OTTAWA (CP) - The economy created another 43,000 jobs last month, pushing the unemployment rate down to 7.1 per cent from 7.2 per cent in August, Statistics Canada said Friday.

Unemployment rate dropped slightly last month to 7.1 per cent <b>...</b>


Standard  amp; Poor #39;s revised its outlook on Scottish Re Group Ltd. to stable from positive, citing Scottish Re #39;s (SCT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) agreement to acquire ING Groep #39;s

S amp;P revises Scottish Re Group outlook to stable


UNI, New Delhi, Dec 5: The Finance Minister, Mr P Chidambaram, today announced further opening up of the banking sector, saying the modalities for foreign banks acquiring upto 74 per cent stake in Indian private banks will be announced by the year-end.

Modalities for hiking foreign stake in banking sector soon


The Food and Drug Administration has ordered Pfizer (PFE:NYSE - news - research) to pull two television ads promoting the impotence treatment Viagra because the agency said the ads don #39;t provide information about the drug #39;s potential side effects.

FDA Tells Pfizer to Pull Viagra Ads


THE delirious fans of the Boston Red Sox are confident that last week #39;s World Series victory has  quot;reversed the curse quot; supposedly afflicting them since 1918.

Now That Curse Has Ended, Marketers Love Red Sox


Scientists interested in the search for life on other planets often spend their time hunting for novel life forms and unique ecosystems here on Earth. The Ro Tinto, a river in Spain with highly acidic water the color of red wine, has one group of researchers intrigued about what might be living underground.

Drilling for Weird Life


IBM is expanding the number of third-part companies that can tap into its ISV partner support programs. An automated application system makes it easier for application software vendors to take

IBM Expands ISV Programs


Samsung #39;s net income rose to US\$2.34 billion from \$1.60 billion last year. Sales gained 27.4 percent to \$12.9 billion from \$9.

Samsung Q3 Income Up 46 Percent


New York's Health Department called its oversight of day care centers a bureaucratic maze riddled with problems that spell potential dangers for children.

Report on Day Care Death Finds Flaws in System


The latest Tom Clancy based military title from French publisher Ubisoft has been rejected by South Korea #39;s Media Rating Board, forcing the company to drop its plans to launch the game in the region.

South Korea bans Ghost Recon 2


Hewlett Packard has introduced a new range of smaller, quicker and cheaper mono printers targeted at the home, SME and enterprise markets.

HP unveils cheaper, faster, smaller mono printers


As Barry Bonds spoke Friday night about strength and concentration, his 5-year-old daughter, Aisha, clutched his bulging right biceps as if she were squeezing her favorite stuffed animal.

700 Homers Down, 2 Men to Go


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury prices slid on Friday  after Fed chief Alan Greenspan spooked investors with an  unusually direct reminder that interest rates were bound to  move higher.

Greenspan Warns, Treasuries Recoil


Baylor fans are in a little bit of limbo now. They #39;re thrilled that their team continues to show that it can play with the very best in the country.

The good, bad ... and even better (Texas)


Mike Vanderjagt kicks a 35-yard field goal with two seconds left to lift the Colts over the Vikings, 31-28, on Monday night.

Colts Edge Vikings


Militant fathers #39; rights protester Jonathan Stanesby has described how he managed to handcuff himself to Children #39;s Minister Margaret Hodge for 40 minutes at a conference.

Handcuffing protester speaks out


A controversial website, www.live-shot.com, already allows Internet users to fire a .22 caliber rifle at targets on a Texas ranch from afar.

Internet Hunting Worries State Officials


LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was to decide later yesterday whether to contest a charge of improper conduct arising out of last months controversial clash with arch-rivals Manchester United.

Decision day arrives for Wenger to contest cheat remark


TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan sought international and Iraqi help  for a Japanese man held hostage in Iraq on Thursday, less than  24 hours before a deadline set by his captors to behead him  unless Japan withdraws its troops.

Japan in Dark as Iraq Hostage Deadline Nears


By beating Slovakia, 5-2, on Sunday night at the Air Canada Center, Russia set up at least one rematch with a top rival in the World Cup of Hockey.

Americans to Get Another Shot at Russia


Shawn Green hit two home runs Saturday, including a grand slam, to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

MLB: Los Angeles 7, Atlanta 4


JOHANNESBURG : South African mining giant Gold Fields lost a high court bid to halt a hostile takeover by rival Harmony Gold, which is seeking to create the world #39;s biggest gold producer, a court official said.

Gold Fields loses high court bid to halt Harmony takeover


THE suspected leader of Basque terror group ETA #39;s political wing was arrested in France yesterday. Mikel Iriarte, 43, had been on the run since 1993.

ETA KINGPIN HELD IN RAIDS


The BPI, the UK record industrys trade association, is targeting people who make their music collection available on the internet, illegally, for other web users to share.

File-sharers face the music in crackdown


Federal regulators adopt rules aimed at enticing utilities to offer internet service over power lines. But experts say it'll be several years before many people will get broadband from their electrical outlets. Michael Grebb reports from Washington.

Broadband: More Power to You


KOHLER, Wisconsin (Reuters) - Tiger Woods failed to make  the most of a red-hot start in the U.S. PGA Championship third  round on Saturday, having to settle for a three-under-par 69.

Tiger Runs Out of Steam After Storming Start


Park was 4 under after just six holes in the LPGA #39;s final full-field event of the year. She was even sharper during a stretch coming in, using strong approach shots for the birdie run that started on No.

Park Is Locked In a Three-Way Tie


An Iraqi 17-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy were killed and four people wounded in clashes between US troops and insurgents in Samarra, north of Baghdad, police said today.

Two civilians killed in clashes in Iraq #39;s Samarra


JEDDAH, 6 December 2004 - The current situation with Iraq has all the ingredients of a long-term liability to the balance sheet of America, which some day it might be a disaster to the state of world economy.

From Economic Power to Economic Powder


London - Manchester City held fierce crosstown rivals Manchester United to a 0-0 draw on Sunday, keeping the Red Devils eleven points behind leaders Chelsea.

English Premiership round-up


Tokyo share prices slid overnight, on selling triggered by the dollar #39;s renewed slide against the yen. The fall in the greenback re-ignited concern over the impact not just on exporters but Japan #39;s export-led economic recovery, dealers said.

Tokyo shares drop as USD weakens again


Reuters - One of the joys of the games\in the

Programs: for Stealth Lovers, 'Thief' Is a Steal (Reuters)


WASHINGTON - The White House refused to say Tuesday whether the top U.S. civilian official in Iraq after Saddam Hussein's ouster had asked the president for more troops to deal with the rapid descent of postwar Iraq into chaos...

White House Silent on Bremer Troop Request


Cable  amp; Wireless plc (NYSE: CWP - message board) is significantly ramping up its investment in local loop unbundling (LLU) in the UK, and it plans to spend up to 85 million (\$152.

C amp;W Has \$150M Broadband Plan


Reuters - Los Angeles officially\now has two major league baseball teams. On Monday, the Anaheim\Angels announced they have changed their name to the Los\Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This change is effective\immediately.

Angels Change Name to Include Los Angeles (Reuters)


HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--China Force Oil  amp; Grains Industrial Holdings Ltd. (1194.HK) said Monday the retail tranche of its initial public offering was 29.

China Force #39;s HK IPO Retail Tranche 29.6 Times Covered


IBM and top scientific research organizations are joining forces in a humanitarian effort to tap the unused power of millions of computers and help solve complex social problems.

Top Researchers Ask Web Users to Join Science Grid


Hurricane Ivan #39;s massiveness can be seen in this view of the storm from the international space station. The photograph was made Saturday when Ivan was over the Caribbean.

Ivan slaps west Cuba and stomps into gulf


The Mayo Group of Roxbury is expected to purchase 51 Sleeper St. in South Boston, a vacant eight-story building owned by Frank H. McCourt Jr. McCourt, who owns the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, defaulted on a \$22.5 million loan on the property this year. A group of investors sold the loan to Mayo Group for about \$17 million, and ...

Roxbury group to buy S. Boston building


Martha Stewart #39;s media and merchandising company said Wednesday it plans to expand its furniture line amid strong demand from consumers.

Stewart Company to Expand Furniture Line


CAIRO (Reuters) - OPEC oil producers on Thursday weighed up  whether heavy recent price falls were severe enough to warrant  cutting back excess supply at Friday's ministerial meeting.

OPEC Debates Need for Oil Supply Cutbacks


Iran on Sunday rejected European demands that it halt all uranium enrichment activities and described a proposal aimed at ending Tehran #39;s nuclear standoff with the international community as  quot;unbalanced.

Tehran rejects  #39;unbalanced #39; European demands over nuclear standoff


Big sharebrokers moved quickly yesterday to distance themselves from the shock collapse of Access Brokerage. They backed the New Zealand Exchange #39;s move to effectively shut down the firm.

Industry shies off rogue broker


The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a District Court judgment on procedural grounds, opening up again the question of whether Yahoo is responsible under French law for information published on its Yahoo.com portal.

Yahoo's legal battle over Nazi items continues


The owners of the Northern Bank have confirmed for the first time that it may be on the market. The National Australia Bank has said it will consider selling its operations on both sides of the Irish border.

Sale considered for Northern Bank


SANDY LANE BEACH, BARBADOS -- Tiger Woods went scuba diving off a yacht yesterday morning amid reports he was to marry fiancee Elin Nordegren at a sunset ceremony.

Wedding rumours abuzz in Barbados


LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye says he has a small tear in the ligament of his right ankle and won #39;t play Sunday against Tampa Bay.

Ogunleye has ligament tear in ankle


Despite its focus on tech-related content, CNET continues to grow -- but not enough for investors.

Investors Cutting the Edge of CNET


Ziff Davis - Holes in KOffice and RealPlayer allow attackers to take over a user's system.

Real, KDE Patch Security Flaws (Ziff Davis)


Five days after Hurricane Charley struck Florida, more than 400,000 customers still lack electricity.

Toppled Power Lines Are Posing a Herculean Task in Florida


Concentrations of water vapor and methane gas in certain regions of the red planet strengthen speculation that Mars could be a haven for microbial life.

New Clue to Life on Mars


North Korea said Monday the danger of war on the Korean peninsula is  quot;snowballing quot; and accused the United States of destroying the basis for negotiations on Pyongyang #39;s nuclear program.

N. Korea Sees  #39;Snowballing #39; War Danger, Slams US


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Interest rates on U.S. 30-year and  15-year mortgages rose in the latest week as an improving  economy stoked fears of inflation, mortgage finance company  Freddie Mac said on Thursday.

U.S. Mortgage Rates Rise in Latest Week


Card game's popularity is fanned by a combination of television, technology and, for some, the allure of big money. <FONT face=

Poker Proves a Hot Hand For Gaming Industry


DANIEL VETTORI captured six wickets as New Zealand completed a hat-trick of victories over Bangladesh after clinching the opening Test by an innings and 99 runs in Dhaka today.

