Sure he was baited and berated by many in the hall, but the Iranian leader's Columbia appearance was a national media event that gives a major boost to his domestic political game


Libby trial offers little on Rove theory

Attorneys for I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby told jurors at the onset of the CIA leak trial last month that Libby was the victim of a conspiracy to protect White House political adviser Karl Rove. But like the anticipated testimony from Libby and Vice President Dick Cheney, details of any save-Rove conspiracy were promised but never materialized.


FOR many people, more so those who believe that unfettered-capitalism is the way forward for the world, the latest listing of billionaires (millionaires excluded, and we speak here in US dollars


SEC Extends Sarbanes-Oxley Deadline for Some Firms

Companies with a public float of at least $75 million will now have an additional 45 days beyond the original deadline set by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.


Il fidanzato della conduttrice si racconta in esclusiva


Channel 4's documentary about Princess Diana's death gains 3.8m viewers and prompts 104 complaints.


John McCain locked up the Republican presidential nomination after a yearlong slog. Now the hard work begins.


Three Bulgarians held over baby trafficking

Greek police have arrested three Bulgarian nationals suspected of trafficking newborn babies and locking up a pregnant Bulgarian girl to sell her baby, police said on Sunday.


With win, Brown picks up where it left off

Joe DiGiacomo passed for 206 yards and two touchdowns and Everett's Matt Nuzzo scored his first varsity touchdown as Brown beat Georgetown, 34-21, in Providence yesterday and matched a school record with its ninth consecutive win dating to last season.


Nigeria's governing party chooses a relatively unknown Muslim governor as its candidate for next April's polls.


Indian board appeals against Ganguly ban

The Indian board (BCCI) has confirmed that it will appeal to the International Cricket Council against the two-Test ban handed down to Sourav Ganguly on Sunday.


Deutsche Telekom backs internet phone startup Jajah - becoming the first major phone firm to support such technology.


to discuss Seoul's undeclared atomic research and to launch his campaign for a new term at the agency. Agency (IAEA) departs for Tokyo on Wednesday, an IAEA spokeswoman said on Saturday.


Sean Penn Hits Campaign Trail for 'Nixon'

LOS ANGELES (Back Stage) - To question certain actors about  their acting is potentially to spoil the magic that a master  artist is able to conjure. And Sean Penn has no intention of  revealing his bag of tricks.


PM Gordon Brown is considering plans which could see the minimum wage reduced in NI, it is believed.


Sony Corp. and Immersion Corp. said Thursday they have settled their long-simmering patent dispute over the vibration technology that shakes video game controllers, and will work together to bring the so-called "rumble" function back to PlayStation products.


Amid the torrent of jabber in Internet chat rooms — flirting by QTpie and BoogieBoy, arguments about politics and horror flicks — are terrorists plotting their next move?


Soldier Loses Claim That Army Tricked Him

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the military can ship an Arkansas soldier back to the front lines in Iraq this weekend, despite the serviceman's objections that the military forced him to extend his tour after tricking him into believing he was enlisting for just one year.


Hundreds of people are expected to join forces  in Dundee  to voice opposition to plans aimed at merging Scotland's regiments.


Miss N.J. receives 2nd blackmail package

Miss New Jersey has received a second threatening package from someone trying to blackmail her into relinquishing her crown, her attorney says.


Albert Kolk's small plane banked uncontrollably in darkness over the Monashee mountains, then began spiraling. "Seat belts!" he barked to his teenage grandson and two young friends. Then he reached for a red lever in the cockpit. Suddenly, an orange-and-white parachute as big as a house opened above the plane and gently landed his stricken aircraft in a rocky clearing.


Books of the Times: Down the Halls of a Wonder House, the Mirrors Cracked

Among other things, âHouse of Happy Endingsâ evokes the sunny simplicity of small-town postwar America, and a bright young girlâs exploration of her small world.


US-based Human Rights Watch says the UN should send observers to monitor the fighting in Sri Lanka.


Modu looks to make cell phones 'modular'

Israeli startup Modu is looking to give consumers more freedom in what their cell phones can do by offering "jackets" that can make each phone unique.


Theater Review | 'No End of Blame': Not Even Free Speech Is Without Costs

Howard Barkerâs 1981 political drama about a dissident cartoonist provides more questions than answers about the challenges facing truly free speech.


Three more appear in London court over terror plot

Three more suspects in an alleged plot to blow up US-bound passenger jets appeared in a London court after being charged with preparing acts of terrorism.


High-level panel poised to present report on global threats to ...

30 November 2004 - A high-level panel appointed last year by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan is poised to officially release its report on threats to international peace and security in the twenty-first century and recommendations on how to


Sistema torna in positivo dopo oltre un anno passivo


Alle 15.50 la consegna delle adesioni alla Suprema Corte. Almeno 207 gli scatoloniFesta nella sede del Comitato: "Una catena umana e due Ducati per il trasporto"                                          In Cassazione arrivano 820.916 firme Referendum, oltre ogni previsione                                                                                Veltroni: "Meglio la consultazione di questa legge elettorale". Marini: "SÃ¬ alla riforma ma non con i numeri risicati"Mastella: "FarÃ² controllare le 178 firme di Ceppaloni". Segni e Guzzetta: "Vigileremo contro ogni furbata" di CLAUDIA FUSANI


Alcoa transfers development rights in Brazil

PITTSBURGH Alcoa says it plans to transfer development rights at a Brazilian bauxite reserve, which will translate to a boost of about 37 (m) million dollars in fourth-quarter earnings.


BAGHDAD -- Villagers found three decapitated bodies north of Baghdad yesterday, and a car bomb killed two people at an Iraqi military checkpoint south of the capital in attacks that seem to be increasingly targeting Iraqis rather than the United States and its multinational force allies.


Iraqi Leader Asks Iran for Help With Security

In his first state visit to Iran, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki today asked for support in quelling violence.


Palermo, 16:40 - CALCIO, PALERMO; GUANA: LE DIFFICOLTA? IL MODULO NON C'ENTRA

Alla vigilia della trasferta di domenica a Livorno, Roberto Guana, tuttofare del Palermo, trova una ...


Londra, 19:22 - CALCIO, PREMIER LEAGUE; ARSENAL-CHELSEA 1-0: E' PRIMO

L'Arsenal ha battuto il Chelsea 1-0 nel secondo posticipo della 17/a giornata della Premier League i...


US President Bush is to transfer 14 foreign terrorism suspects from CIA custody ahead of trials, reports say.


Basketball: U.S. Women Pass First Tough Test

The unbeaten U.S. women's basketball  team had their sternest test of the Olympic tournament so far  Friday, needing an eight-point run in the third quarter to pull  away and beat Spain 71-58.


Torino, 14:49 - SCHERMA, MONDIALI: FIORETTO MASCHILE IN SEMIFINALE

La squadra maschile di fioretto si è qualificata per le semifinali dei mondiali. Dopo aver ba...


Papermaker and forest products company Svenska Cellulosa AB said Tuesday it would cut 1,200 jobs, or 2.4 percent of its overall work force, as it seeks to cut costs amid competition from rivals and declining demand. Most of the job losses will be at plants in France and the Netherlands.


Talk of Satellite Defense Raises Fears of Space War

For a U.S. military increasingly dependent on sophisticated satellites for communicating, gathering intelligence and guiding missiles, the possibility that those space-based systems could come under attack has become a growing worry -- and the perceived need to defend them ever more urgent. And...


La fiction su Raiuno raggiunge share pari al 26,84%


Blog, dubbi amletici e saggezza indigena

L'uomo moderno spiegato da un capo tribÃ¹ delle isole Samoa, i giovani d'oggi e tutti i segreti del sonno. I vostri post


Erin Baldwin, guard, Fairhaven: In addition to already being the school's all-time leading scorer (1,084 points), she holds the single-game scoring record (38 points). She averaged 19.4 ppg last season.


Caronia (Uiltrasporti), se cade emendamento niente sciopero


Finland's Outokumpu has made major operational changes in C21, through the growth and balance sheet strengthening strategy implemented from 2000.


Highly Enriched Uranium Found at Iranian Plant

The origin of the uranium was unclear, but the finding raises questions about whether Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons.


E-Commerce Report: Log in Your Measurements, and the Clothes May Well Fit

myShape.com records the measurements of women, who can then shop from clothing collections matched to their body dimensions.


U.S. Denies Role in Cuban Exiles' Pardon

Bush administration officials denied any role Thursday in the pardon of four Cuban exiles by Panama. Three of the exiles -- convicted in a plot to assassinate Fidel Castro -- were immediately flown to Miami.


Older Japanese surf Web as often as the young: study

Web-savvy Japanese aged over 50 surf online just as often as young people do, using the Internet to arrange travel and read news, a study said.


A post-mortem examination is carried out on an elderly woman found murdered in a Hampshire village.


Futures extend losses on bank write-down fears

Stock index futures fell further on Wednesday as fears of more write-downs at banks worsened a mood already soured by worries about a U.S. recession and a weak profit outlook from Apple Inc.


The role of president of the Indian Board of Control is one of the most powerful in world cricket. A measure of the influence wielded by the post-holder can be shown by the fact that cricket


The dollar slipped slightly against the pound after a series of disappointing US durable goods numbers.


Ronnie O'Sullivan fires a 147 break in the final-frame decider to beat Mark Selby 9-8 in their UK Championship semi-final.


com. Aramis Ramirez belted a pair of two-run home runs and Derrek Lee celebrated his 29th birthday by hitting his 29th homer to power the Cubs to a 9-1 victory Monday over the Montreal Expos.


The construction industry comes under fire from unions for its "failure" to act to prevent workplace fatalities.


On the Road With Vince Vaughn, Not Just for Laughs

In following a famously acerbic actorâs travels with a group of stand-up comics, âVince Vaughnâs Wild West Comedy Showâ reveals his earnest side.


WASHINGTON -- The economy has slowed even more than previously thought, but the sluggish spell is not expected to turn into recession as Election Day nears.


Half of UK men would swap sex for 50 inch TV

Nearly half of British men surveyed  would give up sex for six months in return for a 50-inch plasma  TV, a survey -- perhaps unsurprisingly carried out for a firm  selling televisions -- said on Friday.


