Business & money: Shares in the internet company rise further after it says Â£21bn unsolicited offer is too low


Venezuelan Vote Audit Confirms Chavez Win

CARACAS, Venezuela  - An audit of Venezuela's  recall referendum has confirmed that President Hugo Chavez won  fairly and found no evidence to support fraud charges,  observers and electoral council officials said on Saturday.


A new reporting period for company earnings kicks into gear this week, giving investors a bit of hard data to chew on, and markets could be volatile if the price of crude oil stays north of $50 a barrel.


With a freezer full of food about to spoil, there was only one thing for Nestor Tsimpedes to do after Hurricane Charley made a shambles of his restaurant — feed people for free.


Holiday season rings in the phony absences

'Tis the season for calling in sick, especially if you're not sick at all.


Intuit to Buy Producer of Banking Software

Intuit plans to buy the Digital Insight Corporation for $1.35 billion, a move that will expand it into online banking software and services.


Parmalat, the bankrupt Italian dairy concern, sued its two former auditing firms for $10 billion in state court in Chicago on Wednesday, saying they should have detected the massive fraud that caused Parmalat to go under.


China has closed 1,600 internet cafes and fined operators a total of $12 million for letting children play violent games and for other violations, the government said.


NPR.org, November 6, 2004 Â· Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat remains in critical condition at a hospital outside Paris, said to be in a coma.


Trovata sulla sedia a rotelle, svenuta forse per il fumo


Six former executives of wheat exporter AWB Ltd. are facing civil trial over millions of dollars in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's Iraqi regime, the latest round in a scandal surrounding the U.N.'s now discredited oil-for-food program.


Suicide bomber kills 27 at Iraqi police base

A suicide bomber on a motorbike killed 27 policemen at a base north of Baghdad on Monday, police said, in one of the worst attacks on Iraq's security forces in months.


UPDATE 2-Austin wins Buick Championship in sudden death

Woody Austin birdied the first hole of a sudden-death playoff against fellow American Tim Herron to win the $4.2 million Buick Championship on Sunday.


Castro recovering "very well", official says

A senior Cuban official said on Tuesday that Fidel Castro is recovering "very well" but gave no indication when, or if, Cuba's ailing leader might return to public life.


Cheaper than a dentist: Photoshop teeth-whitening filter

Blog: Image Trends releases image-editing plug-ins to whiten teeth and reduce the glare of shiny faces.


'Jeopardy!' Whiz Ends 74-Game Win Streak

"Jeopardy" whiz Ken Jennings finally met his match after a 74-game run as a pop culture icon who made brainiacs cool, beaten by a woman whose own 8-year-old daughter asked for his autograph when they first met.


Somali attacks kill 9, wounds two peacekeepers

At least nine Somalis were killed and dozens wounded when a rocket fired at African Union troops hit a restaurant in an ambush that also slightly injured two of the peacekeepers, officials said on Thursday.


Joe Maddon called Carlos Pena's monster shot into the third deck at Coors Field "prodigious." The usually eloquent Pena couldn't come up with a better word than "blast." But Pena cried foul following Tampa Bay's 7-4 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.


Suicide bomber kills north Iraq police chief

A suicide bomber in police uniform killed a top police official in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Thursday as he toured the site of an explosion that killed 36 people and wounded 169 a day earlier, officials said.


WILMINGTON, Del. - Former PeopleSoft Chief Executive Officer Craig Conway testified Wednesday that he may have overreacted to Oracle Corp.


Design Within Reach: Architecture for Humanity Builds the Future of Housing

Architecture for Humanity wants to mprove the lives of billions people worldwide, one sustainable building at a time. The mission is ambitious, but AFH has helped build earthquake-resistant shelters in Turkey, refugee housing in Afghanistan and school buildings in Calcutta.


US Soldier, 25 Rebels Killed in Mosul Battle

A frontal assault on US troops by dozens of Iraqi insurgents in Mosul left an American soldier and about 25 guerrillas dead in one of the boldest attacks yet on occupying forces in Iraq.


Anwar arrives in Germany for back surgery

Malaysia's former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim arrived in the southern German city of Munich Sunday for back surgery. A spokeswoman at the Alpha clinic in Munich confirmed


Business & money: Swiss bank takes hit in fourth quarter but substantially less affected by sub-prime crisis than rival UBS


Palestinians agree on key posts for unity cabinet

MECCA, Saudi Arabia  - Rival Palestinian factions agreed at crisis talks in Saudi Arabia on Thursday to give key cabinet posts to independents, overcoming one stumbling block to a unity government, officials said.


Record Deficit for a Crucial Trade Figure

The United States hit a record deficit of $166.2 billion last quarter in trade and capital flows with the rest of the world.


G.M.-Fiat Talks Fail to Resolve Rift Over Partnership Agreement

The high-stakes standoff between General Motors and Fiat over the terms of a 2000 partnership moved a step closer to the courtroom on Tuesday.


Amazon adds Warner Music tunes to download service

Online retailer Amazon.com Inc has signed on Warner Music Group Corp to its music download service, the latest major record label to join the competitor to Apple Inc's industry-leading iTunes store.


A Zimbabwe Foreign Ministry official gatecrashed the U.S. embassy's July 4 celebrations Wednesday to criticize the outgoing ambassador.


It's just like old times: Nobody will admit knowing where Luis Posada Carriles is, but a lot of people would like to find the man who faces criminal charges of blowing up a jetliner amid a lifetime of struggle against Cuban President Fidel Castro.


Lead Bullet Ban Awaits Panel: Fish and Game Commission Considering Four Possible Courses of Action

By Kevin Howe, The Monterey County Herald, Calif.  Mar. 7--A possible ban on lead bullets for hunting will be on the state Fish and Game Commission agenda when it meets next month in Bodega Bay.   The commission voted unanimously at its Feb.


Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool's hopes of staying in the Champions League will ``go right to the wire'' with just three tough qualifying games remaining.


The widow of the train driver killed in the Berkshire rail crash says he had no qualms about level crossings.


In Gesture to Egypt, Israel Will Release 170 Palestinians

Israel on Suntoday agreed to release 170 Palestinian prisoners in what Prime Minister Ariel Sharon described as a goodwill offering to Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak.


Gov. Bush Loses Appeal in Fla. Right-To-Die Case

The U.S. Supreme Court dealt a setback on Monday to Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's efforts to keep a severely brain-damaged woman on life support despite the wishes of her husband.


Loews quarterly profit up nearly six-fold

Loews Corp. , the conglomerate run by the Tisch family, reported a nearly six-fold increase in fourth-quarter profit on Monday, helped by gains at its insurance and oil drilling units.


Drug Waivers  Are a Concern In Elite Cycling

Of the 105 riders tested at the Tour de France, 60 had medical certificates allowing them to take banned substances, creating suspicion of foul play.


A divided federal appeals court rejected a lawsuit Friday challenging President Bush's domestic spying program without ruling on the issue of whether warrantless wiretapping is legal.


Basketball: Bryant says O'Neal paid women hush money to keep ...

LOS ANGELES : Shaquille O'Neal paid various women hush money to keep quiet about sexual encounters, Kobe Bryant told law enforcement officers in Eagle, Colorado.


Wis. Student Sues to End Summer Homework

A student whose vacation plans were spoiled has sued to end summer homework in Wisconsin, claiming it creates an unfair workload and unnecessary stress.


We go back to Nov. 14 when the Red Sox outbid the Mets, Yankees, and Rangers for the right to negotiate with Daisuke Matsuzaka.


Bolton to leave as U.S. ambassador to U.N.

Facing opposition from key senators, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton will leave office in a matter of days, the White House announced on Monday.


BJP president LK Advani's attempt to put the party in order by admonishing erring leaders - surprisingly before TV cameras â-ackfired spectacularly on Wednesday.


Control of Dances Is at Issue in Lawsuit

One of the choreographers associated with the New Dance Group and the children of two others are embroiled in a very modern court battle over who has the right to perform their dances.


Arafat Said to Have Liver Failure; PM to Visit

Yasser Arafat, critically ill in a Paris  hospital, has suffered liver failure, a Palestinian official  said on Sunday as Arafat's subordinates decided in his absence  to enforce a law and order plan in Palestinian areas.


Change-up: Tigers sign top draft pick Verlander

After saying earlier this month they had withdrawn their offer to top draft choice Justin Verlander, the Tigers announced Friday they had signed the Old Dominion right-hander to a five-year contract.


Chemical Cocktail Turns Argentine Ants Against Each Other

Scientists are working on a chemical cocktail that can turn members of a massive colony of invasive Argentine ants into mortal foes.


Hollywood star Paul Newman, whose career spanned five decades, says he has retired from stage and screen.


Pakistan sets deadline for mosque surrender

The Pakistan government has set a deadline of 11 a.m. (0600 GMT) on Wednesday for militant students at a mosque in the capital to surrender after 11 people were killed in clashes a day earlier, a spokesman said.


The smart phone maker reported a loss in its fiscal second quarter as revenue declined and expenses rose.


La Coruna, 16:46 - CALCIO, DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA: SI DIMETTE L'ALLENATORE

Joaquin Caparros lascia la panchina del Deportivo La Coruna. Il tecnico ha rimesso il proprio mandat...


Iran expects EU, IAEA to honor commitments: speaker

The conservative-dominated Iranian Majlis (parliament) on Wednesday voiced hope that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Union (EU) will honor their


EU leaders set for summit showdown over new treaty

European Union leaders headed for a showdown on Thursday over efforts to reform the bloc's creaking institutions, but chances of agreement appeared to rise after chief critic Poland softened its tone.


Geldof relents, allows 'Live Aid' DVD release

LONDON - A DVD of the 1985 Live Aid concert landed on British store shelves on Monday. Bob Geldof, the singer who arranged the event, had sworn that the day-long show would never be rebroadcast.


Australian murderer kept body for 23 years

An Australian man was convicted on Saturday of killing his wife and then hiding her body in a metal drum in his garage for 23 years.


Postal Service Sees Simplicity in 31 Digits

The U.S. Postal Service is launching a 31-digit bar code that will permit business customers -- advertisers, catalogue and credit card companies -- to track their mail, from the drop-off at a post office to delivery at a home or office.


ATHENS, Greece - Top Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou withdrew Wednesday from the Athens Games, nearly a week after the duo missed a drug test and were hospitalized after a mysterious motorcycle crash.   "I'm withdrawing from the Olympics," Kenteris said after meeting with the International Olympic Committee...


Jimmy Rollins and the Philadelphia Phillies have been playing catch-up all season, so it made sense they would overcome one more big deficit.


"Ma che sta succedendo al Parlamento Europeo? Sono diventati tutti matti?" L'anziano cronista tedesco commenta cosÃ la notizia appena sfornata dall'ufficio del Presidente Bourlange della Commissione Parlamentare


Lithuania's small Jewish community is reviving the Yiddish language, which almost died out in World War II.


