Rumsfeld says remarks on Hussein-Al Qaeda link 'misunderstood'

US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was forced to go into damage control mode Monday hours after a statement he made began to spread through the media.


Kelis was charged early Friday with trying to disrupt an undercover police operation by screaming racial profanities and rushing toward two female officers posing as prostitutes, authorities said.


Spurned, Mets Rebound by Getting Mientkiewicz

Doug Mientkiewicz does not pitch, and his speed is below average. But he may be the best-fielding first baseman in the majors.


Two studies finding that lowering a protein called CRP may be beneficial in patients with severe heart disease raise questions about how to use that information.


Clinics offering abortions and cosmetic surgery are banned from opening in the UK's most famous medical district.


President Bush declared that the bill would have disregarded the sanctity of human life.


BOLOGNA - Nedved consegna il Pallone d'Oro nelle mani di Andriy Shevchenko segnando il gol che regala alla Juve tre punti fondamentali per tenere a distanza il Milan. Una vittoria tutt'altro che limpida, perÃ²


Siglata intesa ministro-sindacati sui piani di rientro


74-year-old clip, never before seen in the UK, shows comedian doing mocking imitations of his fellow Hollywood stars.


Unsafe Abortions Kill 70,000 Women a Year -- Report

Nearly 70,000 women, almost half of them in Asia, die from unsafe abortions each year despite government pledges made a decade ago to improve human rights and reproductive health, researchers said Wednesday.


Suburban Denver police say they have no clues as to who stole 780 doses of flu vaccine from a pediatric clinic, the Denver Post reported.


U.N. extends prosecutor Del Ponte's term to year-end

The U.N. Security Council on  Friday extended the appointment of Carla del Ponte as  prosecutor of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia until  December 31, when her still-unnamed successor will take over.


ENTERPRISE, Alabama  - President George W. Bush on Saturday got a first-hand look at the damage from deadly tornadoes in the southern United States and said while buildings could be rebuilt the biggest impact was on shattered lives.


Robert De Niro is going to help Missy Elliott get her freak   onscreen.


Britain has frozen the assets of an Islamic group it suspects of acting on behalf of Saudi dissident Saad al-Fagih, who has been named by the United Nations as a suspected al Qaeda associate.


Wall St firms to launch alternative trading system

Six leading brokerage firms on  Wednesday introduced an alternative trading system aimed at  providing increased liquidity for block trades.


Genova, 21:53 - CALCIO, ATALANTA; DEL NERI: ARBITRO IN SERATA NERA

Gigi Del Neri è arrabbiato ma composto dopo il ko dell'Atalanta con il Genoa: ''E' un risulta...


After throwing on the side the last two days and not feeling any effects from a bothersome tired arm, Orlando Hernandez left Yankee Stadium in good spirits Thursday night.


A retired policeman admits cutting the wrists of his terminally ill wife in a suicide pact, then dialling 999.


Calif. Gov. Vetoes Long-Term Energy Planning Bill

California Gov. Arnold  Schwarzenegger on Saturday vetoed a bill requiring electric  utilities to develop long-range plans for meeting energy needs,  a requirement backers said would ease the spike-and-drop  pattern of California energy supply.


World waits for Harry Potter's last adventure

Business & money: Publisher Bloomsbury boosted by strong overseas pre-orders of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.


Mortimer B. Zuckerman and Jeffrey Epstein agreed to finance Radar, a celebrity and pop culture magazine that published two test issues last year.


[TS] Sports of The Times: The Professor of Ebbets Field History

When several older Los Angeles Dodgers were asked what they knew of the franchiseÂs ancestors in Brooklyn, most of them shrugged politely.


NY Sen. Clinton faults Bush administration for flu vaccine ...

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton accused the Bush administration on Monday of being "asleep at the switch" and mishandling the flu vaccine shortage, which she said was part of an overall breakdown in the country's health care system.


Christian Brando, the troubled eldest son of the late famed actor Marlon Brando, has died from pneumonia at a Los Angeles hospital, an attorney said Saturday. He was 49.


As safe as houses? Dutch history suggests not

The house sugar merchant Cornelis Sasbout built in 1617 at number 150 on Amsterdam's Herengracht canal tells a cautionary tale about investing in property -- prices fluctuate wildly, but are ultimately flat.


Bush gains momentum over Kerry in Florida: poll

US President George W. Bush gained momentum in Florida and appears to have a slight lead over Democrat John Kerry, according to a poll out which nonetheless suggests the race is too close to call.


WASHINGTON -- US President George W. Bush signed executive orders yesterday designed to strengthen the CIA director's power over US intelligence agencies and create a national counter-terrorism centre, responding to election-year pressure to enact changes


Huckabee leads Republicans in South Carolina poll

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee took the lead for the Republican nomination in the early-voting state of South Carolina in a poll released on Friday that mirrored his rapid rise in national polls.


Sprint to cut 700 jobs as it trims back service

Sprint Corp., the telecommunications giant, said yesterday it will cut 700 jobs in its business solutions division as it stops selling business long distance services outside of package deals. The cuts represent 7.8 percent of the division's workforce.


One-eyed, hook-handed cleric heading to U.S.

Britain's Home Office has signed an extradition order that will send accused terrorist Abu Hamza al-Masri to the United States for prosecution, CNN has confirmed.


Forget watching paint dry, try cheese going moldy

As pastimes go it is in the same league  as watching paint dry, with perhaps a frisson of extra  excitement.


Congress holds new hearing on immigration bill

It appears that the STRIVE (Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy) Act of 2007 isn't quite dead after all.


Wayne Rooney joined Manchester United on Tuesday despite a last minute holdup caused by his broken foot.


Norwegian Jewel To Sail Two Europe Cruises

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) said Norwegian Jewel, which will be delivered on Aug.


By WILLIAM KATES  ROSCOE, N.Y. - Searchers slogged through mud looking for flood victims among crumpled cars, snapped trees and rubble scattered by a rushing "wall of water" that left at least one person dead.


Oranges, bananas and turmeric prevent leukaemia

Giving infants oranges and bananas regularly may halve their risk of developing childhood leukaemia, suggest the results of a new study.


Hurricane Charley Devastates Florida Citrus Groves

LAKELAND, Fla.  - Hurricane Charley devastated  Florida's $9.1 billion citrus industry, uprooting trees and  stripping off fruit that was ripening for next season's crop,  the state's largest citrus growers' group said on Sunday.


Government regulators approved rules yesterday that would phase out discounts the four major regional telephone companies offer rivals for access to their networks, a move likely to lead to higher phone bills for some 18 million residential phone customers served by AT&T Corp., MCI Inc., and other carriers.


"The Tyra Banks Show," which is launching in syndication next fall, has lined up its first station.


Dow Jones scende dello 0,53%, Nasdaq sale dello 0,52%


Top U.S. retailers, including Wal-Mart  Stores Inc. WMT.N, reported lackluster September sales on  Thursday, as warm weather and string of hurricanes that  battered the East Coast dampened buying.


British terrorist suspect escapes in Pakistan

A British man suspected of plotting to blow up US-bound trans-Atlantic airliners has escaped from police custody in Pakistan, officials said early Sunday.


Four Italian teenagers cause half a million euros worth of damage to their school, to avoid sitting a Greek test.


Bush Re-election May Have Helped Gain Release Of Israeli From ...

President Bush's re-election was one of the factors contributing to the decision of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to free an Israeli Arab convicted of spying from


Russian gold medal winner tests positive

Russia's Irina Korzhanenko, who won the Olympic shot put last Wednesday, was stripped of her gold medal Monday because of drug use.


The Plaza Hotel, for 98 years a watering hole and meeting place for kings and queens, presidents, and stars, will close by April 30 and be converted into upscale condominiums, stores, and a much smaller hotel.


Kennedys Condemn 'Despicable' JFK Assassination Game

A controversial new British-made computer âdocu-gameâ recreating John F Kennedyâs assassination has been branded âdespicableâ by aides to the late presidentâs brother.


A luglio e' scesa dello 0,9% contro previsioni di mercato


DaJuan Summers had 15 points and nine rebounds, Jonathan Wallace reached a pair of milestones in a 19-point effort and No. 8 Georgetown closed out its nonconference schedule with an 82-55 victory against Fordham on Monday.


Q&A: Sun's new CIO touts ERP consolidation, flex workers

Although he's only been Sun Microsystems CIO for six weeks, Bob Worrall has plenty on his IT plate, including a massive ERP consolidation expected to take three years. Worrall talked with Computerworld  about Sun's plans.


Top BT exec wholesales himself to New Zealand

Reynolds out, 21CN in BT wholesale chief Dr Paul Reynolds, who had been tipped as a possible successor to CEO Ben Verwaayen, has quit the firm to become boss of Telecom New Zealand.â¦


Adult ADHD Costs Billions in Lost Income

While attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is widely perceived as a children's disorder, many adults struggle with it, too.


The disappointingly short summer has peaked and autumn should be here in a few weeks, climate scientists say.


Serena Williams sports a bizarre outfit as she beats Sandra Kleinova in New York.


First Command Financial Planning Inc., a company that sold high-fee mutual funds to military officers, has agreed to pay $12 million to settle regulators' charges that it used misleading sales material to promote the funds, it was announced Wednesday.


Spinning ace Harbhajan Singh, the architect of India's eight-wicket victory in the second and final Test against South Africa, on Thursday said he was hungry for more success and wanted to play an aggressive game that brought him rich dividends.


The US Federal Trade Commission has given its endorsement to a plan that would reward insiders for information leading to the arrest and conviction of people or companies that produce spam.


Il vice ministro ha sottolineato che non ci sono differenze tra Nord e Sud"I dati dell'evasione sono simili in Campania e in Lombardia, in Veneto e in Puglia"                                          Visco: "Evasione, bruciati 100 miliardi 23 recuperati nell'ultimo biennio"


ElBaradei leaves for N.Korea to underpin atom pact

The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief left for  North Korea on Sunday to broker a return of inspectors to the  secretive Stalinist state under a precarious six-party pact to  dismantle its atomic bomb program.


The latest version of the Rbot worm contains features that allow malicious hackers to easily turn on the webcam and microphone of infected Windows computers, effectively allowing them to spy on their victims, according to an anti-virus firm.


More whales dead and stranded off Australia's south coast

A second pod of 17 whales has died in a mysterious mass beaching on King Island in the Bass Strait off Australia's south coast following the fatal stranding of 80 whales and dolphins at the weekend.


Delta Will Partly Compensate Federal Pension Agency for Taking Over Pilotsâ Plan

Delta Air Lines agreed Monday to partly compensate the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation for taking over its pilot pension plan.


The United Methodist Church defrocked the Reverend Irene Elizabeth Stroud for violating the denomination's ban on actively gay clergy.


Roma, 17:18 - BASKET, LEGADUE: NON OMOLOGATO RISULTATO MONTECATINI-PESARO

Il giudice sportivo nazionale della Fip ha sospeso l'omologazione della gara di Legadue tra Agricola...


