Japan's Softbank plans discounts for students

Softbank Corp (9984.T), Japan's smallest  mobile phone carrier, said on Monday it would not charge  monthly fees for three years to students signing up to the  carrier for the first time. Softbank, which is trying to grab  market share in a saturated market, outstripped bigger rivals  NTT DoCoMo Inc (9437.T) and KDDI Corp (9433.T) in netting new  users in December for the eighth straight month.


The Roman Catholic Church in San Diego agrees to pay $198m to settle 144 claims of sexual abuse by clergy.


Private aid groups pressing New Delhi for access to islands

NEW DELHI -- India's government again put aside private aid groups' urgent requests yesterday to help tsunami survivors on the devastated Andaman and Nicobar Islands, saying a decision would be made after five days.


+23 mld imposte erariali e +3,4 mld contributi


D.C.-Utah Voting Bill Passage Unlikely This Year

A bill to add a voting representative for the District of Columbia and another House member from Utah appears unlikely to be brought up in the upcoming lame-duck session.


Philip Rivers said his bruised throwing shoulder is OK. It's those darn fumbles that pained him the most. Rivers had a forgettable third exhibition game, losing three fumbles and slightly hurting his arm in the San Diego Chargers' 31-20 victory over the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night.


Prodi prepares crucial speech before confidence vote

Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi was set to defend his government's record before the Senate Tuesday on the eve of a confidence vote that could decide his political future.


Suicide bomber kills north Iraq police chief

A suicide bomber in police uniform killed a top police official in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Thursday as he toured the site of a blast a day earlier that killed 36 people and wounded scores, police said.


Pera: "Su Buttiglione congiura anti-cristiana"

ROMA - Rocco Buttiglione? Ã vittima di "una congiura anti-cristiana", di "un pregiudizio che purtroppo in Europa c'Ã¨ ed Ã¨ molto diffuso". Il ritorno della minaccia di Bin Laden? Ã il nuovo campanello d


The Supreme Court made it harder Monday to recover legal fees from the government, ruling against a woman who sued for the right to form a peace sign in the nude in a Florida park.


Bush, Congress Could Face Confrontation on Issue of War Powers

President Bush has not been shy about asserting robust powers for the presidency in waging war, but lately he has seemed to concede that Congress has a role to play as well. Lawmakers, he has indicated, are within their rights to try to cap total deployments or limit where troops can go in Iraq.


10th Anniversary of  Diana's Death Marked

Princess Diana should be remembered as a loving, down-to-earth mother, Prince Harry said Friday at a memorial service where a bishop urged an end to a decade of bitterness over her death and her broken marriage.  The service organized by Prince William...


OFFENSE Big plays were the order of the night, and QB Mark Brunell and WR Rod Gardner provided plenty of them. Gardner had a career night with 10 receptions and, had time permitted, his last reception would have set up a game-tying field goal.


Dinos' demise spurred rise of the mammals, new fossil suggests

A fossil discovered in the Gobi Desert has unlocked the most emphatic evidence to date that the mass extinction of the dinosaurs helped placental mammals -- of which Homo sapiens is a member -- become masters of the planet.


It was not until David Tyreeâs fourth-quarter catch that hope was spun into belief for the underdog Giants.


Juve e Genoa pari in tutto Dopo lo show è 1-1

Gara avvincente a Marassi. Nella ripresa Nedved sembra assestare il colpo del ko, ma Juric trova il meritato gol del pareggio


Australia Votes in Key National Election

Polls have opened in Australia's general election. The campaign between the ruling conservatives and the left-of center opposition has been fought largely on domestic issues, such as the economy, health care and public education.


Dow Chemical takes full Bhopal responsibilty: report

LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Dow Chemical (DOW) has accepted full responsibility for the Bhopal disaster in India and set up a $12 billion compensation plan, according to a BBC report.


The participating libraries include those at the University of Michigan, Google co-founder Larry Page's alma mater; Stanford University, where Page and Google co-founder Sergey Brin met as doctoral students and dreamed up the idea of the search engine


Convicted Sniper Pleads Guilty In Two More Deaths

SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. -- Convicted sniper Lee Malvo has pleaded guilty Tuesday to a sniper killing in October 2002 and has been sentenced to life without parole.


com. Perhaps it won't rank in the memory banks of New Yorkers to the extent the 1965, 1977 or 2003 blackouts do, but for the 53,530 in attendance at Yankee Stadium for Friday's


NFL Wrap: Buffalo Bills Defeat New York Jets

Willis McGahee ran for 132 yards and a touchdown to lead the Buffalo Bills to a 22-17 victory over the New York Jets at Ralph Wilson Stadium.


NEW YORK - Who should be held responsible for the use of peer-to-peer software program to trade copyright music and video files on the Internet?


Official figures show the 12-nation eurozone economy continues to grow, but there are warnings it may slow down later in the year.


Fundamental Mormons seek recognition for polygamy

CENTENNIAL PARK, Arizona  - When Ephraim Hammon returns home from a day of working construction near Arizona's border with Utah, he's greeted by his wife SherylLynne. And then by his wife Leah.


Blackberry implicated in Lindsay Lohan letter caper

Little keys ruin pure thoughts Lindsay Lohan's publicist has blamed a Blackberry as the culprit behind the star's rambling, grammatical disaster of a tribute to deceased director Robert Altman.â¦


Edwards Tells Leno Theory on Bush 'Lump'

John Edwards has a theory about what was hidden underneath an unusual wrinkle that appeared on the back of President Bush's suit jacket during his first debate with John Kerry.


NZ: Japan whalers heading for its waters

Japan's whaling fleet was heading toward New Zealand-controlled waters in Antarctica, in breach of an agreement that it would remain in Australian waters during this year's whale hunt, a minister said Friday.


Two women tried to revive Kanye West's mother after she had a heart attack and stopped breathing, according to emergency 911 recordings released Monday.


A high-stakes test to determine if a robotic probe can automatically find a satellite and maneuver around it begins today off the California coast.


The withdrawal of Iraq's largest Sunni political party this week from elections greatly dims the chances of holding a meaningful vote there next month.


Two Egyptians are seized in Baghdad as anguish mounts in the UK and Italy over their kidnapped nationals.


Comedian Can't Escape Give and Take of Moms

There was chaos as the comedian Judy Gold, star of an autobiographical one-woman show, "25 Questions for a Jewish Mother," celebrated Hanukkah with her family and various neighbors.


US prof plans to send message back in time

Unaccountably fails to get DARPA funding A West Coast scientist who believes it may be possible to transmit information backwards through time has been funded by individual donations after established mad-scientist groups refused to cough up.â¦


Seven years ago, Marshall Johnston and his staff had a problem. Johnston, who was then general manager of the Ottawa Senators, owned the 21st pick of the 2000 draft.


A man has been charged with the murder of Gerard Devlin in west Belfast two years ago, the police say.


Catholic Poland mulls tighter abortion laws

Even under Poland's strict laws, Alicja Tysiac says she should have been allowed an abortion.


The House bill would include provisions to make it easier to deport suspicious undocumented immigrants and would relax standards for sending foreigners to countries where they might be tortured.


Getafe, Spain (Sports Network) - Leaders Barcelona survived a late rally by promoted Getafe to earn a 2-1 road win Saturday. The win gives Barca a strong nine point lead over second place Espanyol, which edged Atletico Madrid Saturday 2-1.


South Africa's African National Congress President Jacob Zuma has urged his supporters, angered by corruption charges brought against him, to avoid the kind of violence that has exploded in Kenya.


A Glasgow firm signs a deal with AOL to allow users to personalise their digital identity.


By Press-Telegram, Long Beach, Calif.  Feb. 1--Cypress child-care provider cleared of wrongdoing was convicted  by public opinion.    The next time you're tempted to rush to judgment, consider Lorrie Mae  Stoddard of Cypress.


John Prescott says his successor as deputy leader should focus on "bringing back enthusiasm" to the party.


In Europe and U.S., Nonbelievers Are Increasingly Vocal

BURGESS HILL, England -- Every morning on his walk to work, high school teacher Graham Wright recited a favorite Anglican prayer and asked God for strength in the day ahead. Then two years ago, he just stopped.


Srichaphan down Lee to reach semi-final in China Open

Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan returns a ball against Israel's Noam Okun in the second round match of the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, September 16, 2004.


Marblehead's co-ed swimming team is ready to reclaim glory. The Headers, who have captured nine Northeastern Conference titles in 16 years under coach Susan Guertin, defeated Danvers, 102-76, yesterday at Salem State College to finish 8-1, with aspirations for their first conference title in four years at next Tuesday's championship meet.


Cornell won the first game of its weekend road trip by erasing a 5-point deficit in the waning moments beating Harvard 72-71.


The mobile operator explained it will be the first in Europe to offer HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) and IMS (Internet Protocol Multimedia Services) with download speeds of 3.6Mbps when it launches the service in the Isle of Man next summer.


Spain fear Bryan brothers in Davis Cup final

The United States doubles pairing of Mike and Bob Bryan could pose as big a challenge to Spain's Davis Cup final hopes as world number two Andy Roddick, a Spanish team coach said on Monday.


Charges against Cameron of all style, no substance echoed in press

Charges that David Cameron was all style and no substance were reinforced by his speech at the Conservative party's annual conference, the press declared.


Oak to Ninth Petition Lawsuit to Proceed in Court Housing Tussle Heads to Court

By Paul T. Rosynsky  OAKLAND -- A lawsuit challenging City Attorney John Russo's decision to invalidate a petition drive against the 3,100-unit Oak to Ninth housing development will proceed through the court system, an Alameda County Superior Court Judge decided late Thursday.


Philbin to Sub for Clark on New Year's Eve

Regis Philbin will fill in as host of ABC's "New Year's Rockin' Eve 2005" for Dick Clark, who suffered a mild stroke last week, the network announced Monday.


When it's this late, players determine fate

At some point in a hard baseball season, it must occur to even the best manager that the fate of his club is out of his control, that the future is in the hands of the players and dumb luck.


A U.S. Navy warship fired on and sank two skiffs used by pirates Sunday to hijack a merchant vessel off the coast of Somalia, U.S. officials said Monday.


US Marines take a break during fighting in Fallujah

FALLUJAH, Iraq : US-led forces occupy almost the whole of Fallujah but it will still take some time before the rebel enclave is secure, a US marine spokesman said.


Bush backs more funds for 'ethical' stem cell research

President George W. Bush said Monday the US is increasing funds for "ethical" stem cell research that does not involve destroying human embryos.