Federer, Hewitt take marathon routes to victory

MELBOURNE - Roger Federer took his time about this one - needing 4 1/2 hours and five sets to advance at the Australian Open.


Tesco self-scan tills 'open to card fraud'

Lets thieves help themselves Security shortcomings involving Tesco self-service tills make it easier for crooks to pay for groceries using stolen credit or debit cards, according to UK consumer group Which?.â¦


Hundreds of survivors of last year's earthquake in Pakistan staged an anti-graft protest in the capital on Saturday, accusing reconstruction officials of corruption.


Patrick joins Rahal's three-car lineup for 2005

Danica Patrick just wanted a chance to drive in the IRL. Now she has to prove she's worthy of it. Patrick will join Indianapolis 500 champion Buddy Rice and Vitor Meira as drivers on the Rahal-Letterman team


Shares rise as oil prices bolster energy stocks

Stocks gained on Friday as shares of energy companies got a boost from rising oil prices.


New Internet worm disguised e-Christmas card

Internet security experts have warned of a new virulent email worm particularly successful in infecting computers as it is disguised as a multilingual electronic Christmas card.


South Korea picks president with bottom line in mind

South Korean voters head to the polls on Wednesday ready to end 10 years of rule by liberal presidents by selecting a former businessman who promises to run the world's 13th largest economy like a CEO.


Didier Drogba gets the goals as Chelsea extend their lead at the top of the Premiership to seven points.


Scotland's Colin Montgomerie fired a 4-under-par 67 to grab a two-stroke lead after the third round of the $US7 million World Challenge golf tournament at Thousand Oaks in California.


'Pessimism, grumbling, fault-finding ... '

Arts & entertainment: London-born illustrator Raymond Briggs, 73, discusses his most unappealing habits


His confidence is positively brimming now. Five games into his first term as Pittsburgh's starting quarterback, Tyler Palko , a 6-foot-2-inch, 220-pound sophomore from Imperial, Pa., has guided the Panthers (3-2 overall, 1-1 Big East) to a pair of stirring come-from-behind victories, the most recent of which was a 27-22 conference triumph over Temple Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in ...


Nellie Connally, who rode in JFK death limo, dies

Former Texas first lady Nellie  Connally, who was riding in the limousine with President John  F. Kennedy when he was assassinated in 1963, has died at the  age of 87, a family friend said on Saturday.


PerchÃ© le commissioni Giustizia, libertÃ  pubbliche e diritti civili del Parlamento europeo hanno bocciato la nomina di Rocco Buttiglione a membro e vicepresidente della nuova commissione di Bruxelles? E


Jury finds Black guilty of criminal fraud

A U.S. jury on Friday found Conrad Black guilty of criminal fraud and obstruction of justice in a grim Friday the 13th verdict that could send the former media baron to jail for up to 35 years.


Chinese officials announced that Hong Kong would have to wait at least another decade for democratic elections to select its leader.


FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Commanders are warning US troops that the battle for Fallujah -- which appears to have started -- may lead to the most brutal urban fighting since the Vietnam War.


Chinese officials warn urgent action is needed to avoid environmental catastrophe over the Three Gorges Dam.


Anderson can be great for Man Utd, says Porto chief

Manchester United fans will be in for a treat when Brazilian Anderson joins a star-studded midfield at Old Trafford, according to Porto president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa.


By GREGOR, Kelly  Te Aroha's environmental time bomb has been defused with a $9 million government cash injection for a clean-up operation.


The Dolphins acquired Lamar Gordon from the St. Louis Rams on Wednesday in exchange for a third-round draft pick in 2005. The 6-foot-1, 228-pound Gordon passed a physical and was expected to practice with the team today.


Chirac refuses to testify over dirty tricks scandal

Former French president Jacques Chirac has refused to testify in a political dirty tricks scandal while he was in office, but a newspaper said Saturday he has been summoned over a separate party financing affair.


ALEXANDRIA, Va.  - US Airways Group Inc. UAIR.O  told a bankruptcy court on Monday it would skip a $110 million  pension payment due Wednesday as it looks to slash costs and  avoid liquidation after filing for protection from its  creditors over the weekend.


Vice President Cheney, speaking with Larry Kudlow on MSNBC's "Kudlow & Company" yesterday:


Victims Fight to Clear Their Names After Others’ Deeds

Variations on identity theft that involve criminal records or medical histories give rise to their own special nightmares.


Kerkorian cuts GM stake -- report says to zero

Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian's investment firm on Thursday said it had cut its stake in General Motors Corp. by half with a second large sale, prompting speculation about whether the activist investor had moved to sell his entire stake in the automaker.


A NZ scientist is honoured for helping to develop sheep that can be used to study Huntington's disease.


FBI investigates string of store threats

Large grocery and discount stores across the country have been targeted by a caller who threatens to blow up shoppers and workers with a bomb if employees fail to wire money to an account overseas, authorities said.


WASHINGTON Aug. 25, 2004 - Closing schools, restricting travel and rationing scarce medications may be the nation's first protections if a powerful new flu strain spurs a worldwide outbreak because it will


Alltel Corp. wasted little time in seizing opportunities created by last monthâs Cingular Wireless-AT&T Wireless merger, announcing plans Friday to buy most of the assets that US regulators asked Cingular to sell.


The worst violence since the fall of communism erupted in Budapest late Monday, injuring more than 150.


Chieste dimissioni ministro per condotta illegittima


Da opporre ai 5 miliardi di dollari presentati da Murdoch


The USA have named an unchanged team for next month's Davis Cup final against Spain. World number two Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish are selected as likely singles players, while twins Bob and Mike Bryan are set to team up for the doubles rubber.


If one were to simplify thingsÂas Bollywood often doesÂwe could say that this week at the turnstiles two Bollywood actresses are swapping places.


What bad year? AMD's Hector Ruiz gets a raise

AMD has decided to give its CEO a raise despite a horrible year for the company plagued by product delays and poor execution.


Lo si legge nelle partecipazioni rilevanti della Consob


NAIROBI - The World Health Organization launched a training campaign on Wednesday to help reduce the number of maternal deaths during childbirth in developing countries.


Kon Ichikawa, Japanese Film Director, Dies at 92

Mr. Ichikawaâs versatility ranged beyond his well-known antiwar dramas like âThe Burmese Harpâ and âFires on the Plainâ to comedies, documentaries and literary adaptations.


Over-the-Counter Weight-Loss Drug Is Approved

Experts expect the drug, Alli, to be available to consumers in the summer without a prescription.


'Sex and the City' star fancies Mercedes

Actress Kim Cattrall considers a new SUV from Mercedes-Benz to be a perfect fit for her "Sex and the City" character, Samantha Jones.


Dell and Microsoft improves patch management

Microsoft and Dell launched a new initiative program for their enterprise consumers that promise to be productive and cost efficient.


Olympics: Yao lifts China into Olympic quarter-finals with miracle ...

ATHENS : Yao Ming scored 27 points and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead China past world champion Serbia and Montenegro 67-66 here, advancing China into the Olympic men's basketball quarter-finals.


Hamas threatens to target Israelis abroad

GAZA, Gaza Strip - The Palestinian militant group Hamas threatened today to target Israelis abroad after blaming Israel for the killing of a Hamas official in Syria.


World opinion opposes military action against Iran's nuclear programme, a BBC World Service poll says.


Still a Passionate Advocate for Assisted Suicide

In an interview, Jack Kevorkian says he will no longer advise terminally ill people how to die. But he still combatively advocates physician-assisted suicide.


Soldier's Suicide Leaves Unanswered Questions

After 17 years of military service and a Bronze Star awarded for Operation Iraqi Freedom, the widow of Master Sgt. James Curtis Coons wants her husband to be counted among the Iraq war dead.


C Jason Varitek will remain with the Red Sox, reaching a preliminary agreement on a four-year contract, a lawyer with knowledge of the negotiations said yesterday.


Amy Winehouse scooped five statuettes at the 50th Grammy Awards, and performed via satellite link from a venue in London


The European Union on Monday ended 12 years of sanctions against Libya and eased an arms embargo to reward the North African country for giving up plans to develop weapons of mass destruction.


From a cell phone with just six buttons to one that lets users dictate text messages and another that delivers the results of a breathalyzer test, mobile handset makers put their most eye-catching gadgets on display at this week's wireless industry conference.


The Mozilla Foundation has released Firefox 2.0.0.8, introducing support for Mac OS X 10.5 'Leopard' in the release.


Standards group scuttles Microsoft e-mail proposal

com September 13, 2004, 1:48 PM PT. This fourth priority's main focus has been improving or obtaining CRM and ERP software for the past year and a half.


The Tories call for an apology to the widow of a soldier who died in Iraq because of a lack of body armour.


A Hit From Behind Knocks a Bruin Unconscious

Boston center Patrice Bergeron lost consciousness and was taken from the ice on a stretcher yesterday during the first period of visiting Philadelphiaâs 2-1 victory after he was hammered face-first into the boards by Flyers defenseman Randy Jones.


Review: Samsung's Q1 ultramobile has unrealized potential

Samsung's Q1 Ultra mobile PC shows that Samsung listened to criticism. But this second-generation device still doesn't live up to its potential.


US President George W. Bush threatened Syria Monday with new diplomatic or economic measures to pressure the country over its suspected interference in Iraqi politics.


Per Lega e Udc centrosinistra vuole 'islamizzare' Italia


Claws out in Florida Keys over Hemingway cats

KEY WEST, Florida  - A game of cat and mouse is under way between the U.S. government and Florida's Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum over the fate of dozens of felines roaming the former home of the Nobel Prize-winning author.


A police officer accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend and her nearly full-term fetus made his first court appearance Monday and was ordered held on $5 million bond.


Apple to Stop Selling NBC Shows in iTunes Store

Apple says NBC Universal's demands would have increased the price consumers pay for shows.


Royal Dutch/Shell will merge its Dutch and British holding companies, the oil giant said on Thursday, as it seeks to address the failings that led to a shock downgrade in proven oil reserves in January.


Argentina calls U.S. cash probe a "dirty trick"

Argentina said on Thursday the U.S. government pulled a "dirty trick" by accusing Venezuela of trying to smuggle $800,000 into Argentina to fund the former first lady's successful campaign for president.


Londra, 19:43 - CALCIO, TIMES: LA JUVE PENSA A ERIKSSON

Secondo quanto scrive il Times, Sven Goran Eriksson potrebbe essere il prossimo allenatore della Juv...


"Bucket List" kicks off weekend atop box office

Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman took an early lead at the weekend box office in North America with their comedy "The Bucket List," according to preliminary estimates issued on Saturday.


Conflicting reports over blast in Iraqi city

Iraqi police and a community leader said a bomb blast near a soccer field in the city of Ramadi on Tuesday killed 18 people, mostly children, but the U.S. military said it was unaware of such an attack.


