Malone's Liberty Media Declines to Comment on News Corp. Stake

John Malone's Liberty Media Corp. declined to comment on a newspaper report saying the company boosted its stake in Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.


About 7,000 U.S. and Afghan government   forces launched an offensive against the Taliban in central and   eastern Afghan provinces on Saturday, as a blast near Kabul   killed three Afghan aid workers.


Jessica McEntee has become a basketball star at New York University while gaining an education without having to go far from her home in Flushing.


Eddie Layton, the Yankee Stadium organist and ballpark fixture for more than 35 years, has died after a brief illness.


Rush Limbaugh's Case Sent to Fla. Supreme Court

A legal dispute over whether prosecutors violated conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh's medical privacy during an investigation into possible misuse of prescription painkillers was sent to the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday for review.


Celine Dion is to receive a special honour at the World Music Awards, according to a Canadian paper.


Arson is suspected in a Tuesday fire at an Islamic school in the Netherlands in the wake of filmmaker Theo van Gogh's death. There were no injuries reported in the fire, but scrawled graffiti on the school


Supreme Court Limits Discrimination Suits

Employers should be protected from lawsuits over pay discrimination based on acts committed years ago.


Boeing says may stop C-17 production, to affect 7000 jobs

- Boeing Co.  said it may stop production of C-17 military cargo aircraft by 2009 due to lack of U.S. government and international orders, eventually affecting more than 7,000 jobs.


Terry Hoeppner, 59, Dies; Coached Football at Two Universities

A college football coach, he led Miami of Ohio to two consecutive bowl appearances before becoming the head coach at Indiana.


High-Pressure Deadlines Boost Heart-Attack Risk, Study Finds

People who are under short-term but intense pressure to meet deadlines run a six times higher risk of having a heart attack within the next 24 hours, according to a study published in


Cracovia, 19:43 - BASKET, EUROLEGA DONNE: SCHIO PERDE IN POLONIA

Nella quarta giornata del turno di qualificazione di Eurolega donne, la Beretta


Actor and Neighbor Told to Stop Suing Each Other

A New York judge told Sean Connery and a neighbor to stop bickering over renovations at the Upper East Side house they share.


Palm says its new phone is easier to use and cheaper than its Treo line of smart phones and is aimed at a younger audience.


ISN SECURITY WATCH (27/10/04) - Newly appointed Lebanese Prime Minister Omar Karami has unveiled his cabinet, which is devoid of opposition members, prompting harsh criticism from the US, which has described the new government as âmade in Damascus


IBM Forms New Loan-Fulfillment Services Company

By Anonymous  Armonk, New York-based IBM has announced the formation of a new business unit-IBM Lender Business Process Services Inc. (LBPS), Charlotte, North Carolina-which will specialize in mortgage origination services.


26 Palestinians Die, 131 Wounded in Gaza

JEBALIYA REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip - Israeli troops struck deep inside the largest Palestinian refugee camp Thursday, battling masked gunmen in an unprecedented campaign to stop deadly rocket fire on Israeli towns. Twenty-six Palestinians were killed and 131 wounded, the bloodiest single-day toll in fighting in 30 months...


Investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc  on Thursday said it would stop U.S. wholesale mortgage lending because of a continued slump in credit and housing markets, a move that will cut 1,300 jobs and result in a $40 million charge.


Hamas Militant Leader Killed in Gaza City

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - An Israeli helicopter fired a missile at a car in Gaza City late Sunday, residents said, killing a senior Hamas militant leader, the latest Israeli attack in the territory it plans to leave next year.    Witnesses said parts of a dismembered body were pulled from the wreckage...


HP contacted by U.S. attorney in press leak probe

Hewlett-Packard Co.  said  on Monday it has been contacted by U.S. federal prosecutors  seeking information about the company's investigation into  boardroom leaks to the press.


"Dog Days: Dispatches from Bedlam Farm" (Villard, 288 pages, $23.95) — Jon Katz: The menagerie at Bedlam Farm continues to grow in "Dog Days," the engaging new entry in Jon Katz's memoirs about living the country life with man's best friend.


A Bridgewater company is betting the road to success goes through some of the world's poorest countries.


TWO Indonesian women taken hostage by an Islamic militant group in Iraq were released unharmed and handed over to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) embassy today.


Calif. Investigators Seek Oil Spill Source

Investigators are testing oil wiped from the coated bodies of birds to try to determine the origin of a mysterious oil spill somewhere along a 90-mile stretch of the Southern California coast.


Russian prosecutors seize financial documents from oil giant Yukos, raising fears of fresh tax demands.


Bombing in Lebanon Wounds Cabinet Minister

BEIRUT, Lebanon - A car bomb exploded Friday in central Beirut, wounding a former Lebanese Cabinet minister and killing his driver, officials said.    Former Economy Minister Marwar Hamadeh reportedly suffered minor wounds and was in stable condition...


UPDATE 1-Bryan Robson appointed West Brom manager

Former England captain Bryan Robson has been appointed manager of West Bromwich Albion, the Premier League club he joined as a teenager.


After five years of preparation, the federal government expects to take the nation's tobacco industry to court today, alleging massive fraud and seeking a $280 billion penalty


Onscene: The Strange, Weird World of North Korea

There's pomp, propagandaâand even a fake Chanel purse or two. NEWSWEEK's Tokyo Bureau Chief discovers that touring North Korea has some unexpected moments.


Analysis: Chavez Will Try To Subvert Bush Trip

A tour of Latin America gives Bush a chance to strengthen ties.  But Venezuela's president thinks it's a trick.


The company said it was ramping up production of the game console, but that parts manufacturers were still trying to gauge how much they need to produce to keep up with demand.


Jonathan Woodgate's first appearance for Real Madrid could be put on hold after the defender limped out of training on Thursday.


Nvidia will supply graphics chip for new PlayStation

Nvidia will supply the graphics chip for the successor to the PlayStation 2 games console being developed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEI), the companies announced on Tuesday.


Former Derby boss out of the running for Scotland job

Former Preston and Derby boss Billy Davies has ruled himself out of the running to be Scotland's new coach.


AMD released two extremely powerful chips recently after Intel had to back down from the plan of manufacturing a 4GHz version of their Pentium 4 processor.


Bobby Fischer, the reclusive American chess master who became a Cold War icon when he dethroned the Soviet Union's Boris Spassky as world champion in 1972, has died. He was 64.


A Beijing man planning to protest against evictions to make way for new buildings in Beijing is reportedly jailed for four years.


NASA to Try Shuttle Launch Despite Fuel Cell Problem

NASA officials will try again today to send off the space shuttle Atlantis on a long-delayed mission to resume construction of the international space station.


Nokia Siemens Networks backs IP everywhere

Rhythm method 3GSM Technology roadmaps for the future Nokia and Siemens Networks were laid out to delegates attending the 3GSM Conference on Monday.â¦


It's cheerful, but is it cheap? D-Link reckons its latest 24-port stackable Gigabit Ethernet switch should be just the ticket for small and medium-sized businesses looking to their next-generation network.â¦


World's Smallest Baby, About The Size Of A Cell Phone

The world's smallest baby that has ever survived delivery will soon be going home, according to doctors that Loyola University Medical Center.


Kuwait secured top spot in Group Four and a place in the final round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup 2006 by the narrowest of margins.


The operation went according to plan. Shame about the spin

Spin, news management and speculation/interpretation are all different aspects of political/media co-existence, and all three are present in the news stories about the heart and the house.


South Asian currency unlikely soon: Aziz

South Asia is a long way from launching a common currency but regional central banks could adopt currency swaps to encourage new investment, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Monday.


Zelda wins Wii players but critics query future demand

LOS ANGELES, Nov 23 (Reuters Life!) - The rush to get hold  of Nintendo's new Wii video game console is being fueled by  demand for another attraction -- the new game in Nintendo's  legend of Zelda series -- but game critics were uncertain this  level of interest would continue.


Researchers say they've created a nifty optics-on-a-chip device that overcomes a major obstacle in harnessing the full power and speed of light waves. By the Associated Press.


Indonesia, Rebels Agree to Direct Aceh Peace Talks

Indonesian ministers and exiled rebel  leaders seeking the independence of the tsunami-devastated Aceh  province agreed with Finnish mediators on Thursday to hold  face-to-face talks about ending nearly 30 years of fighting.


Terry Jones giggles as he describes his latest project: vacuum cleaners, dryers and parking meters singing opera on stage.


Edwards's Wife Says She Backs Gay Marriage

SAN FRANCISCO, June 24 -- Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards, kicked off San Francisco's annual gay pride parade Sunday by splitting with her husband over support for legalized same-sex marriage.


Paris stalls end to EU arms ban on Beijing

President Jacques Chirac has championed lifting the ban imposed after the Tiananmen Square massacre which the EU believes implies a near-pariah status China no longer deserves.


Economy Added Far More Jobs Than Expected in October

The economy created 337,000 new jobs in October, nearly double the 169,000 that Wall Street was expecting. The overall unemployment rate rose marginally to 5.5 percent from 5.4 percent.


Violence intensifies in Najaf's Old City

NAJAF, Iraq - Explosions and gunfire shook Najaf's Old City yesterday in a fierce battle between US forces and Shiite militants, as negotiations dragged on for the handover of the revered shrine that the fighters have used for their stronghold.


TelefÃ³nica hit by record Ââ¬152m anti-trust fine

Business & money: European commission finds O2 owner guilty of squeezing rivals out of Spanish broadband market.


Aging: Growing Older Is Found to Hurt Decision Making

As they grow older, even people who seem perfectly on top of things may have trouble making good decisions, a new study suggests.


Si trova nell'Istituto di medicina Legale di Roma


ADV: Distance Learning Directory - Online Degrees

Bachelor, Master and Post-Grad degrees online from accredited colleges and universities. Business, Education, IT, Healthcare, more. Browse by degree or program. Request info and get started today.


Brits avoid holidays where they can't speak language

"It's a real shame that Brits are avoiding visiting certain countries around the world due to language barriers and are therefore missing out on experiencing diverse cultures"  Britons avoid going on holiday to places where they cannot speak the language, a study said Friday, reporting sometimes embarrassingly low linguistic skills. via Middle East Times


High St bank Abbey is struggling to cope with the amount of people attempting to transfer money into its postal ISA.


Call for fraud squad to probe Leeds deal

Sport: A Yorkshire MP has called for police to investigate the financial dealings of Leeds United.


Venus and Davydenko take advantage of dry spell

It was a case of better late than never for Venus Williams and Nikolay Davydenko when the pair made the most of a short dry spell to sneak into the second round of the French Open on Monday.


Mexico's top-security jails are on maximum alert after the killing of six prison staff blamed on drug gangs.