Paris -- Iran has announced that it has begun converting tons of uranium into gas, a crucial step in making fuel for a nuclear reactor or a nuclear bomb, rejecting an International Atomic Energy Agency resolution calling on the nation to suspend all such


Opinion: Why iPhone is wrong, wrong, wrong

June 29 is the day that Apple becomes the sort of oppressive, inflexible company that it has long accused Microsoft of being, an iPhone skeptic claims.  Read his top 13 reasons why iPhone will disappoint you.


New British data embarrassment as records lost in US

The British government faced fresh embarrassment over losing data Monday after admitting that over three million learner drivers' records were mislaid by a contractor in the United States.


A Night Out With Nilaja Sun: The GangÂs All Her

A night out with Nilaja Sun, the actress who plays more than 15 characters in her solo show, ÂNo Child.Â


Report: Nintendo Wii Controller a Hazard

The controller for Nintendo's new Wii game console has come under fire in Britain because it can fly out of users' hands, a report said.


As the leader of the Bruins' defense corps, Zdeno Chara automatically takes junior comrades under his wing. Since he stands 6 feet 9 inches, that's not hard to do.


December pause still possible, many economists suggest

WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- There's little doubt that the Federal Open Market Committee will raise its short-term interest rate target by a quarter-percentage point at Wednesday's meeting, economists and traders say.


SAT scores, participation up for Texas Hispanics

HOUSTON More Hispanic Texas high school seniors have taken the SAT and have performed better on the college-entrance test. That's even while there was little change reported in the overall average verbal and


Flu Shots for Kids Would Protect Many Adults

FRIDAY, Feb. 11 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. flu rates would drop dramatically if the majority of schoolchildren, as well as members of high-risk groups, were vaccinated every fall, a new study suggests.


Mike Fratello was hired as coach of the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, leaving the TV booth and replacing friend and mentor Hubie Brown, who retired last week for health reasons.


Apple's splashy digital music player has emboldened Microsoft and other technology titans to move quickly to the next frontier in portable entertainment: the video iPod, so to speak.


Looks like Aaron's next party won't be of the bachelor variety.


Boeing Co. BA.N on Wednesday posted  a 78 percent jump in quarterly earnings that beat Wall Street  forecasts as stronger demand for its military networking and  weapons systems helped offset a decline in commercial airplane  revenue.


EU's Solana in Beirut at start of Middle East tour

European Union foreign policy chief  Javier Solana arrived in Beirut on Monday at the start of a  three-nation Middle East tour aimed at easing tensions in  Lebanon and the region.


Roma, 17:19 - CALCIO, UNDER 21; ZOLA: SCONFITTA AIUTERA' A CRESCERE

Gianfranco Zola, ex campionissimo e ora consulente tecnico del ct dell'Under 21 azzurra, Pierluigi C...


Forecast for iPhone Propels Apple Higher MOVERS MARKETPLACE By Bloomberg

By Allen Wan  Shares of Apple surged Thursday after Morgan Stanley increased its 2007 earnings estimates for the company on expectations for higher sales of iPhones.


High-performance gas guzzlers competed with alternative-fuel vehicles at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.


Security Concerns Shelve MSN Messenger 7

Microsoft has suspended the beta testing of the next version of its MSN Messenger client because of a potential security problem, a company spokesperson says.


Losail, 12:59 - MOTO, GP QATAR: ROSSI IN POLE NELLA MOTOGP

Valentino Rossi partirà in pole nella classe MotoGp del Gp del Qatar, primo appuntamento del ...


Nine months after they rode to the rescue in the desperate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, National Guardsmen carrying M-16s returned to the city Tuesday to reinforce a depleted police department and battle a surge in violence.


Coca-Cola Enterprises, the largest bottler of Coca-Cola, said yesterday that it planned to cut about 3,500 jobs, or 5 percent of its global work force, after taking a $2.9 billion impairment charge in 2006.


Typhoon kills at least 44 in Japan, deadliest in a decade

Rescuers were searching through rubble for survivors on Thursday after Japan's deadliest typhoon in a decade triggered floods and landslides that killed at least 44 people and left 36 missing.


A baby has a lucky escape after a dingo wanders into her family's hotel room on Australia's Fraser Island.


Commando Raid Rescues 2 Italians in Afghanistan

KABUL, Sept. 24 -- Italian commandos, aided by other NATO forces and aircraft, rescued two kidnapped Italian intelligence operatives Monday in a daring ambush and gun battle that left at least nine of the captors dead in western Afghanistan.


Iceland ranks top in happy citizen table

Iceland is the leader in a league table judging the European country best able to give citizens a long and happy life.


President Bush has full confidence in Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld even if others dislike the Pentagon chief's "bedside manner," a top White House official said Sunday.


Congressional Agency Predicts War Costs Will Climb

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will cost U.S. taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade, no matter how quickly U.S. troops are reduced in those countries over the next few years, according to a report released this week by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).


An anonymous hacker claims to have used computer magic to peer through the extreme secrecy surrounding the ending of the Harry Potter saga and posted online unverified details from the soon-to-be released final book in best-selling series.


Fioroni: ora chiarimento, tutti siano responsabili


Madrid, 20:43 - CALCIO, REAL; CALDERON: CAPELLO RIMANE, PER ORA

Il presidente del Real Madrid, Ramon Calderon, ai microfoni di Sky ha parlato della situazione del t...


New Jersey Nets guard Rodney Buford is expected to miss the next 4-to-6 weeks with torn ligaments in his left ankle.


Non si terra' il Cda della controllata siciliana


Iraq to Ask Iran, Turkey for Border Help

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt  - Iraq will ask Iran and  Turkey for border security arrangements to keep foreign  militants out, similar to measures already agreed with Syria,  the Iraqi Foreign Minister said on Monday.


In carcere per rapina aggravata, sono coetanei vittima


Self-Described Astrologer to Reagans Dead at 58

Syndicated astrologer Joyce  Jillson, who claims to have provided advice for Ronald and  Nancy Reagan, has died at age 58, associates said on Wednesday.


Wi-Fi not a slam dunk for basketball Maverick

NBA franchise owner Mark Cuban nixes plans to let Dallas Mavericks ticket-holders get Wi-Fi access from their seats.


Iraq Asks Some of Saddam's Soldiers to Return to Work

Iraq's interim government, preparing for an election next month while fighting a bloody insurgency, asked some of Saddam's Hussein's disbanded army to come back to work on Wednesday.


No. 20 Xavier escapes with a 74-66 victory over a youthful George Washington team Saturday night at Smith Center.


ImClone Systems Inc. (IMCL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Thursday posted its third successive quarterly profit helped by strong sales of its new colon cancer drug Erbitux.


How could Marion Jones  - a poised, college-educated woman - have failed to comprehend the difference between public spin and the risk of legal self-destruction?


F1 stars arrive in Shanghai for China GP

World champion Michael Schumacher caught most of attention among a host of Formula One stars who have arrived in Shanghai since Tuesday as the city enters final preparatory stage for the inaugural Chinese Grand Prix.


Do not let my daughter die, pleads father of premature baby with ...

A father of a premature baby girl who is seriously ill is pleading with the High Court, UK, not to let doctors let her die. Charlotte Wyatt weighed in at just one pound when she was born.


Senators Warner, Lugar Say Ousting Rumsfeld `Too Disruptive'

Republicans John Warner and Richard Lugar, heads of two Senate panels, said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld shouldn't be ousted because that would be too disruptive while US troops


Tropical Storm Florence strengthens in Atlantic

Tropical Storm Florence mustered a bit   more strength in the open Atlantic on Wednesday and could grow   into a hurricane near the British territory of Bermuda early   next week, U.S. forecasters said.


Taking a form of HRT can sharply increase the risk of a blood clot for some women, research suggests.


At least 2,600 dead as tidal waves devastate southern India

Tidal waves triggered by a powerful earthquake in Indonesia crashed into southern India killing at least 2,606 people and leaving more than 700 feared dead, officials said.


Open Text's major software acquisition takes flight.


Nepal to Respond to Rebels on Talks, Strike Holds

Nepal was preparing a response to the latest terms for fresh talks from Maoist rebels, a minister said on Wednesday, as nearly half of the kingdom shut down for a second day in a rebel-sponsored strike.


Myanmar junta scraps key intelligence body after power struggle

YANGON : Myanmar's military regime has scrapped the body that gave intelligence officers loyal to deposed premier Khin Nyunt widespread powers, state media reported.


SoundSquare standoff: Monome vs. Tenori-On

Blog: Two futuristic music interfaces--the Tenori-On and the Monome--are in a race to capture the hearts of electronic musicians.


Iraqi President Says Expects Most Iraqis to Vote

Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawar said on  Saturday he expected up to two-thirds of eligible Iraqis to  vote in Sunday's election, after earlier appearing to suggest  most would not cast their ballots.


Renault shares surge to record on recovery prospects

Renault shares surged to a record high point in early trading on Tuesday on positive brokerage comment after optimistic remarks about recovery prospects from company president Carlos Ghosn.


The US indicts an ex-Bosnian Serb soldier accused of involvement in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.


Vinovo, 15:07 - CALCIO, JUVENTUS; COBOLLI: A UDINE VOGLIAMO VINCERE

Il presidente della Juventus, Giovanni Cobolli Gigli, commenta i prossimi impegni che attendono la s...


NASA e-mails released Wednesday indicate the space agency was looking for ways to prevent astronaut meltdowns just three months before one-time shuttle flier Lisa Nowak was arrested in a scandalous love triangle.


L'ADDIO * E' morto Superman, uno che ha tanto sofferto

L'attore Christopher Reeve si Ã¨ spento a New York dopo un attacco cardiaco. Era paralizzato dal 1995 a seguito di una caduta da cavallo. La sua ultima missione Ã¨ stata quella di sopravvivere su una sedia a rotelle.


Furor on Rush to Require Cervical Cancer Vaccine

The vaccine is costly, and many say the rush toward mandatory inoculation could prove counterproductive.


With scarce supplies of flu shots, prices go up â way up

Jack Bond's hospital pharmacy needed 2,800 flu shots, but his supplier couldn't provide them. Plenty of other distributors were ready to meet his needs, though - for a price: as much as $600 for a vial of 10 flu shots that normally costs about $80.


"The Drowsy Chaperone" was chosen best musical of the New York theater season, and "The History Boys" by Alan Bennett was named best play in awards given Sunday by the Drama Desk, an organization of theater journalists and critics.


Republican John McCain will soar or sink in New Hampshire, his best shot at reviving a presidential campaign that went belly up last summer.


'Hectic negotiations' with bankers Capgemini shares moved up 11 per cent today on reports that Wipro, the Indian IT services giant, wants to buy the company.â¦


Ford to miss U.S. retail sales goals in Feburay and March

Ford Motor Co.  expects to miss its U.S. retail sales goals for February and March because of a deepening slump in the market for pickup trucks and SUVs, a person who had seen the forecast said on Friday.