The International Federation of Journalists says it's not surprised East Asian countries have rated the worst in an international index on media freedom but Australia may be undeserving of its poor ranking.


Schwarzenegger Says No White House Plans Yet

California Gov. Arnold  Schwarzenegger said that although he supports amending the U.S.  Constitution to allow foreign-born Americans like himself to  run for president, he is not yet planning a White House run.


Greek protesters toppled a statue of President Truman and clashed with police during demonstrations Tuesday against the fighting in Lebanon.


Chocolate ingredient can help cure persistent coughs

AN INGREDIENT in chocolate could be used to stop persistent coughs and lead to more effective medicines. The study found that theobromine, a derivative found in cocoa, was nearly a third more effective in


Will the Real Richard Scrushy Please Step Forward

The churchgoing ways of Richard Scrushy, charged with defrauding shareholders of HealthSouth, have many people asking, is it part of his defense strategy?


12.12.04 - By Marcus Wood: While many had predicted that Klitschko would beat Williams and just as many had predicted it would be by KO, few would have said Klitschko would shut Williams out from the first bell.


Madrid, 14:39 - CALCIO, UFFICIALE: REYES AL REAL MADRID, BAPTISTA ALL'ARSENAL

Ufficiale l'arrivo al Real Madrid di Josè Antonio Reyes. Il centrocampista è stato ced...


New York's revamped Museum of Modern Art opens for business once again after a $425m revamp.


Sir Elton John accuses Madonna of cheating fans by miming on stage, while collecting a Q Award.


Promising investors millions with the Next Big Thing is a good old-fashioned farce.


Ex-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev blames the US for the current state of relations between Russia and the West.


By MIKE SCHNEIDER HOUSTON - Atlantis was cleared Saturday to return to Earth this coming week after the space shuttle's heat shield was judged capable of surviving the intense heat of re-entry, and a U.S. astronaut reached a milestone with the longest single spaceflight by any woman.


Cardinals Win in 12 Innings to Set Up Decider

Jim Edmonds thumped a two-run homer in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the host St Louis Cardinals a 6-4 win over the Houston Astros Wednesday, forcing a seventh and deciding game in the National League Championship Series.


N.Y. Culinary Foundation President Quits

The president of the James Beard Foundation, a nonprofit organization created to promote culinary excellence, has resigned amid allegations that the organization could not account for hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue.


SANTIAGO, Chile  - Hundreds of Chileans were expected to file past the body of Augusto Pinochet on Monday, a day after the former dictator, whose 17-year rule polarized his South American homeland, died at the age of 91.


Ashcroft and Evans resign from Bush Cabinet

President Bush is moving swiftly toward naming a successor to Attorney General John Ashcroft, and White House counsel Alberto Gonzales has emerged as the leading candidate for the job.


Israeli Hospitals Declared Off-limits to Hunger Strikers

President Yaser Arafat said that what is happening to some four thousand Palestinian detainees on hunger strike in Israeli jails is a real crime in violation of all international legal and human laws, as Israel on Tuesday declared its hospitals off-limits


France coach Bernard Laporte insists Les Bleus can bounce back from their shock World Cup loss to Argentina.


DHS moves ahead with cybersecurity R&D efforts

The Department of Homeland Security has launched several new cybersecurity initiatives that it hopes to add to pilot projects and operational systems and that can be deployed throughout the government and the private sector.


North Korea set to allow return for British civil rights ...

North Korea yesterday signalled that it may decide to lift the veil on some of its human rights violations after being challenged to allow the inspection of one of the country's notorious prison


LINCOLN, Neb. (Sports Network) - Keith Langford matched a  career high with 27 points and Wayne Simien contributed 18 with  14 rebounds, leading third-ranked Kansas to a 78-65 victory  over Nebraska at the Devaney Sports Center.


Christmas came early for fans of the  fictional boy wizard Harry Potter on Tuesday, with news that  author J.K. Rowling has finished the sixth book in the series,  "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."


War crimes fugitive was hiding in Serbia

U.N. war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic was hiding mostly in Serbia until last year, but his current whereabouts are unknown, a Serbian government official said.


VH1 and BET Climb Into Bed With Queen Latifah for 'Wifey'

NEW YORK, Feb. 14  /PRNewswire/ -- In a first-of-its-kind development/production/broadcast deal, Viacom subsidiaries VH1 and BET are partnering on a one-hour pilot for the ensemble drama "Wifey," set in the world of hip hop.


Father of missing British girl says distress he and his wife had faced over past week was 'beyond description'.


Inzaghi delight with goal that ends months of misery

AC Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi emerged from six months of injury misery to grab the decisive second goal on Wednesday as the Italian champions went on to beat Celtic 3-1 in Champions League Group F.


Mortars kill 15 in Baghdad after deadly truck bomb

Mortar bombs killed 15 people in a Sunni neighborhood in Baghdad on Sunday in fresh violence after a truck bomb killed 135 people in a Shi'ite area in the worst single bombing since the U.S.-led 2003 invasion.


Starting in mid-October AT&T, in partnership with industry-leader Linksys (a division of Cisco Systems (Quote, Chart)), will begin offering Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to home users across the country.


Wanted: volunteers for a simulated trip to Mars

PARIS -- The European Space Agency is looking for 12 volunteers with a planetary vision who want to be on the cutting edge and don't get bored easily.


Football chiefs tonight welcomed the five-year ban handed to the Blackburn fan who racially abused Dwight Yorke. Jason Perryman, 22, was caught on television hurling monkey chants and gesturing


The seven people killed in the Berkshire train crash are remembered in a church memorial service.


GOP rivals argue who's most conservative

Front-runners Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney were forced to defend their conservative credentials by their campaign rivals Sunday night in the sharpest debate so far of the Republican presidential campaign.


I'll do things my way, Wenger tells critics

Arsene Wenger has hit back at critics of his youth-orientated policies with a robust defence of his record after a decade in charge of Arsenal.


Shares of Ford Motor Co.  rose 2.7 percent before the bell Tuesday after it reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit as strength in its finance arm once again offset losses in its automotive business.


Schwarzenegger Could Make Columbus Visit

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may be headed to Columbus in support of President George W. Bush's campaign, NBC 4 reported.


Kosovo minister resigns over deadly protest

PRISTINA, Serbia  - Kosovo's interior minister resigned on Monday over the deaths of two protesters in clashes between police and ethnic Albanians demonstrating against a UN plan for the breakaway province.


Euro 2004 star Wayne Rooney became a Manchester United player yesterday despite a last-minute holdup caused by the state of his broken foot.


An early morning US air strike has killed a "known associate" of Islamic militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq's restive Sunni Triangle region, the military said.


Hovnanian holding 3-day home sale this weekend

Upscale home builder Hovnanian Enterprises Inc  is holding a three-day sales event in southern California that effectively cuts home prices by up to $100,000 through incentives and offers extra appliances and upgrades.


A top European legal adviser gives qualified backing to trade unions acting to protect jobs and wages in the EU.


Bush Signs Into Law Debt Ceiling Increase

WASHINGTON  - President Bush on Friday signed intolaw a measure authorizing an $800 billion increase in thecredit limit of the United States, the White House said.


Sales of personal computers increased faster in the fourth quarter of last year than expected, driven by lower prices and the move by Dell to sell through retail stores.


No Alcohol Found in Ex-NFL Player Who Died

Former NFL player Justin Strzelczyk did not have alcohol or drugs in his system when he died after leading police on a highway chase, authorities said.


OBERSCHUETZEN, Austria - It was a bizarre case of "take the money and run." Thieves broke into a Bank Austria-Creditanstalt branch in the eastern Austrian province of Burgenland and made off with an entire cash machine, police said Friday.


Saudi arms sale may spark Bush-Congress battle

A plan to sell Saudi Arabia highly accurate Boeing Co bomb-guidance kits is roiling Israel's backers in the Congress, setting up a potential clash with President George W. Bush.


Rooftops key to Florida green energy goal

For additional analysis on carbon markets and climate change policy please join the online Reuters carbon community at http://www.reutersinteractive.com/carbon.


He pushes the idea of private accounts, but the initiative may be the hardest of his second term.


The PS2 for the holidays will bundle a karaoke game, two mics, and white controller.


US stocks fall on Thursday after the country's largest mortgage lender warns of a possible recession.


Empoli, 20:35 - CALCIO, EMPOLI: IN TRE LASCIANO ANZITEMPO L'ALLENAMENTO

Lavoro di ripresa per l'Empoli in vista della gara con la Roma di sabato prossimo. La squadra di Cag...


European-sponsored talks in Ukraine end with promise to amend ...

Ukraine's political rivals agreed early Tuesday on legislation to ensure a fair vote during the rerun later this month of the fraud-ridden presidential run-off but remained divided on constitutional amendments trimming presidential


The pound remained strong against the dollar after the latest Hometrack survey provided further evidence that higher interest rates are taking their toll on the housing market.


Toshiba is launching a global program to replace faulty memory modules in certain models of its notebook computers that have been on sale since as early as April 2002.


Schwarzenegger Laughs at Kennedy's Weight

Uncle by marriage isn't stopping California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger from poking fun at Sen. Ted Kennedy's weight.


A day after Scott Peterson spent his 32nd birthday in a San Mateo County jail cell, his mother and father took the stand in his capital murder trial to try to


Help take back America! Donate $50 to MoveOn PAC. With your support, MoveOn PAC will undertake a groundbreaking, precinct-level, neighbor-to-neighbor campaign to leave no voter behind.


Government wants wide smoking ban-report

The government is to announce plans to ban smoking in nearly all pubs, cafes and restaurants in England when it unveils a long-awaited policy paper on public health on Tuesday, the BBC has reported.


Nel mondo della fotografia quello in corso sarÃ  ricordato come l'anno del sorpasso del digitale sulla pellicola e tutte le previsioni fanno pensare ad un trend difficile da invertire. Se ai dati riguardanti


NASA rescheduled space  shuttle Discovery's liftoff for Saturday after thick, low  clouds forced a postponement of the first launch attempt on  Thursday night.


Kid Rock isn't one to back down from a fight, but says he doesn't go looking for trouble.


New Vietnam Bird Flu Death Likely H5N1 Type -WHO

A 14-month-old Vietnamese boy who died of  bird flu on Sunday was probably infected by the H5N1 strain  that has killed 27 people in Asia this year, an official at the  World Health Organization said on Wednesday.


Two more doctors charged over bomb attacks on UK

Two more doctors were charged on  Saturday with involvement in the failed car bomb attacks in  London and Glasgow, one man in Britain and one in Australia,  bringing the number accused to three.


Philippine Police Say Foil Attack on Catholic Festival

Philippine police said on Friday they  had foiled a suicide attack on a crowded Roman Catholic  festival by arresting 16 suspected Muslim militants and seizing  three homemade bombs.


