.

IBM adds four-way 550 server to new i5 product line


NEW YORK - A narrow waisted, emerald-eyed brunette flits through a desert full of melting clocks and wacky perspectives, looking for her lover. Giant telephones levitate...

Dali-Disney Collaboration Premieres


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fannie Mae executives and their  regulator squared off on Wednesday, with executives denying any  accounting irregularity and the regulator saying the housing  finance company's management may need to go.

Fannie Mae Execs, Regulator Square Off


David Beckham lurches from one crisis to another. Michael Owen projects a squeaky clean image. The country which invented soccer should have no problem deciding who #39;s the best choice to captain England #39;s national team.

England sticks with Beckham as captain


PalmOne Inc. has licensed technology from Microsoft Corp. to make its devices work directly with Microsoft's Exchange e-mail server, the companies said Tuesday.

PalmOne licenses Microsoft Exchange for mobile e-mail


Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheimmet Wednesday with Tamil Tigers leaders at the rebel-held northerntown of Kilinochchi in a fresh attempt to revive Sri Lanka #39;s peacetalks, the national television reported.

Norway envoy meets with Tamil Tigers


AP - For the first time in four years, the donor nations that sustain the Palestinian economy have reason for optimism. For now, however, that optimism won't mean more money for the Palestinians.

Mideast Donors Show Hope for Palestinians (AP)


the heart of the rich Antarctic food chain that nourishes whales, seals and penguins -ave declined by more than 80 percent in the past 25 years in key ocean regions, according

Krill decline raises concern for Antarctics food chain


com October 8, 2004, 2:31 PM PT. ZDNet #39;s survey of IT professionals in October kept upgrading hardware at number two on the businesses radar throughout the year.

X Prize group plans new series of contests


update The US Supreme Court on Friday said it would hear a controversial case on whether file-sharing software companies could be held legally responsible for copyright infringement on their networks.

Supreme Court to take P2P case


Pedro Martnez hardly had to outpitch Tim Hudson. Hudson, Oakland #39;s All-Star right-hander, staked Boston to a huge lead himself.

RED SOX 8, ATHLETICS 3


Confidence among Japans big manufacturers deteriorated for the first time in seven quarters, although their capital spending plans were revised higher, the Bank of Japans tankan survey for December showed on Wednesday.

Japans Tankan shows business confidence falling


The Bush administration has expressed confidence in United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, despite calls for his resignation from several US lawmakers over a scandal involving the UN-administered oil-for-food program for Iraq.

Bush Administration Gives Annan Vote of Confidence


Anecdotal evidence of crowded stores at the start of the holiday shopping season wasn #39;t backed up with promising retail numbers, as Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Wal-Mart casts pall over holiday sales


Valencia was all over Deportivo out of the gate, jumping out to a 4-0 lead at halftime. Summer acquisition Bernardo Corradi netted his first La Liga goal in the 17th minute, giving Valencia the 1-0 lead.

Valencia pounds Deportivo, goes to top of table


Steve Coll, The Washington Post #39;s managing editor for six years, said today he is stepping down at the end of the year to pursue book projects.

Washington Post Managing Editor Stepping Down


Radio-frequency identification is a technology that #39;s touted as the replacement for the bar code. These postage-stamp-size RFID tags contain a tiny microchip that #39;s smaller than a grain of sand and capable of storing information.

Air Societal Concerns To Fill Innovation Gaps


Vivendi Universal on Thursday sold a 15 per cent stake in its former water subsidiary Veolia Environnement, raising about 1.5bn for the French group to pay back debt and tighten its focus on media and telecommunications.

Vivendi sale raises spectre of Veolia takeover


ATHENS (Reuters) - Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele succeeded his  mentor Haile Gebrselassie as the Olympic 10,000 meters champion  Friday after an astonishing final lap in the longest track  event.

Bekele Succeeds Mentor Gebrselassie


Tucked against a dry San Jose hillside, Calpine Corp. #39;s next power plant is a \$500 million leap of faith. Workers swarm through the plant #39;s five-story metal skeleton, the shriek of power tools piercing the air, as they work for completion next spring.

Calpine betting state needs juice


Four British athletes sat together on the poolside terrace of the Politia Tennis Club yesterday, the realisation of what they had done the previous evening soaking into them like

Stunning triumph vindicates relay team


Sales at United States retailers, including JC Penney and Target, got a boost on the first weekend of the US holiday-shopping season as customers bought discounted retail goods.

Retail sales surge on US holiday


France #39;s largest media company, Vivendi Universal (EAUG.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) , raised its 2004 earnings forecast as it reported a 19 percent increase in third-quarter underlying operating profit, buoyed by a rebound in

UPDATE 3-Vivendi raises 2004 forecast after strong quarter


Reuters - It took just a few seconds\for Shiva Shankari, like her village, to lose her future.

