Disney Picks Sony Format for DVD's of Its Films

The Walt Disney Company and its home video division, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, said yesterday that they would release films in the next-generation high-definition DVD format being developed


Bush salutes Canada for its help after 9/11

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia -- President Bush thanked the people of Canadaâs Atlantic provinces on Wednesday for taking in Americans whose flights were diverted there after the Sept.


Will Microsoft Reorganization Scare Yahoo?

Microsoftâs new reorganization splits responsibility for its online offerings between four executives, most of whom also are responsible for parts of the Windows operating system.


BANGKOK, THAILAND -- A statesman, a supermodel and a skier were among the vacationers whose search for some peace and sun in tropical southern Asia was ripped apart by the horror of the massive earthquake and tsunami waves that tore through the region


A Yemeni judge sentenced two men, including one held in US custody, to death Wednesday for orchestrating the 2000 suicide bombing of the USS Cole, and sentenced four others to prison terms ranging from five to 10 years.


The most impressive coach on the field yesterday wasn't Joe Gibbs - it was a guy who was fired by Buffalo last year. As important as Clinton Portis' 149 yards and 64-yard TD gallop


Il documento Ã¨ stato stilato il 29 luglio di quest'anno, a PesaroIl tenore dispone dei beni negli Stati Uniti, nominandone unica erede la moglie                                            Il testamento americano di Pavarotti Il notaio rende pubblico il testo integrale


Bon Jovi to kick off concerts for lung cancer research

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi will kick off the Stand Up For A Cure 2008 Concert Series next week with a show in New York to help raise funds for lung cancer research, organizers said on Thursday.


The gloom of seeing their ace bounced after just three innings, his shortest outing in three years, was worsened by the knowledge that the Curt Schilling who had carried them all season might not be seen again this October.


Two drug dealers - one from Wisconsin and one from Maine - are at the center of a legal dispute that has brought the federal criminal justice system to a near standstill.


Intelligence reform stalls in US Congress

Legislation to reform the US intelligence system after the September 11 attacks and failures in Iraq has fallen victim to partisan wrangling, with lawmakers saying a final bill is unlikely before the November 2 election.


Report: Russian pairs skater suffered concussion in fall at Skate ...

World champion pairs skater Tatiana Totmianina sustained a concussion but no broken bones in a fall during the free skating program at Skate America, the ITAR-Tass news agency quoted the head of Russia's figure skating federation as saying


EUROPA/ITALIA - Si conclude domani la V edizione dellÂAgorÃ  dei Giovani del Mediterraneo che ha per tema la quinta beatitudine del Vangelo di Matteo: ÂBeati quelli che hanno compassione degli altriÂÂ Loreto (Agenzia Fides) - Si trovano a Loreto da lunedÃ¬ scorso i partecipanti alla V edizione dellÂiniziativa organizzata dal Servizio nazionale per la pastorale giovanile della Conferenza Episcopale Italiana con la collaborazione dellÂUfficio naziona...


Paula Radcliffe is expected to announce on Wednesday whether she intends to run in Friday's 10,000m.


Fisherman who found "Little Prince" author's bracelet claims 13,000 euros in damages

A French fisherman who found the bracelet of the author of the "Little Prince", Antoine de Saint-Exupery, who disappeared mysteriously six decades ago, took legal measures to claim 13,000 euros in damages from the writer's family.


PeopleSoft exec says board ready to drop takeover fight for better ...

WILMINGTON, Del. A director at PeopleSoft says the company's board is ready to drop its resistance to Oracle's hostile takeover bid -- if it can strike a better deal.


Thousands in Darfur flee fresh violence, says UN

More than 3,000 people have been displaced by violence in northern Darfur since the end of August, a United Nations report said yesterday.


HAVANA, Dec. 2 -- Cubans woke before dawn Saturday and walked miles for a chance to be near Fidel Castro.


Intel preps four-chip four-core Xeon Q4 debut

Low-voltage and "extreme" versions too Intel will follow up Q4's quad-core Xeon DP debut with a low-voltage part in Q1 2007, it has emerged. The four-core server processors - codenamed 'Clovertown', will ship as the Xeon 53xx family, reports coming out of Asia claim.â¦


Scots band's first album takes top music prize

FRANZ Ferdinand, the achingly fashionable Glasgow foursome, last night confirmed their position as one of Britainâs brightest new talents by taking the Mercury music prize ahead of a strong list of contenders.


EU data-privacy officials probing Google

An independent European Union panel is investigating whether Google Inc.'s Internet search engine abides by European privacy rules, which tend to be stricter than those in the United States.


Burma's detained opposition leader steps out to greet Buddhist monks protesting against the military junta.


Chicago Tribune - With an ailing Chief Justice William Rehnquist administering the oath of office, Thursday's inauguration will provide a stark reminder that President Bush soon could be embroiled in what promises to be one of the biggest fights of his presidency.


Parents of missing Madeleine to return to Britain

British couple Kate and  Gerry McCann, named as suspects in the disappearance of their  four-year-old daughter Madeleine in Portugal, will return home  on Sunday, a family spokeswoman said.


When Google (GOOG:Nasdaq - news - research) went public, its leaders announced that the company was happy to pursue major projects with an uncertain financial payoff.


At risk: 1,000,000,000 of the world's children

They are a billion strong. Diseased, malnourished, uneducated, they are a people on the run from wars that take the lives of their brothers and sisters.


A military plane crashed in the mountains near Caracas, killing all 16 persons on board, including two high-ranking military officers, officials said.


Vioxx recall brings attention to prescription drug safety risks

The recall of Vioxx--an arthritis treatment taken by millions of people--is a disaster for everyone. Of course it's bad news for Merck (nyse: MRK - news - people), the drug's maker.


Three children, two American soldiers and an Afghan policeman died in two new attacks by people suspected of being Taliban rebels in Afghanistan, Afghan and American officials announced Saturday.


Arab Leaders As Divided On Arafat Dead as Alive

The body of Yasser Arafat arrived in the Egyptian capital Thursday night for a memorial service to be attended by a group of men he managed to inspire and antagonize over decades of tireless public diplomacy: his fellow Arab leaders.


A sharp thriller by an A-list director with a strong cast tracks the sleuthing of the Zodiac killer


Former Nazi commander faces German court over Czech massacre

The 86-year-old former commander of a Nazi special forces unit faces court in Munich, southern Germany Thursday charged with murdering 164 people in Czechoslovakia at the end of World War II.


Tentative Accord Reached in Najaf to End Fighting

Aides to the country's most powerful Shiite leader said they had reached a tentative agreement on Thursday to end the three-week siege in this holy


Raptors 103, Knicks 100: Home Court Remains a Disadvantage for Struggling Knicks

Despite Eddie Curry's 16-point fourth-quarter, the Knicks could not escape reality Saturday night in Madison Square Garden, where they have lost seven out of eight home games.


The UN Security Council is urging Sudan and a southern rebel group to conclude a peace deal by the end of this year, while offering the prospect of a major infusion of aid.


Director Mark Romanek leaves horror film The Wolf Man weeks before the start of filming.


Aamir Khan watched as a felicitation function for Mughal-e-Azam went badly wrong.


How to replace your Zaurus' original ROM with OpenZaurus.


US economy grew at 3.7 percent in summer

The economy grew at an annual rate of 3.7 percent in the summer as a big rebound in auto sales offset weakness from an expanding trade deficit, soaring


Chilean opera singer Ernesto Beltran is sentenced by a Swedish court to two years in jail for rape.


the malicious program is capable of switching on webcams, allowing the author to literally peek into victims' lives.


Il dottore piu' amato dagli italiani raggiunge i 6 mln


Six persons injured Friday in two bomb blasts that occurred inside places of worship of minority community in Jalna and Parbhani districts of Maharashtra state in west India


Senior Deputy Executive Director, Amnesty International USA

Good morning. I'm Curt Goering, Senior Deputy Executive Director at Amnesty International USA. Today Amnesty International releases its first-ever report on racial profiling in the United States.


Michelle Wie celebrated her first victory of the year — she got accepted to Stanford. The 17-year-old senior at Punahou School in Honolulu said Tuesday she would enroll in the fall, dispelling any talk she would concentrate exclusively on her professional golf career once she finished high school.


Pakistani prime minister to visit India next month

Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will visit India and other South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations next month, the foreign office said.


Esemplare testimonianza di amore e dedizione a causa pace


HereÂs to the Benefits of Red Wine, but DonÂt Advertise Them

The wine industry has long been handcuffed by laws that discourage promoting the benefits of wine, some dating back to the repeal of Prohibition in 1933.


Richards Apologizes, Hires Crisis Expert

By SOLVEJ SCHOU LOS ANGELES - Michael Richards is doing damage control. In the aftermath of his racist tirade against two black hecklers during a standup comedy routine, Richards on Wednesday hired a publicist with strong ties to the black community who set up calls to the Revs.


World Cup-CAN 2006: Algeria Determined to Perform Well in Kigali

His team mate, Yazid Mansouri shares the same thoughts: 'We have an objective in mind.


Afghan Militants Say Drop Some Hostage Demands

Afghan militants holding three U.N.  workers hostage began talks with the government and the United  Nations on Sunday and the kidnappers have dropped some of their  demands, a militant spokesman said.


Space Station Astronauts Prepare for Crew Swap

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are preparing their orbital laboratory for a crew swap that will begin with the arrival of three new spaceflyers next month.


Helen Mirren's "Queen" set to reign at Oscars

Meryl Streep and Judi Dench got nasty. Kate Winslet stripped and Penelope Cruz padded her rear. But it is Helen Mirren and her prim silver curls who looks likely to reign on Oscar night.


Applied Micro Circuits Corporation (AMCC) trimmed its financial forecast for the quarter ending September 2004 and now expects quarterly revenue to be in the range of $61 million to $62 million.


World Muslims Begin Peace Prayers in Bangladesh

Hundreds of thousands of Muslims from around the world on Friday began a three-day annual Islamic prayer meeting outside the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka, with politics banned and sermons set to call for world peace.


A new online service developed by three nonprofit environmental groups is facilitating attempts to unsubscribe to unwanted mail catalogs.


Auditor Ernst & Young has agreed to pay $US125 million ($A162 million) to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) over the collapse of a suburban Chicago bank three years ago, the FDIC announced.


If Google is a Russian spy op, when will it buy U-Haul?

The Parboiled Age And Ninthly He sat on one side of a blanket hung across the kitchen, and Smith sat on the other with his translation stones, intoning through the blanket. As if to make this an even happier scene, Harris was warned that if he tried to glimpse the plates, or look at the prophet, he would be struck dead - God is not Great by Christopher Hitchensâ¦


US Military Sees Its Tsunami Work Winding Down

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia  - The U.S. military, a  leading force behind relief efforts in tsunami-hit nations,  said on Saturday it expected to end major work in Thailand and  Sri Lanka within two weeks but to stay longer in Indonesia.