Rwanda appealed on Wednesday for the U.N. Security Council to abolish a provision requiring notification of all arms exports to the African nation, saying it impeded its ability to equip peacekeepers.


Sono cosi' 15 i Paesi in cui circola la moneta unica


Nevada GOP trying to get primary noticed

Nevada Republicans quietly moved up the date of their presidential caucus, hoping to gain a share of the national spotlight. Apparently they were too quiet.


US-Russian space crew heads toward earth

ARKALYK, Kazakhstan - The Soyuz spacecraft carrying a US-Russian crew pulled away from the international space station early Sunday, ending a six-month mission in orbit and starting a fast journey back to Earth.


In Japan, Inflation Surges and Job Market Sags

Japanâs inflation rose at the fastest pace in more than nine years in November while industrial production and household spending declined.


Berlusconi, compagnia ha problemi ma li risolveremo


Reports suggest today that Google is testing a new version of Gmail.


Howard sweeps to historic victory in Australian election

Australia's Prime Minister John Howard surged to a resounding victory in the general election last night, winning an historic fourth term in office.


China Bars Dissidents From Zhao Memorial

China will bar dissidents from a weekend memorial for Zhao Ziyang, a former Communist Party leader ousted in 1989 after sympathizing with Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protesters, but will allow some 2,000 other mourners to take part, an activist close to Zhao's family said Friday.


Stars zip, rip and vie to wow for Oscar fashion

Behind the scenes in Hollywood days before the Oscars, the sounds of zipping, ripping, sucking-in and sighing fill the air as film stars try out gowns before Sunday's red carpet parade.


Livorno, 19:07 - Calcio, Livorno: Zampagna saluta tifosi con pugno chiuso

Ancora un'incursione della politica durante una partita di calcio: a Livorno l'attaccante del Messin...


Crude oil prices inch up slightly as investors cast eye on US ...

SINGAPORE: Crude oil futures edged up slightly in Asian trade Tuesday after dropping by almost three dollars overnight amid reports of mild US winter conditions, dealers said.


There's been a lot of talk around California Speedway about lost tradition. This is the first time since 1950 that Labor Day weekend didn't play host to NASCAR's Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.


Former Prime Minister Raymond Barre, one of France's most prominent centrist politicians, has died, his family said Saturday. He was 83.


Skin Deep: More Fun Than Root Canals? Itâs the Dental Vacation

Medical tourism has been an increasingly popular alternative for the uninsured desperate for care, and for middle-class Americans willing to travel to secure affordable health care.


IndyCar champ Kanaan finishes second and every lap

FORT WORTH, Texas Helio Castroneves had a great restart today with two laps to go after a lengthy caution. He held off IndyCar Series champion Tony Kanaan to win the season finale at Texas Motor Speedway.


Second round of talks about Iraq security to follow up on landmark meeting held in May, US officials say.


Attorney General Gonzales leaves under pressure

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales resigned on Monday under pressure after months of controversy and political turmoil that President George W. Bush angrily blamed on his administration's critics in Congress.


Incompetence in simple art of shooting dooms Team USA in Athens

When it comes right down to it, basketball is still a shooter's game. Especially international basketball. And on Friday, the US once again simply didn't shoot the ball well enough, succeeding on only 32 of


A jury has indicted Lil Wayne on felony drug and weapons charges. The 25-year-old rapper, whose name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., was charged with one count each of possession of a narcotic drug for sale, possession of dangerous drugs, misconduct involving weapons and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the indictment.


Coni, giornata di festa per azzurri di Atene 2004

''Ci avete fatto sognare. Un grazie di cuore, continuate a dare il massimo''. Il presidente del Coni, Gianni Petrucci, ringrazia gli atleti azzurri delle Olimpiadi di Atene, per i quali oggi e' una giornata di festa.


TiVo Users Can Get Amazon Movies From TV

ALVISO, Calif.  -- Users of TiVo Inc.'s digital video recorders will be able to order movies from Amazon.com Inc. directly from their TVs starting Tuesday.


Another Owens Runs in Berlin, But on Hardwood, Not Track

Chris Owens, a 27-year-old power forward from Duncanville, Tex., who recently signed with ALBA Berlins, a professional basketball team in Berlin, returns to the city in which his great uncle Jesse Owens won four gold medals under the cloud of Nazism during the 1936 Summer Olympics.


To evade authorities chasing him, Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski kept shoes with smaller soles attached to the bottom in his reclusive Montana cabin, according to evidence released 10 years after his capture.


Russia deported on Friday a planeload of Georgians accused of illegal immigration in its latest blow against its southern neighbor, officials said.


It's not Superman. It's Russian satellites.


PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Still smarting over the loss of their homes, Hurricane Charley's victims turned out by the hundreds in 90-degree heat Tuesday to cope with the storm's latest blow to their lives - the mass shutdown of businesses that has left them without jobs...


Anita Roddick, Founder of Body Shop Cosmetics Chain, Dies at 64

Anita Roddick used her international cosmetics chain to promote eco-friendly practices long before they were widely fashionable.


Vivendi Universal's Fourtou to relinquishes operational duties

PARIS  - The chairman of French media and entertainment giant Vivendi Universal, Jean-Rene Fourtou, is expected to relinquish operational duties at the group next April to head a newly created supervisory board, the company said.


Reid Vows to Stub Out Smoking at the Bar

Health Secretary John Reid today promised the end to the culture of smoking at the bar in the new White Paper on public health. Under the proposals smoking will


Downing Street condemns Russian decision not to extradite businessman over Litvinenko killing.


Connessione a Internet, non Ã¨ solo questione di prezzo

Guardare un film, giocare, scambiarsi documenti, inviare la posta, riunirsi in videoconferenza con amici e colleghi all'altro capo del mondo. Le frontiere di Internet in tre anni si sono cosÃ¬ allargate che


Darfur's rebels restart peace talks with Sudan after a 24-hour walkout over alleged attacks on civilians.


Top seed Elena Dementieva of Russia edged Czech Denisa Chladkova 7-5, 6-4 Friday to reach the semifinals of the Gaz de France Stars tennis tournament.


Mattel unveils Elmo doll after months of secrecy

Mattel Inc. MAT.N on Tuesday   unveiled the 10th anniversary edition of its Tickle Me Elmo   doll, a new red plush "T.M.X. Elmo" that slaps its leg and   keels over in a fit of laughter when tickled.


(InfoWorld) - On Friday Japan's Turbolinux begins dispatching the first batch of itsÂ Wizpy handheldsÂ to people who ordered them from its Web site. The flash-based multimedia player contains a version of Linux, so it can be used to boot a PC into the operating system, allowing users to access their files in their own working environment on almost any PC. The devices have proved hot items on the TurboLinux Web shop since preorders began in late January, but what's it like to use one? We tested a pre-production version of the Wizpy for a week and found it delivers on its promise with some annoyances. As a device from which to boot Linux, the Wizpy was easy to use, it just required connecting. No set-up was required because all the PCs we tried were already configured to look first for a bootable CD before defaulting to the operating system on the hard-disk drive. The Wizpy masquerades as a bootable CD, so the PC jumped into the Linux OS and the copy of Windows on the hard-disk didn't stand a chance. The Wizpy requires a PC with USB 2.0 -- older versions of USB are just too slow for the large amount of data that needs to be exchanged with the host computer -- so problems could occur, particularly on older computers. In use, the PC didn't appear excessively sluggish despite the OS running off the Wizpy. The device managed to handle tasks like Web browsing, word processing and e-mail with ease. It comes with these applications installed and it's just such use that TurboLinux envisages. The backlight did annoy, however. With the Wizpy placed to the side of a laptop PC, the backlight kept switching off then a few seconds later switching on again -- something that became so annoying I had to cover it with a magazine. There are two versions of the Wizpy: 2GB and 4GB. The Linux OS and applications take up about 1GB, leaving either 1GB or 3GB available for data storage. That could be a bit on the low side for video but should be fine for many music files and documents. Personal files can be stored within the 1GB Linux sector and only accessed once logged into the OS. The remaining storage area can be accessed both from within Linux and also from other systems when the Wizpy is connected to a PC as a flash memory device. It's in this use we had a problem. Connected to a Windows XP machine the Wizpy was recognized and drivers loaded but the same thing didn't happen on two Apple Mac computers running OSX. It appeared to Windows as USB Mass Storage, so it should have worked with Macs but it didn't. TurboLinux said they would work on compatibility with Macs for future versions of the product. There were few other problems but a few things that could have been improved. For example the up and down buttons on the front of the Wizpy operate the volume, but the on-screen volume bar is horizontal. Not perfect but also not a huge problem ... until you turn the Wizpy on its side to watch a video. Then you're pressing the left-hand button to increase the volume but the volume bar is moving to the right. There was also a problem with the FM radio, which would only tune to the Japanese FM band (76MHz to 90MHz) when the user interface was being used in Japanese. There is no way of setting an English user interface, but listening to Japanese radio. That wasn't the only disappointment with the radio. The sensitivity was very poor, so bad that in central Tokyo several of the local FM stations couldn't be heard without static. All in all, the Wizpy delivered its promise of a multimedia player that can be used to boot Linux on a PC. But it disappointed because of these few small annoyances that should have been fixed or identified earlier. TurboLinux says it will use the feedback to help improve future versions of the Wizpy. The 2GB version costs Â¥29,800 ($246) and a 4GB version costs Â¥33,800. It is on sale now in Japan and will appear in international markets soon.


CORRUPTION:  The French Find it on All Floors

PARIS, Dec 14 (IPS) - A suspended prison sentence handed out to former  French prime minister Alain Juppe is one of several corruption  cases plaguing French politics and business.


Bertinotti, avvicinare cittadini a istituzioni


Gold punched right through $640 on Thursday afternoon to a 16-week high as the dollar fell further against major currencies, attracting fund buying.


NMB to Vote on Beachwood Proposal: Development Plan Nearing Approval

By Janelle Frost, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.  Feb. 17--North Myrtle Beach's City Council is expected to vote Monday on a development agreement between the city and developers of the proposed Beachwood Planned Unit Development.


WASHINGTON -- The likelihood of finding $2-a-gallon gasoline in some parts of the United States is increasing by the day.


The Zeppelin NT, the world's largest airship, conducted a test flight here Friday to publicize the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi Prefecture, which will run from March 25 through Sept.


GAY MARRIAGE Same-Sex Marriage Issue Key to Some GOP Races

Proposed state constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage increased the turnout of socially conservative voters in many of the 11 states where the measures appeared


Lebanese forces shell militant positions deep within the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp, in a bid to force a surrender.


