Blair Visits Baghdad Before Heading to Israel

British prime minister Tony Blair held talks Tuesday with Iraq's interim prime minister Ayad Allawi, during a surprise visit to Iraq that comes ahead of national elections and amid a fierce insurgency.


Why is Finland Europe's technology leader? The Prime Minister explains

The Scandanavian nation spends a lot in R&D, which has kept them buoyant. Next: Finland wants to move into clean tech.


Burundi backs neighbor Rwanda in France row

Burundi weighed into neighboring  Rwanda's row with France on Thursday, saying it backed Kigali's  decision to sever diplomatic ties with Paris.


Schilling says he likely won't be ready by Opening Day

Red Sox ace Curt Schilling said his right ankle isn't recovering from surgery as quickly as he expected and he doesn't think he'll be ready to pitch by Opening Day.


An autobiography in which the real hero is capitalism

Alan Greenspan chose the perfect moment to release his memoirs: the day before a high-stakes Federal Reserve policy meeting in the middle of a financial market crisis. Even the title of his book, The Age of Turbulence, looks uncannily - if not uncharacteristically - prescient.


Annan holds talks in Syria to bolster Lebanon truce

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan   began talks with Syrian officials on Thursday to seek Syria's   help in bolstering a truce between Israel and Lebanon's   Hizbollah.


Tom Cruise and Some Martians Take a Liking to Bayonne

The industrial New Jersey town has become a prime location for many films, including Steven Spielberg's latest, "The War of the Worlds."


Eight Philippine marines are killed, four of them beheaded, by Islamic rebels in the south, the army says.


Sportingbet Chairman Peter Dicks resigns

The chairman of British online gambling company Sportingbet PLC, who was arrested last week after New York customs officials discovered his name on a Louisiana warrant charging him with illegal online gambling, resigned on Thursday, the company said.


Iran has suspended uranium enrichment and all related activities, state-run radio reported Monday, honoring an agreement with Europe designed to head off possible U.N. sanctions.


Content discovery issues slow down mobile video takeup

One reason that mobile users don't access more content from a mobile phone, like video clips, is because finding content is cumbersome -- but that should change in the future with intelligent network services, said one expert speaking on a panel at the Consumer Electronics Show.Currently, smartphone users may not be accessing as much content or online services as they'd like because it's difficult to do so. "If to discover content you have to type in a URL, it's never going to happen," said Muzibul Khan, vice president of product management and engineering at Samsung Telecommunications America.He suggests that using voice commands is the best way to look for content from a mobile phone. "Voice is the most natural medium," he said.But Intrinsyc's CEO thinks that even voice command technology is rooted in the past. "We're talking about a paradigm for Web searching that was built for the PC," said Glenda Dorchak, who is also chairman of Intrinsyc.While there may be a transitional period in the near future when voice or other improved search techniques are used for content discovery on mobile handsets, ultimately a more intelligent system will prevail, she said. In the future, a context-aware, server-driven system will emerge, where the network will forward relevant and useful content to users. The type of content that users will get will depend on their location and other preferences that they've set.Key to that vision will be multiple radios in mobile devices working together. She imagines a time when a phone might have Wi-Fi, GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), GPS (Global Positioning System), Bluetooth, satellite and WiMax, each finding and delivering information to end-users, possibly simultaneously. The phones will be smart enough to pick the most appropriate network for delivering the content, she said.But running that many radios in a single device consumes power and requires sophisticated algorithms, so she suggests a few years will pass before it happens. However, the technology already exists to support part of that vision, such as converged cellular and Wi-Fi offerings that roam between the networks without dropping voice calls.In the meantime, operators and content providers are working to figure out exactly how to deliver video to users now. The Tivo generation wants to be able to choose what they want to watch and when, said Jeff Finkelstein, multimedia product manager for Palm. "They don't want to wait for the headline news to start on the hour," he said.However, companies building mobile broadcast TV networks around the world like DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld) would likely disagree.Easier sharing capabilities could boost mobile video use too. For about the past year and a half, statistics about how much video people watch online from their PCs haven't changed much, said Frank Barbieri, CEO of Transpera, a company that provides technology behind mobile video services. "Maybe in five years the phone could surpass the Web in terms of video snacking," he said.


As Arizona State University today dedicates the first of its Biodesign Institute buildings, Director George Poste is sounding a public health warning.


CalPERS faces suit seeking disclosure of VC management fees

SAN FRANCISCO A media-backed group has sued the California Public Employees' Retirement System today, hoping to force the pension fund to disclose how much it pays venture capitalists to manage its money.