Vettori spins NZ to big win


AP - Jeff Horner scored 11 points in a 4 1/2-minute span of the second half, part of a nine-minute stretch when Iowa held No. 12 Louisville without a field goal in the Hawkeyes' 76-71 victory Monday in the opening round of the Maui Invitational.

Iowa Upends No. 12 Louisville 76-71 (AP)


PC World - Macs still have fewer bugs than Windows PCs, but Apple moves to plug security holes before problems crop up.

Mac Skeptic: Are Hackers Now Gunning for the Mac? (PC World)


Half of the Viagra sold over the Internet -- often via spam-style blastings that plague mailboxes worldwide -- is fake, a British researcher said Tuesday.

Half Of Online Viagra Bogus


ASK a Democrat in Massachusetts whether he would rather see John Kerry win the presidency or the Boston Red Sox take their first World Series since 1918, and chances are the answer will be easy.

Forget politics, lifting Curse of the Bambino is the Series <b>...</b>


com October 6, 2004, 3:40 PM PT. There #39;s no doubt the Internet will continue to make its mark in the world of business and technology.

Andreessen: IE faces one-two punch


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks declined on Monday, as record  crude oil prices triggered fresh worry that energy costs will  erode corporate profits and consumer demand.

Stocks Fall on Oil, Dow Ends Below 10,000


Wise Solutions has released Wise for Windows Installer 6.0, featuring .Net support and enhanced tools for creating installations for data-driven Web applications.

Windows installer gains .Net authoring


College football #39;s goofy formula for selecting the finalists for the national championship game on Jan. 4 is clicking about as well as the University of Washington #39;s offense, right?

Take it to the bank -- It #39;s USC, Sooners


AP - If you're not ready to feverishly debate Iraq or the deficit in this bitterly divisive election year, you can always surf the Web, where politics is frequently nothing but a big joke.

Web Sites Spoof Bush, Kerry With Parodies (AP)


Reuters - An Iranian exile group accused Tehran on\Friday of using advanced laser technology to secretly enrich\uranium and of lying to the United Nations nuclear watchdog\body about the covert program.

Iran Using Lasers to Enrich Uranium - Exile Group (Reuters)


Russian officials handling the sale of a stake in oil giant Lukoil have set a opening price of \$1.9bn (1bn) for 7.6 of the company.

Lukoil stake on sale for \$1.9bn


AFP - A teenage youth was due in the dock for the first trial of a suspect implicated in the Madrid train bombings, which killed 191 people in Spain's worst terrorist attack.

Teen in the dock for first Madrid bombings trial (AFP)


Vodafone Group doubled its interim dividend to 1.91p, the top end of forecasts, and extended a full-year share buy-back programme after strong underlying results.

Vodafone doubles interim dividend, extends buy-back


The European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company, or EADS, is scrambling to quell an internal squabble that could increase tensions between French and German shareholders.

Aviation Fight Mirrors Larger French-German Rivalry


An economist with Asian Development Bank said Friday that China #39;s decision to raise interest rates is necessary, but not enough to curb inflation.

China #39;s interest rate hike necessary, but not sufficient


The interim Palestinian leader promised to set a date for internal elections in the ruling Fatah movement, a Cabinet minister said Friday, in an apparent attempt to persuade the head of Fatah #39;s restless young guard to drop out

Abbas makes election move, possibly to push back activist <b>...</b>


Tokyo stocks opened lower Wednesday as investors took profits following four straight sessions of gains. The US dollar was higher against the Japanese yen.

Update 4: Tokyo Stocks Open Lower; US Dollar Up


At the press of a button, Army Maj. Gen. John Holly can look down on Fort Greely in Alaska through a fiber-optic-linked camera and a large, flat-screen, color monitor mounted on his office wall in Huntsville.

Army waits for Bush to deploy missile defense


IBM #39;s next version of the DB2 Universal Database, code-named  quot;Stinger, quot; will be generally available on Sept. 17, the company said Thursday.

IBM  #39;Stinger #39; Database Coming in Mid-September


US manufacturer Honeywell International agreed a \$1.5 billion trump bid for Britain #39;s Novar Plc on Monday to beef up its security business and lift 2005 earnings from the low end of forecasts.

Honeywell Agrees Takeover of UK #39;s Novar


GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - U.S. military review panels have decided not to release 10 Guantanamo Bay detainees, concluding they were properly classified as

U.S. OKs Status of 10 Guantanamo Prisoners


Japan #39;s Yoko Shibui overcame a run-in with an official to win the Berlin Marathon on Sunday in a race-record 2 hours, 19 minutes, 41 seconds, the fourth-best time for a woman at the distance.

Shibui breaks Berlin Marathon record; Limo wins men #39;s race


Belarus #39; Yuliya Nesterenko won the top women #39;s athletics gold medal at the Olympics on Saturday, triumphing over a field stripped of many big names because of doping woes to win the 100 meters.

Unknown Nesterenko Makes World Headlines


An Olympic sailor is charged with the manslaughter of a Briton who died after being hit by a car in Athens.

Olympian on Briton death charge


NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar was mostly stronger across  the board on Tuesday as dealers pared back bets against the  currency in predominantly technical trading.

Dollar Climbs, But Real Money on Sideline


Giants tailback Tiki Barber rushes for 182 yards and Packer quarterback Brett Favre suffers a concussion in Green Bay's 14-7 defeat by New York.

Giants Shake Favre


The Bush administration, sending another signal that it intends to limit imports of clothing from China next year, announced yesterday that it will consider a request by the US textile industry

US to Consider Limiting Pants Imports From China


A controversial law that would give gay and lesbian couples the same right to marry, divorce and adopt children as heterosexuals was approved by Spain #39;s Socialist government Friday.

Spain Unveils Controversial Gay Marriage Law


Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has vowed to fight his FA misconduct charge as he defended his right to criticise Ruud van Nistelrooy in public.

Wenger will not yield


After announcing on Wednesday that the Canadian iTunes Music Store had been postponed, Apple Computer Inc. has quietly launched the store.

Apple opens iTunes Music Store in Canada


Reuters - Novell Inc.  on Thursday posted\a quarterly net profit, compared with a year-earlier loss, on\stronger sales of Linux operating software and a boost to\earnings from a weaker dollar.

Novell Posts Profit (Reuters)


Sears, Roebuck and Co. has agreed to pay \$500,000 to resolve federal allegations that it failed to report known defects on riding lawnmowers, federal safety officials said Friday.

Sears to Pay for Not Reporting Defects


NEW YORK - The holiday selling season got off to a strong start this weekend, which means...actually, it may not mean anything at all.

With Thanksgiving Over, Xmas Could Be Next


Diplomats from France, Britain and Germany met their Iranian counterparts today for a new round of talks to persuade Tehran to give up its uranium enrichment programme, but diplomats said no breakthrough was likely.

Iran, EU nuke talks underway, no breakthrough seen


Where there is Steven Gerrard, there is hope. England #39;s warrior of a midfielder flew into this unglamorous Silesian conurbation last night promising to turn all the headlines of

Gerrard says criticism will spur England win


AP - A new database of tree genes has been released by Oregon and Swedish researchers in an effort to speed up basic and commercial research.

Researchers Release Tree Genome Database (AP)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock futures trimmed early  losses but pointed to a lower market open on Monday, following  a broad sell-off on Friday, as oil prices set new records above  \$55 a barrel, fueling worries that soaring energy costs will  bite into corporate profits.

Stocks Seen Lower as Oil Adds Pressure


OAO Yukos Oil Co., Russia #39;s biggest oil exporter, will lower crude-oil deliveries to China National Petroleum Corp. this month and supply no oil in October because the Russian company

Yukos Cuts China National Petroleum #39;s Oil Supplies (Update1)


WHEN FIFA president Sepp Blatter embraced Johnny Warren and presented him with the Centennial Medal of Honour in Sydney in July, it was a touching moment.

Mr Soccer loses fight


Tony Blair was today admitted to Hammersmith Hospital for treatment on a recurring heart condition. The Prime Minister said he felt  quot;fine quot; as he left Downing Street for the London hospital.

Blair  #39;feeling fine #39; as he goes for heart op


European aerospace giant EADS more than doubled its profit in the first nine months of the year, topping market expectations as a rebound in civil

Airbus-maker EADS raises forecasts


JALPAIGURI: Nearly 50 passengers of an inter-state bus plying between Assam #39;s Kokrajhar district and Cooch Behar in West Bengal escaped miraculously with injuries on Thursday morning when a powerful time-bomb ripped apart the vehicle moments after they

Bomb blast in bus kills two


Canadian Press - OSLO, Norway (AP) - Armed men stormed into an art museum Sunday, threatened staff at gunpoint and stole Edvard Munch's famous paintings The Scream and Madonna before stunned museum-goers.

Munch's famous painting The Scream stolen from Norway museum - again (Canadian Press)


Lleyton Hewitt emerged from a three week break firing on all cylinders and was happy to talk about the teenage kicks of opponent Gael Monfils, the strains of the tour and the way to solve them.

Don #39;t mention the  #39;C #39; word to Hewitt


SONY has released the worlds first high definition handycam for the consumer market - the HDR-FX1. The device, which will be available locally and in the region from mid-November, at an estimated \$US4500

Sony debuts HD handycam


Based on an eight-page memorandum the NHL has sent to all teams, mysteriously obtained by TSN, the NHL has rejected the NHLPA offer and is poised to issue its own counter-offer at a 1 pm meeting with the NHLPA on Tuesday.

NHL rejects NHLPA offer


Jordan demands proof of a claim that senior al-Qaeda suspects are being held at a secret US base in the country.

Jordan denies 'secret US prison'


Every time Paul Mehok of National Nail Co. sees a hurricane coming toward the Southeast, he feels  quot;this little guilt twinge. quot;.

Some businesses boom after Fla. hurricanes


Flight attendants at bankrupt US Airways Group Inc. have authorized their union to call a strike should a federal court allow airline management to void their contract, the Association of Flight Attendants said yesterday.

Strike threat hits US Airways


TIM HENMAN was out in the drizzle on the Esplanade du Trocadero yesterday, hitting balls back and forth with Lleyton Hewitt without a care in the world.

Henman to add Texas date to his schedule


AP - Baseball commissioner Bud Selig received a contract extension through 2009 Thursday as owners praised his 12-year reign, but dissension surfaced among teams in the decision to launch a World Cup tournament.

Baseball Gives Selig Contract Through 2009 (AP)


\

 NEW YORK (Reuters) - Video game publisher Acclaim\Entertainment Inc. <AKLM.PK> on Thursday said it filed for\bankruptcy after failing to line up new financing for a credit\line that expired last week.

Acclaim Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy


Belgian tennis player Kim Clijsters has made a successful return from a long injury lay-off, overcoming dogged Czech Iveta Benesova 7-6, 6-2 in the second round of the Belgian Open.

Clijsters makes winning return


GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK - Scientists flooded the Grand Canyon yesterday to restore beaches and save fish and plants that have been disappearing since sediment-free water began flowing from a dam 40 years ago.

Grand Canyon torrent begins


Time Warner agrees to pay \$210m to settle charges of securities fraud involving America Online.