Alliance formed A group of 10 companies have formed an alliance to improve open source enterprise applications.â¦


Darfur peace talks set for Oct. 27 in Libya

Sudan's government and rebel groups  will start talks on October 27 in Libya to push for peace in  violence-torn Darfur before 26,000 peacekeepers deploy there,  the United Nations and Khartoum announced on Thursday.


Alleged U.S. Vigilantes' Hearing Held Off

A hearing for three Americans charged with torturing Afghans on a private anti-terror mission was postponed on Monday for 10 days at the defendants' request after they brought in American lawyers.


Qwest executives made hundreds of millions of dollars by selling their shares while the company made what the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday


About 60 charities, churches and other tax-exempt groups are being investigated for potentially breaking federal rules that bar them from participating in political activity, the Internal Revenue Service said Friday.


Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are expecting their first child together.


The company is in a phase of explosive growth, and that costs money.


Kenny Taylor scored 23 points and No. 15 Texas used relentless defensive pressure to roll to a 97-52 win over Centenary on Wednesday night.


Bush confident about economy, urges stimulus

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W., Virginia  - U.S. President George W. Bush said on Friday he was confident in the long-term strength of the U.S. economy, but urged lawmakers to act swiftly on a stimulus plan he and others hope will help stave off a possible recession.


Despite secularist fears of its Islamist roots, Erdogan's party gets even more support than it did five years ago


After spitting ban, injury keeps Totti off Italy's team

Italian fans will have to wait at least another month before they see Francesco Totti suit up for the national team. The star playmaker injured his right ankle in a preseason game for AS Roma and did not depart


Aid workers increasingly a target in conflict zones

The group holding three foreign aid workers in Afghanistan says it will decide Friday whether to kill them. NEW DELHI AND ISLAMABAD - The brazen daylight kidnapping of three international aid workers in


Bin Laden Accuses Bush of Deceiving Americans

Osama bin Laden appeared on Al Jazeera  television on Saturday accusing President Bush of deceiving the  American people.


Halo 2 scores record sales of $125 million in first 24 hours

Halo 2 broke entertainment retail records in its first 24 hours. Microsoft Game Studios said that the video game sold through 2.4 million stores in the US and Canada raking in $125 million in sales.


Cancer was the biotech's biggest success story. Now to keep growing, it needs to branch out.


Centristi francofoni accettano proposta del premier


From aggressive greenhouse-gas limits to new nuclear plants, independent group tries to bridge divisive issues. By Brad Knickerbocker | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor.


Ivan intensifies terrible hurricane year for insurers

The 2004 hurricane season is expected to be costly for insurers, with early estimates of $8bn (Â£4.5bn) of losses from just one of the storms that have hit the United States this year.


Future Watch: Supercomputing technology to keep tabs on

Much of the technology being showcased at this week's SC2004 supercomputing conference could eventually make its way into corporate IT data centers, say supercomputing backers.


People welcoming the new year in Cardiff also mark the start of the city's centenary and half-centenary celebrations.


LOS ANGELES -- At first glance, the place seems to be showing its age. The facilities are good but not great, a little worn in some spots. The campus is in the middle of an urban sprawl, a city that seems to be one constant traffic jam just outside the walls of a university whose football team -- until last ...


Washington Mayor Anthony Williams attends the DC Council baseball debate, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2004, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta).


Vivus Says Testosterone Spray Helps Women

Vivus Inc., a maker of drugs and medical devices to treat impotence, said Wednesday that its testosterone spray improved sexual desire in women with low libido in a clinical trial.


The prime minister of the Bosnian Serb-run half of Bosnia Herzegovina resigned yesterday, a day after international sanctions were imposed for the failure to arrest and hand over war-crimes suspects to the UN tribunal.


Kosovo art show in Belgrade cancelled after attack

An exhibition of works by Kosovo Albanian artists in Belgrade was shut down on Thursday after a group of Serb nationalists protesting against Kosovo's independence aspirations attacked the gallery on opening night.


Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., warned Democratic activists Sunday that the party must take a tougher stance on national security if it wants to succeed in the November elections.


New Agreement on Whales and Dolphins Conservation

New agreement on whales and dolphins conservation    WELLINGTON, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- A new international framework to conserve Pacific Island whales and dolphins (cetaceans) and their habitats has been endorsed by nine countries.


Before:  Hey, we need to talk!  Don't you remember me?  From school?  Well I sure remember you!  Look, let me buy you a coffee.  Surely you have a few minutes to chat.  A lot has happened  since those days.


Three U.N. Workers Kidnapped in Afghanistan

Gunmen wearing military uniforms kidnapped three foreign United Nations election workers here in a daylight attack in one of the most affluent and heavily guarded areas of the city.


Electronic Data Systems  on Tuesday  made a voluntary early retirement offer to about 9,200 U.S.  employees as part of its plan to reduce up to 20,000 jobs over  the next two years to cut its costs.


VOLOS, Greece At least the Manchester United manager, Alex Ferguson, will be pleased that he has Cristiano Ronaldo back early from the Olympics. If only Ronaldo were happy to see him.


FBI audit finds widespread abuse in data collection

An internal FBI audit has found the agency violated rules more than 1,000 times while collecting data on domestic phone calls, e-mails and financial transactions in recent years, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.


Neighbours of the pensioner who died in the Cumbrian train crash speak of their shock at her death.


Oil surged beyond $90 to a new peak on  Friday as tight fuel stocks ahead of winter and a softening  dollar spurred investor buying.


Pakistan links Kashmir to granting India MFN status

Pakistanâs Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Wednesday that granting the Most Favored Nation (MFN) status to India was closely related to the solution of the Kashmir dispute.


Apple iTunes Offers More Choice Than P-to-P

Study comparing iTunes music catalog with Limewire concludes that the free file sharing service isn't such a good deal.


Microsoft Starts Public Test of Rival to VMware

The release of the trial versions, which come on the heels of Oracleâs unexpected entry last month into the market for virtualization software, is bad news for VMware.


Rosetta warms up for comet with Martian flyby

More gorgeous snaps Comet-chasing spacecraft Rosetta has sent back pictures of its closest approach to Mars after it completed its flyby of the planet this weekend. The stunning pictures are the first taken by the Philae lander's instruments operating independently of the main craft.â¦


Over 550 Dead in Haiti After Hurricane Spawns Floods

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti  - More than 550 people are  dead in Haiti from flooding and mudslides triggered by Tropical  Storm Jeanne and aid workers said half of the northern coastal  city of Gonaives was still underwater on Monday.


Stars turn out for Valentino's anniversary show

Valentino reminded a crowd of movie A-listers and top designers why he has dressed the stars for nearly half a century on Saturday with an haute couture show conceived as a crescendo to his anniversary extravaganza.


Pupils in England will learn more about how food is grown and how it reaches the consumer in a new  scheme.


Report: Jenkins Ready to Discuss Plea Deal

Alleged U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins — accused of defecting to North Korea in 1965 and currently in Japan — is ready to meet American military officials to discuss a plea bargain, a media report said Friday, citing unidentified government sources.


Florianopolis, 18:46 - TENNIS, IL BRASILIANO KUERTEN CONFERMA RITIRO A FINE 2008

Il tennista brasiliano Gustavo Kuerten non tornerà sulla sua decisione: si ritirerà al...


Israel and Palestine have reached an agreement 'in principle' over a set of proposals to guide a comprehensive peace settlement between them, under Egyptian mediation.


Groups Differ on Impact of Overtime Rules

WASHINGTON - Paychecks could surge or shrink for a few or for millions of workers across the country starting Monday, when sweeping changes to the nation's overtime pay rules take effect.    There is little agreement by the Bush administration, employer groups, labor experts and others on how many workers will gain or lose the right to overtime pay under the new rules in the Fair Labor Standards Act...


France Warns Officials on BlackBerry Use

By JOHN LEICESTER PARIS - BlackBerry handhelds have been called addictive, invasive, wonderful - and now, a threat to French state secrets.


Ragusa, Giuseppe Amore toglie i ritratti dal suo studionegli anni '90 fu accusato ingiustamente di collusione con la mafia                                            Via la foto di Falcone e Borsellino ma la scuola smaschera il preside                                                                                "La stanza Ã¨ piccola, c'Ã¨ giÃ  l'immagine del Capo dello Stato"di CRISTINA NADOTTI


Trojans pull rank on Virginia Tech -- barely

LANDOVER, Md. -- It was a test of character not many people expected top-ranked Southern California would face so early in the season.


F.B.I. Looking at Foley E-Mails to Pages

The F.B.I. has begun a preliminary inquiry into former Representative Mark FoleyÂs e-mail exchanges with teenage pages, and leaders of both parties demanded inquiries.


CHICAGO The Chicago White Sox have worked out a two-year, five and a-half (m) million-dollar contract with pitcher Dustin Hermanson.


The worm, which was identified earlier this year as the first ever widely circulated worm to target mobile devices, attempts to use the Bluetooth wireless protocol to spread a second Trojan, known


Investors sue Citigroup over Enron-linked securities

Citigroup (C) faces a lawsuit from angry investors who say they were defrauded in a "massive scheme of deception" when they bought securities tied to the credit-worthiness of bankrupt energy trader Enron (ENRNQ).


Israel says carries out missile launching test

Israel carried out a missile test on Thursday, the Defence Ministry said, raising speculation the launch was part of a program to develop longer-range weapons or improve an anti-missile defence system.


Edwards Disputes Bush Economic Claims      (U.S. News & World Report)

U.S. News & World Report - HANOVER, N.H.—Contrary to President Bush's arguments in New York yesterday that the economy is going strong, the administration's economic policies have been a big failure for millions of Americans, says Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards. "They're not working," the former senator from North Carolina told U.S. News Edwards, interviewed while he was campaigning yesterday in New Hampshire, admitted that there has been economic growth but said there is also a "fundamental problem.  The positive fruits of growth are not being shared by the American people at large. ...


Netherlands Ponder Tougher Line on Islamic Terrorists

(CBN News) - The famously tolerant Dutch are grappling with a major political and cultural crisis after a Muslim brutally murdered one of their filmmakers.


At least 66 killed in India-Pakistan train blasts

DEEWANA, India  - Two bombs exploded aboard a train bound from India to Pakistan, sparking a fire that killed at least 66 passengers on Monday in what the Indian government called an "act of terrorism".


Fernando Alonso spun out of the Belgian Grand Prix on lap 12. But could the Spaniard have won the race? Perhapsâ¦


Holding rooms to detain suspect illegal immigrants at Heathrow Airport are criticised for a second time.


Google Launches Beta Version of its own GMail Notifier  So, there are already a thousand applications out there which notify you of a new email on your GMail account... but may be like me you too avoided all of them for fear of them getting redundant with time. Google thought so ...


A Chicago-bound flight from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was evacuated Saturday after suspicious behavior by a passenger, officials said Sunday.