Kerry to hunt for male US votes as Bush courts Catholics

US Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry will switch to macho politics when he makes an atypical hunting trip to rural Ohio in a bid to woo traditionalist male voters, while President George W. Bush courts Catholics in Pennsylvania less than two week before election day.


Apple Inc.  is expected  to show a 35 percent surge in quarterly profit this week, but  the focus will be on just two days: the last 48 hours of June  when its highly anticipated iPhone went on sale.


Qantas takes up purchase options on 20 Boeing Dreamliners

Australian flag-carrier Qantas said Saturday it was buying an additional 20 Boeing 787 long-haul airliners as part of a  massive fleet expansion first unveiled 18 months ago.


Oil Prices Fall as Supplies Remain Strong

Light crude for October delivery dropped 68 cents to settle at $43.31 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil prices slid for much of last week despite confusion about the status of Iraqi exports.


'Super Tonio' Causes Sensation in Cancun

CANCUN, Mexico - He is called "Super Tonio," and at a whopping birth weight of 14.5 pounds, the little fellow is causing a sensation in this Mexican resort city.


GDP Revision on Canada Error Set for Feb

A correction to Canadian trade data will affect previously released U.S. fourth-quarter economic growth and November trade figures, but revisions will not be made until mid- to late-February, the Commerce Department said on Monday.


NEW YORK - The Angels' surprise trade of Jose Guillen to the Expos Friday eliminated one potential addition to the Mets' lineup, and possibly one of the suitors for high-priced catcher Mike Piazza.


US agents have raided the homes of five people who allegedly traded hundreds of thousands of songs, movies and other copyrighted material over the Internet, Attorney General John Ashcroft says.


Presidente iraniano attacca Usa sui diritti umani


The East Room is the largest in the White House, and it serves as a stage for some of the mansion's most scripted events: diplomatic receptions, state funerals, prime-time news conferences.


Madhavan in Abbas-Mustan's first Tamil film

Now hereÂs another interesting development that is sure to catch you


Music Review | New York Philharmonic: In a Show of Accessibility, Schumann Joins Bruckner

Radu Lupu made the Schumann Piano Concerto interesting even for listeners who know the piece too well in his performance at Avery Fisher Hall on Wednesday.


Per un valore di 30 milioni, chiesto indennizzo


South Korean troops Tuesday found three holes cut in the wire fence of the zone that separates North and South Korea, raising fears of northern infiltration.


Musharraf calls meeting with Manmohan a success

NEW YORK: President Pervez Musharraf has called his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh historic for India, Pakistan relations, in an interview to US television.


Microsoft slowly rolling on Service Pack 2 updates

Microsoft is starting to ramp up distribution of its massive security update for the Windows XP operating system. But analysts say they still expect the company to move at a relatively slow pace to avoid widespread glitches.


Saudi Arabia lacks religious freedom, US says

In an unusual censure of a key ally in the war on terrorism, the Bush administration yesterday accused Saudi Arabia of "particularly severe violations" of religious freedom.


Jolie, Pitt in India to film Pearl movie

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were in India on Friday, preparing to shoot scenes for their movie on the life of slain journalist Daniel Pearl, a member of the film crew said.


Mailbag: Readers Complain About Veterans' Care

NEWSWEEK's reporting on poor care for wounded veterans returning from Iraq prompted dozens of readers to share their stories.


LSE likely to seek alliances after Nasdaq bid fails

The London Stock Exchange  may now seek alliances with other bourses, such as Tokyo, after the failure of Nasdaq Stock Market's  2.7-billion-pound ($5.3 billion) hostile bid.


Barcellona, 23:11 - BASEBALL, EUROPEI: ITALIA-GRAN BRETAGNA 6-0

Nella terza gara agli Europei di baseball di Barcellona, l'Italia ha battuto la Gran Bretagna 6-0 ri...


Hamas captures major Fatah compound in Gaza

Hamas fighters on Thursday captured one of the last Gaza City bastions of forces loyal to Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.


Intel pushes Pentium 4 bus to 1,066-MHz for gamers

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Intel Corp. (Santa Clara, Calif.) on Monday (Nov. 1) rolled out a new Pentium 4 processor and chip set for PC gamers, based on a 1,066-MHz front-side bus technology.


Dow Jones +0,04%, Nasdaq +0,45%.Euro in rialzo a 1,2938 dlr


The monthly U.S. trade deficit soared to an all-time high of $60.3 billion in November, sending the dollar tumbling and raising new worries about whether the U.S. economy has become too dependent on borrowing from foreigners.


Diversified manufacturer Illinois Tool   Works Inc. ITW.N on Friday cut the top of its forecasted   range for third-quarter and full-year earnings because of   weakness in home construction and the U.S. auto industry.


Not one of Roger Clemens' flat-out denials about using steroids or human growth hormone was delivered while he spoke under oath. Now he gets that chance.


Farnesina: e' di nazionalita' britannica quello ucciso


Mike Douglas, whose affable personality and singing talent earned him 21 years as a television talk show host, died Friday on his 81st birthday.


Edward Jones brokerage sued by Lockyer over mutual fund pay

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer sued brokerage Edward Jones Monday, saying the firm failed to tell customers that it received $300 million from mutual fund companies in return for pushing their funds.


PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire  - A teary-eyed Hillary Clinton pushed for support on Monday as polls showed her poised for a huge New Hampshire loss to Democratic rival Barack Obama, but the former front-runner vowed to carry on with her presidential quest even if she loses.


The computer-created sci-fi world of 'Sky Captain' completely overwhelms the cast.


Company sues Microsoft over 'Forefront' name

(InfoWorld) - Microsoft Corp. may have thought it was being original when it decided to brand its security portfolio "Forefront" in July, but a Seattle software company begs to differ. Earlier this week, Dexter + Chaney, which develops the Forefront Construction Suite software, filed a lawsuit against Microsoft in a federal district court in Seattle requesting an injunction that would prohibit Microsoft from using the Forefront name. The company said that since 1988, it has used the Forefront brand on its software, which is used by more than 1,000 construction companies in the U.S. for project management and accounting tasks. The company is concerned that Microsoft's using the brand will confuse customers using or considering Dexter + Chaney's products. "We're very concerned about losing 18 years of brand equity in the construction marketplace, based on Microsoft's actions," said Brad Mathews, Dexter + Chaney's vice president of sales and marketing, in a statement. "Construction companies throughout the United States know and respect the 'Forefront' name. By using that name in the construction industry, Microsoft will confuse our customers and prospects, and harm our company." To be fair, Microsoft's Forefront line of products is not specific to the construction industry, though it's certainly possible those kinds of companies might buy or consider the product line. Included in Microsoft's Forefront portfolio are Internet Security & Acceleration Server 2006, Microsoft's edge security gateway that provides network protection against Internet-based threats, and Antigen, Microsoft's enterprise antivirus and antispam software. Microsoft announced it would brand its next-generation security products with the Forefront moniker in June at its TechEd conference in Boston. Matthews said Dexter + Chaney has asked Microsoft to stop using the name but the company has declined, which spurred Dexter + Chaney's legal action. Dexter + Chaney has 70 employees and had US$14.2 million in revenues in 2005. Leslie Ruiter, Shelley Hall and Bradford Axel of the Seattle law firm Stokes, Lawrence P.S., are representing the company in its suit against Microsoft. Microsoft's public relations firm Waggener Edstrom Inc. did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.


Tyson Foods Inc. , the largest U.S. meat producer, on Monday reported sharply lower quarterly earnings on weakness in its beef operations, but shares rose as the results beat expectations.


Vaccine might protect against birth-defect virus

An experimental vaccine for a common virus that can cause mental retardation and deafness in some newborns yielded encouraging results in guinea pigs and could lead to a human vaccine, scientists said on Wednesday.


London - Prince Harry, second son of Prince Charles, has passed his military academy entrance exams and will join the British army early next year, his father's office said on Friday.


Sharon Vows to Expand Gaza Raid, Toll Hits 55

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon vowed  on Sunday to expand an offensive in Gaza that has killed 55  Palestinians until militants stop firing rockets into Israel.


Sadly, the punk and rock world suffered another loss with the passing of a third Ramones member in the past three years. Founding member/guitarist Johnny Ramone (real name: John Cummings) died this past Monday (Sep.


Brother of UK hostage urges Blair to plead for hostage release

Paul Bigley, brother of Kenneth Bigley who is being held hostage by militants in Iraq, called on British Prime Minister Tony Blair Monday to step up efforts to win the release


How an accidental oasis in the Mexican desert sank Arizona's $250 million desalination plant. A case study in the law of unintended consequences. By Jeff Howe from Wired magazine.


The European Union may soon announce Ukraine a market economy...

The European Union (EU) may soon announce Ukraine a market economy country, Itar-Tass learned from European sources.


L'evoluzione ha creato il lepidottero Helicoverpa Zea


Iraqi leader fears ouster over oil money

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki fears the Americans will torpedo his government if parliament does not pass a law to fairly divvy up the country's oil wealth among Iraqis by the end of June, close associates of the leader told The Associated Press on Tuesday.


John Reid, the health secretary, yesterday championed personal choice over state dictation as he launched the government's wide-ranging blueprint for disease prevention ranging from smoking bans to personal health trainers, curbs on advertising junk food


US troops clash with assailants in northern Iraq, killing two ...

MOSUL, Iraq US troops have clashed with insurgents firing rocket-propelled grenades from a mosque in northern Iraq. The US military says two attackers were killed and 34 civilians hurt.


Californians Not Warm to Schwarzenegger for President

Washington legislators may be debating amending the Constitution to allow foreign-born presidents, but Californians are not quite ready to make Arnold Schwarzenegger commander-in-chief, a poll on Friday found.


The scramble by big traditional US airlines to become profitable again is leaving many travelers with longer airport layovers. The typical American Airlines passenger connecting


(InfoWorld) - The subcontractor accused of mistreating workers at an iPod factory in China dropped its libel suit against two reporters and the news organization they work for in Shanghai. Hong Fujin Precision Industry Co., the largest exporter of IT products in China, withdrew the libel suit on Sunday, according to a statement. TheÂ lawsuit sought damagesÂ of 1 renminbi ($0.13) from the two reporters and the China Business News, over a June 15 story that allegedÂ employees were worked so hardÂ at the iPod factory that three women passed out on the production line. The dismissal of the suit comes just days after press freedom group, Reporters Without Borders, asked the head of Apple ComputerÂ to step in and mediate the disagreement. It also follows a Saturday report by the Xinhua News Agency that the Chinese government ordered Hong Fujin to allow its workers set up a trade union that would be affiliated with the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU). "The two sides have apologized for any difficulties created by this matter and agreed to work hand in hand to build a harmonious society and promote the hard work and rights of workers," Hong Fujin and China Business News said in a joint statement posted on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. The statement was posted by Hong Fujin's Taiwanese parent company, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. The companies operate under the trade name, Foxconn Technology Group. Hong Fujin declined to comment further on the matter. Reporters Without Borders said Apple worked behind the scenes to resolve issue. The computer maker could not immediately be reached for comment. Hong Fujin had sought redress through the defamation lawsuit after a whirlwind of bad publicity over allegations that it treated workers poorly. The China Business News story was one of many to follow in the wake of an article by the British newspaper Mail on Sunday alleging long hours, low pay and poor working conditions at the Longhua, China, site., which produces iPods as well as other IT products. Apple Computer investigated the claims, and found Hong Fujin in compliance with the majority of its requirements despite several violations of the company's supplier code of conduct, including unsatisfactory living and transportation conditions for workers. Hong Fujin is building new dormitories for workers and seeking ways to improve the way it busses employees from factories to dormitories.