U.S. Troops Who Refused Duty in Iraq Cited Safety

Preliminary investigations into the  refusal of 18 U.S. soldiers to go on a convoy mission in Iraq  showed they had raised concerns about safety and the condition  of their vehicles, the army said Sunday.


A grieving husband pays tribute to his dead wife weeks after their daughter was found dead by a railway line.


The new prime minister carrying U.S. hopes for bringing stability to Iraq is a Shiite Muslim hard-liner whom fellow Shiites once thought they could never sell to the Americans.


Nonprofits bear brunt of foreclosure fight

Mohammed Ibrahim is overwhelmed by people asking for help.


Care International Charity's Country Director in Iraq Kidnapped

October 19 2004 1945CET - The Care International Charity says that Maragaret Hassan, its chief of operations in Iraq was kidnapped in Baghdad.


World Business Briefing | Asia: Japan: Key Indicator Improved in January

Japanâs machinery orders rose in January, the most in five months, signaling that capital spending will keep fueling the economy. Nongovernment machinery orders, excluding shipping and utilities, rose a seasonally adjusted 3.9 percent, to 1.09 trillion yen ($9.4 billion), from December, when they fell 0.7 percent, according to a Cabinet Office report.


Swiss-based miner Xstrata Plc  launched one of the world's largest-ever rights issues on Tuesday, raising 2.9 billion pounds ($5.4 billion) to fund its acquisition of Canadian miner Falconbridge Ltd .


Kevin Mitnick's name is synonymous with hacking. And for good reason. Compiled by Tony Long.


WILMINGTON (DELAWARE): An attorney for Oracle says the company will abandon its legal challenge to PeopleSoft's anti-takeover protection if shareholders fail to tender a majority of their shares by November 19.


Lebanese army increases forces in tense Beirut

Lebanon's army deployed more soldiers in Beirut on Monday after the killing of a pro-Syrian Shi'ite Muslim demonstrator raised fears anti-government protests could turn into sectarian violence.


WASHINGTONâUS President George W. Bush used a timely and symbolic visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi yesterday to reaffirm his determination to stay the course in Iraq and turn chaos into stability in time for elections early next year.


France Turns to Tough Policy on Students' Religious Garb

To enforce its new law banning religious symbols from public schools, the Ministry of National Education has decided to get tough.


Campaigning for office is typically a shoe-leather exercise, with lots of walking through neighborhoods and knocking on doors. But that's not easily done in some of New Orleans' devastated and largely depopulated sections.


Agassi, Hewitt Move Into Legg Mason Semis

Andre Agassi continues to make quick work of the field at the Legg Mason tournament, winning 6-4, 6-4 Friday over Paul-Henri Mathieu to reach the tournament's semifinals for the seventh straight year.


Read about the last British computer company - in the bath

Psion special goes binary Last month, we published something unusual for us: a long feature about the consumer electronics pioneer Psion. It's full of previously untold stories: the plucky outfit could have been the British Sony. But we know that reading long pieces on the web is a pain. So as promised, we're making it available as a PDF download.â¦


US, EU take Boeing, Airbus dispute to WTO

WASHINGTON -- Intensifying a high-altitude trade war, the United States and the European Union filed dueling legal complaints at the World Trade Organization yesterday, charging each other with showering illegal subsidies on The Boeing Co.


Monaco di Baviera, 10:51 - CALCIO, BAYERN MONACO: ACQUISTATO BRENO

Il Bayern Monaco ha ufficialmente acquistato il 18enne difensore brasiliano Breno, proveniente dal S...


A heave into history: American woman brings Olympics back to birthplace

The Olympics have created many memorable matchups, perhaps none stranger than a 4th century Armenian prince and a woman from Silicon Valley.


Devices Can Interfere With Peaceful Death

When Carol Lewis's father-in-law died, family members circled his hospital bed to pray, expecting to offer their final goodbyes peacefully. Then his body suddenly started to lurch.


MOSCOW: Net profits at Russian state oil firm Rosneft almost doubled in the first half of â04 to $340m as it boosted oil production amid record market prices, the company said in a statement on Monday.


The New Jersey Devils scored five powerplay goals on the way to a dominating 7-3 road win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.


Hungary's prime minister asks chief prosecutor to monitor new far-right group

Spurred by protests from Jewish organizations, Hungary's prime minister asked the country's chief prosecutor Wednesday to keep tabs on a new extreme nationalist group. via PR-inside.com


Suspect package in London, controlled explosion due

Police plan to blow up a suspect package  found in Hammersmith, west London, in a controlled explosion,  London police said on Tuesday.


(HealthDayNews) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of CenterWatch:


U.S. Global Investors announced its second-quarter earnings on Friday.


Scene Stealer: The Afterlife Is Expensive for Digital Movies

A new study shows that storing the digital master record of a film costs much more than storing archival prints.


German January Investor Confidence Rises More Than Expected as Oil Slides

Investor confidence in Germany, Europe s largest economy, increased for a second month in January after the cost of oil declined and the dollar s recovery against the euro reduced concern about slowing export ...


IMF board says nominations for top job open to all

The International Monetary Fund's board said on Monday that any country could nominate a candidate to succeed IMF Managing Director Rodrigo Rato, throwing open a job customarily given to Europeans.


Manifestanti Campagna protestano contro nuova discarica


A mere trickle of voters showed up at polling stations in Uzbekistan's capital yesterday in an election from which all opposition groups are barred.


Vioxx Recall Sparks Safety Concern, Doctors Say

The recent Vioxx withdrawal and  testimony from an FDA insider accusing the agency of failing to  protect public health are fueling such heightened concern over  drug safety that valuable medicines could be kept from  patients, doctors said on Friday.


Man charged in Ulster over booby-trapped car in Omagh explosion

A 34 year-old man was charged with supplying a booby-trapped car used in a massive bombing attack in 1998 in the northern Irish town of Omagh that killed 29 people and wounded more than 200 others.


Dutch students brew up powdered alcohol hit

Booz2Go - alcopop in a sachet Dutch students have developed what might be the ultimate Reg hack survival aid - a powdered alcohol beverage going out at â¬1-â¬1.50 for a 20-gram packet, Reuters reports.â¦


Baghdad Blast Kills 22 People, Including 4 Police

An explosion in Baghdad killed 22 people, including four Iraqi policemen, the US military said. The blast occurred in the northwest of the Iraqi capital at 10:30 pm yesterday and also injured 10 people, the military said.


Recount Begins in Wash. Governor's Race; Republican Dino Rossi Led by 261 Votes in First Count. Govs.-elect Matt Blunt of Missouri, left, and Dino Rossi of Washington, confer during a break at the Republican


Alitalia, polemica sulla difesa dell'italianitÃ . "Giusta". "No, ci blocca"Letta: dopo la manovra subito un tavolo sulla produttivitÃ                                           D'Alema agli industriali "Un patto per la crescita"                                                                                Il sÃ¬ di Montezemolo. Profumo: basta con la collusione di GIOVANNI PONS


BAGHDAD, SEPTEMBER 30: Insurgents detonated three car bombs near a US Military convoy in Baghdad on Thursday, killing 41 people, 34 of them children who were rushing to collect sweets from American troops.


If Georgia Changes Cable Franchise Rules, Some Public Channels Could Go Dark

By Scott Leith, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution  Feb. 16--People TV is, like most public access stations, a good bit out  of the ordinary.


Former Cuban refugee nominated for commerce secretary

President Bush on Monday nominated as his new commerce secretary a onetime Cuban refugee who now runs a business empire that includes American kitchen cabinet staples Pop Tarts, Frosted Flakes and Cheez-Its.


Mexico City hosts largest ever Frida Kahlo exhibit

The Mexican capital will host the largest ever exhibition of Frida Kahlo's works this week to mark 100 years since the birth of the artist, who has become a feminist icon in the past decade as her fame blooms.


Protesta contro 600 esuberi previsti dal piano industriale


Manchester United's win at Old Trafford to end Arsenal's record unbeaten run is history now - but the controversy rumbles on.


Torrential rain in Indonesia's capital Jakarta worsens flooding, leaving at least 145,000 people homeless.


Typhoon whips Japan, leaving 31 dead, 40 missing

TOKYO -- A powerful typhoon blasted across Japan yesterday, killing at least 31 people, causing deadly mudslides and flash floods, and prompting thousands to flee their homes, officials said. Nearly 40 people were missing.


Supreme Court Declines Mass. Gay Marriage Case

The Supreme Court on Monday sidestepped a dispute over gay marriages, rejecting a challenge to the nation's only law sanctioning such unions.


Surging demand for iPods and other hot products has brought Amazon its best Christmas ever.


Stable Pakistan policy eyed in meeting with Bush

ISLAMABAD -- When Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, meets with President Bush in Washington today, both leaders will have reason to thank the other: Musharraf for the $1.2 billion arms package announced by the United States last month; Bush for Musharraf's struggle against Islamic militants and his role in ensuring peaceful elections in Afghanistan.


Naomi Watts, Pal Chronicle Actor's Wait for a Break

LOS ANGELES  - Naomi Watts was once a  frustrated Aussie transplant trying to make a living in Los  Angeles as an actress. Times were tough and jobs were scarce.


Cost cuts lift 2nd-half profit 12% at Woolworths

SYDNEY Woolworths's second-half profit rose 12 percent after Australia's biggest grocer cut the cost of getting goods to its shops and opened 37 new supermarkets and liquor outlets.


Fine unlicensed software users, says BSA

Lobby calls for 'harder enforcement stick' Software industry lobby group the Business Software Alliance (BSA) has called for government to mandate stiff penalties for companies using unlicensed software.â¦


India's Singh to meet Musharraf, push peace talks

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Sunday he will use his first meeting with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to push forward a cautious peace process between the two nuclear rivals.


Digital video recording pioneer TiVo is taking the leap into next-generation television with the introduction of a high-definition set top box, the Series3 DVR. This is Tivo's first stand-alone recorder that lets you record HD TV broadcasts.


As mergers surge, which deals will work out?


Wildfires force closings for San Diego's tech firms, including HP

The wildfires ravaging Southern California have come within just a few miles of San Diego's high-technology areas, and if the situation becomes dire, HP is among the companies with plans for supporting employees in need of emergency shelter or housing. Still, things could be worse, says an industry spokesman.


Blast in S. African chemical plant kills 5, injures 142

Five people were killed and 142 were injured in an explosion at a South African chemical planton Wednesday morning. The blast occurred when "a gas cloud exploded during


Alcan Inc.   has begun negotiating a $34 billion friendly offer from Rio Tinto PLC  to fend off a hostile $28.6 billion bid from U.S. rival Alcoa Inc. , newspapers said on Wednesday.