Georgian, South Ossitian Forces Continue Fighting

Officials in Georgia say at least two soldiers have been killed and five wounded in the latest battles with separatist fighters in the breakaway region of South Ossetia.


GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands - Hurricane Ivan pummeled the Cayman Islands with floodwaters that swamped homes and fierce winds that ripped off roofs, then strengthened to an extremely dangerous Category 5 storm as it headed for western Cuba on Monday.    The hurricane, one of the strongest on record to hit the region, killed at least 65 people across the Caribbean before reaching the Caymans and threatens millions more people in its projected path...


Alex Zanardi's comeback ended early Sunday when his modified BMW-Sauber C24-B experienced mechanical difficulties.


Rain has forced the cancellation of   play in Friday's late session at the U.S. Open.


Warner approaches EMI again, Indies back tie-up

Warner Music Group  has approached Britain's EMI  about a possible bid despite uncertainty over whether it would win regulatory approval, in the latest twist in a seven-year tit-for-tat takeover battle.


Fernando Morientes has suggested that he'd be happy to make a January move to Liverpool if Rafael Benitez's side follow up on their reported interest.


U.S. chopper crash kills 8 in Afghanistan

Eight U.S. soldiers were killed and 14 injured when their helicopter crashed in a mountainous, snow-covered area of southern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said on Sunday.


U.S. military says kills 25 gunmen in Iraq

U.S. forces backed by aircraft killed an estimated 25 gunmen during a clash north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, the military said on Wednesday.


Roma, 13:48 - CALCIO, ROMA-CATANIA: FERITI TRE TIFOSI ETNEI

Tre tifosi del Catania sono stati feriti questa mattina nei pressi dello stadio Olimpico a poche ore...


Britney Spears' lawyer wants to seal all court papers in her custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline over their two small sons.


Microsoft: Now-dead Netscape shows antitrust decree worked

On the same day AOL announced plans to stop development on the Netscape Navigator browser, Microsoft cited the browser as evidence that the 2002 antitrust consent decree had served its purpose and didn't need to be extended.


Supporters of Republican John McCain on Tuesday assailed a mailer sent to state newspaper editors claiming he sold out fellow POWs to get better treatment while held prisoner in Vietnam.


New Study Criticizes Painkiller Marketing

Most patients who used Celebrex and Vioxx would have done as well on older, cheaper arthritis medications and would have avoided the potential heart and stroke risks of those blockbuster drugs, a new study says.


Another ranking, another loss for Saint Mary's.


Quirky comedy Sideways was named the best film of the year by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. The US movie also picked up four other accolades including best director for Alexander Payne and supporting actor for Thomas Haden Church.


Phil Spector Indicted in L.A. for Actress Murder

Legendary "Wall of Sound" record  producer Phil Spector was indicted on Monday on a charge that  he murdered actress Lana Clarkson, who was found shot to death  at his home 19 months ago.


Ads, Not Just Athletes, Were in Olympics Spotlight

During the 1,210 hours of Olympics coverage across the NBC Universal networks, audiences were exposed to 13,000 to 14,000 commercials.


Aussie tennis Open adopts anti-corruption measures

Australian Open organisers have introduced anti-corruption measures designed to prevent illegal gambling and match-fixing during next month's grand slam tournament.


Repairs begin to critical undersea data cables

Two of the four undersea cables that provide data to much of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia which were severed late last week are now undergoing repair.


Lycos Europe has recently joined the fight against spam by releasing a screensaver as part of its "Make Love Not Spam" campaign, which uses its participants machines to bombard websites that advertise through spam e-mails with data, effectively launching a distributed denial of service attack against them, with the intent being to push up bandwidth bills of the spammers who operate these websites.    Is this an effective new front in the battle against spam?


I Paesi colpiti: Â«Senza soldi per la tecnologia necessariaÂ»

La Thailandia riconosce l'errore. Oceano indiano senza difese, solo il Pacifico Ã¨ attrezzato contro gli tsunami. Un allarme câera stato. Lo aveva lanciato, appena 15 minuti dopo il terremoto che ha generato


Telefonica rejects 2 bln euro bid for TV show unit: rpt

LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Spanish telecom Telefonica (TEF) has rejected a bid of 2 billion euros for its Endemol television production company that produces the hit Big Brother show, The Times of London said Thursday, citing unnamed sources.


Update 2: Clear Channel Earnings Plummet 60 Percent

Clear Channel Communications Inc.'s third-quarter profit fell nearly 60 percent from the same period in 2003, which had been inflated by the nation's largest radio station operator's sale of its stake in a Spanish-language broadcasting network.