NEW YORK The NHL is fining one of the owners of the Atlanta Thrashers 250-thousand dollars for saying the league would use replacement players next year if a new collective bargaining agreement isn't reached.


Roma, 20:11 - CALCIO, LAZIO: MUTARELLI SALTERA' EMPOLI

Problemi di formazione per la Lazio di Rossi. Mutarelli ha svolto oggi controlli presso la clinica P...


A ship carrying the first delivery of energy aid under a key disarmament deal leaves S Korea for the North.


Nadal downed by Youzhny as Federer cruises

Second seed Rafael Nadal was bundled   out of the U.S. Open on Wednesday, denying New Yorkers the   chance of a third straight grand slam final between the   Spaniard and Swiss maestro Roger Federer.


The Space Age: When Science Suddenly Mattered, in Space and in Class

For many, Sputnik was proof that Americaâs science education, had fallen behind. But, since then, how far have we come?


Eight bombs exploded in first-class compartments of packed Bombay commuter trains Tuesday, killing 147 people and wounding hundreds in a well-coordinated terror attack on the heart of a city that embodies India's global ambitions.


An explosion flattened a home Monday, killing one person and injuring two others, while a utility worker from the gas company was missing and feared dead, authorities said.


Unknown company Baikal Finance Group was  declared winner of an auction for Russian oil firm YUKOS's main  production unit Sunday, outbidding gas monopoly Gazprom, the  widely-viewed favorite.


Roethlisberger-Manning matchup calls for measuring stick

Eli Manning, the No. 1 pick of the New York Giants (and vice versa), is struggling in his role as the starter. Ben Roethlisberger, the 11th overall pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, has won a rookie-record 11 straight starts.


Thousands of  gamers are in Paris over the next four days for the Electronic Sports World Cup grand final.


U.S. stocks ended higher on Wednesday  after Kmart's plan to buy Sears in an $11.5 billion deal was  announced and computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. HPQ.N posted  solid earnings.


Commander's Letter Praised Bush to Father

Two days after completing his basic training for the Texas Air National Guard in 1968, George W. Bush drew special attention from one of his


Iran on Sunday rebuffed a proposal by U.S. presidential candidate John Kerry who has suggested supplying the Islamic state with nuclear fuel for power reactors if Tehran agrees to give up its own fuel-making capability.


More uses planned for the "Cell" processor

We recently reported on Cell processor details that were unveiled to the public. This time around Sony and partners IBM and Toshiba made clear in a joint statement


Stime 2008 riviste al ribasso, da +10,8% a +9,6%


DreamWorks' `Shark Tale' Is No. 1 Film With $31.7 Mln in Sales

DreamWorks SKG's animated comedy ``Shark Tale'' remained the top movie at US and Canadian theaters for a second weekend, with $31.


Police and health safety officials are investigating after a man of 52 died at a recycling unit.


Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Tuesday said he is against a national referendum on his disengagement plan and early elections, the Ha'aretz daily reported.


Burmese Prison Release Appears to Have Stopped

Burma's military government appears to have stopped releasing thousands of prisoners it pledged to free less than a week ago. Relatives of hundreds of political prisoners say there have been no new releases since Saturday.


DoCoMo's Betting on the All-in-One Gizmo

Packing every possible whiz-bang feature into an ultra-thin, portable, electronic device seems to be the standard business model for cell phone makers [see BusinessWeek.com, 12/4/06, "Upward Mobility"].


P. Diddy Unhappy With Campaign Schedules

P. Diddy Says He's Disappointed Bush, Kerry Aren't Stopping in Urban Areas During Campaigns. Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, throws "Vote Or Die" T-shirts to the crowd, at an appearance of the Vote Or Die 'Shock and


Ecuador Congress halts session in constitution row

Ecuador's Congress suspended its session on Thursday after police surrounded it to enforce a court ruling to fire 57 lawmakers in a power struggle between President Rafael Correa and the opposition.


Amnesty International launches a campaign urging Belarus and Uzbekistan to stop using the death penalty.


BT says pension deficit at 3.4 billion pounds

Telecoms operator BT Group said that its pension deficit had widened to 3.4 billion pounds by the end of 2005.


Bush expands sanctions against Myanmar rulers

President George W. Bush expanded U.S. sanctions against Myanmar's rulers on Friday, accusing them of "vicious persecution" of democracy protesters, and urged China and India to step up pressure on their neighbor.


President Bush filled one of the last openings in his second-term cabinet on Friday by naming Samuel W. Bodman, the deputy treasury secretary and a former executive


SAG awards to finally let red-carpet fashion shine

The lack of Hollywood awards shows this year due to the screenwriters' strike leaves not only spotlight-craving stars in the lurch but means a lot of designer gowns hanging unworn and unloved in closets.


Italian Soccer Resumes After Week Hiatus

The Italian league resumes Sunday, more than a week after all professional soccer in Italy is suspended because of fan violence.


Taking Your Presentation, and the Projectorâs Utility, to a Whole New Level

Up to three computers can control a presentation and display their own screens at any time a new the wireless projector adaptor.


With Regrets, New Orleans Is Left Behind

Thousands of former New Orleanians are breaking their ties with the damaged city for which they still yearn.


The growth of the euro-zone economy slowed in the final quarter of 2004 as Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Greece each experienced a contraction in output, European Union data showed Tuesday.


President George W. Bush prepared for an Asia-Pacific summit in Australia, saying on Friday the United States would consider a peace treaty with North Korea if it gave up nuclear arms.


President Bush and Democratic Sen. John Kerry accused each other on Wednesday of fundamental failures of leadership and vision in Iraq and the war on terror, and claimed the world would be more dangerous with their opponent in the White House.


Oracle Sets Deadline for BEA to Accept Its Takeover Bid

With no other suitors stepping forward, Oracle has threatening to abandon its $6.7 billion bid for BEA Systems unless its smaller rival accepts the offer by Sunday.


Karzai is unofficial winner of Afghan vote

Interim leader Hamid Karzai has taken an unofficial simple majority in the Afghan presidential election -- enough to avoid a runoff, the BBC reported Sunday.


It happened all of a sudden, but in reality, the Gilson brothers had been preparing their whole lives for coach Mike Redding's decision.


Stocks cut losses as bargain hunting and GM help

Stocks cut most of the session's losses to trade little changed on Thursday as some investors scoured the market for beaten-down shares following Tuesday's sharp sell-off.


Cheetham leads as Els moves up at Dunhill Championships

Briton Neil Cheetham carded a bogey-free 69 to move into the lead of the Dunhill Championship as Ernie Els moved up the leaderboard after the third round.


Pentagon: conditions for civil war exist in Iraq

The core conflict in Iraq has   changed from a battle against insurgents to an increasingly   bloody fight between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims, creating   conditions that could lead to civil war, the Pentagon said in a   report on Friday.


Bits : Cooperation Doesnât Stop TV Price Wars

Will deals among the manufacturers of flat-panel displays lead to slower price declines of L.C.D. televisions? Donât count on it.


Tirana, 22:48 - CALCIO, EUROPEI 2008: ALBANIA-OLANDA 0-1

L'Olanda ha vinto 1-0 in Albaia in un match valido per il gruppo G delle qualificazioni agli Europei...


Light gunfire at Pakistani mosque, siege in 7th day

Islamist militants in a Pakistani mosque compound exchanged fire with security forces on Monday, but there was no sign of an imminent assault the morning after the government gave "a final warning" to surrender.


It was a bold move by David Gill and chairman Sir Roy Gardner to be so openly critical of a man who had proved how much power his stake in the club gives him.


British Airways says a flight diverted to Amsterdam after a security threat has been given the all-clear and would return to London this evening.


HD DVD, Blu-ray playback added to new entry-level ATI cards

For years, ATI played itself as the performance leader in the graphics space. But now as part of AMD, which is having a difficult time of late making its case for CPU performance, ATI may have to make like its new corporate parent for a little while.


Delta posts loss on fuel; Southwest beats estimate

Delta Air Lines Inc  was dragged to a loss on Wednesday on soaring fuel prices, while Southwest Airlines Co  posted better-than-expected profit on its long-term fuel hedging.


White House, senators seek deal on terrorism trials

The White House and a group of   renegade Senate Republicans stepped up talks on Tuesday in a   bid to break the impasse over President George W. Bush's plan   to interrogate and try foreign terrorism suspects.


The Huygens spacecraft is set to detach from its "mothership" on the final leg of its journey to Saturn's moon Titan.


Three Frenchmen are killed fighting for Iraqi insurgents against US troops, an official says.


British aristocrat accidentally shot Kenyan poacher: witness

The British aristocrat on trial for murder in a racially-charged case in Kenya aimed at a noise on his property but accidentally shot dead the victim, a poacher, an eyewitness has testified.


Oil prices bounce back on winter supply worries

LONDON  - Oil prices pushed higher, extending sharp gains seen late last week as cold weather forecasts for the United States and Europe rattled markets nervous about tight winter supplies.


Australian authorities enforce alcohol bans at Christmas celebrations on Sydney's Bondi beach for the first time.


Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre will return for his 17th season, Favre told the Sun Herald in Biloxi, Miss., on Friday.


Turmoil Grips Elite School Over Money and Leaders

A debate is festering among graduates and parents at St. Paul's, an elite school in New Hampshire, with critics accusing trustees and the rector of mismanagement.


Iraq elections to go ahead on schedule, says interim premier

PARIS : Iraq's elections will go ahead as scheduled in January even if some Iraqis are unable to vote due to the security situation in the country, interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said in an interview published in the several western daily newspapers.


Iomega NAS Line Boasts Improved Speed, Capacity

Iomega Corp. updated its network-attached storage line Friday with the NAS 400r, a rack-mounted NAS line featuring faster processors and improved capacity.


The expected move to weaken the law is considered a key measure of the countryâs democratic maturity.


A Marriage of Convenience for Ford and GM?