WASHINGTON - In blasting new overtime rules that take effect Monday, Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards says he can't understand why the Bush administration wants to undermine a system that rewards workers who toil long hours.   "If you work hard, then you should be rewarded for that effort," Edwards said Saturday in the Democrats' weekly radio address...


Vista SP1 to Remove 'Search-MS' as Default Protocol

In a Knowledgebase advisory to developers today, Microsoft is urging developers for Windows Vista who intend for their programs to run under Service Pack 1 not to assume the default search protocol being used by the system is Microsoft's.


ANKARA, Turkey -- Iraq's interim president promised yesterday to prevent Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq from launching attacks into Turkey, apparently hoping to avoid a Turkish military response.


Republican Mitt Romney aligned himself squarely with President Bush and his national security policies Wednesday, reaching out to GOP loyalists who hold the president in high regard, back the Iraq war and could sway the high-stakes nomination race.


Someday, we may see Wednesday as being one of the most important dates in the history of aviation. The flight of "SpaceShipOne," however, seemed almost routine - at least until one thought about how miraculous it was.


SAN JOSE, Calif. - Apple Computer Inc. rolled out a new iPod Tuesday that allows users to view and share photos as it opened nine new iTunes music stores in Europe, spurring its rivalry with Microsoft Corp.


Gaddafi's son in brawl with French police

The youngest son of Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, was involved in a high-speed police chase through central Paris that ended in fisticuffs, according to French officials.


Young Bulgarians Know Their Nation's History, Sort of

In the heart of Sofia, streets that were empty a decade ago are packed with cars - sleek Mercedes-Benzes and BMW's, and Opels, Volkswagens and Fords for families.


Bear Stearns posts huge loss, cuts exec bonuses

Bear Stearns Co Inc  posted a much bigger-than-expected quarterly loss on Thursday, capping a fiscal year when the fifth-largest U.S. investment bank took a beating on bad bets on risky subprime mortgages.


Syracuse Upsets No. 21 Boston College 43-17: College Football

Diamond Ferri ran for two touchdowns and returned an interception for another as Syracuse defeated No. 21 Boston College 43-17, likely knocking the Eagles from a Bowl Championship Series game.


India's Karnataka state government agrees to drop all charges against jailed Hindu nationalist Uma Bharti.


Stop dal Cairo alla visita per la situazione nella striscia di Gaza"Va rimandata fino a quando non saranno rispettati i diritti umani"                                          Roma, l'imam non va in sinagoga stop dalla moschea di Al Azhar                                                                                di KHALID CHAOUKI


Football veterans strike a blow in Europe

Deadly strikers Ronaldo, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Pauleta proved on Sunday that their eye for goal hasn't been dimmed by the passing years.


In violence-torn Colombia, an annual escape

BARRANQUILLA, Colombia -- Pedro Luis Daza, a 40-year-old telecommunications technician, dressed up as guerrilla leader Simon Trinidad, who was recently extradited to the United States. One of his two brothers masqueraded as a US Army adviser in Colombia, complete with a realistic-looking rifle. The other posed as a Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia rebel who was recently captured in Venezuela.


Builderau.com.au: Cache PHP scripts with APC module

On the Builder AU site, there's this quick look at using the APC module (a PECL package) to help speed up your applications.   Looking to get every ounce of performance from your Web server? If you're using PHP scripts, you can easily accomplish this using PHP's APC module, which caches php opcode instead of forcing php to reinterpret every script every time it is executed.   The install is simple (on PHP5) and they show some configuration options you can use to fine-tune the performance of the module to fit your needs. There's also a brief look at what the module actually does to the scripts as they get interpreted and passed out of PHP and into the web server.


Ailing Nadal, Federer advance in New York

Rafael Nadal advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open Wednesday but a knee injury could hamper his chances of dethroning top-ranked Roger Federer.


UN Council considers Iran nuke resolution

Britain and France plan to introduce on Monday a revised U.N. Security Council draft resolution imposing sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment and hope to put the measure to a vote in the next two weeks.


S.E.C. Ends Decades-Old Price Limits on Short Selling

Investors seeking to sell a share that they do not own will no longer be barred from doing so because the price of the stock is falling.


UK's Harry 'Should Visit Auschwitz' in Nazi Row

A leading Jewish rights group demanded  on Thursday that Britain's Prince Harry go to Auschwitz to  atone for wearing a Nazi uniform at a party just two weeks  before the 60th anniversary of the death camp's liberation.


Dance Review: Displaying the Discreet Charm and Casual Grace of Flights After 40

The DancenOw/NYC Festival may now be confined to a single theater, but the range of artists in Tuesdayâs opening program at Dance Theater Workshop was just about as wide as ever.


2 Hired to Overhaul Marketing Leave Their Posts at Wal-Mart

The departures coincide with slowing sales growth and several marketing stumbles at Wal-Mart, like designer-inspired fashions that have failed to sell.


WASHINGTON Dec 13, 2004 - About 10 percent of all bird species face extinction by the end of the century and 15 percent more are on the brink, according to researchers who say such extinctions would have a widespread impact on the environment


After 74 consecutive wins on Jeopardy!, Ken Jennings finally met his match. California real estate agent Nancy Zerg beat Jennings when he failed to give the correct reply in the Final Jeopardy round. The answer was: "Most of this firm's 70,000 s...


Rebels Attack Darfur Oil, Libyans Mediate in Abuja

A previously unknown rebel group said on Monday it had attacked a South Darfur oil pumping station as African Union truce monitors suspended operations in the area after one of their helicopters came under fire.


Date Set for Presidential Candidate Debate on Science 2008

The organizers of Science Debate 2008 have sent invitations to the leading presidential candidates in both parties for an April 18 debate that will focus on hot-button science issues like evolution, climate change and stem cell research.


In boxing's prime, Carmen Basilio was a winner

The Onion Picker: Carmen Basilio and Boxing in the 1950s By Gary B. Youmans, Syracuse University Press , 214 pp., $24.95


Prodigious Wariner Chases, May Well Catch His Mentor

As Jeremy Wariner is prepares to defend his world title in the 400 meters, he has his sights trained on aÃÂ larger goal - Michael Johnson's world record.


Russian prosecutors searched the offices of a Yukos lawyer defending a top shareholder who is accused of siphoning off money from the company's accounts, a spokesman said.


Panasonic Unveils International 3G Cell Phone

Clamshell-style WCDMA phone packs a browser, e-mail software, and two cameras.


Iraq's interim National Council convened for the first time on Wednesday, taking what one delegate called "the first steps in a democratic journey.


Superate attese, +23% a 4,29 mld di dlr primo trimestre 2008


The implications of the Russian-Chechen crisis

ELEANOR HALL: And now joining us to discuss the implications of the crisis for Russia and Chechnya, is an expert on the politics of Russia and Central Asia, Dr Kirill Nourzhanov.


Bear Stearns in talks to sell stake in firm: report

Bear Stearns  is in serious  talks with several outside investors, including Warren Buffett,  about selling as much as 20 percent of the firm, according to a  report in The New York Times online edition on Wednesday.


Torino, 15:17 - CALCIO, JUVE: PER L'ATTACCO SI PENSA A MARTINS

La Juventus ha messo gli occhi su Obafemi Martins. Secondo la stampa inglese, la società tori...


The UN says Fiji has become the first nation to offer troops specifically to protect its staff in Iraq.


Credit Union Bills TJX $590k for Breach Costs

A credit union in Massachusetts has sent TJX an invoice for $590,000 to cover the monetary costs and reputational damage that the financial institution says it incurred as a result of the data breach disclosed by the retailer in January.


Bigger than big. Taller than tall. It is the way of our sporting worlds, with fanatically trained athletes coming in sizes that past generations never dreamed about, so much muscle and height clogging landscapes that used to be dominated by grace and agility.


Morgan Still Eyeing Reds Despite Hollywood Interest

Millionaire building tycoon Steve Morgan still wants to buy into Liverpool despite fresh speculation of US interest in the club. Morgan, the clubâs third largest shareholder, was


Microsoft Gears Up as Yahoo Looks for a Way Out

The Microsft-Yahoo battle continued Monday with some unexpected twists. Microsoft indicated it will keep fighting even as Yahoo's board raised the price and reports suggested Yahoo is trying to restart merger talks with AOL.


Three killed by suicide attacker targeting minibus carrying Iraqi voters

A suicide attacker killed three people and injured 13 others in central Iraq when he boarded a minibus bound for a polling station in Babil province, the Polish military said.


Financial giant cuts dividend 41%, announces $18 billion in write-downs and net losses of $9.8 billion.


Padres and Royals strike four-player deal

San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - San Diego acquired pitchers Darrell May and Ryan Bukvich in a trade with Kansas City on Monday for outfielder Terrence Long and pitcher Dennis Tankersley.


A hood pulled over his aching head, LeBron James staggered back into Cleveland's Gund Arena looking like a beaten boxer.


Oil prices climbed above $42 a barrel on  Wednesday, rising for the third day in a row as cold weather  gripped the U.S. Northeast, the world's biggest heating fuel  market.


Parents say school bullying is a major concern for them and that more should be done to tackle the problem.


Khin Nyunt has been sacked as prime minister of military-ruled Myanmar amid allegations of corruption and placed under house arrest, a Thai government spokesman says.


The Dakar Rally, the motorcycle, car and truck race across the Sahara, was canceled Friday by organizers citing âdirectâ threats of terrorism from a militant group linked to Al Qaeda.


Microsoft Said to Plan Proxy Fight for Yahoo

In part of a hard-nosed takeover campaign that Microsoft began two weeks ago, the company has begun preparing for a proxy fight to oust Yahooâs directors.


Increase your earning potential with an accredited online degree. Enroll at Kaplan University - the trusted name in education. Point, click, get ahead. Choose your field of study.


Una ricerca scientifica codifica le precise proporzioni fisiche per  uomo e donna idealiCosce e polpacci piÃ¹ snelli, gambe lunghe, muscoli e indice di massa corporea adeguato                                            "Naomi e Christian Bale i piÃ¹ belli del mondo" Il segreto dell'attrazione? Solo matematica


Britney Spears ties the knot in secret ceremony

In her second surprise wedding this year, Britney Spears, 22, married Kevin Federline, 26, Saturday evening, a spokeswoman for the singer's record label confirmed Sunday.


Mauresmo, Sharapova set to open up in LA

Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Former world No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo of France and Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova of Russia will see their first action of the week Thursday night at the $3 million WTA Tour Championships.


Birmingham City claimed their first ever Premiership point off Manchester United in a game of few clearcut opportunities at St Andrews.


Welcome 'Banishing Verona' for its originality

Scottish-born novelist Margot Livesey has created quietly amazing characters, including Ewan Munro and Mollie Lafferty, the accidental child abductors in Criminals, and Eva McEwen, the girl whose ethereal companions shape her life in Eva Moves the Furniture.