Reid takes charge as Brighton rebounds to beat Marian

Coach James Philip's rebuilding effort at Brighton is nearing completion. Just a few years after a miserable 0-9 season, a 32-29 Division 4 semifinal victory yesterday over Marian at Stonehill College propelled the Bengals into the Super Bowl for the first time in school history.


The White House is pushing hard to buy time for its Iraq strategy, offering Congress unusual access to President Bush's top military and diplomatic advisers.


You can tell a lot about a company from the way it reports its numbers.


The Washington Post to Trade in Hyperlocal News on the Web

The Washington Post is introducing a Web site with news and other information for a rarefied group: people in Loudoun County, Va.


a move that could potentially ground its air service from Fort Wayne to Chicago Midway. The Indianapolis-based carrier


Woody Allen, directing an opera? In Los Angeles? It will happen in September 2008, according to Placido Domingo, general director of the Los Angeles Opera. The New York filmmaker will make his operatic directorial debut with the opening event of the LA Opera's 2008-09 season.


Lenders Appeal to Democrats on Subsidy Cuts

With the House set to take up legislation that would sharply cut subsidies to student loan companies by about $19 billion, lenders are trying to appeal to Democrats.


NL Wrap: Maddux, Sosa Help Cubs Beat Brewers

Greg Maddux overcame a shaky start to post his 301st career win while Sammy Sosa hit his 566th career home run as the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 9-6 in Milwaukee Thursday.


Castro remains awake in surgery to repair shattered kneecap

His kneecap shattered and his arm broken after a nasty fall, Fidel Castro refused to let doctors put him to sleep during surgery, showing his determination not to lose control of his nation's affairs, if even for a moment.


The injunction stopping a BBC report on the cash-for-honours probe has been lifted.


In previous versions of FlickrFan you could only see today's picture downloads and code updates on the Events page. A feature request came in saying it would be nice to be able to go back in time, and I totally agreed. That's the way it works in version 0.43, released this morning. Details, screen shot.


Do not approach a 'very large bird' called Emmy One of the world's largest birds, a Ruppell's Griffin Vulture called Emmy, is on the loose in Bedfordshire after escaping from the English School of Falconry on Wednesday.â¦


InfoWorld - Plumtree Software further extended its portal-based, Web applications building and management platform Monday, announcing upgrades to its Content and Collaboration servers, APIs for search and collaboration, and support and services for J2EE and .Net platforms.


A fresco dating from 1370 is discovered on the wall of a museum in the Italian city of Siena.


In attentati e attacchi nel giorno dell'Ashura


Sketch of alleged baby snatcher released

Police released a sketch Monday of a woman they believe stole a baby after slashing the mother's throat, hoping to generate new clues in the four-day old case.


EU Confirms 2007 Admission Schedule for Bulgaria, Romania, Urges Them to Continue Reforms

The European Union of Wednesday urged applicants Bulgaria and Romania to continue economic and democratic reforms to fully meet membership requirements at the schedule of their admission in January 2007.


IBM said Wednesday that it has sewn up outsourcing deals with two Danish companies valued at more than $1 billion over 10 years, reinforcing its strength in Europe.ADVERTISEMENTWhite Paper: Converged Services Spell ReliefDiscover why technical decision makers are turning to IP telephony and VPNs to increase worker productivity while keeping an eye on the bottom line.


Europe Stocks Start 2005 at 30-Month High

European shares got off to a sparkling start of the New Year, rallying to a 30-month high on Monday after a broad rebound of the dollar lifted exporters such as car giant DaimlerChrysler.


Apple Rolls Out IPod Photo, Rocks with U2

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


Climate change is here, now, say scientists

YELLOWKNIFE - The most comprehensive study of Arctic climate change ever made has some dramatic news for Canada's North. The report, which will be released next week, says that the most rapid climate change on earth is happening in the Arctic.


A breakdown of a radio system linking air traffic controllers to high-altitude planes over Southern California forced federal officials to halt outgoing flights for three hours Tuesday evening at several airports, including Los Angeles


Senior Palestinian figures gathered at Yasser Arafat's battered West Bank compound on Saturday to show that the Palestinian leadership was still functioning.


Pelosi appoints a New Orleans politician to the Homeland Security Committee even though he's being investigated for bribery and having $90,000 cashola in his freezer. In 27B Stroke 6.


Doctors are to trial a new type of heart pump to help people with heart failure.


A list of the most powerful Asian figures in the UK media industry is headed by  Waheed Alli and Meera Syal.


Xbox 360 repairs will cost Microsoft $1B

In another setback for Microsoft Corp.'s unprofitable entertainment and devices division, the company says it is planning to spend at least $1 billion to repair serious problems with its Xbox 360 video game console.


"Well, they're not as good a team without him, there's no denying that. But you do have to remember that this team did play in three straight NFC Championship Games without him.


Michael Jackson in Stable Shape at Calif. Hospital

Michael Jackson was in stable  condition and under observation on Wednesday at the California  hospital where he was taken after suffering flu-like symptoms  that suspended his child-molestation trial, a hospital  spokesman said.


Judge declares Pinochet âfitâ to stand trial

Judge Juan Guzman yesterday indicted former General Augusto Pinochet for his involvement in the âCondorâ operation, while he had Chile under military rule between 1973 and 1990.


Crescita del 4% rispetto allo stesso periodo del 2006


Global bird populations face dramatic decline in coming decades

Ten percent of all bird species are likely to disappear by the year 2100, and another 15 percent could be on the brink of extinction, according to a new study by Stanford University biologists.


Ortiz beats Phillies in last at-bat again

David Ortiz beat the Phillies in Boston's last at-bat for the second consecutive game, singling home the winning run in the 12th inning for an 8-7 victory over Philadelphia on Monday and extending the Red Sox's winning streak to nine games.


Top war crimes suspect close to Mladic arrested in Bosnia

"This is the first time that not a single fugitive from the ICTY can sleep peacefully, because our civilian and military intelligence will work simultaneously on locating them."  Former Bosnian Serb general Zdravko Tolimir, pictured in 1996, a top fugitive of the UN war crimes tribunal and one of the closest allies of the most wanted suspect Ratko Mladic was arrested on Thursday, ... via TurkishPress.com


GM's plan to reduce health care costs are a sham aimed at placating labor that won't do either.


NEW YORK - Conrad Black, the former CEO of Hollinger International Inc., conspired with associates to systematically loot the newspaper publishing company of more than $400 million - nearly all of its profits from 1997 through 2003, an internal investigation found.    The report, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday, was prepared by a special committee of Hollinger's board which was formed last year to examine concerns from shareholders about payments made to Black and others...


Democratic presidential hopefuls Joe Biden and Bill Richardson courted Nevada's union workers Wednesday, pledging to end the war in Iraq and spend the billions of dollars in savings on health care and rebuilding U.S. infrastructure.


The multiple Grammy award winning pop star took a whirlwind tour of India's financial capital shifting through narrow slums, tourist shopping centre and a flea market in South Mumbai.


BAGHDAD - A 54-year-old Polish-born woman who was taken hostage in Iraq last month has been freed, according to Poland's prime minister.


Senate Approves Intelligence Bill and Sends It to President

The Senate voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to approve a landmark bill to restructure the nation's intelligence community, completing Congressional action intended to


Nilmar set to grace European stage against Manchester United

Manchester United may have captured the hottest property in world soccer by signing Wayne Rooney, but Lyon believes it has unearthed the new Ronaldo.


Colombia nabs FARC rebel wanted for U.S. kidnappings

A Colombian female guerrilla wanted in the United States for the kidnapping of three Americans and trafficking cocaine has been captured by the army near Venezuela's border, authorities said on Saturday.


Watch out, Brown: there's a new cat in town

There's a new political animal stalking Britain's corridors of power: Sybil the cat has slinked into the prime minister's Downing Street residence, it was announced Tuesday.


White House: North Korea deal important first step

The White House on Tuesday said the six-party deal on North Korea's nuclear program was an important first step toward Pyongyang's denuclearization.


Blair: media is feral beast obsessed with impact

British newspapers will and should be subject to some form of new external regulation, the outgoing prime minister, Tony Blair, said yesterday in a broadside that attacked the media for behaving like feral beasts and eschewing balance or proportion.


Q&A: How Police Cracked Online Porn Ring

A technology expert explains how police broke up a global online porn ringâand why their methods should be a deterrent to future networks.


Sexual Abuse by UN Troops in Congo Hasn't Stopped

Sexual abuse of girls by U.N. peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was widespread and ongoing despite many revelations and probes, the U.N. watchdog agency reported on Friday.


Sport: Phil O'Donnell's family have been 'overwhelmed' by the support following the death of the Motherwell captain


Yushchenko orders tents taken down in capital

KIEV -- The winner of Ukraine's presidential election ordered his supporters yesterday to raze the tent camp in Kiev that had become a dramatic symbol of his victory over a Kremlin-backed opponent, saying conditions had become unsanitary.


Vittoria a tavolino per 3-0 alla Dinamo Kiev e due partite di Champion League all'Olimpico a porte chiuse. Sono questi i provvedimenti contro la Roma decisi dalla Uefa dopo il ferimento dell'arbitro svedese


MODENA, Italy  - Legendary Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, whose gifted voice and charisma brought opera to the masses, died of cancer on Thursday aged 71.


An autopsy confirmed that NHL player Serge Zholtok died from heart failure after playing a game this week in Belarus.


Scheffer, estranei a lettera ambasciatori su Afghanistan


Four federal inmates, including a convicted rapist, used metal torn from a mop bucket to carve a hole in the ceiling and escaped from the town jail, police said.


Favre has big game, but defense pitches in to beat Rams 45-17

The defense that couldnât seem to get a turnover finally got a couple on Monday night. First-round draft pick Ahmad Carroll, facing the stiffest test of his rookie season, scored a touchdown on a fumble


Lots of Science Intact in Smashed-Up Genesis Capsule

Scientists and engineers    are optimistic after having peeked inside the Genesis space capsule, which brought    back bits of the Sun but crashed into the Utah desert Wednesday.


Kanye thrashes 50 Cent in first-day sales race

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Kanye West looks set to win the closely watched duel with rival rapper 50 Cent for the No. 1 slot on next week's U.S. pop album chart, according to preliminary sales data issued Wednesday.


Colin Montgomerie is out first for Europe in Sunday's crucial Ryder Cup singles.


British Open Notebook: Gary Playerâs Comments About Steroids Upset Some Golfers

Golfer Rod Pampling said if Gary Player knows of a someone who is using steroids, then he should say who it is.


Battle over intelligence bill could help or hinder Hunter

When Duncan Hunter first came to Congress a quarter century ago, there were those who said he'd rather walk through a wall than open a door.


Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen promises reform in an effort to woo foreign investors.