Slow sales and slashed workforces have reportedly prompted executives from the two ailing auto giants to talk about an alliance - or even a merger


The Conor McPherson drama âThe Seafarerâ will end its run at the Booth Theater on March 30 after 19 previews and 133 regular performances. ... âTake Me Along,â the musical based on the Eugene OâNeill comedy âAh, Wilderness!,â will be presented by the Irish Repertory Theater beginning with previews on Feb. 20. Directed by Charlotte Moore, the show, with a book by Joseph Stein (âFiddler on the Roofâ) and Robert Russell and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill, opens on Feb. 28. ... Oprah Winfrey has made âA New Earthâ (Penguin Group), the 2005 self-help guide by Eckhart Tolle, her latest book-club selection, The Associated Press reported. ... The appointment of Martin E. Sullivan as director of the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, effective April 28, was announced on Wednesday. Mr. Sullivan, since 1999 the chief executive of the Historic St. Maryâs City Commission in Maryland, succeeds Marc Pachter, who retired on Jan. 25.


Roma, 10:16 - CALCIO, NAZIONALE; DONADONI: NON CI SONO FIGLI E FIGLIASTRI

Roberto Donadoni, presente al Coni per l'incontro con  i rappresentanti dell'Uefa in vista della can...


CHICAGO - The decade-long U.S. ban on assault weapons expired Monday...


WASHINGTON - If Democrat John Kerry has a chance of winning the White House, he must win over many in the small but central slice of the electorate known as "persuadable" voters who harbor serious doubts about his leadership abilities.    They tend to like Kerry better on handling the economy and half say a fresh start would be worth the risk...


1st man in court over failed U.K. blasts

Impassive and staring straight ahead, an Iraqi doctor was led into court by plainclothes security officers Saturday, the first suspect to appear on charges of plotting to bomb London's entertainment district and Scotland's busiest airport.


EU decides to lift arms embargo on Libya

The foreign ministers' meeting of the European Union (EU) decided in Luxembourg Monday to lift the arms ban against Libya, which the bloc imposed 18 years ago.


Police detained opposition activists Tuesday in a provincial city at a protest that Kremlin critic Garry Kasparov said was thwarted by Russian authorities intent on silencing dissent


A 17-year-old schoolgirl is to become the first Nigerian to experience a space flight.


Detroit: The Ford Motor Company has surprised analysts by offering a brighter outlook for the third quarter and 2004 earnings, even as it announced it was swinging the axe at its luxury Jaguar division.


Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich and opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko met Friday for the first time since the election that has left them both claiming to be the next president.


Incoming European Union trade chief  Peter Mandelson said on Monday he was confident the EU would  have a strong counter-case if the United States brought a claim  to the World Trade Organization over aircraft subsidies.


By staff writers and wires. ONE of seven men facing sex charges on the remote British Pacific colony of Pitcairn Island pleaded guilty today in abuse trials implicating more than half the island's adult men.


Religion Joins Custody Cases, to Judgesâ Unease

Child-custody conflicts over religion are increasing, but constitutional issues make them hard for courts to resolve.


Sri Lanka says sinks 11 rebel boats in naval clash

Sri Lanka's navy sank 11 Tamil Tiger   vessels and killed dozens of rebels in a fierce five-hour   battle overnight, the military said on Monday, a fortnight   after the foes agreed to resume peace talks to halt renewed   civil war.


Infineon full-year earnings hit by price-fixing fines

Europe's second-largest chipmaker Infineon Technologies AG has disappointed the market after its year-end results were lower than expected, hit by record antitrust fines and other charges.


Brescia, 16:45 - CALCIO, MORTE RACITI: TIFOSI CATANIA TORNANO IN CURVA NORD

Conferenza stampa dell'avvocato Giuseppe Lipera e Roberto Speziale, rispettivamente legale e padre d...


Prodi,multilateralismo nostro riferimento in politica estera


You should be the one to decide who gets your money when you die.


Japanese press lashes out at China over submarine intrusion

TOKYO : Japan's media has condemned the intrusion of a Chinese nuclear submarine into its waters with most newspapers saying Beijing should accept a demand from Tokyo to apologise over the incident.


Sports Minister Richard Caborn meets Uefa president Michel Platini to discuss problems with Liverpool fans at the Champions League final.


Nicaragua mourns former president candidate

Thousands of Nicaraguans turned out Wednesday for the funeral of former presidential candidate Herty Lewites, whose unexpected death appeared to increase the chances of Sandinista ex-President Daniel Ortega returning to power in November's election.


Viacom Inc., the parent company of television network CBS, on Thursday said it had agreed to purchase, KOVR-TV, a CBS affiliate station in Sacramento, California, subject to regulatory approval.


Oct. 11, 2004 - Christopher Reeve, the Superman actor who showed the world Herculean bravery after a near-fatal spinal cord injury, died Sunday of heart failure.


Ascoli, 18:33 - CALCIO, ASCOLI; TESSER: ABBIAMO PAGATO I NOSTRI ERRORI

Attilio Tesser individua nelle troppe partite il motivo del pareggio fra Ascoli e Sampdoria.


Imposta arrivera' a 250,3 dollari per tonnellata di greggio


NBA second-half preview: Into the wild West

The Sporting News - According to the calendar, the NBA playoffs begin April 19. Don't believe it. For the purposes of staying alive in the race for the championship, the playoffs already are under way -- in the Western Conference, anyway.


Fannie Mae executives defended  themselves on Wednesday against government allegations they  manipulated accounting to hide earnings swings, saying they and  their auditors believed they were properly applying complex  standards that can be interpreted differently.


Profumo designato in consiglio Federazione bancaria europea


Sony re-confirms next-gen PlayStation to use Blu-Ray

Electronics giant confirms its upcoming console will use the a high-capacity medium, and that it is working on backwards-compatible DVD/CD/BD-ROM reader.


The Libraryâs Helpful Sage of the Stacks

Most writers remember how they first met David Smith, whose business card reads âLibrarian to the Stars.â


Londra, 14:16 - CALCIO, GIUSEPPE ROSSI: NO ALLA JUVE

Giuseppe Rossi vuole una chance al Manchester United, la squadra che lo ha lanciato nel calcio che c...


Gary L. Pilgrim and Harold J. Baxter, founders of a tech-based mutual fund that blazed and then fizzled in the 1990s, agreed yesterday to pay $160 million to settle


Party Looks Beyond China's 'Miss Fix-It'

BEIJING, Oct. 20 -- Vice Premier Wu Yi, the only woman in China's 24-member Politburo, is known in the West as China's Miss Fix-It, a steely and capable problem solver often assigned to tackle high-profile issues such as food safety, contentious trade talks and the SARS health crisis.


German tourist dies in Greek resort fire

A German tourist was killed and dozens of people were hospitalized with breathing problems and burns Tuesday as a fire raged in northern Greece, forcing an overnight evacuation of hotels and holiday homes, authorities said.


Update 13: Fannie Mae Turmoil Continues After Ousters

The forced departure of Franklin D. Raines as chief executive of Fannie Mae hardly ends the turmoil at the nation's second largest financial institution.


Bush: Russia Siege Underscores Terror Danger

KIRKLAND, Ohio  - President Bush said on Saturday  that the hostage siege in which 322 people were killed at a  Russian school seized by Chechen separatists showed why America  has to remain resolute against terrorism.


Domani la Parigi-Tours lancia lo sprint per la coppa del Mondo: Davide ha sei punti di vantaggio sul Grillo. E sabato prossimo chiusura col Lombardia. MILANO, 9 ottobre 2004 - Tanto Ã¨ stato giÃ  vissuto: il


Baikal WHO? Unknown buys Russian oil firm

News had just broken that the country's top oil producer, Yukos, had fallen to an the obscure company. His man on the spot seemed just as mystified.


Roma, 09:49 - CALCIO, FIGC: ROSSI SI E' DIMESSO

Il commissario straordinario della Federcalcio, Guido Rossi, e i vice-commissari Demetrio Albertini,...


Zurigo, 17:57 - CALCIO, FIFA: VENDUTI AL MERCATO NERO BIGLIETTI MONDIALI

Jack Wartner, uno dei vicepresidenti della Fifa, è finito sotto inchiesta per aver ceduto i d...


Environmentalists in Peru criticise plans to auction off large swathes of the Amazon to oil and gas firms.


By Marco Aquino LIMA, Peru  - An armed group which took over apolice station in southern Peru and killed four officers todemand the resignation of unpopular President Alejandro Toledowill not surrender on Monday as planned, its leader said.


VATICANO - Il Mese di Maria - Santuari mariani in Africa (3): Angola, Benin, Burkina-Faso CittÃ  del Vaticano (Agenzia Fides) -  Angola ÂTerra di MariaÂ.\


Lycopene, Vitamin E Reduce Prostate Tumors in Mice

Scientists are testing the impact of vitamin E and a synthetic version of lycopene, a compound in tomatoes, in cancer patients after they found that the combination slowed the growth of prostate tumors in mice.


Our say: NBA brawl a dismal sign of the times

WE'VE ABANDONED the notion that professional basketball games can provide a model of good sportsmanship. We'd settle for NBA games that didn't celebrate thuggishness.


Karzai urges Canada to stay on, resist "dark ages"

Afghan President Hamid Karzai urged   Canada on Friday not to be discouraged by the deaths of   Canadian soldiers in his war-torn country, saying that if the   troops leave the world would become more dangerous.


President Bush insists that Iraq's neighbor is fueling the insurgency in Baghdad. Does the intelligence back him up?


ENTERPRISE, Alabama  - President George W. Bush got a first-hand look on Saturday at the damage from deadly tornadoes in the U.S. South, saying that while buildings could be rebuilt the biggest impact was shattered lives.


The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the confirmation of outgoing national security adviser Condoleezza Rice as US secretary of state.


Guard chaplains minister to wounded troops

There was no doubt in anyone's mind, including his wife's and his father's, that Arkansas Army National Guard Spc.


As Income Gap Widens, Uncertainty Spreads

Shift in the U.S. workforce is no longer just about factory workers.  All kinds of jobs that pay middle range -- $17 an hour, or about $35,000 a year -- are vanishing.


National Zoo observes panda's 1st birthday

One year ago, he was nearly hairless, pink and weighed about four ounces, less than most bagels. On Sunday, his first birthday, giant panda Tai Shan is an active, 56-pound cub and the star attraction of the National Zoo.


The chipmaker says it will work closely with the phone giant to ensure WiMax interoperability.


Britain praises 'inspirational' Afghan vote

Britain praised Afghanistan's "inspirational" elections, saying the high turnout was a milestone for the central Asian state recovering from decades of conflict.


Magna to take auto parts subsidiaries Intier, Decoma and Tesma ...

TORONTO (CP) - Magna International Inc. has made a $1.3-billion bid to take its three publicly traded auto parts subsidiaries private in a move the company says will help it win business from Japanese and South Korean carmakers.


Egypt Waits for Israeli Investigation into Border Incident

After three Egyptian police officers were killed by Israeli tank fire on the Egypt-Gaza border, Israeli has apologized and started an investigation into the incident.