Time Warner fraud charge settled


ATHENS, Greece Aug. 29, 2004 - The defrocked Irish priest who bolted from the crowd and tackled the marathon leader about three miles from the finish Sunday has been arrested before for disrupting sporting events.

Brazilian Attacked During Men #39;s Marathon


Executives at eBay apologized to frustrated customers who were frozen out of the online auction #39;s payment transaction service, which experienced at least five days of intermittent failures earlier this month.

Ebay Explodes to Twice Its Size


Reuters - The United States has plenty of fuel in\storage for winter heating thanks to near full-throttle\refinery production, but household energy bills are still\likely to be up sharply, the head of the U.S. Energy\Information Administration (EIA) said on Friday.

EIA Says Heating Oil Bills to Rise (Reuters)


Mortgage interest rates remained at low enough levels, it seemed, to continue enticing buyers worried about future rate hikes.

New Home Sales Climb 9.4 Percent in August


FOXBORO, Massachusetts (Reuters) - Brian Ching and Landon  Donovan scored well-taken goals as the United States beat  10-man El Salvador 2-0 in an ill-tempered CONCACAF zone Group A  World Cup qualifier on Saturday.

Soccer: U.S. Overcomes El Salvador After Bad-Tempered Battle


CASHIERS, N.C. - The violent remains of Hurricane Ivan pounded a large swath of the eastern United States on Friday, drenching an area from Georgia to Ohio, washing out dozens of homes, sweeping cars down roadways and trapping more than 100 students at an elementary school...

Ivan Remains Hit Eastern U.S., Flood Homes


AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A Dutch-Moroccan man accused of  killing a filmmaker critical of Islam has been charged with  membership of a group with

Dutch Filmmaker Murder Suspect Faces Terror Charges


HOUSTON A former executive who participated in the wrongdoing that helped cripple Enron has testified, providing the first glimpse through the eyes of a principal of the deals orchestrated by Andrew Fastow when he was the company #39;s chief financial officer

A major player at Enron testifies


The company has cut up to 25 percent off the price of two of its liquid-crystal display TV models.

Westinghouse cuts price of LCD TVs


There's nothing routine about working in space, as astronaut Mike Fincke found out recently when he did some soldering onboard the International Space Station.    ScienceNASA -- Richard Grugel, a materials scientist at the Marshall Space Flight Center, watched his video monitor in disbelief...

Soldering Surprise on the Space Station


According to the Symantec report, there is a sharp rise in so-called  quot;bot networks quot; of compromised PCs that are used by hackers to launch denial-of-service attacks.

Symantec: Viruses Aimed at Windows Grow in Number


While the south-east of Australia has gone through years of drought, new research shows the rest of the country including the centre, is getting wetter.

Australia getting wetter: CSIRO


AFP - Greek Economy Minister Yiorgos Alogoskoufis said the Olympic Games had been a good investment for his country, despite earlier misgivings about spiralling costs.

Olympic Games were good investment, says Greek economy minister (AFP)


The world's biggest soup maker falls a penny short of earnings expectations.

Campbell's Soupy Results


WASHINGTON (AFP) - The union representing United Airlines #39; flight attendants mailed strike authorisation ballots to 21,000 members, in preparation for a showdown with the carrier over proposed pay cuts.

United union ballots members on strike proposal


HAVANA - Fidel Castro may have recently stopped circulation of US dollars in Cuba, but that isn #39;t stopping a multi-million dollar agricultural deal between the two countries.

Cuba, US sign major food deals


Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Tyrone Moss ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns to lead fourth-ranked Miami-Florida to a 38-13 victory over Houston at Reliant Stadium.

NCAA Game Summary - Miami-Florida at Houston


Cables two hungry rivals  phone companies and satellite providers  are stealing cables disgruntled customers with cheaper all-in-one packages that bundle TV with Internet and phone services.

Cable's Rivals Lure Customers With Packages


TOKYO -- Japan and the United States agreed yesterday to resume imports of some American beef, halted since December after a case of mad cow disease in Washington state, but did not set a date for restarting trade.

Japan, US agree to restart imports of some American beef


THE DEPARTMENT of Justice said that four employees of Infineon have pleaded guilty to charges of price fixing DRAM. Three German citizens and one US citizen will each pay \$250,000 in fines as well as serving between four to six months in jail.

Infineon execs go to jail for DRAM price fixing


ATHENS (Kyodo) Masae Ueno captured the women #39;s 70-kg gold medal, but Hiroshi Izumi had to settle for silver in the men #39;s 90-kg in the judo competition at the Athens Olympics on Wednesday.

Ueno lifts Japan to most judo gold ever


The defense-related work is estimated to be worth \$200 billion.

IBM, Boeing team up for defense work


SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Il recently purged his brother-in-law from the government, removing a powerful party official who was thought to be a possible rival to Kim and his sons, South Korean intelligence officials have reported.

N. Korea head purges key official


PROSECUTORS trying the Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, for bribery yesterday recommended he be given an eight-year jail term.

Call to jail Berlusconi for eight years


The legendary film company is cutting slower-growing segments in favor of newer technology.

Kodak's Restructuring Develops


American Andre Agassi defeats Sargis Sargisan to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open.

Tennis: Agassi rolls on


Chelsea beat visiting Newcastle 4-0 at its Stamford Bridge stadium to maintain a five-point lead atop English soccer #39;s Premiership as second-placed Arsenal defeated Birmingham 3-0.

Chelsea Beats Newcastle in Premiership; Arsenal Wins (Update1)


Arsenal was held to a 1-1 tie by struggling West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, failing to pick up a Premier League victory when Rob Earnshaw scored with 11 minutes left.

Arsenal held to 1-1 tie by West Brom


R

Will Toys


Carlos Moya of Spain eased past Argentina #39;s Gaston Gaudio 6-3 6-4 on Wednesday, ending the French Open champion #39;s hopes of picking up the Masters Cup title.

Moya masters Gaudio to keep title hopes alive


Athens, Greece - Archaeologists have discovered ancient graves during excavations near Ancient Olympia, the hallowed site where the Olympic Games were born in 776 BC, the Culture Ministry said on Thursday.

Ancient Greek burial ground uncovered


The two candidates claiming to be president-elect agreed to negotiations, the first sign of an easing of tensions that have risked leading the nation toward civil war.

Rivals in Ukraine Agree to Negotiate Over Vote


AFP - North Korea's foreign minister said that a huge explosion in the country's remote interior that triggered fears of a nuclear test was a harmless demolition blast linked to a hydro-electric power project.

North Korean FM says explosion was demolition blast (AFP)


The US-European spacecraft Cassini has begun beaming close-up images of Saturn #39;s giant moon Titan to Earth. Cassini reached the point of closest approach, 1,198 km, at 10.

Cassini beams close-up images of Saturn #39;s giant moon Titan


Capital One Financial Corp., the holding company of Capital One Bank, plans to eliminate about 750 jobs as it shifts the majority of its production service operations to a U.S.-based supplier, the company reported Tuesday.

Capital One Financial to Cut 750 Jobs


Advanced Micro Devices managed to reduce the maximum thermal output of its newly released 90 nanometer Opteron server processors by 25 percent compared to the previous generation, the company said Wednesday.

AMD cuts power on 90nm Opteron processors


TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo stocks ended flat on Friday as worries about record-high oil prices took the edge off investors #39; appetite for recently battered technology issues such as Sharp Corp.

Nikkei Ends Flat, Oil Concerns Weigh


NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday agreed to  Martha Stewart's request to start serving her prison term as  soon as possible for lying about a suspicious stock sale --  meaning the homemaking icon will be out in time to plant her  beloved spring garden.

Martha Stewart to Prison in October


media-driven organisations, today announced that it has been appointed by the distribution division of NPR(R) (National Public Radio(R)) to implement a new digital distribution system for the Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS) in the United States.

BBC Technology Announces New Deal with Npr #39;s Public Radio <b>...</b>


Leading Iraqi political parties have called for forthcoming elections to be delayed because of mounting violence in the country. Fifteen political parties - including two Kurdish groups

Politicians in Iraq call for delay to elections


Mike McKenzie wanted out of Green Bay. It was a trade many fans wanted as well. The cornerback #39;s trade to the New Orleans Saints was the talk of the day Monday among Packers fans, who are eager

Packers Fans Okay with McKenzie Trade


Storage Expo Hopes to cut losses through cheaper tapes

Exabyte slashes media costs


World News: Colombo, Nov 27 : Tamil Tigers leader Velupillai Prabhakaran Saturday threatened to resume his armed campaign if Sri Lanka did not quickly begin talks on his proposal for an administrative set-up in Tamil areas, which many fear will only

Prabhakaran threatens war if peace talks don #39;t start:


AP - Dionnah Jackson had 23 points and eight assists to lead No. 21 Oklahoma to an 84-62 season-opening victory over Southeast Missouri State on Friday night.

No. 21 Oklahoma Tops SE Missouri St. 84-62 (AP)


AFP - The United States will withdraw up to 70,000 troops from Europe and Asia over the next decade, President George W. Bush said, in a move aimed at increasing the capability to fight the

US to withdraw up to 70,000 troops from Europe and Asia: Bush (AFP)


OCTOBER 08, 2004 (REUTERS) - Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison said today that his company has talked about revising its current \$21-per-share offer to buy rival PeopleSoft Inc.

Ellison: Oracle considered lowering PeopleSoft bid


Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Karl Dorrell, head football coach at UCLA, agreed to a two-year contract extension Friday that will keep him at the school through the 2010 season.

UCLA coach Dorrell agrees to extension


IBM will soon begin shipping upgraded models of its HS20 and JS20 blade servers, including a new SCSI option for the HS20 that will double the number of SCSI blades that users can fit into a single chassis.

IBM upgrades blade servers


ATHENS (Reuters) - Traffic police have handed their report  to Athens prosecutors on the motorcycle crash reported by  disgraced Greek sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou,  a police source said on Friday.

Greek Police Hand Kenteris Crash Report to Prosecutor


Atlanta Federal Reserve President Jack Guynn said on Wednesday he expected  quot;respectable quot; US job growth in the coming months.

Atlanta Fed chief sees respectable US job growth


NEW YORK -- Maybe they should move tonight's women's singles final to the middle of Red Square and play on a real hardcourt, and use Arthur Ashe Stadium for the Queens neighborhood tennis championship. The Russians took over Paris in June, and now they own Gotham, too.

Russians rush in to final


Bee Staff Writer. ALAMEDA - The best advice for Tim Brown on what he should do when he enters the Coliseum on Sunday comes from the self-proclaimed  quot;Mr.

Coliseum the site of a Brown love-in?


US retailer Wal-Mart #39;s (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) sterling-denominated benchmark bond will carry a 30-year maturity, a syndicate source said on Friday.

Wal-Mart sterling bond with 30-year maturity -source


Companies caught up in New York state Attorney General Eliot L. Spitzer #39;s investigation into rigged bids and kickbacks in the insurance industry began firing and suspending

Insurance Executives Fired in Bid Probe


I confess that I am a complete ignoramus when it comes to women #39;s beach volleyball. In fact, I know only one thing about the sport - that it is the supreme aesthetic experience available on planet Earth.