For Immigrants, America Is Land of Obesity

Dec.14, 2004 -- After 10 years in the US, immigrants start to gain weight, according to a new study. While immigrants are the fastest-growing segment of the US population, little is known about weight gain among them.


The Microsoft Corporation announced on Monday that it was significantly expanding its software development operations in India as it opened a new campus near Hyderabad


U.S. Coast Guard crews searched waters off the north coast of the Dominican Republic Friday for nearly 50 Haitian migrants missing since their homemade boat caught fire, an agency spokesman said.


Havlat, Smolinski Lead Blackhawks in Win

Martin Havlat and Bryan Smolinski each add a goal and an assist to lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night.


Abbas, clear favourite to succeed Arafat, escapes from Gaza ...

GAZA CITY, Nov 14  - Gunmen killed two members of the security services in Gaza City Sunday as PLO chairman Mahmud Abbas visited a mourning tent for Yasser Arafat, underlining fears the Palestinian leader's death could trigger an upsurge in


Hurricane Ivan skirted the western tip of Cuba on Monday and arced into the Gulf of Mexico with sustained winds of 160 mph, bearing down toward  landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast later this week.


Alonzo Mourning again shook things up when he questioned the Nets' new owner, Bruce C. Ratner, on his motive for purchasing the team.


NetSuite launches 2007 version of SaaS enterprise software

(InfoWorld) - NetSuite, the other hosted CRM company, laid out version 2007.0 this week of its CRM, ERP, and PRM (partner relationship management) SaaS (software as a service) solution. The company unveiled NetSuite Assistants, a refinement of its current ERP solution that will make setup, data import, and ERP back-office management simpler, according to the company. Services within the Assistants suite include a setup assistant, a data import assistant, and a graphical transaction form assistant. Matrix Item Assistant will now allow for inventory tracking of multivariant products. NetSuite Global CRM and PRM adds the ability to manage orders, forecasts, quotas, and commissions on a per-country basis in local currency. Also included is a dashboard that can aggregate global information from across an organization into a single, consolidated view. An upgraded analytics capability, SuiteAnalytics, will add scorecards and the ability to include Excel-like customized formulas within a dashboard. As extensive as the additional functionality to the NetSuite suite is, perhaps the most noticeable part of the company's SaaS news was what wasn't announced. Unlike its archrival, Salesforce.com, NetSuite steered clear of discussing an integration platform technology, a programming language capability, or a program to add third-party applications such as Salesforce.com's AppExchange.Â  While NetSuite does have its own integration and customization technology, SuiteFlex, Craig Sullivan, vice president of international products, said NetSuite's strategy is to differentiate itself from competitors by giving companies all their business operations in a single application. "We understand it is important to integrate with other applications, especially when first deploying NetSuite, and we have those capabilities," Sullivan said. SuiteFlex includes a Web services architecture to integrate third-party applications. Sullivan added that users can configure and customize NetSuite through the UI and point-and-click technology rather than being code based. NetSuite 2007 will be rolled out to its current customers from June through August and starts at $499 per month, plus $99 for each user per month.


7,000 Afghan, coalition troops launch new Afghan operation

Around 7,000 soldiers with the Afghan and US-led coalition forces launched a major new anti-Taliban offensive in eastern and central Afghanistan.


Clooney and Cheadle get peace award for Darfur

Hollywood actors George Clooney and Don Cheadle received an award from Nobel peace prize laureates on Thursday for their campaign to help the people of Sudan's Darfur region after 4-1/2 years of war.


If the free-falling Mets have already decided to fire Manager Art Howe, he wants to be let go now instead of after the season. "Why put me through this?


Former U.S. official gets 10 months in Abramoff case

A high-ranking Bush administration official was sentenced to 10 months in prison on Tuesday for lying to Congress as it investigated a bribery scandal centered on lobbyist Jack Abramoff.


U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom  Ridge, who headed President Bush's efforts to build up domestic  security after the Sept. 11 attacks, resigned on Tuesday.


The NBA came down hard on the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets, and none of the brawlers was spared. Not Carmelo Anthony, the NBA's leading scorer, who got the harshest punishment, a 15-game suspension. And not the teams themselves, who were fined an unprecedented half-million dollars each Monday.


Music Review | Lincoln Center Out of Doors: The Lowly Pot Lid Takes a Star Turn

Henry Brantâs âDormant Craters,â performed on Wednesday night in the Damrosch Park Bandshell, embraced both the cracked kettle and the music of the stars.


Michael Eisner plans to step down  as Walt Disney Co. DIS.N chief executive when his contract  expires in September 2006, the head of the entertainment  conglomerate said in a letter to the board released on Friday.


Monaco di Baviera, 18:23 - CALCIO, KLINSMANN: IL BAYERN E' CHANCE STRAORDINARIA

Klinsmann raccoglie con entusiasmo la sua nuova sfida: allenare il Bayern di Monaco, la panchina piÃ¹...


Simpsons movie spotlights an enduring icon

SPRINGFIELD, Vermont  - In the Vermont town of Springfield nestled in a mountain valley, a banner decorated with images of pink doughnuts is festooned across Main Street, welcoming visitors to the "Home of the Simpsons".


Najaf, tregua armata in attesa dell'accordo

Nella cittÃ  santa i combattimenti sono cessati per consentire all'ayatollah Sistani di incontrare i seguaci di Sadr. L'obiettivo del colloquio Ã¨ far cessare i combattimenti. Gli Usa: "Se il compromesso non si trova, si ricomincia".


It's a classic illustration of the Mountain coming to Mohammad.


Maryland's top utilities regulator, Kenneth D. Schisler, resigned yesterday under intense pressure from Gov. Martin O'Malley, who said he would use the opportunity to make good on a campaign promise to create a more consumer-oriented agency.


Rookie quarterback Vince Young will make his first NFL start for the Tennessee Titans on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.


MILTON -- It was a game of impersonations. The special teams units from both teams looked like Charlie Brown in the Peanuts comic strip, whiffing every time they tried to kick the ball. Westwood quarterback Jeff White ran like scrambling Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons, and the Archbishop Williams offense attempted an imitation of their Super Bowl foes. In ...


British inflation slows to 1.8 percent in August

British inflation slowed to 1.8 percent in August from a rate of 1.9 percent in July, official data showed Tuesday.


The South Asian tragedy has ripped open centuries-old fault lines of caste in rural India's rigid social hierarchy. In the district of Nagapattinam, where more than 6,000 people died, untouchables from about 10 villages have openly protested what they call discrimination against them in the provision of relief supplies and access to shelters.


Channel 4 held guilty in Shilpa's Big Brother row

Britain's media regulator Thursday found Channel 4 television network guilty of showing ...


Shell outlined a profit strategy of modest acquisitions and no buybacks. Investors sold.


the main production unit of beleaguered Yukos. The oil giant insists the auction is state-sponsored theft and claims it is the victim of a Kremlin vendetta.


Sport: Third Test: Late wickets from Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar secured England a 60-run victory in the third Test against West Indies.


Small banks should not fear Wal-Mart: Stern

There is no evidence that  a bank proposed by retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc.   would crowd out small community banks, as many such  institutions fear, Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Gary  Stern said on Friday.


LONDON - Prime Minister Tony Blair denied Wednesday that he misrepresented intelligence about Iraqi weapons before the war, rejecting growing demands in Parliament that he apologize.


Business & money: Pest control group shares lose quarter of their value, while can maker is hit by weak dollar


US stocks: Techs rise with semiconductors, Dow dips

NEW YORK - US technology stocks rose late Thursday afternoon (NY time), led by semiconductor shares, while blue-chip stocks were slightly lower.


SAN FRANCISCO - Intel Corp. President and Chief Operating Officer Paul Otellini served notice at the company's recent developer conference that the megahertz era was coming to a close, and the decision Thursday to remove the 4GHz Pentium 4 processor from its road map is clear evidence that Intel has once and for all kicked its speed habit, according to industry analysts.ADVERTISEMENTSBC Case Study: Crate & BarrelWhat sold them on improving their network? A system that could cut management costs from the get-go. Find out more.


Quarter of Apple iPhones "unlocked": analyst

More than a quarter of people who  bought Apple Inc's  iPhone are using them on wireless  networks other than AT&T's, the exclusive iPhone carrier in the  U.S., a "stunning" number that will pressure the company's  business model, an analyst said on Monday.


Notre Dame basketball made a clean sweep of Connecticut.


Bioscience Firm Will Move to Madison: Relocation From Illinois Comes With Financing

By Kathleen Gallagher, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel  Sep. 6--Baird Venture Partners will announce today that it is moving a Chicago-area biosciences company to Madison as part of a $5.85 million financing round.


The Cy-Fi is a new wireless bicycle speaker for the iPod.


MALCOLM Glazerâs bid to takeover Manchester United was rumoured to be close to collapse following a dramatic fall in the club's share prices.


Man Accused in Wife's Death Is Still Missing With Children

he police focused on the Westchester cities of Yonkers and Mount Vernon yesterday in their search for a man who they say shot and killed his estranged wife on Saturday at a Mamaroneck park and


Parigi, 22:54 - CALCIO, FRANCIA: BORDEAUX A UN PUNTO DAL LIONE

Risultati degli incontri giocati oggi per la 25/a giornata della Ligue-1, il massimo campionato fran...


By Ellen Whyte  THE average eight-year-old is bound to beat the pants off older competition when challenged to the latest computer game, but very few kids at that age know how to surf the Net.


ADV: Trade Shares and Currencies Commission-Free

GCI offers commission-free online trading in shares, indices and major currencies. Register today for a free demo account - including charts, quotes and internet trading software.


UK retail sales fall at their fastest pace since 1981, official figures show.


NEW YORK - Investors will be looking ahead to the Federal Reserve's meeting and third-quarter earnings forecasts in Wall Street's short trading week after the Labor Day holiday.


Chechens' Basayev Takes Responsibility for Russian School Siege

Chechen rebel Shamil Basayev claimed responsibility for this month's hostage-taking at a Russian school, in which at least 339 died, and for four other terrorist attacks in recent weeks, according to a rebel Web site.


European stocks fall amid new record price spike for oil

European stock markets reversed initial gains to fall in early trading, as New York crude oil futures rose to new record high points above 55 dollars a barrel, dealers said.


France is to begin evacuating its nationals from Ivory Coast because of rampant anti-French feelings.


Miner BHP OKs $900 mln Chile cooper project

LONDON (CBS.MW) -- London-listed metals and mining group BHP Billiton (BHP) (UK:BLT) overnight said it's approved a US $990 million Spence copper project in northern Chile with a designed capacity to produce 200,000 tonnes of copper cathode per annum.


Liverpool insist showdown talks between manager Rafael Benitez and the club's American owners were "amicable" and "constructive".