Lleyton Hewitt, of Australia, reaches to return a shot against Carlos Moya, of Spain, during the third set of their Tennis Masters Cup match Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2004 in Houston.


Mantova, 12:29 - CALCIO, MANTOVA: ARRIVA CORONA

Il Catania ha ceduto a titolo definitivo al Mantova l'attaccante Giorgio Corona, la scorsa stagione ...


Earliest Unhatched-Bird Fossil Found—Old as Dinosaurs

A 121-million-year-old fossil of an unhatched bird has been found in China. The fossil suggests early bird species, like dinosaurs, were well developed at birth, scientists say.


Shareholder rights as Liberty could raise voting stake

LONDON (CBS.MW) - Shares of News Corp. dropped over 4 percent in Australia overnight Monday after the owner of Fox News and other media properties adopted a poison pill shareholder rights plan that seeks to block takeovers.


Tyson Cuts Earnings Forecast, Shares Fall

Tyson Foods Inc. (TSN.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday cut its earnings forecast after making a wrong bet on the direction of grain prices and demand for chicken


Toyota's U.S. head says recalls were wake-up call

Toyota Motor Corp.'s  North American chief said on Thursday that the product recalls the automaker suffered in recent years had shaken the company and that it was now determined to widen the margin by which its cars outperform U.S. rivals in industry performance surveys.


NEW YORK Aug. 26, 2004 - In a highly anticipated ruling, a federal judge found the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act unconstitutional Thursday because it does not include a health exception.


Fara' punto situazione e incontrera' leader iracheni


Seminoles may have finally solved leadership puzzle

When Alonzo Jackson had his much-publicized finger-pointing episode after a loss to Notre Dame two years ago, it became the impetus for Bobby Bowden's decisions to close the locker-room doors


THE price that Meir Rotenstein has paid for breaking ranks with his neighbours and cheering on Ariel Sharonâs plan to pull Israelis out of Gaza has been high.


Ba'asyir transferred to Cipinang, formal charges expected in days

Investigators submitted the case file on cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir to prosecutors on Wednesday, paving the way for his trial on charges of involvement in a string of terrorist attacks across the country.


Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip will be put to parliament in two weeks. Speaking at the start of a new session of the Knesset, Mr Sharon told Israeli MPs that the plan would be debated on 25 October.


Injuries and key departures have played a key role as the Broncos will post a losing record for only the second time in the 13-year Mike Shanahan era.


Brown gets down to business with his captains of industry

Business & money: First meeting of PM's advisers will discuss globalisation, climate change and skills.


Nokia and Vodafone Team Up on Mobile Java Standards

The Java language is an object-oriented programming language created by James Gosling and other engineers at Sun Microsystems. It was developed in 1991, as part of the Green Project, and officially announced


Yahoo Protects Employees in Case of Takeover

Two new severance plans will set severance in case Microsoft's unsolicited takeover bid succeeds.


Industry group might buy Commerce One patents

A move is afoot to form an industry consortium to buy about 40 patents that are among the assets of bankrupt Commerce One.


News on a committee to succeed Arafat denied, vagueness over his ...

News was contradictory over the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat formation of a tripartite committee as a precaution for any emergency because of his deteriorated health condition which is vague.


Hazards: Football Head Injuries, Not So Cut and Dried

Researchers have found that there is no way to know for sure which blows will lead to a concussion.


Iraq Accuses US Led Forces of Negligence in Saturday's Attack on ...

Iraq's interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi is accusing the United States and its coalition partners of being partly to blame for Saturday's deadly ambush of dozens of Iraqi soldiers.


U.N. Reports Suspicious Activity in Congo

U.N. air and ground patrols have photographed freshly made encampments and unidentified well-equipped troops in east Congo, U.N. officials said Thursday, bolstering suspicions — still unconfirmed — that Rwanda is making good on its threat to send troops into its larger, weaker neighbor.


Marino Doesn't See Return to Dolphins Soon

Dan Marino misses being part of the Miami Dolphins, yet does not see a scenario where he'd soon consider returning to the team's front office.


Rutelli, siamo pronti al dialogo con tutti, ma in Parlamento


Church Meets the Unwelcome Wagon No Thanks, East Siders Say

By Debby Abe, The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash.  Feb. 12--A church and social service agency that assists recovering addicts, the homeless and other needy people plans to move from Parkland to a residential neighborhood on Tacoma's East Side, triggering an outcry from prospective neighbors.


Brandon Routh, a 25-year-old actor of minor note and credits, was officially named Friday as the big screen's next Man of Steel.


Claudio Chiodi e' ancora bloccato nel deserto


Computer firm Apple issues a lawsuit to prevent online leaks of information about future products.


English cricket authorities give the national team the go-ahead to tour Zimbabwe.


Mass ejections as brawl mars Nuggets win over Knicks

NBA scoring leader Carmelo Anthony and nine other players were ejected after an ugly incident marred the end of the Denver Nuggets' 123-100 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.


The Beatles are suing EMI and Capitol for at least Â£13.2m after claiming the companies kept millions due to the band.


Officials Identify Four Contaminated Wells

PUT-IN-BAY -- Some good news for residents, businesses and visitors to Put In Bay and South Bass Island. Health officials and the EPA have concluded there is plenty of safe drinking water on the island.


Hillary Rodham Clinton was touted by her husband, former President Clinton, at a "Harlem homecoming" rally as the Democrat best able to retake the White House in 2008.


Roll over, Beethoven: Orchestras challenge classical music

The Ambitious Orchestra is one of several musical projects trying to draw younger, hipper music lovers to concert halls.


Sunlight May Have Unexpected Anti-Cancer Effects

NEW YORK  - Two new studies suggest that  exposure to sunlight might not be as risky for cancer as is  generally believed.


Utah Jazz forward Jarron Collins (31) fouls Phoenix Suns forward Amare Stoudemire during the first quarter Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2004, in Salt Lake City.


Giuliani: I'm not riding that Segway. No way.

The would-be president shows up at a Segway factory in New Hampshire, but refuses to ride one. A 70-year old CBS News anchor does instead.


An earthquake which shook an Antarctic penguin colony was the strongest on earth in four years, seismologists say.


Ageless Allen scores two TDs as Argonauts upset Lions 27-19 in ...

Twenty-year veteran Damon Allen ran in two touchdowns and passed for another as the Toronto Argonauts defeated the BC Lions 27-19 in the Grey Cup game on Sunday night.


Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has expressed regret at the deaths in army custody of almost 80 Muslims as distraught relatives sought the bodies


(InfoWorld) - Despite theÂ buzz around mobile advertising, end users and eager advertisers may have to wait a while for widespread deployments as the mobile industry sorts out the requirements for it. "The problem is, today we are highly fragmented," said Rob Conway, CEO of the GSM Association, the global trade group for GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) operators. He spoke Tuesday morning at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona. Arun Sarin, CEO of Vodafone Group, agreed. Despite the interest from advertisers in using mobile phones to deliver ads, the mobile industry needs to create a consistent framework. "If we went to Proctor and Gamble and said, this is how Vodafone does it but Orange is different, they will find it hard to move their ads onto mobiles," Sarin said. "If we don't move together we will have a fragmented medium and user base instead of a single valuable medium that reaches two billion people." A common framework would include specifications for the appropriate size of banner ads and length of video ads as well as a reporting mechanism to help advertisers measure the success of their campaigns. The GSM Association has recently established the Mobile Advertising Forum to begin to define such a framework. The group hopes to include a wide variety of interested parties, including advertisers, aggregators and content providers to set the parameters. Some end users are interested in the concept of mobile advertising because it can enable free or low-cost services in exchange for viewing advertisements. In addition, the mobile industry promises that it can offer advertisements that users may be interested in based on their location, for example. "It's about engagement with consumers," Conway said. "We will tailor-make ads for the taste of consumers." Mobile phones represent an enticing platform for advertisers who already eagerly address the 1.4 billion TV sets and 1 billion PCs in the world, said Sarin. With 2 billion mobile users on the planet, "we're clearly an important area," he said. Not all those users phone users, however, would be able to receive mobile ads. They must subscribe to a data service that enables the delivery of such content and a capable phone too, he said. Â


Six months after the drug industry vowed to make its clinical trials more transparent, and three months after launching a common website to give the public "unprecedented access" to studies both good and bad, drug companies have posted unpublished trial results on the site for just five drugs.


Usher, Outkast Clean Up; Kanye Strikes Out At American Music ...

LOS ANGELES - While picking up his second trophy at Sunday's American Music Awards, Usher suggested that he would be returning to the podium.


President Bush urged lawmakers on  Wednesday to forgo flu shots at the U.S. Capitol, where nearly  2,000 doses have been given despite government advice to  reserve vaccine for high-risk patients.


Milano, 18:19 - CALCIO, SERIE A 2008/2009: SI PARTE IL 31 AGOSTO

Il prossimo campionato di calcio di serie A 2008-09 prenderà il via il prossimo 31


Ned Lamont, whose anti-war campaign rattled the political landscape by toppling Sen. Joe Lieberman in Connecticut's Democratic primary, is gaining support among voters — but Lieberman still has an edge, according to a poll released Thursday.


Islamic militants threatened to attack Germany and Austria unless the two European nations break ranks with the U.S. and withdraw their personnel from Afghanistan, according to a Web statement.Comment


Music Review | 'Il Trovatore': The Story, Convoluted; The Music, So Potent

Verdiâs talent for penetrating melodies goes a long way toward explaining why so flimsy a drama manages such potency in a strong performance.


NORTON -- Defeating a team is one thing, reminding an opponent how the team got to be 5-0 is something few teams accomplish.


Colo. Regents Weigh Prof's 9/11 Comments

The University of Colorado's regents have scheduled a special meeting to consider a professor's essay that said victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks deserved to die because they were a willing part of "the mighty engine of profit."


Aid workers reaching the depths of Indonesia's Aceh province uncover the full horror of the devastation wreaked by the tsunami.