Singletary Brings His Intensity to 49ers

Though Mike Singletary stayed away from the NFL for a decade after his playing career, he never lost his love for football. The Hall of Fame linebacker believes he can instill a bit of his famed competitive fire in the young San Francisco 49ers.


US Air Asks Court to End Labor Contracts

US Airways asked to throw out contracts covering passenger service agents, flight attendants and other workers and replace them with less-expensive ones.


Tibetan Antelope Slowly Recovering, WCS Says

Tibetan antelope slowly recovering, WCS says    WASHINGTON, Feb.


(HealthDay News) -- Baby Boomers with elderly parents often live with the fear that their elders will start a fire while cooking, forget to take their medications, or fail to remember an important phone number -- all signs of the memory loss that comes with aging.


Algeria bomb kills 15 before presidential visit

A suicide bomber killed 15 people when he blew himself up in the Algerian town of Batna on Thursday shortly before a scheduled visit by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, state television reported.


North Korea Demands Two-Way Talks, U.S. Refuses

North Korea demanded bilateral talks with the United States over its nuclear weapons program but Washington quickly rejected the idea on Friday and insisted Pyongyang return to six-party negotiations.


England's new coach says he is happy with Jonny Wilkinson's recovery from injury.


Oracle increases involvement in Eclipse Foundation

(InfoWorld) - Oracle is making the whole of its TopLink Java persistence framework freely available as part of the vendor's increased involvement in the open-source development tools Eclipse Foundation community, the company announced Tuesday. The database, middleware, and applications vendor also proposed a new Eclipse project dubbed EclipseLink aimed at providing a set of persistence services to be used in Java and OSGi (Open Services Gateway initiative) development environments. The starting point for the EclipseLink persistence platform project will be the existing code base of TopLink. Oracle made the announcements Tuesday at the EclipseCon conference in Santa Clara, California. The vendor has also boosted the level of its membership in the open-source organization, becoming an Eclipse Foundation board member and a strategic developer, according to Rick Schultz, vice president of Oracle's Fusion middleware. "This is a continued evolution of our Eclipse strategy," he said. "EclipseLink will be the first Oracle-led Eclipse run-time project." A member of the Eclipse Foundation since 2002, Oracle already leads three Eclipse tooling projects around JavaServer Faces, JPA (Dali Java Persistence API), and BPEL (business process execution language). TopLink first appeared as a commercial product in 1994 from The Object People, which was later acquired by WebGain. In 2002, Oracle acquired the TopLink technology from WebGain. TopLink's persistence architecture includes object-to-relational, object-to-XML, and enterprise information system data access through such standardsÂ as JPA, Java API for XML Binding, Service Data Objects, and the Java Connector Architecture. Oracle had already open sourced part of TopLink, the object-to-relational mapping component, as TopLink Essentials. After that move received "a really positive response" from the developer community, the vendor decided to take the next step and make all of the software's source code freely available, Schultz said. In terms of competition for TopLink and the proposed EclipseLink project, he pointed to two Apache Software Foundation open-source projects -- Hibernate and OpenJPA. Schultz said TopLink has a wider breadth than the Apache projects, which he positioned as more specific to object-to-relational mapping. Oracle will continue to offer TopLink as a commercial product with the Eclipse project providing the basis for that in the future, according to Steve Harris, vice president of Oracle's Java Platform Group. As well as working with the Eclipse Foundation, Oracle also positions its JDeveloper development tool as an alternative to the organization's Eclipse rival offering. "We let developers choose JDeveloper or the Eclipse environment," Schultz said.


Nepal rebels slam government as peace talks delayed

Nepal's Maoist rebels accused the   multi-party interim government on Thursday of reneging on   promises and setting new conditions in a bid to hold on to   power as formal peace talks between them were further delayed.


New York, 11:10 - CICLISMO, LEIPHEIMER FIRMA BIENNALE CON ASTANA

Levi Leipheimer ha firmato un contratto di 2 anni con la Astana. Lo statunitense, 34 anni, lascer&ag...


Vieira plays down bus fracas with Lauren

ARSENAL captain Patrick Vieira admitted yesterday that there was a "disagreement" between him and team-mate Lauren in midweek, but insisted the team spirit at Highbury is "fantastic".


After painfully slow sales last month, the music industry finally has a hit: âSleep Through the Staticâ (Brushfire), by Jack Johnson, above, sold 375,000 copies last week â more than six times the sales of the top album the week before â to reach No. 1 on the Billboard chart. It set a record for the most digital sales in a single week, with 139,000 copies, or 37 percent of its total, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In a week busy with high-profile releases, Sheryl Crowâs âDetoursâ (A&M) opened at No. 2 with 92,000 sales; Lenny Kravitz moved 73,000 copies of âIt Is Time for a Love Revolutionâ (Virgin) to bow at No. 4; and K. D. Lang is No. 8 with her new âWatershedâ (Nonesuch), selling 41,000. Last weekâs No. 1, Alicia Keysâs âAs I Amâ (J), dropped two spots with 80,000. Any sales bumps after last Sundayâs Grammy Awards would be reflected in next weekâs chart.


As the Greeks recover from last night's Olympics closing ceremony, many German papers on Monday morning commented that drug scandals cast a shadow over these Summer Games.


On Their Way: Johnson Hopes to be More Effective Than McKinney

In five House elections from 1992 to 2000 and then again in 2004, voters in a black-majority suburban Atlanta sent Democrat Cynthia A. McKinney to Congress. During that time, she gained some loyal supporters with her advocacy on behalf of minorities, women and the poor.


Helicopter crashes in Russia, killing four

A helicopter crashed on Sunday in the Kemerovo region of Siberia killing four people, Itar-Tass news agency reported, citing rescue workers.


Concerns grow as Colombia hostage deal delayed

VILLAVICENCIO, Colombia  - A Venezuelan- sponsored plan to free three hostages held by Colombian rebels was stalled by the guerrillas' failure to reveal their location, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said it may unravel if the stalemate drags on.


Beau Bridges endured physical pain while filming two "My Name Is Earl" episodes that won him a nomination for best guest actor in a comedy series.


TOKYO - Japan's benchmark Nikkei stock index briefly recovered to the 11,000 level Monday morning on widespread buying prompted by advances in US shares last Friday.


Siena, 19:49 - CALCIO, SIENA: MANDORLINI CONFERMA 4-3-3

Anche contro il Torino, il Siena giocherà con il 4-3-3. La novità potrebbe essere rapp...


Portavoce Fischer Boel,tolleranza zero contro contaminazione


Iran brushes off new sanctions threat in atom row

Iran's president said on Wednesday his country was not concerned about any further U.N. resolutions over Tehran's nuclear program and would not allow the West to block Iranian scientific progress.


Per 340 milioni di euro, partecipazione del 50%


A Venezuelan military plane crashed in a mountainous region near Caracas on Friday, killing 16 poeple, including high-ranking officers, a top government official said.


Senate Panel Approves Goss for CIA Director

The Senate Intelligence Committee voted 12-4 on Tuesday to approve the nomination of Republican Florida congressman Porter Goss to become the new CIA director, paving the way for full Senate confirmation.


COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's Buddhist clergy yesterday called off a protest against a Bollywood concert being staged on the first anniversary of the death of a popular monk, but their followers later clashed with police, officials and witness said.


Misano, 14:51 - MOTO, S.MARINO MOTOGP: VINCE DUCATI-STONER, 4/O MELANDRI

Casey Stoner, l'australiano della Ducati dominbatore della stagione, ha vinto il Gran Premio di San ...


He's Keeping a Watchful Eye / The Chairman of the FCC May Be Soft- Spoken, but He's Surely No Soft Touch

By MARILYN RAUBER  Kevin J. Martin might not be a household name, but as the nation's telecommunications czar, the 40-year-old controls a lot of what you see, hear and read.


Microsoft once again is looking to eat the lunch of longtime rival Apple Computer, this time in the digital music arena.


Revamp aimed at getting Barbie's groove back

Barbie's going through a midlife crisis. After splitting with longtime boyfriend Ken this year, she has sought refuge in shopping, surfing, and partying with a crew of trendy pals in Jamaica. At 45, she made a bid for the White House.


'Saving Private Ryanâ not aired in Triad

WINSTON-SALEM - Private Ryan apparently wasnât worth saving Thursday evening over the Piedmont Triadâs public airways. Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns the ABC affiliate in Winston-Salem, WXLV (Channel


There is a link between "honour killings" and extremist groups abroad, a  BBC investigation is told.


Kosovo's Premier Says Serbs Won't Invade

Kosovo's prime minister on Wednesday dismissed Serbia's fierce opposition to the province's drive for independence, insisting that decades of bloodshed in the Balkans are over and Serbs will never dare to ...


Elite China think-tank issues political reform blueprint

China risks dangerous instability  unless it embraces democratic reforms to limit the power of the  ruling Communist Party, foster competitive voting and rein in  censors, the Party's top think-tank has warned in a new report.


Eve Online goes dark to fight security breach

Eve Offline EVE Online, the massively multi-player online Sci-Fi game, shut down for ten hours yesterday (Friday), after discovering a security breach.â¦


GPS spying may prove irresistible to police

As I write this, my car is parked in The Boston Globe's parking lot. Of course, if you're a cop, you may already know this.


WRAPUP 1-Global economic growth robust, but oil dampens

The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday raised its 2004 world growth forecast to 5 percent, the highest level in three decades, but said sharply higher oil prices had sapped the recovery.


AMERICAN Lindsay Davenport ended 2004 with the WTA world No 1 ranking, while Maria Sharapova, who won the season-ending WTA Tour Championships yesterday, finished at No 4. Sharapova, the Russian 17-year-old


Richard Lord's Blog: Managing 404 errors in the Zend Framework

In a new entry to his blog today, Richard Lord takes a look at how to gracefully handle 404 errors in a Zend Framework application (via a custom plugin).   Early versions of the Zend Framework had a noRoute action that was called when the correct action couldn't be found. This was a way to deal with some page not found errors. At some point it was dropped - I don't know when or why because I only started using the Zend Framework recently. It's still possible to handle non-existent actions using the __call() method of the controller class. But there's no obvious way to deal with all page not found errors in one place, including instances where the controller doesn't exist.   The framework makes it easy to create actions link to controllers, but there's still a problem when a requested action isn't there. His plugin has a solution to that - it is fired off when the action requested doesn't exist and automatically reroutes it to the "noroute" controller to be handled.


The city of Jodhpur in western India prepares for the wedding of British actress Elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayar.


New York, NY (Sports Network) - The New York Knicks placed guard Jamal Crawford on the injured list Sunday with right turf toe. Crawford suffered the injury in the third quarter of Wednesday's 114-109 loss


Sri Lanka fighting rages as rebels play down talks hopes

Sri Lanka's military fought mortar and artillery duels with Tamil Tigers in the island's north and east on Friday as the rebels warned of low expectations at peace talks due later this month.