Genova, 19:55 - CALCIO, SAMPDORIA: MONTELLA E VOLPI OUT CONTRO L'INTER

E' un Mazzarri prudente quello che prepara la gara dela Sampdoria contro l'Inter. Montella e Volpi n...


Following the announcement by Facebook that it would make its platform available to other sites, the application-sharing environment for social networking is moving quickly and picking up steam.


Gli organizzatori della manifestazione hanno scelto di non far parlare i politicima i protagonisti di vicende altrimenti ignote. Il microfono a studenti, stranieri e cassa integrati                                          Sinistra day, oggi parlano gli "invisibili" Sul palco storie di lotte e di precari                                                                                Tra le favole di Ascanio Celestini e i concerti delle band musicali gli interventi di otto "sconosciuti" di CLAUDIA FUSANI


The ship pilot who was at the helm when a freighter spilled 58,000 gallons of fuel into San Francisco Bay in November suffers from a sleep disorder and was on prescription medication to ward off drowsiness, people close to the investigation told The Associated Press.


Kerry Tries to Counter Impact of Criticism

WASHINGTON - Attacks on John Kerry's war record may be beginning to have an impact, polls suggest, amid raised voices and new TV ads on a subject at least temporarily dominating debate in the close presidential race.    Democrats are laboring to deflect the questioning of Kerry's record with fresh ads touting his fitness for national command, even as the White House mocks the Massachusetts senator as "losing his cool" over claims he lied to win military medals in Vietnam...


Committee Investigates Ad Tactics for Lipitor

A Congressional committee investigating the Lipitor advertising campaign wants information about payments to people who might have served as stunt doubles for Dr. Robert Jarvik in televised ads.


Ostrava, 17:11 - TENNIS, COPPA DAVIS: REPUBBLICA CECA-BELGIO 1-0

La Repubblica Ceca conduce sul Belgio nella sfida valida per il primo turno di Coppa Davis. A Ostava...


Lawmakers push for gay marriage in Connecticut

HARTFORD, Connecticut  - Gay rights advocates in Connecticut said on Wednesday they would introduce legislation that aims to make the state the second in the United States to legalize same-sex marriage, but they face tough opposition.


Dispute over unpaid bills Smart Telecom suspended trading on the AIM on Tuesday in order to protect its falling share price after infrastructure owner Eircom disconnected around 45,000 of its customers.â¦


Men are naturally more comedic than women because of the male hormone testosterone, an expert claims.


Klein takes leave from Alberta election campaign to tend to ailing ...

EDMONTON (CP) - Ralph Klein has taken an indefinite leave from the campaign trail to be with his ailing mother, his campaign chair said Saturday.


Endurance running let us evolve to look the way we do - Humans evolved from ape-like ancestors because they needed to run long distances - perhaps to hunt animals or scavenge carcasses on Africa's vast savannah - and the ability to run shaped our anatomy


UPDATE 2-Temple-Inland Inc. says to cut 1,500 jobs

Temple-Inland Inc. (TIN.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , a maker of packaging and building materials, on Monday said it will lay off about 1,500 employees as it repositions its mortgage


Due autobombe esplose a Kirkuk, solo danni materiali


Most of the condos in the newly converted Plaza Hotel are empty, although nearly 100 apartments have been sold.


Ziff Davis - Opinion: The ongoing intellectual property fight between Furthermore and Miro shows the need to address possible IP conflicts before they become public or courtroom battles.


The Elderly Always Sleep Worse, and Other Myths of Aging

Poor sleep among the elderly, it turns out, is not because of aging itself, but mostly because of illnesses or the medications used to treat them.


Obama wins Wisconsin ... McCain inches closer to delegate goal ... Candidate wives' spar over remarks ... Candidates comment on Castro announcement ... ___


InfoWorld - Like the star on a Christmas tree, iPhone is perched atop all the top 10 gadget lists for 2007, and with good reason. Not only did iPhone revolutionize the way people think about their mobile phones -- as many writing those lists crow -- but in my case, it has changed the way I live.


We and our machines are about to go through a rocky transition as the machines get smarter and take over more tasks.


Survivors and rescuers battle the devastation left by sea surges that killed more than 20,000 on Asia's shores.


MODENA, Italy  - Legendary Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, whose unique, pristine voice and charisma brought opera to the masses, died of cancer on Thursday aged 71.