Osimo, 22:53 - BASKET, RECALCATI: BELINELLI FARA' GLI EUROPEI

"Marco Belinelli farà parte della Nazionale di basket che parteciperà agli Europei di ...


Bush to announce further Myanmar sanctions

President George W. Bush will announce further sanctions against Myanmar's military rulers on Friday and will call on India and China to do more to pressure the country to end its repression of pro-democracy protesters, the White House said.


Malaysian security forces used tear gas and water cannon to break up a protest by ethnic Indians.


Strong aftershocks have continued to hit Japan two days after 24 people died in the country's deadliest earthquake in almost a decade.


Dave Ellis dreads the day, less than two months from now, when his Vioxx supply will run out. He doesn't care that Merck & Co.


EBay Fights India Arrest Over Sale of Sex Video

The arrest of the Indian-born chief of Baazee.com, the unit of eBay that is India's largest Internet auction site, has raised an uproar, prompting calls for clearer


November 26, 2004 -- The world's oldest toy store was back in business yesterday - just in time for the holidays. FAO Schwarz â-t Fifth Avenue and 58th Street â -ng its doors open for the first time


Stocks Climb on Positive GDP Figure News

NEW YORK - A sluggish gross domestic product reading was nonetheless better than expected, prompting investors to send stocks slightly higher Friday on hopes that the economic slowdown would not be as bad as first thought.    The 2.8 percent GDP growth in the second quarter, a revision from the 3 percent preliminary figure reported in July, is a far cry from the 4.5 percent growth in the first quarter...


AFRICA/TOGO - Nomina del Vescovo di AtakpamÃ© CittÃ  del Vaticano (Agenzia Fides) - Il Santo Padre Benedetto XVI, in data 9 gennaio 2008, ha nominato Vescovo di AtakpamÃ© (Togo) il rev. Mons. NicodÃ¨me Anani Barrigah-Benissan, Consigliere di Nunziatura in Israele. \


She has her own room in Tate Britain, but Tracey Emin still does not...

She has her own room in Tate Britain, but Tracey Emin still does not appear in a list of the 100 most powerful figures in the world of art.


OCEANIA/ISOLE SALOMONE - Seminario di formazione interdiocesano sul celibato per i religiosi e le religiose Honiara (Agenzia Fides) - Approfondire il significato della scelta del celibato; indagare le implicazioni psicologiche ed emotive che nascono nelle relazioni interpersonali per vivere in pienezza, e con gioia, la vocazione al sacerdozio e alla vita c...


RBS consortium bids $95.6 bln for ABN AMRO

AMSTERDAM/LONDON  - A consortium led by Royal Bank of Scotland has launched a 71.1 billion euro ($95.6 billion) bid for Dutch group ABN AMRO, trumping Britain's Barclays in a battle for the world's biggest bank takeover.


Hamas seeks to limit rocket fire at Gaza crossings

Hamas's government in the Gaza Strip called on Thursday on Palestinian militants to stop firing rockets and mortar bombs at border crossings with Israel that are used to bring food and other supplies into the territory.


Space-bubble Bigelow looking to buy fifty Atlas Vs

Procurement for a pressurised-property portfolio The main questions people ask about Vegas property billionaire Robert Bigelow and his huge-inflatable-satellite-habitat plans are: can the man really be serious? Sure, fire a couple of test space-balloons into orbit on (relatively) cheap Russian rockets, he's done that. But will he really put up full-size inhabitable models? And will he ever really get people up there?â¦


In funzione da aprile: i risultati verranno comunicati ogni giorno dopo pranzoIl punteggio andrÃ  da zero (molto negativo) fino a 100 (il massimo)                                          In Rai scatta l'ora del Qualitel il nuovo indice di gradimento                                                                                di ALDO FONTANAROSA


Norweigian, American win Nobel Prize in economics

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - A Norwegian and an American won the 2004 Nobel Prize in economics on Monday for their work illustrating how the world's money supply affects international trade.


Taipei, Oct. 10 (NNN): Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian has said he is ready for talks with communist China on defusing military tension between the two countries.


Panic shopping in Mexico's Oaxaca as crisis deepens

OAXACA, Mexico  - Hundreds of cars lined up at gas   stations in the protest-torn Mexican city of Oaxaca on   Wednesday as tensions rose before a 48-hour business shutdown   expected to bring the tourist hot spot to a standstill.


NEW YORK  - As if CBS hadn't been rattled enough by legal flaps from shock jocks Howard Stern and Don Imus, a languishing newscast with Katie Couric as well as the controversial reality show "Kid Nation," the network has been slapped with a $70 million lawsuit by former anchor Dan Rather.


GM U.S. December vehicle sales down 5.2 percent

General Motors Corp  said on Thursday its U.S vehicle sales fell 5.2 percent in December as consumer demand softened amid a weak housing market and higher gas prices.


Arriva nelle sale il film tratto dalla mitica serie cartoon creata da Matt Groening"Volevo sentire il pubblico in sala che rideva all'unisono per le loro avventure..."                                            Icone pop dal piccolo al grande schermo Nei nostri cinema i Simpson tragicomici                                                                                di CLAUDIA MORGOGLIONE


IT Execs Gird For Another Hurricane Season

IT managers in Louisiana and Texas say they learned lessons from major hurricanes in 2005 and believe they are now prepared for s similar disaster.


Apple Inc. unveiled new iPods on Wednesday including a model with an iPhone-style touch screen and wireless Internet connectivity, refreshing the product line at a time when its digital media strategy is facing renewed attacks from rivals.


A case of bird flu is confirmed at a farm in north Wales after the death of 15 chickens.


Video shows beheading of American hostage

The militant group led by al-Qaida ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi posted a gruesome video on a website yesterday showing the decapitation of a man identified as American civil engineer Eugene Armstrong, and said a second hostageâeither an American or a Briton


KABUL, Afghanistan -- Preliminary results from Afghanistan's landmark elections show President Hamid Karzai well ahead of his rivals and on course to become the country's first popularly elected leader.


USA : Christopher & Banks comparable sales drop 7% in December

Women's apparel retailer Christopher & Banks has posted a decline in a key December sales measure. The company reported same-store sales; those at stores open for at least a year, dropped by 7 percent for the month.


Pop icon Michael Jackson is just hours away from the start of his trial on child abuse charges in California.


A suicide bomber kills at least eight Iraqi soldiers in Baghdad in an attack during Army Day celebrations.


The aircraft maker recommended grounding the Q400 turboprop airplanes after two were involved in landing-gear failures this week.


Britain agrees to US request for troop redeployment

Prime Minister Tony Blair's government agreed Thursday to meet a US request and redeploy a battalion of 850 British troops into volatile central Iraq, despite strong opposition from lawmakers.


Airbus hits new turbulence over A380 superjumbo

European aerospace group EADS admitted that its Airbus A380 superjumbo was set for further delays, and a newspaper report said huge cost cuts and a production switch out of the eurozone were being considered.


Kerry to head West to hunt for votes as Bush stays back East

Democrat John Kerry takes his quest for votes to the western states of Nevada and Colorado that polls show could be up for grabs in the presidential contest, as incumbent rival George W. Bush stumps in three eastern battleground states.


UN chief Ban Ki-moon says he was "shocked" at comments by the Iranian president about  Israel.


Young women athletes who suffer tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) -- the ligament in the knee that provides stability -- face a serious risk of potentially


Penguins' Therrien gets 1-year extension

The Pittsburgh Penguins gave coach Michel Therrien a one-year contract extension through the 2008-09 season after guiding the team to the playoffs for the first time in six years.


Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon rejected a demand Sunday by Jewish settlers that he hold a national referendum on his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.


Microsoft Update Aims to Secure PCs against Attack

Description: A new Microsoft upgrade tries to make Windows XP more secure against attack. Service Pack 2 contains a program -- known as a firewall -- that keeps out some destructive computer worms.


Gypsy moths leaving mark in Mid-Atlantic

These creepy critters enjoy nice long picnics in the woods. The leaf-eating gypsy moth caterpillars are out in force in parts of the mid-Atlantic following a warm, dry spring — just the kind of weather that can make the insects thrive. Experts are predicting an especially bad year for trees, primarily oaks, which are the caterpillars' favorite snack.


Seven men were detained by police after scuffles at a German second division soccer match on Friday.


India win toss and field against South Africa

India captain Rahul Dravid won the toss and elected to field against South Africa in the second one-day international at Stormont here.


US Marines Fight Falluja Insurgents, 3 Killed

US Marines backed by aircraft fought insurgents in the Iraqi city of Falluja on Thursday, six weeks after launching a major attack that aimed to quell revolt in the city before next month's election.


Cisco Systems wants to turn the enterprise data network into an electricity meter.


Calif. prison healthcare still lacking, judge says

Healthcare in California prisons has improved greatly since a federal judge seized control of the system two years ago, but the judge said on Wednesday that more steps are needed to bring standards to constitutional levels.


THE White House says it expects new documented accounts of torture at Guantanamo Bay to be "fully investigated", but has denied claims George W. Bush personally approved the use of abusive methods against detainees at the US prison camp.


KABUL, Afghanistan -- When an 18-year-old from Pakistan dismounted his bicycle a couple miles outside the eastern town of Khost, his clothes flapped up, revealing a suicide vest to an alert farmer nearby.


Dolphins save swimmers from shark attack

A school of Dolphins has saved a group of swimmers from a great white shark attack. The amazing rescue happened when lifeguard Rob Howes took his daughter and her friends for a swim off the northern New Zealand coast.


JERUSALEM -- The Bush administration has decided to ask Congress for funds aimed at bolstering security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, sources with knowledge of the plan said yesterday.


Soccer in Italy to Resume, With Stadiums Vacant

Matches can resume this weekend, a week after a police officer was killed at a riotous match in Sicily, but most can be played only if the stadiums are empty of spectators.


A Salerno salvati 4 bambini, a Caserta evacuata abitazione


Excessive CEO pay shows moral decline: lawmaker

A Deep South Republican lawmaker with financial market clout said excessive corporate executive pay reflects U.S. ethical and moral decline and warned that most Americans will not put up with it for very long.


Israel Strikes Hamas Camp; 13 Are Killed

Israeli tanks, helicopters and warplanes pounded a Hamas training camp on Tuesday, killing 13 Palestinians in the deadliest strike in Gaza in nearly four months, as Israel struck back after a double suicide bombing.


Parigi, 15:43 - CALCIO, DOMENECH: IL RUGBY ROVINA IL 'PARCO DEI PRINCIPI'

Il ct della nazionale francese Raymond Domenech dopo il pareggio contro l'Italia e la squalifica per...


This year, for the first time since the towers crumbled, New York City's economy outperformed the nation's. The average price for a Manhattan condo or co-op broke the $1 million mark, a new record.