UK drops out of 15 most prosperous countries

The UK has come low down on a list of the most prosperous countries in the world to live in, failing even to make it into the top 15.


Fatalities in coal mines in China goes up

A government safety crackdown helped cut the number of deaths in China's accident-plagued coal mines by 13 per cent in the first nine months of this year, but fatalities in other industries rose, the government said Thursday.


Assessore Lazio, si' a proposta dei ministri Bindi-Turco


US Marines in Philippines rape trial refuse to give DNA evidence

Four US Marines on trial in the Philippines over the alleged rape of a local woman refused to submit blood samples that prosecutors claim would link at least one of them to the crime.


Londra, 12:39 - CALCIO, INGHILTERRA: INFORTUNIO AL GINOCCHIO PER LENNON

Aaron Lennon, 19enne difensore del Tottenham e della nazionale inglese, potrebbe essere operato dopo...


Robot brains? Can't make 'em, can't sell 'em

Why dopes still beat boffins The current generation of "consumer robots" is driven mostly by robot-love: people enjoy things which move around on their own, especially if they can build or tinker with the gadgets themselves.Â Â  That much became clear at a recent symposium on Robots, which I described here last month. The consumer robot business today is manned by avid tinkerers because there is neither a technology for autonomous gadgets, nor a business model to support them even if they did exist.â¦


Washington says North Korea would be reckless to carry out a nuclear test, and is raising the issue at the UN.


Channel 4 commissions three more series of reality TV icon Big Brother, securing it until 2010.


Karzai's dangerous road from exile to Afghan presidency

KABUL: Hamid Karzai has steered Afghanistan from the ruins of war to its first elected presidency, using skills honed from plotting to end Soviet occupation and negotiating the minefield of volatile Afghan politics.


'For the national interest and so the country does not go into crisis, we will respect the result of the election. But we also want the fraud to be made clear.


France to let Turkey EU talks continue for now

France does not plan to stop the European Union from opening new policy "chapters" in Turkey's accession talks next month despite President Nicolas Sarkozy's opposition to Turkish membership, an official said on Tuesday.


UAW strikes GM as talks fail to produce a deal

United Auto Workers union-represented employees walked off the job and organized pickets outside General Motors Corp plants as the union called a national strike against the top U.S. automaker after marathon contract talks failed to produce a deal.


In the last few weeks of watching SaReGaMaPa, what Himesh Reshammiya did to pull Raja down shows his true traits: Insecurity, envy, greed.


A former boxer who pledged to "kill all black people" is convicted of attempting to murder two people.


Roma, 12:17 - CALCIO, JUVE; JOHN ELKAN: PUNTIAMO ALL'EUROPA

"La Juve è arrivata a fare un buon campionato. Puntiamo ad arrivare all'Europa il prossimo an...


The Ramones' punk guitarist Johnny Ramone died at his Los Angeles home after suffering from prostate cancer for the past five years.


Microsoft Corp. announced Wednesday that it will license instant messaging and digital media technology to a small desktop Linux distributor, Linspire Inc., adding to a growing number of deals meant to help the Windows operating system work more smoothly with open-source software.


Source: Viacom in Final Talks for New Studio Chief

Viacom Inc. is in the final stage of  negotiations to appoint a Hollywood dealmaker who is producer  of the hit television show "The Sopranos" as chief executive of  its Paramount Studios, a source familiar with the matter said  on Monday.


Pregnant soldier faces Abu Ghraib court-martial

The commander of the 18th Airborne Corps on Monday referred Pfc. Lynndie England to trial by general court-martial, the corps announced.


Pakistani newspapers lashed out at Salman Rushdie's knighthood, with one saying the ideal revenge would be to make a film about the sex lives of the British royals.


Italia, i tutor funzionano Linea dura contro chi corre

A breve i km coperti dal sistema elettronico che calcola la velocità media passeranno da 500 a 1500. Entro giugno tanti al Sud


The Sudanese rebels call for a political solution before dropping ...

The Sudanese government announced that it does not take into consideration the one month grace period given by the UN Security Council and ends by August to achieve a progress and fulfill Khartoum's obligations over Darfur crisis else face possible


German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday pressed China to improve human rights and take on greater international responsibilities as its global influence grows.


Calderon's free throw sends Spain to final

SAITAMA, Japan -- If you were tied, without the ball, with 21.9 seconds to go and the other team's best player was sitting on the bench with an injured ankle, would you put someone on the line deliberately less than two seconds later?


Anaheim Ducks forward Chris Kunitz returned Saturday for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals after missing three weeks with a broken bone in his right hand.


Mexico gunmen target children in drug war

TIJUANA, Mexico  - Hitmen from Mexico's drug gangs are breaking traditional codes of honor by killing children in a chilling new chapter of a narcotics war that President Felipe Calderon is struggling to control.


The city council of New York bans the use of the so-called "N-word", but the resolution carries no weight in law.


The homeland security chief on Sunday scolded the Senate for failing to pass an immigration bill and said it will be difficult for the government to crack down on illegal workers.


Security issues scuttle Bain/Huawei bid for 3Com

A deal for Bain Capital Partners and China's Huawei Technologies to buy 3Com is on hold because the companies were unable to come to agreement with the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) about security concerns.


Leading supermarket chain Tesco has launched a music download service, entering a market dominated by Apple Computer's iTunes.


The audience for "The Apprentice 2" finale was down sharply over last season, but NBC isn't ready to fire Donald Trump: He still gave the network its top-rated show for the week.


Gates says U.S. not looking for excuse for Iran war

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday that the United States was not looking for an excuse to attack Iran and backed off a U.S. official's recent comments implicating Tehran in arming Iraqi insurgents.


US customs bust coke-smuggling 'submarine'

Stealth vessel packed with $352m of Colombian naughty salt US Customs are feeling pretty pleased with themselves after busting a stealthy "semi-submerged smuggling vessel" packed with $352m of Bolivian marching powder.â¦


Kibaki offers talks, protests shake Kenya

With corpses littering the streets and smoke billowing from burning slums after battles between police and anti-government protesters, Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki offered on Thursday to talk to his political rivals.


LOS ANGELES - It seemed like a rerun of the 2002 Latin Grammys. Once again, Spanish heartthrob singer Alejandro Sanz dominated the show - only this time, Sanz didn't show up to collect his trophies...


A British groom jailed in Slovakia after reportedly jumping naked into a fountain during his stag party is released early.


Body of ex-spy's Italian contact high in polonium

Mario Scaramella, who met with ex Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko on the day he fell ill, said he had five times the amount of the radioactive substance polonium considered deadly in his body, as British police officers prepared to travel to Russia to continue their inquiry.


Australia mourns death of actor Heath Ledger

Australia's prime minister led tributes Wednesday to actor Heath Ledger, the boy from Perth who rose to become a Hollywood heartthrob, after he was found dead in his New York apartment.


Ten Republican hopefuls to face-off in new debate

Ten candidates were to crowd onto a stage Tuesday in the next debate among Republicans vying for the White House in 2008, as a new poll showed mounting anger at the dragging Iraq war.


First US cargo planes arrive in Indonesian town

The first American military cargo planes brought supplies to this devastated town Friday, and a US carrier battle group was heading for Indonesia's Sumatra island to spearhead an unprecedented multinational military effort


Uganda Rebels, Govt Agree Dec 31 Cease-Fire

Uganda's government and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army are to sign a total cease-fire on Dec. 31, the chief mediator said on Wednesday.


After historic victory, Puerto Rico lose to Lithuania

August 17, 2004 -- Two days after a historic victory over the United States Olympic Basketball Team (Team USA), Puerto Rico suffered their first loss at the 2004 Olympics to Lithuania, 98-90 on Tuesday.


Australian scientists have used two recently discovered genes from an ancient wheat variety to develop a new way to breed salt-tolerant wheat.


Credit Issuer Says Data Lost for 650,000 Customers

A computer tape containing personal data of 650,000 customers of about 230 retailers including J.C. Penney is missing, credit card issuer GE Money said on Friday.


ROMA - Resistere, resistere e poi ancora resistere. O accettare un compromesso, magari una Â«nobileÂ» scappatoia? Pressato a destra e sinistra, da amici e nemici, per tutta la giornata il professore ci ha pensato, per tutto un lungo martedÃ¬ di attesa.


Hopes fade for 15 miners trapped in Polish mine

RUDA SLASKA, Poland  - Hopes of saving 15 miners trapped for more than 24 hours in a Polish coal mine faded on Wednesday after life-threatening conditions forced rescue crews to suspend work.


Ready to Lose a Few Pounds? They've Got a Plan for You.

Performer Queen Latifah is about to be cast in a new role: weight-loss spokeswoman for Jenny Craig, the commercial diet that has recently helped formerly "fat actresses" Kirstie Alley and Valerie Bertinelli shed pounds. Latifah, who is known for her curves, isn't trying to get starlet skinny but ...


Airbus Denies Backing Microsoft in EU Case

Aircraft maker Airbus (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) insisted on Thursday it had no intention of taking sides in a Microsoft (MSFT.


U.S. official met Iranian to discuss "terror" funds

A high-ranking U.S. Treasury Department official met Iranian representatives last month in Paris as part of a multinational gathering to discuss "terror financing," a senior U.S. official said on Friday.


After initially stating that their newly acquired driver Jarno Trulli would wait until next year to drive an F1 race again, Toyota has announced that Jarno will pilot the car at Suzuka instead of Ricardo Zonta who had been filling in since the team sacked


Marie Antoinette's pearls up for auction

A set of pearls once belonging to Marie Antoinette and taken to Britain by a friend for safekeeping will go on sale in December, and are expected to fetch up to $800,000.


An avalanche swept into a chairlift Sunday at a ski resort that is part of Russia's bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics, killing a 10-year-old child and trapping at least three other people, the Emergency Situations Ministry said.


All Nick Freer wants is his digital music, and he's even willing to pay for it. When the Hong Kong-based client-services director bought an iPod, it came with software to link with iTunes, Apple Computer's


By By Brian Hendrickson, The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash.  Jun. 21--TUALATIN -- Zach Randolph shuffled through words, searching for a description that would match the awe he felt Wednesday.   Legit, he offered.   The real deal.


China's largest personal computer maker, Lenovo Group Ltd., said on Tuesday it was in acquisition talks with a major technology company, which a source familiar with the situation said was IBM.


Mehdi and Sarah and Adrien and Manu, Coupling Under a Cloud

The beautifully acted ensemble film âThe Witnessesâ sidesteps most of its opportunities for high drama, political sermonizing and the jerking of tears.


Padraig Harrington, ever the master of the unexpected, crafted a magnificent comeback to win the German Masters at Gut Larchenhof by three shots and he will today be heading to Oakland Hills for the Ryder Cup in even higher good humour than usual.


