UK PM Tony Blair arrives in South Africa, where he will give a speech defending his foreign policy record.


Digital Dimension Teams with Microsoft for Server System ...

Microsoft Corp. (www.microsoft.com) announced that Digital Dimension (www.digitaldimension.com), a four-time Emmy Award-winning studio specializing in high-end visual effects, 3-D animation and motion graphics


The Mozilla Foundation has released version 1.0 of its Firefox browser, an open-source product that has generated lofty expectations that it will offer real competition to Microsoft's ubiquitous Internet Explorer.


Just not in UK Acer will pile into the SMB server business in Europe this year, but UK companies will have to wait until September before they see the benefit of the renewed drive.â¦


Garcia three clear despite Stricker's 64

Sergio Garcia repelled a spectacular charge from American Steve Stricker to accelerate into a three-stroke lead after the British Open third round on Saturday.


Frenchman arrested for trying to sell lock of pharaoh's hair

A 50-year-old Frenchman who tried to sell a lock of hair he said was taken from the mummy of Egypt's most famous pharaoh, Ramses II, has been arrested.


How the West was won: hard-bargaining by Turks at EU summit

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave EU leaders a classic lesson in haggling at a crunch summit here, at one point bluntly threatening to leave if he didn't get what he wanted -- but for some the ...


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.


Europe watchdog scraps plan to monitor Russia vote

Europe's main election watchdog cancelled plans on Thursday to monitor Russia's presidential election next month, citing unacceptable restrictions imposed by Moscow.


A Dubai-owned company will accept final bids within two weeks for the sale of all $700 million worth of its U.S. port operations to an American buyer, a plan forced by concerns over terrorism security.


Monkeys use tools to dig for food in wild

Monkeys in Brazil routinely use stones and twigs to forage for food, providing more evidence to undermine the belief that man is the only species with the intelligence to make tools.


Iraq and Italy to wear black armbands in honor of slain journalist

Iraqi and Italian soccer players planned to wear black armbands on their uniforms during their Olympic bronze medal game Friday in honor of an Italian journalist killed in Iraq.


EXCLUSIVE Kids Use Internet to Target Victim

By BILLY PATERSON CLAIMS that teen bullies are using an internet chat site to terrorise victims and identify targets are being probed by police.


Rapporto evidenzia poche variazioni in dinamica prezzi


By TUX TURKEL Staff Writer This scenic harbor, best known for lobstering and as the place to catch the ferry to Monhegan Island, also offers an increasingly rare sight on the coast of Maine - fishing boats rigged for cod, haddock and other groundfish. But take a closer look.


Abductor kills self in Moscow region hostage freeing operation

MOSCOW, November 25 (Itar-Tass) - A special task force unit freed both women who were held hostage by two armed army deserters in the Moscow region.


Bus bombing kills 13 in Sri Lanka: police

A powerful blast ripped through a bus station at Dambulla in north-central Sri Lanka Saturday, killing at least 13 people and wounding 30, police said.


Customers who withdrew money from tax-free savings accounts can salvage tax advantages.


Pat Summitt Released From Tenn. Hospital

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee coach Pat Summitt was released from a hospital Friday after being treated for dehydration.


L'annunciata ondata di freddo colpisce il Trentino Alto AdigeNevischio anche in Emilia Romagna, catene ai passi                                                  Arriva il gelo al nord In Alto Adige -23 gradi


Inventor makes keychain capable of turning off TVs

Inventor Mitch Altman has created a keychain that is more than just a novelty item: it's designed to turn off most TVs with just the push of a button.


Books of The Times: Unearthing a Spy Who Couldnât Keep Up With a Cop

This early spy novel, finally available in the United States, represents a road not taken by Ian Rankin.


The government wants patients to be given the choice of having an operation in a private hospital by 2006.


Gates backs pause in future troop pullout

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Monday he backed a brief pause in U.S. troop cuts in Iraq once an initial pullout of five combat brigades has been completed in July.


Marsh & McLennan Cos. MMC.N will  wrap up its probe into its business practices by early January  and set aside more than the $232 million allocated for legal  costs last month to settle bid-rigging claims, Chief Executive  Michael Cherkasky said.


Paul Jones endures a nightmare 50th cap as Slovakia hammer Wales' Euro 2008 qualifying hopes.


Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh ran through the South African top order to give India a whiff of victory on the fourth day of the second test in Calcutta on Wednesday.


With the resignation of key staffers and cash reserves dwindling, the Republican hopeful tries to keep his campaign from imploding


There's a fascinating debate today going on about Scoble and his Facebook data. Here's the story so far. Plaxo, on behalf of Scoble, ran a screen scraper on his Facebook account to download information about at least some of his Facebook friends. Facebook detected the scraper and turned off his account, with an email explaining that he had violated their terms of service. The debate: Who is right -- Scoble or Facebook? While there are certainly arguments that Facebook has some rightness, most of it, imho, is with Scoble. Sure, some of the data may "belong" to his friends, like their birthday and mail address. Technically of course the data doesn't belong to anyone, it's data about them, and many organizations have this data. Are bloggers really saying that organizations have more rights than people? Isn't blogging all about a level playing field? My bank knows my birthday and my email address. Why shouldn't Scoble? (Maybe he shouldn't.) Scoble called a few minutes ago. I asked what the consensus was. He said it was about 70 percent in his favor, 30 percent in Facebook's. I think we can win over the 30 percent by saying that there should be a system whereby people can decide how much information they want to share with Scoble, or people like Scoble, or me, or people like me, or BofA or the DEA, KGB or CIA. Further, that system is not Facebook, unless they change.  Now, I think there's a pretty good chance that Facebook will change and give Scoble his data and turn his account back on. I think Facebook wants to give us access to our data, but if they just turned the feature on, there would be a shitstorm, kind of like the one that's raging right now. Except this time Facebook has defenders, which they must find refreshing, because every time there's been a shitstorm around Facebook they've always been seen as 100 percent evil by most people. (Not by me, btw.) Maybe they're getting smart there over at Facebook. Maybe they will relent, kind of admit they were wrong, and secretly be happy that they got to open their network up some more.  However, if Facebook doesn't open up and allow people a system to say who can access what information, we still have to create that system somehow. Google could have done it, but they didn't. Same with Yahoo or Microsoft. These companies don't want to empower the users, but if they studied history, they'd see that the evolution of computers always comes in fits and starts. A period when the technology is new and people are snowed by the companies and let them have full control. Gradually people understand what's going on, and figure out they're being screwed but they accept it. And then explosively the whole thing disintegrates in a new layer of technology.  It's a big effin loop we're in. One of these times around one of the companies that feels (incorrectly) that they have a lock on their users, will voluntarily give it up and be a leader in Generation N+1. I've never seen it happen, but in theory I think it could.  In other words, Apple and Microsoft could have invented the web instead of TBL. DEC and Data General could have invented the personal computer instead of Apple and Microsoft (I know this is a simplification, there were lots of individuals and small companies that did it.) And IBM could have invented the minicomputer instead of DEC and Data General. And btw, the NY Times and CNN could have invented blogging and RSS.  So Facebook has the opportunity to be a crossover company, part of the next generation -- or a last gasp of the generation that's about to run out of gas. It's their choice. And it's fitting somehow that Scoble is the poster child for users in this cycle.


Kamikaze si fa esplodere, aveva 14-15 anni


Empoli, 17:51 - CALCIO, UEFA; EMPOLI-ZURIGO: RUBATI BAGAGLI A TIFOSI SVIZZERI

Il rientro in svizzera per un gruppo di tifosi dello Zurigo è stato due volte amaro. Non solo...


At a time when trends seem disposable, the flyaway jacket has staying power and is emerging as the first retail hit of the spring.


The UN says it is "deeply concerned" that civilian areas are being shelled by both sides in Sri Lanka's conflict.


Health care and consumer products maker Johnson & Johnson is close to finalizing its long-rumored $24 billion cash and stock acquisition of medical-device maker Guidant Corp.


Il ministro ha commentato le anticipazioni su dati calcolati


New Jersey voters will decide this November whether to approve borrowing $450 million to pay for 10 years of stem cell research under legislation approved Thursday by the Legislature.


China and Prince Alwaleed to invest in Citigroup: report

Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed bin  Talal, Citigroup's  largest individual shareholder, will  inject new cash as the largest U.S. bank grapples with heavy  mortgage market losses, the Wall Street Journal reported on its  Web site on Friday.


JOSE MOURINHO claims to be indifferent to the results and performances of his rivals, concentrating only on what his own Chelsea team achieve.


Nigeria's president-elect says he will reform the election process - strongly criticised during last month's poll.


p2pnet.net News:- Winamp has an extremely critical security hole that could be exploited by hackers to compromise a user's system.


U.S. stocks declined on Tuesday as disappointing earnings from consumer electronics chain Best Buy Inc.  sounded a sour note about the strength of the holiday shopping season.


BOSTON Researchers have developed a simple urine test that appears to detect breast cancer early and accurately track tumor growth.


GenCorp (GY.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , an aerospace and real estate company, on Monday said its board has rejected a $17 per share offer from US investment fund Steel Partners II, saying the price was "inadequate.


Canada says it will not, for now, hand over a group of North Koreans who stormed its embassy in Beijing.


Europe Aims to Close Comfortable Ryder Victory

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich.  - Unless golf history is  made, Europe will comfortably retain the Ryder Cup on Sunday  against a U.S. team which has been in disarray for the first  two days.


Careless Cech lets Gallas deliver Arsenal's knockout blow

William Gallas punished a rare mistake by Petr Cech to give Arsenal a hard-fought 1-0 win against Chelsea on Sunday that proved Arsene Wenger's side are ready to fight for the Premier League title.


UN troops arrest dozens of fighters in Liberian disarmament ...

United Nations troops arrested dozens of men Sunday in a bloody conclusion to a countrywide disarmament program, days after a fresh burst of violent in the war-battered West African country.


Obama proposes U.S. ban on China-made toys

Democratic presidential  hopeful Barack Obama said on Wednesday he would ban all toys  made in China after a series of safety scares, and he called  for tougher U.S. inspections of Chinese imports.


Tropical Storm Florence forms in Atlantic

The sixth tropical storm of the Atlantic   hurricane season, Florence, formed in the distant Atlantic on   Tuesday and could become a hurricane as it moves toward the   United States, U.S. forecasters said.


JAKARTA An internal company report warned top executives at Newmont Mining, the world's largest gold producer, in 2001 that the company was putting tons of toxic mercury vapors into the air in Indonesia.


Mel Martinez announced today that he was stepping down as general chairman of the Republican National Committee after serving only 10 months.


Brain-damaged woman can be withdrawn from feeding tube: Florida Supreme Court

Florida's Supreme Court ruled that a brain-damaged woman whose feeding tube was removed -- but later reinserted after state Governor Jeb Bush intervened -- can have the tube removed following her husband's wishes.