Michael Jackson made his first public appearance since being acquitted on child molestation charges, choking up as he thanked Japanese fans at an award ceremony Saturday.


Manchester United and Republic of Ireland midfielder Roy Keane is to appear before Trafford magistrates tomorrow charged with assault and criminal damage following an alleged altercation with a teenager.


âNo Countryâ and âBloodâ Lead Oscar Nominations

The list of Academy Award nominations reflects Hollywoodâs bleak state of mind.


Valencia, 18:00 - CALCIO, VALENCIA: TAVANO SI SCUSA E ACCUSA STAMPA ITALIANA

Francesco Tavano fa marcia indietro. L'ex attaccante dell'Empoli (mai schierato dalla sua nuova squa...


Incidente all'Abetone, problemi anche per una bambina


Bush Troop Plan Vague on Movements in Asia

President Bush's plan to withdraw up to 70,000 troops from overseas bases contained few specifics, particularly about Asia. Some experts think the United States may leave much of its Asia force intact.


DEVELOPMENT:  For the U.S., It Must Be Different

DAVOS, Jan 27 (IPS) - International Monetary Fund managing director  Dominique Strauss-Kahn has proposed a global fiscal stimulus to  prevent economic contagion from the worsening housing and credit  market crisis in the United States.


Over the hump? Cubans hope for end to "camel" buses

With black humor, Cubans call the uncomfortable 18-wheel trucks that have been turned into Havana city buses "Saturday night movies" because of the adult language, sex and violence on board.


Regionali, accordo vicino sulle liste unitarie? I Ds: Â«Almeno ...

Presentare la Lista unitaria Â«in un numero significativamente prevalente di regioniÂ». La segreteria Ds prova a superare lâimpasse delle polemiche con la Margherita cercando di non dare alibi al giochetto


Rebels Routed in Falluja; Fighting Spreads Elsewhere

American forces overran the last center of rebel resistance in Falluja after a weeklong invasion that smashed what they called the principal base for the Iraqi insurgency.


Iraq Is Failing to Spend Billions in Oil Revenues

Iraqi bureaucrats are so fearful and confused by anticorruption measures that they are afraid to sign off on contracts.


US economic growth was largely  "modest" in February with some sluggishness, the Fed's Beige Book report says.


Following heavy losses, South African Airways asks the public to send in 'great ideas' on how to turn the business around.


A composer who also loved the sound of silence

With the death last week of Elmer Bernstein, following so soon after the deaths of Jerry Goldsmith and David Raksin, two of the fellow Hollywood composers he most admired, an era ends.


Police offer a Â£20,000 reward to help catch the killers of Jessie James, six months after he was shot.


Experts say the new experimental fabric device that helps weak hearts pump more efficiently could fill a gap for people who are not helped by drugs or pacemakers.


Liverpool, 22:00 - CALCIO, INGHILTERRA; COPPA DI LEGA: RINVIATA LIVERPOOL-ARSENAL

La sfida dei quarti di di Coppa di Lega tra Liverpool e Arsenal, in programma questa sera, è ...


NL Wrap: Grand Slam Helps Giants Close on Dodgers

Pedro Feliz bludgeoned a  tie-breaking grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the  eighth inning to hand the San Francisco Giants a 9-5 win over  the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Saturday.


Sudanese gov't, rebels resume peace talks

A second round of peace talks between the Sudanese government and Darfur rebel groups resumed Monday in Abuja, capital of Nigeria, as the Sudanese government said two newly-emerged rebel groups could be allowed to join them.


HEILIGENDAMM, Germany  - U.S. President George W. Bush said on Wednesday that Russia posed no threat to Europe despite its vow to target the continent if the U.S. deploys a missile shield in central Europe.


At Least Nine Killed in Attack on U.S. Mission in Saudi

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia  - Militants stormed the  heavily fortified U.S. consulate in Jeddah in a brazen raid on  Monday and at least nine people died in gunbattles before  security forces regained control.


F.D.A. Requiring Suicide Studies in Drug Trials

Makers of drugs to treat obesity, depression and many other conditions are being asked for the first time to include suicide assessments in their clinical trials.


Houston, 10:44 - CALCIO, GOLD CUP: MESSICO E GUADALUPE IN SEMIFINALE

Il Messico e la Guadalupe si sono qualificate per le semifinali della Gold Cup, torneo della confede...


Genova, 18:30 - CALCIO, GENOA: LUCARELLI OUT PER IL DERBY

Il Genoa riprenderà domani gli allenamenti in vista del erby. Parecchi i problemi in casa ros...


Core inflation eases, consumers hold firm

Inflation in May outside of food and  energy posted its slowest annual gain in three years,  suggesting the Federal Reserve is making progress in fighting  inflation.


Warsaw (IANS) Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee is coming to Poland on a three-day official visit at the invitation of his Polish counterpart Jerzy Szmajdzinski.


Pierre Pierce scored 19 points and No. 16 Iowa held off a spirited comeback attempt by Air Force for a 73-63 win Tuesday night.


When HG "Buzz" Bissinger talks about the sacrifices that were made to keep "Friday Night Lights" at least semi-faithful to his book, the last scene in the film is the first thing that comes up.


Roma, 21:06 - CALCIO, MAZZOLENI: MATTEI MI RACCOMANDO' LA LAZIO

Calciopoli a 'Striscia la Notizia'. A parlare, in un'intervista che andrà in onda giovedÃ¬, &e...


Pentagon Report Slams Air Force on Academy Assaults

The Pentagon's inspector general on  Tuesday blamed "leadership failures" by top Air Force officials  for a decade of sexual assaults and harassment against female  cadets at the elite Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.


Highways were hazardous for holiday travelers Sunday and thousands of homes and businesses had no electricity in the Midwest as a storm blustered through the region with heavy snow and howling wind.


Former Hewlett-Packard chief Carleton S. Fiorina ordered the first of a series of leak investigations in January 2005, she says in an long-anticipated memoir.


Dole Food takes new steps to head off more E.coli

Dole Food Company, a top U.S. food and fruit producer, has stepped up testing and tracking of produce to prevent outbreaks of E.coli like the one that sickened hundreds last fall, the firm said on Thursday.


Unemployment has risen slightly in France, despite the efforts of the French government to bring it under control.


To mollify Russia, Western envoys have Kosovo plan

The United States and Europeans have drafted a new U.N. Security Council resolution that seeks to delay independence for Kosovo for four months in an effort to meet Russia's objections, a U.S. official and other diplomats said on Tuesday.


Steve Harmison has a one-on-one session with bowling coach Kevin Shine ahead of the second Ashes Test.


Big stars, no scenery in world of tomorrow

NEW YORKâWhat Gwyneth Paltrow liked best about shooting Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow wasn't that she got to climb the Himalayas, fly in a fighter plane with Jude Law, and cruise in an underwater submarine.


The nation's two largest wireless carriers amended their policies on cellphone contracts before a hearing held yesterday by lawmakers interested in legislating consumer-friendly practices.


Stung by its loss of market share to Hopkinton's EMC Corp., IBM Corp. fought back yesterday with a pair of major new data storage offerings, including


U.S. says captures 2 over Iraq soldier abductions

U.S. forces said on Thursday they had killed more than 23 Sunni and Shi'ite fighters in two operations in Iraq and captured two al Qaeda-linked militants suspected of links to the abduction of three U.S. soldiers.


Oil ends at one-month low on economic worries

Oil settled at a one-month low on Tuesday amid intensifying worry a weak U.S. economy could trigger a global slowdown in energy demand.


Amtrak Pays Millions for Others' Fatal Errors

In accident after accident, freight railroads have used Amtrak to shield themselves from tens of millions of dollars in liability.


KABUL, Afghanistan - A bomb killed two American soldiers and wounded three others in southern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said Saturday, and an attack in an eastern province killed at least three children and a policeman on the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan...


Bush seeks extra energy research funds in 2008

The Bush administration on Monday  asked Congress for $4.4 billion in extra research funds in  fiscal 2008 for high-tech areas such as supercomputers and  turning wood chips into ethanol, even though Congress has not  acted on the Energy Department's 2007 request.


Abercrombie & Fitch Co  posted a  9 percent increase in quarterly profit on Friday, helped by  higher prices for its clothes.


The List Project: a commitment to helping Iraqis find refuge in the US

Kirk Johnson is devoted to helping Iraqis resettle in the US. Hundreds, faced with death threats, are still waiting.


US and Japanese mobile-phone giants Motorola and DoCoMo are teaming up to develop a FOMA handset that runs on GSM/GPRS networks. The third-generation device will allow Japanese business users


John Kerry will set a new direction for this nation

The presidential debate on Sept. 30 confirmed my interest in John Kerry for president. His explanations of what he intends to do must surpass George W. Bush.


Chinese remarks bring new fears in Hong Kong

HONG KONG China stirred worries that it will take tighter control over Hong Kong by saying on Thursday it must find ways to improve local governance and deal with a "new social order" in the territory.


com senior editor. The âfamily treesâ of NFL coaching staffs are often fascinating and worthy of deep study that usually reveals a lot about the head coach's fundamental philosophies of offense, defense, drafting, etc.


Updated safety standards for laptop batteries should be in place within the next 12 months, a working group says.


President Bush said Sunday it's in Kosovo's interest to be aligned with Europe, and that its status must resolved in order for the Balkans to be stable.


Defiant Benitez comes on to football pitch fighting

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has moved to shrug off mounting concerns over his leadership by insisting his side will reverse the slide which has dented the club's European and domestic ambitions.


At least two people were killed Saturday and 18 others injured in an explosion at a concert Colombo, Sri Lanka, the BBC reported. Police said a hand-grenade exploded in the front stands as Indian Bollywood


Political fires are still burning brightly ahead of this weekend's elections


O'Connor to Oversee Kentucky Land Dispute

By BRETT BARROUQUERE, Associated Press writer  A former U.S. Supreme Court justice will oversee the mediation between former Western Kentucky landowners and the U.S. government in what may be the last chance to settle a long-running dispute.