Buy.com Entering Social Networking Scene

Online retailer Buy.com is inviting itself into the expanding social networking scene, acquiring a Web site that rewards members with checks or gift certificates if they persuade others to buy their favorite products.


Hatim Kamil was assassinated in a drive-by shooting, said Baghdad Governor Ali al-Haidari. Interior Ministry spokesman Colonel Adnan Abdul-Rahman said Mr Kamil was killed when gunmen opened fire on his car in the southern Doura neighbourhood.


Atene, 21:56 - Basket, Eurolega: Montepaschi sconfitta dall'Aek Atene

La Montepaschi Siena Ã¨ stata sconfitta dall'Aek Atene 75-71 nella decima giornata del girone B dell'...


Observers OK'd for Palestinian Elections

Israel will allow international observers to monitor upcoming elections to replace Yasser Arafat as head of the Palestinian Authority, Israel's foreign minister said Wednesday in another indication of easing of tensions since Arafat's death.


Monday's indictment of Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.) touched off an ethics battle in the House yesterday, with leaders from both parties moving quickly against Jefferson even as they accused each other of having no real interest in tighter ethics rules.


E ha salutato la folla a bordo della papamobile


NEW YORK  - Look out, men -- smoking and  drinking alcohol may affect the quality of your semen.


Germany's MAN to raise bid for Scania: paper

Germany's MAN AG  will soon raise its bid for truck maker Scania , a Swedish newspaper said on Thursday, citing unnamed sources.


An insurgent threw a hand grenade into a school compound in central Basra Thursday, wounding six boys, one seriously, according to police


Roma, 19:03 - CALCIO, BUFFON: LA PAPERA DI DIDA? CON QUESTO PALLONE CAPITA

Gianluigi Buffon trova un modo molto diplomatico per giustificare Dida, il portiere del Milan il cui...


Get the thumbs up with your solar hybrid car

Blog: Solar Electrical Vehicles claims to be the first company with commercially available solar panels offered as an after-market option for the Toyota Prius.


Car Bomb Explodes Near Iraqi Ministry Building

At least eight people were killed when a car bomb exploded near the Ministry of Education in a busy commercial area of northern Baghdad today.


An Italian newspaper rejects Taleban claims that one of its journalists, kidnapped in Afghanistan, is a spy.


Egypt Agreement Could Frame Mideast Peace

Egypt has reached an understanding with Israel, the Palestinians, the United States and Europe on a general framework for a comprehensive settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including a call for a truce between the two sides, the state news agency reported Tuesday.


Torex Retail fraud investigation stool pigeon sings

Suspended chief exec reported own firm The identity of the whistleblower in the Serious Fraud Office's (SFO) investigation of software firm Torex Retail was revealed on Friday as its suspended chief executive.â¦


Astronaut hopefuls with the right stuff have a fresh chance to reach for the International Space Station and, ultimately, the moon, thanks to a new NASA hunt for qualified spaceflyers.


Il governo prepara le misure di giugno. Monito Ue sui contiManovra per ministeri e infrastrutture. Il grosso dei 5 miliardi a esborsi inderogabili                                          Allarme spese, tesoretto ridotto un decreto per le pensioni basse                                                                                di ROBERTO PETRINI


US spy agency CIA paid Pakistan for al-Qaeda suspects: Musharraf

The US Central Intelligence Agency paid Pakistan millions of dollars for handing over more than 350 suspected al-Qaeda terrorists to the United States, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has reportedly said.


Procreazione assistita. Oggi in Cassazione le firme per i ...

Tra poche ore - alle 16 - tutti i comitati referendari che hanno promosso i 5 quesiti di abrogazione (parziale o totale) della legge sulla procreazione assistita consegneranno alla Corte di Cassazione gli scatoloni con le firme necessarie per la tenuta


Serena Williams has her sights set on  regaining the world number one ranking after staging a  miraculous comeback to beat Lindsay Davenport 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 in  the Australian Open final Saturday.


The Happiest Place on Earth doesn't want any new neighbors.


The Desert-Mountain Times :: Finns, West Texans share the same stubborn, independent spirit

My wife and I have been rambling around Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Estonia recently, and we are both glad to be home.


Texas Instruments brings live digital TV to the cell phone

Texas Instruments (TI) has developed the wireless industry's first digital TV on a single chip for cell phones. This will capture broadcast signals and allow cell phone users to watch live broadcasts ranging.


NFL Wrap: Steelers End Bills' Playoff Hopes

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (Sports Network) - Jeff Reed kicked five  field goals and James Harrison returned a fumble for a  touchdown, as the Pittsburgh Steelers completed the best season  in franchise history and knocked the Buffalo Bills out of  playoff contention with a 29-24 victory at Ralph Wilson  Stadium.


Study shows high pollutant level in breast milk

When Tammi Keller had her daughter, she chose to breast-feed her because that was the healthiest thing she thought she could do for her baby.


NOT ONLY did President Bush and Sen. John Kerry drop the ball on the issue of health care in Wednesday night's presidential debate, but even moderator Bob Schieffer got it wrong when he said of health care, "We're paying more.


Britain's top counterterrorism detective warned the threat from homegrown terrorism is increasing, and said police were trying to track thousands of Britons suspected of planning, financing or encouraging ...


Apple's new OS 10.5 operating system didn't outpace its predecessor, Tiger, in tests by CNET's Labs.


British police hunt more suspects over bomb plots

British anti-terror detectives were  hunting on Monday for more members of a suspected militant cell  who rammed a burning jeep into a Scottish airport and tried to  detonate two car bombs in central London.


Swiss scientists take note of bank flu risk: report

Forget retail therapy for some relief from that winter cold -- a study by Swiss scientists revealed on Wednesday that the flu virus can nestle and survive on banknotes for more than two weeks.


Vice presidential candidate John Edwards promised a West Virginia mother on Wednesday that if the Democratic ticket is elected in November the military draft would not be revived.


Data storage provider EMC Corp. continued its torrid run of acquisitions yesterday with an agreement to buy Smarts Inc., a maker of software for managing corporate data networks, for $260 million in cash.


General Mills Inc. GIS.N on  Monday said it will sell an $835 million stake in its cereal  business to an affiliate of Lehman Brothers Holding Inc.  LEH.N and use the money to buy back 16.5 million of its  common shares from Diageo Plc DGE.L.


Accra, 22:43 - CALCIO, COPPA D'AFRICA: TUNISIA-SUDAFRICA 3-1

La Tunisia supera il Sudafrica 3-1 (3-0 nel pt) nella Coppa d'Africa di calcio (gruppo D). Le reti d...


Paralympics closing ceremony scaled back after deadly bus crash

Six weeks of sporting celebration that began with the Summer Olympics ended on a somber note Tuesday when the closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games was cut back because of a deadly school bus crash.


Afghans lionise Masood on anniversary of his death

More than 20,000 Afghans gathered in Kabul on Wednesday to remember Northern Alliance military commander Ahmad Shah Masood, slain by al Qaeda operatives two days before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.


Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee launched an exploratory committee Monday for a possible 2008 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.


A radio listener helped save a disc jockey who suffered an on-air seizure and pleaded for help before passing out in his studio.


Experts sent for investigation of air crash

Investigators work at the air crash site in Baotou, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Nov. 22, 2004. The salvage work has been carried out to search for the flight data recorders, or the black boxes.


Nurses union flexing clout in contract talks

The union representing 23,000 Massachusetts nurses is putting its political muscle on display in contract negotiations with hospitals, part of a newly aggressive strategy that labor specialists say is in response to competition from a rival healthcare union.


UK accounts for half of European VAT fraud: study

The UK is the main focus of value-added tax (VAT) fraud in the European Union, accounting for half the EU total, according to a Belgian government study.


La banda rubava i dati grazie alla tecnologia che si basa sulle onde radioMigliaia di danneggiati a Imperia, Savona e in Abruzzo                                                  Clonavano carte con il bluetooth Scoperta nuova truffa telematica


Venus Williams followed her sister Serena out of the Australian Open in the quarterfinals, both in losses to Serbian players. Venus went down 7-6 (3), 6-4 to fourth-seeded Ana Ivanovic on Wednesday, a day after defending champion Serena lost to No. 3 Jelena Jankovic.


MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU AIR BASE, Romania -- To entice the US military to make a home here, what better symbolic appeal could the Romanian government make than to rename a street George Washington Boulevard?


Blaze at London's Camden Market brought under control

A blaze which ripped through London's trendy Camden Market area, destroying shops, bars and homes, has been brought under control, firefighters said Sunday.


one being habitat - I wonder if there is a conscientious effort from the cement jungle population to give one creature a chance.


Microsoft to release six security updates next week

(InfoWorld) - Microsoft will release six groups of security patches next week, including three critical updates for Windows and Excel users. The critical updates will fix bugs in many different versions of Microsoft's products, including the latest versions of Excel, Windows XP, Vista, and Windows Server 2003, Microsoft said Thursday in a note on its Web site. Online criminals have used flaws in Excel and other Microsoft Office products in limited attacks over the past year. Typically, the attacker will e-mail the victim a maliciously encoded Office attachment. If the document is opened, the hacker can then gain access to the victim's computer. Microsoft isn't releasing further details on the flaws it's fixing until Tuesday, but it rates an update critical if it fixes a vulnerability that could be used by a hacker to remotely install unauthorized software on a victim's computer. Three other less-critical updates are also planned for next week's "Patch Tuesday" security fixes. They include "important" updates for Microsoft Publisher 2007 and Windows XP Service Pack 2 as well as a fix for Windows Vista. In descending order of severity, Microsoft rates updates as critical, important, moderate, or low.


Cisco Gets New Partner, Clients, Product in the Core

Cisco forged a partnership with Fujitsu wherein the Japanese company will market Cisco's CRS-1 core router to carriers and large enterprises in Japan.


U.S. Weighs Moves Against Sudan Over U.N. Force

The United States is considering a series of punitive steps if the Sudanese government fails to agree to a U.N. peacekeeping force to end the violence in Sudan's Darfur region, U.S. officials said yesterday. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signaled the new approach in a speech yesterday in which...


Mateja Kezman today hailed Chelsea team-mate Arjen Robben as one of Europeâs leading players after his matchwinning performance in Moscow.


Marbury Sparks U.S. Basketball Win Over Spain

Stephon Marbury keyed a fourth quarter  run to help the United States beat Spain 102-94 in the  quarter-finals of the men's Olympic basketball tournament on  Thursday.


The 69-year-old founder of Peru's Maoist Shining Path terrorist movement, which paralyzed the country for more than two decades, faced a civilian court Friday for the first time since he was arrested more than 12 years ago.


The Northwestern Bulls are state high school football champions again. But can the school become a model for prioritizing academic over athletic performance?