U.S. space shuttle Discovery blasts off from Cape Canaveral for a 14-day mission.


French Open champion Anastasia Myskina will quit Russia's Fed Cup team if Maria Sharapova joins the squad next year, saying she doesn't like the Wimbledon champion's father.


Abbott acquires nutrition firm EAS for 320 million dollars

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. Abbott Laboratories has agreed to buy Colorado-based nutrition firm EAS for 320 (m) million dollars. The deal expands Abbott's growing stable of nutritional products.


'Emmerdale' Star Stan Richards Dies at Age 74

Actor Stan Richards, who starred as gamekeeper Seth Armstrong in the British soap opera "Emmerdale" for 27 years, has died at the age of 74, the show's producers said on Saturday.


Iran insists it wants to enrich uranium for nuclear fuel

TEHRAN, Oct 19  - A top Iranian nuclear official reiterated Tuesday his government's assertion that it wants to enrich uranium to provide fuel for its future nuclear power plants.


Valencia, 13:44 - CALCIO, VALENCIA: STAGIONE FINITA PER BARAJA

La stagione del centrocampista del Valencia, Ruben Baraja, è finita. La risonanza magnetica e...


Maliki shelves evening meeting with Bush

A crisis meeting between President Bush and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Jordan was postponed for a day following a report suggesting Washington lacked confidence in the Iraqi leader.


Emotions High as British Iraqis Turn Out to Vote

Emotions ran high as hundreds of jubilant British Iraqis arrived on Friday to vote in their country's historic election.


Rangers were set to raise their bid to bring former skipper Barry Ferguson back to Ibrox after having an initial bid for the homesick midfielder rejected by Blackburn.


They're only four years apart in age, and it seems everywhere Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson go, the gap is even less. The Hendrick Motorsport drivers aren't brothers, according


Fifty-four Indian miners feared dead after blast

DHANBAD, India  - At least 54 miners were feared   dead in eastern India after the roof of a state-owned coal mine   collapsed following an explosion, a mine official said on   Thursday.


JP Ricciardi reported another slow news day at the Winter Meetings, meeting with the press shortly before leaving the building for an appointment with the dentist.


In the Fatosphere, Big Is In, or at Least Accepted

Rebels in a get-thin world are blogging away at the mainstream.


KUALA LUMPUR : Six people drowned and several others were missing on Sunday after being swept away by a tidal wave which hit Malaysia's resort island of Penang following a massive earthquake off northern Indonesia, police and rescue officials said.


Browns Fire Grantham as Defensive Coordinator

Todd Grantham, the Cleveland Brownsâ defensive coordinator, was unexpectedly fired Friday after Clevelandâs defense finished the season as one of the N.F.L.âs worst units.


OGGI SU INTERNET/ITALIA - On line il nuovo sito dellÂUfficio nazionale per le comunicazioni sociali Roma (Agenzia Fides) - Nuovo sito internet dellÂUfficio nazionale per le comunicazioni sociali della Cei (Ucs). L'obiettivo: fornire un servizio alle diocesi e alle parrocchie, informare su tutto quanto ruota attorno al mondo dei media...


Down 3.7% from last year The German mobile market will experience sluggish growth in 2006, according to a report from analyst Telecompaper.â¦


Demand for Linux-based laptops drives the Dell announcement.


Andre Miller had a season-high 34 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 111-105 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.


Bollywood Film Tackles HIV Stigma in India

In a movie-mad country where people are  shy about discussing sex, a Bollywood film-maker hopes to shed  some light on India's potentially disastrous HIV problem.


Second-seeded Joachim Johansson easily beat Adrian Garcia 6-4, 6-2 Tuesday to reach the Stockholm Open's second round without facing a break point.


Lo ha reso noto un portavoce del Cremlino in serata


It isn't easy being green in an abstract world As Kermit the infuriating frog puppet once said "It's not easy bein' green" - especially as a software developer. OK you can do all things that everyone else does - buy a Toyota Prius hybrid or even cycle to work (as long as you avoid Lycra and silly helmets). You can scribble notes on recycled paper with a pencil (made of wood from managed forests) and turn your machine off standby. You can even diligently recycle your printer ink cartridges and offset your energy consumption by planting a few trees.â¦


Nine nicked laptops hanging on the wall A break-in at Middlesbrough Council has resulted in the loss of nine laptops containing sensitive case files on up to 63 vulnerable children.â¦


By Frazier Moore< Associated Press  NEW YORK - The fall TV season is about to begin. The push is on from the broadcast networks to tempt you into watching what they spent the past year pounding into shape.


Londra +0,14%, Francoforte +0,41%, Milano +0,19%


Pilgrims flee Iraq city as gunbattles rage

KERBALA, Iraq  - Police ordered hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to leave the Iraqi city of Kerbala on Tuesday after a fierce gunbattle between Iraqi security forces and gunmen near two of Shi'ite Islam's holiest shrines.


Workers at three tire plants, including one in Indiana, had been without deal for 15 months. PITTSBURGH -- More than 3,000 union workers at three BF Goodrich tire manufacturing plants in Indiana and Alabama


Open source executive moves: Charlie Martin to MuleSource

Blog: Charlie Martin leaves Novell to join MuleSource.  Not a jackass move at all.


The Houston Rockets has obtained shooting guard Jon Barry on Thursday in a trade that sent guard Tyronn Lue to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange.


Researchers: We Cracked Car Alarm System

Researchers said Saturday they have found a way to crack the code used in millions of car keys, a development they said could allow thieves to bypass the security systems on newer car models.


Blogger Influence Raises Ethical Questions

When Jerome Armstrong began consulting for Howard Dean's presidential campaign, he thought the ethical thing to do was to suspend the Web journal where he opined on politics.


Apple says YouTube to be available on Apple TV

Apple Inc.  said on Wednesday that Google Inc.'s YouTube Internet video site will be available on its Apple TV set-top box.


US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova overcame a strong effort by Chinese qualifier Li Na and an opposing crowd to reach the quarterfinals of the China Open with a 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-3) victory on Thursday.


British soldiers from the Black Watch are mourning the loss of three comrades killed in a suicide bombing in Iraq. The attack happened just two days into the battle group's controversial deployment to support US troops south of Baghdad.


Wife Invokes Supreme Court to Tout Kerry

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry would appoint Supreme Court justices who would safeguard a half-century of civil rights gains, his wife said Friday.


Patterns: A Video Game, an M.R.I. and What Menâs Brains Do

Why does it often seem that men enjoy playing video games more than women? Perhaps because they do.


Wilson asks to "heal" after suicide reports

Oscar-nominated film star Owen Wilson, best known for comedies like "Wedding Crashers," sought time on Monday to "heal in private" after media reports claimed he was hospitalized for a suicide attempt.


Shipman thought to have murdered 250 people

Harold Shipman, the family doctor who became Britain's worst-ever serial killer, is thought to have killed about 250 patients over a 27-year period rather than the 215 murders previously attributed to him, an inquiry said.


Manchester City have fined midfielder Joey Barton six weeks wages following an incident at the clubs christmas party. The 22-year-old poked a cigar in the eye of team-mate Jamie Tandy after he apparently tried to set his shirt on fire.


Basnight Weighing Industry Perks: After Google's $260 Million Deal, Senate Leader Wants Examination of How State Uses Incentives

By Jonathan B. Cox, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.  Feb. 9--An influential lawmaker said Thursday he wants the state to review its use of incentives in luring companies to North Carolina.


The international Red Cross cited progress Wednesday on issues related to the U.S. detention of terrorism suspects but said more must be done to ensure protection of their legal rights.


Al voto oltre 12 mln di elettori per 8 Province e 958 Comuni


Uneasy about sleazy: Columnist kicks Hilton habit

Paris Hilton is getting the boot. And we're not talking a plot point in her latest direct-to-video release. Lloyd Grove, gossip guy for the New York Daily News, resolves that, from now on, the hotel heiress is banned from his Lowdown column.


Forget foosball. Just like the 40 designers and engineers at IDEO, the firm has to work. The black foam cubes hanging from the ceiling are playful, but they also muffle sound. Spandex eye screens, looking like kites floating above individual work spaces, shield works-in-progress from passersby. Lumasite panels set on wheels, not quite transparent, provide privacy when needed -- then ...


Few Enroll in Low-Cost Drug Demonstration

A new program to provide low-cost drugs to people with cancer and other serious illnesses has fallen far short of expectations, as just a small number of eligible patients


DevShed: Handling Entries for a Blogger Built with PHP

DevShed has posted the second part of their (three part) series looking at the construction of a blogging application in PHP5. In this part, they look at how to handle the user's desire to input entries into the application via a HTML form.   In this second installment of the series, I'll show you how to expand the initial functionality of the already familiar "BlogProcessor" class so that it is capable of addressing all these (displaying all the entries, show the insert/update forms) issues.   They start with the simplest of the group - the displayBlogs method, outputting the full contents of the entries for the blog. Things get a bit tougher with the next step - creating the insert and update forms for pushing content into the database. Finally, they defined the header and footer functionality to make setting up the structure of the page simpler.


You Have to Play to Win: More Incentives Needed to Attract Out-of-State Businesses, Some Say

By Tom Daykin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel  Sep. 10--Honda chose Indiana for its next factory.   Google is setting up shop in Michigan.   Wisconsin, however, does not often win those prizes or even play the game.


THE CLAIM: Heart attacks are more common during the holidays

THE FACTS: The stress of last-minute shopping, squabbling in-laws and busy airports can make the holidays a season of headaches. But is there any connection between holiday stress and heart attacks?


I risultati di una indagine a tappeto nelle scuole: i ragazzi invece non mostrano incertezzeLa demografa del Cnr Palomba: "Il problema esiste, lavoriamo per superare pregiudizi"                                            Ricerca, se le ragazze rinunciano "Ma io non sono all'altezza..."                                                                                di TULLIA FABIANI


Senate Democrats unveil balanced budget plan

Senate Democrats on Tuesday unveiled plans for nearly balancing the U.S. budget by 2011 while funding domestic social programs at higher levels than President George W. Bush sought and leaving the fate of his tax cuts uncertain after 2010.


Megawati's party considering appeal over alleged irregularities

By Channel NewsAsia's Indonesia Bureau Chief Haseenah Koyakutty. JAKARTA : Indonesia's outgoing President Megawati Sukarnoputri has urged her fellow countrymen to accept this week's official election results.


Uncover financial insights for your business daily with The New York Times - the authority on market trend news and analysis. Now delivered to your home or business starting at $2.40/wk.


By Andrew Edwards, San Bernardino County Sun, Calif.  Sep.


EU could change Balkans at a stroke, says Serbia

The European Union could change  the Balkans at a stroke by giving membership candidate status  to countries still uncertain whether the bloc really wants  them, Serb Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said on Monday.