Tsunami Steals a Generation and the Future (Reuters)


Delray Beach  After wondering out loud at times why he couldn #39;t get the ball over the net, Mardy Fish had little reaction the final time he hit one short.

Mello ousts Fish, gains quarters


ABUJA (Reuters) - Sudan's government agreed in a  breakthrough at peace talks on Wednesday to allow more African  Union troops to enter the Darfur region to confine rebel  fighters to their bases, a possible precursor to disarmament.

Sudan Govt. Agrees to Bigger AU Force in Darfur


DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.,whose latest animation hit  quot;Shark Tale  quot; ruled North America box office for the past weeks, announced Tuesday plans for an initial public stock

DreamWorks announces IPO plan to raise \$725m


German company Securepoint says teenager Sven Jaschan deserves a chance to prove himself on the up-and-up.

Security firm looks to hire alleged Sasser author


A year after the mutual fund industry began to clamp down on some abuses, critics say that other questionable practices that cost investors much more remain untouched.

For Mutual Funds, First the Slap. Now Comes the Pinch.


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks jumped on Wednesday on news of  a merger between retailers Kmart and Sears,  better-than-expected earnings from computer maker  Hewlett-Packard and government data showing a moderate rise in  a key U.S. inflation measure.

Stocks Gain on Retail Merger, HP Earnings


Stelco Inc. has received a takeover offer from Russian industry giant OAO Severstal at a time when Bay Street is awash in rumours about possible financing deals for the restructuring Hamilton steel maker.

Stelco gets offer from Russian steel giant


He will have to do something spectacular like that at Conseco Fieldhouse to keep pace with US teammate Kaitlin Sandeno. Phelps won the 200-meter freestyle Thursday night to open the World Swimming

Phelps gets started with gold in 200 free


There are favorites and there are expectations, but to compete in the Olympics is to hazard the risk of being outfought, outscored, out-happied.

Hamstring latest setback for Kupets


IBM has signed on 100 software companies to use software from its Workplace initiative, a plan to gain ground in desktop software.

IBM signs desktop-software partners


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks may come under pressure this  week as investors sell shares at year's end to prepare for tax  season. But crude oil prices, earnings outlooks and moves in  the dollar will also be closely watched.

The Tax Man May Bite


The new Walkmans mark Sony #39;s first flash memory foray into the Apple-dominated digital music player market. Users can store up to 23 CDs on the NW-E95 and up to 46 CDs on the NW-E99 using ATRAC3plus compression format.

Sony Takes On iPod with MP3 Walkman


John C. Danforth, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said Friday that he withdrew his name from contention for any senior post in President Bush #39;s second term

Danforth Says He Left Position At UN for Personal Reasons


The dollar sank across the board, dropping to multiyear lows against the yen and the euro on Friday, after Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said demand for US

Dollar Plunges on Greenspan Comments


Roy Williams wasn #39;t the Lions #39; most productive rookie Sunday, but he played a big role in two plays that helped tailback Kevin Jones, another member of the Lions #39; 2004 rookie class.

Williams lends hand to Jones


The United States has recorded its second biggest trade deficit in history, fuelled by high oil prices and imports from China. The deficit grew six-point-nine percent in August to 54 billion US dollars...several billion more than predicted by analysts.

US trade deficit soars


ATHENS, Greece - A Greek bus with 26 people aboard was hijacked Wednesday by two armed men who demanded to be taken to Athens airport and flown to Russia, police and government officials said.

Gunmen seize bus in Athens suburb


MacCentral - Apple Computer Inc. will open its second Japanese retail store later this month in the western Japanese city of Osaka, it said Thursday.

Apple to open second Japanese retail store this month (MacCentral)


The man at the center of the nation #39;s first spyware case - businessman notorious for his junk Internet mailings  -s federal regulators were politically

Wallace denies wrongdoing in fed anti-spyware case


New York, Sep 23 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the US should not have a  quot;hyphenated relationship quot; between India and Pakistan as ties with New Delhi had its own dynamics and ought to develop independent of the geopolitical compulsions that led

US should not have hyphenated ties with India, Pakistan :


AFP - The West Indies survived an injury scare to captain Brian Lara to beat Pakistan by seven wickets and earn a place in the ICC Champions Trophy Final.

West Indies survive Lara scare to book final place (AFP)


Among the players Harper beat at the PGA Championship, which was contested in match play at the time, were Dick Metz, Bob Toski, Lloyd Mangrum and Jimmy Demaret.

Former PGA Champion Harper passes away


washingtonpost.com - BRUSSELS, Aug. 26 -- The United States will have to wait until next year to see its fight with the European Union over biotech foods resolved, as the World Trade Organization agreed to an E.U. request to bring scientists into the debate, officials said Thursday.