KABUL, Afghanistan -- Armed men in military uniforms stopped a UN vehicle in Kabul on Thursday, beating the driver and abducting three foreigners who were in Afghanistan to help oversee landmark presidential elections.


Palestinian tensions flare despite appeals for calm

Gunmen from rival Palestinian factions killed one person and wounded four others in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank on Monday as Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas appealed for an end to the internal fighting.


Burnitz, Rockies Decline $3 Million Option

The Colorado Rockies and Jeromy Burnitz declined Thursday to exercise a $3 million mutual option, and the outfielder will get a $250,000 buyout.


Yahoo Inc. launched a new service designed to let users of its search engine save and manage their query results for accessing later and sharing with others, the company said Tuesday.


That is the view of AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti who saw his team beat the Spanish giants 1-0 at the San Siro last night in the Champions League Group F encounter.


The US push for United Nations sanctions against Sudan's government for failing to halt Arab-militia atrocities in Darfur is being thwarted in part by China's strong economic interest in the African country.


Airline passengers using the world's busiest airport should face fewer delays, but might have to shift their flight schedules come November.


Catania, 17:28 - CALCIO, CATANIA; PULVIRENTI: VADO AVANTI CON PIU' FORZA DI PRIMA

Antonino Pulvirenti ha cambiato idea. Il presidente del Catania aveva annunciato di voler lasciare i...


Violence Returns to Afghanistan After Election Lull

Afghan children and U.S. soldiers were  among six people reported killed in Afghanistan on Saturday, a  week after millions voted in a landmark election they hope will  bring peace back to their war-ravaged nation.


ATHENS, Greece - Tyler Hamilton's greatest ride capped the finest Olympic day for US cycling, which won three of the six medals awarded in Wednesday's road time trials - surpassing its two total road medals won since the 1984 Games in Los ...


Democrat Vilsack to drop out of 2008 race: sources

Democrat Tom Vilsack, the former governor of Iowa, plans to drop his longshot 2008 bid for the White House, campaign and party sources said on Friday.


Recordings of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reveal the Republican griping about Democratic and Republican lawmakers alike and expressing sympathy for Mexican immigrants, but saying they should embrace the United States.


Digital Agenda: Homeland security--Throwing money at technology

Strategic conflicts, rampant confusion and election-year politics are slowing the war on terror. A News.com special report.


Police in Kenya charge five over child-trafficking  allegations involving a UK-based evangelist.


France says future is nuclear with new generation of power-plants

France staked its claim to remain a world leader in atomic energy Thursday with the announcement that it would build the first of a new generation of pressurised water nuclear plants at a site on the Normandy ...


Responding to a worldwide stock sell-off and fears about a U.S. recession, the Federal Reserve slashed its benchmark interest rate before the opening of the U.S. markets.


City workers distributed water in tank trucks Monday and urged about 1.4 million residents of the Cuban capital who had no running water to remain calm, four days after Hurricane Charley roared through the area.


Mount St. Helens Top Washington Polluter

Washington state's top polluter isn't a pulp mill, a power plant or refinery. It's the newly awakened Mount St. Helens. Since the volcano began erupting in early October, it has been pumping out 50 to 250 tons a day of sulfur dioxide, the lung-stinging gas that causes acid rain and contributes to haze.


A disruptive Greek chorus of whistles, chanting, and catcalls could not derail a crowd-silencing American sweep in the men's 200-meter dash at the Olympic Games last night.


Iraqi Cabinet Approves Draft Oil Legislation

BAGHDAD, July 3 -- Iraq's cabinet has again approved draft legislation establishing a framework to manage the country's vast oil resources, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Tuesday, but has not yet acted on a potentially more contentious companion law that would govern the distribution of oil...


Ireland's Blarney Stone may be baloney: study

Millions of tourists may have been romancing the wrong stone on a castle battlement in southern Ireland in an effort to get the "gift of the gab", according to a new study.


Nortel Networks fait le point sur sa situation

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 27, 2004--Nortel Networks Corporation (NYSE:NT)(TSX:NT) et sa principale filiale opÃ©rationnelle Nortel Networks Limited (âNNL') ont fait le point ce jour Ã  la suite de l'Ã©mission de directives de communication


Genova, 19:28 - CALCIO, GENOA; GASPERINI: MERITIAMO E CONQUISTEREMO LA A

Il tecnico del Genoa, Giampiero Gasperini, suona la carica in vista della gara di domenica contro il...


Acceleration: Bottlenecks, pitfalls and tips

(Source: Ipanema Technologies)  This paper looks at the three key reasons why some applications do not perform well over the WAN. It then describes a list of pitfalls and tips that any network manager should be aware of when designing a WAN acceleration strategy. Finally, it describes how Ipanema is tackling the application performance challenge with an integrated approach covering optimization, acceleration and visibility.


Prominent anti-Syrian Christian politician Pierre Gemayel was assassinated in a suburb of Beirut on Tuesday, his Phalange Party Voice of Lebanon radio station reported.


The aftermath of flooding in Carlisle leaves schools closed, operations cancelled and many still evacuated.


Shares of women's apparel chain Chico's FAS Inc. fell Thursday after the company reported August same-store sales well below analyst estimates.


Mantova, 17:30 - CALCIO, MANTOVA: PASSONI RIENTRA IN GRUPPO

Allenamento pomeridiano per il Mantova in vista della gara di Ravenna: il tecnico Tesser ha faytto l...


Mark Lawrenson's verdict on the weekend's Premiership matches


Federer returns to spice up Paris Masters

The return of Roger Federer and the battle for spots at the season-ending Masters Cup will spice up the Paris Masters Series tournament starting on Sunday.


Why MSN Search is good for the consumer?

Microsoft launched the second beta release of MSN Search with little fanfare. There is no doubt it is good, but few consider it as a threat to Google for sometime to come.


'Fondi non saranno per basi permanenti o controllo petrolio'


Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT.N on  Monday said it plans to increase its store space by 8 percent  in the fiscal year beginning in February, including 240 to 250  more Supercenters and 40 to 45 new discount stores.


US Officer Sentenced to Prison for Iraqi Abuse

The highest ranking US officer implicated in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal has been sentenced to eight years in prison for abusing inmates.


Branyan and Young keep Padres alive in NLDS

Russell Branyan tripled in two runs and Chris Young pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings as the San Diego Padres beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 in National League Division Series play on Saturday in St. Louis.


South Africa praises conviction in nuke technology case

South Africa said Tuesday that its recent conviction of a German involved in a global nuclear technology smuggling ring was a breakthrough that will help further efforts to stop proliferation.


British Prime Minister Tony Blair blasted his fellow European politicians for their anti-American "madness" in dangerous times as he urged a complete strategy rethink to defeat extremism.


Google 'hostile to privacy': Privacy International

Google has the most abysmal privacy policies and is leading a "race to the bottom" by the world's most renowned Internet firms, according to a British human rights advocacy group.


Study: Hormone Therapy Raises Blood Clot Risk in Menopausal Women

A new US study highlights more negative health effects women might suffer if they take hormone supplements to combat the symptoms of aging.


Doctors at Odds on Schilling's Treatment

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The doctor who claims he knows Curt Schilling's shoulder "better than anybody who breathes on this planet" insists surgery is the only way the 20-year veteran can pitch again.


In the battle to bust Eastern European carding syndicates, the biggest obstacles are sometimes the foreign law enforcement agents protecting them. By Kim Zetter.


Long lines, a shortage of poll workers and unprecedented numbers of mail-in ballots could delay vote counts in the biggest-ever Super Tuesday in American politics Â a day in which nearly half the nation will cast ballots.


UCRAINA: I LEADER DELLA PARTE ORIENTALE DECIDONO IL REFERENDUM

SEVERODONETSK - I leader locali dell'Ucraina orientale e meridionale hanno deciso, con una votazione, di tenere un ''referendum'' sul futuro status delle loro regioni. I leader locali, russofoni e filo-moscoviti


Lo affermano ministero della Salute e Istituto di Sanita'


LONDON -- The NFL will return to Britain next season.


Tra capitoli stop zuccheraggio e snellimento produzione


FCC Reviews 'Desperate Housewives' Football Promo

The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday reviewed complaints about ABC's steamy "Desperate Housewives" promotion before "Monday Night Football" and while the agency's chairman expressed disappointment, it was not clear whether government would tackle the network.


Technology: Crashing Cars When Theyâre Still a Gleam in the Designerâs Eye

Computer simulations have become a powerful predictive tool for auto engineers to push safety forward.


October 19, 2004 -- ALBANY - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said yesterday former President Bill Clinton has surprised her by being a "patient patient" as he recovers from quadruple heart bypass surgery.


Coach Joe Gibbs says that the receiving corps will not be bolstered by a free agent and that most Redskins free agents are waiting for the March 2 open-market date.


With Windows port, a bug-hunting Safari for Apple

InfoWorld - Security researchers have jumped on Apple's beta version of the Safari browser, digging up as many as 18 bugs in the software, just one day after its release.


Denver Nuggets forward Rodney White (5) looks to pass over New Orleans Hornets guard Darrell Armstrong (10) during the first quarter at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Monday, Nov. 29, 2004.


"OK" results aren't good enough for Dell anymore. That's great news.


The format, long maligned, starts a comeback as several bands write rock operas.


A BOAT containing 10 bodies was found today by a merchant navy vessel 480km south of the Spanish Canary Island of Gran Canaria, a maritime rescue spokesman said.


Corporate computer threats 'moving to Adobe'

Security improvements in Office 2007 mean cyberattackers will focus on flaws in other desktop applications, security experts warn.


Where does this guy get off? Did the Dreyfus trial take place here? Did we invent the word "youpin" (French for "zhid")? Did we build the nuclear reactor in Iraq that was planned with Israel's destruction in ...


MG Rover is about to seal a Â£1bn agreement to help build 200,000 cars a year in China.


Israeli lawmakers held a stormy debate on Ariel Sharonâs Gaza withdrawal plan ahead of a critical vote today that could give the prime minister crucial support for pushing forward.


The US Congress on Saturday approved a 447 billion US dollar defense bill, which would providea 3.5 percent raise for military personnel and 25 billion dollars to support US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.


Parole Unlikely for Jailed Russian Oil Executive

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former Yukos Oil chief executive now at the halfway point of his eight-year prison sentence, is unlikely to be released from prison anytime soon.


Brazil and China bolster trade relations

Brazil and China have signed several accords to bolster bilateral trade relations and increase trade volume, Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper reported Saturday.


The highest-ranking soldier charged in abuse of Iraqis held at Abu Ghraib prison has pleaded guilty to five charges. Under a plea deal, army reservist Ivan Frederick admitted to assault and four other counts during his court martial today in Baghdad.