Sam Kellerman / FOXSports.com Posted: 2 minutes ago


Reuters - Eyeing up that juicy steak but worried\about your waistline? Japanese electronics maker Sharp Corp.\(6753.T) says it has developed a new fat-busting microwave oven\that can melt some of your worries away.

New Fat-Busting Microwave Oven Unveiled (Reuters)


You #39;ve already seen our New Users #39; and Power Users #39; reviews of Apple #39;s fourth-generation iPod (iPodlounge rating: A-/B).

Apple iPod from HP (iPodhp)


New applications for US home loans dropped more than 9 percent last week even as average 30-year mortgage rates also eased from the previous week, an industry group said on Wednesday.

UPDATE 1-US mortgage applications fall last week-MBA


MICROSOFT SUPREMO Bill Gates has astounded IT hacks by telling them that he has never had a computer virus. We assume that he doesn #39;t open his own emails, or is not actually connected to the Internet, but

I #39;ve had spyware but never a virus, Bill Gates says


GAINESVILLE - In a six-hour period Tuesday, Tyrone Willingham #39;s dismissal at Notre Dame and Butch Davis #39; resignation from the Cleveland Browns turned upside down the University of Florida #39;s search for a football coach.

If Irish lure Meyer, it all changes at UF


The United States reopened its consulate in Mumbai on Wednesday after closing it the previous day saying that it had information about a terrorist threat.

US consulate reopens in Mumbai after terror threat


BEIJING, Aug.20(Xinhuanet) -- The world #39;s lightest flying micro-robot has been developed by Japan #39;s Seiko Epson Corporation.

World #39;s lightest flying micro-robot unveiled


NAIROBI, Nov 18 (AFP) -- A few dozen southern Sudanese refugees demonstrated outside the United Nations offices in Nairobi on Thursday as the Security Council held a rare meeting to deliberate on peace in the vast African country.

Sudanese refugees demonstrate outside UN meeting in Nairobi


New Zealand central bank Governor Alan Bollard raised the benchmark interest rate to a four-year high and said the sixth increase in 2004 may be the last as the economy slows and the local currency surges.

NZ #39;s Sixth Rate Increase in 2004 Probably the Last (Update2)


Captain Sourav Ganguly today said India would have forced a result in the first cricket Test against South Africa on a lifeless track had they won the toss and batted first.

India could have forced result: Ganguly


SALT LAKE CITY, (Sports Network) - The Jazz announced  Tuesday that the club will retire John Stockton's No. 12 on  November 22, 2004, when Utah hosts the New Orleans Hornets.

Jazz to Retire Stockton's Number


A federal judge in Houston yesterday agreed to postpone for five months the criminal trial of several former executives in Enron Corp.

Judge Delays Criminal Trial For Former Enron Executives


The Israeli former nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu, released in April, is arrested again, police say.

Vanunu arrested by Israeli police


The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi #39;s cabinet edged up slightly on a latest survey, with the unpopular pension reform program advocatedby him remaining

Koizumi #39;s approval rating rises, pension reform tops concern


ATLANTA - As he approaches 80, Jimmy Carter could be enjoying retirement - teaching Sunday school, relaxing with family and reflecting on a life that's taken him from the peanut fields of Plains, Ga., to the White House and back. Instead, Carter continues to use his status as a former president to promote peace, health and voting initiatives across the globe at a sometimes startling pace for his age...

AP: Carter Still Promoting Peace at 80


October 20, 2004 - Yesterday, World Wrestling Entertainment announced it has filed suit against a number of parties regarding alleged bribery in the attainment of WWE license rights.

THQ, Jakks Respond to Suit


KABUL : A heavy security clampdown was enforced in the Afghan capital after the bombing of a US firm left at least seven dead and 28 wounded, and raised new fears about security just weeks before elections.

Kabul tense after truck bombing of US security firm kills seven


Faced with the absence of their three top scorers, the Indiana Pacers have looked at themselves, turned inward and played with defiance, winning three straight.

For Now, Short-Handed Pacers Are Displaying Staying Power


Seeking relief from urban heat, Toronto has tapped into Lake Ontario's frigid depths to cool downtown office buildings. The

Toronto Taps Lake Ontario to Stay Cool


A US District Court judge has sent the Federal Election Commission back to work on a passel of rules it wrote to put the 2002 campaign-finance law into effect.

Back to the Drawing Board at the FEC


In the game hyped as a face off between elite wide receivers Terrell Owens and Randy Moss, the men throwing the ball their way tonight have a lot in common.

McNabb-Culpepper Other Big Match Up Tonight


The US Ambassador to the United Nations, John Danforth, says the recently signed peace memorandum between the government of Sudan and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement offers the best

Sudan Agreement Endorsed by US Officials at UN


NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Citigroup shares slid 95 cents, or 2 percent, to \$46.00 in pre-market trade Monday after Merrill Lynch sliced its recommendation on the stock to  quot;neutral quot; from  quot;buy.

Citigroup slides on Merrill downgrade


Weaknesses in the Energy Departments cybersecurity allowed hackers to successfully penetrate its systems 199 times last year in intrusions that affected 3,531 systems, the departments inspector general said.

DOE hacked 199 times last year


Not satisfied with its prominent position on servers and workstations, VMware charged the desktop with a new software package that creates  quot;containers quot; of applications that can be centrally managed by an administrator.

VMware creates PC software condom


You carjack a taxi and say to the cabby,  quot;I know it seems bad, but it could be worse. quot; Then, you carjack a cop car and explain to the officer,  quot;Blame society.

quot;Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas quot;


Sept. 6, 2004 The damage report isn #39;t even complete, much less an understanding of the impact Hurricane Frances will have on NASA #39;s wallet and scheduled return of the shuttle fleet to flight.

New Hurricane Threatens Fla. Space Center


NewsFactor - The holiday shopping season is entering the home stretch. And with some retailers depending on seasonal spending for half or more of their sales, the stakes are high.

Holiday Shopping Season: Retailers Have One Last Chance To Get It Right (NewsFactor)


Shoppers spend more, giving the company yet another quarter of sales growth and even better earnings.

Home Depot Writes Big Tickets


Congressional hearings raised more questions than answers about impending organizational changes in the intelligence community and their impact on efforts to improve the nation's antiterror fight.

U.S. intelligence overhaul eyed amid concerns for antiterror fight


AP - The pharmaceutical industry, fighting to defeat proposals that would give U.S. patients easier access to cheaper Canadian drugs, is making the most of its chance for face time with lawmakers at the GOP convention.

Drug Companies Wooing GOP Pols at RNC (AP)


Three local companies are among four contractors that will vie for \$610 million in consulting, engineering and technical services with the Air Force Space Command over the next five years.

Firms Vie for Air Force Space Command Work


PARIS - The route for the 2005 Tour de France was announced by organisers at the Palais de Congres in Paris Thursday and will start with a 19 kilometre time trial on the French island of Noirmoutier and will also have two stages in Germany.

2005 Tour de France to start on French island, go through Germany


Security managers at this week's Computer Security Institute conference said they spend too much time dealing with software flaws and virus threats to develop more strategic approaches to safeguarding corporate information.

Security pros bemoan need for tactical focus


Reuters - India's aviation ministry is fighting a push to allow foreign airlines to buy into domestic carriers, pressing instead for local companies to expand overseas.

Civil Aviation Minister fights foreign stakes in Indian airlines (Reuters)


27 September 2004 -- An Iranian diplomat was freed by his captors in Iraq today after spending more than a month as a hostage. Iran #39;s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Faridoun Jahani, the Iranian consul in

Iranian Diplomat Freed By Iraqi Captors


NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar rose to a three-week high  against the euro on Wednesday, boosted by a fall in the price  of oil, which should help narrow the U.S. trade deficit and  thus benefit the dollar.

Dollar Lifted by Slipping Oil Prices


Chancellor Gordon Brown tells the CBI his mission is to build a

Brown seeks out global challenge


TEHRAN, 19 November 2004 - Four Iranians accused of spying on the Islamic republics nuclear program for foreign governments have gone on trial in Tehran, a judicial official was quoted as saying yesterday.

Nuclear Spies Go on Trial in Iran


Reuters - France said on Saturday it hoped Islamic\militants were about to free two French hostages, but urged\caution as fresh violence erupted in Iraq.

France Hopes Iraq Hostages Will Be Freed Soon (Reuters)


ATLANTA (Reuters) - Home improvement retailer Lowe's Cos.  Inc. <A HREF=

Lowe's Profit Rises, But Stock Falls


It is a pity that violence during and after Chelseas 1-0 Carling Cup third-round victory over West Ham at Stamford Bridge overshadowed yet another outstanding performance from Joe Cole.

Cole Continues to Shine


HAMILTONIt was as classic as a Labour Day tussle between the Argonauts and the Tiger-Cats could get. With a sellout crowd of 29,170 roaring its approval, the arch-rivals unleashed their dislike for each

Labour Day gridiron classic


Pakistani troops hunting for militant leader Abdullah Mehsud clash again with insurgents.

Pakistan forces hunt for militant


MANCHESTER, England : Michael Owen is confident of recovering from a back injury in time to line up for England against Wales in Saturday #39;s World Cup qualifier at Old Trafford.

Soccer: Owen on track for crack at critics and Wales


After resuming barely steady, the Sensex moved in a very narrow range during the opening session on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Tuesday on alternate bouts of buying and selling.

Sensex stays rangebound in early Tuesday trade


A bomb exploded near a US patrol in southern Afghanistan Wednesday, killing two American soldiers and wounding another, the military said.

Explosion kills 2 US soldiers in southern Afghanistan


ATLANTA (Sports Network) - Isma'il Muhammad scored a  team-high 14 points, Jarrett Jack added 13 and third-ranked  Georgia Tech rolled over James Madison, 72-47, in a non-league  tilt at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum.

College Basketball: Georgia Tech, Wake Forest Win


Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has criticised the seven-month ban handed out to Adrian Mutu, claiming the FA had shown themselves to be  #39;weak over the issue of drugs #39;.

Kenyon slams  #39;weak #39; FA over Mutu ban


Google #39;s new Desktop Search software is a muscle car among search engines, racing through personal data stored inside your computer to instantly find things you can #39;t easily locate.

Google #39;s new Desktop Search software may be too efficient


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shares of Google Inc. will make their Nasdaq stock market debut on Thursday after the year #39;s most anticipated initial public offering priced far below initial estimates, raising \$1.67 billion.

After Wait, Google Set for Market Debut


ATHENS : America #39;s 100 metres sprint stars threw down the gauntlet at the Olympics but their Carribean rivals replied with a double salvo of their own to give the blue riband event an added edge.

Olympics: American sprint stars throw down 100m gauntlet


OutKast receive five MTV Europe Award nominations,  while Usher gets four ahead of next month's show.

OutKast lead MTV Europe shortlist


The anticipated release of Halo 2 is the latest and perhaps the best indication of how the blockbuster mentality of Hollywood has pervaded the videogame industry.

