Troubled Wrexham Football Club has its power cut off for non-payment of bills ahead of Saturday's home game against Hull.


Four Israeli troops are dead after Palestinian Militants set off a bomb in a tunnel underneath an Israeli Military checkpoint near the Egyptian border Sunday.


A far cry from smoke-filled reporters' havens of past

Reporters who tire of searching for real news at New York's Republican National Convention next week -- or who just want a safe haven from their editors -- can


Vice President Dick Cheney stuck to national security while promoting the re-election of President Bush on Friday, calling Sen. John Kerry weak on keeping America safe and intent on pursuing a strategy of retreat.


Brown Bears Came to N. America Earlier Than Thought, Fossil Suggests

A fragment of a bear skull in a Canadian museum may be rewriting the history of North America's brown bears.


Sharon, with Party Backing, Invites Labor Into Govt

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon  invited the opposition Labor Party on Friday to form a national  unity government, seeking to avoid early elections and ensure a  planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip next year.


Watching for changes in the inner eyewall of a hurricane may help forecasters overcome one of their most perplexing challenges: predicting sudden strengthening or weakening. The ability to predict what path a hurricane will follow has improved dramatically in recent years, but anticipating sudden changes in intensity has remained a problem.


A government video shows the potential destruction caused by hackers seizing control of a crucial part of the U.S. electrical grid: an industrial turbine spinning wildly out of control until it becomes a smoking hulk and power shuts down.


Clinic doctor blasts FDA, Merck in Vioxx case

A drug manufacturer and the Food and Drug Administration failed the public by not heeding the warning signs associated with Vioxx, and Congress should investigate their actions, a Cleveland Clinic cardiologist said Wednesday.


A US soldier admits murdering a severely wounded 16-year-old Iraqi civilian, saying it was a "mercy killing".


WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Being overweight or obese doesn't increase the odds that seniors will experience memory trouble, a new study finds.


Indonesia announces arrest of terror suspects in Australian ...

Jakarta (AsiaNews/Ap) - Four terrorism suspects wanted in connection with the suicide attack on the Australian Embassy have been arrested, Indonesian police announced on Wednesday.


House Speaker Dennis Hastert demanded Wednesday that the FBI surrender documents it seized and remove agents involved in the weekend raid of Rep. William Jefferson's office, under what lawmakers of both parties said were unconstitutional circumstances.


Congressmen: Iraq lawless like the Wild West

Government contractors in Iraq face lawlessness reminiscent of America's Wild West of the 1800s, lawmakers said Wednesday at a House hearing into a contractor's rape allegations.


The former director says Frontline will build an interoperable communications system.


Some people can live a normal life while regularly taking heroin, according to researchers in Glasgow.


National League: Braves closing in on another crown

Chipper Jones hit a three-run homer to help Atlanta overcome an early deficit last night, and the Braves reduced their magic number for clinching the NL East to eight by beating the Florida Marlins 8-1.


Down 3.3 percent in the past year, median US home values are still 7.6 percent above 2004 levels.


Strongest world growth in three decades this year: IMF

WASHINGTON - The global economy should register its strongest growth in three decades in 2004 despite soaring oil prices, which are expected to restrain the US expansion a bit, the International Monetary Fund said yesterday.


Police killed at least 13 suspected drug traffickers in a huge operation Wednesday aimed at ending a war between authorities and gangs that has raged for nearly two months in a Rio de Janeiro slum.


Japanese stocks rebounded after a four-day slide Thursday, helped by Wall Street's rally overnight. Exporters like Toyota, retailers and rubber product makers led the advance.


Baseball: Expos near move to Washington as deadline approaches

WASHINGTON : Major League Baseball is expected to announce that the Montreal Expos will move to Washington for the 2005 season, North American media reported.


$150,000 mortgage for only $610/month. Lower your mortgage. Free quotes. Apply now - bad credit OK.


The U.S. military said it killed four suspected terrorists and four civilians Wednesday in a raid in Baqouba, while Iraqi forces announced they had arrested a leader of a militant group believed responsible for numerous attacks on coalition forces.


Zurigo, 19:28 - CALCIO, MONDIALI 2014: IL 30 OTTOBRE FIFA SCEGLIE SEDE

La Fifa renderà nota il 30 ottobre la sede che ospiterà il Mondiale del 2014. Attualme...


Tony Blair says European leaders are in a "state of denial" about President Bush's US election victory.


In piazza Santi Apostoli la manifestazione lanciata da Magdi AllamAlcune centinaia di persone. Tra i partecipanti il rabbino Pacifici.                                          A Roma in piazza per salvare i cristiani Berlusconi: "In Cina con l'input della Chiesa"                                                                                Fini: "Quella di stasera Ã¨ una bella e lodevole iniziativa"


Four people are shot dead at a concert by US rock group Damageplan, which contains ex-members of Pantera.


Democrats unveil new bill to help needy children

Democrats in the U.S. House of  Representatives on Wednesday unveiled a revised bill to expand  health insurance for needy children, hopeful they will muster  enough support to override another possible veto by President  George W. Bush.


Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson will wear their respective ages (38 and 41) on the backs of their uniforms this summer. In the case of Roger Clemens, No. 22 will reflect seasons pitched.


Microsoft, Others Protest Google's DoubleClick deal

Google Inc.'s proposed merger with online advertising server DoubleClick Inc. would create a giant that would control a huge portion of online advertising and hurt the Internet, opponents of the deal told U.S. lawmakers Thursday.


North Korea seeks aid amid nuclear arms diplomacy

North Korea is seeking humanitarian aid  at talks with the South, an official said on Thursday,  signaling Pyongyang was trying to cash in on a reduction of  tensions on the Korean peninsula.


The top executives of America's largest companies have grown more cautious about the economic outlook, according to a survey released on Monday by the Business Roundtable, but they still expect growth despite the turmoil in the world's credit markets and what it characterized as the "recession" in U.S. housing.


Lasers could make disk drives a hundred times faster

(InfoWorld) - Researchers have demonstrated disk write speeds one hundred times faster than current hard drives. The method uses a laser to heat the recording surface and alter its magnetic field. There is no equivalent read speed increase though. According to a report in Science Now, Dutch scientists at Radboud University Nijmegen used a laser to send flashes of polarized light to a 5-micron-wide spot on a disk surface which was heated. The sheer angular momentum of the photons hitting the recording surface was then able to flip the magnetic field if the light was polarized one way, but left it unaltered if polarized in the other direction. A traditional magnetic field reader was then able to detect binary ones or zeroes accordingly. This shows the promise of heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). The laser flash duration was 40 femtoseconds -- 40 billionths of a millionth of a second -- which is 100 times shorter than the time needed for a current write head to change the magnetic field direction on a hard drive disk recording bit. Thus there is the promise of increasing data writing speed up to one hundred times. This will enable hard disk data writing speed to better keep up with ever-faster data transfers across networks. However there are problems to be resolved. Firstly the recording area, at 5-microns wide, is very much bigger than the sub-half micron area in today's hard drives. Drive users won't accept a substantial decrease in areal density, meaning lower disk capacity, as the price of a substantial speed increase. However, the researchers expect to get it down to a 10 nanometer area. A second problem is that the read component of the disk head remains magnetic and there is, as yet, no technology promising a hundredfold increase in read speed. Physicist Julius Hohlfeld of the Seagate Research establishment in Pittsburgh says that a third problem is the need to have an affordable laser that can fire 40 femtosecond pulses. Daniel Stanciu, co-author of the research paper, expects a working prototype within ten years, which means that a commercial product could be 13 to 15 years away. That would take us to 2019 or thereabouts. Seagate has suggested that HAMR could increase area density to 50Tbit/sq inch by 2019, meaning a 40-50TB 2.5-inch hard drive would be theoretically possible.


Â· PM steps up pressure ahead of EU/Africa summit Â· Portugal scrambles to salvage key meetings


Candidates tap heavy hitters in homestretch

Republicans and Democrats are calling on some heavy hitters to help attract voters as the presidential campaigns enter the homestretch before the November 2 election.


Serena expands ALM focus with change governance

(InfoWorld) - Serena Software is expanding its focus in the application lifecycle management space with a release of a platform tailored to change governance. The company on Tuesday is launching Dimensions 10, which unifies ALM components for requirements management, change management, build management, and deployment into a single, integrated platform. A management console also is included. Dimensions 10 is geared to large IT departments performing custom application development in markets such as banking, manufacturing, and telecommunications. "It's change governance for the application lifecycle," said Matt DiMaria, vice president of worldwide marketing at Serena. Change governance extends software change management, he said. "What [Dimension 10] does is extend it out across the lifecycle. You have the ability to do full impact analysis for any change, regardless of where it originates," DiMaria said. Impacts on source code can be traced, he added. With change governance, companies can visualize the impact of proposed changes, orchestrate processes and polices, and enforce adoption of best practices throughout an enterprise, according to Serena. Dimensions 10 differs from its predecessor, Dimensions 9, in that the earlier release honed in on software change and configuration management, whereas Version 10 adds in management of requirements, builds, and releases. The product rests on a common database shared by the various modules. "These are not five separate products. It is a single CD that installs to a single database," DiMaria said. Although the primary intention is to sell the entire suite as a single package, some unbundling of functionality will be permitted, he said. The platform merges the former Merant Dimensions product and Serena's ChangeMan DS tool for distributed software change management and adds in the additional ALM capabilities, as well as an executive dashboard. Serena acquired Merant in 2004 and anticipates that ChangeMan DS customers will migrate to Dimensions 10, DiMaria said. Serena previously offered its standalone RTM (Requirements Traceability Management) tool for requirements management; it is being incorporated into Dimensions 10 but still will be available separately. Before Dimensions 10, users could import and export data between RTM and Dimensions 9; now, that exchange will be seamless and automatic. With Dimensions 10, Serena seeks to provide a soup-to-nuts platform for ALM rather than having users piece together various products. "What's happened over the last few years is companies have invested in a bunch of point tools that are extremely expensive to maintain," DiMaria said, adding that tools were not designed to work together. "What Dimensions 10 represents is one solution to that problem." One user of Serena's Dimensions 9 platform said he was pleased with Dimensions 10 but is still investigating whether it makes sense to replace some current tools with the entire Dimensions 10 platform. "We strongly believe that Serena is moving in the right direction with the functionality and usability of Dimensions 10," said user Gary Soule, IT applications manager in the ALM group at Premera Blue Cross, a health insurance company. Version 10 offers advancements for developer productivity and usability, such as IDE integration and enabling collaborative workspaces for code sharing among developers, Soule said. Tight integration with Windows Explorer also is beneficial, he said. ALM is a key initiative in the IT department at Premera, enabling the establishment of software lifecycle processes, Soule said.Â  Specific parts of Dimensions 10 include: Dimensions RM, for requirements management; Dimensions CM, for change management; Dimensions Build, for build management; Dimensions Deploy, for deploying software; and the Serena Command Center executive dashboard, providing management, reporting, and visibility into all projects. Dimensions 10 will be available on Sept. 12. Entry-level pricing for a midsize to large enterprise averages $100,000 for a perpetual license.