The government may plug the pensions shortfall by cutting benefits, Tony Blair indicates.


Stacey Barich changed her mind about having a tummy tuck when her mother contracted a serious infection after a hospital stay. That's when she knew she had to find another way to drop her weight.


Con radicali in Parlamento democrazia piu' forte


Voci di possibile colpo di stato in Myanmar

Esiste anche la rivista mensile di AsiaNews. In essa troverete approfondimenti, dossier esclusivi e analisi su politica, economia, culture, religioni nel mondo asiatico. Yangon (AsiaNews/Agenzie) â In Myanmar potrebbe essere in atto un colpo si stato.


Londra, 21:20 - TENNIS, ATP: GALIMBERTI SQUALIFICATO 100 GIORNI PER SCOMMESSE

Giorgio Galimberti è stato squalificato dall'Atp per 100 giorni ed è stato multato di ...


Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Mass for 30,000 people at the 850-year-old shrine of Mariazell in Austria.


Israel's army chief vows to sack officers who refuse to take part in a planned  withdrawal from Gaza.


World number six gold miner Harmony Gold on Monday announced that it had secured 10.8 percent of shares in world number four gold miner Gold Fields as a result of its early settlement offer, which closed at 12h00 on Friday.


No progress in N.Korea, Japan talks on abductees

: Talks between Japan and North Korea aimed at resolving a dispute over Japanese nationals abducted by the North decades ago ended Sunday without progress, Japanese officials said.


Families of soldiers who died at Deepcut and in Iraq unite to call for changes in how the army handles deaths.


Sudan has "orchestrated" Darfur crimes: U.N. mission

A United Nations human rights mission on Monday accused the government of Sudan of orchestrating and taking part in international crimes in Darfur.


Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Randy Foye was cited early Monday for disorderly conduct after police found him in a fight outside a gas station.


A priest who gave thousands of pounds to a friend who used it to groom a young girl is convicted of facilitating a child sex offence.


Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Wednesday said the United Nations will use $30 million in revenue from the U.N. oil-for-food program for Iraq to pay the initial bill for the independent investigation of corruption allegations in the program.


A congressional candidate's antebellum home burned down early Friday, and he broke his knee jumping from the second floor.


L'economia italiana non Ã¨ in recessione. Lo ha detto, a Gemonio, il presidente del Consiglio Silvio Berlusconi mentre lasciava la casa del leader della Lega Umberto Bossi, con il quale il premier ha pranzato


Bush Gives Top Civilian Honor to Iraq War Figures

President Bush on Tuesday bestowed America's highest civilian honor on three leading figures of the Iraq war, including the former spymaster under whose watch the CIA


Provocatoria proposta dell'associazione "LibertÃ  e Giustizia" dopo le recenti parole del Papa"Ogni giorno l'Aids uccide 8 mila persone che potrebbero essere salvate dal condom"                                          "Moratoria sull'aborto? Inizi la Chiesa con quella sul divieto ai preservativi"


Magic Johnson  and a group of Los Angeles investors just bought the landmark Hilton Washington, north of Dupont Circle, for $290 million and plan to spend $100 million more on renovations. Down Connecticut Avenue, the classic Renaissance Mayflower was sold three months ago for more than $250 million...


Valencia, 18:34 - VELA, COPPA AMERICA: ALINGHI HA GIA' LANCIATO NUOVA SFIDA

Alinghi ha firmato il protocollo della 33/a America's Cup con il nuovo Challenger of record, il Club...


NASA planned to undock the space shuttle Discovery from the International Space Station on Tuesday after an eventful mission that included a crucial rewiring and the retraction of a stubborn solar array.


Nortel Networks is under investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for irregularities in past accounting practices. Announcement of the investigation -- two days before its release of first- and second-quarter financials -- caused ...


Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose campaign is returning $850,000 in contributions linked to disgraced fundraiser Norman Hsu, indicated Wednesday that donors who contributed that money could donate to her presidential campaign once again.


National League Game Summary - Cincinnati at Atlanta

Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Luke Hudson struck out eight and didn't allow an earned run in five innings to lead Cincinnati to a 3-2 win over Atlanta in the finale of a three-game series at Turner Field.


US telecoms giant AT&T says hackers have stolen the credit card details of almost 20,000 online customers.


Global Warming Means More Frost-Free Days - Report

Frost will become less and less common across much of the world as global warming accelerates, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.


Putin deplores double standards in combating terrorism

Moscow, Sept. 24 (PTI): Flaying double standards in combating terrorism, Russian President Vladimir Putin, today said the world must unite to fight the menace and that the media should not be a passive observer


Vans and Skechers, Squaring Off in Court

It is fairly common for apparel makers to âborrowâ ideas from one another, but when it comes to those checkerboard slip-ons, Vans Inc. feels very protective.


Friday the 13th was decision day for  investors weighing whether to bid for shares in Google Inc.'s  initial public offering. The big question now is, how many of  them were feeling lucky on an unlucky day.


World oil prices scaled a new high above  $55 a barrel on Monday as a threat by Norwegian oil employers  to halt production from the world's third biggest exporter  stoked fears of a winter supply crunch.


ESPN announced Tuesday that it has bought a minority stake in the Arena Football League and will televise at least 26 games a year for five seasons.


Annan launches Kenya mediation, violence spreads

Former U.N. chief Kofi Annan brought together Kenya's political rivals on Tuesday in a push to end a post-election crisis and deepening tribal bloodshed.


Roma, 13:40 - CALCIO, LOTITO: POTREI PORTARE LA LAZIO A VALMONTONE

Il presidente della Lazio, Claudio Lotito, intervenuto alla presentazione del Circolo Lazio della Pr...


Two weeks after the 2004 presidential election, a postelection tradition appears on the verge of extinction: the campaign book.


WADA Wants More Funds to Fight Drug Cheats

The man leading the fight against drug cheats in sport said on Monday he wanted a further $1.5 million in funding to help stamp out substance abuse.


"Perfect storm" of cliches make bad English list

A "surge" of overused words and phrases formed a "perfect storm" of "post-9/11" cliches in 2007, according to a U.S. university's annual list of words and phrases that deserve to be banned.


Ex-Soviet Georgia votes in democracy test election

Former Soviet Georgia on Saturday voted in a presidential election expected to hand its pro-U.S. leader Mikhail Saakashvili a narrow win but opponents said they may take to the streets in protest.


Afghan, NATO troops kill, wound two dozen insurgents

Afghan and NATO-led forces killed or wounded more than two dozen insurgents in a 21-hour battle in the northeast of the country close to the border with Pakistan, the alliance said on Saturday.


Piaggio & C., SpA annuncia che ha avuto luogo oggi la firma del contratto definitivo, sottoscritto con Aprilia SpA ei suoi azionisti (Iâing. Ivano Beggio ei suoi familiari, Holdipar srl, European Moto Holding


Directorâs Reward: A Second First Chance

âStep Up 2 the Streets,â the new hip-hop dance movie, represents a second chance of sorts for the director Jon M. Chu.


Russia to launch new Soyuz launch vehicle this month

Russia's new medium launch vehicle Soyuz M-2 will make its maiden flight on Friday from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov announced on Monday.


A weak U.S. dollar is expected to affect profitability.


Cameron Diaz reports photographer in car

Cameron Diaz filed a police report Wednesday accusing a photographer of assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly driving his car at her, police said.


Hamas to release tape of captured Israeli soldier

Hamas's armed wing will release on Monday an audio tape of an Israeli soldier seized by Gaza militants a year ago, a senior official in the Islamist movement said.


Activists Worry Election Reform May Wane

Sure, there were hours-long lines, temperamental electronic machines and some old-fashioned misplaced ballots, but America's democracy worked well enough on Nov. 2 to elect a president.


Relatives sobbed Wednesday at the sight of flag-draped caskets containing the bodies of six Louisiana National Guardsmen killed by a bomb in Iraq.


Retired William Morris agent Byron Raphael has many juicy stories about Hollywood, but he's kept what might be the most salacious one a secret for 50 years - how once he delivered Marilyn Monroe to Elvis Presley's hotel room for a one-night stand.


Presidente, non facciamo liste di proscrizione


Emerson may not have pull in bank mergers

Canada's business community may have found a well-placed advocate at the cabinet table in David Emerson, but that doesn't mean the new federal Industry Minister will necessarily carry the day on bank mergers.


A school caretaker is found guilty of carrying out a letter bomb campaign which injured eight people.


Nel mirino Wind e Vodafone, dubbi da Bruxelles


The queens of Britain and Belgium paid tribute Thursday to the Allied soldiers from British Commonwealth nations who died by the tens of thousands 90 years ago in one of the bloodiest battles of World War I.


Cuba's communist government is trying to shake off the yoke of at least one capitalist empire — Microsoft Corp. — by joining with socialist Venezuela in converting its computers to open-source software.


Fish, Srichaphan win Paris Masters openers

Paris, France (Sports Network) - Silver medalist Mardy Fish and Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand were both victorious Monday in opening-round action at the $3.


Britain's Phillips Idowu goes for a triple jump medal in Japan while Kenenisa Bekele targets a third 10,000m title.


Gold falls as U.S. measures fail to spark buying

Gold edged lower on Monday after President George W. Bush's plan to give the U.S. economy temporary tax cuts and other measures totaling about $150 billion failed to inspire buying.


A pickup truck traveling the wrong way on an interstate highway collided head-on with another pickup, killing all five people in both vehicles, authorities said Saturday.


China to Limit 2005 Plane Deliveries, Regulator Says

China, the world's fastest-growing aviation market, will limit 2005 deliveries of new commercial aircraft to those already ordered because of safety and traffic concerns, the country's airline regulator said.


File-swappers in Britain are to be taken to court for trading tracks over the Internet. The crackdown by the British Phonographic Industry is the first of its kind in the UK, although the


Per costruzione 4 pattugliatori, importo di 80 milioni


Greg Anderson had his fill of doing double duty as telecom administrator and information technology guru at PIAB Inc., a vacuum technology firm with 50 employees in Hingham.


Iraqi cabinet approves draft general pardon law

The Iraqi cabinet on Wednesday approved a draft law that will offer a general pardon to thousands of prisoners in U.S. military and Iraqi custody, an Iraqi government spokesman said.


Ryder Cup player Padraig Harrington lost   the Madrid Open lead to Ian Poulter on Saturday after a   roller-coaster third round.


Afghans dispute U.S. version of raid casualties

JALALABAD, Afghanistan  - The U.S. military said coalition and Afghan troops killed six Taliban and arrested four in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, though a provincial official and residents said the casualties were villagers.


'Blog' Heads List of 2004's Top 10 Words

Blogs, or Web logs, have become very popular, influencing even the mainstream media. Merriam-Webster defines a blog as: "a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks.