Lovemaking hedgehogs disturb the peace in Germany

German police called to investigate unusual noises in the garden of a Bremen house late on Monday were surprised to find that a pair of amorous hedgehogs were to blame.


Mourners pay tribute to Lady Bird at Texas funeral

AUSTIN, Texas  - In a funeral at a church overlooking her beloved Texas hills, Lady Bird Johnson was remembered on Saturday as the devoted wife of former President Lyndon B. Johnson and a courageous advocate for social causes.


Bid activity looked likely to keep London shares buoyant on Monday following last week's move on miner Rio Tinto, and Microsoft's offer for Yahoo in the US.


Raggiunto sulla linea che colleghera' Parigi a Strasburgo


Olympics: Greek Sprinters Finally Get Chance to Put Case

Greece's top two sprinters should  finally get to put their case on Wednesday in a drugs  investigation that has shamed and angered the Olympic host  nation.


Udine, 16:11 - CALCIO, UDINESE; MALESANI SE NE VA: IN ARRIVO MARINO

Alberto Malesani lascia la panchina dell'Udinese. Manca l'ufficialità, ma è certo che ...


'Aviator' Blockbuster Labor of Love for DiCaprio

Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio has never worked so hard on a movie, and doesn't mind admitting that an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of American billionaire Howard Hughes in "The Aviator" would be welcome.


Bollywood stars face court action over kiss

BHOPAL, India  - A kissing scene from a movie starring Bollywood actors Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan has irked a lawyer who has filed a criminal case against them, accusing them of obscenity, he said on Sunday.


Ragazze chic e dark lady per l'haute couture a Parigi

Per l'alta moda parigina sfilano la donna bambina di Chanel in ballerine e gonna corta, l'angelo tentatore di Lacroix, la danzatrice dark di Givenchy


Zurigo, 17:14 - TENNIS, ZURIGO: SCHIAVONE IN SEMIFINALE

L'italiana Francesca Schiavone si è qualificata per le semifinali del torneo Wta di Zurigo (S...


The U.S. economy grew at a  weaker-than-expected 3.1 percent annual pace in the final  quarter of 2004, its slowest since the beginning of 2003 as the  country's trade performance deteriorated and inflation picked  up, a government report on Friday showed.


Florida State Runs Over West Virginia in Gator Bowl

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Sports Network) - Leon Washington and  Lorenzo Booker combined for 296 yards rushing, Xavier Beitia  kicked three field goals, and for the second time in 23 years  No. 17 Florida State beat West Virginia in the Gator Bowl,  earning a 30-18 victory over the Mountaineers on New Year's  Day.


Expanded early warning system plays key role in disease ...

TORONTO (CP) - For the past six years, a Canadian-designed computer system has been the ears and eyes on the vast English Internet world for public health authorities keen to detect and contain outbreaks of infectious diseases and bioterrorism.


A Festival With Plenty of This, That and the Other

Boundaries of geography, genre and taste are tested and occasionally trampled in the ninth edition of Film Comment Selects.


Mentre il presidente Saleh teneva un comizio elettorale


South Africa starts to worry about 2010 World Cup hangover

The tournament is still four years away but South Africans are already worrying about the morning-after effect from the football World Cup and the size of the tab they will have to pick up.


Belgium Court Disbands Flemish Bloc Party

Belgium's high court on Tuesday upheld a ruling which condemned the far-right Flemish Bloc party for referring to immigrants in racists terms and distributing racist literature.


Denis Payton of UK band The Dave Clark Five dies

Denis Payton, from rock group The Dave Clark Five which toured the United States in the 1960s and spearheaded the "great British invasion" alongside the Beatles, has died after a long illness aged 63.


Oil prices climb as focus switches to US heating stocks

LONDON, Oct 26  - Oil prices rose slightly on Tuesday as markets turned their attention to upcoming estimates of US crude inventories amid worries that heating stocks are low ahead of the northern hemisphere winter, traders said.


Clemens sues ex-trainer over steroid allegations

Pitching star Roger Clemens has sued his former trainer for making false and defamatory statements about his steroid use that was chronicled by Major League Baseball's Mitchell Report.


Mike Matheny, Edgar Renteria and the St. Louis Cardinals can win with singles, doubles and triples, too.


Advanced brain scanning uncovered startling signs of awareness in a woman in a vegetative state, British scientists reported Thursday — a finding that complicates one of medicine's ethical minefields.


North Korea rules out further nuclear talks unless South Korea's own nuclear tests are "fully probed".


Labour would make the House of Lords more democratic soon after being re-elected, says Lord Falconer.


Madrid, 16:36 - CICLISMO, VALVERDE: NON C'ENTRO CON OPERACION PUERTO

Alejandro Valverde, ciclista spagnolo della Caisse d'Epargne, in una intervista a 'Marca' ha negato ...


A mild El Nino is developing in the Pacific Ocean, climate experts said Friday. El Ninos can affect weather in other areas, sometimes worldwide.


'Most people don't know what a fantastic railroad we have'

That's not true. Unfortunately, we had a few difficult days in the summer with heavy thunderstorms and other disruptions. But all in all we've become increasingly punctual over the past few years.


Il prefetto Lombardi: 'Nessuna emergenza per la citta''


Car bombs kill 24 in Baghdad ahead of crackdown

Three car bombs killed 24 people and wounded scores in Baghdad on Monday as war-weary residents awaited the start of a sweeping U.S.-Iraqi crackdown on sectarian violence in the city.


TUNCELI, Turkey  - Kurdish rebels killed 17 Turkish soldiers and wounded 16 others in an ambush on Sunday, prompting Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to call crisis talks to consider a military strike against rebel bases in Iraq.


Pub Owner Has `No Plans' to Appeal Environment Court Decision

By DEUCHRASS, Andrea  QUEENSTOWN -- The owner of the Frankton Arms Tavern said he had no immediate plans to appeal an Environment Court decision banning patrons from using its outdoor area after 8pm.


La rassegna apre le sfilate di Roma, il 27 gennaio


KANNAPOLIS, N.C.  - After a more than a century of  churning out towels, sheets and bedspreads for American homes,  there's no future for textiles in this self-proclaimed "city of  looms," and many other North Carolina towns fear the same fate.


France's Chirac makes historic Libya trip

French President Jacques Chirac, arriving Wednesday in Libya for the first visit there by a French head of state in more than half a century, said that turbulent times


BRUSSELS: The European Union yesterday demanded Washington explain more clearly how it subsidises Boeing Co and warned it would counter any US challenge targeting EU rival Airbus Industrie before the World Trade Organisation.


A Chinese human rights activist who worked as a researcher for the New York Times has been detained on charges of leaking state secrets, said his lawyer on Friday.


Bush, Pace, Cheney, and Rumsfeld Deliver Remarks

Remarks delivered during a tribute to outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made by President George W. Bush, Gen. Peter Pace, Vice President Dick Cheney and Rumsfeld.


Software giant Microsoft Corp. hopes an impending court ruling on its five-year antitrust battle with the European Union will bring both sides back to the negotiating table, but EU regulators still balk at resuming direct negotiations, officials said Thursday.


Jobless claims drop 8,000 in latest week

The number of workers filing new claims for jobless aid fell by a much fewer than expected 8,000 last week, the Labor Department said on Thursday, which left claims at fairly high levels.


Iraqi hospital officials say six people are dead from a car bombing that struck in northern Baghdad. An Iraqi official says the blast took place near the Ministry of Education.


Antiviral drug used to treat AIDS to be tested as vaccine

A theory that an antiviral drug used to treat AIDS may also be used to prevent it will be put to the test in San Francisco and Atlanta this month, when enrollment of 400 gay men will begin for the US arm of an international HIV prevention study.


KBR, Fluor, Dyncorp win US Army contract, shrs up

KBR , a former unit of Halliburton Co. , Dyncorp International Inc.  and Fluor Corp.  were awarded parts of a U.S. Army contract with a combined potential value of up to $150 billion to provide services to the military in the Middle East.


Bombs in north and south Pakistan kill at least 26

Two bombs exploded in Pakistan on Thursday, one in the south and the other in the northwest, killing at least 26 people, most of them police.


He shot Hollywood's first multimillion-dollar epic. He stretched boundaries on sex and violence. He launched the careers of Jean Harlow and Jane Russell, and his many Hollywood loves included Katharine Hepburn and Ava Gardner.


Zimbabwe denies British journalists entry - but England's tour still looks set to go ahead.


Goosen Forges One-Shot Lead at Grand Slam of Golf

South Africa's Retief Goosen fired a seven-under-par 65 to take a one-shot lead over the season's other three major winners after the first round of the 36-hole PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Kauai, Hawaii on Tuesday.


A court dismisses speeding charges against Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson after no evidence is offered.


Yukos shields itself with US bankruptcy law

Washington - US bankruptcy law, invoked by Russian oil group Yukos on Wednesday, allows a company in financial difficulties to continue functioning while it seeks an agreement with creditors.


SINGAPORE -- Crude oil prices climbed back above the key $50 mark in Asian trade today,creeping close to an all-time high. After settling at $49.


A soldier is to be court martialled over photographs allegedly showing Iraqi prisoners being abused.


Insurgents in Iraq kill 14 US soldiers in two days, US military officials say, as a truck bomb kills 15 Iraqis.


NASA plans to break the aircraft speed record for the second time in 7 1/2 months next week, by flying its X43a scramjet 110,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean at speeds close to Mach 10.


Republican John McCain holds a slim lead on rival Mitt Romney in Michigan one day before the state's hotly contested presidential nominating contest, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Monday.


New Potter Book May Have Made Its Way to Web

What appear to be pages from the eagerly awaited final installment in the series have been circulating online.


FACTBOX-Lawsuits Surround U.S. Election Before It Starts

Political parties and civil rights activists have brought a wealth of lawsuits on voting issues before the Nov. 2 U.S. presidential election even gets under way.


Digital guru Nicholas Negroponte says he is developing a laptop that will sell for less than $100 (Â£53).


Blockbuster Inc. launched a hostile $991.6 million offer yesterday to acquire smaller rival Hollywood Entertainment Corp. , escalating a two-way takeover battle for the video rental chain.


US jets hit Fallujah ahead of expected offensive; residents report ...

US jets pounded parts of Fallujah on Thursday, targeting insurgents in a city where American forces were said to be gearing up for a major offensive.


Gunfire crackled around Haiti's capital as hundreds of mourners gathered to bury five police officers killed in a week of violence pitting supporters of the U.S.-backed government and ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.


US issues terror warning in northern Europe

HELSINKI, Finland - United States embassies in northern Europe said they have received âthreat informationâ and urged Americans living in the Nordic and Baltic regions to be cautious.


"Run away!" her husband screamed from a rooftop after he spotted the colossal waves.


Humane Society Has Its Sights on Amazon.com

The organization has filed a civil lawsuit against the online bookstore, alleging that selling subscriptions to two cockfighting magazines violates animal cruelty laws.