McDonalds Profit Jumps on Strong Global Sales

The reported earnings of $1.07 billion keep the worldâs largest restaurant chain on a sustained roll around the globe.


When Sylvester Croom talks about the progress of Mississippi State, there's a smile on his face and a lilt in his voice.


Arts & entertainment: As Granta magazine celebrates its 100th issue, we ask how a Cambridge journal conquered the literary world


XtraLean Software upgrades the website creation tool to support Apple's newest software.


Nokia yesterday demonstrated streaming video over mobile phones using IPv6, the slow-building successor to today's Internet addressing system. [Broadband Blog]


TOKYO, Dec. 9 -- Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's cabinet agreed on Thursday to extend the deployment of Japan's 600 non-combat troops in Iraq for up to one year, despite condemnation of the mission by more than half of the Japanese public and opposition political parties.


Exposure to cleaning products while in the womb could be linked to persistent wheezing in young children, research suggests.


Microsoft Corp. might not be the unbeatable giant it once seemed to be, but Chairman Bill Gates made the case Sunday night that its technologies are becoming even more flexible and powerful as they seep into automobiles, Internet-based TV networks and living rooms.


Clarke, founder of racecourse association Northern Racing, dies

Clarke campaigned 1997 Grand National Steeplechase winner Lord Gyllene and was the founder and former executive chairman of Northern Racing, which controls nine British racetracks, including Newcastle, Bath, ...


Afghans Say Trouble Inevitable But Won't Stop Vote

Afghan President Hamid Karzai vowed on Thursday that a historic presidential election would go ahead in two days' time and reflect the people's wishes despite inevitable attempts by Taliban fighters to derail the vote.


Yahoo Messenger hit with ninth zero-day exploit of the year

Yet another zero-day flaw affecting Yahoo Messenger has been posted online, bringing to nine the number of such vulnerabilities aimed at the IM software this year.


Tough Road Ahead for Supply Chain Visibility

The year just ending has been a tough one for enterprise vendors of all stripes. It has been particularly challenging for the nascent supply-chain visibility field. Unfortunately, 2005 will bring more challenges and continued slow software sales, predicts Forrester Research's Noha Tohamy.


Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), the world's largest retailer, said on Saturday it still expects a 1 percent to 3 percent increase in December sales at its US stores open at least a year.


President Bush promises to do "whatever it takes" to keep the country safe. Democrat John Kerry says Bush has failed and calls for "a fresh start."


Lear accepts sweetened bid from Icahn company

Lear Corp.  said on Monday that  it had accepted a higher takeover offer of about $3 billion  from billionaire Carl Icahn's American Real Estate Partners LP   after shareholders balked at the previous proposal.


Report: Girardi offered Yank manager job

The New York Yankees reportedly have offered Joe Girardi the job to succeed Joe Torre as manager.


Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi today and with representatives of the auto and electronics industries through-.


Spain's Constantino Zaballa, riding for the Saunier Duval team, broke away early in the day for an easy win in Friday's 19th stage of the Tour of Spain over Avila and Collado Villalba.


Man. U and Bayern Munich punch ticket to next stage

Manchester, England (Sports Network) - European giants Manchester United and Bayern Munich clinched spots in the knockout stage of the Champions League with victories Tuesday.


Carcasses of unused oil equipment litter the Gulf Coast. Now they're being repurposed to harness the power of the wind. By John Geoghegan from Wired magazine.


US to withdraw up to 70,000 troops from Europe and Asia

The United States will withdraw up to 70,000 troops from Europe and Asia over the next decade in a move to meet the new threats facing the world, President George W. Bush said.


White House press secretary Tony Snow apologized on Monday for suggesting that President Bush believed stem-cell research amounted to "murder," saying he was "overstating the president's position."


Palermo, batosta in Uefa Col Fenerbahce è 3-0

I siciliani, in formazione rimaneggiata pensando al big match di domenica con l'Inter, sconfitti senza attenuanti in Turchia


The day after he helped the Giants win the Super Bowl, David Tyree was everywhere at Montclair High School even as he was on a plane flying home from Arizona.


Pfizer Stands Firm on Keeping Celebrex on Market

Pfizer reaffirmed its commitment today to Celebrex, its blockbuster prescription medication for pain and inflammation from arthritis.


Fading in polls, Clinton vows to fight on

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


Investigators will this morning continue trying to find what made Queensland's high-speed Tilt Train derail, injuring scores of passengers as carriages ploughed through trees and gouged the surrounding countryside.


A Confusing Imaginary Life and a Tense Police Drama

In what's been a good year for foreign films, France offers up two more but only one is truly dreamy


News: 6m South Koreans exposed in slam and spam scam

South Korean police want to question 15 mobile phone workers and brokers over allegations they traded the personal information of an estimated six million people in the northeast Asian country.


Myanmar PM arrested by secret military regime

ISN SECURITY WATCH (19/10/04) - The military junta ruling Myanmar has arrested the countryâs prime minister, General Khin Nyunt, on charges of corruption, the government spokesman of Thailand said.


Conventional silicon based microchips have been known to be problematic at high temperatures, often due to heat generated by the circuit within while operating at high frequencies.


Geneva: Ticketless travel will become a global reality by the end of 2007, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that represents over 270 airlines comprising 95 per cent of international scheduled air traffic.


The greatest worry about the auction of the bat Babe Ruth swung to hit the first home run in Yankee Stadium — against the Boston Red Sox, of all teams — is that this brown beauty of a Louisville Slugger could wind up in the wrong hands.


Bigley Family Appeals to Gadhafi for Help

The family of a British hostage held in Iraq has appealed to Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi to help secure his release. The brother of hostage Kenneth Bigley spoke to the Libyan leader's son, Saif Gadhafi, and asked him to get his father involved.


The Irish team to play the USA Eagles shows eleven changes, two positional, from the side that defeated South Africa 17 - 12 on Saturday.


Sir Richard Branson hopes his new company will be the first to send adventuresome tourists into space. Branson, founder of airlines, entertainment and telecom holding company Virgin Group, announced Monday


Kodak says strategy to shift to digital is working

Eastman Kodak (EK), which a year ago announced a major restructuring and cost-cutting to shift its old-line business to the digital age, said Wednesday that the strategy is working.


The study, conducted by deCODE Genetics in Iceland, examined the rates at which cancer occurred among all first to fifth-degree relatives of 32,000 patients who had cancer diagnosed between 1955 and 2002.


The Arctic Monkeys are once again nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, a year after winning the award.


China hails rejection of Taiwan's latest U.N. bid

China hailed the United Nations'  standard rejection of Taiwan's membership bid on Thursday,  saying the self-ruled island was an inseparable part of "one  China."


This three-car pile up brought to you by ... George Bush. Drivers in battleground states are hearing live radio traffic reports sponsored by the Bush-Cheney campaign, apparently the first presidential ticket to adopt an approach typically favored by car dealerships.


Indonesian police say they arrested Abu Dujana, alleged leader of the group blamed for the 2002 Bali bombings.


A male jeweller who was taken hostage during an attempted robbery in Belfast is released unharmed.


Collucci, Catholic Memorial jump on BC High early

With its opponent on its heels early, No. 1 Catholic Memorial jumped out to a two-goal advantage and took a 3-1 victory over No. 4 BC High in a hockey battle of Catholic Conference heavyweights last night at Boston College's Conte Forum.


A woman who snapped photos of R. Kelly in a courtroom with her cell phone has pleaded guilty to contempt of court after spending the weekend in jail.


Business & money: Market continued to slow in December with prices lower than in the summer months


The leader of the party allied to Thailand's ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra says he has won the general election.


Fifa has fined the Spanish Football Federation 100,000 Swiss Francs (Â£44,750) for the racial abuse suffered by several England players during last month's friendly match at the Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid.


Symantec, Microsoft cooperate on security

Despite earlier tussle, the two companies announce joint participation in a forum aimed at promoting security best practices.


Who's really ahead in race for White House?

George W. Bush has either established a commanding lead over John Kerry or he has lost most of the momentum generated by his party's convention and fallen back into a tie with his Democratic rival.


Pocket PC Users Report Trouble With Skype

Internet telephony application balks on IPaq and Axim Pocket PC devices.


BANDA ACEH, Indonesia -- Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and Florida Governor Jeb Bush, witnessing firsthand the devastation wrought by the Asian tsunami yesterday, described their shock at the scale of the destruction and pledged to speed aid flights to needy areas.


Victims of A380 debacle Airbus CEO Louis Gallois this afternoon announced 10,000 lay-offs of "overhead staff" across the company's European operations in the wake of the A380 debacle.â¦


A less-than-futuristic surveillance system in San Francisco.


Non Ã¨ Angela Celentano la bimba fermata a San Giorgio a Cremano

Non Ã¨ Angela Celentano la bambina trovata ieri mattina da due vigili urbani a San Giorgio a Cremano, nel napoletano e scambiata per la piccola scomparsa sul Monte Faito nel 1996 quando aveva tre anni. Lo


Stewart Ordered to Prison Within 3 Weeks

Martha Stewart must report to prison in less than three weeks, a federal judge ruled Tuesday in granting the celebrity homemaker's request to begin serving her sentence for lying about a stock sale. Her namesake company's stock surged 12 percent.


Thousands of Shiites on Saturday protested the U.S. detention of the son of Iraq's most powerful Shiite politician, and the country's Kurdish president deplored the "uncivilized" behavior of the American soldiers responsible.


La quotazione avverra' all'Irish Stock Exchange


Mark Thompson, director-general of the BBC, has announced sweeping changes to the corporation including savings of Â£320m and thousands of job cuts for a more enhanced national broadcaster.


The Bush administration delivered a secret message to North Korea yesterday warning it to back down from a promised nuclear test, and it said publicly that the United States would not live with a nuclear-armed Pyongyang government.


Financier Frankel Gets Nearly 17 Years for Fraud

NEW HAVEN, Conn.  - Greed and sexual desire drove  Martin Frankel to mastermind one of the largest insurance  frauds in U.S. history, a federal judge heard on Friday as she  sentenced him to nearly 17 years in prison.


If Jermaine O'Neal hadn't slipped while delivering that potentially crushing right-hand punch to a fan's jaw during the Nov. 19 melee at The Palace, that fan might have been slurping his Christmas dinner through a straw.


A British soldier has died in southern Afghanistan after an army truck was damaged by an explosion, the Ministry of Defence in London said Tuesday.


US to ease loan goals for Fannie, Freddie - WSJ

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will propose an easing of rules that will require Fannie Mae (FNM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Freddie Mac (FRE.


Hamas kills Palestinian accused of helping Israel

Hamas militants killed a Palestinian whose information they said helped Israel assassinate the group's founder and nine others.