Montezemolo: contento di presenza imprenditoriale italiana


U.S. says 6-way Korea talks may resume in July

Washington's top nuclear envoy said Wednesday stalled six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear arms program are likely to resume in early July, but Pyongyang must keep its promise to shut down a nuclear reactor.


Tech-books: Microsoft, Houghton Mifflin strike deal

Blog: The textbook publisher says it signed a pact with Microsoft to develop a new digital education system for school districts.


Can modern dance survive and develop, many wondered early on, without a core syllabus like balletâs? The same question might be asked of Butoh.


Top university administrators delayed a decision on whether to implement a college football playoff system at the National Collegiate Athletic Associationâs annual convention Monday.


Power is restored to rebel-held northern Ivory Coast, as British citizens are evacuated from the country.


Britain urges democracy in Pakistan after Bhutto killing

Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf Friday to "stick to the course he has outlined to build democracy" after the death of Benazir Bhutto.


Ransom-Note Ads About Childrenâs Health Are Canceled

N.Y.U. is dropping a controversial ad campaign aimed at raising awareness of childrenâs mental health disorders.


Teens Win Award for 'Doors2Cambodia' Web Site

By Heather J. Carlson, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.  Jun. 2--Three area teenagers are being honored with an award and scholarships by the U.S. State Department for their work on a Web site.


Salesforce.com targets Wall Street with wealth creation plan

Fund managers ahoy Salesforce.com is kicking off a series of CRM (customer relationship management) packages targeting financial services, starting with a hostile Wall Street.â¦


RIL board approves buyback of shares, Anil Ambani abstains:

[Business India]: Mumbai, Dec 27 : The Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) board today approved the scheme to buyback the company shares at a price of not exceeding Rs 570 per share, payable in cash, for an amount not exceeding Rs 2,999 crore.


Chrysler closes plants in dispute with supplier

Chrysler LLC has closed four assembly  plants and may be forced to shutter the rest of its global  assembly operations within a short time due to a dispute with  supplier Plastech Engineered Products Inc, which filed for  bankruptcy court protection on Friday.


News Corp's Murdoch returns to German TV market

"We see enormous potential for growth in Germany and believe the time is right to invest in its foremost pay-TV business, Premiere"  Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has returned to the German TV market by buying a near-15 percent stake in the country's largest pay-TV broadcaster, Premiere PREGn.DE, for 287 million euros . via Reuters


The Wall Street Journal has just accepted Facebook's request to be online friends.


Democrats Must Do More for Hispanic Votes

The Democratic Party has neglected Hispanic voters for a decade and risks severe election losses unless it changes course, Hispanic lawmakers wrote party leaders Thursday.


Election Again Faces Potential Voting Problems

The presidential election in two weeks faces many potential irregularities and problems, some of them familiar from the disputed 2000 election and others new, a report issued on Tuesday said.


popular with prisoners and guards who give her "kid-glove" treatment, a new report says. In the seven weeks since the diva of


Cabina regia: vicini emergenza, subito lavori 3-4 impianti


Torrential rains spilled a river from its banks in southern Ethiopia, killing at least 125 people as it submerged five villages, knocked down grain silos and swept away cattle, a police official said Monday.


After delays, Intel points to chip-making advance

Intel is on track to introduce the world's most advanced chip production technology in its products next year, the largest semiconductor maker said Sunday.


Mr. Know-It-All: Emailing China, Ordering Absinthe, Informing Your Kids

Mr. Know-It-All sheds light on emailing friends in China, ordering absinthe from Europe and how to tell your twins that fertility drugs caused the multiple birth.


Being unfaithful could be in your genes!:

[World News]: London, Nov 25 : A new study, to be published in the journal 'Twin Research' has indicated that showing an inclination towards being unfaithful, not having faith in god and getting divorced might something that is far beyond your control as


Ali Larijani was to meet with a U.N. envoy Tuesday, but a spokesman said his successor would go to Rome instead.


Wife of Ex-Enron Chief Lay Probed for Stock Sale

Federal prosecutors are investigating whether the wife of former Enron Corp.  Chairman Ken Lay illegally sold shares in the company just before it went bankrupt, a lawyer for Lay said Wednesday.


Micronas expands reach through Singapore company

MUNICH, Germany &#151 Hoping of extending its reach to a broader range of customers, Micronas, a German consumer IC company, is trying out a new business model with a Singapore-based service company called ...


, 12/8/2004. IBM's awaited personal computing division sale to Lenovo Group Ltd. became official this morning with an announcement that Big Blue will pass the unit to China's number one PC maker for $1.75 billion.


Kanye caps banner week with singles chart-topper

NEW YORK (Billboard) - A day after reaching No. 1 on the U.S. album charts, hip-hop star Kanye West took the top spot on the singles chart Thursday.


Ohio data leak was 'accident waiting to happen'

Warning unheeded as thousands of records exposed A stolen backup tape containing personal data on Ohio state workers also contained the names and Social Security numbers of around 225,000 state residents.â¦


Awards Season, and the Swag Goes to ... Few

The Hollywood writersâ strike is threatening a beloved Tinseltown institution: the swag bag of free luxury items.


D. A US District Court Judge in New York State declared the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act unconstitutional because it does not contain an exception to protect a woman's health.


Opera Releases New Talking Web Browser  Opera 8 Beta 1 has been in development since a long time. With long preview cycle of the version 7.6 series, it looks like Opera decided to rename the latest version as Beta of Opera 8. No Changelog is out yet from the company but ...


Combinazione vincente: 23- 25- 30- 44- 51- 68. Jolly: 58


Ferrero, Moya to lead Spanish Davis Cup team against United States

Former No. 1s and French Open champions Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya will lead Spain against the United States in next month's Davis Cup final.


So, after 9 hours and 51 minutes, 26 innings, and a total of 903 pitches thrown by both teams in Games 4 and 5 -- the vast majority of those pitches thrown by the respective bullpens -- what could possibly have been left for Game 6 last night?


Clinton Cashes In Nevada Win With High Roll in Vegas

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won a close but clear-cut win in Saturday's Nevada Democratic presidential caucuses. The former first lady pulled in just more than half the votes with nearly all precincts reporting and held a lead of several percentage points over her chief rival for the nomination, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.


Crude oil prices were back at the $49-a-barrel level Monday, after a one-day bounce Friday. The benchmark US crude was off 54 cents at $49.


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


Parigi, 17:25 - CALCIO, FRANCIA; DOMENECH: MOLTO DELUSO PER KO CON SCOZIA

Raymond Domenech, ct della Francia, è molto deluso il giorno dopo l'inattesa sconfitta della ...


Firms benefit when depressed workers get help, study says

NEW YORK - Depressed employees worked an average of two more hours a week and were more effective in their jobs when assigned a telephone "care manager" who counseled them on treatments, a study showed.


Virgin Media dishes out free bandwidth boost

Upgrade for 'L' punters Virgin Media has announced plans to upgrade its mid-range "L" broadband from maximum 4Mbit/s downstream to maximum 10Mbit/s at no extra cost to customers.â¦


Mac OS X worm maker raps Apple on security

The unknown researcher who allegedly crafted a Mac OS X worm plans to pass on his or her findings to Apple Inc. -- eventually.


Israel massing military on Lebanon border

Israel massed tanks and troops on the border Friday hours after calling up reserves, as the army announced plans for a ground operation to destroy Hezbollah's tunnels, hideouts and weapons stashes.


Nyon, 12:21 - CALCIO, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: IL TABELLONE DEGLI OTTAVI

Questi gli accoppiamenti degli ottavi di finale di Champions League dopo il sorteggio effettuato a N...


Dodgers Defeat Cardinals 4-0 to Stay Alive

LOS ANGELES - Jose Lima and Shawn Green had big nights, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers their first postseason win in 16 years and staving off elimination in their first-round series against the St. Louis Cardinals...


MILAN A day after Alitalia said it would cut 5,000 jobs, a quarter of its work force, unions regrouped, vowing Tuesday to limit the layoffs through methods that ranged from continuing negotiations with the management of the state-run airline to hunger


BEA thinks modular for lightweight SOA platform

Three products, one architecture BEAWorld 2006 BEA Systems is making modules of its middleware, in a move to help developers build services oriented architectures (SOAs).â¦


Winners in Bhutan vote include graduates

The secluded Himalayan nation of Bhutan will begin its transformation from an absolute monarchy to a democracy with several leaders fresh out of college at the helm, election officials announced.


Mitchell steroid report names top baseball stars

Some of the biggest players in Major League Baseball, including Roger Clemens, were named in the Mitchell Report, a far-reaching investigation on performance-enhancing drugs believed to be threatening the credibility of one the most popular U.S. sports.


AMD to try to take on Intel Core 2 with tri-core Phenom

It's the multi-blade shaver war all over again IDF AMD's upcoming Phenom desktop processor family will include CPUs with three processing cores, the chip maker announced last night. Now that dual-core products are commonplace and four-core chips becoming more so, why not tri-core too?â¦


At Least 84 Killed in S. Thailand Monday

At least 78 people died in a crush in southern Thailand Monday after police and troops fired shots to disperse a crowd of Muslim demonstrators outside a police station, a justice ministry official said on Tuesday.


Just before a holiday, an IT support guy calls a remote office to have a pair of tapes changed. But the person who normally changes the tapes is away, so he decides to walk a user through the process.


Roma, 18:27 - EDITORIA, CARESSA SCRITTORE: ARRIVA IN LIBRERIA ANDIAMO A BERLINO

Arriva in libreria, edito da Baldini e Casoldi Dalai, la prima fatica letteraria di Fabio Caressa, u...


From Manhattan, All Eyes Are Focused on the Olympics

This is only February, and six months remain before the Beijing Olympics, but many elite track and field athletes are already establishing their Olympic credentials or trying and not succeeding.


Twelve dead in suspected suicide blast at Pakistan judge rally

A suspected suicide blast ripped through the venue for a rally by Pakistan's suspended chief justice in Islamabad on Tuesday, killing at least 12 people and wounding 40, officials said.


Latvia's governing coalition looks set to remain in power, winning more than 40% of the vote, exit polls show.


Computer stolen by school burglarsA LAPTOP computer and a wireless adapter were stolen from a primary school in Teesdale. The burglary happened at Butterknowle Junior and Infant School over the weekend.


ATTENTION EDITORS - VISUALS COVERAGE OF SCENES OF DEATH AND INJURY A father of a victim of Sunday's quake-triggered tidal wave cries before a mass burial in Tamil Tiger rebel-held Mullativu, eastern Sri Lanka, December 28, 2004.


(New York-WABC, October 25, 2004) - The FBI is calling off the search of a so-called "mob graveyard" in Queens. Searchers combed the vacant lot in Ozone Park earlier this month, recovering bones believed


US anti-war, Arab-American groups sue New York over Central Park rally permit

An Arab-American organization and a group opposed to war and racism filed suit charging they were unconstitutionally denied a permit to hold a protest in Central Park during the upcoming Republican National Convention.