The flaw exploited by the most recent versions of the worm such as Santy.C or Santy.E is more general than the original, and can occur anywhere a site designer has left the door open for the inclusion of arbitrary files into PHP scripts, reports IDG News


Boris Johnson is expected to run against Ken Livingstone for London mayor, it is reported.


Deep in the dusty, unlit corridors of Kenya's national museum, locked away in a plain-looking cabinet, is one of mankind's oldest relics: Turkana Boy, as he is known, the most complete skeleton of a prehistoric human ever found.


Treasury chief seeks regulatory changes: report

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is launching an internal review to recommend changes to the regulatory system to reduce legal and regulatory burdens for U.S. businesses, The Wall Street Journal Online reported on Wednesday.


Nel 1989 uccise il padre, la madre e il fratello


EU nuclear deal with Iran puts hardline US on spot: analysts

VIENNA - The EU deal that got Iran to freeze key nuclear activities puts the United States on the spot since Washington must now decide whether to continue confronting Iran as an enemy or join Europe in trying to engage it, analysts and diplomats told AFP


The 'Fat Pig' Guys: Big Helpings of Denial and Oinks All Round

The men from Neil LaBute's new work discuss what they really thought about the way the play depicted male psychology. Their verdict? It's scarily dead on.


IRPC Must Clean Up Its Rayong Factories or Lose Operating License

By Bangkok Post, Thailand  Jun. 8--The oil refiner and petrochemical manufacturer IRPC must improve  pollution controls within its industrial zone to the levels of factories  located within Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate in Rayong by next March.


EU warns Kosovo against declaring independence

The European Union warned  Kosovo on Thursday against an "irresponsible" declaration of  independence after Russia again rejected a Western-backed  United Nations resolution that would effectively grant the  move.


Comment is free: Jason Burke: Despite the PM's upbeat stance, victory is far in the future. It's crucial we stay committed


OGGI SU INTERNET/SIRIA - La strada della pace Ã¨ sempre possibile Deir Mar Musa (Agenzia Fides) - Convento Deir Mar Musa, in Siria: ci sono persone, frati, come qui tra i monti della Siria che riaprono eremi antichi isolati tra i monti per dire che la strada della pace Ã¨ possibile....


World Business Briefing | Europe: Switzerland: Net Income Up at Swiss Reinsurance

The Swiss Reinsurance Company, the worldâs largest reinsurer, said profit nearly doubled last year because of fewer claims from natural disasters and gains from investments and acquisitions. The company earned 4.56 billion Swiss francs ($3.74 billion) for the year, up from a restated figure of 2.3 billion francs for 2005. Swiss Re also announced a 36 percent increase in its dividend, to 3.40 francs ($2.79) a share, and said it would buy back shares worth up to 6 billion francs ($4.9 billion) over the next three years. Swiss Re said it would buy half of a stake held by General Electric as part of the buyback. G.E. is selling a Swiss Re stake valued at 3.5 billion Swiss francs ($2.9 billion), half to Swiss Re and the other half on the open market. G.E. acquired the stake last year when it sold its reinsurance units to Swiss Re.


Intel Corp. has signed a cross-licensing agreement with Nvidia Corp. that would allow the 3-D graphics chipmaker to start selling chipsets for PCs that use Intel's microprocessors, the companies said Friday.


Obiettivo e' competere con grandi marchi Usa e tedeschi


FOXBOROUGH -- Revolution forward Pat Noonan was among the most consistently productive players in MLS in his first three seasons in the league. But Noonan has been struggling with injuries since performing for the US in the Gold Cup last season, and last night converted his first goal in regular-season play since June 25, 2005, as the Revolution took a ...


Italian airline company seeks domestic partner

Struggling Italian airline Alitalia is set to seek one of three domestic partners to help it claw backmarket share, Alitalia's Chairman and CEO Gianfranco Cimoli said on Thursday.


Bob Dylan Publishes Memoirs, Vows to Speak Truth

Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan said he didn't find the process of writing his new memoirs all "that splendid," according to an article in the latest issue of Newsweek magazine.


The Miami Herald's publisher resigned Tuesday, citing the recent revelation that some journalists with its Spanish-language sister paper El Nuevo Herald were paid to appear on U.S.-government broadcasts aimed at promoting democracy in Cuba.


Microsoft Veep Moving to Vodafone Amid Shake-Up Rumors

Valentine's Day saw a defection from the Microsoft mobile camp, perhaps without a kiss. Leaving is Microsoft Senior Vice President Pieter Knook, who will head a new Internet Services division that Vodafone Group Plc announced Tuesday. In this new role, Knook will direct the development and delivery of Vodafone's consumer Internet business.


Huckabee's trade views worry some business groups

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's  rise to prominence in the Republican presidential field is  worrying some business groups that question his support for  free trade and want more details about his economic plans.


Stallone's hotel, plane searched in Sydney: media

Sylvester Stallone's hotel room,  private plane and limousine were searched, Australian media  reported on Tuesday, just days after prohibited items were  seized from his luggage at Sydney airport.


EU: ISPs don't have to disclose subscriber names

Blog: A ruling by the top court in the European Union deals another blow to the recording industry's efforts to fight the distribution of copyrighted recordings through file-sharing networks.


âPorgyâ Meets Katrina, and Lifeâs Not So Easy

âSummertime/And the livinâ is easyâ takes on a whole new meaning in a bluesy new jazz, gospel and dance staging of âPorgy and Bess,â in Austin, Tex.


Top chef causes a stir with row over spoon

As Sarah Roe left the top London restaurant where she had just spent a huge sum entertaining business clients to find the chef blocking the door, she probably thought he was about to thank her for her custom.


The China Meteorological Administration warned Thursday Typhoon Shanshan was moving toward Taiwan at a speed of 6 to 10 mph.  The storm, the 13th recorded this year, was located about 300 miles northwest of Taiwan at 20.4 latitude and 125.2 longitude at 5 p.m.


Ted Flaherty remembers the days in the 1970s when he played for Jack Welch, and even now, in his second year as head coach, Flaherty takes advantage of the football wisdom Welch delivers.


The founder of the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), George Habash, dies.


Chain store retail sales rose in the  latest week, as Super Bowl purchases and a New York State tax  holiday helped drive sales, a retail report said on Tuesday.


Two senior French officials of the company whose toxic waste was dumped in Ivory Coast are arrested.


UN team in S.Korea as N.Korea vows not to abandon nuclear ambitions

A United Nations inspection team arrived to further investigate South Korea's past unauthorized experiments with plutonium and uranium as North Korea vowed not to abandon its nuclear ambitions.


The graves of nearly 40 people at the Republican plot in west Belfast's Milltown cemetery are desecrated.


AFRICA/KENYA - ÂSpero che i nostri due leader continuino sulla strada del dialogo mettendo al primo posto il bene comune e le necessitÃ  reali del popolo del KenyaÂ dice a Fides il Cardinale Njue Nairobi (Agenzia Fides)- ÂÃ in passo nella giusta direzione, e una dimostrazione che la via del dialogo Ã¨ lÂunica percorribile per riportare la pace in KenyaÂ. Cosi il Cardinale John Njue, Arcivescovo di Nairobi e Presidente della Conferenza Episcopa...


Valiquette and Rangers Dominate Flyers Again

Rangers goalie Steve Valiquette made 31 saves to record his second consecutive shutout against the Flyers as the Rangers continued their success in Philadelphia.


An already qualified Juventus side will host Ajax at the Delle Alpi stadium of Turin for the 5th matchday of the Champions League.


Analysis: Clinton faces likability worry

It was a blunt question for Hillary Rodham Clinton at the end of a long campaign day. A young man said he knew a lot of people who just didn't like her, and he wanted to know what she could do about it.


Register to win a $2,400 scholarship for you or a family member. Simply fill out the 3-step form for additional information from any of our colleges and you will automatically be entered.


Fin wins World Cup GS with 'full attack'

Up-and-comer Tanja Poutiainen of Finland held off two of skiingâs giants, Swedenâs Anja Paerson and Croatiaâs Janica Kostelic, to win the giant slalom on Aspen Mountain Friday, the first of three World Cup races on Ajax this weekend.


Ziff Davis - LSB 2.0 represents the best chance to prevent Linux fragmentation.


There's plenty of good news out there in the technology sector, but nearly five years after the great Nasdaq bust of 2000, bellwether firms like Cisco Systems continue to struggle. -washingtonpost.com


Rising Stocks / Program Has Chickahominy on the Mend

By Lee Graves  A truck from Alabama arrived at a park by the Chickahominy River on Thursday morning with about 114,000 tigers in its tank.  Tiger bass, that is - largemouth.


The Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday it's agreed with 12 US airlines on steps to improve aircraft water quality after its own tests discovered coliform bacteria - generally


Air China Ltd. has signed an agreement with Airbus to buy 20 of its A330-200 aircraft, the Chinese flag carrier said Thursday.


New UK demands hit prospects for EU treaty deal

Poland softened its tone on the eve of  a crucial European Union summit due to launch negotiations on a  reform of the bloc's institutions but Britain angered its  partners by trying to gut foreign policy provisions.


new yorkâCrude oil surged to a four-week high yesterday, bringing the gain this week to almost $3 (US) a barrel, on concern shutdowns caused by Hurricane Ivan will further reduce US inventories.


Faster than you can say "bonus depreciation allowance," lawmakers adopted two tax bills this year that could have a significant impact on your taxes in 2004 and 2005.


An effective protection against malaria is done

A vaccine against malaria, which kills up to three million people a year, could be a reality by the end of the decade, scientists involved in one of the biggest clinical trials in Africa said yesterday.


A Melbourne court has refused bail for an Australian suspected of working for the al-Qaida terror network. Joseph Terrance Thomas, 31, has been charged with receiving


Sarkozy touting Blair as potential EU president

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is touting British Prime Minister Tony Blair for a job as the first full-time European Union president, the Financial Times newspaper said Saturday.


Courier firm DHL is ditching plans to site its international hub in Brussels at a likely cost of 1,700 jobs by 2008. Negotiations with local and federal authorities over increasing the number of night flights have failed, the firm told BBC News Online.


A Season for Big Works (and Two Grand Finales) at the Philharmonic

Eras will end at the New York Philharmonic next season as Lorin Maazel finishes his seven-year run as music director and Stanley Drucker, the principal clarinetist, retires.


French banks agree to set up 1 bln superfund: report

Five French banks have agreed to set up  a "super-conduit" fund holding $1.47 billion of asset-backed  securities early in 2008 to ensure a liquid market for any  French mutual funds destabilized by the global credit crisis,  the Financial Times reported on Thursday.


Venezuelan, Colombian Leaders Hold Talks

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, after meeting with his Colombian counterpart in this Spanish colonial city, swore to treat any illegal, armed Colombian group that enters his country as an enemy of state.