WTO Delays Decision On E.U.'s Biotech Ban (washingtonpost.com)


Russian President Vladimir Putin has admitted failings on the part of Russian Security Services. This, following last week #39;s school hostage crisis in the southern Russian town of Beslan.

Producer: Melanie Yip


You asked for it. You got it. Ever-clutch, the Yankees rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the eighth inning at Minnesota last night and finished off the Twins, 6-5, in 11 innings in Game 4 of the American League Division Series to advance to the ALCS against the Red Sox, beginning Tuesday night in the Bronx.

Nothing rivals this bitter feud


Marissa Peterson, who heads Sun Microsystems' services division, talked this week about the company's efforts to help its managed services partners broaden their reach.

Q A: Sun's Marissa Peterson on the company's IT services plans


ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (Sports Network) - Buffalo Bills running  back Travis Henry could be sidelined for the remainder of the  season with a lower right leg injury.

Bills' Henry Out Indefinitely


Oct. 27, 2004 - Political junkies of all stripes have gotten much of their news and political commentary during this year #39;s campaign from online sources, and a new survey finds the Internet is contributing to a wider awareness of political views.

Study: Internet Feeds Political Debates


OTTAWA (CP) - Wholesale sales grew for the sixth consecutive month in August, Statistics Canada says. Sales were up by 0.7 per cent from July in part because of a surge in sales of machinery and electronic equipment.

Wholesalers post sixth straight monthly sales increase: StatsCan


AP - In a scene reminiscent of Florida circa 2000, two teams of Republican and Democratic election workers held punch-card ballots up to the light Wednesday and whispered back and forth as they tried to divine the voters' intent from a few hanging chads.

Ohio Recount Resembles Florida in 2000 (AP)


ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Reuters) - High oil prices will probably  brake U.S. growth but will not derail the economy provided  there is not another sharp spike upward, a top Federal Reserve  policymaker said on Tuesday.

Hoenig: High Oil Will Not Derail Economy


SEATTLE (Sports Network) - Tyrone Willingham was not  unemployed for very long, as he was named the new head coach at  the University of Washington on Monday just two weeks after  being fired at Notre Dame.

Willingham Lands in Washington


Retired Miami tailback Ricky Williams and his attorney have scheduled a meeting with the NFL to discuss the possibility of the former Heisman trophy winner's return.

NFL, Williams to Meet


Reuters - Japanese shares rose for a third straight\day on Thursday, advancing over one percent as a rally on Wall\Street encouraged buying of technology issues such as Toshiba\Corp. and Shin-Etsu Chemical

Tokyo Stocks Close Up for Third Day (Reuters)


Sinn Fin has accused DUP leader Ian Paisley of effectively holding a gun to the heads of the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister on the issue of photographic proof of IRA decommissioning.

SF accuses Paisley of holding gun to Ahern and Blair


MacCentral - Mac Publishing LLC, the publishers of Macworld magazine on Monday announced Playlist, a new digital music magazine for Mac and Windows users. The new magazine, which will be newsstand-only, will be available on August 24, 2004.

Playlist magazine announced; first issue this month (MacCentral)


The world #39;s reliance on oil and gas is set to increase sharply as global energy demand soars by 60 over the next 25 to 30 years, an influential report predicts.

Stability fears as oil reliance grows


thejoelpatrol writes  quot;So did Slashdotters call this one? Windows XP SP2 seems not to be so secure after all. A Register reporter goes in depth to find out just how safe a fresh install is.

Last Words On Service Pack 2


LOS ANGELES - The undead came alive once more over the weekend as

'Resident Evil' Sequel Tops Box Office


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Serena Williams and Andy Roddick  produced some explosive tennis at the U.S. Open on Sunday as  their respective title challenges gained strength.

Williams Thumps Schnyder, Roddick Roars On


PARIS Aircraft maker Airbus is attacking a US decision to file a World Trade Organization complaint over subsidies Airbus. Airbus today says the US complaint shows that Washington is unwilling to negotiate

Airbus attacks Washington #39;s WTO challenge


Java junkies must often journey more than two blocks to find a Starbucks, which the company sees as a problem, its chief executive said on Thursday.

Two blocks too far to walk for coffee, Starbucks says


North Korea #39;s nuclear aspirations, allies #39; worries about the US budget deficit and hopes for global trade deals will be on the agenda this weekend as President Bush attends

Bush to press APEC leaders on N. Korea


AP - In a judicial blow to the entertainment industry, a federal appeals court ruled that makers of two leading file-sharing programs are not legally liable for the songs, movies and other copyright works their users swap online.

Court: Cos. Not Liable for Online Abuses (AP)


Stargazers were able to catch a fleeting glimpse of a total eclipse of the moon in the early hours today. The clouds cleared to allow a rusty ball to be seen, despite bad weather, between 3.23am and 4.44am.