Scientists reveal how to have a healthy heart at Christmas

Most people think of Christmas as a time of indulgence in more ânaughtyâ foods, and a time to worry about our waistlines. However, a University of Glasgow researcher can reveal that Christmas dishes can, in fact, have hidden health benefits.


A woman is dead after a coach apparently mounted a pavement on one of the busiest routes from the West into London.


Comair resumes some flights, hopes to be fully operational by ...

HEBRON, Ky. - Comair customers frustrated from days of delays and cancellations got a bit of relief Sunday when the airline put some of its planes back in the air, a day after canceling all 1,100 flights systemwide.


Merck's Board Adopts Severance Plan for Top Officials

Merck & Co., seeking to keep managers from leaving after the withdrawal of its Vioxx painkiller, adopted a plan to give severance payments to more than 200 executives should control of the company change.


An aging weather satellite crucial to accurate predictions on the intensity and path of hurricanes could fail at any moment and plans to launch a replacement have been pushed back seven years to 2016.


Northrop, BAE Systems win US government contract

NEW YORK, August 26 (New Ratings) - The US government has reportedly selected Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC.NYS) and BAE Systems Plc (BA) to develop systems for protecting commercial aircraft from shoulder-fired missiles.


House rejects Bush's troop buildup in Iraq

The U.S. House of Representatives denounced President George W. Bush's Iraq troop buildup on Friday in a symbolic but politically potent challenge to his unpopular war strategy.


The smuggling of Afghan heroin into Russia increased markedly this year, Moscow's interior minister reports.


Movie-Goers Hold 'Grudge' Against Affleck

Movie-goers hold no grudges against Sarah Michelle Gellar, but they apparently have a beef with Ben Affleck. Gellar's fright flick "The Grudge" got a jump on Halloween with a $40 million opening weekend to debut at No. 1, while Affleck delivered a holiday turkey with "Surviving Christmas," his critically drubbed comedy that came in No. 7 with just $4.5 million.


Roma, 17:02 - CALCIO, DE SANTIS DA BORRELLI: ASPETTIAMO GIUSTIZIA ORDINARIA

''Non abbiamo parlato di nulla, non abbiamo gli atti. Abbiamo appreso delle parole di Moratti solo d...


Carlos Beltran misplayed Jimmy Rollins's line drive into a two-run triple and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied to beat host New York, 5-3, yesterday for their seventh straight victory over the Mets.


2008 candidates load up on cash for final push

Presidential candidates are scrambling to pad their bank accounts before the end of the third financial quarter on Sunday, loading up on cash for a big-spending three-month dash to the first votes in 2008.


Ellen DeGeneres is getting a promotion — to supreme being. DeGeneres will star as God in a remake of the 1977 comedy "Oh, God!" The original starred George Burns as the creator and John Denver as a supermarket manager tapped as a new prophet by the deity.


Anglican commission's report criticizes Canadian church over same ...

An Anglican Church commission urging Canadian dioceses to stop blessing same-sex relationships isn't binding and won't likely have an immediate impact on the practices of individual


A suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Interior Ministry in Kabul on Saturday, killing 12 people and wounding 42, the Afghan government said.


Sir Bobby and Munich to remember 1958 disaster

Amidst the memorial services to mark Wednesday's 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster, for survivor Sir Bobby Charlton the memories of that fateful day are never far from his thoughts.


French actress Beatrice Dalle, who shot to fame in cult 1986 movie Betty Blue, marries a Brittany prison inmate.


NCAA Division I universities fared better this year in considering minority football coaching candidates, the Black Coaches Association said Thursday.


Caesarean Birth May Raise Allergy Risk in Babies

Being born by Caesarean section may increase a baby's risk of suffering from food allergies and diarrhea in the first year of life, German doctors said on Thursday.


Today on the presidential campaign trail

Obama focuses on economy after latest primary wins; McCain fattens GOP lead ... McCain rallies House GOP members behind him as he looks toward the general election ... Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign chief backs Obama's presidential bid ... Sharpton: Seating Florida, Michigan delegates would be 'grave injustice'


Not one of six 2008 model year minivans tested by an insurance industry group was able to withstand a low speed, parking lot style collision without sustaining several thousand dollars in damage.


Lower Ohio River reopens after barge collision

The lower Ohio River has reopened to barge traffic after being shut for more than 12 hours due to a tow boat hitting a lock and a barge leaking a petrochemical into the waterway, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Thursday.


Spielberg e Tom Hanks danno il via a Venezia

La 61esima edizione della Mostra del cinema di Venezia apre oggi i battenti. Lo fa con una sontuosa cena di gala e, soprattutto con la proiezione di "The terminal", l'atteso nuovo film di Steven Spielberg interpretato da Tom Hanks.


New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has sued a second US insurer for allegedly rigging the insurance market to fatten its profits.


Bombs kill 25 in Baghdad, 3 UK troops in Basra

A car bomb killed 25 people and wounded 40 on Thursday at an intersection in Baghdad where minibuses pick up and drop off passengers, Iraqi police said.


Iran's Revolutionary Guards say the US faked evidence that its ships were harassed by Iranian speedboats.


Singapore 'would not recognise' independent Taiwan

Singapore's new Prime Minister, in his first policy speech since taking office, has warned of the dangers of war if Taiwan makes a miscalculation in its relations with China.


Tamilla Abassova beat world champion and Russian team-mate Svetlana Grankovskaya to cruise into the women's sprint final on Tuesday.


VENICE, Italy  - The lesson in Asif Kapadia's "Far North" is that when an independent and obviously resourceful woman from the tundra says that a shaman told her she would bring harm to anyone foolish enough to get close to her, it's wise to listen.


SAfrica HIV vaccine results promising: researchers

South African researchers said on Friday they were encouraged by results from two HIV studies indicating that vaccines might one day be effective in controlling viral levels and even preventing infections.


With remakes of Asian horror movies, American studios persist in trying to raise the spirits of the dead.


Following are a group of figures of the 12th Athens Paralympic Games which opened here on Friday: The 11-day Paralympics was covered by more than 3,000 media representatives


SAP said that Pilot Software's core product, the business analytic application PilotWorks, will be integrated into its NetWeaver suite.


Monorail Mess the Latest Snag in Seattle

Visions of a slick, elevated train gliding over streets choked with traffic wooed a razor-thin majority of city voters to pass the Seattle Monorail initiative two years ago.


US Treasuries take a fall on upbeat sales data

Treasuries were stripped of early gains on Monday as US retail sales data proved strong when many in the market had been betting on a weak outcome.


Retail sales bounced back in November, as Christmas shoppers kept the tills ringing in the crucial festive trading period.


Airbus employees brace for guinea pig missions on A380

Employees of European aircraft manufacturer Airbus are set to become the first test passengers in the company's giant A380 superjumbo jet next week when a series of new trials begin.


U.S. Probes Guantanamo Abuse Allegations

The U.S. military command that oversees detentions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has opened an internal investigation into allegations of prisoner abuse stemming from recently released FBI documents, officials said Wednesday.


Non ci sono soldi per pagare dieci anni di arretrati


Florida Upsets No. 10 Florida State 20-13

Florida State's Chauncey Stovall, left, comes down with a fourth-quarter-touchdown catch as Florida defender Vernell Brown, right, falls down, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2004, in Tallahassee, Fla.


Chief Justice William Rehnquist has thyroid cancer, but that won't stop him from returning to the bench next week for potential rulings that could again determine the presidential election, court officials said.


Tanik Koizev wanders through the burned-out gymnasium of the school where hundreds of hostages died during a terrifying siege in September.


Critics call U.S. consumer agency toothless

The agency charged with protecting the American public from dangerous consumer products is toothless and understaffed, according to its critics.


Calif. Academy of Sciences Holds Tag Sale

SAN FRANCISCO - The California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park held a one-of-a-kind yard sale Sunday, offering rock-bottom prices on everything from antique wooden incubators to six-foot-tall prehistoric bird replicas.    Early shoppers got rock bottom prices on everything from globes to maps to specimen jars...


Romania is sure to join EU on January 1, 2007, says Jonathan Scheele

Bucharest, Nov 16 (Rompres)- Romania is sure to join the European Union on the date of January 1, 2007 and it will not be affected by the government to be elected in November, said head of the European ...


Blair denies he led Britain to war with false justification

Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday denied leading Britain into war on a false prospectus, despite intelligence on the threat posed by Iraq being wrong.


U.S. Will Miss Half Its Supply of Flu Vaccine

Officials said that most healthy adults should delay or skip flu shots so that people most at risk can get scarce supplies.


U.S. says bomber of U.S. destroyer Cole still jailed

The United States said on Monday it had confirmed that a man convicted over the al Qaeda bombing of the U.S. Navy ship Cole in 2000 was still in prison in Yemen despite reports of his release.


Cantante ha problemi mentali, bodyguard a un giornale


Blog: Though the devices still seem hard to spot in the wild, Microsoft says its market share is holding steady and reiterates its plans to sell 1 million of the devices by June.


Nine U.S. soldiers killed north of Baghdad

Six U.S. soldiers were killed north of Baghdad on Monday in one of the worst ground attacks in months on U.S. forces in Iraq and three more died in a separate incident also outside the capital, the military said on Tuesday.


Monitoring Tools Help People Cut Home Energy Use, Study Finds

The deployment of smart-grid technology in households could significantly reduce the need to build new power plants and trim consumersâ monthly utility bills.


Labelling Bangladesh as most corrupt: Saifur to seek explanation from Transparency chief

Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman said yesterday that a donor agency suspended assistance worth 300 million dollars to Bangladesh after labelling the country as the most corrupt nation by Berlin ...


Technology Puts St. Bernards Out of Work

GENEVA, Switzerland - Switzerland's noble Saint Bernard, famous for searching and rescuing avalanche victims buried in the Alps through the centuries, is finally bowing its sad, massive head, the fabled barrel around its neck replaced with a for-sale sign.    Heavy and slow in the deep Alpine snow, expensive to feed and already mostly replaced by helicopters and heat sensors, the once-proud Saint Bernards have found themselves obsolete and a drain on the resources of the religious order which has raised, trained and kept them since 1660 or 1670...