Princess Diana should be remembered as a loving, down-to-earth mother, Prince Harry said Friday at a memorial service where a bishop urged an end to a decade of bitterness over her death and her broken marriage.


Musharraf made a mockery of Pakistan: Sharif

SUKKUR, Pakistan  - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf made the country an international laughing stock by purging the judiciary after he imposed emergency rule in November, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif said on Monday.


In a fireside chat in Second Life, Gavin Newsom pays homage to everyone's inner geek.


(InfoWorld) - IAC/InterActiveCorp's Ask.com has revamped and renamed its local search service, becoming the latest search engine provider to improve its offering in what is considered one of the most popular search segments for both advertisers and end users. Ask.com plans to unveil the new service, called AskCity , on Monday, and said it will contain the largest integration of IAC online services to date. AskCity taps IAC services such as CitySearch, Ticketmaster and ServiceMagic, among others, to deliver listings and reviews of local businesses, along with maps and driving directions. It will also let users perform actions from within its interface, including making a restaurant reservation, buying tickets to movies and other events, and making an appointment with a contractor. Ask.com doesn't have plans to monetize AskCity at this point, according to a company official, but estimates for the advertising potential of local search services are very optimistic. Advertising revenue in local search is expected to grow from $3.4 billion in 2005 to $13 billion in 2010, according to The Kelsey Group. Local search has proved very attractive for users as well, because the services significantly extend the concept of the traditional yellow-pages phone directory by providing maps, driving directions, reviews, and the like.


Pope Benedict XVI marked the start of 2008 with an appeal Tuesday for world peace, calling it a "divine gift" and stressing the role family values play in nurturing peace.


Bush discusses war on terror with Pakistani President Musharraf

President Bush held a rare Saturday Oval Office meeting to host Pakistanâs President, General Pervez Musharraf, one of its administration's most important allies in the war on terror.


The company's latest digital camera includes advanced video features.


Movie Industry Sues More DVD Chip Makers on Piracy

The representative for Hollywood's major movie studios on Monday said its members have sued two microchip makers, alleging they sold their products to makers of equipment that can be used to illegally copy DVDs.


Bush Administration Appeals Over Oregon Suicide Law

The Bush administration asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to uphold Attorney General John Ashcroft's power to stop Oregon doctors from helping terminally ill patients


UN moves peacekeepers to Congo after Rwanda threat

THE United Nations yesterday said it was boosting its peacekeeping presence in the Democratic Republic of Congo after Rwanda threatened to attack rebels based there.


Image gallery: Make Windows XP last for the next seven years

Get a closer look at some of the programs you can use to get Vista's features in XP -- and to keep XP operating smoothly for a long, long time.


Lo ha annunciato l'amministratore delegato Thain


Species-Threatening Snails Found in Colo.

Tough and tiny snails that threaten to crowd out native species by hogging all the food have shown up in a Colorado creek for the first time, state wildlife biologists said Tuesday.


Actor Spacey Takes Risks with Bobby Darin Film

Even two-time Oscar winners like  Kevin Spacey sometimes need a career makeover.


Plans to translate princess bio canceled

A Japanese publisher said Friday it has canceled plans to publish a new book on Crown Princess Masako, a tartly worded biography that claims to lift the veil of secrecy shrouding Japan's royal family and has drawn indignant protests from Japan's government.


Elena Dementieva beats Jennifer Capriati in a third-set tie-break to set up an all-Russian US Open final .


Chernobyl children facing ban from 'harmful' Britain

The children growing up in Belarus, who hope to visit Britain to recuperate from the effects of radiation, face disappointment after their President attacked the consumerist influences that he says are ...


Researchers say 1.7 million vets living without health coverage

Almost 1.7 million military veterans are without health insurance and cannot get medical care through the Department of Veterans Affairs, a group of medical researchers charged Tuesday.


The retrial of two former Tyco  International Ltd. executives accused of looting $600 million  from the conglomerate began on Tuesday with prosecutors hoping  to avoid another embarrassing mistrial by presenting a simpler  and stronger case.


General Motors Corp.  said on  Monday that 35,000 workers have accepted buyout and early  retirement offers, exceeding most analysts' expectations and  putting the automaker two years ahead of schedule on planned  job cuts.


Ibiza is the first District night spot in about five years to claim the megaclub title, recently joining the old (some might say obsolete) standards Fur and Love.


Here's a small-cap investing plan to help you get it done.


Remains linked to reviled gay lover of Edward II

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - A mutilated body found at an abbey has been identified as that of Sir Hugh Despenser the Younger, one of the most reviled medieval courtiers and reputed gay lover of the Plantagenet king, Edward II.


WASHINGTON, December 15: The Motion Picture Association of America has filed suit against more than 100 file-sharing networks such as BitTorrent, Direct Connect and eDonkey, which allow users to download illegal copies of movies and television shows from


Pakistan arrests 11 militants linked to slain Al Qaeda kingpin

KARACHI - Pakistani security agencies have arrested 11 militants since killing Amjad Farooqi, the alleged mastermind of bids to kill President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, an official said Tuesday.


Judge Urges Colleague to Order White House E-Mails Preserved

A U.S. magistrate judge urged a federal judge yesterday to order the White House to preserve copies of all its e-mails, rejecting arguments by the Bush administration.


Israel and Egypt exchange prisoners as relations improve

An Israeli Druze business-man, convicted of espionage and held for eight years in an Egyptian jail, was released yesterday in exchange for six Egyptian


Snow snarls transport, strands thousands in China

Heavy snow and rain closed airports, highways and train lines across central and eastern China on Saturday, stranding tens of thousands of travelers and threatening to block food supplies.


Italia sotto media Ue.Bene Irlanda, GB, Danimarca e Francia


FOXBOROUGH -- He's been here so long, equipped with that jaw line every bit as sharp as the Patriots logo he wears on his helmet, that neck that practically screams, "Linebacker!" at you. Ten years now, he's been playing in the middle of the Patriots defense. And now, he has a message.


Oscar Hijuelos is writing a companion novel to his Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love" and also plans a memoir that will include his encounters with such musicians as Ruben Blades and Lou Reed.


Events Near and Far Overshadow Bush's Agenda

On the first day of his last year in the White House, President Bush returned to Washington with an ambitious agenda for 2008, including tackling the mortgage lending crisis and securing more money from Congress for Iraq.


Bobcats Beat Heat for Second Preseason Win

Theron Smith scored 16 points Wednesday to lead the Charlotte Bobcats to their second win of the preseason, an 82-74 victory over the Miami Heat.


The European Union ramped up sanctions against Myanmar after the military-ruled state failed to meet key demands on human rights, including the release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.


FBI Releases Letter in Bizarre Bank Heist

The FBI released new details Friday about a bizarre bank robbery plot involving a bomb that was locked onto a pizza deliveryman's neck, saying the mastermind behind the crime wrote detailed instructions threatening death if his demands were not carried out.


Russia Finishes Building Iran Nuclear Plant

Russia and Iran said Thursday they had finished construction of an atomic power plant in the Islamic Republic -- a project the United States fears Tehran could use to make nuclear arms.


Red Sox lead Indians 4-1 after 2 innings

J.D. Drew hit a grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the first inning to give the Boston Red Sox a 4-1 lead over the Cleveland Indians after two innings in Game 6 of the AL championship series Saturday night.


House Clears Spending Plan for Public Schools

The House unanimously signed off Monday on a $2.9 billion state spending plan for Louisiana's public schools, submitted by the state education board.  House Concurrent Resolution 208, the spending plan for the 2007- 08 school year, would increase public school spending by $209 million.


With the government set to allow food from cloned animals onto the market Â and consumers not yet convinced it's safe Â meat and dairy producers are promoting an industry-led system to track cloned livestock.


Rimasta cieca, chiederÃ  5 milioni di euro

Lâinfezione dopo lâintervento alle palpebre. La clinica: quel giorno altri operati senza problemi. MILANO - Cartelle cliniche, documentazione medica e amministrativa: sul tavolo del sostituto procuratore


WASHINGTON: The 41st anniversary of President John F Kennedy's assassination passed on November 22 - a lot more quietly than earlier ones.


Connecticut Governor Has Surgery for Breast Cancer

A statement posted on Gov. M. Jodi Rell's Web site described the cancer as having been caught "in its very early stages," and said it had not spread.


Australia's Howard Uses Specter of Higher Rates to Sway Voters

Australian Prime Minister John Howard used the specter of higher interest rates under a Labor government to try to convince voters to give his Liberal-National coalition a fourth term


A new bridge is to be built across the Firth of Forth, west of the existing suspension road crossing.


Vijay Singh has one month to put the final touches on what already is a masterpiece.


Lawyers representing Mark Thatcher will appeal a court ruling ordering the son of the former British prime minister to answer questions from Equatorial Guinea on an alleged coup plot, one of his lawyers said on Thursday.


Roma, 12:46 - CALCIO, TORINO; CAIRO: BELLO SFIDARE BERLUSCONI

Urbano Cairo contro Silvio Berlusconi. Per la prima volta si affronteranno su un campo da calcio......


Blackburn lead bottom side Derby and Manchester City host fellow high-flyers Liverpool in Sunday's Premier League games.


Ethanol Push Won't Cripple Set-Aside Farmland in State

You may have read that President Bush wants to see the 35 million acres of land set aside for conservation and wildlife instead planted in corn to feed vastly expanded ethanol production.


Euronext says no guarantee yet it will bid for LSE

The European financial market operator Euronext said it could not yet guarantee making a bid to take over the London Stock Exchange (LSE).


Rimini, 16:10 - CALCIO, RIMINI; RICCHIUTI: ULTRAS MI MINACCIANO DA MESI

Grave denuncia del capitano del Rimini, Adrian Ricchiuti, che da novembre 2006 viene sistematicament...


Oil prices slid on Thursday after a  bigger-than-expected rise in U.S. fuel inventories soothed some  worries of a winter squeeze, but the fall was limited by an  upcoming OPEC meeting and Iraqi elections.


Israel agrees to release Palestinian prisoners

Israel's cabinet agreed on Sunday to release 250 Palestinian prisoners in the latest attempt to strengthen Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after Hamas's seizure of the Gaza Strip.


Agreement reached out of court Apple has settled a lawsuit alleging the company ripped off another firm's design when it coded its iTunes software's user interface. Terms of the deal reached with the plaintiff were not made public, but the case is now closed.â¦


EU ministers vow to remain united on the future of Kosovo if Serbs and ethnic Albanians fail to agree.


Firenze, 15:37 - CALCIO, FIORENTINA: SANTANA IN GRUPPO FRA TRE SETTIMANE

Santana sarà a disposizione di mister Prandelli tra tre settimane, è questo quanto ha ...