Moon #39;s eclipse like a  #39;rusty ball #39;


PC World - Prices are likely to drop as more outlets, including PC vendors, get into the market.

HDTV Competition Could Bring Deals (PC World)


Free agent shortstop Edgar Renteria has chosen to leave the St. Louis Cardinals to join the Red Sox. Renteria is expected to sign a four-year deal for slightly more than \$36 million.

Renteria picks Boston


Just because Firefox is free and open source doesn #39;t mean developers aren #39;t cashing in on the popularity of the Mozilla Foundation #39;s new browser.

Firefox fortune hunters


TOKYO - Japan #39;s Sony Corp. will begin selling a computer and home-server system in Japan with 1,000 gigabytes of hard-drive storage -nough to record six TV channels for a week straight  - company said.

Sony PC boasts 1,000 GB of storage


The United Nations has proposed a major \$97 million (54 million pound) overhaul of its security system with 778 new posts, a response to devastating safety reports after the 2003 bombing of its offices in Iraq.

UN wants \$97 mln for security after Iraq blast


NEW YORK - A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck a blow against Lexmark International Inc.'s attempt to protect its share of the lucrative market for refill printer cartridges.

Appeals court rules against Lexmark in cartridge case


There are games in which players renew their vows as teammates, and last night's 8-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays was one of them. It may not have been as clear as it was in the Yankee-Red Sox brawl game back in late July, which produced an obvious bond.

Sox and bonds


Heavy rain wiped out a doubleheader between the Yankees and the Devil Rays on Wednesday. Another doubleheader is scheduled for Thursday, as is more rain.

Waterlogged Schedule on Way for Yankees


Hall of Famer Sparky Anderson once said,  quot;My idea of managing is giving the ball to Tom Seaver and sitting down and watching him work.

Santana #39;s amazing run ends in no-question Cy Young


Members of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted unanimously against a sixth rate rise in nine months.

UK rate hold move was 'unanimous'


Activity in the service sector of the US economy slowed moderately in September from the previous month #39;s pace, but it still expanded at a healthy clip, according to a private research group #39;s survey.

Service Sector Cools As Hiring Increases


A large number of prominent Israeli hard-liners are describing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon #39;s plan to dismantle Jewish settlements in Gaza and a small portion of the West Bank as a  quot;crime against humanity.

Israeli Hard-Liners Denounce Gaza Disengagement Plan


In another embarrassing incident for the Olympic host nation, a Greek weightlifter has been stripped of his bronze medal for a doping offence.

Greek weightlifter stripped of bronze for doping


AP - Islamic militants set off explosives in a booby-trapped chicken coop Tuesday as Israeli troops approached, killing one soldier and wounding four, the army and militants said.

Israeli, Palestinian Killed in Gaza Clash (AP)


NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma suspended starting defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek indefinitely Friday pending an investigation into an incident that ended with one of Dvoracek #39;s high school teammates in the hospital.

Dvoracek will not play vs. Oregon


America #39;s biggest mortgage lender was thrown into turmoil yesterday when the industry watchdog accused it of having major accounting problems and doubted the  quot;soundness quot; of the company.

US lender accused of  #39;cookie-jar #39; figures


ATHENS, Greece -- American Michael Phelps won the gold medal Friday in the 100-meter butterfly with an Olympic-record time of 51.25 seconds.

Phelps wins duel with Crocker


Boosted by the strongest demand from businesses since 1999, PC shipments this year will be higher than previously anticipated, research firm IDC said today.

IDC raises '04 PC growth view, trims '05 projection


AP - A complete review of disqualified ballots in San Diego's mayoral race showed Wednesday that write-in candidate Donna Frye would have ousted Mayor Dick Murphy had those votes been counted.

San Diego Ballots Would Have Ousted Mayor (AP)


The brother of British hostage Kenneth Bigley today accused the American government of  quot;sabotaging quot; moves to free his brother.

Hostage #39;s brother accuses US over freedom moves


Mass strandings of marine mammals have occurred in Australia and New Zealand this week, proving an earlier predication made by Australian scientists, New Zealand Press Association said Wednesday.

Mass whale strandings found in Australia, NZ


AP - Interior Secretary Gale Norton has signed an agreement with representatives of Arizona, Nevada and California to protect wildlife habitat on the Colorado River and aid native species.

Colorado River Habitat Gains Protection (AP)


MGM, the beleaguered Hollywood studio currently being acquired by a consortium of buyers led by Sony Pictures, will continue to co-produce movies as a private company once the takeover is complete.

MGM to co-produce with Sony after takeover


NEW YORKHitachi Data Systems Inc. unveiled Tuesday embedded virtualization layer technology that can aggregate up to 32 petabytes of internal and external storage into a single virtual storage pool and

HDS Targets Virtualization with TagmaStore


The chipmaker's warning raises concerns about the flash memory business, one financial analyst says in a report.