Kerry Pledges to Lower Health Care Costs

Democrat John Kerry said Thursday he would cut health care costs that have soared the past four years during the Bush administration while millions have lost their health insurance. Bush "hasn't even tried" to lower the costs, Kerry said in an interview with The Associated Press.


Ministers should consider forcing foreign workers or spouses to learn English, an expert body says.


Egyptian officials began trying to control the masses of Palestinians flooding from the Gaza Strip Thursday, stopping some from moving deeper into Egypt but not attempting to reseal the breached border


Castro's future dominates 80th birthday event

A celebration this week of ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro's 80th birthday has turned into a high-stakes test of his health and political future as the world watches to see if he is well enough to attend.


N.H.L. Talks Up World Cup, Not Much Else

The league and the players' association met for talks Wednesday, but tried to keep the focus on the World Cup of Hockey.


Esce l'11 luglio il quinto film della saga, "L'Ordine della Fenice"Atmosfera cupa e severa per un vero e proprio scontro di poteri                                            Harry Potter diventa grande e al cinema scopre il male                                                                                di GAIA GIULIANI


Microsoft expects Google complaint over desktop fix

Microsoft Corp. said on Monday it  expects rival Google Inc. to file a complaint with a federal  judge arguing that changes Microsoft has agreed to make to its  Windows Vista operating system fall short of addressing  concerns that its computer search function puts Google and  other potential competitors at a disadvantage.


Despite Empty Seats at Home, Hornets are Thriving

The N.B.A. All-Star Game arrives Sunday to shine a spotlight on New Orleans, but also to embrace a local franchise that continues to lag in the stands despite contending in the standings.


Revamped Microsoft Live Search Can't Compete With Google

In an attempt to catch up to industry leader Google, Microsoft redesigns its Live Search service. The company claims to have better relevance, improved performance and beefier indexing, but the results disappoint.


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


Thomas Haden Church Talks About "Sideways"

We haven't seen much of Thomas Haden Church in movies or on TV recently. According to Haden Church the explanation is simple: he's been busy behind the camera rather than in front of it for the past year or so.


Contribuira' rafforzare riserve energetiche per 5-6 anni


Americans Show Signs of Life at Ryder Cup

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. - The Americans finally showed up at the Ryder Cup...


Medicare proposes wider carotid stent coverage

U.S. Medicare officials proposed expanding coverage of carotid artery stenting procedures to prevent strokes, the agency said in a statement on Thursday.


A massive explosion at a chemical plant shook an industrial district in Jacksonville, Florida on Wednesday, forcing evacuations and knocking out generators at a nearby electric utility, officials said.


Kenya Opposition Calls 3 Days of Protest

NAIROBI, Kenya -- Kenya's main opposition party said Friday it plans three days of mass rallies next week to protest President Mwai Kibaki's disputed re-election, which has sparked waves of deadly violence across the East African nation.


L'INCHIESTA. Tornano in Sicilia i figli dei boss scappati negli Usaper sfuggire ai Corleonesi. E si riprendono il potere perduto                                          La riscoperta dell'America nuovo fronte di Cosa Nostra                                                                                DI ATTILIO BOLZONI e GIUSEPPE D'AVANZO


British troops begin the move north to take over operations from US troops in central Iraq.


It's the literary award no author wants to win, and this year it's gone to Tom Wolfe. The Literary Review gave Wolfe its annual Bad Sex award Monday for his best-selling novel "I Am Charlotte Simmons."


SpaceShipOne, the world's first privately built manned spacecraft, blasted into space for the second time in less than a week on Monday to claim the $10 million Ansari X Prize.


By Sara Kehaulani Goo, Washington Post Staff Writer  In the few months since Google paid $1.65 billion to acquire YouTube, both companies have tried to come up with a formula to turn the hugely popular online video site into a moneymaking venture.  Turns out, it's not easy.


Sterling rose to its highest level since July against the dollar.


HK's health chief knew he was in trouble over Sars

HONG KONG - Hong Kong health chief Yeoh Eng Kiong, who resigned over his much-criticised handling of Sars, said he knew all along there would be 'recriminations' but, in retrospect, would not have done things much differently.


An Iraqi court on Sunday sentenced Saddam Hussein's cousin known as "Chemical Ali" and two other former regime officials to death by hanging for their roles in a 1980s scorched-earth campaign that led to the deaths of 180,000 Kurds.


Jodie Foster's crime thriller The Brave One takes $14m (Â£7m) to top the US and Canada box office.


Excess Weight Can Compromise Birth Control Pills

Women who are overweight or obese are more likely to get pregnant while taking birth control pills than women of normal weight are, new research finds.


Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, complaining about his lack of authority, had an argument with Yasser Arafat and threatened to step down, but stopped short of handing in a letter of resignation, officials said.


Per capogruppo Prc nessun problema mercoledi' al Senato


Egypt plays down political rifts as the reason for postponing this week's intra-Palestinian talks. Khaled Amayreh in the West Bank and Rasha Saad in Cairo report.


Liverpool's Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have given manager Rafael Benitez a post-Champions League boost by signing new four-year contracts with the club.


Adobe Acrobat adds Vista flexibility, remote printing

Blog: Support for Acrobat and Reader has arrived for Microsoft Vista and Office 2007.


Strong profitability has a cash flow dark side.


LUXEMBOURG/FRANKFURT  - The European Union's highest court on Tuesday struck down a German law that shielded Volkswagen  from takeover, paving the way for Porsche to take majority control of Europe's biggest carmaker.


Dortmund, 14:28 - CALCIO, BORUSSIA DORTMUND: METZELDER VIA A FINE STAGIONE

Christoph Metzelder lascerà il Borussia Dortmund a fine stagione. Il 26enne difensore naziona...


Accident puts pressure on cash row tube firm

Â· Dislodged roll of tarpaulin caused train to be derailedÂ· Panic as passengers feared Central line bomb attack


By Fiona Luis and Doug Bailey, Globe Staff And Globe Correspondent | December 27, 2004. PENANG, Malaysia -- On any normal Sunday, the public beaches at Batu Ferringhi on this island state are filled with a


Stocks were set to open mixed to higher Thrusday, following several pieces of economic data, with stock activity likely to be subdued ahead of Christmas holiday weekend.


More of a sketch than a fully developed portrait, "Arakimentari" is an up-close and generally impersonal introduction to the Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki.


U2 frontman Bono has signed on as the first guest on musician/producer David A. Stewart's upcoming


Home Secretary Jacqui Smith says a bomb alert shows Britain faces " sustained" international terror threat.


Dj Stoxx arretrato del 3,02%, a 306.03 punti


Prima sconfitta stagionale per i bianconeri, nel finale gol ...

La Reggina batte i bianconeri per 2-1. Grande sorpresa al âGranilloâ: la Juventus imbattuta fino ad oggi cade sotto i colpi di Colucci (13â) e Zamboni (26â), con il momentaneo pareggio di Ibrahimovic (14â).


BAGHDAD, Iraq - Shiite militants and U.S. forces battled throughout the Baghdad slum of Sadr City, and a mortar barrage slammed into a busy neighborhood in the capital in a new wave of violence Saturday that killed at least five people and wounded dozens of others...


Prima il tormentone Totti, adesso l'addio di Nesta alla maglia azzurraE il ct commenta: "Per me essere convocato era la cosa piÃ¹ importante"                                            Nazionale, Donadoni serra i ranghi "Voglio solo giocatori motivati"


Afghans search for kidnapped U.S. aid worker

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan  - Afghan forces searched on Sunday for a U.S. aid worker kidnapped by gunmen from the southern city of Kandahar.


Videogaming is maturing with more  platforms than ever, says the head of the industry's key creative event.


Giambi Apologizes for Distraction of Steroid Row

New York Yankees player Jason Giambi,  a poster boy for baseball's controversy over steroid use, said  on Thursday he was very sorry. And sorry that he could not say  what he was sorry about.


Musharraf suggests new formula to solve J&K

In a new formulation to resolve the vexed Kashmir issue, President Pervez Musharraf tonight suggested India and Pakistan consider the option of identifying some "regions" of Kashmir on both sides of Line of Control, demilitarise them and grant them the


Follow Forbes columnist Rich Karlgaard as he travels the world in search of great thinkers and big ideas.


Rumsfeld Views Possible U.S. Bases in Romania

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Monday scouted an air base and an army facility in Romania for possible use as future U.S. military installations.


Carlos Beltran's stay in Houston almost certainly will be short.


Gov. Phil Bredesen announced Wednesday that Tennessee planned to dissolve its financially troubled program expanding Medicaid, a decision that would cut as many as 430,000 people from state health care rolls.


Even though Google's two founders gave an interview to Playboy magazine in the midst of its IPO filing, the SEC allowed the company's offering to go ahead. The boys filed the interview with the SEC and corrected mistakes in it.


CRAWFORD, Texas - Former Republican Sen. Bob Dole suggested Sunday that John Kerry apologize for past testimony before Congress about alleged atrocities during the Vietnam War and joined critics of the Democratic presidential candidate who say he received an early exit from combat for "superficial wounds."   Dole also called on Kerry to release all the records of his service in Vietnam...


Developmental Center Criticized in Study

State workers who run the Woodbridge Developmental Center for the developmentally disabled have not adequately protected their 500 charges from harm, according to a yearlong federal investigation.


Anti-U.S. Attack Videos Spread on the Internet

Videos showing attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq have migrated to Internet video-sharing sites like YouTube.


Gold Fields Welcomes Decision by South African High Court

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, December 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Board of Directors of Gold Fields Limited (NYSE:GFI)(NYSE:and)(NYSE:JSE:)(NYSE:GFI) welcomes today's decision by the High Court of South Africa in respect of its ability to vote ordinary


The Moth storytelling tour helps erase the line between writers and their readers.


EU membership talks give Turkey new clout

The European Union's decision to start membership talks with Turkey gives the Muslim country a new position in Europe and the Islamic world, Foreign Minster Abdullah Gul said Sunday.


The EU foreign policy chief begins a Mid-East tour holding positive meetings with political rivals in Lebanon.


Edwards, Cheney Set to Meet in Only Debate

CLEVELAND - Both presidential campaigns are looking for a boost at the other's expense Tuesday when Vice President Dick Cheney and Democratic rival John Edwards square off for the only vice presidential debate of the 2004 election.    Most of the pre-debate talk was about Iraq...


North Korea talks scramble for energy breakthrough

Talks on the future of North Korea's nuclear arms program entered a fifth day on Monday with negotiators scrambling for progress after Pyongyang's demands for energy compensation were rejected.


India-Pakistan Pledge: Talks for Solution of Kashmir Issue

NEW DELHI (India): Expressing determination to take the process forward, Pakistan and India Wednesday agreed to continue with the serious and sustained dialogue to find a peaceful negotiated final settlement of the Kashmir dispute.