The triumphant leader of the Civic Platform, Donald Tusk, addresses his supporters, while the outgoing prime minister, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, concedes defeat.


Research carried out in Edinburgh suggests that up to a third of pregnancies in Scotland are unplanned.


"Do you think I am going to leave my country with no air defence?" Gbagbo said in an interview on. siding with the rebels in drafting the council text.


The Yankees finally played ball last night, taking advantage of an opponent that looked as if it had spent the whole day sitting in ballparks, on buses and in an airplane.


Former Karadzic ally gets 27 years for ethnic cleansing in Bosnia

The United Nations war crimes court sentenced Bosnian Serb politician Momcilo Krajisnik to 27 years in prison for his role in Bosnia's "ethnic cleansing," but acquitted him of genocide.


India ups security after blasts kill more than 160

Police stepped up security across India  on Wednesday after bombs killed more than 160 people and  wounded hundreds in packed commuter trains and stations in the  financial hub, Mumbai.


Sears, Roebuck & Co. S.N, was sued  this week by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,  which said the largest U.S. department store chain illegally  fired a store manager because he was black.


BAGRAM, Afghanistan - The trail has gone cold in the hunt for mastermind Osama bin Laden three years after the Sept. 11 attacks, a top American commander said yesterday, but the al-Qaida chief and his No.


Army releasing own Abu Ghraib abuse report

WASHINGTON - A second report on responsibility for the Abu Ghraib prison abuses will be released Wednesday by the Army and will focus on the military intelligence unit at the prison outside Baghdad.


BHP Billiton 'preparing hostile bid for Rio Tinto'

BHP Billiton, the world's biggest miner, is preparing a hostile bid for peer Rio Tinto whose board has turned down a friendly approach worth billions of US dollars, British newspapers said Sunday.


Tokyo stocks rise for 3rd straight day    TOKYO, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks advanced Wednesday for the third straight day.   The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 25.07 points, or 0.14 percent, to 17,705.12.


The countryâs banking regulator is planning to find out how UBS racked up $10 billion in write-downs related to the subprime lending problems in the United States. âWe have to look how the situation got so farâ into a loss, a spokesman for the Federal Banking Commission, Alain Bichsel, said. âItâs our job.â On Dec. 10, UBS announced the largest subprime write-downs by any European bank and said it would raise $16.8 billion to improve its financial strength. Mr. Bichsel said that the bankâs response to the losses was âvery goodâ and that UBS would not face an âinvestigation in the legal sense.â There is no evidence of any wrongdoing by UBS, Europeâs largest bank by assets, he added. A spokesman for UBS, Serge Steiner, declined to comment.


Designer partecipa a Pitti Uomo e riceve Gonfalone d'argento


Moores expects Flintoff to return before summer's end

England cricket coach Peter Moores is tipping star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff to recover from injury and return to action before the end of the summer.


Study Finds Warming Trend in Arctic Linked to Emissions

The first thorough assessment of a decadeslong Arctic warming trend shows the region is undergoing profound changes, including sharp retreats of glaciers and sea ice, thawing of permafrost


Apple Stores to Close at 2PM on Friday for iPhone

Retail stores owned by Apple will be closed from 2PM to 6PM on Friday, prior to the iPhone's release.


A massive car bomb exploded near the U.S.   embassy in Kabul on Friday, killing at least 16 people   including up to seven foreigners, the worst suicide attack in   the city since the Taliban were overthrown in 2001.


The father of a boy who drowned in a pond speaks of his heartache at finding out the news on television.


Rapper Young Buck has given himself up to police after being suspected of stabbing a fan at the Vibe Awards earlier this week. The performer is one of the members of 50 Cent's posse G-Unit.


A woman who pushed her fiance's work van into a harbour after an argument avoids a jail sentence.


Rebounding from a sluggish start to its season, Boston College completed a weekend sweep of Merrimack with a 4-2 victory yesterday in North Andover.


Ignorance breeds leper colonies in China

Despite advances in treatment, China   has hundreds of "leper colonies" because of deep-rooted   ignorance about the disease, medical experts say.


Tsunami warnings issued after quake hits Sumatra

A powerful earthquake measuring 8.2 struck Indonesia's Sumatra region on Wednesday, triggering tsunami warnings in the Indian Ocean, sparking panic in coastal areas across Southeast Asia and causing at least two deaths.


Surplus flu vaccine piles up at doctors' offices, clinics

Instead of an expected flu shot shortage, the vaccine is piling up at doctors' offices and clinics. The declining demand has state health authorities talking about dropping the recommended age limit for a flu shot to 50 and older from 65.


Investor worries hang over Microsoft bid

Microsoft Corp. views its proposed takeover of Yahoo Inc. as the missing piece in its Internet advertising puzzle, but skeptics think the deal could become a jumbled mess that will help make rival Google Inc. even stronger.


Fuel hold breached on broken freighter off Alaska coast

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The Coast Guard lowered a salvage team to a soybean freighter that broke in two off Alaska's coast - a key step toward cleaning up a destructive, oily mess stretching for miles from the vessel.


Entro questa sera verranno votati gli ordini del giorno


Los Angeles Catholic Church in record abuse deal

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $660 million to 500 victims of sexual abuse dating back as far as the 1940s in the largest compensation deal of its kind, the plaintiffs' lawyers said on Saturday.


FACES OF HOPE; Shelters Work to Leave No One in the Cold; Severe Weather Brings Extreme Needs and Bills

By FELICIA THOMAS-LYNN  As a deep freeze grips the Milwaukee area with a stretch of bone- chilling temperatures, a network of homeless shelters continues its efforts to leave no one out in the cold.


Whatever it is (Radio Shack for rich people? The Sharp -est Image?), the Apple Store isn't what it used to be, even a year or so ago. The initial thrills, the feelings of i-comfort and i-belonging, still await you behind its translucent facade, especially now, in the gizmodic spree of the Christmas...


Bribery Indictments Include Long List of Expensive Favors

Two indictments issued Tuesday by a federal grand jury in San Diego contain fresh details related to alleged efforts by Brent R. Wilkes, a California businessman, to bribe a member of Congress and a senior CIA official. The goal, prosecutors charge, was to get the officials to steer lucrative...


Roma, 22:45 - CALCIO, JUVE; DEL PIERO: QUANDO GIOCO 90 MINUTI...

Una doppietta per tenere la Juve nei piani altissimi della classifica. Alessandro Del Piero è...


Vicino a luogo di culto sciita, non confermata ipotesi bomba


UPDATE 5-Kiev given 3-0 win at Roma after referee injury

Dynamo Kiev were awarded a 3-0 win over AS Roma on Tuesday after their Champions League match was abandoned when the referee was hit by an object thrown from the crowd in Rome.


Thirsty Dad Allegedly Starts 'Brew-Haha'

MILFORD, Conn. - A man has been arrested on charges of beating his son when the boy refused to turn over his video game system so it could be pawned for beer money...


France says it does not yet know whether a French female journalist missing in Iraq since early on Wednesday has been taken hostage, and has urged journalists not to travel to Iraq.


Il defile', sul tema del Tardo Gotico, inizia con un nudo


Caterpillar 2nd-Quarter Profit Falls 21 Percent

Caterpillar said earnings were hurt by soft North American machine sales, selected supply chain disruptions and higher costs.


You are the soul of your enterprise--which is why you need a plan for when disaster strikes.


Greek Cypriots demolished a wall Friday along the boundary that for decades has split Europe's last divided capital


Mantova, 18:03 - CALCIO, MANTOVA; TESSER: BISOGNA PARTIRE BENE

Non sarà un Mantova al completo quello che domani affronterà il Ravenna nella prima gi...


The death of Yasser Arafat is being mourned across a region which has historically supported his struggle.


Support for Japan's government keeps sliding: poll

Public support for the administration of Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is continuing to slide, with a poll Monday putting its approval rating at 40 percent.


First round at Mallorca suspended with two sharing lead

Mallorca, Spain (Sports Network) - Simon Khan stands at five-under par through 13 holes and holds a share of the lead during the first round of the Mallorca Classic.


Putin Backs Ukrainian Leader, Dismissing Call for New Runoff

President Vladimir V. Putin waded deep into Ukraine's electoral crisis on Thursday, dismissing the challenger's demand for a repeat of the disputed presidential


Update: Rhapsody's coming to a Clix near you

Blog: iRiver officially teams up with Rhapsody to offer an optimized experience with the music service on the Clix.


ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 30  â With No. 7 emblazoned across his chest, the high school senior preparing for the season opener Friday night drops back and throws a dart to a receiver in the back of the end zone.


PORTUGAL:  Epidemic of Conscientious Objection to Performing Abortion

LISBON, Jul 20 (IPS) - Pleading "conscientious objection," a  significant proportion of doctors in Portugal are preventing  women from making use of the law authorising abortions up to 10  weeks of gestation, which entered into force on Sunday.


Dow Jones says News Corp. deal not yet reached

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. (NWSa.N)  has not yet reached a deal to buy Dow Jones & Co. Inc.   and discussions continue, representatives for Dow Jones and its  controlling Bancroft family said on Friday.


Second seed Rafael Nadal meets Sweden's Robin Soderling in the third round on Centre Court.


So much has changed since I left Chelsea for the south coast 15 months ago. For instance, only two players from the starting XI of my last game are still there - and one


Google gets involved in Kenya, fights back in China

I'm feeling scrappy Not even a bloody ethnic conflict can stop Google. Kenyan news sources say that the search juggernaut is building up its African headquarters in Nairobi.â¦


Intel Corp. INTC.O this week is  expected to introduce a chip that adds support for a relatively  obscure version of Wi-Fi, analysts said on Monday, in a move  that could help ease congestion on wireless networks.


Advertising: In Britain, a Breakup May Not Mean ItÂs Over

Lawyers say a new regulation threatens to make advertising account shifts prohibitively expensive or simply counterproductive.


Motorola Inc. on  Monday unveiled several new handsets, including the Krzr and  the Rizr, which are narrower than its flagship Razr.


A "reasonable settlement" is reached in the annual European Union fisheries talks, says a UK minister.