Microsoft Seeks Video Game Winner With Halo 2


Reuters - A Boeing Co. Delta 2\rocket successfully launched a new U.S. Air Force Global\Positioning Satellite into orbit from Florida Saturday.

Rocket Launches New GPS Satellite from Florida (Reuters)


The success of platforms like JBoss, Apache and Jonas will boost open-source integration products--if some key conditions are met.

Commentary: Smoothing the way for open source


Online retailer Amazon.com is offering a 1.57 shopping discount to registered users of its new A9 Web search service as a way to increase A9 use and promote buying on Amazon, the company #39;s Web site showed Friday.

Amazon offers 1.57 discount to A9 search users


Letters An eclectic postbag

From Indymedia to the Moon: your musings in full


AMR Corp. #39;s American Airlines, the world #39;s largest carrier, delayed the deliveries of 54 Boeing Co. planes to save \$2.7 billion in spending over the next six years.

American, Boeing Agree to Delay 54 Plane Deliveries (Update4)


SARAH ULMER gave New Zealand its first ever Olympic cycling gold medal and only their second gold of the Athens Games overnight. And she broke her own world record for the women #39;s 3km individual pursuit.

Kiwi gold beats Mactier #39;s effort


Ukrainians vote for a new president today against a backdrop of explosions, predictions of massive ballot-rigging and fears of widespread violence.

Ukraine poll marred by fraud and unrest


Motorsport.com. Valentino Rossi took his seventh victory of the season by masterfully winning today #39;s Malaysian GP at the Sepang circuit.

Rossi takes imperative victory at Sepang


US President George W Bush has telephoned the Rev Ian Paisley in a bid to help revive power sharing in Northern Ireland. Rev Paisley, 78, said he had  quot;a long and very useful conversation quot; with Mr Bush as Protestant

Bush phones Paisley in power sharing bid


LONDON, December 9 (newratings.com) - General Motors Corp (XGM.NYS) plans to cut 9,500 jobs at its German unit, Adam Opel AG, as part of its efforts to reduce its significant losses in Europe.

General Motors to cut 9,500 jobs at German unit


The NBA and Yuta Tabuse are no strangers-but they just got a bit cozier. After attending training camp and playing in three preseason games for the Denver Nuggets last season, the

NBA: Hoop dreams


On Tuesday three police officers were seen standing at the spot where a ladder was used for Mr Hatch #39;s ascent. His fellow campaigner Mr Pyke, who dressed as Batman #39;s sidekick Robin, was stopped by armed police at the scene.

British  quot;Batman quot; on the Buckingham Palace walls


General Motors Corp.'s third-quarter earnings rose 3.5 percent, but the company's automotive business lost \$130 million primarily because of heavy losses in Europe and lower production and intense pricing pressure in North America.

Pricing, Europe Weigh on GM Results


thatshortkid writes  quot;The Washington Times is reporting on Brazil #39;s first successful space launch. Since it is closer to the equator, the task of getting up to space is easier, meaning much more cargo room over fuel.

Brazil Successfully Launches Its First Rocket To Space


Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto said Thursday it agreed to acquire a 51 percent stake in New England regional bank Banknorth Group Inc.

Toronto-Dominion to buy stake in Banknorth


JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agreed to  changes in the route of Israel's West Bank barrier on Wednesday  but insisted on keeping key Jewish settlement blocks inside,  political sources said.

Israel's Sharon Agrees to Changes to W. Bank Barrier


UN Secretary General Kofi Annan says the Burmese military government #39;s plan for democracy will fail without input from the opposition National League for Democracy.

Annan: Burmese Democracy Will Fail Without Participation By Opposition


About 40 patents owned by bankrupt software vendor Commerce Onewere auctioned for \$15.5 million in a San Francisco bankruptcy court Monday.

Commerce One patents auctioned for \$15.5 million


The world-number-one in men #39;s tennis, Roger Federer of Switzerland, has advanced to the final of the Thailand Open after eliminating local star Paradorn Srichaphan.

Men #39;s Tennis: Federer Reaches Thailand Open Finals


Google has officially joined the race to come up with a way to search videos and TV shows. In addition to a search technology for Internet-based video content, Google is also working with TV and cable broadcasters

Search engines zero in on video


BT finance chief Ian Livingston will replace former  retail head Paul Danon at the UK telecoms giant, the company announces.

BT board rejig follows Danon exit


The wireless carrier teams up with EarthCam to stream video from personal and public Webcams to camera phones.

Webcam images go mobile on Sprint


US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld didn #39;t bring much good news to a group of Marines in Iraq. He warned Sunday during a town-hall meeting in at an airbase in the country #39;s west that violence may well

Rumsfeld gives US troops timetable in Iraq


TAIPEI, Taiwan - Sir Elton John warmed up his vocal chords for a concert Thursday in Taiwan by telling photographers they're a bunch of

John Calls Taiwanese Photographers 'Pigs'


Detaining foreigners without trial under emergency anti-terror laws breaks European human rights laws, law lords ruled today. The decision from nine of the law lords, who make up Britain #39;s highest court, throws

Law lords back terror detainees


Fabio Capello #39;s reign as Juventus coach began in ominous fashion for the rest of Italy as the Turin giants claimed a convincing triumph at Brescia.

JUVE OFF TO A FLYER


NewsFactor - Parents' tend to worry about the obvious Internet dangers, such as porn, sexual predators and, to a lesser extent, misinformation. According to new studies by a non-profit group, Wired Safety, there is now another cause for alarm: cyber bullying.

Latest Internet Peril: Cyber Bullies (NewsFactor)


DALLAS Freshman Adrian Peterson ran for 225 yards as second-ranked Oklahoma shut out fifth-ranked Texas 12-to-0 -- the Sooners #39; fifth straight victory in the legendary rivalry.

Sports: (2) Oklahoma 12 (5) Texas 0


Napster will be launching its own downloaded music chart on Virgin Radio at 7pm on August 29th. The chart will be compiled from the top 20 most popular tracks bought each week from Napster UK service. The chart will also include tracks that have been ...

Napster Jumps on Chart Bandwagon


Middlesbrough defender Franck Queudrue was suspended for three matches Tuesday after losing his appeal of a red card. The Frenchman was sent off for a two-footed tackle on Noe Pamarot in Sunday #39;s 2-0 loss to Tottenham.

Middlesbrough defender Franck Queudrue red card appeal rejected


NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar fell sharply on Monday,  dropping to within one cent of record lows against the euro as  worries over the state of the U.S. economy persisted.

Dollar Falls, Gloom Over Economy Persists


Amid reports of Trojans and worms squirming through mobile devices, Trend Micro Inc. says it will roll out anti-virus and anti-spam protection for users of data-centric smart phones.

Trend Micro Offers Virus Scanning for Smart Phones


Cairo - The push to cut Opec oil production grew yesterday with the minister of the United Arab Emirates saying on the eve of a meeting of the oil producers #39; cartel that members had to honour output quotas to stem oversupply and falling prices.

Opec likely to focus on quota busters


23 year-old RDD Finnish driver won his first international title last weekend in Valencia, becoming the new World Series by Nissan champion.

Interview with Heikki Kovalainen


Tokyo, Nov. 15: The news that Princess Sayako, will wed at 35 after years of hesitation was welcomed today by many in Japan who fear that sagging marriage and birth rates has left the country headed for a demographic crisis.

Princess #39;s marriage raises Japan #39;s hopes to boost birth rate


The percentage of Americans using Web browsers Mozilla and Firefox is on the up as Internet users turn away from Microsoft #39;s Internet Explorer due to perceived risks with that application.

FireFox, Safari gain as IE loses favour


NORWICH CITY assistant manager Doug Livermore has paid tribute to his former Liverpool team-mate Emlyn Hughes. Hughes, who skippered the great Liverpool side of the 1970s and was famed for his charisma and

#39;Emlyn #39;s enthusiasm was unbelievable #39;


The European Environment Agency reported global climate change, including frequent floods, droughts and heat waves, are severe and will continue to worsen.

Global warming on the rise


NAJAF (Reuters) - U.S. troops clashed with Shi'ite  militiamen in Najaf on Saturday, interrupting a day of relative  calm in the holy city with the sound of mortar,  rocket-propelled grenade and machinegun fire, witnesses said.

U.S. Troops Clash with Shi'ite Militia in Najaf


Skeptical markets drove the dollar to a record low yesterday against the euro, with the European currency climbing above \$1.32 for the first time.

Dollar slides again


The product represents the next stage in the company's strategy to build a full open-source middleware stack.\

JBoss unveils work flow engine


Reuters - Locusts in West Africa are devouring\crops and breeding at such a rate they are expected to create a\substantial number of new swarms across the region in\September, two reports said.

More West Africa Locust Swarms Coming Soon-Reports (Reuters)


Imagine buying a CD at Best Buy (BBY ) only to discover that it won #39;t work on the CD player you bought at Circuit City (CC ). Absurd as it sounds, this sort of situation is the rule rather than the exception in the world of legally downloaded music.

The Music Mess: Advantage, Microsoft


SOTOGRANDE, Spain (Reuters) - Britain's Luke Donald, twice  a winner on this year's European Tour, can break into Europe's  top 10 for 2004 if he can triumph in the season-ending Volvo  Masters at Valderrama this week.

Golf: Donald Sets Sights on 3rd European Title


Reuters - Iraq's main Sunni Muslim party, which\had threatened to boycott Iraq's first free election on Jan.\30, is among 79 parties and blocs that have registered lists\for the poll, election officials said.

Top Sunni Party Among 79 Blocs to Contest Iraq Poll (Reuters)


Taking a page from the music industry #39;s playbook, the movie industry filed lawsuits in St. Louis and elsewhere Tuesday as part of a national campaign to crack down on piracy online.

Movie industry sues file swappers


NASA -- Venturing into the vacuum of space, with its extreme temperatures and the challenges of weightlessness in what amounts to a personal spacecraft, can never become routine. Yet humans have made more than 250 spacewalks, 142 of them by NASA astronauts...

Walking in the Void of Space


Toothpaste squeezed by a flunky. Supper steamed with one brand of water. Oh, and an 11m income. This is the man who presses a world view on us all - and whose latest embarrassment, of many, reveals that

Focus: Life on Planet Charles


Jennifer Canada knew she was entering a boy's club when she enrolled in Southern Methodist University's Guildhall school of video game making.

Women Make Small Inroads in Game Industry


Pavel Nedved scored with a superb free-kick four minutes from time to give Juventus a precious 1-0 Italian Serie A win at Bologna on Sunday.

Nedved strike keeps Juve four points clear


ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - A World Series that has already  produced some odd sights could produce more on Tuesday when  Game Three of the Fall Classic between the Boston Red Sox and  St. Louis Cardinals is played out on the eve of a lunar  eclipse.

Odd Things Expected as Red Sox Meet Cards in Game Three


Drugmaker Alpharma Inc. on Friday said it launched its generic version of Pfizer Inc. #39;s Neurontin for the treatment of epilepsy.