Chicago Orders Cubs to Fix Wrigley Field

The protective netting in place to protect fans from falling concrete at Wrigley Field must be replaced with a permanent solution if the Chicago Cubs want to play at the stadium next spring.


While many players complain that they have to compete in too many tournaments, Justine Henin stays at the top by playing less.


Greeley Man Reunites Forlorn Calf With Its Mother

By Mike Peters, Greeley Tribune, Colo.  Feb. 23--From the mud and the slop and the deep snow and cold river, a minor hero emerged Thursday, cradling a newborn calf, carrying it back to its mother.


Abbas warns barrier will not bring Israel security

TULKAREM, West Bank - Palestinian presidential election favourite Mahmud Abbas said the West Bank barrier would not deliver security to Israel as he addressed voters who have been walled in by the giant structure.


Two services launching just a week apart tap a growing interest in DNA testing to help people find their ancestors and learn more about their lives


Ex-Islamist Gul elected Turkey's president

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was elected Turkey's next president on Tuesday, the first former Islamist to take the post in the secular but predominantly Muslim country's modern history.


Nella finale di Saitama i ragazzi di Hernandez hanno vinto 70-47I campioni d'Europa dopo l'impresa con gli Usa non sono mai entrati in partita                                                  Basket, la Spagna schianta la Grecia e conquista il primo titolo mondiale


National Guard May Undertake Iraq Duty Early

The Pentagon plans to send more than 14,000 reservists back next year, shortening their off-duty time for President Bushâs buildup, officials said.


Do publicity stunts put security at risk?

A Fathers 4 Justice campaigner dressed as Batman scaled Buckingham Palace and staged a five-hour protest on Monday. It is the latest in a series of protests which have seen members of the fathers' rights group


Asthma among children appears to have stabilised but allergies are still rising, according to research.


Muore nel tentativo di impedire il furto della sua auto, dopo essere stato trascinato per circa duecento metri. E' accaduto presso una stazione di servizio di Maddaloni (Ce). La vittima, un uomo di 47 anni


Qwest to Pay $250 Million in Fraud Probe

Qwest agreed Thursday to settle with the Securities and Exchange Commission over charges that the company fraudulently booked $3.8 billion in revenue over nearly three years.


National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern said on Tuesday he expects to sign a new television deal, one that includes a "healthy" increase over the current $4.6 billion terms, before the end of the 2006-07 basketball season.


PORTOROZ, Slovenia -- NATO defense ministers faced a tense meeting with their Russian counterpart Friday after the Western alliance angered Moscow by agreeing to deepen cooperation with Georgia.Comment


Wal-Mart Apparel Chief Resigns as Sales Lag

Claire Wattsâs departure comes as the worldâs largest retailer continues to work to revive sales in the flagging division.


Frears segues from "Queen" to small-screen "Tracer"

Stephen Frears, the  Oscar-nominated director of "The Queen," is venturing into  American series television with CBS' drama pilot "Skip Tracer,"  which he is set to direct and executive produce.


Bear Stearns has huge loss and cuts executive bonuses

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


Servers that managed global internet traffic have been subjected to a concerted attack by hackers.


New Chechen Leader Vows Peace, Poll Criticized

GROZNY, Russia  - Chechnya's new leader vowed on  Monday to rebuild the shattered region and crush extremists  after winning an election condemned by a rights group as a show  stage-managed by Moscow.


George Clooney fractures rib in motorcycle spill

Movie star George Clooney fractured a rib and his girlfriend broke her foot when the two were knocked off his motorcycle by a car in New Jersey on Friday, the actor's spokesman said.


DaimlerChrysler to boost 2006 trucks profitability

HANOVER, Germany  - DaimlerChrysler's trucks   business will improve its profitability in 2006 and be able to   withstand weaker market conditions next year, division head   Andreas Renschler said on Tuesday.


Tiger: Linking wife to porn ' unacceptable'

Tiger Woods was outraged Wednesday at an Irish magazine and a tabloid that linked photos of his wife to various pornography sites, and his agent was studying the merits of a lawsuit.


Milano, 16:27 - CALCIO, MANCINI: CON QUESTO TOTTI INTER E ROMA STESSO LIVELLO

Con un Totti cosÃ¬, Roma e Inter sono sullo stesso livello. E' questo il pensiero di Roberto Mancini ...


By Steve Tetreault  By STEVE TETREAULT  STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU  WASHINGTON - Congress passed a handful of Nevada bills in a late- night flurry before lawmakers adjourned early Saturday.


Extra, Extra! Newspaper War Erupts in Boston

What started as a small media deal has exploded into a full-scale newspaper war that has a Boston tabloid accusing the New York Times Co. of violating antitrust rules and prompted top executives at a free daily to resign over racist comments.


Pair extend shared tech support services to dozens of markets.


Ivorian Leader Urges End to Anti-French Violence

President Laurent Gbagbo appealed for  an end to anti-French crowd violence which erupted after France  destroyed most of Ivory Coast's small air force in retaliation  for the killing of nine French peacekeepers.


By IAN DRURY  SAINSBURY'S is to sell 500 of its own-brand products in ' compostable' packs to cut down on packaging waste.   Fruit and vegetable wrappers and ready-meal packs can be put on compost heaps with garden clippings and food waste.


Spanish police arrest Syrian arms dealer

Spanish police arrested a Syrian arms dealer wanted by the United States on terrorism and other charges, the Interior Ministry said Friday.


Folk artist Yusuf Islam to sing about deportation

British folk singer Yusuf Islam hopes to return to the United States in December to record a song inspired by his deportation three years ago, he said on Friday.


Sport: Cricket: Andrew Strauss recalled for upcoming tour, but wicketkeeper loses his place


Militant Attacks in India Claim 57 Lives

GAUHATI, India - Militants bombed utilities, a tea plantation and a crowded marketplace in northeastern India on Sunday, intensifying violence that has killed 57 people in two days and snarling efforts to bring cease-fires in a region where dozens of ethnic rebel groups are fighting for separate homelands.    At least 17 bombings and shootings were carried out over the weekend in Nagaland and Assam states...


Texas Charges Flu Vaccine Distributors with Gouging

Texas charged two distributors of the  scarce influenza vaccine on Thursday with price gouging, saying  they hiked the price of the medicine by more than 1,000  percent.


U.S.: Blast Consistent with N.Korea Explanation

North Korea's explanation that a blast last week was demolition work for a power project rather than a nuclear explosion squared with what Washington saw, Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Tuesday.


Japan's GDP fell by 0.1% in the last quarter of 2004, taking the country into recession.


Update 2: Corporate Tax Law Overhaul Passage Likely

The Senate is expected to follow the lead of the House and pass a major overhaul of corporate tax law that would dole out $136 billion in new tax breaks to a wide array of US companies and provide a $10.


This Labor Day, workers falling further behind

On this glorious Labor Day weekend I'd like to say a few words about the futility of work.


National polls split, but Kerry makes headway in states

National polls were split over who was leading the US presidential race, but Democrat John Kerry showed signs of making headway against President George W. Bush in the decisive state-by-state battle.


A police officer is stabbed while investigating reports of criminal damage at a house on Merseyside.


Iraq war fueled Islamic radicals: retired U.S. general

The conduct of the Iraq war fueled   Islamic fundamentalism across the globe and created more   enemies for the United States, a retired U.S. Army general who   served in the conflict said on Monday.


E' accaduto a Roma, arrestato un pensionato di 70 anni


Voting opens in Ukraine election (12:20 PST)

KIEV: Voting began Sunday in Ukraine's presidential elections, seen as a critical test for the future of democratic development in the former Soviet state, a foreign news agency reported.


Ireland is one of 45 countries who have more officials at the Olympic Games than athletes. Figures released by Games organisers reveal that 68 officials travelled with the 46-strong Irish team to Athens.


A woman given permission for embryo screening treatment to save her son is carrying the UK's first "designer baby".


Ethiopia official says tourists held by Eritreans

An Ethiopian administrator accused Eritrean forces of kidnapping a group of five Europeans and 13 Ethiopians in a remote part of Ethiopia, and taking them to a military camp near the Eritrean border.


No. 1 Southern Cal Absorbs the Blows, Then Battles Back

The Trojans took some potential knockout blows in the first half, then had time to recover and overcame an 11-point halftime deficit at Stanford Stadium.


If you remember those 1970âs era âHang in There, Babyâ posters, the phrase âJust because youâre paranoid doesnât mean theyâre not out to get youâ -- of similar vintage -- will probably ring a bell. But while that treacly picture of a kitten hanging onto a rope is now a laughable bit of nostalgia, the observation about paranoia is more relevant than ever.


WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration asked the Supreme Court on Wednesday to push aside Michigan regulators in a confrontation of state versus federal authority in the financial sector.


Two Hamas militants killed in Gaza airstrike

Two members of Izzedin al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), were killed on Saturday evening in an Israeli airstrike on their car that drove


Eli Lilly played down risks of top drug: report

Drug giant Eli Lilly has engaged in a decade-long effort to play down the health risks of its top-selling medication, the schizophrenia drug Zyprexa, The New York Times reported in Sunday editions.


Court dismisses lawsuit on spying program

A U.S. appeals court ruled on Friday a lawsuit challenging the domestic spying program created by President George W. Bush after the September 11 attacks must be dismissed, in a decision based on narrow technical grounds.


Nicaragua, elezioni comunali: i sandinisti tornano a vincere

Sulla base di dati parziali che lo indicano in forte vantaggio sui suoi rivali, il candidato del Fronte sandinista di liberazione nazionale (Fsln, marxista), Dionisio Marenco, si Ã¨ proclamato vincitore le elezioni municipali di ieri nella capitale Managua


UK seeks to stem Northern Rock exodus with guarantee

The British government tried to stem the tide of cash pouring out of Northern Rock  on Monday, promising depositors they wouldn't lose a penny as the bank's share price plunged further and thousands queued to withdraw their savings.


Bush didnât push me on uniform: Musharraf

Washington: The Washington Post newspaper quotes President Pervez Musharraf as having told it in an interview published on Sunday that US President Geaoge W Bush did not push him to relinquish


Chirac congratulates Finance Minister on winning UMP presidency

French President Jacques Chirac has congratulated Nicolas Sarkozy on his nomination as president of his ruling party, Union for a Popular Movement (UMP).


Nicolas Sarkozy becomes the first French president to hold talks with the far-right's  Jean-Marie Le Pen in decades.


Clothing retailer Gap Inc.   reported on Thursday a 26 percent drop in quarterly profit due  to increased markdowns at Gap stores and losses at its failed  Forth & Towne business.


Could YouTube drag Apple into copyright fight?