Flash dims AMD's revenue outlook


SYDNEY -- On one side is the incumbent, a conservative career politician who steadfastly defends his decision to send troops to Iraq.

Issues related to war in Iraq help define election in Australia


THE HAGUE (Reuters) - A top U.S. envoy accused Serbian  Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica of not doing enough to arrest  leading war crimes suspects on Monday, saying Belgrade had  shown

U.S. Envoy Slams Serb PM on War Crimes Handovers


AP - President Bush will make his first official visit to Canada on Nov. 30, meeting Prime Minister Paul Martin for talks ranging from security for the world's longest undefended border to commerce between these major trading partners, officials said Tuesday.

Bush to Visit Canada on Nov. 30 (AP)


D.C. has hired a group to develop new design standards for downtown food carts and souvenir stands.

Sprucing Up Sidewalks


Friday 3 December marks the twentieth anniversary of the world #39;s worst industrial accident in Bhopal, India. Nearly 3,000 people died after a gas leak at a chemical factory owned by the US company Union Carbide.

Bhopal disaster: Your views


ATHENS, Greece - Gail Devers, the most talented yet star-crossed hurdler of her generation, was unable to complete even one hurdle in 100-meter event Sunday - failing once again to win an Olympic hurdling medal.    Devers, 37, who has three world championships in the hurdles but has always flopped at the Olympics, pulled up short and screamed as she slid under the first hurdle...

Injured Gail Devers Can't Finish Hurdles


The first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize was today presented with her award in Oslo against a backdrop of drums and dancers.

Kenyan environmentalist wins Nobel Peace Prize


KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan President Hamid Karzai left for Germany Sunday to receive an award, his office said, just six days before his war-plagued nation will hold its first-ever direct presidential election.    The one-day trip had been previously announced, but the timing couldn't help but raise eyebrows as thousands of Afghan and international workers feverishly struggle to prepare for the Oct...

Karzai Accepts Award Ahead of Election


NABLUS, West Bank (Reuters) - Israel killed five  Palestinian militants in a West Bank raid on Wednesday, keeping  up pressure on armed factions as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's  plan for a partial pullout from occupied lands moved forward.

Israel Kills 5 Palestinian Militants in W.Bank Raid


Reuters - Bush administration officials, in\the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq, gave a one-sided view of\the case for believing Saddam Hussein had a nuclear arms\program that ignored the doubts of their own experts, the New\York Times said on Saturday.

Bush Aides Gave One-Sided View of Iraqi Data -- NYT (Reuters)


KINSHASA, Friday - The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Thursday began deploying troops to the east of the country amid reports that Rwandan forces were operating in the area and thousands of civilians were fleeing clashes.

Kabila sends 10,000 troops to border


Hewlett-Packard is planning to build Virus Throttler technology into ProLiant servers and ProCurve switches starting in early 2005.

HP kit to get Virus Throttler next year


FOXBOROUGH -- Does everyone in these here parts truly appreciate what's going on here? I mean, if football is your game, do you understand that you have hit the lottery? Stop worrying about whether the Patriots will win a third Super Bowl on the evening of Feb. 6, 2005. There are too many variables involved to start worrying about that. ...

Miserable conditions, another happy ending


Comcast and Time Warner yesterday announced they will make a joint bid for Adelphia Communications, jumping to the front of the pack in the widely watched auction for the No.

Cable Titans Team for Adelphia


JERUSALEM - Jewish settlers who are to be evacuated from the Gaza Strip under terms of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharons disengagement plan are to receive between 200,000 to 300,000 dollars per family, Israel army radio reported Tuesday.

Gaza settlers to receive up to 300,000 dollars per family: radio


Harvard makes its first appearance in this season's Sports Network Division 1-AA football poll at No. 22 following an impressive 41-14 victory over Northeastern Saturday.

Harvard claims spot in 1-AA poll


AP - British Airways said Friday it has stopped taking bookings for the three-day weekend at the end of August because of a threatened strike over pay by check-in staff and baggage handlers.

Airline Stops Three-Day Weekend Bookings (AP)


Reuters - The U.S. House of Representatives\failed on Thursday to muster the two-thirds majority needed to\pass a proposed constitutional amendment backed by President\Bush to ban gay marriage.

Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment Fails in House (Reuters)


DETROIT - Compuware Corp. said on Wednesday it has asked a US court in its software piracy case against IBM to levy sanctions on IBM for delaying release of critical evidence. Specifically, the filing asks the US District Court to order judgment in favor ...

Compuware Asks Court To Sanction IBM In Software Theft Case


By Reuters. The Gannett Company yesterday reported an 11 percent jump in quarterly net profit on advertising sales gains at its newspapers and broadcast television stations.

Gannett Says Its Net Profit Jumped 11


Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that his expensively restructured squad deserves to be written off as serious Premiership title challengers.