Intel's board of directors has elected current president and chief operating officer Paul Otellini as its next chief executive, succeeding Craig Barrett, who was named new chairman of the board.


A proposal to hit oil companies with $29 billion in new taxes advanced in the Senate on Tuesday, targeting the money to energy conservation, wind turbines, electric hybrid cars and clean coal technology.


TB patient "very sorry" for endangering others

A U.S. lawyer who flew to and from Europe with a perilous type of tuberculosis to continue with his wedding and honeymoon apologized in comments aired on Friday to passengers he put at risk of infection.


ORLANDO, Florida  - Severe thunderstorms and at least one tornado killed 19 people on Friday when they ripped through Florida in the dead of night, tearing homes to shreds, toppling heavy trucks and leaving a trail of rubble.


Russia Seeks $8.6 Bln in Sale of Yukos's Main Unit

Russia will auction control of OAO Yukos Oil Co.'s main unit for as little as $8.6 billion in a government-run fire sale to collect back taxes that threatens to bankrupt the country's biggest oil exporter.


BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Apple Inc. will scrap online pricing policies across Europe for iTunes music downloads and soon charge consumers in Britain and the rest of Europe the same amount, the company and the European Union said Wednesday.


A court ruling moves TNK-BP a step closer to losing the licence for the Kovykta gas field in East Siberia.


New prescriptions for Pfizer's Celebrex decline; share price dips

NEW YORK, December 30  - New prescriptions for pharmaceutical major Pfizerâs (PFE.NYS) arthritis drug Celebrex declined 56% last week after the company revealed that the regular usage of the drug could enhance the risk of heart attacks


India's BJP is to announce Narendra Modi will continue as chief minister in Gujarat after his election win.


Qualcuno vuole buttare fango su Chiesa, invito alla sinistra


A more cautious Food and Drug Administration dealt Procter & Gamble a setback in its bid to be first to market a drug to improve women's sex drive.


The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit yesterday accusing the newspaper tycoon Conrad Black and his former top deputy of defrauding shareholders of Hollinger International Inc. , a publishing company Black used to run.


Bull That Listens to Mozart Hikes Profits

LONDON - A British stud bull that relaxes by listening to Mozart is so highly regarded by farmers and breeders around the world that sales of his semen have sold out until April 2005, a bovine genetics company said Wednesday.


US big-ticket orders rise, plane orders descend

WASHINGTON, Oct 27  - Orders for "big-ticket" durable US goods rose by a weaker than expected margin in September, hit by plummeting aircraft demand, government figures showed Wednesday.


TEATRO: LAETITIA CASTA DEBUTTA IN SCENA, E' ONDINE

PARIGI - Passerelle di moda, cinema, televisione. E adesso anche teatro: Laetitia Casta, modella, ex presentatrice del festival di Sanremo, ex Marianna di Francia, sara' dal 9 settembre Ondine, protagonista


Non voleva saldare i lavori di ristrutturazione della villa in campagnaL'imprenditore edile picchiato e minacciato, ma l'aggressione Ã¨ stata filmata                                          Assolda boss per non pagare arrestato direttore di banca a Molfetta


WASHINGTON - A federal judge held five reporters in contempt Wednesday for refusing to identify their sources for stories about Wen Ho Lee, a former nuclear weapons scientist once suspected of spying.    U.S...


Turkey investigates alleged plot to kill novelist

Thirteen people have been arrested in Turkey, reportedly plotting a coup, and the assassination of novelist Orhan Pamuk


Movie industry chief Dan Glickman says the firms are "all in this together," arguing infringing content harms not only entertainment companies but Net hosts as well.


Romania, donna di 67 anni incinta di due gemelle

Una donna romena di 67 anni Ã¨ incinta di sette mesi di due gemelle, in seguito a una cura per la fertilitÃ . Lo hanno reso noto fonti mediche locali alla Bbc online. Se la gravidanza sarÃ  a buon fine, Adriana


News.com Extra: Global space congress looks to the future

Plus: '$100 laptop' for sale in North America. Read these stories and more from around the Web on News.com Extra.


UK shares have their worst drop in six months as Chinese stocks slump, spooking investors across Europe.


UK pop star Seal criticises rappers for derogatory portrayal of women in videos and lyrics.


NY Fed-Slower cenbank buying would hit dlr, rates

US interest rates would rise and the dollar would fall if Asian central banks slowed their recent heavy purchases of US assets, the New York Federal Reserve warned in a report on Thursday.


German inflation seen stable this month: regional data

German inflation looks set to remain more or less stable this month, regional consumer price data showed on Friday.


Brother: Renteria agrees to sign with Red Sox

All-Star shortstop Edgar Renteria is nearing an agreement with the Boston Red Sox on a contract, his brother said Wednesday. The deal is worth $40 million over four years with an option for a fifth season, a


US Stretches Out S. Korea Troop Cut Until 2008

The United States agreed under pressure from South Korea Wednesday to stretch out over an additional three years until 2008 the withdrawal of 12,500 US troops from that country.


By Henry Brean  By HENRY BREAN  REVIEW-JOURNAL  The state has rejected the bulk of a request to supply water to Coyote Springs, but the ruling will not dry up plans to build Nevada's largest master-planned community 60 miles north of Las Vegas.


All five election commissioners in Bangladesh resign after months of protests over alleged vote-rigging.


Nearly two dozen crossbred lions are slowly dying in northern India from a mysterious disease afflicting the hybrid offspring of Asiatic and African cats paired in a discontinued experimental program.


JackBe readies Presto Wires mashup composer

(InfoWorld) - Raising the stakes in the burgeoning mashup development tools field, JackBe is unveiling Presto Wires, a visual enterprise mashup composer, at the AJAXWorld conference in Santa Clara, Calif. on Monday. The tool functions with the company's Presto Edge mashup server, which offers secure access to disparate data and services. Users of Presto Wires, who would be business analysts as well as developers, can integrate Web services via a drag-and-drop workflow. These could be services based on REST, WSDL, RSS, and SOAP as well as services produced from SOA infrastructure. Services can be gathered from such sources as RSS feeds, maps from Google, and research data. "[Presto Wires] gives enterprise users the ability to mash these different Web services together with minimal or no support from IT [and] with all the security and governance that larger enterprises expect," Chor-Ching Fan, vice president of product management at JackBe, said. JackBe defines mashups as applications integrating two or more data services and allowing users to specify how the data is mashed up, such as stipulating how columns of data are to be joined. "The main benefit [of mashups] is to allow business units to solve ad hoc business issues," said Fan. Presto Wires can access public Web services and integrate them with internal data sources to look for business opportunities. Presto Wires allows enterprises, including business units and non-technical people, to leverage SOA investments and combine data sets and business rules, according to JackBe. "Many enterprises have made major investments into SOA, and they cannot deliver the value and benefits of SOA without allowing the business units to do mashups on their own," Fan said. "Presto is providing the way that business users can take advantage of the SOA investments," made in the past five to 10 years, he said. An analyst compared Presto Wires to a Yahoo technology. "JackBe's Presto Wires resembles data mashup construction environments like Yahoo Pipes, which is focused on the consumer Web space," said analyst Vishwanath Venugopalan of The 451 Group. "Yahoo Pipes operates almost entirely on syndicated Internet data feeds (RSS, Atom, etc.) Presto Wires offers business users a chance to expand the scope of these data mashups to traditional enterprise data sources such as spreadsheets and Web services." While JackBe leverages AJAX to provide for more intuitive, user-friendly mashup creation, no programming is required. Users can drag and drop objects. Presto Wires carries a list price of $40,000 per CPU.


Study may set new bar for gestational diabetes

Pregnant women with high blood sugar levels may be at risk for some of the same problems faced by women with gestational diabetes -- the risk of a Caesarean delivery and a big baby who might have health problems down the road, researchers said on Friday.


UN Panel Proposes New Criteria for Using Force

A report by a high-level panel on reforming the United Nations proposes expanding the criteria for U.N. military action but maintains the need for Security Council approval, U.N. diplomats said.


Motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc.  roared to record quarterly earnings on Wednesday, boosted by more efficient operations and demand for its new models.


In Giappone da anni in funzione un sistema anti-maremoti

Tsunami Ã¨ una parola giapponese per dire "maremoto", e come tale Ã¨ stata al centro dell'attenzione di tutti i giornali e dei dibattiti dei mass media di Tokyo, e non solo. PerchÃ© il maremoto in realtÃ  si poteva evitare.


Strip Club's Cover Charge Is Voter Registration Card

Over the last six months a range of adult performers - from burlesque dancers to online pornographers - have conducted voter-registration drives.


Mattel apologises for safety lapses which resulted in the recall of 21 million Chinese-made toys in recent months.


Ebay launches a new web site that allows people to invest in loans that lift people out of poverty.


Finland has an innovation deficit -VTT director general

Finnish education and research should yield more innovation than at present, Erkki Leppavuori, director general of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland said on Tuesday.


Sfilano shorts, caftani di colore arancio e albicocca


Londra, 11:57 - CALCIO, IRLANDA: VERSO ESONERO STAUNTON

Persa le speranze di qualificarsi per gli Europei del 2008, l'Irlanda volta pagina. Domani la federc...


Forget sticking a toe in the water, Vodafone's done a cannonball -- unveiling 10 handsets it's got lined up for the November launch of its 3G consumer services in the UK.


Laparoscopy skills linked to gameplay experience A study into laparoscopy surgeons has shown a "strong correlation" between video game skills and the sawbones' ability to perform delicate, TV guided keyhole surgery.â¦


What will happen in the sixth Potter book?

The sixth Harry Potter book, the Half-Blood Prince, is set to go on sale on 16 July 2005. JK has already revealed that the Half-Blood Prince is neither Harry nor Voldemort.


Jones sues BALCO founder, denies steroid use

Olympic athletics champion Marion Jones filed a defamation lawsuit yesterday against BALCO head Victor Conte, who told a US television audience that he gave her steroids and watched her inject herself with them.


The UK government is stepping up efforts to stimulate the growing of crops for use in generating renewable energy.


The U.N. Security Council, despite negotiating for much of the week, failed to reach agreement late Friday night on a statement on the safety of people along the chaotic Gaza-Egypt border.


Celtic taste defeat at hands of Aberdeen

Glasgow, Scotland (Sports Network) - Aberdeen's John Stewart scored the game- winner in injury time as Celtic suffered its first loss in the Scottish Premiership this season, 3-2.


Sudan's government is paralysing aid operations in the conflict-torn Darfur region, the US envoy says.


Kenyan govt. confirms release of 3 hostages in Iraq

The Kenyan government on Wednesdayevening confirmed the release of its three nationals who had been kidnapped in Iraq more than a month ago, saying they will return home soon.