Fed seeks formula to reassure markets on higher rates

WASHINGTON : US Federal Reserve policymakers, widely expected to hike interest rates, struggled to find words to reassure financial markets that the economy is strong enough to withstand the higher rates.


Putin Says Link Probed Between Al Qaeda, Chechens

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday investigators were probing a possible link between al Qaeda and Chechen rebels widely believed to have downed two Russian passenger planes a week ago.


The trial of the first African leader to be prosecuted for international war crimes finally got under way yesterday when Charles Taylor, the former Liberian president, entered the dock at a special tribunal in The Hague after months of wrangling and boycotts


Modern medicine can keep people alive into their 9th and 10th decades, but a growing number of these people are asking why.


ASIO last night asked Spanish authorities to provide details of Australian phone numbers contacted by a group of seven alleged Islamic terrorists arrested across Spain on Monday.


The separatist Bloc Quebecois party agreed Friday to support a move recognizing French-speaking Quebec as a nation within Canada, the latest twist in a dispute that threatens to reopen the thorny issue of independence for the province.


SBC Communications Inc. has agreed to acquire AT&T Corp. in a $16 billion deal that would create the nation's largest communications company, the companies said early Monday.


VILLENEUVE RETURN ADDS SPICE TO CHINA DEBUT

Formula One breaks new ground this weekend with the first-ever Chinese Grand Prix - and there is plenty to talk about besides the state-of-the-art Shanghai International Circuit.


Howard Political Opponent Brash, Mercurial

When maverick young lawmaker Mark Latham took over the Australian Labor Party leadership last year, the choice was seen as a huge gamble.


Portugal to legalise abortion after referendum

Portugal's Prime Minister Jose Socrates has vowed to legalise abortion after voters backed the move in a referendum, even though turnout was not high enough to make it binding.Comment


âWalk Hard: The Dewey Cox Storyâ has a good beat and you can dance to it, though mostly youâll probably just tap your foot.


A resurgent Red Brigade group smashed by police earlier this week had links to organised crime, Interior Minister Antonio Amato told parliament Wednesday.Comment


MIAMI - In the sense of fair play, the Miami Heat eliminated "most disliked" from its pregame introduction Tuesday night.


Family exhumes son's corpse to revive him

The corpse of an Indian man was exhumed by his family in a remote eastern village in the belief that a witch doctor could bring him back to life, three days after he died.


The Russians are assured of their third different women's champion in successive grand slams at Flushing Meadows today, Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova having wiped the floor with their American opposition in yesterday's semi-finals.


Michael Phelps has been forced to pulled out of the 400m individual medley at the Short Course World Swimming Championships in Indianapolis in the US, due to a sore back.


Knicks Need Richardson to Recover From Slump

Quentin Richardsonâs jumper has never been worse and his defense, once reliable, has been suspect. And the Knicks guard has no explanation for it.


German Communist era film wins top Europe award

"The Lives of Others," a drama about a  secret policeman in Communist East Germany, won the top prize  at the European Film Awards on Saturday held in Poland's  capital.


Japanese stocks rose to a seven-year high Monday, lifted by stronger-than-expected machinery orders. The Nikkei 225 index climbed 121.04 points, or 0.67 percent, on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, to 18,261.98 points, the index's highest close since May 2, 2000.


Israeli Police Arrest Nuclear Whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu

Israeli police arrested Mordechai Vanunu, who served 18 years in prison for leaking details of the country's nuclear program, on suspicion he was giving out more secrets.


North Korea says bank problem could stall nuclear moves

A visit by the U.N. atomic watchdog to Pyongyang set for next week is on hold, a North Korean official said on Thursday, casting uncertainty over disarmament moves even as the top U.S. nuclear envoy made a surprise trip to the North.


Choose well, and you are assured a lifetime of good cheer and support, with only the occasional passenger-side regurgitation cleanup.


An Old Friend Joins Giuliani in a Spotlight

The ties run deep between Rudolph W. Giuliani and the attorney general nominee, Michael B. Mukasey.


Thousands of fans urge Mexican superstar Gloria Trevi to resume her career after she celebrated her release from jail.


Crude oil prices have overnight shed 28c of the USD1.28 spike seen in New York last night. The sudden rise came on news of twin car bomb attacks in Saudi Arabia, pushing prices up to USD 43.64 at the New York close.


Mexico Opposition Fights to Hold Veracruz Bastion

JALAPA, Mexico  - Mexico's main opposition party  fought to hold on to one of its oldest electoral bastions ahead  of 2006 presidential elections, in a close governor's race on  Sunday in Veracruz state.