CN8, The Comcast Network Wins Eight Emmy Awards As Network Celebrates 10th Anniversary, Expansion to 9 Million Viewers, New Programming Lineup and D.C. Studio

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 11  /PRNewswire/ -- CN8, The Comcast Network added to its 10th anniversary celebrations with eight Emmy awards from the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.


Roma, 19:39 - CICLISMO, JAKSCHE CONVOCATO DALL'UCI

Il ciclista tedesco Joerg Jaksche è stato convocato dall'Unione Ciclistica Internazionale dop...


Privacy groups ramp up Google-DoubleClick attacks

As the Federal Trade Commission wraps up deliberations on whether to approve the $3.1 billion deal, consumer advocates argue privacy issues must be front and center.


Down Democrats, Happy Republicans Look to 2008

A demoralized Democratic Party tried to pick up the pieces on Thursday as Republicans celebrated President Bush's re-election, with both sides


Chevron Corp  said on Thursday  fourth-quarter earnings should rise sequentially due to higher  oil prices, but lower profits from gasoline production would  restrain results for the second straight quarter.


Heart valves, bone and ligaments used in transplants are considered safe, but could be made even more so with high-tech DNA tests that can spot a wide array of potentially deadly viruses, researchers report in a study published today.


Bergamo, 18:28 - CALCIO, ATALANTA; COLANTUONO: ARBITRO? HANNO VISTO TUTTI

L'Atalanta ritrova la parola dopo la beffa di Genova ma non commenta le decisioni dell'arbitro Orsat...


Ponting slams crumbling pitch, India's Dravid finds track ...

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting slammed the crumbling track on which his team crashed to a 13-run defeat yesterday after being bundled out for 93 runs in their second innings of the fourth and final Test match against India.


Bombing Kills 47 at Police Station in Iraqi Capital

An increasingly bold and organized insurgency seized the offensive again on Tuesday as a suicide car bomb packed with artillery shells exploded outside police headquarters


Company cutting 375 jobs to eliminate redundancies in wake of ATI acquisition.


Firms Agree To Start Paying Royalties for Gulf Drilling

Five oil and gas companies, including Shell, ConocoPhillips and BP, which have avoided paying the government royalties from production in the Gulf of Mexico because of flawed drilling leases, have agreed to pay those fees on future production, the government said yesterday.


Hitachi admits hybrid drives aren't all that, bag of chips

Current capacity falls short of expectations The concept of so-called hybrid hard drives created buzz in the storage world from the moment Microsoft opened its mouth about them back in 2004.â¦


First Prince, now Village People target YouTube

Company that owns the rights to "YMCA" is preparing to sue after song is combined with footage of Adolph Hitler and posted to YouTube.


Strategy to cement the format's popularity The Sony Blu-ray Disc wagon shows no signs of slowing, with the company unveiling four forthcoming recorders based on the format. The top-of-the-range model incorporates a massive 500GB hard drive, enough for about 160 hours of HD content, while the whole range also provides 1080p 'full HD' resolution.â¦


Un messaggio sta arrivando nella posta elettronica di mezza ItaliaChi fa clic sul link consigliato finisce su un sito con un virus sconosciuto                                          'Sei indagato', ondata di mail false La Gdf avverte: "Infettano i pc"                                                                                "Pagine estranee a qualsivoglia realtÃ  della Pubblica amministrazione"


It is to become an offence in Northern Ireland to cruise town and city streets looking for prostitutes.


Cost of coitus: Male monkeys pay for sex

Selling sex is said to be humankind's oldest profession but it may have deep evolutionary roots, according to a study into our primate cousins which found that male macaques pay for intercourse by using grooming as a currency.


Raising the fine line US consumer watchdog the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is calling for a bigger stick with which to punish spyware purveyors.â¦


By Bart Jansen Washington D.C. correspondent  Congressional debate on climate change is heating up like the proverbial frog in boiling water. But whether the agitation will lead to action or just allow lawmakers to blow off steam is an open question.


Japan PM Reshuffles Cabinet, Keeps Some Ministers

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro  reshuffled his cabinet Monday to try to boost his popularity  and bolster his ability to implement reforms, but the retention  of several key ministers led some analysts to question whether  he would succeed.


Rescuers pulled more bodies from a coal mine in central China, raising the confirmed death toll to 122 in a massive gas explosion, with 26 miners still missing, the government said today.


After a game about as artful as a dime-store novel, Virginia coach Pete Gillen turned to literature to express the trying time his No.


Vista launch jamboree leaves PC World with indigestion

Hardware promos undermine margins Microsoftâs damp squid launch of Vista has left PC World with an over-stock headache, parent DSGi confirmed today.â¦


Frida Giannini si ispira agli anni '50, stravolgendoli


Some Voices That Might Carry for a While

In 2007, a number of opera singers gave observers hope for a fuller-throated future, and others proved that size does not matter in the face of real artistry.


Kurt Warner fumbles a snap at the Rams 18 with 1:46 to play and Will Witherspoon recovers allowing St. Louis to hold onÃÂ and beatÃÂ Arizona, 16-14.


DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. plans to offer buyout and early retirement packages to more than 75,000 of its employees, a United Auto Workers union official said Thursday.


Motorola Boss Is Hungry for More After Boom Year 2004

Motorola Inc.'s surprise recovery in 2004 has the company hungry for bigger sales and higher profits as it expands its range of icon products, its chief executive told Reuters on Wednesday.


Black Country News: Heavens Above ...  A Phone Mast Church

By Steve Johnson HUNDREDS of families were joining forces today to fight plans for a phone mast on top of a church in Wednesbury. Residents of Friar Park said they were furious over proposals to use the tower of St Francis of Assisi church as a site for telecommunications equipment.


Russia Halts Participation In Arms Pact For Europe

MOSCOW, July 14 -- Russia on Saturday formally suspended its participation in a conventional arms treaty dating from the last years of the Cold War that limits NATO and Russian military deployments in Europe.


Ex-Pres. Bush pleads for more Pakistan quake aid

More than $90 million in pledges made to Pakistan after a devastating earthquake a year ago has yet to be delivered and is urgently needed, former U.S. President George Bush said on Friday.


Russia not planning to quit CFE for now: Lavrov

Russia will not quit a key arms control  pact next week at a conference in Vienna, local news agencies  quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Wednesday.


Turkey's parliament adjourned Saturday without passing a package of human-rights reforms that is key to its bid to join the European Union but that stalled in a bitter dispute over a provision making adultery a crime.


Patrick Carpentier recuperating after surviving crash

CBC SPORTS ONLINE - Canadian Patrick Carpentier left hospital Monday under doctors' orders to rest for a few days after surviving a crash in a Champ Car race on Sunday.


Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki makes his first official visit to Iran since taking office four months ago.


A judge questions French ex-President Jacques Chirac about a scandal dating back to his days as Paris mayor.


N.Korea says US hostility hampers six-party talks

North Korea has said that intensifying US hostility toward North Korea and the secret nuclear related experiments in South Korea constitute big stumbling blocks.


The University of Albany finally figured out how to shut down Harvard in the final seconds of a 79-76 victory in a nonconference game last night at Lavietes Pavilion.


Gasparri (An): magistratura Napoli si occupi della Regione


I fan del West Ham si producono in una maxi rissaVentuno supporters fermati, 6 feriti, piÃ¹ di 100 identificati                                          Uefa, hooligans scatenati a Palermo Arresti e scontri nel centro storico


Former execs from iriver, Musicmatch and Diamond Multimedia work in stealth mode on a new MP3 player that could be the first major advance in years. By Eliot Van Buskirk.


JEDDAH, 15 November 2004 - With the Palestinian presidential election date fixed for Jan. 9, intense diplomatic moves are expected to begin this week to allow maximum participation and greater transparency


Analysts: Peace at risk if Barghouti wins race

A day after jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti shocked his compatriots by announcing that he will run for president, many Palestinians denounced him yesterday for endangering unity and a smooth transition of power in the post-Yasser Arafat era.


South Korea's economy grew faster than expected in the second quarter, but growth is still held back by poor domestic demand


Il corpo di Lorena Radice trovato in casa il 26 dicembre


ViewSonic teases with 'made for iPod' displays

19 and 22in widescreen models coming soon ViewSonic is showing off "Made for iPod" desktop displays at Apple's Expo in Paris.â¦


Cordless handsets, speakerphones, and Wi-Fi devices allow you to use Skype where you want.


Cases of Detained Muslims Tarnish Canadian Mounties' Noble Image

TORONTO -- Canada's top law enforcement agency has been shaken by the aftershocks of its role in the abduction of a Canadian Muslim in 2002, when U.S. agents transported the man from New York for interrogation under torture in Syria.


Bush Urges Pacific Rim to Expand Free Trade

SYDNEY, Sept. 7 -- President Bush on Friday called on Pacific Rim leaders to support efforts to expand free trade, saying that open markets are a crucial element in strengthening the "forces of freedom and prosperity."


UN: Civilian death toll in Iraq climbing

The number of civilians slain in Iraq reached an unprecedented level in July and August, which saw 6,599 violent deaths, the United Nations said Wednesday.


C'e' totale volonta' di proseguire dialogo con il Vaticano


Community News: Latest PEAR Releases for 12.18.2006

Latest PEAR Releases:PEAR_Frontend_Gtk2 1.0.0pearweb 1.0.0HTML_QuickForm_ElementGrid 0.1.0pearweb 1.0.1Services_W3C_HTMLValidator 0.2.0PEAR 1.5.0RC2DB_DataObject 1.8.5Translation2 2.0.0beta12Net_CheckIP 1.2.1PHP_LexerGenerator 0.3.1PHP_ParserGenerator 0.1.4PHP_Archive 0.9.0PEAR_RemoteInstaller 0.3.1XML_Util 1.1.4Date_Holidays 0.17.0HTTP_Session 0.5.5Structures_DataGrid 0.8.0Structures_DataGrid_Renderer_XUL 0.1.2Structures_DataGrid_Renderer_XML 0.1.2Structures_DataGrid_Renderer_XLS 0.1.1Structures_DataGrid_Renderer_Smarty 0.1.3Structures_DataGrid_Renderer_Pager 0.1.1Structures_DataGrid_Renderer_HTMLTable 0.1.3Structures_DataGrid_Renderer_CSV 0.1.3Structures_DataGrid_Renderer_Console 0.1.1Structures_DataGrid_DataSource_XML 0.1.2Structures_DataGrid_Renderer_HTMLSortForm 0.1.2Structures_DataGrid_DataSource_DataObject 0.1.1pearweb 1.1.0


WASHINGTON -- Thirty percent of former US soldiers who have been called back to duty involuntarily to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan have failed to report on time, and eight have been declared AWOL, the Army said yesterday.