U.N. rights council up and running despite friction

The new United Nations human rights  watchdog earned mixed reviews Tuesday after its treatment of  Cuba and Israel caused friction among major powers.


Brother of UK hostage urges Blair to plead for hostage release

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


Trying to Decipher the State of the Death Penalty

After the Supreme Court granted two stays of execution and refused to vacate a third, some say that a de facto moratorium on the death penalty is in place.


First baseman Kevin Millar re-signed with the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, agreeing to a one-year, $2.75 million contract with an option for 2008.


Are we ready for the all-wireless enterprise? Columnist Craig Mathias says results from testing he observed at a company considering such a move are quite encouraging, but most companies will still need to rely on wire to some extent.


That object up there isn't a star after all; it's a planet. Now then, what should we call it? Compiled by Tony Long.


A new study suggests consumers save billions of dollars by shopping on eBay auctions.


These are the games college football programs spend years building toward, a chance to rise from the ranks of the also-rans to a place among the sport's elite.


Chicago Jury with Winfrey Delivers Guilty Verdict

Oprah Winfrey and 11 fellow jurors on  Wednesday found a 27-year-old Chicago man guilty of murder, and  the billionaire TV talk show host described the three-day trial  as the saddest experience of her life.


Crude oil futures traded above $42 a barrel Wednesday as colder weather descended on the northeastern United States, a heavy consumer of heating oil.


Bob Vila meet Martha Stewart. Two venerable icons and brands -- Vila the pitchman for Sears Craftsman tools, and Stewart, the home-goods queen for Kmart -- might be sharing shelf space at a Sears or Kmart near you.


Moneta unica scambiata a 1,3850 dollari e 159,09 yen


Minimum wage increase gains ground in Senate

A Democratic campaign promise to boost the federal minimum wage for the first time in a decade moved closer to completion on Tuesday when U.S. Senate Republicans lifted a roadblock against it.


Pastor Quits After Revealing Same-Sex Relations

The resignation of the pastor, the Rev. Paul Barnes, came after the pastor was confronted by another minister in his church, The Denver Post reported.


Birth expert Neil Maclachlan swapped hospital duties for an emergency case at the local zoo.


Georgia makes more progress than any country in smoothing the way for business, the World Bank says.


A group of children found a boy's body stuffed into a suitcase and floating in a duck pond at a suburban Sydney park, police said Thursday


After bolting from the starting gates on Friday, shoppers in the United States may have tripped over the weekend. Sales on the day after Thanksgiving were 11 percent higher than in 2003


syslog replacement - rsyslog: 3.11.2 released

An enhanced multi-threaded syslogd, supporting reliable syslog over TCP and RFC 3195, writing to MySQL databases, fully configurable output formats (with great timestamps), ability to filter on anything, and on-the-wire message compression.   Hi all,  Rsyslog 3.11.2 has just been released. Now it has the ability to convert text files into syslog. This is done by the imfile plugin, which monitors text files. A new libdbi-based output plugin has been written. This adds six additional databases (including Firebird and Oracle) to the supported database set. Also contains small bug fixes. Version 3.11.2 is a recommended release for all version 3 users.  Doc for new Modules:    http://www.rsyslog.com/doc-omlibdbi.html    http://www.rsyslog.com/doc-imfile.html  Changelog:    http://www.rsyslog.com/Article175.phtml  Download:    http://www.rsyslog.com/Downloads-req-getit-lid-79.phtml  I hope this release is useful. As always, feedback is appreciated.  Best regards, Rainer Gerhards


'Preoccupa andamento, prezzi Eurotower pronta ad agire'


Consumer electronics giant Sony Corporation has reversed its policy and now says that it will support the popular MP3 file format for some of its portable music players.


Astros owner Drayton McLane finally got his face-to-face meeting with All-Star center fielder Carlos Beltran and superagent Scott Boras this afternoon in Florida.


Scientists have discovered a protein which may help to slow, or even reverse symptoms of Parkinson's disease.


Parigi, 20:08 - TENNIS, ROLAND GARROS: NADAL AGLI OTTAVI SENZA PROBLEMI

Lo spagnolo Rafael Nadal, testa di serie numero 2, si è qualificato per gli ottavi di finale ...


Myanmar pagoda sealed off, monks beaten: witnesses

Myanmar security forces sealed off Yangon's Shwedagon Pagoda on Wednesday, fired tear gas and arrested up to 80 monks trying to get into the shrine, cracking down on the biggest anti-junta protests in nearly 20 years.


A top children's charity claims one in ten of the UK's young people suffer mental health problems, but experts cast doubt on the findings.


Tracy McGrady insists Orlando Magic general manager John Weisbrod was transferring blame by saying players failed to take responsibility for an abysmal season.


Esperti, soluzione problema e' in trasporto pubblico


Arafat's Nephew Says Cause of Death Inconclusive

Yasser Arafat's nephew said on Monday that medical records released by France showed no trace of known poisons in the late Palestinian leader but the cause of death remained a mystery.


Criminal charges anticipated in fatal traffic collision

ADA, Okla. -- A hit-and-run driver allegedly involved in a traffic collision that killed an East Central University football player from Texas surrendered to authorities Monday and will face murder charges


Observatory: Small Galaxies as Forerunners of Mammoth Systems

Nine recently discovered galaxies are among the smallest galaxies that have been found.


Maggioranza chiede l'inversione dell'ordine del giorno. L'opposizione abbandona i lavori della Commissione e si dimette dal Comitato dei Nove. Roma, 14 dic. - (Adnkronos) - Bagarre alla Camera sulla giustizia tra maggioranza e opposizione.


Buenos Aires: strage di giovani in una discoteca

Sarebbero 174 le vittime dell' incendio divampato in un locale del centro. A provocare le fiamme un razzo pirotecnico fuori controllo. Al momento della tragedia migliaia di ragazzi stavano assistendo a un concerto.


Virtual worlds for children could undermine the human values that societies need them to learn, says industry veteran.


WildBlue U 2007 Brings Opportunity to Students in Rural America

HERNDON, Va., June 13  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rural utilities have, once again, joined together to bring the WildBlue U student intern program to communities across America.


Schwarzenegger draws crowds at Tokyo cook-off

TOKYO -- Ask almost anyone here why Arnold Schwarzenegger is so popular, and they'll say it's because he is The Terminator.


CAIRO -- The son-in-law of former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, named by Israeli officials as a source for the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, died in London yesterday and the Egyptian state news agency quoted reports he had fallen from the balcony of his home.


Drop in flat-panel prices to end, AU Optronics says

AU Optronics Corp ( åéåé» ), the world's third-largest maker of flat-panel displays used in computers and televisions, expects the decline in screen prices that began earlier this year to come to an end as demand rebounds.


Dell to pay $5 million to former CEO Kevin Rollins

Dell Inc.  said on Tuesday it will pay $5 million in severance to former Chief Executive Kevin Rollins after he was replaced by founder Michael Dell in January.


The Arab League backs Lebanon's army head as the next president at crisis talks on the country's future.


Bush: Social Security Math 'Doesn't Work'

FARGO, N.D.  - President Bush warned on Thursday  that retirement benefits for younger workers were at risk as he  brought his campaign to revamp Social Security to the American  heartland and sought the public's help in winning over  skeptical members of Congress.


Barroso optimistic over EP support for proposed commissioner team

Incoming European Commission (EC)President Jose Manuel Barroso said here Thursday that he was optimistic over securing European Parliament (EP) support next week for his proposed 25-member team of commissioners.


Sanofi Diet Drug Impressive in 2-Year Study

An experimental diet drug helped  people lose nearly four times as much weight as a placebo in an  eagerly anticipated two-year trial, researchers said on  Tuesday.


U.S. Treasury prices were mixed on  Wednesday as economic data proved tepid and demand for an  auction of two-year notes was thin.


All the action from Wednesday's group matches.


Comment is free: Zoe Williams: Social networking sites don't foster meaningful communication. They are a complete waste of time.


Australia's Lleyton Hewitt yells out after winning a game against Luis Horna. Hewitt defeated Horna to win the cup, 6-3, 6-1. Picture:AP.


Universal Pictures to adopt HD-DVD format

MANHASSET, NY - Proponents of HD-DVD gained an ally Monday (Nov. 29), as film studio Universal Pictures announced it has adopted the format, with select titles available to consumers during the 2005 holiday season.


Firenze, 15:06 - CALCIO, FIORENTINA; GAMBERINI: OGNI PARTITA E' UNA FINALE

Alessandro Gamberini, difensore della Fiorentina, analizza la stagione dei viola: "Partire con l'han...


Airline says it will need $1B in concessions from pilots, about two-thirds of which would come from pay cuts, to avoid filing for bankruptcy protection.


Argentine first lady to run for president

The wife of President Nestor Kirchner will run as the government candidate in Argentina's October presidential election after he decided not to seek re-election, a government spokesman said on Sunday.


CalPERS unveils managmement fees in settlement of open records ...

The nation's largest public pension fund has agreed to disclose more than $200 million in annual money management fees to settle a lawsuit by a media coalition.


Fla. Couple Sought on Child Abuse Charges

A couple is being sought on child abuse charges for allegedly torturing seven children who lived with them — pulling out their toenails with pliers, delivering electric shocks and striking them with a hammer, authorities said Thursday.


Florida County Plays Down Missing Ballots Scare

Fears that thousands of absentee election ballots had gone astray in a hotly contested Florida county appear to have been allayed on Thursday when officials said a far small number were missing.


Il nuovo tecnico dei bianconeri: "Non abbiamo piÃ¹ carichi pendenti...La parola scudetto non mi va di pronunciarla, ma proviamoci"                                            La sfida di Ranieri: "Pratica ed eclettica Voglio una Juve guastafeste"                                                                                Su Lippi: "Lui era la prima scelta, per me Ã¨ un onore essere considerato il piÃ¹ adatto dopo uno del calibro di Marcello"


Producing biofuels from a fast-growing grass emits up to 94% less carbon dioxide than petrol, a US study finds.


Virginia Madsen: Days of Wine and Chocolate

Virginia Madsen was with two of her best friends at a tasting at Mel & Rose Wines & Spirits, and the three were showing themselves to be quite expert.


Taking folic acid may help keep blood pressure low, researchers in the US believe.


Families of Israelis killed in last year's war in Lebanon held a memorial ceremony at the national military cemetery on Monday, but Prime Minister Ehud Olmert did not attend, drawing harsh criticism.


Bonds Drills 700th Career Homer Against Padres

San Francisco Giants slugger  Barry Bonds hit his 700th career home run on Friday to join  Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth as the only major league players to  reach the milestone.


Despite a stepped-up commitment from the United States to take in Iraqis who are in danger because they worked for the military, few are signing up to go, officials say.