Alpharma Launches Generic Pfizer Drug


BERLIN, Germany -- Kaiserslautern eased the pressure on the underfire coach Kurt Jara with their first win of the season at Hansa Rostock on Sunday.

Kaiserslautern ease strain on Jara


Samsung Electronics and Sony Corporation have signed a cross-license agreement, licensing those patents, which are considered to be the basic technologies necessary for product development.

Sony, Samsung To Share Patents


THE OLYMPICS may have returned to the land of their birth, but even as these games wind down, the stadiums in Athens remain eerily empty. So perhaps the organizers should take some lessons from the ancient Greeks. The hosts of those original Olympics never had trouble luring spectators: the games were packed for nearly 1,200 years.

Ode to ancient Games, nudity and all


President George W. Bush, confronted by antiwar protesters in Canada, defended his decision to invade Iraq and said the US would always act against threats even if opposed by other nations.

Bush Defends Iraq Invasion, US Action on Threats (Update1)


Prime Minister John Howard today made a pitch for undecided voters in the last week of the election campaign. Opinion polls say the coalition leads Labor, but put the undecided vote at about nine per cent, with less than week before polling day.

PM pitches to undecided voters


A Venezuelan air force plane carrying three crew members and 22 passengers has crashed in bad weather in central Venezuela, killing all on board, an aviation official said Sunday.

Venezuela plane crash kills 25


Troops from the Black Watch regiment have begun a major operation in central Iraq.

New Iraq mission for Black Watch


The Kenyan government's campaign to tackle corruption is having an impact, says Transparency International.

Big fall in corruption in Kenya


Microsoft will accelerate SP2 distribution  to meet goal of 100 million downloads in two months.

Microsoft to step up SP2 downloads


XM Radio, after scrapping their XM PC Receiver because of piracy concerns, is launching their an online service next month. Theyre gonna charge \$7.

XM Radio Online launching in October


AT amp;T Corp., the former monopoly that once dominated the US phone market, said Thursday it will cut another 20 per cent of its workforce and suffer an asset writedown of US\$11.

AT amp;T to cut 7,400 more jobs, take US\$11.4B writedown


Blackburn Rovers, which has yet to win a game in English soccer #39;s Premiership this season, said it appointed Wales coach Mark Hughes to replace Graeme Souness as team manager.

Blackburn Appoints Wales Soccer Coach Mark Hughes as Manager


The most comprehensive international assessment of Arctic climate change has concluded that Earth #39;s upper latitudes are experiencing unprecedented increases in temperature

Report Sounds Alarm on Pace of Arctic Climate Change


OPEC will cut back on oil production early next year in a bid to stave off a further decline in the world price, Kuwait's oil minister said Thursday.

Official: OPEC to Cut Production Next Year


NEW YORK - Stocks sagged Wednesday as oil jumped to a fresh record high on a mixed report about U.S. crude inventories, and investors considered the long-term implications of the flu vaccine shortage...

Stocks Slip As Oil Jumps to Record High


SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (Reuters) - Slow growth in Latin  American economies will hamper efforts to cut poverty in the  region in half by 2015, the Inter-American Development Bank  president said on Wednesday.

Latin America Hard-Pressed on Poverty Goals - IADB


Their fates matched those of their teams in the Arizona Cardinals #39; 25-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks yesterday. Smith sealed the win with a 23-yard touchdown run, a play that put him over the 100-yard

Smith tops 100 yards for record 78th time


European Tour Member Alex Cejka gave himself the opportunity for his first victory on the US PGA Tour when he moved into a tie for second place at the halfway stage of the Michelin Championship, on the TPC at Summerlin course in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Cejka moves into contention in Las Vegas


Salesforce.com Inc. took the next step in its evolution Wednesday, introducing a new site, Supportforce.com, that #39;s designed to provide on-demand call-center and customer-service software along

Salesforce.com Unveils Site Aimed At Providing On-Demand Call <b>...</b>


Sick of screaming to be heard over your cell phone in noisy places? A software firm claims its new headset, based on noise-reduction research it conducted for the U.S. military, will virtually eliminate background-noise disruptions. By Elisa Batista.

Military Headset Reaches Masses


INDIANAPOLIS - Olympic gold medalists Michael Phelps, Aaron Peirsol, Natalie Coughlin and Amanda Beard head US rosters released Tuesday for next months short course world championships.

US rosters set for swimming world meet


JAKARTA: An Indonesian police officer who treated a convicted Bali bomber to coffee in a Jakarta Starbucks is to be questioned over the incident, national police chief General Da #39;i Bachtiar said.

Indonesian police to question officer who treated Bali bomber to <b>...</b>


The federal government, banks and aircraft lenders are putting the clamps on airlines, particularly those operating under bankruptcy protection.

Lenders and U.S. Tighten Screws on Struggling Airlines


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

Microsoft Shares Office Source Code


Sir Mark Thatcher was planning to leave South Africa when he was arrested, authorities in the country said. The son of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is under house arrest and facing the possibility

Thatcher  #39;planned to quit S Africa #39;


Cells critical to sperm development have been grown in the lab and used to father baby mice, US researchers say. They said the development could lead to easier ways to genetically manipulate animals, and said

Sperm grown in the lab fertilises eggs


The Golden State Warriors started a four-game road trip...This was the second meeting of the season between the two clubs. On November 8th, Dallas knocked off the Warriors, 101-98, in overtime in front of

NBA Game Summary - Golden State at Dallas


BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S. military and Iraqi Shiite and tribal leaders held talks Sunday aimed a reducing tensions in the Baghdad's Sadr City slum, where 10 people died in fighting a day earlier between Shiite militiamen and U.S...

Iraqi Leaders Meet in Peace Effort


The Chinese local governments have closed 1600 Internet cafes and fined operators a total of 100m yuan (\$12m) between February and August this year.

1,600 internet cafes closed in China


The government of France illegally attacked Ivory Coast and the UN Security Council sanctioned the illegal action with the adoption of Resolution 1572 on Monday, in what appears to be an imperial

France acted illegally in Ivory Coast attack


Baseball-crazed Venezuelans celebrated pitcher Johan Santana #39;s award as the American League Cy Young winner on Thursday. Honking car horns as they heard the news on the radio and glued to television

Venezuelans celebrate Johan Santana #39;s triumph as AL Cy Young Award <b>...</b>


EU countries analyse an Iranian response to EU pressure for it to halt plans to enrich uranium, officials say.

EU weighs Iranian nuclear reply


Investors pulled out of homebuilder stocks on Wednesday after a pair of economic reports on the pace of home sales indicated the once-hot market might be cooling.

Investors Pull Out of Homebuilder Stocks


AP - Iran is willing to talk with the United States about a nuclear program that Washington alleges is aimed at secretly acquiring the bomb, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said Monday. The White House, however, rejected the idea.

Iran May Negotiate With U.S. Over Nukes (AP)


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Donovan McNabb passed for one  touchdown and rushed for another as the Philadelphia Eagles won  their fourth straight division title with a 27-6 win over the  New York Giants in the NFL Sunday.

NFL Wrap: McNabb Leads Eagles to Fourth East Title


Sun will release the source code of its operating system, but those eager for details may have to wait until early 2005.\

Open-source details hold up Solaris release


A website goes the extra mile to make sure voters aren   rsquo;t confused this Tuesday.  Also: West Virginia organizes the first public supercomputer   hellip;.  FDA keeps its eye on a new pain relief drug   hellip;. and more.

Web Help for the Voting Disabled


MAMMOTH OUTFIT AOL has decided that passwords are not enough and is issuing an optional two tiered layer of security. According to Associated Press, the two-factor authentication scheme will cost \$1.

AOL beefs up security


ATHENS, Greece - Brazilian sports officials blamed inadequate course security for a defrocked priest's bizarre attack on the Olympic marathon leader, and said Monday they will appeal to world track authorities for a duplicate gold medal.    The criticism of Athens Olympic organizers, who have been praised for their overall security, came as former priest Cornelius Horan was given a one-year suspended sentence...

Brazil Plans Appeal for Marathon Attack


Reuters - Japan's Nikkei average edged up 0.26\percent by midsession on Wednesday after the Bank of Japan's\quarterly

Tokyo Stocks Edge Up (Reuters)


It didn't take long. First poll, first controversy. Or at least mini-controversy. If you had taken the wisdom of the two human polls, the first Bowl Championship Series rankings that were released yesterday should have been a no-brainer.

BCS rankings still rankling


Ivory Coast angrily pulled out of a summit of French-speaking countries on Friday after police in the host nation Burkina Faso confiscated

Ivory Coast snubs Francophone summit after spat


KABUL, Afghanistan -- Information from a man caught in a vehicle loaded with explosives led to the arrests of two senior Taliban military commanders, including a former security chief of the hard-line regime's leader, Mullah Omar, an official said yesterday.

Afghans arrest 2 Taliban commanders


A private buyout firm that had said it was seeking to take control of MCI Inc. has sold its 5 percent stake in the long-distance giant for a \$20 million pretax profit.
<FONT face=

Declared Suitor Sells Its Stake In MCI


BANGKOK : The leading trio of seeds each had to overcome niggles to achieve victories but Roger Federer, Andy Roddick and Marat Safin all managed to reach the quarter-finals at the 550,000-dollar Thailand Open.

Tennis: Leading seeds overcome difficulties to advance in Thailand <b>...</b>


Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said innovation and customer responsiveness should be top priorities for ISVs, even as Microsoft itself last week admitted that the next version of Windows will fall short of the mark when it hits the shelves in 2006.

Ballmer Touts Microsoft #39;s Innovation In Spite Of Longhorn Snafu


Ford Motor Co., the world #39;s second- biggest carmaker, plans to cut production of Jaguar cars by 15,000 units this year to trim losses at its European luxury-vehicle unit.

Ford to Cut Jaguar Car Production by 15,000 Units (Update1)


Yahoo, world #39;s number one website, announced its decision to purchase MusicMatch today for \$160 million in cash. With this step, Yahoo hopes to attract more music listerners to its website.

Yahoo buys MusicMatch for \$160 million


TONY Blair is today preparing to fight the most potentially damaging threat to his leadership as Labour Party conference begins in Brighton.

Beleaguered Blair faces attacks on all fronts at party conference


US-backed interim leader Hamid Karzai was nearing victory in Afghanistans presidential vote, election officials said, as the number of ballots counted passed the half way mark.

Afghanistan close to finishing vote count; Karzai in lead


(New York- WABC, December 9, 2004 ) - Boxer Mike Tyson has had another run in with the law. Tyson was released yesterday after his arrest in Arizona.

New Trouble for Mike Tyson


AP - Since his Kansas City Chiefs fell to 0-3, Dick Vermeil has gotten phone calls and e-mails sending words of encouragement.

Vermeil's Friends Back Troubled Coach (AP)


NASHVILLE, Tenn. Tennessee Titans receiver Tyrone Calico will be out two to three weeks, and up to ten, because of a knee injury. Calico, counted on as a big-play deep threat, has torn cartilage suffered in a loss to San Diego Sunday.