Israel Expands Gaza Strike, Kills 8 Palestinians

The Israeli army killed eight Palestinians  in Gaza Friday as it poured tanks and soldiers into the coastal  strip, expanding a ground offensive intended to root out  militants firing rockets into Israeli towns.


Velvet Revolver recording second album in L.A

Hard rock combo Velvet Revolver is  eyeing a mid- to late-spring release for the follow-up to its  Grammy-winning debut.


Stanford Wins NCAA Women's VB Championship

Minnesota's Trisha Bratford (4) hits against Stanford's Liz Sutter (13) and Jennifer Hucke in the second set of the Division I NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship match in Long Beach, Calif.


Mental health campaigners say cigarette papers should carry printed warnings about the dangers of cannabis.


Chris Cornell quits Audioslave amid conflicts

Audioslave singer Chris Cornell has quit the short-lived "supergroup," citing "irresolvable personality conflicts as well as musical differences," he said on Thursday.


Coachella promoters launching New York festival

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - The promoters of the annual Coachella music festival in southern California are planning a New York-area version this summer, sources say.


$500 Million Frozen in IRS Crackdown in Doctors' Tax Case

A federal judge has temporarily frozen more than $500 million in assets owned by thousands of doctors and dentists who bought abusive tax shelters run by a San Diego investment company, the Justice Department announced yesterday.


Qatar Petroleum, Hydro Plan $1.5B Facility

Norsk Hydro ASA said Monday it has signed a deal to invest $1.5 billion in a new aluminum smelting plant in Qatar to be operated by Qatar Petroleum.


Wildlife Habitat Council Announces Incoming Chairman of the Board

SILVER SPRING, Md., March 6  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) announces Emer OBroin, Vice President Environmental Safety, Health and Human Rights, Monsanto Company, as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors.


In an unusual hostile takeover attempt, Genzyme Corp. yesterday went public with a $380 million cash offer to buy a Canadian drug-development company whose board of directors has twice rejected the bid.


CINEMA * "The Terminal" (con Hanks) atterra a Venezia

Il film di Spielberg, nelle sale dal 3 settembre, racconta la storia di un uomo a lungo bloccato in un aeroporto. Gli Usa ossessionati dalla sicurezza. âThe Terminalâ, la pellicola di Steven Spielberg ambientata


A Fox News Channel producer sued Bill O'Reilly for sexual harassment Wednesday, alleging her boss had phone sex with her against her wishes three times. Fox filed a countersuit, saying the complaint was a politically motivated extortion attempt.


US, Finland set for first World Cup semifinal

St. Paul, MN (Sports Network) - A berth in the World Cup final will be on the line tonight when the United States and Finland clash in the first semifinal at Xcel Energy Center.


Pakistan detains hundreds ahead of ex-PM's return

Pakistani authorities tightened security at Islamabad's airport and have detained more than 2,000 supporters of exiled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his party said on Sunday, the eve of his planned return.


Four simple steps for lowering risk and boosting returns.


Sarkozy defends French backing for Alstom

CBI director general Digby Jones yesterday clashed with French finance minister Nicolas Sarkozy over the state-backed rescue of one of France's biggest industrial companies.


Afghan farmers find alternative to opium: marijuana

BALKH, Afghanistan  - As Afghanistan struggles to cut its raging opium production, aid workers try to find alternative crops, but for some former poppy farmers the choice was easy -- they planted marijuana instead.


For the first time in four years, the United Way Community Services Torch Drive reached -- and surpassed -- its fund-raising goal.


Blogs Provide Raw Details From Scene of the Disaster

For vivid reporting from the enormous zone of tsunami disaster, it was hard to beat the blogs.


Milano, 12:48 - CALCIO, DONADONI: REGALO COMPLEANNO? CHE GIOCATORI CAPISCANO

Roberto Donadoni compie domani 44 anni e si aspetta dall'Italia un bel regalo. ''Qual è il re...


Double MyDoom for Internet Explorer flaw

A second version of the MyDoom variant that uses a flaw in Internet Explorer has started to spread, antivirus researchers said on Tuesday.


Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Cabinet resigned Tuesday, clearing the way for new ruling party leader Yasuo Fukuda to be named by parliament as his successor later in the day.


The number of gay characters depicted on TV is falling on network series but rising on cable, a study by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation found.


Chan tells aspiring actors to be natural

Jackie Chan to aspiring action stars: Don't bow to me. Chan said in a blog entry on his Web site Sunday that he's not a fan of the way disciples greet their masters in kung fu movies by grasping a clenched fist in a prayer-like gesture, then bowing their heads.


Radio Networks Agree to Fine Over Payoffs 4 Broadcasters Will Pay $12.5 Million

By Jeff Leeds  Radio broadcasters have long been accused of corrupting the public airwaves by accepting bribes from corporate music giants.  But in a pair of agreements disclosed Monday, U.S.


Bush to Renew Intelligence Reform Pressure on Congress

SANTIAGO, Chile  - President Bush will renew  pressure on Congress to reach agreement on intelligence reforms  this year, after a weekend deal collapsed in the face of  Republican opposition, the White House said on Sunday.


The EU's enlargement commissioner rules out a deal with Serbia before  elections are completed.


With Oracle in Pursuit, the Quarry Sets Its Price

Oracle rejected as âimpossibly highâ BEAâs offer to be acquired for about $8.2 billion, just two weeks after BEA refused Oracleâs $6.7 billion offer for the company.


The CQPolitics Interview: Ellen Simon (Ariz. 1)

Civil rights attorney Ellen Simon is expected to easily win a five-way Democratic primary Tuesday in ArizonaÃ¢ÂÂs 1st Congressional District, a victory that would make her a serious challenger to two-term Republican Rep. Rick Renzi in the eight-week general election campaign.


Foreclosures rising among high-risk US mortgages

Loans made to people with weak credit during the housing boom have pushed more than 20 companies into bankruptcy.


Euro at fresh high as Snow dashes hopes of currency intervention

The dollar slumped to a fresh all-time low against the euro yesterday as John Snow, the US Treasury Secretary, poured cold water on hopes of intervention to stem its decline.


Scientists hail spinal injury breakthrough

Researchers use bypass technique to restore movement in paralysed rats


Soaring energy costs and a surge in food prices contributed to a 1.7 percent rise in United States producer prices in October, the Labor Department reported today, the biggest gain in almost 15 years.


Two of Britain's big unions are to start talks which could lead to merger and a 2.5 million member 'super union'.


He won't win seven gold medals in Athens and he could manage only a bronze when he went head-to-head with ...


Wie equals worst in men's event with 81 in Japan

KOCHI, Japan  - Michelle Wie equaled her worst score in a professional men's tournament after opening with a nine-over-par 81 at the Casio World Open on Thursday.


A radical Muslim cleric who Italian prosecutors say was abducted by the CIA in Milan in 2003 and flown secretly to Cairo has been freed from an Egyptian jail and plans to sue the U.S. and Italian governments for damages, the man's attorney said Monday.


Black Watch troops come under one of the most sustained attacks since arriving in central Iraq.


EuroDisney, the European home of Mickey Mouse and friends, says it will sell 253m euros of new shares as it looks to avoid insolvency.


News.com Extra: Geek alert: U.S. Air Force wants you

Also: Science tattoos making the Web rounds. See what people are saying on News.com Extra.


Two US astronauts begin a six-and-a-half hour space walk outside the International Space Station.


FREEPORT, Maine  - It's deer season in Maine and although the hunting department of outdoor retail specialist L.L. Bean is packed, this is no old-boy's club.


Palestinians urge Israel to discuss final status

RAMALLAH, West Bank  - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas cautioned on Monday that much had yet to be decided about holding a conference the United States hopes may relaunch Middle East peace talks in the coming months.


A US car advert directed by Guy Ritchie is axed after claims it encouraged dangerous driving.


Air chief: EU-U.S. discord over data sharing could ground passengers

A failure by the U.S. and the European Union to reach a new agreement on passenger data could ground 105,000 people per week from September, IATA's chief warned in Tokyo.


Andy McDonald bailed out Chris Pronger and set up Southern California for a playoff party like never before. The Anaheim Ducks are within a win of their first Stanley Cup championship. McDonald scored two goals in the second period, then shook free of hard-hitting Chris Neil and assisted on Dustin Penner's winner in the third, giving Anaheim a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Monday night.


Toshiba's HD-DVD going the way of Betamax

The high-definition DVD  format war has turned into a format death watch.


Aging: Mental Health Overlooked in Care of Elderly Patients

A new study suggests that doctors may devote too little time to talking with elderly patients about mental illnesses.


Lo rivela il cardinale Lozano, presidente del Pontificio Consiglio per la saluteUn documento di 200 pagine allo studio dei dicasteri della SanitÃ                                             Il Papa chiede un dossier sul preservativo come strumento di prevenzione per l'Aids                                                                                Oggi il rapporto Oms sulla diffusione del virus: 40 milioni di contagiati


Now that destiny was fulfilled, faster than anyone expected, with the Lebanese Council of Ministers accepting to amend the constitution in order to extend President Emile Lahoud's term for three more years, it is enough for the Lebanese, who objected to


Sadr appears, Basra militia leader killed

KUFA, Iraq  - Fiery Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr appeared in public for the first time in months on Friday to renew demands for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq and paint himself as a leader for all Iraqis.


Bryan Cupito was 10-of-12 for 279 yards and a touchdown in his first start, Minnesota's running backs picked up where they left off last season and the No.


Four Hmong elders were ordered by a federal judge Thursday to remain in jail while they await trial in what prosecutors allege was a plot to violently overthrow the government of Laos.


Some 1st Cav Soldiers Face Longer Tours Of Duty In Iraq

About 3,500 soldiers in the 2nd Brigade of Fort Hoodâs 1st Cavalry Division are among the US troops whose tours of duty in Iraq have been extended by the Pentagon.


Fannie Mae May Buy Fewer Mortgages to Meet Capital Requirement

Fannie Mae, the largest US mortgage buyer, may slow purchases of home loans to meet its regulator's demand to boost capital, hurting earnings prospects.


Sarkozy, Clement want balance of power to be maintained at EADS

Berlin and Paris are committed to maintaining the current balance of power at the European Aeronautic, Defence and Space Company, the French and German economy ministers said, amid speculation France is keen on a tie-up between EADS and French defence technology firm Thales.


The number of Iraqis returning to their country after fleeing abroad is growing, with more than 46,000 people coming home last month, an Iraqi government spokesman said


David Letterman's idea of cheating is apparently much more severe than Jimmie Johnson's.