Blog: Chopper pilot suing YouTube is angered that pirated clips appear on the iPhone.


Prima tranche dei 13mila licenziamenti previsti


A small but important piece of the Red Sox [stats, schedule]' free agent jigsaw puzzle fell into place yesterday when backup catcher Doug Mirabelli [stats, news] agreed to terms on a two-year, $3 million deal.


Don't download it - as if you needed to be told... There's a new version of the Storm Trojan on the loose, disguised as an e-postcard but actually recruiting zombies for a botnet, according to the SANS Institute's Internet Storm Centre.â¦


The following editorial appeared in the Chicago Tribune on Friday, Feb. 23:  Sirius and XM, the country's only providers of satellite radio, want to merge. Their reasons are obvious.


Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko says he is convinced Ukrainian authorities were behind the attempt to poison him with dioxin, but has declined to name anyone specific.


Pentium M may support location-based services in 2006

Mobile computers could provide customized information or perform specialized functions based on their changing locations.


Swedenâs Annika Sorenstam has won the LPGA Tour Championship after Cristie Kerr made an untimely bogey on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff while Australian Karrie Webb finished tied for third.


Nigerian General Strike Suspended -Union

Nigerian unions on Monday suspended a general strike due to start on Tuesday after the government agreed to reduce domestic fuel prices, a union leader said.


HBOS HBOS.L says it will write to the European Commission to complain about Santander Central Hispano's continuing ties to Royal Bank of Scotland despite the Spanish bank's bid for Abbey National.


Scambio di accuse sulla paralisi per neve sulla Salerno-ReggioIl capo della protezione civile: "Avevamo lanciato l'allerta"                                                  Blocco dell'A3, Bertolaso "Sono deluso e amareggiato"                                                                                Lunardi agli automobilisti: "Informatevi prima di partire"


Indian leopards on parole, with tag and warning

Indian authorities plan to release 47 leopards into the wild with electromagnetic chips planted in their tails but will haul them back to captivity if they attack people, The Hindustan Times reported on Tuesday.


You would believe, and with good reason, that, geographically and culturally, Australians and Indians are miles apart. And yet, for a while at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, you might only have been half correct with that assumption.


London's new Lord Mayor takes to streets in pomp-filled pageant

The new Lord Mayor of London, Michael Savory, paraded through the streets of the British capital in a traditional pomp-filled pageant.


A 36-year-old taxi driver is found guilty of the murder of his wife and three children.


Altria to benefit from company split: Barron's

Altria's  planned split into  separate U.S. and international tobacco companies will lift the  company's stock even though investors' reaction has been only  lukewarm, financial newspaper Barron's said in its September 17  edition.


Wie a wee bit off in assessment of round

There was afternoon thunder to interrupt yesterday's first round of the 62d US Women's Open at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club. That was courtesy of Mother Nature.


Internet Search Sites Win Bulk Of Online Ad Spending

Spending on Internet search ads is approaching $1 billon a quarter, representing $4 of every $10 spent on online advertisements, according to a report issued Monday by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers.


COLUMBIA, South Carolina  - South Carolina Democrats voted on Saturday in a bitter presidential nominating race, with Barack Obama leading Hillary Clinton in polls and counting on heavy black support to carry him to a needed victory.


Government faces the heat as Greece burns

KRESTENA, Greece  - Greece's conservative government faced mounting accusations of incompetence on Tuesday over forest fires that have killed at least 63 people.


Non si e' ancora schierato, ma lascia intendere la scelta


Yahoo search to run on all PCs of Taiwan's Acer

Yahoo Inc.  has signed a  multiyear distribution deal to feature its Internet search  services on all personal computers from Taiwan's Acer Inc.  (2353.TW), the world's No. 4-ranked computer notebook maker,  the companies said on Wednesday.


UNICEF says child deaths down sharply since 1990

Global efforts to promote childhood immunization, breast-feeding and anti-malaria measures have helped cut by nearly a quarter the death rate of children under age 5 since 1990, UNICEF said on Wednesday.


La causa e' l'aumento di prezzo di burro, farina e uova


Fresh Mother's Milk has More Antioxidants

(Ivanhoe Newswire ) -- New research shows not only is breast feeding your newborn beneficial, but making sure the milk is fresh is also crucial.


Last week many Americans got their first chance to sign up for the next wireless data technology, thanks to the rollout of Verizon's 3G (third-generation) mobile system that makes cell phones more comparable to miniature computers. Verizon's VCast service, which debuted Feb. 1, can deliver video clips, TV content and 3-D games to mobile phones in Verizon's broadband network.


The Indian cricket board Monday told the Supreme Court it would provide live pictures of the upcoming India-Australia Test series that Prasar Bharati would telecast within the country and another company would do so abroad.


HEBRON, Ky. - A warehouse worker has been accused of pilfering high-end lingerie worth nearly $15,000 after his ex-girlfriend snitched on him, a newspaper reported.


Going Back for the Future, Mets to Interview Backman

As the Mets round out their search for a new manager, the club is giving a last-minute nod to its past. Wally Backman, an infielder for the Mets from 1980-88 who played second base on the 1986


Urinary Incontinence may be all in the Family

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- If your mother or older sister suffers from urinary incontinence, new research shows you may have a higher risk of developing the condition as well.


Independence Air Considers Bid on United Feeder Routes

Independence Air, which has struggled since its launch six months ago as an independent low-fare carrier, has been asked by bankrupt United Airlines to return as a feeder carrier, a company spokesman said on Thursday.


After a five-year fight, the U.S. government has dropped its effort to prevent a volunteer firefighter killed at the World Trade Center from receiving a federal death benefit for public safety officers who die on the job.


Chinese immigrants face a long night's work in Italian clothes factories

Thousands of Italy's Chinese immigrants face long hard nights, working under the glare of neon lights in sweat shop-style small clothing factories.


Pedro Martinez apparently has been one unhappy guy since he helped the Boston Red Sox end their 86-year journey for a World Series title.


Elezioni anticipate per eleggere deputati di Camera e Senato. Se il gemello Jaroslaw perde la poltrona, l'altro dovrÃ  convivere con Donald Tusk fino al 2010                                          Polonia, ora i Kaczynski hanno paura Al voto favorito il leader dell'opposizione


Algeria did not respond to requests for tighter security before a bombing that left 17 UN staff dead, the UN says.


The Bears have scored a combined eight points the past two games, but coach Lovie Smith is sticking with QB Chad Hutchinson. Smith said a big problem is Hutchinson isn't getting enough protection to have time to look downfield.


Bomb kills 11 in Pakistan; militants say army targeted

QUETTA, Pakistan -- Assailants set off a powerful time bomb next to an army truck parked in a teeming outdoor market in southwestern Pakistan yesterday, killing at least 11 people -- mostly civilians -- and injuring more than two dozen others, police and hospital officials said.


Get INQ7 breaking news on your Smart mobile phone in the Philippines. Send INQ7 BREAKING to 386. HOUSTON, Texas, United States of America -- The Houston Rockets, which acquired superstar guard Tracy McGrady


The American Psychological Association is embarking on the first review of its 10-year-old policy on counseling gays and lesbians, a step that gay-rights activists hope will end with a denunciation of any attempt by therapists to change sexual orientation.


Supersonic Brahmos missile successfully testfired

BHUBANESWAR, India  - India successfully test-fired a short-range ballistic missile on Sunday, the head of the test operation said.


Explosives traces found in Russian airliner wreckage (Updated 12 ...

Russian officials declared Friday that a terrorist act downed one of the two planes in this week's near simultaneous crashes after the wreckage revealed traces of a high explosive


Putin says no plan to orchestrate succession

President Vladimir Putin pledged on Thursday to give Russians a "free democratic choice" in presidential elections next year and said he would only express his own preferences during the campaign.


Six explosions hit Somalia's capital injuring six civilians, a day after Uganda peacekeepers left for Somalia.


E' stato schiacciato dagli ingranaggi di un macchinario


Abbott Laboratoriesâ Profit Jumps More Than 61 Percent

The medical device and drug maker credited strong sales of its migraine and Crohnâs disease treatments.


Filippine: piÃ¹ di 900 morti o dispersi per tifone

MANILA - PiÃ¹ di 900 persone sono morte o considerate disperse a seguito delle inondazioni e smottamenti di terreno provocati dal passaggio del tifone Winnie, che ha colpito le Filippine lunedÃ¬, secondo un nuovo bilancio diffuso oggi dalle autoritÃ .


Keith Floyd's agent says the TV presenter is stable after collapsing on his return from a work trip to Thailand.


US-CERT warns of flaw in latest RealPlayer

InfoWorld - US-CERT is warning computer users of a possible problem with the latest version of RealPlayer after a Russian security company claimed to have found a way to exploit a critical flaw in the multimedia software.


Federal court strikes down part of Patriot Act

A federal judge on Wednesday ruled a portion of the Patriot Act is unconstitutional, the first time one of the antiterrorism law's controversial police surveillance provisions has been struck down.


The Democratic governors in 12 states won by President Bush in November:


Britain's Andy Murray overcame a sluggish start before sweeping past Sweden's Thomas Johansson to claim a place in the semi-finals of the $1.5 million Qatar Open on Thursday.


Murder of Camp Counselors May Have Been Hate Crime

A young couple shot in their heads as they slept on a remote California beach may have been killed because of their evangelical Christian religious beliefs, police said on Saturday.


Mobile Phones Increase Tumor Risk - Swedish Study

Ten or more years of mobile phone use  increases the risk of developing acoustic neuroma, a benign  tumor on the auditory nerve, according to a study released on  Wednesday by Sweden's Karolinska Institute.


A Sun official told users that the company is struggling to supply spare robotic parts for its tape library systems because of a planned move from a manufacturing facility in Puerto Rico to the U.S.


Canada puts $105 million into global AIDS fight

People around the world marked World AIDS Day by focussing on the need to protect women and young girls, as Canada announced $105 million in new funding for the cause.


Busch might be on road to being likeable

Dale Earnhardt Jr. - NASCAR's Aragorn, son of the late king seeking to reestablish the family dynasty. Jimmie Johnson â-arrying the banner, along with Gordon, for the grieving Hendrick Motorsports teams.


14 militants among 18 killed in held Kashmir

HELD SRINAGAR: Indian troops shot dead 14 militants in clashes across held Kashmir overnight and Saturday, while suspected militants killed four civilians, officials said.


Pakistan Court Orders Release of Bhutto Husband

A Pakistani court Wednesday ordered the release of the husband of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, accepting his application for bail a day after he was arrested for failing to attend a court hearing.


Santa Caterina, 15:59 - Sci, Cdm; libera Santa Caterina: infortunio all'emericana Cook

L'americana Stacey Cook, 20 anni, si Ã¨ infortunata oggi durante la discesa di S. Caterina. Le sue co...