Ferguson admits United deserve to be written off


BHP Billiton, the world #39;s biggest miner, approved a total of \$1.5 billion to expand its copper and iron ore output amid increasing global metals demand led by China.

BHP Approves Spence Copper Mine, Iron Ore Expansion (Update2)


Mason, OH (Sports Network) - Lindsay Davenport shook off a sluggish start to rally for a three-set victory over unheralded Lilia Osterloh at the inaugural Western  amp;amp;amp; Southern Financial Group Women #39;s Open.

Davenport advances in Cincinnati


With one swing of the bat, Lance Berkman revived the Houston Astros' playoff hopes - and gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a much-needed reprieve. Berkman hit a three-run homer off Dustin Hermanson, highlighting a five-run ninth inning that sent Houston to a 7-3 win over San Francisco on Thursday night...

Astros Rally Past the Giants


PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Johnson   Johnson has agreed to  buy Guidant Corp. for \$25.4 billion in cash and stock, the  companies said on Wednesday, giving the healthcare products  maker a foothold in the fast-growing market for implantable  devices that regulate heartbeats.

J J Seals \$25.4 Bln Pact to Buy Guidant


Nicotine is a major addictive component in cigarettes, scientists said. However, how chemical dependency results from nicotine #39;s interaction with brain cells still largely stumps the experts.

What triggers nicotine dependency? Revealing study


ANOTHER COUNTRY is to be offered Microsoft #39;s Windows XP Starter Edition, according to Associated Press. India - a country of over one billion souls - will be offered the cut down version of Windows XP using one of its official languages, Hindi.

India to get Windows XP Starter Edition


Arsenal midfielder Edu, who had just returned to the lineup after a calf injury, broke a toe in the Gunners #39; 3-1 Carling Cup win over Everton on Tuesday.

Arsenal midfielder Edu suffers broken toe


Lion Nathan Ltd, Australasia #39;s second-largest brewer, is to sell its China beer business to China Resources Snow Breweries (CRSB) for US\$154 million, the two companies announced yesterday.

Lion Nathan pours off brewery biz


Nairobi, Nov. 18 (NNN) : Ambassadors from the United Nations Security Council are set to meet in the Kenyan capital for talks on Sudan at a two-day event in Nairobi which will focus on the peace process in

US Envoy Positive About Security Council Talks On Sudan


The Iraqi election season officially kicked off yesterday, and the mudslinging started right away. Iraq #39;s defense minister, an ally of Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, blasted

Mud flies as Iraqis kick off campaign


ROME, Sept. 15 -- The airline industry shakeout that forced U.S. Airways Group Inc. into bankruptcy this week is rippling through Europe as well, with some forecasters predicting that only a handful of the continent's airlines can survive, and Italian authorities scrambling this week to keep national carrier Alitalia SpA aloft.

Airline Woes Reach Across The Atlantic


TOKYO (Reuters) - As the death toll rose from Japan's  deadliest typhoon in two decades, experts warned on Friday that  climate change could herald a stormier future.

Death Toll 75 in Japan Typhoon, 15 Still Missing


Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - The Seattle Mariners announced prior to Wednesday #39;s game against Cleveland that first baseman/designated hitter Bucky Jacobsen will undergo surgery next week, ending the rookie #39;s 2004 campaign.

Season over for Seattle #39;s Jacobsen


Martha Stewart reported to prison before sunrise yesterday to begin serving a five-month sentence for lying about a stock sale, slipping all-but-unnoticed past waiting supporters and reporters.

Martha checks into big house


Swindlers combine spam with hoax sites to try to rip off your personal data.

Spam Slayer: New Tools Fight Phishing Scams


Software maker heads to LA to show off a host of gadgets that use one or another Microsoft technology to access movies, music and video.

Picture 4 of 8: Microsoft's new Media Center push


Michael Schumacher admits there couldn #39;t have been a better place for him to wrap-up his seventh World title than at Spa, a circuit that have instrumental throughout his F1 career.

Schumi admits Spa #39;s very  #39;special #39;


Macromedia Inc. plans to announce Monday a special version of its Contribute Web publishing desktop application designed to automate and simplify the creation and modification of eBay Inc.

Macromedia introduces publishing tool for eBay


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul  Wolfowitz vowed any new plan to replace the Air Force's aging  fleet of KC-135 mid-air refueling tankers would require  competition, according to a letter released on Monday.

Pentagon Vows Competitive Tanker Bids


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

Police Surprised So Many Survive British Rail Crash (Reuters)


King County prosecutors charged a Covington orthodontist yesterday with engaging in sexually explicit Internet conversations with several girls, including three current or former patients, and with dealing child pornography.

Orthodontist charged over Internet chats


Argentina left back Juan Pablo Sorin has joined Villarreal from Cruzeiro, the Spanish club said on its website. Villarreal said Sorin #39;s contract will run until 2008 although it gave no details of a transfer fee.