US feels heat at convention on climate, as scientists gather to address warming

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- The United States is the big odd man out as diplomats, scientists, and environmentalists from more than 190 countries gather here at the 10th meeting of the United Nations' Convention on Climate Change. The convention's Kyoto Protocol, with its mandatory reduction of "greenhouse gases" that cause global warming, goes into force next year. Discussions of new ...


India and Pakistan will aim to push forward the peace process between them at talks in New York on Friday. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.


Maria Sharapova will open the defense of her U.S. Open title on Tuesday, bidding to become only the second woman in the past decade to win back-to-back titles at Flushing Meadows.


Foreigners crowd airport for flights out of Ivory Coast

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast - Frightened foreigners kept packing into Ivory Coast's international airport Saturday to be evacuated home, despite promises by President Laurent Gbagbo's government to protect them after a surge of anti-Western violence.


8 U.S. troops die in Afghan copter crash

Eight coalition members were killed and 14 others wounded when their helicopter had a "sudden, unexplained loss of power and control" and crashed in southeastern Afghanistan on Sunday, military officials said.


Deploying Children as Weapons of Mass Affection

In a tightly contested election, the appearance of the Bush twins at the convention was serious politics, a testament to the urgency with which candidates are fighting to sell their character to the public.


Anche un libro con immagini e documenti rari sul signor G


Charred bodies found in path of California fires

Border patrol agents discovered four charred bodies in rugged mountains near the Mexican border on Thursday, bringing the probable death toll from California's wildfires to 12, even as firefighters gained the upper hand in their five-day battle.


Nigerian gang kidnaps young daughter of British oil consultant

Three-year-old is first foreign child to be taken, but residents blame criminals rather than insurgents.


RIL approves share buyback at Rs 570 per share; Anil abstains

Mumbai, Dec 27 (UNI) The Reliance Industries Limited Board of Directors at its meeting today, with RIL Vice Chairman and Managing Director Anil Ambani abstaining from voting, approved the proposal of buyback of the company's fully paid up equity shares of


Grecia, autobus sequestrato: altri due ostaggi rilasciati

Altri due passeggeri dell'autobus sequestrato stamani alla periferia di Atene sono usciti poco fa dal veicolo. Lo ha riferito la Tv privata Mega citando testimoni sul posto secondo cui i due rilasciati sarebbero due uomini.


Test Confirms Second Canada Mad Cow Case

WINNIPEG, Manitoba  - A final laboratory test has  confirmed an Alberta dairy cow had mad cow disease, the second  case Canada has found in its herd, an industry source briefed  by veterinary officials said on Sunday.


NEW YORK - An internal survey conducted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicates that 66% of FDA scientists lacked confidence that the agency adequately monitors the safety of prescription drugs that are already on the market.


Iran is likely to be given an ultimatum to suspend all uranium enrichment activities, top UK officials say.


While off the beaten path of the United States Openâs show courts, on Friday, Court 11 offered fans matches featuring three Grand Slam runner-ups.


A convicted murderer escapes from the custody of Reliance guards while being treated at hospital.


Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi simply smiled during the live television show when a man called to praise terrorist mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The Iraqi leader then moved on, offering to find information about a woman's detained son and see why a student didn't get into the graduate program of his choice.


Englishman on trial over Scottish 'terrorist' campaign: court

An Englishman went on trial Monday accused of sending miniature bottles of vodka contaminated with caustic soda to public figures as part of a campaign by pro-independence Scottish "terrorists".


Yesterday's piece on health care and the presidential election got a great response, and some of it from Republicans, using the slogans and logic I hoped they wouldn't. But that's okay, it helps me focus my rhetoric on the precise point of disagreement, and hopefully by illuminating it, I can either convince some of the Republicans to come over to my side, or help eliminate some of the confusion on both sides. Or maybe it'll just keep the argument from slopping over into all kinds of irrelevant issues. The basic Republican argument goes like this. Why should I pay for the health needs of people who are so irresponsible as to not have health insurance.  If I got it wrong, please set me straight. Now I'd like to answer this, very carefully. The Democrats aren't proposing that you should pay for the uninsured. Key point. They either agree with you, or know that they're not going to get their proposal passed unless they take this into account. The Obama plan says you don't get care unless you have insurance. His proposal aims to get a lot more people insured. Clinton goes one step further, by requiring everyone to have health insurance.  Also, you already pay for the health needs of the uninsured. Whether you or I like it, we don't look the other way when someone is in need. You may feel the system should work differently, but that's not responsive to the proposal the Democrats are making. The debate is how health care works for the non-indigent.  If you have property, a car, a house, or if your kids go to private school or college, or if you want to take a vacation, or have a baby, or exercise between jobs, getting sick without insurance is a sure way to go from being middle class to being poor, quickly. This is why we have health insurance, to smoothe out the risk, to protect our family's lifestyle. It seems to me it's a good thing. It's the market solving a basic human need.  So this is what we should be discussing, how can we get insurance for all the people who want it, or should we require it for everyone -- this is the debate of 2008. This is what the Democrats are putting on the table, and what McCain, or whoever is the Republican nominee, will have to respond to, if we're going to have the respectful debate everyone is talking about having.  Why is this such a problem?  A lot of people, even healthy people without pre-existing conditions, can't get health insurance. And what if you have a pre-existing condition? Do you really think it's cool for the insurance industry to refuse them coverage? Why is that a good thing? I honestly don't get it. Consider the penalty for not having insurance. (See above.) So far the leaders of the Republican Party have managed to keep health care off the national agenda, but this year, it's there. If you doubt me, just ask a few people you know, and don't just ask poor people or Democrats, ask Republicans. Disease isn't a party issue, and while poor people tend to have poorer health, even well-off people need health care. And most people can't afford to pay for a catastrophic illness, and enough of them can't get health insurance to make this an important national issue. If you disagree with this, please let me know why. PS: Phil Windley asks where it stops. Should we provide free housing for the homeless? And what about free cable TV for people without cable TV? (He provides other examples.) No, this is only about health insurance. It's not about any of the other things mentioned in Phil's post.


WASHINGTON - Denying he has painted too rosy a picture about Iraq, President Bush said Thursday he would consider sending more troops if asked, but Iraq's interim leader firmly said they weren't needed. With violence spreading, Defense Secretary Donald H...


Squeezed by budget constraints, the Navy is proposing significant cuts in its shipbuilding program that could batter the struggling industry.


Oil rises on talk of Fed cut, OPEC rollover

Oil rose on Tuesday as expectations the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates again this week and OPEC would maintain output cuts offset concerns of a potential U.S. recession.


NASA Launch Controllers Give Green Light

By MIKE SCHNEIDER  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Clearing skies and diminishing winds raised hopes Saturday that NASA would succeed in its second attempt to get space shuttle Discovery off the ground for the first nighttime launch in four years.


Lo ha detto vice presidente Alexander Medvedev


Trnava, 20:46 - CALCIO, EUROPEI 2008: SLOVACCHIA-GALLES 2-5

Il Galles ha battuto 5-2 la Slovacchia a Trnava in un incontro valido per il gruppo D delle qualific...


Homeless man gets 65 years in 4 killings

A homeless man who pleaded guilty to murdering four men in a dispute over a space heater and dumping their bodies in manholes was sentenced Tuesday to 65 years in prison.


Embattled doctor settles with state commission

The doctor at the center of a prescription drug scandal involving the Washington softball team has agreed to stop practicing medicine in a settlement with the state Medical Quality Assurance Commission.


Spurs ease past Jazz to take commanding lead

The San Antonio Spurs moved to within one victory of the NBA finals with a 91-79 road victory over the Utah Jazz on Monday, pulling away from the hosts with an aggressive fourth-quarter run.


Il marchio 'Kooly Noody' nasce da uno sketch di Striscia


The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. Nobody's exactly sure why or how the FBI got warrants to take Indymedia's HDs, but their


A discarded vibrator at Queensland's Mackay airport caused pandemonium after cleaners noticed a rubbish bin humming in a suspicious manner, the Herald Sun reports.


Blockbuster revealed plans for hostile takeover for Hollywood ...

Blockbuster Inc. threatens Hollywood Entertainment Group with a hostile takeover if the board does not decide on negotiating over the its tender offer for the purchase of all outstanding shares at the price of $11.50 a share in cash.


Settore trainante, secondo la ricerca presentata stamane da Expediaalla Camera di Commercio di Milano, il turismo con 1,5 miliardi                                            Boom del commercio elettronico nel 2006 Fatturato di quasi 3 miliardi, +42%                                                                                Tuttavia in Italia l'e-commerce Ã¨ poco sviluppato rispetto agli altri paesi europeidi ROSARIA AMATO


Bergamo, 20:47 - CALCIO: ANNULLATO TRENO SPECIALE TIFOSI ATALANTINI PER ROMA

E' stato annullato, a meno di 48 ore dalla partenza, il treno speciale che sabato avrebbe dovuto por...


Confirmation of CIA Prisons Leaves Europeans Mistrustful

PARIS, President Bush's transfer of terrorism suspects out of secret CIA prisons to the Guantanamo detention facility would do little to repair transatlantic distrust that has grown in recent years, political analysts in France and other European countries said Thursday.


UK Government Set to Pass Bill Banning Fox Hunting With Dogs

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair's government today will use fast-track rules to push a bill through the House of Commons that would ban fox hunting with hounds, a traditional pursuit in the British countryside.


Ukraine parliament approves Tymoshenko as premier

Ukraine's parliament on Tuesday narrowly approved Orange Revolution leader Yulia Tymoshenko as prime minister, in the ex-Soviet republic's latest bid to emerge from months of political turmoil.


Genova, 16:48 - CALCIO, GASPERINI: UN'ANOMALIA IL RINVIO DELLA JUVENTUS

Il rinvio della partita Brescia-Juventus valida per il sesto turno di Serie B ha creato non poche po...


Another small step towards the next generation Monday marks a red-letter day for the internet, with the introduction of services that allow IPv6-based IP addresses to translated into domain names and vice versa.â¦


Eâ di Carlos Checa la pole position del Gp del Qatar, quartultima prova del Motomondiale, in programma sabato. Lo spagnolo della Yamaha ha fermato il cronometro sullâ1â58â988, precedendo il brasiliano Alex Barros e il connazionale Sete Gibernau.


There has been a large explosion outside the building housing Somalia's interim parliament, with casualties reported.


Italy's Two Hostages Dedicated to Helping Iraqis

Simona Torretta and Simona Pari share the same first name, the same age, the same job and the same dedication to the Iraqi people.


Genesis: This week over Utah, Hollywood helicopter stunt pilots will try to snag a returning spacecraft carrying solar particles. By Michael Stroh.


Park raring for return to United line-up

Park Ji-Sung has declared himself fit and ready for duty in Manchester United's push for silverware on four fronts.