But don't ask them to find the car keys Straight blokes are best at reading maps, but if you want to know where you left the car keys, you'd best ask a woman, a new study has revealed.â¦


Bush faces global critics at UN this week

WASHINGTON - Two years after he made a case against Iraq over unconventional weapons that were never found, US President George W. Bush faces global critics at the United Nations this week to argue it is essential that war-ravaged Iraq become a stable


Drinking Tea Might Delay Alzheimer's Disease

Drinking tea appears to affect the brain in a similar way as drugs prescribed for Alzheimer's disease, UK researchers report. The team, based at Newcastle


Facing Competition, iTunes Revs Up Its Film Section

In an effort to win attention for the iTunes movie category, Apple will debut Edward Burnsâs latest film, âPurple Violets,â exclusively on its download service.


Beijing, Oct 18. (PTI): Two runners, including a college student and a senior citizen, died and eleven others were admitted to hospitals during the Beijing international marathon, state media reported today.


Claims that the Kremlin backed the murder of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko are 'preposterous', the Russian ambassador to the UK says.


Now that he's married, Tiger Woods says it won't be long before he starts a family. "I don't want to be an old father," Woods said Thursday.


In a new wave of global outsourcing, personal chores are moving offshore, and this is leading to some daunting challenges, both economic and cultural.


LONDON - Arsenal bored their way to a 1-0 Champions League win over PSV Eindhoven thanks to a piece of Thierry Henry brilliance, and Henrik Larsson returned to Celtic as a Barcelona player to hand his former team their first European defeat in three years


New Species Are Found in Borneo ; World News IN BRIEF

BORNEO Scientists have found at least 52 new species of animal and plant in Borneo in the past year. WWF International said its finds included two tree frogs and 30 fish species, including a fish which is the world's second-smallest vertebrate, and a catfish with an adhesive belly.


Amsterdam has the world's busiest  Internet exchange, thanks to nuclear physicists and  mathematicians who in the 1980s connected their network needs  with the academic belief that knowledge needs to be free.


FTC Curious About Proposed Intel, STMicroelectronics Joint Flash Venture

This week, the US Federal Trade Commission is apparently not yet satisfied that Intel has adequately addressed its standard antitrust concerns. Today, Intel announced it received what is formally called a "second request" notice from the FTC.


On Thanksgiving, the NFL will air the first of eight live pro football games on its own network. But it won't be available to many viewers across the country because the league hasn't reached carriage agreements with several major cable operators.


Four former Merrill Lynch employees and an ex-Enron executive are found guilty of artificially inflating the energy firm's profits.


Lo sostengono fonti del settore presenti al MacWorld di San FranciscoNegli ultimi tempi le voci si sono infittite e gli "indizi" si sono moltiplicati                                          iPhone-Tim, accordo in vista a febbraio l'annuncio ufficiale                                                                                dal nostro inviato DANIELE VULPI


Western knockoffs and Islamic bling: Debunking some popular stereotypes of life in Iran.


Update 3: LNM to Buy ISG for $4.5B in Cash, Stock

A privately-owned Dutch steelmaker headed by billionaire Lakshmi Mittal is buying US-based International Steel Group Inc. for about $4.


Yi agent seeks trade but NBA Bucks want Chinese star

Yi Jianlian's agent is trying to pull together trade offers in hopes the Milwaukee Bucks will deal away the Chinese star they selected sixth in the National Basketball Association Draft.


Russia's Medvedev pledges stability as president

Russia's presidential front-runner  Dmitry Medvedev promised stability and continuity on Tuesday in  his first big policy speech since President Vladimir Putin  backed him to be the next Kremlin leader.


The US sportswear giant says sorry after China bans its television advert for "offending national dignity".


Newspaper endorsements in the 2004 presidential campaign between President Bush, a Republican, and Sen. John Kerry, a Democrat.


Imad Mughniyeh Ã¨ morto ieri sera. L'annuncio dato dall'emittente Al Manarche accusa il governo israeliano. Dall'ufficio di Olmert nessun commento                                          Autobomba a Damasco ucciso capo Hezbollah                                                                                Fu il leader della Jihad islamica, che negli anni '80 realizzÃ²decine di attentati e coordinÃ² il rapimento di molti occidentalidi VINCENZO NIGRO


Iranian Judoka Who Refused to Fight Israeli Handed $125,000

Iran have given judo world champion  Arash Miresmaeili a $125,000 reward, saying he sacrificed a  gold medal at the Athens Olympics by refusing to fight an  Israeli, a sports official said on Tuesday.


There is no news of Adams Oshiomhole, the head of Nigeria's main union body, after his arrest on Saturday.


Osservatorio, "saranno ripristinate partite di giorno"


And it's thief-proof Toshiba today unveiled its latest widescreen projector. The TLP-WX2200U model features a palm-sized control panel that allows users to assign a password to prevent unauthorised access to the projector â so presumably no one will be able to mess with your slides before that important presentation.â¦


Chavez says Colombia, U.S. plotting invasion

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday said the government of Colombia was plotting with the United States to attack Venezuela, the same day Colombia hosted U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.


Get Your Flu Shot, Health Officials Urge Americans

Pointing to last year's early and unusually harsh influenza season, US health officials urged Americans on Thursday to get their flu shots.


SAN JUAN, PORTO RICO - Four British citizens who were released from Guantanamo Bay are suing the US government for $10 million US each.


Clippers center Davis out for rest of season after surgery

Los Angeles Clippers center Paul Davis will miss the rest of the season after having knee surgery on Friday, the team has announced.


WASHINGTON - Thirty-four percent of Americans with a relative who is at high risk of danger from getting the flu say they are worried about the vaccine shortage, according to an Associated Press poll about the crisis that has health officials scrambling


BRONX, New York (Ticker) - Looking for additional relief help, the New York Yankees on Friday acquired righthanded setup man Felix Rodriguez from the Philadelphia Phillies for aging center fielder Kenny Lofton.


San Diego County sees fire damage topping $1 bln

Damages from the wildfires in California's San Diego County were expected to exceed $1 billion, a top official said on Wednesday.


Presidential candidates began filing second quarter financial reports with the Federal Election Commission on Friday. Here's a look at the highlights from their filings:


By Hank Shaw, The Record, Stockton, Calif.  Sep. 16--SACRAMENTO -- President Bush is coming to Stockton next month to help Tracy Rep. Richard Pombo raise money for his re-election bid.


Iran's Larijani meets IAEA chief as sanctions loom

Iran's chief negotiator met the top U.N. nuclear monitor on Friday ahead of talks with the European Union in what could be a last chance to end a dispute over Tehran's atomic ambitions and avert tougher U.N. sanctions.


US Warns China It May Impose Limits on Apparel Imports

A senior American trade official said here today that the United States would limit apparel imports from China if American manufacturers provided evidence that such limits were needed.


[TS] High & Low Finance: Selling Shares by the Billions to Racing Fans

The story of a tiny company that spent the little money it had on sponsoring a race car, sheds light on the market for small stocks that can fly below the radar for years.


SunRocket, an Internet telephone company, has ceased operations, according to a person briefed on its status.


Dutch call for end to violence amid memorial for slain filmmaker

AMSTERDAM -- Suspected arsonists set an Islamic elementary school on fire yesterday amid a string of attacks following the killing of a Dutch filmmaker by an alleged Islamic extremist.


American Airlines squeezes passengers in tighter to make money

NEW YORK  - American Airlines, posting a big loss with bleaker prospects immediately ahead, announced Wednesday it will squeeze passengers in tighter to make more money.


It's Fur Without Fear on New York Fashion Runways

Fur is back and prominently displayed  by top designers this week on New York's fashion runways, with  nary a peep of protest.


Paris Weighs Shift to Linux from Microsoft

International Data Corp. said growth in demand for Linux servers in Europe is expected to almost double by 2008. Microsoft is fighting back by cutting prices and through publicity campaigns


US Gov warned on messed up e-voting systems

No magic bullet, people As the UK braces for electronic voting trials in the next round of local elections, the US Government Audit Office (GAO) has warned that e-voting systems could undermine the integrity of the whole election process if not properly managed.â¦


Celebrex Trial Stopped After Heart Attacks

Pfizer Inc. on Friday said its popular  Celebrex arthritis drug more than doubled the risk of heart  attack in a large cancer-prevention trial, a setback that comes  just weeks after Merck & Co. recalled its similar Vioxx drug  due to heart safety risks.


Abu Hamza al-Masri, a radical Muslim  cleric wanted by the United States, is due to appear in a  British court Tuesday accused of urging the murder of  non-believers and stirring up racial hatred.


Britain's Brown threatens to skip summit if Mugabe attends

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has threatened to boycott a summit of African and European leaders in Lisbon later this year if Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe attended.


Violence in Pakistan as murdered cleric buried

Fresh violence has flared in this southern Pakistani city as angry mobs went on the rampage during the funeral of a senior Shiite leader killed in a suicide blast a day earlier.


Birds in Great Salt Lake Felled by Cholera by the Thousands

A recent outbreak of avian cholera was especially potent, killing about 15,000 birds.


The nation's two satellite-radio companies promised yesterday to refrain from raising prices, for a time at least, if they are allowed to merge. But some lawmakers and consumer groups appeared dubious.


Migraines and stroke risk, especially for women on the pill

If you suffer from migraines your risk of suffering a stroke is double, it is greater still if you suffer from migraines and take birth control pills, say researchers from the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Canada.


Bari, 20:01 - CALCIO, BARI: CONVOCATI PER IL RITIRO

Sopno 29 i giocatori convocati dal Bari per il ritiro precampionato che inizierà domani a Mez...


The first test to screen potential blood donors for a tropical disease that has stealthily infected as many as 100,000 Hispanic immigrants gained federal approval Wednesday.


Roma, 15:02 - CALCIO, ROMA; PIZARRO: NOI E MANCHESTER ALLA PARI

Il centrocampista della Roma, David Pizarro, commenta il sorteggio dei quarti di Champions League ch...


The Lehigh As a Trout Mecca?: For the First Time, State to Stock Browns and Rainbows Down River. Sportsmen's Groups Laud the Move.

By Christian Berg, The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa.  Feb. 27--The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will stock 50,000 juvenile trout in the Lehigh River this spring, part of an ongoing effort to enhance the river's coldwater fishery.


Four pirates, who are part of the gang that hijacked a food aid ship in Somalia, have been arrested, aid officials say.


Receiver Deion Branch has filed two grievances against the Patriots, but three experts believe he'll need a Hail Mary to emerge victorious.


Reservist pleaded guilty to prisoner abuse

BAGHDAD, Iraq - An US Army reservist's lawyer said his client avoided several other charges with today's guilty plea in the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.