UN chief urges patience in Darfur, presses Sudan on peacekeepers

UN chief Ban Ki-moon has urged patience to end the bloodshed in Darfur and voiced hope that Sudan would keep a pledge to allow a joint African Union-United Nations force in the war-torn region.


Accused Madrid bomber condemns attacks at trial

The biggest Al-Qaeda related trial in Europe has resumed with one of the men accused of bombing Madrid commuter trains in 2004 denying all charges and any link with Osama bin Laden's terror network.


Twenty-seven years and 16 features after they began their mutual career, John Sayles and Maggie Renzi are still making movies.


Two U.S. scientists win Nobel for "gene silencing"

Americans Andrew Fire and Craig Mello won the 2006 Nobel Prize for medicine on Monday for their discovery of how to switch off genes, a potential road to new treatments for diseases from AIDS to blindness and cancer.


Shhh...My Child Is Sleeping (in My Bed, Um, With Me)

For âcloset co-sleepers,â revealing the truth isnât worth the criticism.


Northern Rock shares rebound on Monday after a week in which its stock tumbled in the wake of a credit crisis.


N.F.L. Commissioner Defends Destruction of Tapes

Roger Goodell said heâd be willing to meet with Senator Arlen Specter, who sent a letter the previous day asking why tapes shot by the Patriots in the cheating scandal were destroyed.


Supermodel Schiffer leaves London hospital with baby Clementine

German-born supermodel Claudia Schiffer left a private London hospital a week after giving birth to her second child, a baby girl named Clementine.


WASHINGTON: NASA will today conduct the final and fastest test flight of its pilotless X-43A hypersonic research aircraft, aiming to send it zooming across the Pacific Ocean at about 10 times the speed of sound -- almost 3.2 kilometers (two miles) per


Folk singer Mary Travers, a member of 1960s group Peter, Paul and Mary, has chemotherapy for leukaemia.


IBM surpasses HP in storage hardware sales

IBM Corp. earns bragging rights for surpassing Hewlett-Packard Co. in 2006 storage hardware sales, according to an industry report.


Guadagna +0,48%, euro stabile a 1,3256 dollari e 138,22 yen


African Union chief fails to broker Kenya deal

African Union Chairman John Kufuor quit  Kenya on Thursday without a deal to end a political crisis that  has killed 500 people, leaving the president and opposition  leader accusing each other of wrecking talks.


Oil prices tumbled again Thursday as traders anticipated lower demand from economic powerhouse China on the heels of an unexpectedly large rise in US crude inventories.


Plato Learning Inc., which provides computer-based and e-learning products, on Wednesday guided fourth-quarter revenues lower and said its chief financial officer resigned.


Seniors Take Up Tai Chi, Yoga Across U.S.

Balanced on one leg like flamingos, a dozen people older than 60 concentrate on staying upright, as they master the basics of tai chi. Some are in sock feet, some are barefoot and one wears black dress shoes with shiny gold buckles.


Director-choreographer Farah Khan is all set to make her debut in Marathi cinema with the choreography of an item song in the Marathi film Agabai Areccha.


Obese Kids More Likely to Have Bowel Problems

NEW YORK  - Obese children appear to be at  risk of both constipation and lack of bowel control, new  research reports.


Capo polizia, dopo Raciti volevo occuparmi di calcio


Computer-scouring software rivals Google tool

The Redmond, Washington-based software allows the user to quickly locate files on personal computers -- just like Google's two-month-old rival product.


German government plans to spy on terror suspects by deploying malicious e-mails draw sharp criticism.


Workers at 3 Michigan Plants Back Chrysler Pact

With these votes, the tentative agreement between Chrysler and the U.A.W was passing by about 57 percent of workers who had cast ballots, according to a New York Times estimate.


WASHINGTON -- At least four members of a special operations task force in Iraq have been disciplined in connection with an investigation of the abuse of prisoners, a Pentagon spokesman said yesterday. In at least one case the violation involved a Taser stun gun.


EU lawmakers divided over secret CIA flights

STRASBOURG, France  - European Union lawmakers clashed on Wednesday over whether they had enough evidence to accuse their governments of colluding with the CIA on alleged secret flights of terrorism suspects in the bloc.


Ministro Turco: oggi Chiesa poco amorevole su temi etici


GAUHATI, India Suspected separatists hit nine targets a railroad station and eight markets with bombs and gunfire across two states in northeastern India yesterday, killing more than 40 people.


Ethan Coenâs âAlmost an Evening,â which recently closed, is headed for a second life at the Bleecker Street Theater.


Medicare Costs to Increase for Wealthier Beneficiaries

The surcharge is a major departure from the traditional arrangement under which seniors have generally paid the same premium.


Georgia's separatist Abkhazia votes for new leader

The breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia voted for its first new leader in a decade, amid simmering tension between the separatist regime here and the central government in Tbilisi.


The Milwaukee Brewers acquired Tony Graffanino from the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday to shore up their injury-riddled infield.


An Early 'Spring' Ahead: Daylight-Saving Time Coming Sooner, Lasting Longer This Year

By Phillip Ramati, The Macon Telegraph, Ga.  Mar. 9--The annual spring-forward ritual is coming a little earlier this year.   Traditionally, most people set their clocks ahead one hour near the end of March.


An arbitrator yesterday reduced by 10 games the 25-game suspension handed Indiana Pacer forward Jermaine O'Neal for his role in one of the ugliest and


Tokyo's Nikkei stock average ended down  almost one percent on Thursday after surprisingly weak  machinery orders data jolted investor confidence in Japan's  economic outlook and triggered selling across the board.


'JAG' Star Elliott to Leave Show for ABC Deal

LOS ANGELES  - "JAG" star David James  Elliott will leave the CBS military courtroom drama at the end  of the season, and will develop projects at ABC.


Mobs loyal to the Ivory Coast government roamed the streets in two major cities of the West African country Saturday, searching for foreigners to attack.


Maryland Women's Basketball Returns Home on Tuesday

â¢ Maryland has scored at least 72 points in its five wins this season and is 23-6 when scoring at least 70 points under head coach Brenda Frese.


La partita con il Livorno potrÃ  essere seguita sugli spalti da 31.500 abbonatiLa serie A riparte con soli 6 stadi totalmente agibili                                            Milano, allo stadio porte aperte a metÃ  I tornelli di S. Siro hanno fatto il miracolo


Cairo authorities fight back as pollution cloud descends once more

A vast cloud of pollution has descended on Cairo once more, creating health problems and challenging authorities as they seek ways to stop it coming back.


"Cold Case," "Trace" stake out foreign markets

Tough-guy special agent  Jack Malone of "Without a Trace" and detective Lilly Rush of  "Cold Case" will soon be reincarnated in the global TV  marketplace in local versions of both CBS dramas.


Standing in front of the Harlem office building where Bill Clinton has his post-presidential office, Audrey Quantano said she has supported the former president and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton "for a very long time."


Ernie Els will try to mark his 35th birthday tomorrow by winning the World Match Play title at Wentworth for a record-breaking sixth time, and with it collect golf's biggest cheque of Â£1million yet again.


Zimbabwe government says Tsvangirai wrongly acquitted, may take ...

HARARE : The Zimbabwean government said opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai had been wrongly acquitted of charges of plotting to kill President Robert Mugabe and could seek recourse to new legal measures.


Steven Gerrardâs wonder strike against Olympiacos last night not only sent Liverpool into the last 16 of the Champions League but netted the club upwards of Â£5million.


Those who failed to adequately check the background of Bernard B. Kerik, President Bush's short-lived nominee to head the Department of Homeland Security, failed the president, the public and the nation's security.


Manchester Utd. Beats Fenerbahce in Champions League

Wayne Rooney scored three goals in his debut with Manchester United in a 6-2 victory over Fenerbahce in European soccer's Champions League.


Koch off the hook; Marlins release pitcher

Miami,FL (Sports Network) - The Florida Marlins released reliever Billy Koch on Tuesday, while catcher Ramon Castro opted for free agency.


Lead Tips to Democrat for Washington Governor

Officials said that the Democratic candidate, Christine O. Gregoire, was now leading her Republican opponent by 10 votes.


Pillar adds 'application awareness' to Axiom arrays

Will improve efficiency of 'open pod bay' door program Storage unstartup Pillar Data Systems is hawking a new application-aware storage feature for its Axiom arrays as "the world's first and only true" form of the management service.â¦


Bologna, 19:38 - CALCIO, NOTTURNE; MAZZONE: CI LAMENTIAMO MA VOGLIAMO PIU' SOLDI

''Ci lamentiamo delle partite notturne, perÃ² poi vogliamo piÃ¹ soldi dalle televisioni, Bisogna stare...


Drugmaker's stocks fall after FDA researcher wonders about 5 drugs

Dr David Graham told a Senate panel that five well known drugs, which are currently on the market, needed to be looked at more closely - this sent share values down for many drug companies.


MOSCOW: Russia celebrated a holiday on Sunday that under the Julian calendar was in October, that commemorates the beginnings of a state that no longer exists.


A British researcher believes that the saddest day of the year falls in January, but our Hitwise correspondent insists November is a lot more depressing


NASCAR is considering opening up its restrictive testing policy, which several teams already have skirted this season.


Il Ministro della Salute accusato di 'irregolarita''


National Treasure: Book of Secrets, starring Nicolas Cage, strikes gold at the US and Canada box office.


Even the moon is in the red For the first time since 2004 the UK is set to bask in the spooky reddish light of a full lunar eclipse, so step away from your computer and hope for clear skies.â¦


Inmate Hackers Allegedly Get Personal Data

GREELEY, Colo. - Inmates are suspected of using computers in the jail library to get Social Security numbers, salaries and other personal information on 1,000 Weld County employees, including the sheriff and several county commissioners.


This $50 card can hold four CompactFlash cards configured in a RAID array--but cards aren't included in that price.


An Estonian town erects a contentious monument honouring Estonian soldiers who sided with the Nazis during World War II.


Warming a Hot Topic Among Arctic Scientists

On a cloudy day in  the Chukchi Sea near Alaska's northwestern coast, two marine  biologists from the Russian Academy of Sciences' Zoological  Institute pulled up a small crab that could be proof the Arctic  is growing warmer.


You'll never see this commerical during the Super Bowl

Storage technology vendors are traditionally too slow and too risk averse to take risks on advertising, but this commerical breaks the mold -- albiet an ugly one.


Forty-four North Korean men, women and children scaled the walls of the Canadian embassy in Beijing on Wednesday in a likely bid for political asylum, an embassy spokesperson said.


Sir Alex Ferguson says he does not want Man Utd to be in the hands of an outside investor like Malcolm Glazer.


Devils 3, Panthers 2: Devils Take Care of Panthers at Home

Jamie Langenbrunner and Noah Clarke scored first-period goals to spark the Devils to a victory over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night.


There's going to be a sibling spat aboard a space shuttle one of these days, between Destin sisters Abby and Emily Szklarski as they battle for who'll be the first earthling to set foot on Mars. That's their mother Carol Szklarski's prediction anyway.