With the Securities and Exchange Commission taking no action on Google's request to declare the registration statement for its stock sale effective at 4 pm yesterday, the Web search company found itself in ...


Many Had the Desire, Means to Kill Bhutto

Even before the official search got underway in Pakistan, U.S. intelligence agencies yesterday were drawing up their own list of possible suspects in the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto -- a list that includes al-Qaeda as well as elements of Pakistan's own intelligence service.


Louis J. Horvitz is returning to direct the Academy Awards, his 12th time running the show for Hollywood's biggest party.


Minnesota Vikings right tackle Mike Rosenthal is likely out for the season with an injury to his right foot.


NOVEMBER 22, 2004 (IDG NEWS SERVICE) - Firefox 1.0 appears to have sparked new activity in the Web browser market. The release of the open-source Web browser by the Mozilla Foundation earlier this month prompted Microsoft Corp.


Caroline Williams scored 11 of her career-high 17 points in the first 11 minutes to help No. 16 Vanderbilt beat South Carolina 88-43 Sunday.


WASHINGTON -- Why is the subject of giving such a difficult thing to discuss? Some folks would rather ask someone for a kidney than for a donation to a charitable cause.


Il remake del film di Damiano Damiani diretto da Giulio Base


US Soldier Jenkins Pleads Guilty to Desertion

US army Sergeant Charles Robert Jenkins pleaded guilty on Wednesday to deserting to North Korea at a court martial that will decide his fate and end a Cold War drama that began four decades ago, a witness said.


Arab Leaders Pay Final Respects to Sheik

Arab leaders and other dignitaries prayed Wednesday over the body of United Arab Emirates President Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, paying final respects


Sept. 11 widows slam Bush's anti-terror record

A group of widows of September 11 victims slammed President George W. Bush's record against terrorism, accusing the US leader of making the United States less safe and of bringing terrorism to Iraq.


Almost as soon he was sprung from jail by a radio station's money, Bobby Brown and Hot 99.5 FM bailed on the deal.


Breast Cancer Gene Might Extend Ovarian Cancer Survival

THURSDAY, Jan. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Ashkenazi Jewish women with ovarian cancer live significantly longer if they carry specific mutations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes known to raise risks for breast cancer.


HP investigation went further than previously thought

Reporters followed, say leaks Officials at Hewlett-Packard have been asked to testify to the House of Representatives which is investigating the company's media leak investigations. Chairwoman Patricia Dunn and General Counsel Ann Baskins have been asked to testify.â¦


In its ongoing battle with rival Intel, AMD announced the latest round of desktop CPU price cuts today. Check out this and other original content on CNET's blog network.


Jack Kevorkian said Tuesday he has a new mission to educate and inform the masses about their rights as citizens following his release from prison.


Iraq PM calls on Saddam officers to return to army

Iraq's Shi'ite prime minister called on Saturday for the return of all officers of Saddam Hussein's disbanded army in an overture to disaffected Sunni Arabs aimed at reducing sectarian violence.


Etichetta con indicazioni su paese in cui e' stato prodotto


Perugia, 13:09 - CALCIO, PERUGIA: DOMANI DECISIONE SU CURI

Solo domani si saprà se il Perugia potrà aprire le porte del Curi agli abbonati in occ...


SAN FRANCISCO - The federal crackdown on online gambling has tied up the funds of thousands of U.S. patrons of two of the largest services. The crackdown on BetOnSports, which no longer takes sports wagers from the USA, and Neteller - an Internet payment service popular among gamblers - is intended to put a dent in the $10.6 billion industry.


Recepito disegno legge su Iva auto e cuneo fiscale studi


Coleman, Dole Each Claim Enough GOP Votes

Sens. Norm Coleman and Elizabeth Dole both claimed Monday they have enough votes from their GOP colleagues to take over leadership of the influential National Republican Senatorial Committee.


When starting a corporate blog or wiki, heres how to keep the responsibility for content outside IT.


New York Condos Lure Deal-Seeking Europeans

Foreign tourists are keeping brokers busy with their eagerness to buy up Manhattan apartments while the dollar is weak.


Sen. Barack Obama, so closely identified with Chicago, has his roots, his family and a clear edge in Hawaii, which holds Democratic presidential caucuses on Tuesday.


Nevada Agency Finds Forgery in Vote Probe

An agency looking into possible voter registration fraud found forged documents, but no evidence of an organized effort to turn in bogus registrations.


Argentines Hit Streets Again to Punish Politicians

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina  - With the same pots,  pans and chants from the economic crisis three years ago,  Argentines are returning to the streets to punish their  politicians, this time for not averting the country's deadliest  disaster in decades.


Philippines vows no default on debt payments

The Philippine presidential palace vowed Tuesday there would be no default on debt payments although President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo admitted the country was in the midst of a "fiscal crisis.


South Korean with US Army Defects to North -- KCNA

A South Korean who had served with the US military on the divided peninsula has defected to North Korea, Pyongyang's official KCNA news agency said on Wednesday.


The UK gives a grant of more than Â£4m to women raped and infected with HIV/Aids in the Rwandan genocide.


NEW YORK -- Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched past the Madison Square Garden site of the Republican National Convention today, chanting, blowing whistles and carrying anti-war banners as delegates gathered to nominate President Bush for a second


She can get out of jail, but Paris Hilton is having a harder time getting to Rwanda.


After several missed calls by the line judge and chair umpire in Tuesday's Jennifer Capriati-Serena Williams match that went against Williams, ESPN Research has compiled the top-10 controversies involving Serena and Venus Williams.


Dems Lure Moderate GOP on Stem Cell Issue

Following the deaths of Ronald Reagan and Christopher Reeve, embryonic stem cell research with its potential to find cures for debilitating illnesses is giving John Kerry and other Democrats an issue to pitch to moderate Republican voters.


Beijing to Install Condom Machines to Fight AIDS

Beijing will install about 1,000 condom vending machines in hotels, bars, universities and on construction sites in the Chinese capital this month to fight the spread of AIDS, the official Xinhua news agency said on Sunday.


Web services that plumb for consumer views, helpful and hurtful.


Maryland set for showdown vs West Virginia

There is an air of uncertainty surrounding Maryland, which thus far has provided no evidence that it's capable of defeating an elite opponent on the road.


Search operations continue in AP, toll 96

Search operations continued in the tsunami-battered Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday to trace 154 missing fishermen and relief measures were on in full swing in nine coastal districts where 96 people were killed.


Iraq dossier draft reveals role of 'spin doctor'

Government press officer closely involved in drawing up discredited Iraq weapons dossier, despite denials


Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Thursday that lawmakers on Capitol Hill who received flu shots in his office were either following federal guidelines or their own doctors' recommendations.


Malishka Mendonsa on working with SRK for Hum Hai Laajawab.


Turbulence roiled world stock markets again Tuesday, with Asian stocks down for a second day on fears of recession in the US. European stocks fell at the opening but then pared their losses in voaltile trading.


Oracle Gets Nod from PeopleSoft Shareholders

With PeopleSoft stocksholders reportedly tendering some 60 percent of the company's shares, Oracle is pressing forward with its proposed hostile takeover.


U.S. loses status as top World Bank donor to Britain

The United States lost its status as the largest donor to the World Bank's main fund for poor countries, the lender said on Friday, as Britain pledged more in the latest funding round which secured a record amount of aid.


Pakistan arrests one of Taliban's top three

ISLAMABAD/KABUL  - Pakistani security forces captured one of the Taliban's three most senior leaders just hours after U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's unannounced visit to Pakistan earlier this week, a senior security official and Taliban sources said.


At Least 26 Die as Egypt Resort Bombs Hit Israelis

TABA, Egypt  - A series of bombings killed at  least 26 people in Egyptian Red Sea resorts packed with Israeli  tourists, sending thousands fleeing home across the border.  Israel suspected al Qaeda was behind the attacks.


A man whose arrest sparked speculation of a link to the decades-old BTK serial killings case was released on bond after a court appearance on two unrelated misdemeanor counts.


Suspected Muslim insurgents kill judge in Pattani?

Gunmen riding a motorcycle fatally shot a judge Friday when his car stopped at a traffic light, the most senior government figure to be killed in a Muslim separatist movement in southern Thailand, officials said.


Advertising: For Some Aging Actors, Self-Mockery Sells

More ad agencies are hiring venerable actors to display self-mocking sides of their personalities in campaigns aimed at younger as well as older consumers.


High-cost and lack of interest cited as reasons for shelving the ambitious project.


COOPERSTOWN, NY -- Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean, whose transition from the playing field to the radio booth helped popularize baseball broadcasting, is among 10 finalists for the 2005 Ford C. Frick Award, the Hall of Fame announced Monday.


Tsunami toll tops 21,000, rush to find bodies

COLOMBO, DEC 27: The death toll in a tsunami that slammed into coasts from India to Indonesia topped 21,000 on Monday as rescuers scoured the sea for missing tourists and soldiers raced to recover bodies amid growing fears of disease.


Microsoft Search Share Up Thanks to 'Chicktionary'

After months of diminishing market share in the search industry, Microsoft may have found the answer to competing against Google and Yahoo: Chicktionary. The addictive game, which is available on the Live Search Club site, rewards users with prizes such as software.


Gov't to crack down on phones, unruly behavior in classroom

Education Secretary Ruth Kelly unveiled a new "zero tolerance" policy at schools aimed at ridding classrooms of unruly behavior and disruptions such as the use of mobile phones.


Round 1: Vitali Klitschko opened his WBC heavyweight title defense with a diet of left jabs, cutting Danny williams' right eye early.


Toronto set to launch black-focused school

The largest school board in Canada plans to launch a black-focused school to tackle the problem of high dropout rates.


NTT DoCoMo, the Japanese telecom service provider, has invested $3 million in MontaVista Software, a developer of Linux-based mobile middleware.


Suicide bomber kills dozens in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Since winter, the Taliban had been promising a spring offensive. It didn't come. Instead, NATO and US forces have pounded the group's positions, and killed its senior leadership.


IN THE COURT: Judge lets O'Neal play versus Pistons

NEW YORK -- Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal indeed will play against the Pistons on Christmas Day. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle intends to start his All-Star forward, despite his five weeks on the sidelines.


Vinsan to halt road construction in Iraq to save its hostages

Turkish contractors are about to leave Iraq. Ankara-based construction company Vinsan announced on Tuesday about its decision to quit business activity in Iraq in order to save their ten employees who were captured by Iraqi terrorists last Saturday.


The highlight of Johnny Davis' ten seasons as an active player was his role on the Portland Trail Blazers ' 1977 championship.