Roma, 00:01 - CALCIO, INCONTRO ROMA-CHIVU PER RINNOVO: NULLA DI FATTO

Nulla di fatto nell'incontro di questa sera tra il procuratore di Chivu, Becali, e la Roma. Non &egr...


Celebrex Trial Halted After Heart Attacks

A government-sponsored trial of Pfizer  Inc.'s PFE.N blockbuster arthritis drug Celebrex was halted  after patients taking the medicine had more than twice as many  heart attacks as patients taking a placebo, the company said on  Friday.


The Boeing Co. and other defense stocks jumped higher Wednesday, buoyed by expectations that President Bush's re-election would benefit the sector.


Just as Capitol Hill was about to start debating the potential effects of a Microsoft-Yahoo merger, some lawmakers seem to have called a time out. Many observers were surprised when the House Judiciary Committee's antitrust task force scheduled a "Hearing on the State of Competition on the Internet" almost immediately after Microsoft revealed its unsolicited bid [...].


NASA sets a rocket in motion toward a comet, hoping to gain knowledge of the comet's makeup.


More jailbreaks than a spaghetti western The latest version of the firmware for Apple's iPhone has fallen to hackers less than a week after its release.â¦


Melbourne, 12:58 - CALCIO, AUSTRALIA: DUE AMICHEVOLI CON URUGUAY E ARGENTINA

L'Australia disputerà amichevoli contro Uruguay e Argentina. I Socceroos affronteranno la sel...


US soldier to admit some charges in prisoner abuse case

MANNHEIM: A US soldier at the centre of the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal wants his pending court martial to be moved from Baghdad as he believes he has no chance of a fair trial there, his lawyers said today.


LONDON  Â The Rolling Stones announced Thursday they have signed a deal to release the soundtrack to their Martin Scorsese-directed concert film through Universal Music Group.


Over 100 Taliban killed in Afghan battle

U.S.-led and Afghan troops battled suspected Taliban insurgents in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday in ground clashes and airstrikes that left over 100 militants dead, the coalition said.


He Should Be so Lucky ; Dumfries Shop Worker Helps Pen Kylie's New Album After Publishing Lyrics on Internet

By GORDON TAIT  WHEN Calvin Harris dreamed of making it big in the songwriting world, the tune which kept going through his head was I Should Be So Lucky.


Larry Craig, repubblicano, in un bagno dell'aeroporto di Minneapolisha fatto piedino ad un poliziotto in borghese. Arresto e multa di 500 dollari                                            Usa, scandalo sessuale a Washington senatore antigay molesta un agente                                                                                L'autodifesa: "Ho sbagliato a farlo, volevo levarmi di torno la stampa che mi stava alle calcagna"L'anno scorso le dimissioni del deputato Mark Foley per l'amicizia con stagisti del Congresso


Current PM Kostas Karamanlis faces socialist challenger George Papandreou in Greece's general election.


Emmy-winning actor Peter Boyle, who played the tap-dancing monster in the movie "Young Frankenstein" and grouchy father Frank Barone in the TV series "Everybody Loves Raymond," has died at age 71.


A former tax inspector is jailed for six years after admitting a Â£1m blackmail plot against supermarket chain Tesco.


By JOHN MCMILLAN  DONALDSONVILLE - The way has been cleared for Ascension Parish get its first two planned unit developments, one of which had been denied by the parish's Planning and Zoning Commission.


China compulsory dance steps wrong-foot parents

Parents in China are concerned that new rules making dancing classes compulsory at school will lead to extra fees and heighten the risk of puppy love blossoming between their children, media reports said on Friday.


Breast cancer death rate drops more: report

The death rate from breast cancer continues to drop steadily by about 2 percent a year, but black women are not seeing the same benefits as whites, the American Cancer Society said on Tuesday.


Not all the celebrities wanted their MTV. While many of the pop culture glitterati got out of town this weekend to mark the MTV Video Music Awards in Miami, a few well-known people stuck around New York the weekend before the Republican National Convention opened.


Windows Vista has had incredible reception: Gates

Microsoft Corp.  founder Bill  Gates said on Tuesday the company's Windows Vista operating  system has received an incredible reception.


Village moves church by truck to next town

The people of Heuersdorf have lost their village but saved their church.


Survey by Cyber-Ark Software indicates that IT staff routinely snoop on users and mismanage password security.


America West apparently won't take over ATA

Tempe-based America West Airlines confirmed today it was interested in buying all or part of struggling low-cost airline ATA, but for now it appears to have lost out to another airline.


La denuncia dopo la confessione sulla Diaz di Fournier


CHATHAM - The Glenwood High School and Glenwood Intermediate School PTOs are sponsoring a Positive Parenting Seminar at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the GHS Auditorium.  Shelly Musser from the Prairie Center Against Sexual Assault will be speaking with parents and teens about Internet safety.


LOS ANGELES -- The nation's largest Roman Catholic archdiocese said Friday it has agreed to pay $60 million to settle 45 lawsuits alleging sex abuse by priests.


Europe's First Moon Probe Arrives to Destination with ...

Europe's first mission to the Moon has arrived and begun orbiting, 14 months after its launch from French Guiana. European Space Agency officials confirmed Tuesday the SMART-1 spacecraft reached


NFL Wrap: Manning Near Record as Colts Beat Texans

Peyton Manning continued to close in  on the NFL record for single season touchdown passes on Sunday,  firing two TD strikes as the Indianapolis Colts eased past the  Houston Texans 23-14 to clinch the division title.


Marsh & McLennan Cos. MMC.N, the  insurance broker at the center of a bid-rigging scandal, on  Tuesday said it will lay off 3,000 employees, or 5 percent of  its work force.


In West Bank, Hamas Is Silent but Never Ignored

A new code was born here overnight. No one, it seems, belongs to Hamas in the West Bank anymore.


New York is a unique city for 2012 Olympics, says deputy mayor

New York deputy mayor Daniel L. Doctoroff said here on Tuesday New York could deliver a "unique" Olympic Games in 2012 if it wins the bid.


Slaying quickens push for med school checks

Robert Howard looked like an ideal candidate for medical school. His grades were good and his recommendations solid. Plus he had a certain intangible that made him


Richard Ford Leaves His Longtime Publisher

In a surprise move, Richard Ford, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of âIndependence Dayâ and âThe Lay of the Land,â has switched publishers for his next three books.


Citigroup plans to take $49bn in debt on to its balance sheet to protect the firm's rating and give it time to sell assets.


Hub's WiFi Rollout Starts in Grove Hall This Month

By Robert Weisman, The Boston Globe  Jun. 9--Boston's plan to blanket the city with wireless Internet  connections is set to pick up speed this month as companies jockey to play a  role and a pilot WiFi project gets underway in a square-mile area of the Grove  Hall neighborhood.


Honda shows off space-dwarf robot butler capability

Also plans droids to 'work on street corners' The Japanese robot industry is streets ahead of the competition when it comes to designing droids for peaceful uses (for war-bots, of course, the discerning purchaser shops in America). That said, Japanese robots have so far struggled to find a real, erm, killer application.â¦


A former Bosnian Serb paramilitary leader is sentenced to 34 years for wartime murder and rape.


Jenson Button has said that he will abide by the ruling handed down by the Contract Recognition Board - despite it saying that he must remain at BAR for at least another season.


Update 1: OPEC May Consider Further Production Cuts

OPEC might make deeper cuts in production if prices continue to slide, Gulf oil ministers said Saturday, a day after crude prices tumbled to their lowest levels in five months when producers decided to limit supply by 1 million barrels a day.


Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.3.8 Update for Download

Ziff Davis - A free update to OS X 10.3 offers improved network compatibility, better graphics, improved Bluetooth support, and other features and fixes.


Apple Inc  shares rose more  than 4.5 percent on Wednesday, fueled by excitement over the  pending launch of new iPod digital music players, which could  entice current users to buy upgraded models.


Before Iowa caucuses, candidates scramble

With a week before the first test of the primary season, presidential candidates are pulling out all the stops.


Zhang Hanzhi, Mao Zedong's English tutor and an interpreter during the historic 1972 meeting between the Communist leader and President Nixon, has died. She was 72.


A meno di un mese dal maremoto che ha causato 234 mila morti


TWO tourists were killed today when a light plane crashed in a ball of flame at an exclusive wilderness resort in far north Western Australia.


Church of England locks horns with Sony over virtual cathedral shootout

The Church of England threatened Saturday to sue Sony Corp. for featuring a cathedral in a violent computer game, saying it is sacrilegious and trivialises gun crime.


Nobel in Physics Is Awarded to 2 Americans

The astronomers uncovered evidence about the origin of the universe and how it grew into galaxies.


IAEA set to approve new nuclear mission to N.Korea

The International Atomic Energy Agency's governing body is expected on Monday to authorize the dispatch of U.N. monitors to North Korea to verify the shutdown of its atomic bomb program, diplomats said.


The BBC is threatened with a complaint to the EC over use of Microsoft software in its iPlayer.


Il capitano bianconero lavora ancora a parte, ma Ã¨ quasi pronto per rientrare in gruppo e Capello spera di recuperarlo, anche solo per uno spezzone di gara. TORINO, 29 novembre 2004 - Una dimostrazione di


Fourteen British troops die in Afghan plane crash

A British plane crashed in Afghanistan on Saturday, killing 14 military personnel in Britain's worst single loss in the country, British and NATO officials said.


If the strike continues, the Oscars could become an infomercial about the importance of writers.


Mel Gibson's effort to find an indigenous cast for his new movie "Apocalypto," which depicts the end of the Mayan civilization, is drawing praise from American Indian leaders.


Are right-leaning voters spending all their online time on Rushlimbaugh.com? Are left-leaning voters locked into the like-minded Talkingpointsmemo.com?