Argentina #39;s Sorin joins Villarreal


SYDNEY: Australian dairy group and takeover target National Foods Ltd said today that New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra #39;s \$A1.6 billion bid is too low and its shares are worth \$A6.11 to \$A6.65 each.

National Foods says worth up to \$A6.65 per share


Residents of Baghdad #39;s Sadr City district slowly began to turn in weapons yesterday, the first step in a process that US and Iraqi officials hope

Rebels begin weapons handover


AP - Harding County wants a team of fossil hunters to return a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex named

South Dakota Sues to Get T. Rex (AP)


Reuters - The armed Basque separatist group ETA\showed it was not a spent force with Friday's coordinated\attacks at five Madrid petrol stations, but it also further\isolated the guerrillas' closest political allies, Batasuna.

ETA Bombs Put Radical Basque Party in Tight Spot (Reuters)


com. Banks that issue Visa and MasterCard credit cards can now also offer customers American Express and Discover cards. OK, so the Earth didn #39;t move.

Barrage of credit card offerings grows into a crescendo


Reggie Miller has the option to extend his current contract to the 2005-06 season, but the Pacers #39; all-time leading scorer is talking like his 18th NBA season will be his last.

Miller hints that he #39;ll retire after this season


Motorsport.com. The Contract Recognition Board (CRB) hearing of the Jenson Button/BAR/Williams case has been adjourned until October 16th.

CRB Button hearing adjourned


Description: Army Spec. Armin Cruz pleads guilty to maltreatment of prisoners and conspiracy to maltreat prisoners in a hearing related to the Abu Ghraib prison-abuse scandal.

Intel Officer Pleads Guilty in Abu Ghraib Case


TWO Palestinian women, who planned to blow themselves up in a double suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, gave themselves up to Israeli troops at a West Bank checkpoint, Israeli military sources said today.

Two bombers surrender, says Israel


Steven P. Jobs loves the Beatles. He plays the Liverpool quartet #39;s songs at Apple expositions, and the CEO of Apple Computer (AAPL ) has even compared his own management team to the Fab Four.

BYTE OF THE APPLE


AP -

Thousands Sign Up for Space Flights (AP)


Americans stormed the nation #39;s shops on Friday after US Thanksgiving Day at the start of the holiday shopping season, lured by cut-price toys, consumer electronics and Santa.

Americans Hit Shops, Holiday Season Opens


Evidence from busy rovers suggests one-time presence of water, but system reboots almost dried up the sea of data.

On Mars, no life yet, but many blue screens of death


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Telecommunications equipment maker  Ciena Corp. <A HREF=

Ciena Posts Loss, Forecasts Flat Sales


For more than a month it has been public knowledge that Kansas was considering moving next season #39;s home football game against Oklahoma to Kansas City #39;s Arrowhead Stadium.

KU, OU to play in KC in  #39;05


BRITISH football has come a long way since the early Eighties, when racism was rife among fans, especially in England where chanting mobs got away with flinging bunches of bananas at Liverpool player John Barnes - who was then one of only a handful of

New law of the jungle


The Saudi authorities said that one French citizen was killed in Jeddah city yesterday at dawn in the second incident of its kind this month suspected to be carried out by members of al Qaida organization.

One French was killed by bullets in Jeddah


AFP - Russia observed a day of mourning for the 89 people killed when two Russian passenger jets crashed almost simultaneously hundreds of miles apart after taking off from the same Moscow airport, raising new fears of terrorist attacks.

89 dead in twin Russian plane crashes, terror probed (AFP)


Willis McGahee will start at running back Sunday for the Buffalo Bills in hopes of igniting a sputtering offense.  quot;He #39;s made some more yards after first contact, quot; coach Mike Mularkey said in announcing that

RB McGahee earns Bills starting job


A fire in a Russian workers #39; hostel killed at least 14 people and may have injured many more, the Emergencies Ministry said on Wednesday.

Russian hostel fire kills at least 14


AP - The U.S. Army Reserve soldiers who refused orders to drive a dangerous route were members of one of a few supply units whose trucks are still unarmored, their commanding general said Sunday.

GIs Who Refused Job Had Unarmored Trucks (AP)


NASA engineers and researchers are gearing up to end a research program with a world-record flight approaching 7,000 mph. If weather permits, a wedge-shape X-43 unmanned craft will make the final

NASA To Test Jet at Mach 10


Williams are likely to call on Jenson Button in 2006 despite losing their battle to sign the Englishman for next season. Button had signed a contract with Williams, claiming his previously-agreed deal with BAR was no longer valid due to a loophole.