ANTIOXIDANTS USELESS AGAINST GASTROINTESTINAL CANCERS

(AGI) - London, UK, 1 October - Diet supplements based on vitamins have no effect in the prevention of the development of gastrointestinal cancer.


New 3D menu system will take advantage of forthcoming game service.


Amer Jan-Sept pretax profit, sales fall on back of tobacco divest

Amer, the Finnish conglomerate increasingly focused in sports equipment manufacturing, on Wednesday announced decreased January-September sales, blaming the divestment of its tobacco business.


Atene. Due anni di sospensione per l'arbitro della finale del fioretto a squadre tra Italia e Cina. La federazione internazionale della scherma (fie) ha adottato il provvedimento nei confronti dell'ungherese


NTT America Expands Global Network With NYC Connect

NEW YORK, Feb. 20  /PRNewswire/ -- NTT America, a wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of NTT Communications Corporation, today announced that it has expanded its network footprint in New York City to now include the NYC Connect facility at 111 Eighth Avenue.


Livorno, 17:52 - CALCIO, LIVORNO: INDISPONIBILE TAVANO, IN FORSE TRISTAN

E' un Livorno "spuntato" quello che si presenterà domani a San Siro nell'anticipo contro l'In...


Doctor Says He Was Assailed for Challenging Drugâs Safety

A medical researcher who testified at a House hearing about the safety of the popular diabetes drug, Avandia, said he received the veiled threat of a lawsuit by a high-ranking drug company executive.


Tomorrow's greatest investments are today's pathetic losers.


Russia's economy minister becomes the second senior figure within weeks to criticise the government's sell-off of part of oil giant Yukos.


Diane Thatcher will return to her husband's side after she has installed their children in a new school in Texas, a spokesman for Sir Mark Thatcher said yesterday


French police were set Sunday to continue questioning accused rogue trader Jerome Kerviel, who investigators said wants to explain his role in the seven billion dollar loss at Societe Generale.


Ashlee Simpson On âSNL': When âlive' Isn't

Somebody goofed and, after the lip-syncing went south, Ashlee Simpson wasn't about to take the blame. At first, anyway. She faulted the band.


Hewlett-PackardÂ has agreed to buy Web application security specialist SPI Dynamics, just two weeks afterÂ IBM announced plans to buy SPI's rival Watchfire.


U.S. gives blessing to food from cloned animals

The U.S. government ruled on Tuesday that food from cloned animals and their offspring is as safe as other food, opening the door to bringing meat and milk from clone offspring into the food supply.


ADV: $175,000 Mortgage for Under $730/Month

Mortgage rates are at record lows. Save $1000s on your mortgage payment. Free quotes.


Former Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards, getting the 2008 campaign cycle off to an early start, said Saturday that poverty "is one of the great moral issues of our time" and he pledged to help fight it.


Lady Bird Johnson arrived at her final resting place beneath a canopy of oak trees Sunday, beside the late President Lyndon Baines Johnson at the family's ranch in the Texas Hill Country.


Hoist the Curtain, Prepare the Pool, Itâs Almost Showtime

âFuerzabruta,â a highly complex show to install, uses a set that includes two mobile pools, a 6-foot-high treadmill and a 20-foot flying curtain.


Treasuries Dip But Selling Momentum Slows

U.S. Treasury debt was down a sliver on Monday, but four straight days of selling appeared to be sputtering out as investors awaited key events like a speech from the Fed chairman and the crucial September jobs report.


Assago, 22:43 - BASKET, EUROLEGA: ARMANI JEANS-LE MANS 63-83

L'Armani Jeans ha perso in casa 83-63 (16-18; 43-28; 65-48) contro il Le Mans. (G.Boi) (31...


Ashlee Simpson's People Go Into Damage Control Mode

Singer Ashlee Simpson is feeling the brunt of her Saturday Night Live fiasco. Visitors have flooded her site and bashed Simpson on her official Web site's forum, the media continues to write articles and industry


Need Ice? Cereal? The Bush Brothers Are on the Way!

From a distance, they looked like two well-dressed, middle-aged store clerks in a supermarket parking lot, helping a line of weary motorists load their cars and get on their way.


WallStreet Direct, Inc. Announces the Launch of New Interactive Tools to Enhance User Experience and Expand Content Distribution Channels

NEW YORK, June 7  /PRNewswire/ -- WallStreet Direct, Inc., the owner and operator of http://www.wallst.net/, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Financial Media Group, Inc.


Purdue's freshmen grew up just in time to deny Rick Pitino his 500th college coaching win.


Serbs warns U.S. against policy of force on Kosovo

Serbia disregarded European Union  calls for less provocative Serb rhetoric on Kosovo at the  weekend and warned that the United States was leading the West  down a path of force to make the province independent.


A lively and sometimes scrappy debate on whether global warming is fueling bigger and nastier hurricanes like Katrina is adding an edge to a gathering of forecasters here.


Spokesman Says Craig Unlikely to Finish Term

A spokesman for the Idaho Republican said the senator has all but abandoned the notion of trying to finish his term.


XenSource, a start-up commercializing the open-source Xen virtualization software, has hired Gordon Mangione as senior vice president of product operations.


Belo Takes Charge for Advertising Refunds

Media company Belo Corp. BLC.N on  Monday said it would refund $23 million to advertisers because  of a circulation scandal at its Dallas Morning News newspaper,  resulting in a charge against earnings in the current quarter.


Two men found guilty of murdering a Nottingham schoolgirl in a drive-by shooting lose their appeals.


Sanofi launches cut-price malaria pill for Africa

French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis has launched a new cheap and easy-to-take combination pill to fight malaria that could help reduce deaths from the killer disease in Africa, it said on Thursday.


David Beckham says he has a "burning desire" to prove new England coach Steve McClaren was wrong to drop him.


President-elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono makes his victory speech, almost three weeks after the polls.


Jumpy customers besiege crisis-hit British bank

Thousands of nervous customers queued for hours outside branches of British bank Northern Rock on Saturday desperate to withdraw savings after it was forced to seek emergency funds to weather the global credit crunch.


Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are hitting the road for their first big tour of the US and Europe in almost five years.


Germany seeks to fix its federal constitution

For 14 months Franz M ntefering, chairman of Chancellor Gerhard Schr der's Social Democratic party, and Edmund Stoiber, the conservative state premier of Bavaria, have been chairing a 32-member commission set ...


LA SCHEDA                                          Air France, un colosso da 23 miliardi Primo in Europa per quota mercato


New U.S.-Iran talks on Iraq begin in Baghdad

U.S. and Iranian envoys held rare talks on Tuesday to discuss Iraq's security crisis, with Washington under pressure to stabilize the country before the U.S. Congress receives a crucial report in September.


Generation Gap in Australia Is More Like Continental Divide

Andre Agassi lost in the Australian Open quarterfinals to Roger Federer. On the women's side, Lindsay Davenport defeated Alicia Molik, 6-4, 4-6, 9-7.


GEORGE W. Bush and John Kerry will campaign into election day this morning as more than 100 million voters across the US brave long lines, heavy rain and snow to break the deadlocked race for the White House.


Selig addresses HGH use in letter to fans

In an open letter to fans, commissioner Bud Selig said he will not tolerate the use of human growth hormone and other performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.


ICC says Darfur evidence enough to prosecute

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor has nearly completed an investigation into war crimes in Sudan's Darfur region and has sufficient evidence to file charges soon, he said on Thursday.


'Transformers', rises to the number 1 spot across the world with gross sales of $43.6M. Directed by Michael Bay, the movie is on 3,503 screens in 29 territories. Internationally, 'Transformers' is ranked #1 in Spain, Sweden, Turkey,  the ...


Birmingham to sell Gronkjaer to Atletico Madrid

Birmingham City have agreed to sell Denmark winger Jesper Gronkjaer to Spanish side Atletico Madrid, the Premier League club says.


Obama queries LinkedIn users on business issues

Sen. Barack Obama is extending his Web 2.0 efforts by soliciting input on business topics from users of the LinkedIn professional networking site.


Investors' hopes for the iPhone may be too high

Apple Inc., whose market value passed $100 billion in May as euphoria mounted over its iPhone, may be facing investor expectations that are too high.


Iraq cabinet okays law to end foreign firms' immunity

Iraq's cabinet approved a draft law on Tuesday that would end the immunity from prosecution of foreign security contractors by scrapping a decree that Iraqis have complained amounts to a "license to kill".


All around the NFL this season, defensive backs are unhappy about a rule prohibiting contact with a receiver five yards beyond the line of scrimmage.


News: Phishers tapping botnets to automate attacks

Computer criminals are making phishing more potent by automating attacks. Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) analysts reckon fraudsters are using automated tools and botnets to ramp up attacks.


Dow Jones & Co., publisher of the Wall Street Journal, agrees to buy internet news site Marketwatch for $519m.


French President Jacques Chirac is widely expected to rule out a third term in office in a televised address.


Dozens of al Qaeda killed in Anbar: Iraq police

Iraqi security forces killed dozens of al Qaeda militants who attacked a village in western Anbar province on Wednesday, during fierce clashes that lasted much of the day, police officials said on Thursday.


Protestant outrage over Irish president's Nazi comparison

Furore has erupted over remarks by Mary McAleese, President of the Irish Republic, that young Northern Irish Protestants had been raised to hate Roman Catholics in the way young Nazis had been programmed to hate Jews.


The US and South Korea start talks to review aspects of a hard-won free trade agreement.


Judge Grants Delay to Ex-Reservist Recall

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that a former Army reservist from suburban Raleigh does not have to report for recall to Iraq by Friday, granting a temporary restraining order at least until a hearing next week.


KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 6 -- Militants threatening to kill three UN hostages said Saturday that talks with Afghan and UN officials had been postponed for another day.


TOKYO - An earthquake measuring a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 on the Richter scale jolted extensive areas in the Tokai region in central Japan and the Kinki area in western Japan at 8:29 on Tuesday morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.


India has expressed its readiness to look at Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf's recent informal formula for resolving the Kashmir issue if it is formally proposed by Islamabad.


By Nancy Perkins Deseret Morning News  Water rights in southwestern Utah's Escalante Valley are a precious commodity, and farmers there are worried that a state- mandated plan may dilute those rights, after sinkholes were found in the area because of groundwater use.


David Moyes praised the Everton fans on Saturday - after they booed Wayne Rooney - for supporting the team 'superbly'. Leon Osman scored twice as the Toffees beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at Goodison Park, but


Pamela Anderson's ex-husbands in scuffle

Police in Las Vegas have cited recording star Kid Rock, former husband of actress Pamela Anderson, for suspicion of battery after a weekend scuffle at the MTV Video Music Awards between him and rocker Tommy Lee, another ex-spouse of Anderson.