How Sticky Is Membership on Facebook? Just Try Breaking Free

Some members discover itâs tough to erase all their information from the site.


Good news for chocoholics: Eating dark chocolate improves healthy blood flow, according to research published today. Greek scientists said they had demonstrated for the


Drunk monks, gay birds and other odd tales from 2004

Zagreb: A South African who fell in love with a Croatian he had never even spoken to travelled halfway round the world to search for the woman of his dreams.


Regimens: Whites More Often Given Opioid Drugs, Study Finds

Opioid medications are increasingly being given in emergency rooms â but white patients are more likely to get them than minorities, a new study finds.


African Media Urged to Avoid Government Control

Text of report by Ghanaian newspaper The Accra Mail on 19 September  A stakeholder meeting on transforming public media has recommended that newspapers and news agencies, especially in Africa, should stay out of government control in order to impact meaningfully on the citizenry.


Nokia revives N80 3G smart phone for VoIP

Internet Edition, anyone? Nokia will next month ship a revised version of its N80 smart phone, the mobile phone giant said today. Dubbed the N80 Internet Edition, the upcoming 3G handset appears to be little more than a software upgrade over the current 'non-Internet' version.â¦


"No Country For Old Men" positioned for Oscar

The gritty crime drama "No Country For Old Men" became the front-runner for Oscar glory on Sunday after winning top prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on a night of traditional Hollywood glamour and emotion over the sudden death of Heath Ledger.


Princess Kasune Zulu is infected with HIV and has lost both her parents to Aids. She works and campaigns for people infected with HIV/Aids in Africa through the aid and development agency World Vision.


Hewitt rallies to beat Moya at ATP Masters

Lleyton Hewitt knows how it feels to be No 1 in the world. Anything less is no big deal to him. Australia's Hewitt rallied to beat Carlos Moya of Spain, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4, in a first-round


Jurors in the trial of the men accused of the attempted London bombings will resume their deliberations.


BAR boss departs as Honda prepare to pass rivals

JENSON BUTTON might have lost the battle, but last night he appeared to have won the war as David Richards, his boss at BAR Honda, was shown the door.


Poetic "Fugitive Pieces" opens Toronto film festival

The Toronto International Film Festival opened on Thursday with drama "Fugitive Pieces" telling a poetic tale that asks audiences to find hope even when faced with atrocities of war.


TV Review | 'Out of Jimmyâs Head': Whatâs in a Seventh Graderâs Head?

This is really just another show about a seventh grader trying to fit in. Itâs also a show with a sly sense of humor when itâs not being self-consciously frenetic.


Channel 4 is to investigate claims of misleading viewers in adventure series Born Survivor, starring Bear Grylls.


Swiss Voters Approve Stem Cell Research, Not Cloning

Swiss voters have overwhelmingly approved limited stem cell research using human embryos, but ruled out cloning. Two-thirds of Swiss voters participating in a referendum Sunday affirmed a law passed by the Swiss parliament last year.


Physical evidence, including DNA from blood and fingerprints, will link a convicted sex offender to the abduction and murder of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford, a prosecutor told jurors Thursday as the man's trial opened.


ONGC acquires West Australian co, signs MOU with Karnataka

Bangalore: The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) acquired a Canadian off-shore oilfield in West Australia yesterday, its Chairman and Managing Director, Mr Subir Raha, announced today.


Don DeLillo: It's uncanny now to look back at the dust jacket for Don DeLillo's novel, "Underworld," written four years before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. The Twin Towers rise up into the mist, with a church silhouetted in the foreground. A bird, now looking unmistakably like an airplane, seems to target the tower on the right.


A 23-year-old Hingham man turned himself in to police yesterday after they obtained a warrant for his arrest in connection with their investigation of the beatings of four Boston University athletes last weekend.


Boston Scientific Corp. said Monday that it received Food and Drug Administration clearance to market a device designed to lower the risk of heart attacks during angioplasty and stenting procedures.


UN warns of biofuels' environmental risk

The world's rush to embrace biofuels is causing a spike in the price of corn and other crops and could worsen water shortages and force poor communities off their land, a U.N. official said Wednesday.


Bush says Kerry 'wrong man' for White House

United States President George W Bush has said Senator John Kerry lacked the conviction to lead and was "the wrong man for the wrong job at the wrong time," mocking his Democratic rival's criticism of the Iraq war.


SAP releases new version of Business One

German business software vendor SAP AG released a new version of its SAP Business One software with several functions designed for small and medium-size manufacturers.


Bangalore: Australians are going strong at the end of the third day of the first Test against India in Bangalore as they have already taken a huge lead of 355 runs.


Police smashed a global Internet pedophile ring, rescuing 31 children and rounding up more than 700 suspects worldwide, British authorities said Monday.Some 200 suspects are based in the United Kingdom, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection center said. The ring was traced to an Internet chat room called 'Kids the Light of Our Lives' that featured images of children being subjected to horrific sexual abuse. Read more


Judge in steroids distribution case refuses to drop charges

SAN FRANCISCO A federal judge presiding over a steroids distribution case is refusing to toss it out. But the judge in San Francisco ruled three defendants can try to convince her that statements made to investigators


Arsenal's Jens Lehmann criticises boss Arsene Wenger for claiming the keeper might quit Highbury.


Marrakesh snake charmers' spell fails to work on activists

The men working in Marrakesh's Djemma el Fna square may be able to charm the snakes and tourists, but their magic fails to work with the animal rights activists pushing to have the practice banned as cruel.


Mexican tycoon to give away part of fortune

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim,   the world's third-richest man, will give away a chunk of his   fortune by matching donations to health, education and social   programs in Mexico, a close aide said on Wednesday.


It's not like Kanye West needed an ego boost, but here it comes: Sales figures confirm his "Graduation" album outsold 50 Cent's "Curtis" in the much-hyped rap sales showdown with nearly 1 million copies sold the first week, the best debut of the year for the struggling music industry.


Iraq Group Says Kills Two Italian Women Hostages

An Islamist group in Iraq said it had killed two female Italian hostages in a statement posted on an Internet site, but the women's employers in Italy said on Thursday they had not given up hope.


The University of New Hampshire was expected to beat Providence in the first game of their Hockey East best-of-three quarterfinal series last night. The tournament's top-seeded team and the fourth-ranked team in the country, the Wildcats won the regular-season conference title and almost everyone expected them to dispatch eighth-seeded Providence almost just by taking the ice.


IBM and chums kick off 'green' patents project

Share and share alike to save the planet A number of big name tech firms including IBM, Sony and Nokia have joined forces to work on a patent-sharing plan, dubbed Eco-Patents Commons.â¦


9 Firefighters Killed in South Carolina Blaze

A furniture-store building collapsed last night, in the deadliest blaze for firefighters in Charlestonâs history.


Former Shell chairman calls for gas guzzler ban

The former chairman of Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell has called on the European Union to ban gas-guzzling cars, saying they are unnecessary, the BBC reported Monday.


Hewitt Safely Through to Sydney Semifinals

Australia's Lleyton Hewitt kept his cool  on a blistering hot summer's day to reach the semi-finals of  the Sydney International Thursday while his main rivals all  melted.


Science of Smell Wins Nobel for Two Americans

U.S. scientists Richard Axel and  Linda Buck won the 2004 Nobel prize for medicine or physiology  on Monday for work on genes that control the sense of smell --  explaining how we recall months later the scent of a lilac.


Jordan's King Hosts Israeli PM for Talks

AMMAN, Jordan, Dec. 19 -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made a surprise visit to Jordan Tuesday for talks with King Abdullah II on ways to revive Mideast peacemaking, as renewed fighting among Palestinian factions in Gaza claimed at least three lives.


Sharp and Sony Ericsson work together on 3G handsets

Sharp and the Japanese division of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications will jointly develop mobile phone handsets based on the Symbian operating system (for NTT DoCoMo's third-generation (3G) Foma service in Japan and software for Foma phones.


In lettera annuncia indisponibilita' correre come sindaco Roma


Britney Spears must undergo drug testing: custody judge

A judge has ordered Britney Spears to undergo random drug testing in the latest twist to the fallen pop singer's bitter custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline, court documents showed Tuesday.


Eriksson recalls Butt and Smith to England line-up

Newcastle midfielder Nicky Butt and Manchester United striker Alan Smith have both been handed international recalls for England's friendly against Ukraine here on Wednesday.


World Health Organization warns death toll from Asia disaster ...

GENEVA A World Health Organization official warns the massive loss of life from the South Asia quake may just be the beginning. The group's chief of crisis operations (David Nabarro) says the death toll could


Guardian launches Web 2.0 fix for Africa's problems

15 million readers, one Ugandan village. That'll work... The newspaper editor described (by his own newspaper, at least) as being "at the forefront of the digital revolution" has launched a three year programme that will connect "the ideas, goodwill, resources and expert knowledge of 15 million readers around the world" and focus them on lifting an African village "out of the Middle Ages." Over the next three years, Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger wrote in Saturday's edition, the village of Katine in Northern Uganda will be mapped and recorded by teams of Graun hacks observing progress in this "catalyst for change."â¦


Novelist Phyllis A. Whitney, whose romantic suspense tales sold millions of copies and earned her top accolades from the Mystery Writers of America, has died. She was 104.


Dryad's new user interface aims to make it easier for novices to create realistic objects for virtual worlds.


If strength in depth is the key to a title winning triumph, then Manchester United look to have all the aces in their pack, yet all is not well at what may soon be Glazer's Kingdom.


Oggi gli interrogatori di Gualtieri e Bresciani


More than 100,000 people, including children as young as 10, will be asked to provide saliva tests and DNA samples in a new annual survey of the lives, behaviour and beliefs of people in the United Kingdom


No pressure from Pak, say Kashmiri separatists:

[India News]: New Delhi, Nov.8 : Kashmiri separatist leaders have said that they are not under any pressure from Pakistan to be included as a third party in talks with the Centre.


S.Korea's first woman president hopeful joins race

The daughter of South Korea's assassinated president Park Chung-hee on Monday launched a bid to be the country's first woman leader in a race dominated by her main challenger for the opposition conservative's nomination.