Declan McCullagh has the scoop on the board room machinations that led to Craig Conway's dismissal as PeopleSoft CEO. Steven Goldby, the Symex Technologies CEO who chairs PeopleSoft's governance committee, said


Iranian striker Ali Karimi was named 2004 Asian Player of the Year on Wednesday at the Asian Football Confederation awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.


Finanziaria da cambiare. L'approvazione slitta a dopo Natale

Per il varo della Finanziaria si va a dopo Natale. La marcia forzata immaginata dal governo (doppio voto di fiducia in un paio di giorni) si Ã¨ infranta sulla sentenza della Consulta che ha giudicato incostituzionale


Renault and Nissan are joining forces with Indian firm Mahindra to build a new $900m car plant.


US arms experts seek more restrictions on Indian nuclear deal

US weapons experts are calling on the US Senate to tighten provisions of a landmark civilian nuclear deal with India despite warnings by New Delhi that it cannot accept any more restrictions.


With stars dimming NBC may unplug Globes

NEW YORK  - The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. and NBC engaged in eleventh-hour sessions Sunday to try to save the boycott-stricken Golden Globes, with NBC appearing to be seriously considering pulling the telecast as a result of the Hollywood writers strike.


The nation's home builders, real estate sales people and mortgage bankers stood by their man in the presidential election and now they hope he stands by his housing agenda during the next four years.


a deficit of $54 billion -- represented a 6.9 percent widening from July's trade gap of $50.5 billion. The bad news on trade is likely


Six-term Republican Rep. Mark Foley of Florida resigned from the U.S. Congress on Friday following reports he sent sexually inappropriate e-mails to underage male congressional interns.


Michael Ovitz was a consummate dealmaker who just couldn't adjust to the corporate culture or financial strategy of the Walt Disney Co.


Oracle to PeopleSoft: 'Best and Final Offer'

UPDATED: Oracle (Quote, Chart) has upped its offer for PeopleSoft (Quote, Chart) to $24 per share, in what it called its final bid for the elusive enterprise applications company it has been trying to acquire since June 2003.


U.S. envoy urges Darfur deal, democratic elections

U.S. envoy for Sudan Andrew Natsios said on Tuesday only a negotiated deal and democratic elections would bring peace to Sudan's western Darfur region, where Washington says genocide has taken place.


Israel and Palestinians to Declare Cease-fire

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt  - Israel and the  Palestinians will announce a formal cease-fire to halt four  years of bloodshed when their leaders meet for a landmark  summit in Egypt on Tuesday, both sides said on Monday.


N. Irish party Sinn Fein says its offices "bugged"

Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), claimed Tuesday that a bugging device has been found at the party's offices in west Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland.


Clorox Swaps $2.1 Bln, Two Brands to Get Henkel Stake

Clorox Co., the largest US household- bleach maker, agreed to swap $2.1 billion in cash, the Soft Scrub and Combat brands and a stake in a joint venture to buy back 61.


Disney Dissidents Want Eisner Out in 2005

Walt Disney Co. DIS.N dissident  shareholders Roy Disney and Stanley Gold on Monday said CEO  Michael Eisner, who last week said he would step down in two  years, should be forced to leave by early next year.


Federer finishes off Agassi to reach first US Open semi

Flushing Meadows, NY (Sports Network) - Current world No. 1 Roger Federer defeated former world No. 1 Andre Agassi in five sets to secure his first-ever berth in the US Open semifinals.


American troops killed their own commanders so often during the Vietnam War that the crime earned its own name Â "fragging."


For Jones, a Year Characterized by Problems Comes to a Jarring ...

Marion Jones was out of breath and had nothing left at the end of her seventh sprint Friday night. She could not catch up to Lauryn Williams, missed her outstretched hand with


The U.S. Postal Service has resumed mail service to Iraq.


The credit crunch will pull down on stock prices as Federal Reserve easing pulls them up. Expect a sideways market.


Castro recovering, giving orders: Chavez

CARACAS, Venezuela  - Cuban leader Fidel Castro is   now able to write notes and give orders as he recovers from   surgery and is eager to return to work, Venezuelan President   Hugo Chavez said on Sunday.


A perked-up "Apprentice 2" lifted NBC to an adults 18-49 win for the week of Sept. 13, the last week of the official 2004-05 season.


Weather extremes hit southeast Europe, England

Extreme weather hit Europe Saturday as the death toll from a heat wave in Romania, Austria and Bulgaria rose to 18 and hundreds faced another night of misery in flood-drenched England.


ICANN enters negotiations on .mobi, .jobs domains

DECEMBER 14, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Two new top-level domain names moved closer to approval this week, as the body charged with overseeing the Internet's technical matters moved into negotiations with the companies applying to set up and run the ".


Hilary Clinton, Rudy Giuliani early favorites for 2008: Gallup poll

Former First Lady Hillary Clinton is the early favorite among Democrats and ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani the top choice among Republicans as the 2008 presidential nominees, according to the Gallup Poll Briefing.


The first generic version of Lexapro, one of the most widely prescribed antidepressants, with more than $2 billion in sales last year, received federal approval Monday.


Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe axes gaming machines from a rugby league club he co-owns in  Australia.


Silicon Valley's Golden Past Tarnished by Latest Probes

Silicon Valley has long been the stuff of dreams, a place where gawky entrepreneurs create billion-dollar companies in their garages, their innovations sometimes bending the rules but forever changing the way we listen to music or chat with friends.


Santas demonstrate for British dads' rights

Thirty Father Christmases in red coats and long white beards held a protest parade through London ahead of the Yuletide season, while a large contingent of officers of the law kept them under tight surveillance.


UNITED NATIONS, New York The head of the UN's peacekeeping operations has asked for a Security Council meeting Thursday to discuss the volatile situation in the Great Lakes region of Africa, a spokesman said.


Documentary spotlights fashion maven Valentino

PARK CITY, Utah  - The life of fashion designer Valentino is coming to the big screen in the documentary "Valentino: The Last Emperor."


NASA Spots Object, Delays Shuttle Return

By MIKE SCHNEIDER CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA postponed the return of Atlantis for at least a day and examined the shuttle for damage that could prevent it from making the journey home after a mysterious object apparently fell off the ship in orbit Tuesday.


Jim Edmonds skipped around the bases, jumping into a cluster of St. Louis Cardinals waiting for him at home plate. Now waiting for all of them is Roger Clemens in an all-or-nothing Game 7.


North Korea strongly denied Tuesday that it has provided Syria with secret nuclear cooperation, claiming the charge was fabricated to block progress in the North's relations with the United States.


As Apple's iPod moves fast into the mainstream, many users shun the telltale white earbuds. Behold the closet iPod lover, some of whom are not too keen on the growing hordes of plebes with new iPods. By Leander Kahney.


A couple of small--but serious--issues regarding the audio output of the iPhone have been percolating on the Web for the last week or so.  From Crave, CNET's gadgets blog.


Singer James Brown Sued for Alleged 1988 Rape

Soul singer James Brown has been sued by a former employee who claims the performer raped her 16 years ago.


'Idiot' Success Making New Warner Music Look Smart

The global marketing behind Green Day's "American Idiot" is making the newly restructured Warner Music look smart under Edgar Bronfman Jr.


Tim Berners-Lee, the man who invented the web, says the medium will never realize its potential unless everyone involved can agree on standards that let computers more easily communicate with each other.


Sack of baby skeletons found behind hospital

Police announced they uncovered a plastic bag stuffed with the skeletal remains of at least six newborns Sunday after searching the grounds of a Christian missionary hospital in the central Indian town of Ratlam.


Probe Into Dutch Filmmaker's Murder Focuses On Islamic Militants

Dutch police are continuing a crackdown on suspected Islamic militants in the wake of the murder two weeks ago of a controversial Dutch filmmaker who criticized Islam.


Motorola Inc., the world's No. 2 maker of cell phones, on Tuesday said its quarterly profit more than tripled, as sales rose 26 percent, driven in part by a host of new handset models and cost controls.


Desktop Search Tool Ups the Ante, Says Microsoft

"Our ambition for search is to provide the ultimate information tool that can basically answer any question you have," says Yusuf Mehdi, vice president for the MSN Information Services and Merchant Platform division.


KHOST, Afghanistan  - A suicide bomber blew himself up at the gates of police headquarters in the eastern Afghan town of Khost on Friday, killing himself and a policeman, the police said.


US reinforcements sent to northern Iraqi city amid ongoing ...

US forces have dispatched troopsfrom the battleground around Iraq's rebellion bastion of Fallujahto the northern city of Mosul, which has partially fallen intohands of insurgents, the US military said on Saturday.


The city's overall death rate dropped to an all-time low in 2006 due in part to declines in mortality from HIV and smoking-related illness, the health commissioner said Tuesday


Pedro Martinez picked the New York Mets over the Boston Red Sox, and the Chicago White Sox dealt Carlos Lee to Milwaukee for Scott Podsednik and a reliever on Monday as baseball's annual winter meetings finished with many top stars still searching for


Many injured in blast in western Turkey: police

Many people were injured in an  explosion on Monday in Izmir, Turkey's third largest city,  police said.


Stocks Unchanged, Intel Weighs on Nasdaq

U.S. stocks were little changed on  Tuesday as a sharp drop in consumer confidence in August  stirred fresh doubt about the economy and expectations for  Intel to pull in its quarterly revenue forecast weighed on  technology stocks.


Bill Clinton to Have Heart Surgery Next Week

Former President Bill Clinton will have heart surgery early next week, his wife said on Friday. "He will be having surgery early in the week," Sen. Hillary Clinton said after visiting the former president in hospital in New York.


Gunfire Erupts During Powell Visit to Haiti

Shooting erupted on Wednesday outside Haiti's presidential palace while Secretary of State Colin Powell was inside talking with the interim leaders of the violence-plagued country.


South Korea Not Out of the Running for U.N. Post

South Korea might put forward a candidate  to take over from U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan when his  term expires in 2006, a South Korean official said Sunday.


Race on to Build Fiber Optic Networks - Alvarion

Broadband services using fiber optic  networks are expected to grow in the coming years with the race  now on among companies to develop this technology, the chairman  of Israel's Alvarion Ltd. ALVR.O said on Tuesday.


Childhood Cancer Survivors Face Higher Breast Cancer Risk

MONDAY, Oct. 18 (HealthDayNews) -- Having had cancer as children increased the risk among surviving adult women for breast cancer, particularly those who were treated with chest radiation, a new study says.


Accordo di licenza per 5 anni su valigie, borse e accessori


SD loses ground in state health rankings

SIOUX FALLS, SD - Increased rates of obesity, traffic fatalities and childhood poverty helped push South Dakota down four spots to 19th in a national ranking of healthy states.


Police: Dad is not a suspect in 4 deaths

Police say the only survivor of a shooting that left his wife and three children dead in their sport utility vehicle was questioned and is not a suspect in the attack.