BUTTON DESTINED FOR WILLIAMS RETURN


BOSTON - Sen. John Kerry accused President Bush on Thursday of relying on front groups to challenge his record of valor in Vietnam, asserting,

Kerry: Bush Lets Groups Do 'Dirty Work'


Glenmorangie, one of Scotland's last remaining independent distillers, is to be bought by French drinks firm Moet Hennessy.

Glenmorangie snapped up for 300m


Ex-NBA forward Dennis Rodman attempts a comeback with the Orange County Crush of the American Basketball Association on Wednesday.

Rodman Heads to Minors


The Republican convention's calculated claims to patriotism met elaborately planned and heavily Democratic street protests.

Upstaging Before the Show


Crude oil prices continued down their slippery slope yesterday, hitting a two-month low after Iran #39;s government took steps to dampen political tensions with the United States.

OIL SLIDES TO \$46.85 A BARREL, A 2-MO. LOW


STOCKHOLM, Sweden (Ticker) - With the support of the home crowd, Sweden #39;s Thomas Johansson finally beat Andre Agassi. Johansson rallied from a set down and defeated the top-seeded Agassi, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4

Johansson beats Agassi in final


Apple (AAPL:Nasdaq - news - research) unveiled two new editions of the iPod intended to spike sales of the portable music players in the crucial Christmas selling season.

Apple Unveils iPod Suite


BAGHDAD, Iraq - A large explosion hit outside a police academy in downtown Baghdad on Sunday, killing eight people, officials said.

Large Explosion Kills Eight in Baghdad


ARSENE WENGER will finally sign a new three-year contract extension with Arsenal by the end of the week as the club prepare to face a fans #39; backlash over the naming of their new stadium.

FOOTBALL: WE JUST COULDN #39;T SAY NO TO 100M


Description: Days of political unrest in Haiti #39;s capital leave at least 14 people dead. In Port-au-Prince, at least 10 civilians and four police officers have been killed since Thursday, in confrontations

Political Clashes Leave 14 Dead in Haiti


In a judicial blow to the entertainment industry, a federal appeals court ruled that makers of two leading file-sharing programs are not legally liable for the songs, movies

File-sharing software off legal hook


CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The clock read 4 am Wednesday in their apartment when Illinois guard Dee Brown turned to his roommate, fellow guard Luther Head, and said,  quot;Do you know what #39;s going to happen tomorrow?

Amid hype over Wake-Illinois backcourt duos, Head emerges as star


UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday endorsed scientific studies that involve the cloning of human embryos, differing with the Bush administration #39;s push for a treaty to ban such research.

Annan Backs Stem Cell Studies, Differs with Bush


Power company Progress Energy Inc. lowered its 2004 earnings outlook Friday because damage from Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan limits the amount of tax credits the company can claim for its synthetic fuel production.

Progress Energy cuts outlook


Cardholders have been surprised to find that the MBNA Corporation has switched their accounts from Visa or MasterCard to American Express, MBNA's new partner.

Some Cardholders Fight MNBA's Switch


A survey by the National Cyber Security Alliance has suggested one in three Americans think they #39;re more likely to win the lottery than get to a computer virus.

October is computer safety month


DBS Group Holdings may face  quot;further supervisory action quot; after Hong Kong #39;s de facto central bank ordered it to investigate how 83 of its safe deposit boxes in its Hong Kong branch were destroyed.

DBS warned of further supervisory action after safe deposit box <b>...</b>


All right. Here are the things a starting pitcher would rather do than face the St. Louis Cardinals lineup: Go out in public wearing that wig Tom Sizemore used to portray Pete Rose in  quot;Hustle.

Cards #39; offense relentless


Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (MSO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) renewed an employment contract for five years with its soon-to-be jailed founder, but she will not be paid

Martha Stewart Living renews contract with founder


AFP - The Spanish bank Santander Central Hispano said it still expects to complete its acquisition of British home-loan specialist Abbey National by the end of this year.

SCH still expects to close Abbey takeover by year end (AFP)


Corus, Britain #39;s biggest steelmaker, yesterday reported its first profits since the merger of British Steel and Dutch rival Hoogovens five years ago.

first profit since merger


Business confidence at Japan #39;s large manufacturers in the October-December quarter worsened for the first time in 21 months, and the outlook for next quarter is even dimmer, according to the

#39;Tankan #39; sees first slide in 21 months; recovery past peak


AFP - Afghan President Hamid Karzai moved closer to winning his country's first presidential election, taking a substantial lead over his nearest rival with more than 60 percent of votes counted, according to official results.

President Karzai closes in on victory in Afghan elections (AFP)


Long seen as a threatening land ruled by a madman, Libya has become a must-see destination ever since it opened its doors to Western tourists 10 months ago.

First Taste of a Once-Forbidden Fruit


In seven hours last week, great ocean waves exacted a terrible price in wealth and human lives. Future catastrophes may be far grimmer.

The Future of Calamity