WASHINGTON - President Bush on Monday nominated Carlos Gutierrez, among the most prominent Hispanic business executives in the United States, to be his new Commerce secretary, as the president continued with what Republicans said would be a broad overhaul


The world's largest food group, Nestle,  reports a 13.8% growth in profits, boosted by its nutrition business.


BBC radio DJ Andy Kershaw is remanded in custody after being charged with breaching a restraining order.


China "regrets" Spielberg's Darfur decision

China expressed regret on Thursday over movie director Steven Spielberg's decision to quit his Beijing Olympics role because of China's policies in Sudan and said the Games would be a success regardless.


India and Russia discuss trade, regional security

NEW DELHI: India and Russiaâs foreign ministers on Friday discussed cooperation in fields including defense, security, trade and space, in preparation for Russian President Vladimir Putinâs visit to India in early December.


Beijing corruption case ensnares another official

Another senior official has become embroiled in a Beijing Olympics corruption scandal which has already cost a vice-mayor his job, but Games organizers said they had stepped up vigilance against graft.


Planning for retirement is key and new book provides you with questions to ask

Deciding how much to save for retirement and where to invest it is just a small piece of what's called retirement planning. And it turns out to be the easiest part.


De Niro hopes "Shepherd" first of 3 Cold War films

Robert De Niro said on Saturday the Cold War had captivated his imagination since he was a child and said he hoped to turn his directing effort "The Good Shepherd" into a trilogy of films on the U.S.-Soviet rivalry.


Pechino, 13:26 - CALCIO, CINA: COLPO AI TESTICOLI, GIOCATORE OPERATO

Stagione finita per il cinese Liu Juanye, 19 enne centrocampista del Gind. Ieri, al 15' della sfida ...


Advertising: Colts and Bears and Kevin Federline

Thanks to a longer shelf life on the Internet, the stakes have risen for marketers that decide to buy Super Bowl spots.


Rain wreaks havoc on men's dream quarterfinal in Flushing

Flushing Meadows, NY (Sports Network) - After a lengthy rain delay halted play for much of the day, world No. 1 Roger Federer and two-time champion Andre Agassi finally got on the court for their US Open quarterfinal showdown.


Houston - Forty-two years of postseason futility for his hometown team rested in the strong right hand of Roger Clemens. A 5-2 lead, Atlanta's 15- game winner in the showers, a future Hall of Famer on the mound and a 19-game home win streak.


Bush Aides, in Shift, Say Oil a Drag on Economy

President Bush's economic advisers warned on) Sunday that high energy prices have become a drag on the U.S. economy and not a threat to growth, chipping away at Bush's upbeat election-year projections and increasing pressure on him to act.


Linux Community Steamed over Windows Piracy Report

Controversy has erupted in the open-source world over a report from the Gartner Group that predicts the vast majority of personal computers sold in Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe that


Di nuovo in mare aperto con l'aiuto della Guardia Costiera


Ex-president Fujimori arrives in Peru for trial

Former President Alberto Fujimori arrived in Peru on Saturday for the first time since his 10 year rule ended in disgrace in 2000 to face charges of abusing human rights and stealing public money in the Andean country.


Arts, Briefly: Going Live From Pyongyang

The New York Philharmonicâs concert in North Korea, to take place on Feb. 26 at the East Pyongyang Grand Theater, will be broadcast live internationally. The broadcast will be produced by the New York Philharmonic and EuroArts Music International, in co-production with the Munhwa Broadcasting Company of South Korea and ARTE France, and in cooperation with the European Broadcasting Union. Details of the broadcast in the United States are to be announced later. The concert, to be conducted by Lorin Maazel, above, the orchestraâs music director, will include the national anthems of North Korea and the United States; the Prelude to Act III of Wagnerâs âLohengrinâ; Dvorakâs Symphony No. 9, âFrom the New Worldâ; and Gershwinâs âAmerican in Paris.â The concert, and the Philharmonicâs visit, have aroused controversy, with some contending that they offer legitimacy to North Koreaâs government.


SKOPJE, Macedonia -- A referendum bid to block a law that gives Macedonia's Albanian minority more rights failed yesterday, upholding the Western-brokered peace plan that ended ethnic fighting in 2001.


Valutazione Moody's l'ha spinta su mercato internazionale


Lenovo insists EMEA retail expansion still a goer

Expects to swerve any economic slowdown Chinese computer maker Lenovo has rebuffed claims that it was considering scaling back its 2008 retail ambitions in the EMEA region in the face of the credit crunch crisis and any potential economic nosedive.â¦


Sexual Assaults in the Military Targeted

The wide-ranging policies regarding sexual assaults developed by the Pentagon include efforts to educate soldiers and officers about preventing and responding to a crime that officials have identified as a serious problem worldwide.


The body of a missing British tourist is found in the Australian Outback after Aboriginal  trackers are brought in.


Legge elettorale, per Fini referendum sempre piu' vicino


Tv, Ricci: ''Le Lecciso simbolo della societÃ  dello spettacolo''

A poche ore dal debutto al fianco di Ezio Greggio e Michelle Hunziker, le gemelle piÃ¹ famose della tv, Loredana e Raffaella Lecciso, hanno incontrato l'autore di ''Striscia la notizia'' che le ha volute fortemente nel suo programma.


Police hunt escapees who left taunting note

A manhunt is under way Tuesday for two inmates who chipped their way out of a New Jersey jail and left behind a note wishing authorities "Happy Holidays."


FALLUJA: US Army and Marine units pushed through the centre of the insurgent stronghold of Falluja on Tuesday, fighting bands of guerrillas in the streets and conducting house-to-house searches on the second day of a major offensive to retake the city


No huge crowds for midnight Vista launch

Retailers around the world stayed open through the wee hours of Tuesday morning to sell the long-awaited Windows Vista operating system, even though most knew customers wouldn't be lining up out the door.


Hudec delighted by top 10 at Lake Louise

Jan Hudec thought he knew what it would be like. Turns out he was wrong -- itâs even better. Hudec, a Banffite, came out of the darkness that is the 62nd starting position


Icahn says has no plans to raise Lear bid

Investor Carl Icahn on Friday said he  has no plans to raise his $36-per-share offer for auto parts  maker Lear Corp. , saying the price is "fair."


Hidayat wins and hits out at badminton bosses

World badminton champion Taufik Hidayat began the defence of his title with a solid win and a message to the game's governing body to update itself and use cameras to eliminate line controversies.


The Arizona Diamondbacks signed left-hander Jeff Fassero on Wednesday with four games left this season. The Colorado Rockies released Fassero on Friday.


Phelps Going for Six Golds in Indianapolis

Michael Phelps, who won six Olympic  gold medals last month, will try to repeat his Athens  performance at the seventh FINA world swimming championships in  Indianapolis.


A PAKISTANI militant leader linked to al-Qaeda said today he refused to meet a council of tribal elders trying to secure the release of two Chinese hostages held by his group.


Riley Prepares for Playoff Push Without Spark Plug

Dwyane Wade is expected to rejoin the Miami Heat in Washington Tuesday, but only for the teamâs scheduled meeting with President Bush.


The Ravens must beat Miami and hope that three other teams lose so they can squeeze into the playoffs as the final seed.


The television spot shows a 40-year-old woman, in slow motion, as her family and co-workers rush by over the course of a day. It ends with her sitting alone, amid the remnants of a birthday party.


South Korea's LG to file suit to nullify Matsushita PDP patents in ...

SEOUL : South Korea's LG Electronics will take action in a Japanese court to nullify patents on display panel technology held by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.


Roma, 20:25 - CALCIO, PETRUCCI: ORDINE PUBBLICO AL PRIMO POSTO

"Attraverso il ministro Amato ho ringraziato il prefetto De Gennaro per quello che le forze di poliz...


Panasonic's new Lumix camera works with T-Mobile hotspots

Want to upload photos from a T-Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot at the airport, your hotel, or Starbucks? Then at CES, Panasonic has announced a digital camera for you.


>Citigroup Inc. was sued by a group of institutional investors who contend the bank defrauded them in selling $2.4 billion of notes linked to the creditworthiness of Enron Corp.


Cheney persists in seeing Qaeda-Saddam link

Vice President Dick Cheney has linked prewar Iraq with al Qaeda in the vice-presidential debate, despite assessments from the CIA and the September 11 Commission that have found no conclusive tie.


Iran agrees to suspend its uranium enrichment programme as part of deal with EU, diplomats are quoted as saying.


Sony to cut PS3 cost with cheaper chips: paper

Sony Corp.  plans to lower the production cost of its PlayStation 3 (PS3) game consoles by using less expensive chips, aiming to turn the operations profitable between September and next March, the Nikkei business daily reported on Friday.


Damage Looks Worse Than War, Powell Says

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia  - Secretary of State Colin  Powell voiced shock at the devastation of tsunami-hit Asia  Wednesday, saying it was more horrible than the war he had  witnessed in his decades as a soldier.


Technologists have long dreamed of using the Internet to send data about consumer products to shoppers in real time, wherever they happen to be. Researchers at Microsoft Corp. claim they're getting closer to making that happen.


MBIA Inc , the world's largest bond insurer, slashed its dividend on Wednesday and said it would sell $1 billion of debt to preserve capital and the "triple-A" ratings it needs to operate normally in a mortgage market under siege.


Russian Duma Deputies Submit Anti-Terror Proposals

Russian deputies submitted a draft  anti-terrorism law to parliament on Tuesday in the latest  security measure after attacks such as the Beslan school  massacre in which more than 330 people were killed.


Oil prices climbed again Friday, closing above $55 a barrel for the first time on conercns of domestic shortages in the upcoming winter.


All types of alcohol — wine, beer or liquor — add equally to the risk of developing breast cancer in women, American researchers said Thursday.


Light-hitting David Ross hit a two-out, two-run homer in the 11th inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 4-2 Thursday night to clinch no worse than a tie for the NL West title.


Kenyan police fire tear gas at protesters a day after 21 deaths in a police shoot-out with suspected sect members.


Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) appeared to gain a step toward winning a suspension of the  European Union's antitrust ruling that calls for the world's largest  software maker to divulge certain software secrets and to separate its  media player from the Windows operating system.


U.S. freezes accounts of British citizen

The Bush administration took action Tuesday to freeze financial accounts and assets of a naturalized British citizen for allegedly providing "material and logistical" support to al-Qaida and other terror ...Comment


Initial Bids Reach $2.4 Billion in Wireless Auction

Top bidders put up a total of more than $2.4 billion in the opening round of the Federal Communications Commissionâs auction of coveted U.S. government-owned airwaves.


The unbeaten Indianapolis Colts rolled to their sixth consecutive win with a 29-7 road victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday.