Titans #39; Calico out two-three weeks, maybe ten


General Motors doesn #39;t believe \$50 barrels of oil are having any effect on sales of big trucks and SUVs, and it has new sales numbers to back it up: GM #39;s light truck sales were up 33 in September, to record levels of 287,000.

Monster Truck Month


Asian stock markets closed mostly higher Friday, with the key indexes edging higher both in Tokyo and Hong Kong. Tokyo #39;s Nikkei Stock Average of 225 issues rose 80.

Asian Stock Markets Close Mostly Higher


TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar climbed on Friday as investors  took advantage of the currency's recent weakness to take  profits and as the market took on more neutral positions in the  final stretch before the year-end.

Dollar Inches Up, Market Focus on Fed


AP - Some black Notre Dame alumni say the recent firing of football coach Tyrone Willingham will hamper the school's efforts to recruit and retain black students and teachers.

Black Notre Dame Alumni Question Firing (AP)


Four people were believed to have been killed and 130 injured last night when a passenger train derailed after striking a vehicle at a level crossing.

#39;Four dead, 130 hurt #39; as train hits car at crossing


Like fruit cake and Santa Claus, they have become an important part of the holiday season. Beginning in early November and running through Christmas, Salvation Army

Help desperately wanted


CAMP HILL, Pa. Rite Aid says it #39;s lowering its financial projections for the current fiscal year, citing slowing pharmacy sales and lower-than-expected reimbursement rates paid by insurance companies and other health plans.

Rite Aid lowers financial projections for fiscal 2005


At least six people - four prison guards and two prisoners - when Al Qaeda prisoners attempted a break out of Kabul #39;s main Pul-i-Charki prison today, Afghan police officials and eyewitnesses said.

Six Are Killed in Attempted Breakout at Prison in Kabul


Romario scored twice as Brazil beat Mexico 2-1 in Los Angeles on Wednesday in a match tagged as the  quot;Grand Farewell quot; to the famed Brazilian striker.

Romario scores twice in  quot;Grand Farewell quot; friendly


MADRID, Spain -- A bomb threat forced authorities to evacuate about 75,000 spectators from Madrid #39;s Bernabeu stadium during a match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad.

Bomb threat clears Madrid stadium


Description: NPR #39;s Alex Chadwick speaks with NPR #39;s Ira Flatow, host of Talk of the Nation Science Friday, about new images and data from the Cassini space probe that could unlock some of the mysteries surrounding Titan, Saturn #39;s largest moon.

Cassini Probes Secrets of Saturn #39;s Biggest Moon


Hollywood joined the music industry in its legal campaign against online music piracy, filing hundreds of lawsuits against people suspected of trading illegally copied movies on the Internet. <FONT face=

Hollywood Sues Movie Pirates


WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - Lucent Technologies and Nortel Networks on Tuesday won contracts totaling \$2.5 billion to help Sprint upgrade its wireless network to offer high-speed service.

Lucent, Nortel get big Sprint contracts


Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and cable television provider Comcast Corp. (CMCSA.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Monday they would

Comcast, Microsoft to Deploy Video Recorder Set-Tops


ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- A former NASA inspector has been accused of lying about inspecting crucial parts on the space shuttle Discovery before and after the Columbia disaster that killed seven astronauts and grounded the entire orbiter fleet...

NASA Inspector's Space Shuttle Checks Questioned


The Army National Guard has failed for two months to meet its recruiting quotas, falling about 30 percent below its overall target.

Guard Reports Serious Drop in Enlistment


Brisbane: New Zealand collapsed to an innings and 156-run defeat in the first cricket Test here, demoralised by a crushing Australian innings lead and routed by the world champions #39; inspired bowling.

Warne, McGrath hand Kiwis heavy defeat


President Chen Shui-bian () stated Thursday that  quot;Taiwan quot; is the most precise abbreviated designation for the this island country during a one-day state visit to the Central American nation of Belize.

President touts  #39;Taiwan #39; as best national name


AP - A mistress of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il  #151; whose son with him is considered a possible successor  #151; has died of an illness, according to media reports.

N. Korean Leader's Mistress Reported Dead (AP)


CACI International Inc.'s president of U.S. operations, L. Kenneth Johnson, will retire Nov. 1.  The Arlington government contractor said in a statement that the 58-year-old Johnson, its second in command, is leaving

Johnson Will Retire  As CACI's No. 2 Executive


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

Private Spaceflight Closer to Reality


Sixth-seeded Argentine tennis player Guillermo Canas scored a 6-2, 6-4 win over Austrian wild card Julian Knowle to highlight the opening day of play at the CA Trophy tournament in Vienna.

Tennis: Argentina #39;s Guillermo Canas Wins in Opening Day Play of CA <b>...</b>


Arsenal striker Thierry Henry says reaching their milestone on Sunday will mean nothing if they don #39;t win anything. The5-3 win over Middlesbrough equalled Nottingham Forest #39;s 42-game unbeaten League run, set 25 years ago.

Henry: Record not enough


CHICAGO United Airlines #39; union leaders are meeting today to review the company #39;s proposal for a further 725 (M) million dollars in labor concessions and the elimination of pension programs.

United seeking \$725 million in further labor cuts, ditching <b>...</b>


Consumers are much more interested in what their phone does for them than bits and bytes, research suggests.

Lifestyle 'governs mobile choice'


Federal Communications Commission officials want to regulate voice-over-IP services, FCC chairman Michael Powell said. In an Oct. 19 speech in Boston, Powell praised voice-over-IP innovators and argued his case for federal oversight of the technology.

FCC seeks power over VOIP


It's been a few decades since anyone recorded my mile splits as I bounded over hill and dale, immersed in running's intoxicating rhythm.

Review: Music Player Measures Running Pace


Google Inc. turned on the switch Thursday to its new e-mail list service that combines the Usenet archive with the ability to create and manage new groups.

Google Launches Revamped E-Mail Groups


Like their leader Ray Lewis, the Ravens were pushed around, punched and left bloodied. The Ravens #39; 27-24 loss to the previously winless Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night at

Ravens beaten at home


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

FedEx Quarterly Earnings More Than Double


BAGHDAD -- The US military said yesterday that it had charged two soldiers attached to the Army's First Cavalry Division with premeditated murder in the deaths of three Iraqis.

US military charges two soldiers with murder of 3 Iraqis


LOUISVILLE, Ky.  Stefan LeFors threw three touchdown passes Wednesday night as No. 12 Louisville rolled to a 55-28 victory over TCU.

LeFors keeps Cardinals rolling


The battle for search-technology supremacy extended to new front today when Microsoft launched a tool for finding files stored on personal computers.

Microsoft launches desktop rival to Google


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Surging energy costs drove U.S.  consumer prices up by a hefty and larger-than-expected 0.6  percent last month, the biggest jump since May, a government  report showed on Wednesday.

Consumer Prices: Biggest Jump Since May


The company has formed an agreement with mobile developer and publisher Dwango Wireless to launch the service - Napster Mobile - across the US and Canada in 2005.

Napster #39;s mobile market plans


British publisher Pearson PLC said Tuesday it plans to sell its 79 percent stake in Spanish media group Recoletos in a deal worth euro743 million (US\$990 million).

Pearson to Sell Stake in Spanish Publisher


Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Larry Chester will miss the rest of the season because of a torn ligament in his right knee, his agent said Monday.

Dolphins #39; DT Chester out for season with knee injury


Microsoft Corp. said Monday that it will continue to expand its software development operations in India as it opened a new campus near Hyderabad.

Microsoft to expand operations in India


ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Kennedy Winston, like his University of Alabama basketball teammates, sunk back in his chair on the bench and watched as the University of Washington accepted the trophy for the Great Alaska Shootout.

Huskies keep Tide at bay


Hours after a bomb ripped through his concert at Colombo, Shah Rukh Khan, who returned to Mumbai with his team mates, said the incident will not deter him from holding similar shows.

Such incidents won #39;t deter me: Shahrukh


LONDON - ... The lack of progress within the six-nation forum discussing North Korea and the heightened confrontation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), indicate that the two

Editorial Roundup


TOKYO (Reuters) - The Nikkei average inched down by  midsession on Tuesday as investors took a breather from recent  speedy gains that were helped by a better result than expected  in the Bank of Japan's

Japan Stocks Slip by Midday


Two lawyers appointed to defend Slobodan Milosevic on war crimes charges ask for his trial to be suspended.

Milosevic team seek halt to trial


The Arizona Diamondbacks and new manager Wally Backman know that sometimes you have to go backward to go forward. The rebuilding Diamondbacks, coming off a 51-111 season, hired Backman on Monday, completing

Diamondbacks pick Backman


AP - World renowned thinker Jacques Derrida, a founder of the school of philosophy known as deconstructionism, has died, the office of French President Jacques Chirac said Saturday. Derrida was 74.

Philosopher Derrida Dies in Paris at 74 (AP)


Regulators in France, the world #39;s third-biggest temporary employment market, are investigating Adecco SA, Manpower Inc. and Vedior NV, the top providers of such workers, for alleged violations of competition laws.

Adecco, Manpower, Vedior Probed for Collusion #39; (Update1)


Sir Mark Thatcher today told how his life had been  quot;destroyed quot; by charges that he helped finance a failed African coup. The son of former prime minister

Thatcher: I feel like a corpse in a river


Two employers of a Turkish truck driver taken hostage in Iraq have agreed to pull out of the country following a threat by his captors to behead him, media sources report.

Two firms say to quit Iraq to save Turkish hostage


IBM Corp. claimed unofficial bragging rights Tuesday as owner of the world #39;s fastest supercomputer. For three years running, the fastest supercomputer has been NEC #39;s Earth Simulator in Japan.

IBM Says Blue Gene Breaks Speed Record


Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has rejected a call from a key political rival from his own Likud Party for a national referendum on his plan to withdraw all Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip.

Sharon Rejects Call for Referendum on Gaza Withdrawal Plan


Mark Thatcher, the son of the former United Kingdom prime minister, was arraigned in court yesterday following his arrest over an alleged coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea.

Coup Plot: Thatcher #39;s Son Charged


Leaders of US Airways #39; pilots union late Monday rejected the carrier #39;s latest contract proposal, a blow to the airline #39;s attempt to avoid a second bankruptcy filing.

US Airways Pilots #39; Union Leaders Reject Proposal


LONDON : British satellite broadcaster BSkyB said profit rose by 16 percent in the first quarter as the group enjoyed strong subscriber growth in the run-up to the key Christmas trading period.

BSkyB sees profits rise after strong subscriber growth


Even though he has fled the perceived hostile atmosphere of Athens and the Olympic village for more friendly terrain in the United States, there is still time for Paul Hamm to do what #39;s right.

Hamm #39;s legacy should be for Olympic ideal


Environmental campaigners say plans for a dam in Montenegro will threaten a Unesco world heritage site.

Dam threatens Montenegro river


Reuters - Democratic Sen. John Kerry attacked\President Bush's

Kerry and Bush Tangle on Explosives, Character (Reuters)


Senator John Kerry accused the president today of caving in to the gun lobby, a charge rejected by the White House.