Officials from the world's seven largest economies urge oil producers to increase supply to bring down prices.


Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign is offering a daily peek into their presidential fundraising, reassuring donors and supporters and prodding them into maintaining a healthy rate of income.


Court Hears Libby Describe Cheney as 'Upset' at Critic

Vice President Cheney and other senior White House officials regarded a former ambassador's accusations that President Bush misled the nation in going to war in Iraq as an unparalleled political assault and, early in the summer of 2003, held daily discussions about how to debunk them, I. Lewis...


Google's universal search results will provide savvy Web site owners and marketers additional opportunities to gain valuable placement within search results.


Nottingham uni launches green tech research wing

Funds of Â£8m already raised The University of Nottingham is launching a research institute dedicated to developing clean energy technologies.â¦


A court in the Indian city of Mumbai finds two men guilty of planting explosives in deadly blasts in 1993.


JEBALIYA REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip - Israel withdrew tanks and ground forces from populated areas in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday, wrapping up its bloodiest offensive in the area in more than four years of fighting.    Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered the pullback at the urging of Israeli military commanders, who argued the two-week offensive had played itself out, and after calls from the United States to wrap up the operation...


Indonesian leader visits site of separatist conflict

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, who has vowed to end the conflict in Aceh Province, made his first visit there Friday against a backdrop of continued violence.


President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia is developing a new form of nuclear missile unlike those held by other countries, news agencies reported.


BOSTON - Jason Varitek hit a sacrice fly and David Ortiz launched a massive solo homer in the eighth inning as Boston rallied to tie New York 4-4 in Game 5 of the AL championship series on Monday.    Derek Jeter hit a bases-loaded double in the sixth inning off Boston starter Pedro Martinez with two outs to give New York a 4-2 lead...


Kalam offers condolences to new Abu Dhabi ruler

Abu Dhabi, Nov 3 (PTI) President APJ Abdul Kalam tonight called on the new ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Al Bateen palace here and offered condolences over the death of the UAE President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan.


British finance chief pledges two billion pounds to wipe out poverty

British finance minister Gordon Brown pledged over 2.0 billion pounds (2.9 million euros, 3.7 million dollars) to help eradicate poverty in the developing world and give a brighter future for millions of children.


Corrono anche i rifinanziamenti cresciuti del 16,6%


Sara Lee, restructuring done, focuses on growth

Sara Lee Corp. SLE.N on Monday sought   to draw a line between a 19-month portfolio overhaul that ended   this month and its plans to grow the remaining businesses.


Bill Clinton was hospitalized with chest pains and shortness of breath Friday and will undergo heart bypass surgery in an operation that could sideline the former president at the height of the campaign for the White House.


Southampton Holds Charlton 0-0 in English Soccer's Premiership

Southampton drew 0-0 at Charlton Athletic in English soccer's Premiership to earn its first point under manager Steve Wigley. Saints, which had lost two straight matches since parting


October 26, 2004 - Apple has announced the newest model in its iPod series of portable music players, the iPod Photo. The biggest improvement with the new model is its color screen, capable of displaying 65,536 colors on its 220x176 pixel display.


Rural Scotland will suffer "disastrously" if a plan to close thousands of post offices is carried out.


Indonesia's new president holds first cabinet meeting

JAKARTA : Indonesia's newly inducted President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono led his first cabinet meeting at the presidential office on Friday, the Indonesian news agency Antara said.


Wal-Mart Says More Than Half Its Workers Have Its Health Insurance

Wal-Mart, the nationâs largest private employer, said more than half of its U.S. workers had enrolled in the companyâs health insurance plan.


Mess Puts CEO in Awkward Spot: FALLOUT FROM DRAMA COULD LEAD TO BOARD CHAIR, BUT IS IT TOO MUCH?

By Michelle Quinn, San Jose Mercury News, Calif.  Sep. 12--Mark Hurd, chief executive of Hewlett-Packard, finds himself perhaps in the most awkward position among all the figures in the HP boardroom spying drama.


RealNetworks says Apple blocks its music

RealNetworks Inc., which sells songs over the Web, said Apple Computer Inc. has altered the software for some of its market-leading iPod digital music players so that songs purchased from RealNetworks won't play.


The war crimes trial of ex-Liberian President Charles Taylor is to resume in The Hague after a six-month gap.


FORMER Head of the secret service, Ivan Lexa, who led the Slovak intelligence service SIS between 1995 and 1998, was acquitted of charges of fictitious liquidation of weapons by the Bratislava III district ...


News 25's Melissa Dunton was at the Democrat's victory party and has more on his message. From the moment Michelle Obama walked on stage, this crowd of a few thousand people knew it was in for something special.


Oil prices rose for the second day in  a row on Thursday with an Arctic blast forecast to hit the  United States next week seen ramping up demand for heating  fuels.


Chrysler Chief Sees Spillover From Housing Woes

Robert L. Nardelli said the problems were causing sales of cars and trucks to decline and would affect the automakerâs planning for the coming years.


Rodney Dangerfield, Comic Seeking Respect, Dies at 82

Rodney Dangerfield was the goggle-eyed comedian whose fidgety delivery and sad-sack catch phrase "I don't get no respect" brought him cult status and eventually wider fame.


Finding peace with virtualisation deal XenSource has signed an agreement with NEC which it hopes will push demand and boost sales for its virtualisation server platform, XenEnterprise.â¦


Members of the United Auto Workers union were reported to be returning to work at 59 General Motors plants Monday morning, as negotiators from their union and their company continue to seek a new labor agreement more than two days after their old contract expired.


"No girls allowed on the Birds of Prey course," came the male voice over the radio in the race start house.


Lehmann and Richardson contest foot-race for charity

New Delhi, Nov. 29 (UNI): Darren Lehmann will take on New Zealand's opening batsman Mark Richardson, in a foot race following the end of play in the second 3 mobile Test match at the Adelaide Oval.


French Drop Anti-Semitism Awareness Plan

A Jewish group said Sunday it plans to "modify" its publicity campaign to fight anti-Semitism that showed an image of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary with the slur "Dirty Jew" scrawled across it to mimic graffiti after it drew negative reactions.


Cisco First-Quarter Profits Up 29 Percent

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Cisco Systems Inc.'s fiscal first-quarter profits jumped 29 percent as the network equipment giant reported continued strength in its traditional markets as well as emerging technologies


Milosevic Calls for Control Over Own Trial Defense

Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic made a passionate appeal to judges to allow him to defend himself at his trial Thursday but prosecutors said he was not fit enough and was thwarting progress.


LONDON, 4 Oct. -- Forward Michael Owen is doubtful for England's World Cup qualifier against Wales on Saturday because of a leg muscle injury sustained in his home debut for Real Madrid on Sunday.


Poland remains undecided on US missile defence

"The worst situation would be for Poland to say yes, and then have to pay the political price, and afterwards the shield would not be built because of a change of government in the US"  Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski in an interview published Saturday said his country had still not given its approval for the planned US missile defence system in Poland. via Earth Times


The union representing reservation agents and other passenger service employees at US Airways has voted to authorize a strike if it cannot negotiate a fair contract with the bankrupt airline.


Barry Bonds' worst slump is over and Hank Aaron's record can't be far behind. Bonds moved within two home runs of Aaron's record Thursday, sending No. 752 over the right-field bleachers on the first pitch he saw, and No. 753 into the basket of the center-field wall.


Lebanon vows crush Islamist militants as truce holds

Lebanese leaders vowed on Thursday to stamp out an Islamist militant group that has been fighting the army at a camp in the north of the country.


Paul Hamm Makes His Case To Keep His Medal

(New York-WABC, September 28, 2004) - Overall Olympic gymnastics champion Paul Hamm has made his case to keep his gold medal. Hamm testified to the court for arbitration of sport and why he thinks he should


Londra, 18:14 - CALCIO, TEST ANTIDOPING PRIVATO: CHELSEA MULTATO

Il Chelsea è stato multato di circa 60 mila euro per aver sottoposto nel 2004 Adrian Mutu a u...


Former Cowboys coach Parcells joins Dolphins: report

Former Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Parcells has agreed to join the Miami Dolphins as executive vice president for football operations, the Miami Herald reported on Thursday.


Cancellato concerto di domani. Trenta feriti in area laguna


Sources: N.Korea May Be Preparing Missile Launch

The United States and Japan have detected  signs that North Korea is preparing to launch a ballistic  missile capable of reaching almost anywhere in Japan, Japanese  government sources said Thursday.


IL PERSONAGGIO. Dieci mesi dopo l'elezione mancataper un soffio a presidente del Senato, il Divo Giulio decisivo                                          Andreotti e l'ombra della vendetta "Non sapevo di far cadere Prodi"                                                                                di SEBASTIANO MESSINA


Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad meets Israel's foreign minister, ahead of an historic Arab League visit to Israel.


Apple today premiered Apple TV, an easy and fun way to wirelessly play all your favorite iTunes content â including movies, TV shows, music, photos, and podcasts â from your Mac or PC on your widescreen TV.


Former Taliban defense minister arrested

Pakistani security forces captured the former Taliban defense minister, Pakistani intelligence officials said Friday, in what would be the highest-ranking leader from the Afghan insurgency to be arrested since it lost power in 2001.


BigBand Networks Appoints David Heard General Manager of Product Operations

BigBand Networks, Inc., a leading provider of broadband multimedia  infrastructure for video, voice and data, today announced that David  Heard has joined the company as senior vice president and general  manager of product operations. In his role, Mr.


Africa puts hope in Darfur talks as Sudan dismisses UN ultimatum

Sudan's government defiantly dismissed a UN deadline for it to disarm its proxy militia in the Darfur region, insisting it would resolve the conflict there through ongoing African Union peace talks.


Mattel Official Delivers an Apology in China

The executive reportedly apologized for maligning Chinese manufacturers in the course of toy recalls, but the company said the remarks were misconstrued.


Australia all out for 343 in first innings against India

Australia were all out for 343 in their first innings early on the second day of the opening cricket Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday.


Osservatorio da' via libera a Empoli, Bologna e Lecce


'The Train': First Hindi film in Bangkok's Sky Train

THE TRAIN Â SOME LINES SHOULD NEVER BE CROSSED is the first Hindi film to be shot in the Sky Trains of Bangkok.


U.S. Army Tests Surveillance Blimp Over Pentagon

The Army flew a 178-foot blimp  carrying infrared cameras over the Pentagon and parts of  Washington on Wednesday to test its ability to spot threats to  U.S. government facilities, officials said.


A Scottish university project is trying to persuade art students to consider a career in the games industry.


Mad-cow case unlikely to be from here, state official says

As US Department of Agriculture scientists work to determine whether the nation has its second mad-cow case or another false alarm, a state official says he doesn't think the suspect animal is from Washington.