Homeland Security officials said Yusuf Islam _ formerly known as singer Cat Stevens--will be deported Wednesday after being denied entry to the US for being on a government watch list.


Saudi-American Hamdi, Held as âEnemy Combatant,â to Be Freed

NEW YORK, 24 September 2004 - In a major setback for the Bush administration, a Saudi-American captured in Afghanistan is to be released from a military prison without facing any criminal charges and will be allowed to return home to Saudi Arabia.


European Union leaders formally endorsed the decision to partially freeze Turkey's membership talks at a summit Thursday that focused on how quickly — and how far — the bloc should expand.


Yushchenko Takes Oath, Pledges to Join Europe

KIEV, Ukraine  - Viktor Yushchenko became  Ukraine's president Sunday and vowed to seek a full place in  Europe for the people he led in a peaceful revolt against a  rigged national election and pressure from Russia.


Pilota polacco della Bmw "e' cosciente e ha parlato"


George Michael Hits Back in War of Words with Elton

Singer George Michael has issued a  stinging reply to uncomplimentary remarks made by Elton John,  which he said were garnered from gossip on the "gay grapevine."


Director Taymor spins Beatles her way for new film

Julie Taymor has conquered Broadway and won respect in Hollywood, and the groundbreaking director now risks rattling Beatles purists by adapting their beloved songs for a new movie, "Across the Universe."


John R. Pepper II, co-founder of the first nationwide radio station with programming targeting a black audience, has died. He was 91.


The parent company of the Petro home heating oil company, which serves over 100,000 customers on Long Island and in New York City, said today that the division is facing a liquidity crisis due in part to its inability to pass on record high heating oil


Starbucks Expanding Custom CD Service to 45 Stores

Starbucks Corp. SBUX.O on Wednesday said customers will be able to make custom music CDs at 45 of its US coffee shops by later this month, the first step in a plan to expand the service nationwide.


Commodore International Corporation: Hands-On Experience for the Gravel(TM) Product Range

Commodore International Corporation is proud to officially launch the  multi media entertainment platform CommodoreWorld™  along with a series of Wi-Fi enabled Gravel™  devices at CeBIT 2007.


A new inquiry will examine whether parents are being let down by the family court system.


NYC Partners With Illinois To Get More Flu Vaccines

NEW YORK -- Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Wednesday that the city has joined an effort led by Illinois to obtain additional doses of flu vaccine from Europe to ease the nationwide shortage.


U.S. Officer Tells Of Being Abducted In Kyrgyz Capital

MOSCOW, Sept. 9 -- A U.S. Air Force major who disappeared while on an off-base trip in Kyrgyzstan, where she was stationed, surfaced late Friday and reported that she had been abducted, U.S. and Kyrgyz officials said Saturday.


Reckson asks Icahn group to provide data on bid

Reckson Associates Realty Corp. , a New York area office landlord, on Friday again asked a group formed by billionaire Carl Icahn and real estate magnate Harry Macklowe for additional information concerning their proposed plan to buy Reckson.


Foreign investors may be allowed to bid for the main assets of Russian oil major Yukos, Russia's privatization agency said Monday, amid speculation about a fire sale to settle Yukos' back taxes.


News.com Extra: Digital smiley face turns 25

Plus: Web opportunist cuts out middlemen. Read these stories and more from around the Web on News.com Extra.


Neonata salvata dal padre, sbranato il cagnolino di famiglia


Wanted Taliban leader killed in raid: Afghan ministry

A wanted Taliban insurgent leader in Afghanistan, Mullah Brother, was killed on Thursday in a U.S.-led raid in the southern province of Helmand, the Afghan Defence Ministry said, citing ground commanders.


Two men are charged in connection with the murder of three people shot dead in Hertfordshire.


UK chancellor Gordon Brown and the French finance minister propose G7 nations should give 100% debt relief to developing countries by the end of 2005.


Sun, Microsoft to Detail Interoperability

Companies will demonstrate how their technology will work together.


Oracle Corp is likely to win clearance  from the European Commission for its hostile $7.7 billion  takeover of rival software firm PeopleSoft Inc., a source close  to the situation said on Friday.


China unveils likely successors to top posts

China's ruling Communist Party unveiled a new leadership line-up on Monday, including two men positioned to eventually succeed President Hu Jintao and government head Premier Wen Jiabao.


Republicans Turn Their Attention to South Carolina

After losing last night, Mike Huckabee and Senator John McCain each need a victory in the state to keep their momentum from flagging.


Two US scientists win the Nobel Prize for Medicine for uncovering the secrets of the human sense of smell.


A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says new HIV and AIDS diagnoses rose 11 percent among homosexual and bisexual men from 2000 to 2003, increasing


The Decatur area employment outlook is one of the weakest in the nation, according to results from the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.


Cisco said Friday that it had acquired Five Across, a small San-Francisco company that specializes in creating applications that allow companies to easily add social-networking functionality to their Web sites.


U.N. Nuke Chief ElBaradei Heads to S.Korea, Japan

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog,  Mohamed ElBaradei, flies to South Korea Saturday to discuss  revelations about Seoul's undeclared atomic research and to  launch his campaign for a third term at the agency.


AT&T: 2.5G upgrades won't make iPhone Web surfing faster

Blog: AT&T has been upgrading its 2.5G EDGE network, but it won't likely change the speed at which new iPhone users can surf the mobile Net.


The first skin patch to treat the dementia that can plague Alzheimer's patients gained federal approval, a drug company said Monday.


Chrysler to recall more than 180,000 vehicles

DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler unit said   on Wednesday it will recall more than 145,000 Dodge Ram light   duty pickup trucks to replace the passenger air bags.


Sweden to charge Pirate Bay in copyright case

Sweden plans this week to charge the  people running Pirate Bay, one of the world's most visited Web  sites, with being accessories in breaking copyright law.


Africa's Old Soldiers Feel Forgotten by France

Issa Cisse thought of himself as French when he left Senegal to help free his colonial masters from the grip of the Germans at the end of World War II.


Chiron Shares Drop on Plans to Delay Flu Vaccine Shipments

Shares of Chiron Corp., the world's second-biggest seller of influenza vaccines, fell as much as 9.5 percent after saying it would delay shipments of its Fluvirin flu shots until October because of a possible product flaw.


Bass Family Still Fiddling With Fieldstone

Fieldstone Mortgage  has in recent years become one of the largest independent mortgage lenders in the country. But even though it is based in Columbia, you've probably never heard of it unless you're a customer.


Australia and Portugal to send troops to East Timor to quell violence

Australia and Portugal agreed to send forces to quell violence between East Timorese troops and rebel soldiers, following an urgent appeal from the world's newest nation which said its own army cannot cope.


Report: Israel to Let Arafat Get Treatment

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat attends a PLO executive committee meeting at his headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah in this Sunday, Aug. 22, 2004 file photo.


A concert is to be staged in south-east London to help raise funds for the fire-ravaged Cutty Sark.


Former Nottingham Forest and Derby County manager Brian Clough dies.


GE Real Estate seeks Finnish property buys: report

Property investor GE Real Estate  is seeking to buy a large property portfolio in Finland, including the possibility of buying a local firm, its chief executive was quoted as saying.


WITNESS: Wrenched into exile from my Iraqi homeland

- It never crossed my mind that I would one day feel like a stranger in my own country, desperate to leave.


Shares set for weak start; eyes on Blackstone

Shares were set for a weaker start on Friday as investors sought direction after four days of choppy trading and ahead of an interest-rate decision next week.


Mastectomy May Hasten Cancer Return in Some Women

NEW YORK  - Young women with breast cancer  are at increased risk for having their cancer return if they  are treated with mastectomy alone, new research suggests. This  may be because surgery stimulates dormant cells to become  cancerous.


Kerry Links Iraq War Cost, Domestic Woes

Democrat John Kerry links the cost of the Iraq war to problems at home and vows in a new television ad to both "defend America and fight for the middle class."


Russia Assures Bush It Will Boost Oil Exports

President Bush on Monday received assurances from Russian President Vladimir Putin that his country would boost production and export of oil as prices hover near record levels.


Nearly two million poor people will soon receive Medicare drug discount cards in the mail, a new step by the Bush administration to boost enrollment in the program.


Intense Kostya Tszyu, showing no side-effects of 22 months without a fight, devastated Sharmba Mitchell with his full arsenal to retain the WBC/ IBF junior welterweight titles on a third-round knockout Saturday night in the Glendale, Arz.


Rapporto intelligence, intenso programma di addestramento


There's no time off from Internet threats, as flaws in Firefox, IE and Mac OS X open the door to attack.


Tokyo stocks ended flat on Friday as worries about record-high oil prices took the edge off investors' appetite for recently battered technology issues such as Sharp Corp.


Russia Regains Cathedral Cross From Spain

Spain is ceding to Russia the dome cross of St. Sophia s Cathedral at Novgorod the Great.


Freedy Adu's tumultuous three-year tenure in D.C. is over after United includes him in a trade with Real Salt Lake on Monday.


Microsoft to offer stripped-down XP in India

BANGALORE, INDIA -- Microsoft Corp. will introduce the Windows XP Starter Edition in India early next year, the company said Wednesday, two days after announcing similar plans for Russia.


A service to mark the 25th anniversary of the Falklands War is held on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic.


Six years ago, when my primary care physician suggested I have an MRI to help figure out why my left fingertips kept tingling, I went straight home, sat down at the computer and typed "tingling fingers MRI" into my Web browser's search box.


BANGKOK - The United Nations has warned its staff in Thailand to be careful following threats by a separatist group to stage attacks in Bangkok in revenge for the deaths of 85 Muslim protesters in the south last week.


Iraqis fleeing conflict flood over borders

Violence in Iraq and instability in Lebanon are driving hundreds of thousands of people abroad in an upheaval not matched in the Middle East since the exodus of Palestinian refugees when Israel was created in 1948.


Reporters Find Plenty of Room on Airbus A380

Airbus introduced its 519-seat double-deck airplane to 200 members of the news media in a flight over France.


La Juve batte il Mantova la curva applaude Dechamps

I bianconeri vincono 2 a 0 contro la squadra di Di Carlo. I tifosi si schierano con il tecnico, mentre continua il giallo sulle sue dimissioni


Mayan language adventure Apocalypto goes to the top of US box office chart.


Burundi's last rebel group are set to sign a ceasefire but a government crisis threatens to overshadow the deal.


Start-up says it can make hydrogen with sunlight and water

Nanoptek has an electrode that extracts electrons from sunlight, and then extracts them to break water molecules. Will it work?


UN approves counter-terrorism plan as envoys feud

Israeli and Arab diplomats   feuded bitterly on the U.N. General Assembly floor on Friday   after the United Nations approved a largely symbolic global   plan to combat terrorism three days before the fifth   anniversary of the September 11 attacks.