Tine Warner kills off its tech-friendly business magazine.


Israel unveils settlement plans on peace talks eve

Israel unveiled plans on Sunday to build hundreds of new homes on occupied land near Jerusalem next year, drawing protests from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the eve of renewed peace talks.


Children at risk on networking Web sites: report

Children using hugely popular social   networking Web sites such as MySpace.com and Bebo.com face   bullying, unsuitable advertising and pornography, a report by a   UK consumer watchdog magazine said on Thursday.


Kimono-Makers Now Employ Computer Graphics

For centuries, Japan's kimono-makers have relied on stencils, paintbrushes and hours of labor to turn out their elaborate and graceful creations. Kimono designer Yuko Iwakuma uses some more up-to-date tools: a computer and an ink-jet printer.


Consumer Goods Companies Set to Reassure

Three U.S. consumer products makers will give a peek into their strategies this week and while the sector has been plagued by rising costs and stiff competition, analysts are optimistic about their prospects.


Unions urge PM to step in to Hardie dispute

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has called for Prime Minister John Howard to ensure James Hardie fairly compensates asbestos victims.


Onu: Frattini incontrera' Kofi Annan il 24 settembre

ROMA - Il ministro degli Esteri, Franco Frattini, avra' un incontro venerdi' 24 settembre a New York con il segretario generale delle Nazioni Unite, Kofi Annan. L'incontro avvera' a margine dei lavori di apertura


North Korea says to do nuclear test in future: KCNA

North Korea said on Tuesday it would conduct a nuclear test in the future but would never use atomic weapons first and remained committed to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, Pyongyang's KCNA news agency reported.


U.N. Troops Storm Aristide Estate in Haiti

Brazilian peacekeepers forced their way into a compound seized by former soldiers who ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and said they had reached an agreement for the rebels to leave the premises unarmed.


Sepang, 11:25 - MOTO, GP MALESIA; ROSSI: SPERO IN GARA ASCIUTTA

Dopo la pole, Valentino Rossi confida in un Gp di Malesia asciutto: ''Finalmente siamo riusciti a mi...


Iowa State ready to face foes from North Division

After getting knocked around by a pair of South Division teams in its first two Big 12 football games, Iowa State welcomes a little Northern exposure this week.


Sterling falls against dollar after weak inflation figures

The pound slipped against the dollar after weak inflation figures fuelled expectations that the Bank of England will cut interest rates in the coming months, dealers said Tuesday.


Computerworld Research Paper: MIPS Management at Mainframe Organizations

(Source: Computerworld)  As the cost of IT continues to escalate, Computerworld and Compuware conducted a brief survey to better understand MIPS management within mainframe organizations today and their future direction. The results of this survey were recently compiled into a white paper which is now available for you to access.


BOSTON (CBS.MW) - Shares of Merck and rivals Pfizer and Novartis all closed higher Friday, the day after Merck announced that it was abruptly pulling its hugely popular anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx from the market due to safety concerns.


SUZUKA (Japan) - First football's English Premiership, then women's tennis. Now, the Russians are set to make their mark in Formula One.


Respect in a Box: Giving John Ford the Major American Artist Treatment

âFord at Foxâ is a gargantuan boxed set that assembles 24 of the 50-some films John Ford made for the studio that was his most consistent home.


European stocks down sharply as Fed 'feel-good' rally falters

European stock markets fell deeper into negative territory Wednesday after the European Central Bank indicated it would not follow the US Federal Reserve and slash interest rates in the near term.


Insurgents ambush Iraqi police, killing 29

At least 29 people were killed and 18 were wounded on Wednesday, after insurgents lured Iraqi police to a house in Baghdad and set off explosives.


Dogs can be trained to detect bladder cancer by 'smelling' urine, concludes new research published in this week's BMJ (British Medical Journal).


Satellites orbit "Departed," "Dreamgirls"

LOS ANGELES  - "The Departed" and "Dreamgirls" were named best drama and best comedy/musical at the 11th annual Satellite Awards, which were announced Sunday by the International Press Academy, a breakaway group from the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.


Kansas City Royals Team Report - August 30

(Sports Network) - The Kansas City Royals try to get back on the winning track this evening when they start a three-game series with the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium.


Houston's Alejandro Moreno apparent goal on a header in the final seconds of stoppage time was wiped out by an offside call, leaving Dynamo and Chivas USA in a scoreless tie Sunday night.


Seven times Tour de France cycling champion Lance Armstrong has entered the Boston Marathon on April 21, organizers said on Thursday.


George W. Bush likes to put up a show of administration unity for the world but his presidency has been marked by divisions on issues ranging from Iraq, to the US economy and the global environment.


Stars turn out in London's Leicester Square or the film version of the hit musical The Phantom of the Opera.


A top lawyer given special clearance to represent terror suspects in court has resigned in protest at the government's anti-terror laws.


MIlano-Torino, vince Serrano In ombra Damiano Cunego

TORINO, 13 OTTOBRE 2004 - La Milano-Torino Ã¨ la corsa italiana piÃ¹ antica. Ricca di fascino con quel colle di Superga da scalare proprio sul finire della gara. Un colle che fa seslezione e che, solitamente, vede uscire il vincitore.


Ronald Ramon and Keith Benjamin each scored 18 points Monday night as the 15th-ranked Panthers surprised No. 5 Georgetown, 69-60.


LONDON - The government was accused Saturday of "clearly misleading" the British public over plans for postwar Iraq after a newspaper reported that Prime Minister Tony Blair was warned a year before the invasion that postwar stability would be difficult.


Usher tops poll at American Music Awards

R&B artist Usher dominated the American Music Awards yesterday, scooping the awards in all of the four categories in which he was nominated.


Iraq leaders failing key goals: White House

A day after President George W. Bush cited enough progress in Iraq to justify U.S. troop reductions, the White House told Congress on Friday that Iraqi leaders had failed to meet half of their key goals.


LOS ANGELES  - Two weeks before her  next film was set to begin production, Sandra Bullock has  dropped out of the project -- at least for the moment.


Starbucks Drops T-Mobile Hotspots, Brings in AT&T WiFi

On Monday, Starbucks announced that it will be dropping T-Mobile as its exclusive WiFi provider and instead going with AT&T.


Direct-mail DVD club Film Movement, which offers its subscribers one independent film each month, is taking to the skies this month.


MIAMI - A nurse's aide who quit her job to take a cruise hit the jackpot.  Carol Baird won a $321,694 slot machine jackpot aboard a Carnival Cruise Lines ship off the U.S. Virgin Islands early Wednesday.


Anglican head calls for humility in gay clergy row

The spiritual leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans reminded his bishops of the need for humility on Sunday in a veiled rebuke to those whose wrangling over gay clergy threatens to tear the church apart.


First sign of malicious code exploiting Windows Jpeg security flaw

The first malicious codes to exploit security flaws in Microsoft Windows' handling of jpeg image files has appeared on internet newsgroups.


Church leaders in El Salvador call for the 1980 murder case of Archbishop Romero to be re-opened.


Ericsson bids for Norway's Tandberg Television

Ericsson, the world's leading supplier of mobile telecommunication networks, bid on Monday for Norway's Tandberg Television to beef up its service to operators who want to broadcast television via the Internet.


Verizon Wireless will expand its fastest wireless data service to New York City and 13 other markets Monday, but Boston will probably have to wait until winter.


Wyoming Republicans choose 12 delegates Saturday to the GOP national convention in September, an attempt to have a brief moment in the political spotlight by weighing in early in the selection of a presidential nominee.


Group says heart and stroke deaths fall in U.S.

Death rates from heart disease and stroke are falling in the United States but heart and artery disease remains the leading cause of death, the American Heart Association said on Monday.


Lo ha detto il legale dell'ex funzionario del Side


Gas serra, l'Italia sceglie Bush "Dopo Kyoto niente vincoli"

BUENOS AIRES - Sul clima l'Italia si sgancia da Bruxelles e si avvicina a Washington. L'annuncio Ã¨ stato dato ieri dal ministro dell'Ambiente Altero Matteoli appena arrivato a Buenos Aires: "La prima fase del protocollo di Kyoto si chiude nel 2012.


NEW YORK  - Three days after the controversial finale of "The Sopranos," the two creators of "Lost" on Wednesday promised that their hit ABC drama would not conclude in similarly murky fashion.


French bank Societe Generale faced tough questions on Friday over how it failed to spot the biggest dealing scandal in history in which a lone trader triggered a $7 billion loss under the noses of top executives.


The senior negotiator for the Tamil Tigers, Anton Balasingham, has died of cancer in London, the BBC  learns.


Moscow Denies Stalling Oil-For-Food Probe

Russia denied Friday it was withholding information from a panel investigating alleged corruption in the multibillion-dollar U.N. oil-for-food program in Iraq.


Democrats may cross over in Tenn. primary

It's possible that some Democratic voters could cross party lines and vote for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Corker in the primary Aug. 3.


President Bush signs new corporate tax-cut bill

US President George W. President Bush signed on Friday a new corporate tax bill which will shower 136 billion dollars on US businesses, farmers and other groups in coming years.


The government failed to ensure that recipients of terrorism-recovery loans were actually hurt by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, allowing banks to spread more than $3.7 billion in aid to whomever they wanted, Senate investigators concluded Wednesday.


Accra, 20:07 - CALCIO: 1-0 AL CAMERUN, EGITTO VINCE LA COPPA D'AFRICA

L'Egitto ha vinto per la seconda volta consecutiva, sesta nella sua storia, la Coppa d'Africa. In fi...


We should not be blase about new evidence suggesting John Howard lied, writes Michelle Grattan. A line running about the latest incarnation of the "children overboard affair" is: will the punters care? The argument is that we've probed the entrails of ...


RNC - Stock options top tech lobbying list at convention

NEW YORK - While the prime-time speeches at Madison Square Garden occupy center stage at this week's Republican National Convention, much of the event's real politicking is taking place at hundreds of private receptions scattered throughout Manhattan. At two tech-focused gatherings Wednesday, industry companies, lobbying groups and politicians came together to network and consider the IT industry's legislative agenda.