Audizione al Senato del successore di De Gennaro"Sogno uno stadio senza polizia e con molti steward"                                            Polizia, l'allarme di Manganelli "Allarme criminalitÃ  al Nord"


Microsoft puts the spotlight on Silverlight again

(InfoWorld) - Microsoft held another dog-and-pony show Friday to tout its prized Silverlight rich media technology, which will take on Adobe's ubiquitous Flash Player for the hearts and minds of developers. The company's ReMix07 event, held at company offices in Mountain View, Calif, was a slimmed-down replay of the larger Mix07 conference held in Las Vegas in April. Featured were demonstrations of Silverlight benefits for Internet browsers, leveraged with Microsoft's Expression and the Visual Studio tools. "The core [function] that Siliverlight delivers is rich media capabilities," including video and graphics, said Scott Guthrie, general manager of the developer division at Microsoft. Silverlight, which is still in a pre-release stage, is deployable on Windows and Macintosh via a lightweight download. Net and AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) programming models can be used with it. "Our goal is to have [Silverlight] run on as many systems as possible," Guthrie said. Microsoft wants to see it installed on hundreds of millions of clients. Microsoft officials are bullish on Silverlight, viewing it as having higher quality than Adobe Flash and of great use to venture capital-funded companies looking to provide a differentiated Web experience. "I think Silverlight gives you the richest possible way to watch video on the Web," said Dan'l Lewin, corporate vice president for strategic and emerging business development at Microsoft. "I think that's something that most people in the industry have acknowledged and are pretty excited about." Flash, however, already is installed on more than 700 million Internet-connected desktops, Adobe said. Silverlight technologies currently accessible include the beta release of Silverlight 1.0, which is focused on adding media like graphics to existing Web sites. It is due to be generally available later this summer with a release candidate due soon, Guthrie said. An alpha release of Silverlight 1.1 is also available, geared to rich Internet applications and leveraging .Net programming. Silverlight tools also are planned for the Visual Studio 2008 platform due later this year. Silverlight will be supported on mobile devices and other OSes in the future, Guthrie said. A Linux client version is possible at some point, but Microsoft is focusing on Windows and Macintosh now because they have the largest installed base, Microsoft officials said.Â Â  Featured during this morning's presentation was a demonstration of a Silverlight-based video-editing application developed by Metaliq. With this application, videos could be dragged and dropped onto a palette and edited together. A ReMix attendee saw promise in Silverlight. "It seems like Microsoft is doing what they usually do, [which is] coming out with a tool that really goes over the top and does as much as if not more than what the other competitors do," said Craig Benson, vice president of engineering at InnerAthlete, which is an online athletic training site. InnerAthlete could use Silverlight to show video demonstrations, Benson said.Â  Also at ReMix, Guthrie stressed Windows Presentation Foundation. "It really enables you to build much richer desktop applications and push the boundaries of what the desktop can do," he said. He noted that another item on Microsoft's agenda is the planned Internet Information Services 7 with a rich hosting infrastructure. "This is a major update of our Web server stack," Guthrie said. In a separate, Windows-related development this week, Microsoft offered a "Windows Vista Momentum pack to its OEM partners to promote deployments of Windows Vista. The pack features information on what Microsoft calls "the great momentum and readiness" in the market from the Vista ecosystem.


The unusual British dinosaur Baryonyx fed on fish, despite it having the body of a meat-eater, a new study finds.


LOS ANGELES (Reuters Life!) - Spanish actor Javier Bardem has seen his star rise to lofty levels in recent years in Hollywood, and this year he is nominated for the best supporting actor Oscar, which will be given out on February 24.


Fired Prosecutor Disputes Justice Dept. Allegation

A recently fired U.S. attorney based in Seattle said yesterday that he was told of no performance problems when he was asked to resign, and he called critical remarks by a top Justice Department official "unfair" and inaccurate.


Temperatures Dip into the Upper 30s, Low 40s Around S. Florida

By South Florida Sun-Sentinel  Feb. 19--Temperatures dipped into the upper 30s in western areas around South Florida early this morning as the National Weather Service issued a wind chill advisory that was to remain in effect until 9 a.m.


By H. JOSEF HEBERT WASHINGTON - The American bald eagle, a national symbol once almost wiped out by hunters and DDT poisoning, has not only survived but is thriving.


AU says U.N. officer killed by robbers in Darfur

A U.N. officer deployed to Sudan's war-ravaged Darfur region to support African Union peacekeepers has been killed by robbers at his residence in el-Fasher, an African Union spokesman said on Saturday.


While a volunteer instructed fans in the first grandstand to remain quiet for tee shots yesterday, two security guards and four cops escorted Mike Weir to the opening hole.


Napolitano comincia i colloqui con Marini e Bertinotti


More Time for Lazy Summer Days at Library As Branches Add Hours

By The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash.  Jun. 10--The Pierce County Library System will begin longer hours next weekend as a result of the levy approved by voters last fall.


Greenspan not worried Chinese will dump Treasuries

There is little reason to fear a wholesale pullout by China out of U.S. government bonds, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Tuesday.


Microsoft: 'Halo 3' nets biggest day in entertaiment history

The latest iteration of the hit video game franchise has broken single-day entertainment product revenue records.


Dda Catanzaro, cosca mafiosa penetrava in istituzioni


Ontario gives cities $156 million from gas tax this year for ...

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. (CP) - More than 100 Ontario towns and cities will share in $156 million in revenue from the provincial gasoline tax this year, Premier Dalton McGuinty confirmed Friday.


US presidential hopefuls hold first-ever TV debate in Spanish

In a dramatic sign of fast-changing US society's makeup, eight Democratic presidential hopefuls are set to take part in the first televised Spanish-language debate Sunday to court Hispanics, the largest US minority group.


Presidente Repubblica, anche quando risorse sono poche


DSL is leading a global boom in broadband Internet access. Over the 12 months that ended June 30, DSL subscribers grew to 78 million, while the number of subscribers using all types of broadband services surpassed 123 million, the DSL Forum says.


Barely 48-hours after burning the tricolour, the Meiteis of Manipur cheered lustily after Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won India's first individual Olympic silver medal for double trap shooting. Many in Imphal were glued to the television set as Rathore ...


BOISE, Idaho  - Long-serving Republican Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho, embroiled in a sex scandal and finding little support from his party, said on Saturday he will resign from the U.S. Senate.


Roechling Sells Its Stake in Rheinmetall

Roechling Industrie Verwaltung GmbH said Monday it has sold its majority stake in German defense and industrial group Rheinmetall AG for an undisclosed sum.


NASA Says Shuttle Is On Track for May Flight

NASA engineers said yesterday that plans to send the space shuttle aloft next May appear to be proceeding smoothly, but designers acknowledged "setbacks" in devising onboard techniques to


Indianapolis, 17:50 - F1, GP USA: ALONSO AL COMANDO DOPO PRIME LIBERE

Lo spagnolo Fernando Alonso su McLaren è stato il piÃ¹ veloce nelle prime prove libere del Gra...


Angels sign Cuban prospect Kendry Morales

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Highly touted Cuban prospect Kendry Morales has reached agreement with the Anaheim Angels on a six-year contract.


Flying solo around the globe non-stop has been hailed as the last great aviation challenge on earth by Sir Richard Branson, who has put more than Â£1 million into the project.


Peruvian investigators have found a pre-Columbian culture of dog lovers who built pet cemeteries and buried their pooches with warm blankets and treats for the afterlife.


FEMA chief says U.S. ready for bad hurricane season

Nearly two years after a botched response to hurricanes that devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast, the Bush administration said on Friday it was prepared to deal with what forecasters say could be a heavy storm season.


Pizarro double sends 10-man Peru into last eight

MERIDA, Venezuela  - Striker Claudio Pizarro scored a brace as Peru twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Bolivia and qualify for the Copa America quarter-finals on Tuesday.


Oil and gas producer Kerr-McGee Corp.  KMG.N on Wednesday reported a fall in quarterly profit,  citing a writedown related to a pigment plant and higher  environmental charges.


Giants Complete Makeover and Rewrite History

The unlikeliest of Giants championship runs went from Tampa to Dallas, Green Bay to Glendale, hurdling the best of the National Football Conference and finally a team that was supposed to be one for the ages.


Guinea-Bissau Soldiers Stage Mutiny, Kill Army Chief

Mutinous soldiers demanding pay for peacekeeping duty abroad killed the commander of Guinea-Bissau's armed forces on Wednesday and seized key buildings in the capital of the former Portuguese colony.


Strong results from two leading insurers topped a busy day of positive earnings news in Europe on Thursday, helping the FTSE Eurofirst 300 rise 0.3 per cent to 1,539.94.


China urges U.S. help in blocking Taiwan vote

The United States stressed on Thursday that it opposes Taiwan plans to hold a referendum on U.N. membership, while China urged Washington to help oppose the vote that it calls a dangerous provocation.


Nokia Siemens says reassured buyers after Q2 nerves

Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) said on  Monday it had reassured customers over the merger that created  the telecom equipment maker, after uncertainty dented sales in  the second quarter.


The debacle over Hewlett-Packard's handling of board leaks to the press was an eye-opener -- not just for junkies of boardroom drama, but to students of business ethics and crisis management.


Lock in the lowest rates of the summer. Get up to 4 free quotes from trusted lenders. Apply now - bad credit OK.


In Val Masino gravemente ferito un austriaco


Annual savings of Â£600m in public services can be made in Wales by 2010,  says Rhodri Morgan.


Major points of Iraqi debt reduction plan

The deal will reduce Iraq's debt owed to the 19 Paris Club creditor nations by 80 percent, from a current $38.9 billion to $7.8 billion in 2008.


Treasuries Trounced on Fears Fed to Hike

Treasuries prices plunged on Friday  after a startlingly strong U.S. jobs report raised the risk the  Federal Reserve would keep hiking interest rates well beyond  the move widely expected for next week.


Nepal's civil war ends as Maoists, government ink peace deal

The impoverished Himalayan nation of Nepal entered a new era as Maoist insurgents and the central government signed a peace deal ending a decade of civil war that has claimed at least 12,500 lives.


Rice confirmation hearings set for January

Confirmation hearings for Condoleezza Rice to be named secretary of state will take place after the new Congress convenes in January, a Senate committee chairman said Sunday.


Nostrums: In Broccoli Sprouts, Protection From UV Rays

An small study suggests that an extract from broccoli rubbed on skin produces protection against burns caused by ultraviolet radiation.