Kerry and Bush Trade Charges on End of Weapons Ban, and Crime


We get much deeper into Nintendo #39;s cool touch-screen continuation of its whacked-out series. December 03, 2004 - If you haven #39;t already noticed by now, the Nintendo DS has finally had its launch in the Japanese

Wario Ware Touched!


AFP - Google's share price has been set at 85 dollars in its initial public offering, a company spokeswoman said.

Google's share price set at 85 dollars (AFP)


NEW YORK - US consumer sentiment took a surprise spill in September, according to a survey released Friday, suggesting Americans continue to be uncertain about the economic outlook and the job market.

Consumer sentiment weakens in September


You have to give Blockbuster (NYSE: BBI) credit for trying. The company has not sat idly by while a changing competitive landscape slowly chips away at its core movie rental business.

Blockbuster Cancels Late Fees


Researchers in China have unearthed the fossil remains of a parrotlike dinosaur surrounded by 34 juveniles. The find suggests dinosaurs were nurturing parents.

Dinosaurs Were Doting Parents, Fossil Find Suggests


ong before Sir Richard Branson dreamed of becoming the latest billionaire with a reality TV show, before he started his cellphone company, his airline and his record label, he sold music from

Music Sites Ask,  #39;Why Buy If You Can Rent? #39;


MANILA (Dow Jones)--The Philippine government has mandated three investment banks to underwrite a bond offer that will raise at least \$750 million in the overseas capital market, Philippine Daily Inquirer reports, citing unnamed banking and government

PHILIPPINES PRESS: Govt Mandates 3 Banks for Bond Offer


Volkswagen AG named former DaimlerChrysler AG executive Wolfgang Bernhard, a cost cutter who won plaudits for helping return DaimlerChrysler #39;s US division to profitability, to a top management post Wednesday and said he would soon take over

VW names cost-cutting former Chrysler exec to take over mainstay <b>...</b>


The evolution of a physique for long-distance running is what made humans look the way we do now -- whether winning a marathon, nursing a strained Achilles #39; tendon

Human race off and running


By Davide Castelvecchi     Stanford University -- A string of recent discoveries in astronomy has left scientists with an unsettling realization: The stuff we know and understand makes up less than 5 percent of the universe. The rest has to be yet-unknown forms of

Particle Physics in a New Universe


A RED HAT vice president has slammed Sun for refusing to open source its Java code and hanging on like grim death to its patents. The bone of contention is the April agreement between Sun and Microsoft.

Red Hat big wig attacks Sun


Kimberly-Clark Corp., the largest US maker of disposable diapers, said third-quarter earnings rose 5.1 percent as sales gains for Huggies and price increases on Scott tissue helped to counter rising pulp costs.

Kimberly-Clark 3rd-Qtr Net Rises 5.1 on Huggies Diaper Sales


ISLAMABAD : Kashmiri political leaders as well as militant commanders are expressing mix reaction over the Indian Prime Minister Manmohans Singh statement regarding reduction in troops in Indian administrated Kashmir.

Mixed reaction over Manmohanss statement on troops reduction in <b>...</b>


Scientists have now officially witnessed the perfect cosmic storm. Thanks to the European Space Agency #39;s XMM-Newton observatory, they watched a nearby head-on collision between two galaxy clusters.

Massive Merger of Galaxies is the Most Powerful on Record


and it beat anything the 20th could offer either. A fourth successive gold medal for Matthew Pinsent by only just 0.08s. Barney Williams

Rowing: Pinsent #39;s emotions run free after gold medal No 4


Running back Reggie Bush came out of the backfield to give Southern California a new big-play receiver. Bush caught three touchdown passes to help the top-ranked Trojans beat

Bush comes up big for top-ranked Trojans


Pope John Paul II on Sunday will beatify Sister Anne Catherine Emmerich, a sickly 19th century nun who claimed to have visions that gave her courtside seats at Jesus #39; execution.

Vatican Set to Beatify Gibson #39;s Passionate Muse


NEW YORK - When Notre Dame fired Tyrone Willingham earlier this week, there was a strong feeling among certain influential Board of Trustees members that the university had to move immediately or risk losing coveted Utah coach Urban Meyer to another school

No Urban renewal for fading Notre Dame


Jayson Williams, acquitted in April of aggravated manslaughter in the shooting death of a limousine driver, worked out with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.

Jayson Williams works out with Cavaliers


The logic behind Google (GOOG ) Desktop Search is simple enough: Why shouldn #39;t the best tool for finding things on the Web do equally well at helping people search their own computers?

There #39;s Google. Then There #39;s Google Desktop


Oil prices extended a bounce from three-week lows on Monday, climbing back above \$52 for US crude amid jitters over tight global winter fuel stocks and this week #39;s US presidential election.

Oil Extends Rebound Ahead of Election


Maurice Wilkins, 88, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1962 along with the two scientists credited for describing the structure of DNA, Francis Crick and James Watson, died Tuesday at a London hospital.

DNA pioneer, Nobel winner transformed medical field


Lycos Europe has shut down its screensaver, makelovenotspam, which delighted many Internet users with the opportunity to flood spammers #39; Web sites with junk e-mail.

Lycos Shuts Down Controversial Screensaver


Since the worlds nuclear watchdog agency confirmed reports of Irans extensive and secret nuclear activities more than two years ago, international concerns that Tehran might soon acquire bomb-making capabilities have grown.

Iran: Getting Back on Track


The Mets surprised no one Monday evening when they announced they had declined the \$10 million option on Al Leiter #39;s contract, leaving the veteran southpaw available

Club remains interested in re-signing veteran southpaw


The share price of Harmony Gold came under pressure today, dipping some 8 after announcing a hostile bid for Gold Fields to create the world #39;s biggest gold producer.

Harmony Gold #39;s share price under pressure


SAN FRANCISCO--Online retailer Amazon.com is offering a 1.57 percent shopping discount to registered users of its new A9 Web search service as a way to increase A9 use and promote sales on Amazon, the company #39;s Web site showed on Friday.

Amazon offers discount to A9 search users


Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world #39;s largest retailer, said on Saturday it expects a 0.7 percent increase in November sales at its US stores open at least

Wal-Mart Sees Nov. US Sales Up 0.7 Pct


Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. purchased Northland Cranberries Inc.'s processing plant and inventory for \$28 million in cash to bolster its manufacturing and ingredient business.

Ocean Spray buys competitor's assets


Microsoft India today announced the launch of  #39;Express #39; product line for SQL server and visual studio, mainly targeted at entry-level developers and programming enthusiasts who are interested in experimenting with application development.

Micorsof India launches new software


LONDON (CBS.MW) - Electronics retailer Circuit City Stores on Friday narrowed its fiscal second quarter loss, citing improvements in the average ticket price and extended warranty penetration rates on key merchandise.

Circuit City narrows Q2 loss


Alex Salmond is to deliver a petition calling on the UK to withdraw from the Common Fisheries Policy.

Salmond in fishing policy demand


WASHINGTON -- In a deal with the government, the mortgage company Fannie Mae has agreed to forfeit \$7.5 million after being accused of accepting money it knew had been lost by a federal agency in a fraud scheme.

Fannie Mae to forfeit millions


Shawn Crawford is weird. Two years ago, the US Olympic sprinter wore a Phantom of the Opera mask during a race in Italy; Crawford was disqualified after the disguise blocked his sight, causing him to stray from his lane.

Fast Track America


NEW YORK : Internet advertising revenues in the United States surged 42.7 percent in the second quarter compared with the same period a year ago to 2.37 billion US dollars, an industry group said Monday.

US Internet ad revenues up 42.7 percent to record


Astronomers are closely watching three sections of the sky after detecting three short but powerful X-ray bursts that may be harbingers of supernovas that could happen in the next few days.

Astronomers scan sky for birth of supernova


A Brazilian soldier with the UN peacekeeping force in Haiti was shot and wounded Saturday when peacekeepers and local police faced gunfire in a crackdown on armed gangs in the Haitian capital.

Brazilian Soldier Wounded in Haiti Unrest


Reuters - General Motors Corp.  and Ford\Motor Co.  posted weaker U.S. sales for August on\Wednesday and both cut planned fourth-quarter production as\their aging vehicle lineups lost ground to rival Chrysler and\some foreign brands.

GM, Ford Cut Production; U.S. Sales Fall (Reuters)


TORONTO (CP) - Celestica Inc. is selling its power-systems business to C amp;D Technologies, a Pennsylvania-based company which will keep the 160 people employed at the division as part of a strategic expansion of its own business.

Celestica selling power-systems division to C amp;D Technologies


TOKYO (Reuters) - The yen rose on Friday after a closely  watched Bank of Japan (BOJ) survey showed further improvement  in Japanese business sentiment.

Yen Rises on Corporate Sentiment Poll


BAGHDAD #39;S international airport would reopen to civilian traffic after being closed for a week under a state of emergency declared before the assault on Fallujah, Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said today.

Iraqis can resume normal lives: PM


There #39;s a never-say die attitude floating around the Braves #39; clubhouse and it was displayed yet again Monday afternoon at Turner Field.

Braves stun Giants in ninth


More American companies expect to add jobs in the fourth quarter than a year ago, even as they remain cautious about hiring, a new survey said.

U.S. Companies Plan to Continue Hiring


AFP - Indian troops shot dead two rebels who had infiltrated into Indian Kashmir from the Pakistan-controlled zone, while two separatists and nine other people were detained in the region, officials said.

Two rebel infiltrators killed, separatists detained in Kashmir (AFP)


A female suicide bomber set off a blast Wednesday in the French Hill section of Jerusalem killing one person, police and emergency services said.

Suicide bombing in Jerusalem kills 1


Russian space officials say the departure of the replacement crew for the International Space Station has been set for October 14.

Russia Says Space Launch Set for October 14


Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Tim Wakefield pitched eight strong innings to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 6-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers and a sweep of the four-game series at Fenway Park.

Red Sox within 4 1/2 games of Yankees after sweeping Tigers


AFP - Chinese President Hu Jintao said the booming economy in China would grow by

Chinese leader says economy to grow about 9.0 percent in 2004 (AFP)


Online search engine upstart Vivisimo is setting out to convince the masses that Google #39;s vaunted technology isn #39;t the most efficient way to find things on the Internet.

Search upstart launches site with sights set on Google


Reuters - Iran will honor its pledge to the\European Union and U.N. nuclear watchdog to freeze uranium\enrichment and all related activities, Tehran's chief delegate\to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Friday.

Iran Says It's Fully Committed to Nuke Enrichment Freeze (Reuters)


UPS likes to do things big way. Last year, the company garnered a place in the InfoWorld 100 with a wireless project that will ultimately replace 55,000 scanning devices. This year, the company takes the coveted top slot, thanks to a nine-year, \$600 million package flow initiative that as of October 2004 has successfully transformed 250 of the companys 1,500 package centers.

UPS reinvents package flow


AP - Denny Neagle's contract was terminated by the Colorado Rockies on Monday, three days after the oft-injured pitcher was cited for solicitation.

Rockies Terminate Neagle's Contract (AP)