Giants to Keep Bonds for at Least Two More Seasons

Barry Bonds will chase the  all-time home run record as a San Francisco Giants player after  the team dropped its option to void the final year of the  slugger's contract in 2006.


(InfoWorld) - SAPÂ is stepping into uncharted waters with the launch of itsÂ hosted business applications service, codenamed A1S,Â on Wednesday. The move will give it a head start over Microsoft and other rivals, but could also mean SAP learns the hard way that offering hosted ERP on a wide scale is difficult to do. Offering business applications on demand, also called software as a service (SaaS), is not new. But most services, including those from trailblazer Salesforce.com, have focused on customer relationship management or human resources management, only a part of ERP (enterprise resource planning). Those functions are easier to offer as a hosted service, since managing sales and payroll tends to be fairly standard across industries and countries. ERP as a whole is more complex, involving tasks like supply chain management, procurement and accounting, for which requirements and regulations can vary greatly. "It's less standard across industries, but even more importantly across geographies. The regulatory differences are profound even between the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg," said Bo Lykkegaard, a research manager with IDC in Denmark. Even the existingÂ leader in hosted ERP, NetSuite, has found it difficult to offer the services widely outside the U.S., according to Lykkegaard. "They've been selling mostly CRM internationally, which is easier to localize because it's mostly a question of currency and sales tax." "Hosted ERP is still nascent, and that's what A1S is largely about. That's what makes the A1S launch today so interesting," he said. SAP executives are giving the first public demonstration of A1S, aimed at midmarket companies with up to about 2,000 employees, in New York on Wednesday. They are also expected to unveil the name for the service and possibly pricing. The software is being tested by a handful of customers now and is likely to be rolled out gradually next year starting in the U.S. and parts of Europe. The complexity of hosting ERP software has prevented Microsoft from announcing plans to offer its Dynamics ERP applications as a service, although its hosted Live CRM software is being released this quarter. "Software as a service makes a lot of sense for CRM, because the offering typically goes in with very little customization -- a sales process is a sales process," Klaus Helge Andersen, corporate vice president for Microsoft Business Solutions, said in a recent interview. "ERP has more deep vertical content, and all the multitenant platforms I know about don't have a customization model that works well for individual customers." SAP is expected to show in New York Wednesday how it gets around this problem. It has touted the benefits of A1S at some length but hasn't shown publicly yet how it works. It has said it will be quick and easy for businesses to set up, with interfaces tailored for industries and users. And it promises to open a new market for ERP for smaller companies wary of its complexity, much as Salesforce.com opened doors for CRM. Lykkegaard has seen A1S and said it is built from the ground up as a hosted service, and that SAP has done much to make it easy to use. Customers can look at the software on the Web and try configuring it before they purchase it, "so what used to be a presales exercise the customer can do for themselves," he said. "Then when you configure a business process it's all model-based, so you choose a business process and the user interface will change correspondingly. It's procedure driven." "They truth will be in the details, and we'll see that when some of these midsize companies start to work with the software," he said. Besides NetSuite, SAP will face competition from many small companies offering hosted ERP in local markets. In addition, Deloitte & Touche has been offering hosted ERP using Microsoft's Dynamics software in some European countries, Lykkegaard said, although Deloitte declined a request to discuss it. The rewards are potentially big. IDC projects revenue from on-demand applications to increase almost 60 percent in 2007, and grow at a compound annual rate of 32 percent over the next five years. In 2006, hosted applications accounted for about 3 percent of all software applications revenue. That will increase to 10 percent by 2011, Lykkegaard said. "Keep in mind that's revenue from licenses and maintenance, not just new software licenses, so it's a very profound impact," he said.


Real Madrid held to 1-1 draw by Betis in Spanish league

Ronaldo scored a second-half equalizer Saturday to earn struggling Real Madrid a 1-1 draw against Real Betis in the seventh round of the Spanish league.


Cardinal attacks pro-abortion politicians

Scotland's most senior Roman Catholic will use sermon to say politicians who support abortion should not remain full members of the church.


New York judge orders examination of Astor's will

A New York judge on Monday ordered   handwriting experts to analyze the will of 104-year-old   philanthropist and former socialite Brooke Astor, which was   changed to leave millions of dollars to her son, instead of to   charities as she originally intended.


Jennifer Garner Ill With Viral Infection

Golden Globe nominee Jennifer Garner is sick. "She has a viral infection," publicist Nicole King said Tuesday, adding the "Alias" star isn't hospitalized and is resting at home in Los Angeles.


Crew members aboard the International Space Station can look forward to dining on exotic cuisine prepared by chef Alain Ducasse. By Jason Daley from Wired magazine.


Draft Senate Intelligence Committee legislation would create a national intelligence director with authority over spending, hiring and firing, powers the White House has not explicitly endorsed but three former spymasters said Monday would be crucial to coordinating multiple agencies.


Il dato dall'inchiesta che mette a confronto le due aree


Outrage as Churchill dropped from England's history syllabus

Britain's World War II prime minister Winston Churchill has been cut from a list of key historical figures recommended for teaching in English secondary schools, a government agency said Thursday.


IBM Lays Off 1,570 More Workers -- Technology Services Being Overhauled; Yearly Job Cuts Total 3,720

By Brian Bergstein Associated Press  BOSTON - IBM Corp. laid off 1,570 people Wednesday, primarily from an ongoing overhaul of operations in its giant technology services unit.


Australia: Howard government returned, courtesy of Labor

The Liberal-National Party coalition government led by prime minister John Howard has been returned to office in Australia in an election result that once again underlines the collapse of support


Rugby-Ireland ring the changes ahead of US test

Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan has rested flyhalf Ronan O'Gara as he juggles his squad for Saturday's test against the United States at Lansdowne Road.


California seen cutting power to some businesses

Some businesses in California will probably be forced to cut electricity use on Thursday because hot weather and high air-conditioning use prompted the state's power grid manager to call a "Stage 2 power emergency."


Liberia's Taylor boycotts war crimes trial

Former Liberian leader Charles Taylor boycotted the opening of his trial in The Hague for war crimes in Sierra Leone on Monday, saying he had lost faith in the U.N.-backed court and upstaging the proceedings.


Uefa throws out Lille's protest against Man Utd's goal and charges the French club with improper behaviour.


Former Martha Stewart Living (MSO:Nasdaq - news - research) CEO Sharon Patrick is cutting her ties to the company. Patrick resigned from the struggling media company's board on Thursday, Martha Stewart Living said in a regulatory filing on Friday.


The Internet isn't built to provide the bandwidth needs of Web TV and online video services, according to Vincent Dureau, Google's head of TV technology.


WASHINGTON -- From sunscreens to drugs that ease nausea to the promise of a lipstick that changes color, consumers can expect to see more products based on technology that harnesses the tiniest specks of material.


Georgia Crematory Worker Pleads Guilty to Body Dumping

A Georgia crematory operator, cutting a deal that could spare him life in prison, pleaded guilty on Friday to dumping hundreds of bodies meant for cremation in storage sheds, burial pits and the woods.


Minnesota starter Johan Santana is a walking optical illusion. He's not particularly imposing at his program guide dimensions of 6-feet, 206 pounds, or especially menacing with


Oscar award winning filmmaker Michael Moore, left, comments on the censure to his documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11," during an appearance at "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," Friday, Oct. 15, 2004, at the NBC studios in Burbank, Calif.


The Consumer: When the Surgeon Is Infected, How Safe Is the Surgery?

Troublingly little is known about the possibility of getting a viral infection like hepatitis B, hepatitis C or H.I.V. from a health care worker.


Commissioner Bud Selig remained mum yesterday on the steroid investigation, but there's growing sentiment that suspensions for players found to have used performance-enhancing drugs could be forthcoming.


White House political adviser Karl Rove confirmed some of the worst fears of LGBT activists when he told "Fox News Sunday" that President Bush in his second term would "absolutely" push for a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.


The identities of many Britons killed by the Indian Ocean tsunami emerge as the death toll rises.


Irishman wins world oyster opening championship

Ireland was the proud winner on Saturday of the 2006 World Oyster Opening Championship, beating off competition from 17 other countries to open 30 oysters in the fastest time.


Un giro enorme di cellulari modificati che registrano sms e chiamateOltre ai reati, centinaia di episodi paradossali ma anche di crisi familiari                                          Boccaccio? Lo trovi sul telefonino 400 indagati per i software-spia                                                                                Il programma scoperto indagando su Danilo Coppola. Ci sono persino quattro coniugiche abitano nello stesso palazzo, avevano relazioni incorociate e si spiavano a vicenda


Corporate Banking Boosts Societe Generale

French bank Societe Generale SA on Tuesday posted a 10.3 percent increase in third-quarter net profit, boosted by higher revenues from international retail banking and a better-than-expected result at its corporate investment banking operations.


An American Primitive, Forged in a Crucible of Blood and Oil

âThere Will Be Blood,â Paul Thomas Andersonâs epic American nightmare, arrives belching fire and brimstone and damnation to Hell.


Your 401(k) plan may be costing you more than you think.


Microsoft to share Office software source code with governments

Microsoft Corporation said it would share the source code of its Microsoft Office desktop software with more than 60 governments, including China and Russia.


Richard G. Darman, 64, Aide for 5 Presidents, Dies

Mr. Darman guided policy and deal making in four Republican administrations, including the reversal of the first President Bushâs campaign pledge not to raise taxes.


Bush Signs Law Expanding Rights of North Koreans to US Asylum

US President George W. Bush signed legislation expanding the rights of North Korean citizens to seek refugee status in the US and authorizing $24 million a year in humanitarian relief through 2008.


Thousands turn out in the Gaza Strip to protest against Hamas, despite a ban on public gatherings.


CONSUMER goods maker Colgate-Palmolive said today it would cut about 12 per cent of its 37,000-person work force and close a third of its factories worldwide as part of a four-year restructuring.


By Ma Lie  XI'AN: Twenty ibises that were bred in captivity were released into the wild yesterday in Ningshan County, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, reflecting the progress that efforts to breed and protect the endangered species have made.


Israeli police capture gunman at UK embassy

Israeli police, ending a six-hour   standoff, captured a Palestinian who broke into the parking lot   of the British embassy in Tel Aviv on Thursday, Israel's   Channel 10 TV and Britain's Foreign Office said.


Arsonists Destroy Jewish Center in Paris

Arsonists destroyed a Jewish community center in eastern Paris before dawn on Sunday, leaving behind red graffiti with menacing anti-Semitic messages such as "Jews get out."


Baghdad Kidnappers Seize Egyptian Telecom Workers

Kidnappers in Iraq have again taken several foreigners hostage, this time workers trying to rebuild the country's telecommunications infrastructure.


A security flaw in the way many Microsoft applications process JPEG images could allow an attacker to gain control over a computer running the software, Microsoft warned this week.


A postal worker is injured when a package explodes at a post office in a village in Devon.