Vista, SAAS, virtualization to top 2007 software trends

(InfoWorld) - Many of the software trends that percolated in the industry in 2006 will gather more steam in 2007, but several stand out as contenders to change the game for the market in the new year. Below are some of the key software trends to watch for in 2007. Windows Vista ... again Just when you thought it was over, the chatter surrounding Microsoft Corp.'s long-delayed Windows client update has only just begun. 2007 will be a crucial year for the OS, which will finally make its mainstream debut to consumers at the end of January. Microsoft, its hardware and component partners and Wall Street will be keeping a keen eye on customer adoption of Vista to see if it really was worth the wait. 2007 also may be the year Apple Computer Inc.'s Mac OS could gain more mass appeal among users that in the past might have bought a Windows PC, giving Vista its first real competition in ages. The competition can be attributed to two things. One, Apple now offers Intel chip-based PCs that are less expensive than previous Apple computers and thus a more viable option for the average PC user. Secondly, more consumers seem to be catching on to the fact that the Mac OS is -- and has always been -- more cutting-edge, attractive and just so much more fun to use than Windows. Software as a service (SAAS) As Google Inc. and SAAS pioneer Salesforce.com Inc. continue to be financial successes, other companies begin sending out software that has traditionally been sold in packages to customers over the Web. Microsoft may soon be joining the fray, and in fact is steadily building out its Web-based service business under the direction of Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie. Indeed, many believe Vista will be the last packaged-software version of Windows as Microsoft eventually will begin offering new versions of the OS over the Web. Keep an eye on less packaged software and more SAAS offerings from other traditional players in 2007 as well, including Oracle Corp. and SAP AG. Virtualization Enterprises will continue to adopt this software, which enables more than one OS to run side-by-side on a single server. Nearly every major hardware and software vendor -- from IBM Corp. to Intel Corp. to Microsoft to virtualization giant VMWare Inc. -- has a vested interest in virtualization, and expect its use to become more pervasive in 2007. However, as that happens, virtualization -- along with related sever technology that contains multiple processors -- will change the game for how software and hardware is priced, setting the stage for new pricing models across the industry. Business intelligence (BI) Giving enterprises more insight into the factors that affect their business is becoming an increasing focus for enterprise software companies, which is why business intelligence itself is a growing market. With Microsoft gradually building out its business intelligence portfolio, pure plays like Business Objects SA and Cognos Inc. are getting nervous that their partnerships with the vendor are about to be cannibalized. Unfortunately for them, they are probably right, and by the end of 2007, the competitive landscape in BI will look different than it does today. Office productivity Windows Vista won't be the only major software package to hit the streets from Microsoft in 2007 -- a new and improved version of Office is expected to be on retail shelves at the end of January. But as Microsoft repositions its revamped worker productivity suite as a business intelligence and collaboration tool, keep an eye on online competitors from Google and others to see if they begin loosening Office's stranglehold on the market. The new partnership between Microsoft and Novell Inc. also will be a factor in this space, as Novell plans to support Microsoft's Office document format in its version of the open-source OpenOffice suite by the end of January. This will allow users of OpenOffice to better send and receive files from Microsoft Office users, making the key open-source alternative to Microsoft Office a more viable option for the mainstream user. Service-oriented architectures (SOAs) SOAs have been making "technology to watch" lists for several years running, yet the IT architecture, which is based on the idea of linking independent applications as services in a network to create custom composite applications, is still in its earliest stages of adoption. Expect enterprise companies to continue getting their feet wet by adopting SOA projects to solve specific needs in their businesses, and expect companies such as IBM, SAP, BEA Systems Inc. and Microsoft to continue to trumpet their software products as the best ones to use as the underlying infrastructure for those projects.


Teen heartthrob Aaron Carter got an adult-sized scare Thursday   morning via a nasty car wreck.


Tycho:  He came into work yesterday with a prescription for something that will alter his brain chemistry, which I thought was a big step for the man who refuses to take aspirin.  We've long canonized our respective lunacies, believing it is like some artistic sacrament that makes our bizarre endeavor possible.  We have relied upon them.  Or, at any rate, we did.


Just in time for the annual rite of difficult family moments, the comedy sequel "Meet the Fockers" topped the Christmas weekend box office in North America with a record


Rock legends The Who are to receive a lifetime achievement award for live music next month.


Military doctors in Chile say the former dictator, General Augusto Pinochet, is off the critical list after apparently suffering a stroke.


Yum Brands (YUM) reported third-quarter earnings Tuesday that beat Wall Street expectations by a penny. The fast-food mogul also upped its full-year profit forecast by two cents, citing robust results from its KFC chain in China.


Army Report Blames More Americans for Iraq Abuses

U.S. military intelligence soldiers  and civilian contractors working with them were directly  involved in the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib jail to  a greater extent than previously acknowledged, an Army report  released on Wednesday found.


Bernard Hopkins came into the ring to a recording of one of Frank Sinatraâs epic songs. Fighting his usual tactical fight, Hopkins allowed Oscar De La Hoya to dominate the first


A line of cobblestones in the street marks where the Wall once ran through the middle of town.


Roma, 12:17 - CALCIO, ROMA; CONTI: SODDISFATTI DEL MERCATO

Bruno Conti è soddisfatto del mercato della Roma: ''Abbiamo centrato gli obiettivi dell'allen...


Of criticisms of George W. Bush on domestic policy, it might be the most startling: He's likely to be the first president since Herbert Hoover to end his term with fewer jobs than when he began.


Lindsay Lohan briefly falls off sobriety wagon

Troubled actress Lindsay Lohan fell off the sobriety wagon on New Year's Eve, her lawyer said on Thursday, ending a year that saw the star check into rehab several times and land in jail for drunken driving and cocaine possession.


Nestle held merger talks with PepsiCo: report

Nestle , the world's largest food company, held merger talks with U.S. snacks and drinks conglomerate PepsiCo  earlier this year, but the project ran aground due to a number of complications, the Wall Street Journal Europe reported on Thursday.


LONDON, Feb. 1 -- Prime Minister Tony Blair has been interviewed for a second time by police investigating allegations that his Labor Party offered seats in the House of Lords and other government honors in exchange for cash, police and Blair's office said Thursday.


Hitachi strikes new direction with Lightning

8 Sep 2004, 18:44 GMT - Hitachi this week laid a unique bet on storage virtualization with the launch of the latest version of its flagship Lightning disk array.


Patient Factors Predict Asthma Therapy Response

NEW YORK  - Specific patient  characteristics may help guide doctors in selecting the asthma  medication most likely to lead to favorable responses in  children with mild-to-moderate persistent asthma, a team of  U.S. researchers reports.


Six die in Palestinian raid on Gaza army post

Three Israeli soldiers and three Palestinian gunmen were killed yesterday in battles near the Gaza Strip settlement of Morag. The clash came a day after a woman suicide bomber killed


Everton manager David Moyes signs a new contract until 2009.


Roma, 15:38 - CALCIO, INCHIESTA VIP: TOTTI PAGO' FOTOGRAFO CORONA

Gli inquirenti che indagano l'agente dei vip Lele Mora e il fotografo Fabrizio Corona nell'inchiesta...


Champion Mare Azeri Likely to Keep Racing

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas Oct 31, 2004 - Azeri's racing career isn't over yet. The champion mare who took on the boys and finished fifth in the $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday could race in Kentucky or California early next year.


Olympics: Athens opens Paralympics with ceremonial extravaganza

ATHENS : Some 70,000 spectators filled the Athens Olympic stadium to watch the densely choreographed and emotionally-charged opening ceremony of the 12th Paralympics, the world's premier competition for disabled athletes.


Right-hander Carlos Silva and the Minnesota Twins avoided arbitration by agreeing Tuesday to a two-year contract that includes a mutual option for 2007.


U.S. military chief thanks El Salvador for Iraq help

SAN JUAN OPICO, El Salvador  - The top U.S. military officer praised El Salvador on Friday -- the only Latin American country still providing troops to the U.S.-led campaign in Iraq -- for its contribution to the war.


MICROSOFT'S search engine launched opens a new front for the world's biggest software company in the war for control of the internet, analysts said.


George Mason U. Cancels Michael Moore Talk

George Mason University on Thursday canceled plans to have "Fahrenheit 9/11" director Michael Moore speak on campus five days before the presidential election.


New Delhi, Nov. 12: Prime Minister Manmohan Singhâs instructions to reduce troops in Jammu and Kashmir will result in a thinning of military presence both along the Line of Control and in the internal security


Referee 'supports Arsenal or had a blackout'

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech accused the referee Graham Poll of "presenting Arsenal with a goal" during the 2-2 draw at Highbury on Sunday as the debate over Thierry Henry's quickly-taken free kick raged on.


India has the world's largest number of HIV-infected people, the head of a top international AIDS-fighting fund said Wednesday, dismissing official figures.    "I don't believe in the official statistics...


Australians try to rescue stranded whales

HOBART, AUSTRALIA - More than 120 whales and dolphins have died after beaching themselves in two separate locations off Australia.


Singapore’s Barring of Some Activists Prompts a Protest

The World Bank and the I.M.F. protested a decision by Singapore to bar several activist groups at their meeting with the leaders of poor countries next week.


NEW YORK Now that the broadcast TV upfront market is nearly complete, buyers are setting their sights on cable. Many are wondering whether that market will be as strong, in terms of total dollars and price hikes, as its network counterpart. The answer, sellers say, will depend on whether buyers want to use the new commercial ratings as currency, as they did with the broadcast market. There are indications, and good reasons, that they might not.


Source code standoff in breathalyzer case

Minnesota officials haven't met a court-imposed deadline for turning over the source code to a breath-test device, which could lead to dropped DUI charges.


Madrid - Real Madrid president Florentino Perez said on Monday he had accepted Jose Antonio Camacho's resignation as coach and appointed his deputy Mariano Garcia Remon in a caretaker role.


Serena Williams muscled her way past Switzerland's Patty Schnyder at the US Open. Picture:Reuters. Serena Williams revealed she had defied the advice of three doctors in order to play in the


Washington gets $1M settlement in first spyware case

(InfoWorld) - Washington's attorney general has settled the first case prosecuted under the state's 2005 Computer Spyware Act. The settlement. announced Monday, is with antispyware vendor Secure Computer LLC. The White Plains, New York, software companyÂ was accused of marketing its product via deceptive spam and pop-up ads, which offered free spyware scans that always detected a problem with the computer that was scanned. The company and its president, Paul Burke, will pay $725,000 in legal fees and $200,000 in penalties, and will reimburse Washington state customers $75,000, said Paula Selis, senior council with the attorney general's office. "Given the scope of the defendants' practices and the amount of consumer harm out there, we feel this is a very fair settlement." More than 1,100 state residents purchased the company's Spyware Cleaner software since it went on the market in 2004, Selis said. Those customers will now be e-mailed by Secure Computer and offered a refund for the $49.95 product, under terms of the settlement. Secure Computer, which admits no wrongdoing in the matter, is also prohibited from usingÂ deceptive marketing techniquesÂ to promote its software, and the company must now review the advertising of its marketing affiliates to make sure they comply with the settlement. That seems like an unlikely possibility, however, because Spyware Cleaner was pulled from the market shortly after the lawsuits were filed in late January, and Secure Computer LLC is now out of business, according to the company's Web site. Representatives from Secure Computer could not be reached for comment. Secure Computer and four of its business partners were sued by Microsoft and the Washington attorney general in January, but charges against three of the men have already been settled. A fourth man, Manoj Kumar of Maharashtra, India, could not be located, the attorney general's office said. Â


Scientists believe they have discovered how peanuts cause allergies in so many people.


Paulson, Warning About Trade Barriers, Says Economy Is Slowing but Healthy

The Treasury Secretary said the economy was slowing toward sustained growth, but warned that it could be derailed if trade barriers were raised.


Bush signs nuclear deal with India into law

President George W. Bush on Monday signed into law a nuclear deal with India in a major step toward allowing New Delhi to buy U.S. reactors and fuel for the first time in 30 years.