The fight for search market share has moved from the Web page to the computer desktop, as search engines look to build loyalty in their user bases.


John Burdett, a 56-year-old former lawyer turned novelist, has spent the past seven years chatting up hundreds of bar girls as inspiration for his trilogy, soon to be a quartet, of detective thrillers set in Bangkokâs netherworld.


A pair of top executives in charge of the networks division at mobile phone giant Nokia Corp. are leaving the company for personal reasons, the Finnish company said Friday.


A Designer's Incredible Rise and Inevitable Fall

The cautionary tale that is the career of Miguel Adrover completed its arc in just a handful of seasons.


By Rick Weiss, Washington Post Staff Writer  Scientists, scholars and others planning to use their Macintosh computers to submit grant proposals to the federal government in the months ahead should be prepared for a rocky, or at least error-message-littered, road ahead.


The state's Animal Health Commissioner, George Teagarden, says the inconclusive test for Mad Cow Disease didn't come from Kansas.


Supply doesn't come close to meeting demand in North America, tensions high.


Water And Methane Find Points To Life On Mars?

The European Space Agency's probe, Mars Express, may have found new evidence that points to the possibility of present life on Mars.


Hanoi trots out Cold War-style denunciations to convince citizens that  one-party rule is the only way forward


Whether your brothers or sisters had early heart disease is the best predictor of your own heart health, US research suggests. Sibling history predicted heart disease risk better than parental history or traditional


Confalonieri, 'se alleanza arriva sara' grande competitor'


7M pounds of trash pulled from waterways

Smokers are littering shorelines and waterways worldwide with millions of cigarettes, and their filters topped the list of trash items culled during last year's annual international coastal cleanup, according to a new report.


Age and Eating Habits Catch Up With President Clinton

Bill Clinton is a man close to 60, with a little pudge and a longtime love of junk food. That fits the stereotype for heart disease. Needing bypass surgery, however, suggests that the former president's disease is relatively extensive, and that's surprising for an active dignitary who presumably has top-notch and timely physical checkups.


Kenya police disperse protesters for third day

Kenyan police killed a protester in the port of Mombasa, the opposition said, and a man died in ethnic violence in the southwest on Friday, the third day of demonstrations against President Mwai Kibaki's re-election.


Hurricane Charley Deaths Rise to 20 in Florida

PUNTA GORDA, Fla.  - The death toll from Hurricane  Charley's destructive rampage in Florida has risen to 20, and  more than 439,000 remain without power in the state, government  officials said on Wednesday.


US carrier battle group to arrive in Aceh on Friday

: A US carrier battle group steamed toward Indonesia's Sumatra island Friday to spearhead an unprecedented multinational military effort to assist the survivors of last weekend's quake and tsunamis.


Did the Justice Department dismiss eight prosecutors for cause? Or was it a political purge? The Democrats in Congress want to find out


An independent Kosovo can never join U.N.: Russia

Russia on Wednesday backed its  ally Serbia, saying Kosovo will never become a member of the  United Nations or other international organizations if the  breakaway province unilaterally declares independence.


The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas is accusing Israel of responsibility for the bombing attack on one of its members in the Syrian capital Damascus.


Northern Ireland's politicians prepare for a second day of talks aimed at restoring devolved government.


News: The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired 39-year old Catcher Benito Santiago from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for minor league pitcher Leo Nunez.


Police continue their hunt for murder suspect Terry Rodgers, who is sought over his daughter's death.


Ray Lewis joins the entire team at Ravens headquarters for the unofficial start of the 2007 season, feeling rejuvenated and appearing as fit and lean as he has in recent seasons.


President Bush Wednesday praised Congress for passing a massive intelligence reform bill after weeks of infighting to better protect the American people.


Troops and helicopters gunships are deployed in Port Harcout, Nigeria, in a move against powerful gangs.


Update 1: American Greetings 3Q Profit Rises

American Greetings Corp., the nation's second-largest greeting card maker, said Thursday that third-quarter profit rose sharply year-over-year, primarily due to a hefty gain on the sale of the company's Magnivision eyewear unit.


Man arrested in eBay sale of historic documents

A New York state employee who had  access to government-owned archives has been arrested on  suspicion of stealing hundreds of historic documents, many of  which he sold on eBay, authorities said on Monday.


Officials were today still trying to identify the body of a western woman found in Fallujah as US marines continued attacking insurgents in the city.


BAGHDAD: US-led forces swept hotspots in the "triangle of death" yesterday in a push to reclaim rebel enclaves ahead of January polls.


Subprime hits auto sector as financing tightens

Fallout from a crisis in the U.S. subprime mortgage market rattled the auto sector on Tuesday after the debt package for a General Motors asset sale was postponed and borrowing costs on automakers' debt surged.


Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus is narrowly re-elected in a process marred by threats, bribery and corruption.


While some "American Idol" contestants might fear Simon Cowell's biting criticism, Bucky Covington says he's grateful for it.


Toshiba to Close Osaka Refrigerator Plant

By Kyodo News International, Tokyo  Feb. 16--TOKYO -- Toshiba Corp. said Friday it will close its  refrigerator plant in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture, in March 2008 as part of  efforts to improve the competitiveness of its household electrical products.


Florida Distributor to Stop Dealing Flu Vaccine

A Florida drug distributor accused of price gouging has agreed to stop buying and selling flu vaccines and will hand over its remaining inventory, totaling about 50 doses, the attorney general said on Wednesday.


Barack Obama, who criticized big spending by outside groups that boosted his rivals in Iowa and New Hampshire, is getting some help of his own these days as the campaign moves on to delegate-rich Feb. 5 contests.


WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a case focusing on whether peer-to-peer (P-to-P) software vendors should be penalized for unauthorized file trading when their software is used.ADVERTISEMENTSolaris 10(TM) OS: Position your business ten moves ahead.Solaris 10 OS has arrived and provides even more reasons for the world's most demanding businesses to operate on this, the leading UNIX platform. Like the fact you can run Linux and Solaris applications side-by-side and run the same OS on SPARC(R), AMD Opteron(TM), and Intel processor-based systems. Discover more reasons and how Solaris 10 OS can move your business ahead today.


'Suspicious looking' man hauled off translatlantic flight

'Middle Eastern' passenger provokes American Airlines divert An American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to London this morning made an unscheduled stop at New York's John F Kennedy International Airport after a member of the flight crew "alerted security on the ground that there may be a suspicious person on board, and the decision was made to divert the flight", Flight International reports.â¦


U.S. Calls for Reform Clash with Arab Demands

U.S. calls for reform in the Middle East  clashed with Arab demands to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict on  Saturday as Washington insisted that economic and political  modernisation is needed to fight terrorism.


In 2020, 1 in 7 People in U.S. May Be Foreign-Born

The proportion of immigrants in the U.S. will surpass the peak reached more than a century ago, a study concludes.


Gilead to acquire Myogen for $2.5 billion

Gilead Sciences Inc.  said on Monday it will acquire Myogen Inc.  for $2.5 billion, gaining control of Myogen's experimental heart medicines.


Three Germans, one US executive of Infineon face jail over price-fixing

Three German and one American executives of microchip giant Infineon Technologies face jail terms and fines under plea agreements to settle a US probe into price-fixing, the Justice Department said.


Mariane Pearl sues al Qaeda over husband's killing

The widow of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against al Qaeda, other radical groups and Pakistan-based Habib Bank Ltd over the 2002 abduction, torture and murder of her husband.


Champion jockey Kieren Fallon and colleagues Fergal Lynch and Darren Williams are due back in action after their arrests over allegations of race-fixing.


Everything has changed, starting with that most basic of concepts: nationality. Sixty years ago, the town of Sagan was located deep in Germany.


L'espresso: mangiare bio non sempre fa miracoli

I prodotti biologici sono pieni di grassi e additivi, zuccheri e sali. Spesso sono meno salutari di quelli industriali. Ecco le prove


A court convicts an ex-priest of raping a boy in the 1980s in a scandal which has shaken the Church in Boston.


NATO, Russia to Boost Anti-Terror Cooperation

NATO and Russia Tuesday agreed to  boost cooperation in the fight against terrorism after a spate  of attacks on Russian soil including the Beslan school siege  that ended with at least 335 deaths.


Rivalry Blamed in Philippine Communist Leader's Death

A leader of a Philippine communist breakaway group has been killed, in what may be rivalry among former comrades. The shooting is the latest in a series of assassinations of Communist Party defectors.


The winner of the first one-on-one debate between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama? The Democratic Party.


Energy firm Scottish and Southern says domestic gas and electricity bills will rise in January 2007.


U.S. says 2 captured over Iraq soldier abductions

U.S. forces said on Thursday they had killed more than 23 Sunni and Shi'ite fighters in two operations in Iraq and captured two al Qaeda-linked militants suspected of links to the abduction of three U.S. soldiers.


With the decline of hunting habitat and access to coastal stretches, hunting on public lands has become a common necessity for most gunners, especially those who cannot afford private hunting clubs.


MANCHESTER, N.H.  - A group of citizens in the  swing state of New Hampshire, including Democrats, Republicans  and one undecided voter, gave a slight edge to Democrat John  Kerry in Thursday's first presidential debate.


In the snow sports industry, progress doesn't just trump aesthetics. It usually obliterates everything in its path.


A sharp rise in poaching is placing some rhino populations at risk of extinction, a report says.


ArrivÃ² da Cuba, con breve sosta all'Actor's studio, per far ridere gli italiani con pellicole come 'Delitto al Blue Gay' o 'Il cinico, l'infame, il violento'. Roma 6 ottobre 2004 - Da Cuba all'Actor's Studio


HIV now a bigger threat to women than men

The Aids pandemic rampaging around the globe will not be stopped without radical social change to improve the lot of women and girls, who now look likely to die in greater numbers than men, United Nations agencies said yesterday.


Rwandan rebels attacked villagers in neighboring eastern Congo with machetes, spears and hammers on Sunday, killing 17, wounding 28 and taking up to a dozen hostages, a local rights worker said, citing survivors' accounts.