Blackburn out of League Cup after 7-6 loss to Bournemouth on ...

Blackburn was dumped out of the Carling Cup on Wednesday, losing 7-6 on penalties to lowly Bournemouth in the second round. The two sides had tied 3-3 after extra time in English soccer's second tier club knockout competition.


Bush, Kerry Turn Focus to Domestic Policies

President Bush and Democratic  challenger Sen. John Kerry turned their focus to domestic  issues on Saturday, sparring over tax cuts and other economic  policies as they campaigned in battleground states.


The damage to a utility's underground network in the borough of Queens is greater than imagined — a twist in the six-day power outage that could mean electricity won't be back until early in the week, the mayor said Saturday.


Senior generals from North and South Korea begin talks set to focus on a disputed western sea border.


JAKARTA, Indonesia -- A powerful blast has hit Jakarta's central business district near the Australian Embassy, killing at least three people and wounding many more, news agencies say.


Deal to let hedge fund firm go public in US

GLG Partners LP, Europe's third-largest hedge fund manager, will go public in the United States through a $3.4 billion combination with Freedom Acquisition Holdings Inc.


Actor exposes Bollywood underbelly in novel

Though he didn't go very far as an actor, Rahul Bajaj has achieved success with his   first novel "Bollywood Roulette: Inside the Struggle", which exposes the underbelly of the Hindi film industry.


WAYLAND -- Asked what sets soccer teammate Jessi Foreman apart from her peers, Kasey Mackay said, without hesitation: "She's fast. There's only one word to describe her -- fast."


This is not the race that Clinton expected to be running. As Obama starts to widen his lead, she's retooled her campaign and is gambling everything on winning in Texas and Ohio


Manning comes up short, but in a classy way

It turned out that their defense was just a little too tight, just a little too prideful, to allow Peyton Manning to make it an asterisk next to a line on a record-book entry that says: Broke NFL single-season record for touchdown passes.


Il Comune ha stabilito di procedere al censimento


Malaysia and Singapore on Monday made significant progress in repairing four decades of soured relations, agreeing to hold top-level talks on a range of disputes including


Dell yesterday unveiled their new portable Mp3 players, the Dell DJ 20GB for $249 and the Pocket DJ 5GB for $199. Both units will be available beginning November in the USA.


Indiaâs Exports Surge Before an Expected Slowdown

Indiaâs exports of manufactured goods rose in November as companies completed orders and hedged to cope with the rupeeâs appreciation.


Arts, Briefly: Britney Spears Is Hospitalized

Britney Spears, with a police escort of nearly a dozen motorcycles, two cruisers and two helicopters, was removed by ambulance from her home and taken to U.C.L.A. Medical Center, right, early on Thursday, The Associated Press reported. Ms. Spears, 26, whose erratic behavior has made her a public spectacle and cost her the custody of her two young sons, was hospitalized to âget help,â said a Los Angeles police officer who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter. Allan Parachini, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Superior Court, said: âThe way it works is a law enforcement agency or mental health professional can conclude that someone is a danger to self or others and undertake an involuntary commitment. To extend that for another 14 days there has to be a court hearing.â On Jan. 3, when Ms. Spears refused to return her children to her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, who has custody, the police had paramedics take her from her home to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she was released after a day and a half.


African nations clash over sales of ivory

Poaching is up in central Africa, but elephant herds are growing in the south. Nations are arguing over whether to lift the ban on ivory sales.


Nokia, Siemens to merge phone equipment units

Nokia and Siemens have  agreed to combine the bulk of their telecom equipment  businesses to create one of the biggest players in the  industry, sending shares in both firms higher.


DAMASCUS -- US Senator Bill Nelson met President Bashar al-Assad of Syria yesterday, a week after a US bipartisan panel recommended the Bush administration engage Syria to help stabilize Iraq. Nelson, a Florida Democrat, was named to the Intelligence Committee this week and said he was on a fact-finding mission to the region. Members of the US Congress have shunned ...


Israelis have 'anti-French neurosis': ambassador

France's ambassador to Tel Aviv accused Israelis Thursday of having an "anti-French neurosis" and of singling out his country for criticism over anti-Semitism. "There is a sort of neurois in this country, an ...


Terrorism blamed in at least 1 of 2 airliner crashes in Russia

One of two Russian airlines that crashed nearly simultaneously was brought down by a terrorist act, officials said Friday, after finding traces of explosives in the plane's wreckage.


Tories warn of "state snooping'' as greater sharing of private data between Whitehall departments is planned.


A Severed Car Grille? Itâs Super Bowl Ad Time

An assessment of some of the high and low points among this yearâs Super Bowl ads.


Stamps.com Falls on Concern Over Product Test

Shares of Stamps.com (STMP.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , which sells postage over the Internet, fell 11 percent on Thursday on concerns that its PhotoStamps service, which allows the creation of personalized stamps, might be


Filing shows that Cognos went to IBM first for buyout talks

An SEC filing by Cognos reveals that the BI vendor approached IBM about a possible buyout first -- not the other way around.


By DEBRA LEMOINE  HAMMOND - Hammond's $7.5 million sewer treatment system, which discharges into wetlands seven miles south of the city, is now up and running, city officials said.


Apple TV gets its first critical security patch

Flaw made it possible to remotely access home networks Apple has patched a security hole in its Apple TV box that made it possible for remote hackers to access a user's network and spy on traffic passing through it.â¦


Under pressure to show improvement in the U.S. economy, President Bush on Friday welcomed the news that 144,000 jobs were created in August as evidence his policies were working at the start of his post-convention drive to the Nov. 2 election.


Update 9: Oil Prices Slide Further on Inventories

Crude oil futures slid further Thursday, as concerns over supplies ahead of a cold Northern Hemisphere winter eased because of a rise in US inventories.


All-out US attack on Sunni Triangle is imminent

Marines just outside the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah were making final preparations Friday for a large-scale offensive that US commanders


No. 13 Minnesota (5-0) at No. 14 Michigan

Outlook:  No other team in the nation has a running back duo like Minnesota's Marion Barber III and Laurence Maroney, who have combined for 274.4 rushing yards per game -- and distribute it quite evenly. Michigan freshman QB Chad Henne went 17 for 21 for 316 yards and three touchdowns last week against Indiana and hasn't thrown an interception in the past two games. Plus, the Wolverines' aggressive defense leads the nation with 19 takeaways.


UPDATE 1-Citigroup fined over risky fund recommendations

The brokerage watchdog NASD on Tuesday censured Citigroup Inc. (CN: Quote, Profile, Research) and fined the financial services company $275,000 for violating rules regarding sales of risky investments.


Presenze record al Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della TecnicaUna nuova missione per avvicinare tutti alla cultura scientifica                                            In quattrocentomila a Milano per il sottomarino Enrico Toti


Marc Savard did everything he could to win last night's game against the Maple Leafs. Centering the Bruins' top line between Marco Sturm and Phil Kessel, and taking the lead on special teams, he spent 23 minutes 26 seconds on the ice. Only defensemen Zdeno Chara and Dennis Wideman played more for Boston.


Terrorismo. Arrestati cinque membri dell'Eta

Cinque presunti membri dell'Eta, l'organizzazione separatista basca, sono stati arrestati all'alba nei Paesi baschi spagnoli. Francia, con la quale Ã¨ stato arrestato il presunto numero uno dell'Eta politica


Chinese envoy urges calm after Japan sub flap

TOKYO - Japan and China should try to resolve their differences calmly, China's ambassador to Japan said Saturday, a day after Tokyo filed a protest with Beijing over the intrusion of a Chinese nuclear submarine.


Berlino, 16:07 - CALCIO, GERMANIA: EFFENBERG LASCIATO DALLA MOGLIE

Matrimonio in crisi per Stefan Effenberg. Il 38enne ex centrocampista della Fiorentina ha confermato...


With Each Win, Federer Moves in on Another Grand Slam Title

Top-ranked Roger Federer showed no lasting effects from a nasty stomach bug.  Other winners at the Australian Open included Novak Djokovic, James Blake and Lleyton Hewitt on the menâs side, and Venus Williams and Anna Chakvetadze on the womenâs side.


Titans 24, Giants 21: Titans Rally to Beat Giants

Rookie Titans quarterback Vince Young orchestrated an improbable fourth-quarter rally from a 21-point deficit to defeat the Giants Sunday.


OTTAWA -- A scheduled three-day first ministers conference next month designed to reform the health system should continue "as long as it takes" to get a deal, Prime Minister Paul Martin said yesterday, even as one of the key premiers said he will limit


Roma, 16:58 - CICLISMO, ASSOCORRIDORI: CONTRARI A DOCUMENTO UCI

L'Assocorridori, tramite il presidente Amedeo Colombo, fa sapere di non condividere il provvedimento...


Movie Review | 'Angel-A': On the Edge, a Man Finds Hope in a Mystery Woman

âAngel-A,â filmed in ravishing black and white, is a valentine to Paris, the City of Light.


Study: Exercise, Diet Help Keep Older Dogs Spry

Exercise and a diet fortified with vitamins, fruits and vegetables helped older dogs learn new tricks and kept them spry in an experiment that scientists said could teach humans a thing or two.


Ucciso nel Napoletano titolare agenzia funebre

Il titolare di un'agenzia di pompe funebri e' stato ucciso e il figlio ferito in un agguato di stampo camorristico compiuto all'interno del loro esercizio. Il fatto e' avvenuto intorno alle 12,30 di ieri in


U.N. urges circumcision in AIDS-hit southern Africa

AIDS-stricken Southern African nations should develop a policy of mass male circumcision to fight the disease, the head of the United Nations anti-AIDS agency said on Tuesday.


David Gardner continues his interview with CEO Jim Sinegal.


U.S. Solution to Global Warming: Let Technology Solve It

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says that the solution to reducing greenhouse gases lies in a "revolution in energy technology" rather than mandatory measures that compromise economic growth.


Week 3: Kerry firms up support among once-undecided voters

A "hung jury" of Pennsylvania voters who were undecided in the presidential contest two weeks ago reshuffled their positions after Friday night's debate, with Sen. John Kerry seeming to solidify his support.


Paura a Fiumicino, un aereo "buca" e non decolla

Un Boeing 767 della British Airways si Ã¨ fermato in pista a causa dello scoppio improvviso di una gomma. Stava accelerando per prendere il volo alla volta di Londra. Nessuna emergenza e rientro tranquillo in aerostazione per i 194 passeggeri.


Radio Problems Ground Many Flights in California

Air traffic controllers lost radio  contact with aircraft flying high-altitude routes in the  western United States on Tuesday, disrupting thousands of  flights heading in and out of southern California, authorities  said.