Japan high-tech "washlets" aim at U.S. bottoms

Interior designer Timothy Corrigan had  never heard of a "washlet" -- until a client asked him to  install one of the high-tech Japanese toilets.


Bush's National Guard File Missing Records

Documents that should have been written to explain gaps in President Bush's Texas Air National Guard service are missing from the military records released about his service in 1972 and 1973, according to regulations and outside experts.


Milano, 20:06 - CALCIO, MILAN: PER PATO DOPPIETTA IN ALLENAMENTO

Ripresa degli allenamenti del Milan in vista della gara amichevole di domani a Kiev.  Lavoro inizial...


Effort to Get Companies to Disclose Climate Risk

A coalition of environmental activists and investors are asking the Securities and Exchange Commission to require companies to disclose the risks that climate change may pose to their bottom lines.


Virgin in Talks With Chinese Telecom Firm

British conglomerate Virgin Group Ltd. announced Tuesday that it is in talks with a mainland Chinese telecommunications company to set up a joint venture to provide mobile services in China.


Spain's Martinez and Fernandez win 49er gold

Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - Spain's Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez won gold in the 49er sailing class Thursday. Martinez and Fernandez, reigning world champions, finished seventh in the 16th race and posted 67 net points in the event.


Something To Declare: on the rails; Lille scam; travel images

The new rail timetables that begin tomorrow across Europe include improvements that could benefit British travellers - particularly those planning to combine two or more cities in a single trip.


Boston Scientific Posts Loss, but Sales Beat Expectations

With a lift from the falling dollar and better-than-expected sales in several divisions, the company has delivered a pleasant earnings surprise to its long-suffering shareholders.


HBO documents Cubs' decades of glorious defeat

LOS ANGELES  - Red Sox fans got off   light. That could be the subtitle of this engrossing HBO Sports   documentary on the annually fresh hell endured by fans of the   Chicago Cubs.


Obama dips, but still has South Carolina lead: poll

FLORENCE, South Carolina  - Democrat Barack Obama's big lead over rival Hillary Clinton slipped slightly but is still substantial two days before South Carolina's presidential primary, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Thursday.


David Alan Grier is the father of a new baby girl, according to published reports.


Hainan Island Used to Be a Place of Exile. Today, It's Great for Family Holidays

By Adrian Mourby Yalong may be part of the glorious People's Republic of China but ever since we got here I've been humming South Pacific. We've got sunlight on the sand. We've got moonlight on the sea. We've got mangos and bananas we can pick right off the tree.


Nvidia Quadro FX 3500M debuts in Dell workstation

GPU line's core clock increased Nvidia has extended its family of Quadro FX workstation-class mobile graphics chips and already begun supplying the part - the 3500M - to Dell for the PC giant's Precision M90 notebook, the chip maker said yesterday.â¦


In the 2007 Academy Award nominated short films, digital wizardry meets life-and-death dramas.


Symantec Report Demonstrates That Cyber Attacks Increasingly Target Home Users for Financial Gain

The latest Internet Security Threat Report released today by Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC) shows that because home users are less likely to have established security measures in place, they are being increasingly targeted by attackers for identity theft, fraud, or other financially motivated crime.


Afghan leader says the efforts of millions outweigh grumblings of ...

(Kabul, Afghanistan-AP) Oct. 9, 2004 - Afghanistan's interim leader says allegations of fraud shouldn't overshadow efforts of the Afghan people, who turned out by the millions to vote despite dust and snow and rain and threats of violence.


Florida authorities find baby who was in car that was stolen

MONTICELLO, Fla. - A 6-month-old boy who was in a car when a thief stole it was found unharmed Thursday, about 25 miles from where the vehicle vanished the previous evening, authorities said.


JERUSALEM -- In an apparent effort to bolster the standing of the moderate interim Palestinian government led by Mahmoud Abbas, Israel on Monday freed 159 Palestinian prisoners.


Insurance industry probe goes coast-to-coast

The investigation of insurance industry practices launched by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer isn't just spreading to include more insurers, it has set off a frenzy of scrutiny nationwide, from California to Connecticut.


Obese women's pregnant risk higher while taking pill

Overweight and obese women are 60 to 70 per cent more likely to get pregnant while taking an oral contraceptive than the women of normal weight, a new study shows.


Benedetto XVI ripercorre le tappe del viaggio in Austria


Inflation remains well contained: US Fed

US Federal Reserve said Wednesday that rate hikes can continue at a "measured pace" as "inflation and longer-term inflation expectations remain well contained".


Aretha Franklin in regal form at L.A. show

Memo to Beyonce and her  father: Yes, Tina Turner is one of the greats, but Aretha  Franklin is still the queen -- of soul and more.


New witness testifies in cadet rape trial

A witness testified Wednesday that a Coast Guard Academy cadet charged with rape forcibly performed oral sex on her, providing the most damaging testimony in the trial so far.


CALCIO E DOPING - Processo Juve, avvocato abbandona l'aula

Dopo una mattinata di discussioni, liti e scontri feroci l'avvocato Luigi Chiappero, difensore della Juventus al processo per la somministrazione di farmaci ai giocatori bianconeri, si Ã¨ tolto la toga e se n'Ã¨ andato.


Afghan leader not cowed by rocket attack: spokesman

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has no plans to restrict his travel or beef up personal security after surviving a third assassination attempt in a rocket attack outside the capital, a presidential spokesman said on Monday.


A new survey shows that Ireland's population now totals more than four-million with this rise reflecting immigration stemming from the country's economic boom.


On the 150th anniversary of the start of the Crimean War, the region's press ponders the impact of the conflict on Russian history.


Pervez Musharraf's war on al-Qaeda and on Pakistan's domestic extremists has earned him many enemies


Yahoo may consider Google alliance, source says

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK  - Yahoo Inc  would  consider a business alliance with Google Inc  as one  way to rebuff a $44.6 billion takeover proposal by Microsoft, a  source familiar with Yahoo's strategy said on Sunday.


Chinese Actress Zhang Set for 'Geisha' Turn

LOS ANGELES  - Zhang Ziyi, who co-starred in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," is in final negotiations to play the title character in the long-in-the-works film adaptation of "Memoirs of a Geisha," while the Oscar-nominated Ken ...


Thyroid cancer, a relatively uncommon illness that has stricken Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, will be diagnosed in about 23,600 Americans this year, according to the American Cancer Society.


A Services Oriented Infrastructure presents a vision of common IT infrastructure elements  CPU, network, storage  presented as services to applications.


EDINBURGH, Scotland - Monica Lewinsky said Saturday she has struggled to move on from her notorious relationship with Bill Clinton - but has no regrets about accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars to talk about the affair.    Speaking at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, Lewinsky imparted the hard-won lesson of six years of intense scrutiny by the American judicial system and the world's media...


Two Killed, 10 Hurt in Latest Bangladesh Blast

Two people were killed and 10 wounded in  a bomb blast in northeastern Bangladesh on Sunday, in the  latest of a series of attacks that have killed more than 100  people in the past four years, police said.


Parker: 'Rathergate' illustrates the promise of blogs

The CBS mess variously known as ''Forgerygate'' or ''Rathergate'' is by any other name a seminal moment in the blogosphere that holds promise not only for revolutionizing journalism, but also perhaps for problem-solving on a global scale.


Web domains approved for Posties, travel

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has approved two new sponsored Internet domains, .post and .travel, specifically for the post and travel industries.


Britain wins right to deport failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe

Home Secretary John Reid has won the right to deport failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe on a case-by-case basis after a court ruled Wednesday that they would not automatically be ill-treated.


Mastella non ha partecipato.Chiti, non ricorreremo a fiducia


Barack Obama won the Maine Democratic caucuses Sunday, defeating Hillary Rodham Clinton


Toy recall highlights rife corner-cutting in China

FOSHAN, China  - Boxes stacked in the factory window are labeled clearly: "Fisher-Price", "toys", "preschool". The future of the plant, though, is not so clear.


Movie Review | 'Hostel: Part II': Inside the Torture Factory

Eli Rothâs âHostel: Part IIâ may sport glossier production values than the first in the series, but its driving motivation remains just as low.


The deluge of World Series spectators sweeping through the city this week left in its path a surprising victim - an official from the company that owns the Ritz-Carlton Boston Common hotel couldn't even get a room last night.


Torino, 14:06 - CALCIO, JUVE: IL 4 AGOSTO AMICHEVOLE CON SUNDERLAND

La Juventus giocherà un'amichevole il prossimo 4 agosto contro il Sunderland, la formazione c...


French PM calls emergency meeting over journalist hostage in Iraq

French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin called an emergency ministerial meeting Sunday to discuss the kidnapping of two French journalists in Iraq, local media reported.


Israeli Missile Hits Militants in Gaza Camp, 3 Hurt

The Israeli air force struck Palestinian militants as they planted a bomb intended for use against Israeli troops in a Gaza Strip refugee camp Sunday, wounding three of them, witnesses and military sources said.


Tropical Storm Forms in Gulf of Mexico, Aims at Florida

Tropical Storm Matthew formed in the  western Gulf of Mexico on Friday and was headed toward Florida,  forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said.


US government needs to step up cybersecurity: industry group

The US government is falling short in cybersecurity efforts and should take immediate steps to protect the country's technological resources, an industry group said.


Thomas prepares short-handed Knicks, owner apologizes

Coach Isiah Thomas said the Knicks were moving on from Saturday's brawl with the Denver Nuggets that resulted in four New York players being suspended in what team owner James Dolan described as "an ugly incident."


Business News for Technology Leaders Microsoft Makes Deal with ...

A "landmark agreement" between Microsoft and England's Department of Health to renew the agency's license for desktop products could save it an estimated $608 million.


Two workers dismantling a Rolling Stones' stage at a stadium in Madrid fell to their deaths from a metal scaffold on Friday, officials said.


Dow Jones -0,02%, Nasdaq -0,86%, StandardPoor's 500 -0,10%


The judge in Michael Jackson's child abuse case intends to prevent more than 70 items seized from the singer's ranch being used against him in evidence.


Young ExxonMobil Researcher Receives Prestigious Award for Innovation; Novel Lubricant Additive Now Used in More Than 25 Percent of Passenger Vehicles

A young scientist with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering (EMRE), Jonathan McConnachie, was recognized with the prestigious Society of Chemical Industry's 2006 Gordon E. Moore Medal for excellence in innovation in industry.


Fashion Wire Daily - A royal purple carpet flanked by a drumline in matching purple T-shirts with a large "M" emblazoned on the front, and so many security guards, you'd think the Queen were arriving.