Marquis Grissom hit a grand slam  homer and the San Francisco Giants rallied from a six run  deficit to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-7 in National  League play on Saturday.


Israel says about  20 rockets have been launched into Israel by Palestinian militants in Gaza, causing no injuries.


John Edwards is right. There are two Americas, and they don't intersect. They don't even appear to understand each other. When I woke up on Nov. 3 and switched on the radio, that realization hit me like a ton of bricks.


The Chicago Fire Department says the fire in the fire in the LaSalle Bank building in Chicago's Loop started around 6:30 pm on the building's 29th floor.


Army Examines Possibility of Private Medical Contractor

Whom do you turn to when the enormous number of military contract employees in Iraq creates problems for the U.S. Army as it tries to fight there?


Leading independent schools should set up private universities, an academic says.


Pentagon acknowledges shortage of armored Humvees

A shortage of "up-armored" Humvees in Iraq, highlighted Wednesday by a soldier's pointed question to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, is a consequence of insurgent


Nasdaq +0,11%, Standard Poor's 500 invariato


Brown's Cabinet Choices Signal Divergent Course

LONDON, June 28 -- Gordon Brown, the new British prime minister, named political veteran Alistair Darling, 53, to the powerful post of chancellor of the exchequer and David Miliband, 41, the current environmental secretary, to be foreign minister, the second-youngest in British history.


Next Shuttle Astronauts to Fly Take Aim at ISS

WASHINGTON -- NASA's next shuttle astronauts to fly, a blend of veteran spaceflyers and rookies, are in the final month of training for a March construction flight to the International Space Station (ISS).


Best Seats for Meteor Shower Tonight? At 47,000 Feet

For the best seats in the sky, NASA and SETI scientists are taking 10-hour flight at 47,000 feet to view the Quadrantid meteor shower.


Business & money: Union warns British Airways it could face another summer of industrial strife over strain on baggage-handling staff due to job cuts.


Theater Team Makes an Ally of Random Circumstance

The Nature Theater of Oklahoma, the company behind the show âNo Dice,â has based its new production on a roll of . . . well, you know.


Colombia rebels free two hostages from jungle

SAN JOSE DEL GUAVIARE, Colombia  - With tears, smiles and long hugs, two women hostages were freed by Colombia's Marxist rebels on Thursday after years in the jungle, raising hopes for dozens more languishing in secret camps.


Tooth whitening kits are found to contain illegally high levels of the bleaching agent hydrogen peroxide in UK tests.


BBC on track for live opera at rail station

Rail companies will be able to add the presence of an orchestra and the cast of an opera to the litany of excuses used for delayed trains this autumn.


Scientists from the US reconstruct a 40,000-year record of climate change at the South Pole.


Hundreds of steel workers meet to discuss their future after their plant closed days before Christmas.


British seabirds have had their worst breeding season ever with industrial fishing a key problem, scientists say.


Gordon Brown vows to "step up" efforts to defeat terrorism in Pakistan, following Benazir Bhutto's assassination.


Safe Drug Imports Would Be Difficult --US Study

Importing cheaper prescription medicines would require costly safety measures and save US consumers little money, a government task force said on Tuesday in a report


Regulators say hedge fund woes won't spread

Regulators said on Wednesday that  Bear Stearns Cos. Inc.  should be able to unwind the  positions of its two troubled hedge funds without causing wider  financial market distress.


A Japanese study suggests heavy computer use may be linked with glaucoma, especially among people who are short sighted. Researchers at Toho University School of Medicine in Tokyo tested the sight of workers


Republicans Try to Dilute Provisions in Tax Bill

House Republicans are working to eliminate or dilute provisions in a new corporate tax bill aimed at cracking down on illegal shelters.


A body found in Iraq resembles a Japanese civilian taken hostage and threatened with execution, but the Japanese government has not yet positively identified it, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Saturday.


La Lazio Ã¨ arrivata ad Atene dove domani affronterÃ  la squadra dell'Egaleo per il quarto e ultimo impegno della fase a gironi della Coppa Uefa. Le possibilitÃ  della squadra biancoceleste di qualificarsi


Toshiba to Give Up on HD Format, Ceding Field to Sony

The Toshiba Corporation is planning to give up on its HD DVD format, formally conceding defeat to the competing Blu-ray technology backed by Sony.


Just how hard is it to say sorry, Martha?

Martha Stewart's three-year campaign to exhaust the tolerance of reasonable people reached its pinnacle this week, when the American lifestyle guru declared that she'd had enough of the tedious legal process that has so interfered with her cake-selling


The iPhone sells âlike crepe suzettes in Franceâ

Philip Elmer-DeWitt (Fortune) reports that iPhone received great reception in France. âAfter just 21 hours, 17 percent of Orange France stores had sold out.â In all, âFrance Telecom announced that it sold nearly 30,000 iPhones in the first five days, 48 percentÂ of them to new customers. Thatâs nearly one iPhone for every 2,000 Frenchmen.â


Napster counters iTunes with new To Go service

MacCentral - Digital music service Napster LLC on Thursday announced the release of Napster To Go, a new Windows-compatible portable digital music subscription service that lets user move an unlimited number of songs songs from Napster to compatible MP3 players for a US$14.95 monthly fee. A $30 million marketing campaign kicks off Sunday during this year's Super Bowl, and is aimed squarely at Apple's iTunes Music Store.


System aims to mobilize the the desk phone

Start-up Divitas is offering a new appliance for the enterprise that converges mobile and desktop phones.


A snowstorm that blanketed parts of the Midwestern United States barreled into New England on Sunday, bringing snow, freezing rain and high winds that grounded flights and made driving treacherous.


News Corp to sell 8 U.S. TV stations for $1.1 bln

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp  will sell eight U.S. television stations to private equity firm Oak Hill Partners for about $1.1 billion.


Does Wikipedia entry offer clue to Benoit family murders?

Blog: An anonymous edit to Wikipedia could provide a clue about the deaths of former professional wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife and 7-year-old son. Or it could simply be random vandalism.


Fernandez and Rose Jr. Linked to Radomski

Sid Fernandez and Pete Rose Jr. became the last two players of note linked to the former Mets clubhouse attendant who provided performance-enhancing drugs to major league players.


Dopo una lite con un venticinquenne che e' stato arrestato


Call to Counter Online Paedophile Threat

By Michael Howie  WEBSITES should do more to protect children from online sex attackers, according to Home Office guidelines.


Russia is in talks with Venezuela to license rifle manufacture, Russia's state arms exporter confirms.


MOBILE, Ala. - When DeAngelo Williams arrived at Memphis, the Tigers had just completed their seventh consecutive losing season and were about to endure No.


Civilians stopped armed Capitol intruder

An armed man who ran through the U.S. Capitol this week was stopped by civilian employees, not police officers, authorities said Friday, reversing course in what was already an embarrassing security breach.


NEW YORK -- Express Scripts Inc. said it won't raise its $26.1 billion bid for Caremark Rx Inc. , a rival manager of drug benefits, clearing the way for the drugstore chain CVS Corp. to win a three-month takeover battle.


(InfoWorld) - Business Objects is stepping up its efforts in the area of corporate performance management software with an acquisition and the integration of some existing applications with its business intelligence suite. The company said on Tuesday its U.K. subsidiary has agreed to buy Armstrong Laing, which makes profitability management software, for about Â£30 million ($56 million) in cash. It expects to close the deal by the end of the year subject to regulatory approvals and other conditions. Performance management software helps big companies with sales, payroll, staffing, and capital expenditure planning. Business Objects said its license revenue from such products jumped 70 percent in the first half of the year from the same period in 2005. Armstrong, better known as ALG Software, has about 400 customers including American Express, British Airways, and Heineken, and had total revenue last year of about $19 million. Its customers use its software for profitability management, activity-based costing, and business performance measurement. Business Objects has also completed a two-year project to integrate its performance management applications with its data analytics suite, BusinessObjects XI. Many of the applications were acquired in 2005 when itÂ bought SRC SoftwareÂ for $100 million. The integration means customers can take data from the planning, budgeting and other performance management applications and combine it more easily with the reporting and analysis tools in BusinessObjects XI. The applications are aimed mostly at financial companies and finance managers at big businesses. Business Objects has dual headquarters in Paris and San Jose, California. ALG Software is a privately held company with headquarters in Atlanta and offices in Cheshire, the U.K.


Live from New York, it's the iPhone launch!

Blog: Reporting from the front lines at the 5th Avenue Apple store.


T-Mobile UK Becomes First iPass-Billed Operator in Europe

Remote connectivity service provider iPass Inc has announced a deal with T-Mobile in the UK. It will be its first relationship with a European 3G operator where corporate customers can be billed by iPass for connecting to its network from their laptop.


LONDON - The founder of Virgin Atlantic Airlines is spreading his wings. No longer content with conquering the skies, Richard Branson has set his sights higher-- much higher.


Settlement Will Cost Freddie Mac $50 Million

The mortgage finance company Freddie Mac will pay $50 million to settle federal charges that it fraudulently misstated earnings over a four-year period.


Ken Griffey Jr. hit career home run No. 575 and Bobby Livingston allowed seven hits in 6 2-3 innings for his first major league win as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Colorado Rockies 4-2 on Friday night.


Palestinians say they hope Bush accepts dealing with Arafat in new ...

An ailing Yasser Arafat congratulated President Bush on his re-election and expressed hope that a second term will spark new life to the Middle East peace process, an aide to the Palestinian leader said Wednesday.


Hewitt Hopes a Return Home Will Provide Tonic

Back in the bosom of his family, Lleyton  Hewitt is gunning for Australian success.


Hillary Clinton seeks to slow Barack Obama as three more contests for the Democratic nomination for president loom.


England has moved one step closer to qualification for the World Cup finals with a 2-0 victory over Wales at Old Trafford. However the news was not so good for some of the other big names on the continent, with


'I'm 100 Percent Innocent', Says Hamilton

Olympic champion Tyler Hamilton said on  Tuesday that he is "100 percent innocent" as the Phonak rider  responded to media reports that he failed a drugs test.


Duff strikes again to give Chelsea victory

Chelsea remain five points clear of their nearest challangers in the Barclay's Premiership after another victory at Stamford Bridge, this time over Aston Villa.


The US army drafts a new manual, which places as much emphasis on winning hearts and minds as it does force.


Vonage and Linksys are teaming up to make voice over Internet Protocol service available through Wi-Fi equipment made by Linksys. Vonage will announce the Linksys partnership Tuesday.


Having a teenage mother can double a person's risk of committing suicide, according to a new study. Swedish researchers found that babies born to women in their teens were twice as likely to kill themselves


Former Atlanta Mayor Indicted for Corruption

A federal grand jury has indicted  former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell for bribery, tax evasion and  other corruption charges dating back to the early days of his  two-term administration, federal officials said on Monday.


European shares nudged higher on Monday with technology stocks such as mobile phone giant Nokia and consumer electronics firm Philips rebounding after a poor start to 2005.