Vitamin D halves pancreatic cancer risk: study

People who take vitamin D tablets  are half as likely to get deadly pancreatic cancer as people  who do not, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.


Russia no longer murders spies, says KGB veteran

The head of an organization of former  Russian spies was quoted as saying on Thursday Moscow abandoned  its policy of assassinating enemies long ago, and that  Alexander Litvinenko was probably murdered by criminals.


Yahoo Buys Zimbra, Maker of Software Services

The acquisition supplies Web-hosted collaboration and communication suites and broadens Yahoo's markets.


Mubarak and Arafat discuss Israeli pullout plan

Cairo: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak held telephone talks with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat about Israel's plan to pull troops and the 8,000 Jewish settlers out of the Gaza Strip next year, the Egyptian news agency Mena said.


North Korea says missile test part of normal drills

KAESONG, North Korea  - A North Korean official said on Friday its latest missile launch was part of "normal" military exercises and should not be seen as a threat, while a South Korean ministry reportedly said there could be more tests soon.


Zoellick warns Venezuela is heading for trouble

Robert Zoellick, almost certain to be the next head of the World Bank, on Saturday took aim at Venezuela's leftist president, Hugo Chavez, warning that his oil-fueled socialist revolution was headed for trouble.


THREE staff working at an Iraqi election office were gunned down in a known trouble spot in central Baghdad today, a spokesman for the body organising next month's landmark polls said.


Per l'opa congiunta con Acciona per acquisto Endesa


Tennis: Spain grinds US into the red clay

SEVILLE, Spain It was not quite what Carlos Moya missed the first time. The setting was not his country's tennis capital and former home city of Barcelona but the capital of the Spanish region of Andalusia.


Rockefeller Center tree lights up season

In one of the most recognizable kickoffs of the holiday season, the famously festooned Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York City will be lit Wednesday evening. Al Roker and Ann Curry of NBC's "Today" show will host the ceremony in a one-hour broadcast that starts at 8 p.m.


John Lennon, Courtney Love, The Portland Museum of Art

A US judge has ordered the FBI to turn over files on John Lennon to a California professor who says the documents show that Britain's domestic spy agency shadowed the late Beatle's political activities.


With increasing signs that bird flu is becoming established in Asia and a shortage of flu vaccine in America, health officials from several nations and more than a dozen


President Bush gave Turkey's bid to join the European Union a glowing endorsement on Tuesday and called the Islamic nation a "constructive bridge" between the West and the Muslim world, offering a much-needed boost to U.S.-Turkish relations.


La mossa legata all'intensificarsi della concorrenza


July new home sales and durables orders rise

Sales of new single-family U.S. homes unexpectedly rose in July and new orders for durable goods posted strong gains that underlined the economy's strength just before a credit crisis socked financial markets.


MOSCOW (CP) - Russia mourned 89 victims of a double air disaster today as debate intensified over whether the two passenger liners could have plunged almost simultaneously from the sky by accident.


Never-quit Sabres top Canadiens in shootout

Maxim Afinogenov forced overtime with 15 seconds left in regulation and then scored in a shootout, rallying the Sabres to a 5-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens last night in Buffalo.


New Democratic Mass. governor reels after blunders

Deval Patrick rode a populist wave to become Massachusetts' first Democratic governor in 16 years and the second African American elected governor in U.S. history.


Experts say issue of click fraud not improving

Companies like Google and Yahoo that control major online advertising networks have not met their pledge to aggressively ferret-out click fraud among their affiliate partners, driving growth of the problem across the entire Web industry, according to new research estimates.Click Forensics -- an independent click fraud monitoring and reporting service that markets itself as an online version of the TV industry's Nielsen ratings system -- released its latest statistics tracking Internet advertising trends on Friday, and the group reported that the issue of fraudulent ad traffic continues thrive on the Web.According to the company, roughly 16.2 percent of all online ad clicks were derived via click fraud during the third quarter of 2007 compared to a rate of 13.8 percent for the same period during 2006 and up from 15.8 percent of all traffic during the second quarter of this year.Even more concerning, Click Forensics leaders said, is the report's finding that the average rate of click fraud -- most often carried out by software programs designed to mimic legitimate traffic -- continues to rise on major search engine networks, including Google's AdSense and the Yahoo Publisher Network.Fraudulent traffic accounted for 28.1 percent of all ad hits on such networks during the third quarter of 2007 compared to 25.6 percent for the second quarter of this year and 21.9 percent for the first three months of the calendar, Click Forensics contends.The research company also reported that more than 60 percent of all ad traffic coming from so-called parked domains -- typically used solely to funnel traffic to advertisers -- was observed as being fraudulent during the third quarter of 2007.Tom Cuthbert, chief executive of Click Forensics, said that as a result of the negative impact that click fraud is having on Web advertising as a whole -- in that it undermines the legitimacy of all Internet ad traffic -- both publishers and advertisers are feeling a pinch.Ad publishers are seeing a diminishing of their network traffic quality, said Cuthbert, while advertisers are seeing their conversion rates "drop significantly" on content networks and are pulling back some of their spending as a result, he said."The issue of click fraud on these major networks is becoming a real problem for advertisers, and increasingly, they are choosing to stay away and look into other alternatives," Cuthbert said. "The big guys are not doing a better job of policing themselves; both Google and Yahoo have tools for advertisers to opt-out of suspected click fraud sites, but the vast majority of advertisers are not doing so, and the tools are too hard to use."Cuthbert said that the major network providers have promised to cooperate with efforts to drive down automated ad clicks and other forms of fraud but have not followed through on their promises."We've asked the search engines to work with us to improve the situation, and they've said yes, but here we are 18 months later, and we've seen no movement in that area, which is frustrating for us and for advertisers as a whole," said Cuthbert. "So far, we've had a great process of discussion, but we're really hoping to see them act on those ideas."Ideally, Click Forensics -- which claims to derive its figures from statistics provided by 4,000 advertisers and agencies participating in its Click Fraud Network consortium -- would like to serve as an objective third party that is used as a clearinghouse for identifying online ad fraud, much as Nielsen provides rating figures for the TV industry.Without such an entity, the ad networks continue to hold most of the cards, leaving advertisers at a disadvantage, he said."There needs to be better communication and sharing of data. We have information about traffic that these guys don't have, such as conversion data and other things from the actual advertisers, that they're very skeptical to give to Google or Yahoo," said Cuthbert. "Ultimately, we believe that the first provider to embrace this third-party model we're proposing will have a significant advantage over its rivals."Google disputes Click Forensics' figures Yahoo representatives didn't immediately return calls seeking comment on the Click Forensics report, but Google officials countered that Click Forensics' estimates don't accurately represent the company's own click fraud statistics.While Click Forensics has its 4,000 partners, the search giant claims to view a far broader and detailed swath of ad traffic, giving it a more comprehensive perspective. Google has consistently questioned the legitimacy of Click Forensics' figures since the company began issuing its reports in 2006."These estimates have never reflected the invalid click rates we see at Google; Click Forensics has consistently been one of the highest estimates our there with numerous serious methodology problems, and, as such, we rarely get asked about them these day," said Shuman Ghosemajumder, business product manager for the Trust & Safety group at Google.Ghosemajumder said that Google offers "significantly more transparency" into its click fraud efforts and provides more traffic quality tools for advertisers than any of its rivals."We plan to do even more in the future," he said.Among the measures that Google has employed to help advertisers thwart click fraud were the launch of new IP exclusion and Placement Performance Reports in June, tools that Ghosemajumder labeled as unique features in the industry.The IP exclusion tool is meant to allow advertisers to specify IP addresses they want to avoid with their ads and builds on the site exclusion feature the company introduced in 2005, which allows advertisers to prohibit specific URLs from showing their content.The Placement Performance Reports are designed to give advertisers the ability to view which sites are performing the best among those displaying their content, which specifically arms the companies with the opportunity to use the site exclusion and site targeting tools drive out any apparent fraud, Google said.In August, the search giant also launched an Ad Traffic Quality Resource Center, which is meant to offer a single place where advertisers can access all of Google's click fraud resources.Some smaller search providers believe that they can begin winning advertisers' business away from their larger rivals by providing stronger methods of fighting click fraud.Daniel Yomtobian, chief executive of ABCSearch, said that his company has begun luring large, well-known advertisers like VeriSign away from other venues with a tool dubbed ClickShield, which promises to profile advertising affiliate behavior to give its customers better insight into just how their content is being distributed.Yomtobian points out that Click Defense, an online marketing firm that offers independent click fraud detection services, recently charted his company's traffic as having less than 5 percent fraudulent ad hits."As an industry we can't burden the advertisers and can't burden the users, as ad networks we all need to do a better job and police affiliates to drive down fraud," he said. "A lot of our competitors talk about their technologies to fight this problem, but a lot of that work is merely basic click fraud-blocking; by going above and beyond, we feel that we can grow our business based on delivery of a lower rate of unwanted traffic."


Albertans Haul Out Snow Shovels, Ontarians Lather on the Sunscreen

By PHIL GODIN  TORONTO (CP) - As much of central Canada swelters in unseasonably hot weather, many Albertans are hauling out their winter boots and shovels to deal with a wet shroud of heavy snow.


Barring a miracle tomorrow Colin Montgomerie will now need a wild card to be part of Europe's bid to retain the Ryder Cup next month.


LOS ANGELES  - Dustin Hoffman is  reuniting with his "Finding Neverland" director Marc Forster in  "Stranger Than Fiction," which stars Will Ferrell.


Firenze, 15:13 - CALCIO, FIORENTINA; PRANDELLI: A CAGLIARI PER VINCERE

L'allenatore della Fiorentina, Cesare Prandelli, pensa positivamente al match di domani contro il Ca...


Top ministers from Pacific Rim discuss free trade area, terrorism

SANTIAGO, Chile Talks on free trade and global security are under way in Chile at the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.


The National Football League has determined that the Patriots violated league rules Sunday when they videotaped the New York Jets' coaches sending signals to players on the field during New England's 38-14 victory at Giants Stadium, ESPN and the NFL Network reported last night.


Hollywood star Lindsey Lohan is arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, months after spending time in rehab.