L.A. hospital confirms women poisoned by thallium

A Los Angeles hospital confirmed on  Friday that two U.S. women who became ill during a trip to  their native Russia, prompting investigations by both  countries, were suffering from thallium poisoning.


Company looks to sell or license targeted ad patents

(InfoWorld) - A Georgia technology vendor said Wednesday it is looking to collect money from three patents on targeted online advertising either by selling the patents or by collecting licensing fees from dozens of online advertising firms. Concurrent Computer, which sells Linux-based software to government and enterprise customers, obtained the three patents as part of its acquisition of Everstream Holdings in October 2005, said Kirk Somers, the company's executive vice president. Concurrent has begun sending letters to more than 50 companies, including Microsoft and Google, suggesting they may be using the patented technology without a license, Somers said. The patents cover virtually all methods of targeted advertising on the Internet, the company said. Concurrent's primary goal is to sell the three patents to another company interested in targeted online advertising, Somers said. The company has hired IPinvestments Group, an intellectual property business advisory firm, to help it sell the patents, and its goal would be to sell the patents by the end of the year. The company's aim is to "ensure the continued growth of this market while maximizing the value of our intellectual property," Concurrent President and CEO Gary Trimm said in a statement. But Concurrent is also considering keeping the patents and attempting to collect licensing fees, possibly through patent infringement lawsuits, Somers said. "We haven't ruled out the hammer technique completely," he said. "The patents are key to [several companies'] strategies." Right now, Concurrent would prefer to avoid lawsuits, Somers said. The company wants to work out agreements where "we all can benefit," he added. The patents relate to systems and methods of bundling stored data, such as music, video, and television content, with stored advertisements and delivering them to users based on user requests or profiles. The portfolio of related patents includes three U.S. patents, three Canadian patents, and U.S. and foreign patent applications. The U.S. patents included in the portfolio are No. 5,931,901, related to programmed music on demand from the Internet; No. 6,038,591, also related to programmed music packaged with advertisements; and No. 6,161,142, for a method and system for using a communication network to supply targeted streaming advertising in interactive media. The first patent was filed in March 1997, and the other two are continuations of the first patent, Concurrent said. Concurrent expects that some companies may challenge the patents, especially in the case of infringement lawsuits, Somers said. The company has taken the last year and a half to investigate the patents, and it believes they are valid, he said. "We didn't find any problems with them," he added. A Google representative wasn't immediately available to comment on the patents. Asked about the value of the patents, Somers declined to get more specific than to say it was significant. "I don't want to unrealistically set expectations at the high or low side," he said. Concurrent's patent claims come two weeks after Microsoft officials complained that Linux and other open-source projectsÂ infringe on 235 of its patents. Concurrent's claims are "completely independent" of the Microsoft claims against Linux, Somers said. "We've been working on this a long time," he added.


Pull faces, look younger Nintendo's creative department must be in overdrive as the Japanese console giant is poised to release software aimed at making users look younger.â¦


Two U.S. soldiers charged with murder in Iraq

Two U.S. soldiers have been charged with murdering an Iraqi last month near Kirkuk, the U.S. military said on Thursday, the latest in a string of accusations of abuse laid against American forces in Iraq.


Russian officials hope to prevent reprisals as 40-day mourning period ends for victims of the school siege. By Fred Weir | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor.


Hakim Warrick had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and seventh-ranked Syracuse used a pressing defense to force 17 turnovers in the second half in an 82-69 victory over visiting Cornell last night.


German-born author is Oprah's latest book pick

Influential television talk show  host Oprah Winfrey on Wednesday chose a spiritual self-help  book, "A New Earth" by German native Eckhart Tolle, as her next  book club selection.


A watchdog warns many vulnerable children may not be receiving suitable or cost-effective education.


Ukraine's new PM says Kiev is not ready to join Nato because of public opposition to such a move.


Windows Vista SP1 Beta Released to Private Testers

Multiple Microsoft sources have confirmed that the first beta test editions of Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista were distributed to a select group of about 12,000 testers today. BetaNews learned these are indeed exclusive invitees, not merely a subset of the company's MSDN or TechNet subscriber base.


Online protests seek to include Ron Paul in N.H. debate

ABC News has invited the presidential candidate to a debate Saturday. Bloggers, online activists are irked because Fox News is excluding him from one a day later.


Beef from Safeway may have had salmonella: USDA

The Agriculture Department said fresh ground beef products contaminated with multi-drug resistant Salmonella may have been ground and later sold at Safeway Inc stores in five states.


Lennox committed to helping Mandela fight AIDS

Singer Annie Lennox is dedicated to helping former South African president Nelson Mandela fight AIDS in Africa.


Israel accuses al-Qaida of masterminding Sinai blasts

Israel said Friday that the chain of blasts targeting Israeli tourists in Egypt's Red Sea resorts which left some 150 people killed or injured bore the hallmarks of al-Qaida terror network.


Former Enron executive Andrew Fastow, who pleaded guilty to fraud, will be sentenced on Tuesday.


U.S. mayors face test of spreading foreclosures

TRENTON, New Jersey  - Mayor Douglas Palmer, meeting with visitors at City Hall, points to a large map peppered with dark dots. Each one represents a home or group of homes on the verge of foreclosure, and there are dozens all over the city.


National unity government expected within days

Premier Sharon has already begun to initiate coalition negotiations with Labor, UTJ and Shas, following his significant victory at last nightâs Likud convention vote, which overturned a previous decision by the central committee nixing a coalition with


IAEA: U.N. to Visit Suspect Iranian Site

Iran has agreed to give U.N. inspectors access to a huge military site that the United States alleges is linked to a secret nuclear weapons program, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday.


La procura di Catanzaro ordina 29 fermi in Italia, Egitto e LibiaAccertati possibili collegamenti con i terroristi di Al Qaeda                                          Traffico di immigrati dall'Africa scoperta maxi organizzazione                                                                                La banda organizzava anche evasioni dai centri d'accoglienza


Inter e Juve a valanga, Milan sconfitto a Palermo


A peek at companies that overpromised and underdelivered.


Army Eyes Charges in Afghan Prison Deaths

Description: The Army says up to 28 US soldiers may face criminal charges connected to the deaths of two prisoners at an US-run prison in Afghanistan two years ago.


Japan, India Woo SE Asia to Counter China Muscle

VIENTIANE, Laos  - Japan and India courted  southeast Asian leaders Tuesday, a day after China signed a  landmark deal with ASEAN to create an Asian free trade market  of 1.8 billion people by 2015.


Black & Decker slashed its fourth-quarter profit outlook on Friday, citing worse-than-expected conditions in North America and a one-time charge.


British Court Says Detentions Violate Rights

Britain's highest court ruled that the British government could not indefinitely detain foreigners suspected of terrorism.


Extended Monitoring Sought for Microsoft

Google yesterday urged a federal court to extend its supervision of Microsoft to ensure that it complies with a 2002 antitrust consent decree, arguing that Microsoft has not done enough to make sure its new desktop search product leaves room for competitors.


Pakistan's President Musharraf warns the West would be "brought to its knees" without his country's support.


Britain's Catholics, Anglicans, pray for tsunami victims

The heads of the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches in Britain held prayers together for victims of the tsunamis that ravaged parts of south Asia on December 26.


A Scottish teenager who survived the Dunblane school massacre wins the US Open tennis boy's title.


UPDATE 2-Nat'l Semiconductor profit tops view, shrs surge

Analog chipmaker National Semiconductor Corp. (NSM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings and revenue, as


Siberian coal mine blast kills 38 people

YUBILEYNAYA MINE, Russia  - A methane explosion killed 38 people at a Siberian coal mine on Thursday, just weeks after 110 miners died in a blast at a neighboring mine operated by the same company.


Ana Ortiz, who plays the older sister of the title character in ABC's "Ugly Betty," married musician Noah Lebenzon in a weekend ceremony.


Vice President Dick Cheney will travel to Afghanistan to attend the inauguration Tuesday of Hamid Karzai as Afghanistan's first directly elected president.


SPECIAL REPORT-MEDIA:   Alternative and Influential?

ROME, Oct 29 (IPS) - When you hear "alternative media," it is  often alongside such words as "collective,"  "citizen-oriented," and "public." But what does  it have to do with journalism? And how influential are groups  like Indymedia, which recently had some of its computers seized?


Thousands are going hungry in the Andean mountain region of southern Peru, says the World Food Programme.


SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea on Saturday said the US military increased espionage flights over its territory and deployed weaponry in South Korea this year, allegedly to prepare for a nuclear war against the communist state.


Fish oils, vitamins, herbs helpful for depression

NEW YORK  - Diet and nutrition may play a key role in helping people fight depression, Australian researchers report.


For all the talk of change and Beltway bashing in this campaign, the next president could well come from the ultimate Washington insider club Â the U.S. Senate.


The short-lived legal battle between Cisco Systems Inc. and Apple Inc. over the "iPhone" name was only on the surface a trademark-infringement dispute involving identically named multimedia telephones.


The Utah Jazz's exhibition game in Russia next month was canceled by the NBA on Friday because of security concerns.


Singer-songwriter Billy Joel married his fiancee, 23-year-old Kate Lee, in a ceremony at his Long Island mansion, his record label said.


Sharon denies plot to freeze peace process

ARIEL Sharon hastily reaffirmed Israel's commitment to the US-backed "road map" for the Middle East yesterday after his chief political adviser sparked an uproar by saying the aim of the Gaza Strip evacuation plan was to "freeze" the peace process until


Canada Gives Debt Moratorium to Tsunami Nations

VANCOUVER, British Columbia  - Canada announced a  debt payment moratorium on Thursday for countries struck by the  Indian Ocean tsunami, and said it would speak with other  creditor nations about offering relief.


Bitter adversaries unlikely to give peace a chance

WHEN the reds of Arsenal take on the Reds of Manchester United, red mist descends. It envelops the managers, players and fans alike, the fixture often degenerating from mutual loathing to the point of anarchy.


FDA refuses entry of frozen food consignments from Bangladesh

Some 42 consignments of frozen food items, mostly shrimp, from Bangladesh have been refused entry into the US market by Washington-based Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on health ground.


Manovra: Ue promuove l'Italia con riserva

Il commissario Ue dopo l'incontro con Siniscalco: "Dpef realistico, ma bisogna vedere la Finanziaria. Su riduzione deficit cifre timide rispetto a obiettivi concordati". Tra gli altri temi affrontati anche quello della tassazione dopo il caro greggio.


The government's repairs to New Orleans' hurricane-damaged levees may put the French Quarter in greater danger than it was before Hurricane Katrina, a weakness planners said couldn't be helped, at least for now.