Duane "Dog" Chapman cannot be extradited to Mexico to face criminal charges in his capture of serial rapist and fugitive Andrew Luster in 2003, a three-judge panel in Mexico has ruled.


A proposed Nigerian law banning same-sex marriages is a threat to democracy, says Human Rights Watch.


Gang Violence Blamed for Head Left on Guatemala Bus

Guatemalan police blamed  notorious street gangs on Monday for the murder of a woman  whose head was found on a bus and whose severed limbs were  thrown in the street.


Apple Plans EU Expansion of iTunes Next Month

Apple Computer is planning the next wave  of expansion for its popular iTunes online music store with a  multi-country European launch in October, the services chief  architect said on Wednesday.


Singer Russell Watson has new brain tumor

Singer Russell Watson is to have  emergency surgery on Thursday to remove a new and aggressive  brain tumor, his manager said.


Sen. David Vitter, R-La., apologized Monday night for "a very serious sin in my past" after his telephone number appeared among those associated with an escort service operated by the so-called "D.C. Madam."


Curses and tabloid headlines: Baseball series had it all

The Boston Red Sox's history-making comeback to win the American League championship at least temporarily turned New York Yankee dominance on its head.


North Korea and the UN publish a report which lays bare the country's environmental degradation.


Sembrano odalische e principesse con abiti gioiello


Nell'ultima seduta dell'anno Mibtel in rialzo dello 0,58%


Maryland prisoner shoots, carjacks way out of hospital

An inmate who said he had chest pains overpowered two guards at a Maryland hospital on Wednesday, shot a man outside the hospital and commandeered his vehicle as a getaway car, state police said.


Roy Scheider, of 'Jaws' fame, dies at 75

Roy Scheider, a one-time boxer whose broken nose and pugnacious acting style made him a star in "The French Connection" and who later uttered one of cinematic history's most memorable roles in "Jaws," has died.


A roadside bomb killed one American soldier and wounded five others in western Baghdad.


US FDA to Review Post-Market Safety Checks

ROCKVILLE, Md.  - The U.S. Food and Drug  Administration on Friday asked an outside group to review the  way the agency monitors safety risks of medicines after they  hit the market, such as Merck & Co. Inc.'s withdrawn painkiller  Vioxx.


Istat: Emilia-Romagna regione piÃ¹ ricca. Campania allâultimo ...

21/09/2004 - Gli emiliano-romagnoli vivono in una regione che Ã¨ la piÃ¹ ricca dâItalia. Il reddito pro capite disponibile supera i 17 mila euro contro i 9.800 della Campania, fanalino di coda nella classifica delle regioni italiane.


Ancora minacce all'Italia "Ma non colpiremo il Vaticano"

ROMA - Ancora minacce all'Italia da un sito internet islamico: l'obiettivo Ã¨ sempre il governo e in particolare il presidente del Consiglio, ma questa volta i terroristi precisano che sarÃ  risparmiato il Vaticano.


Putin acknowledges state's implication in Yukos intrigue

The last week was marked with a very important event in Russia. It took the state a year to accomplish that: President Putin virtually acknowledged at the press conference in the Kremlin that the main objective


Dutch court lifts obstacle to ABN-Barclays takeover

The Dutch Supreme Court on Friday lifted a major obstacle to a bid by Barclays of Britain to buy ABN Amro, ruling that ABN could sell its US subsidiary without shareholder approval.


NYT: U.S. Probes Medical Supply Industry

The U.S. Justice Department is  investigating the medical supply industry over concerns that  some health care providers bilked government programs including  Medicare, The New York Times reported on Saturday.


Cubans may not have McDonald's or Jack in the Box, but they do have pizza in a basket.


Heirs of a Jewish family that lost its German department store fortune under the Nazis have won a court verdict that advances their $193 million claim to property on a famous Berlin square, a lawyer said ...


Augusto Pinochet's grandson faces military discipline over an unapproved speech at his grandfather's funeral.


European court rules government is breaking law by not forcing bosses to give staff enough rest between shifts.


Sainsbury's profits weaker than expected

Sainsbury has confirmed fears of weaker-than-expected first-half profit, following a recent analyst downgrade which sparked an investigation by regulators.


Roma, 17:49 - CALCIO, PALERMO; ZAMPARINI: GUIDOLIN RESTA ANCHE SE KO A ROMA

Il presidente del Palermo Maurizio Zamparini conferma l'allenatore Francesco Guidolin a prescindere ...


Wall Street eyes higher open on rate-cut hopes

Stocks headed for a higher open on Monday as investors speculated that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates further to forestall the effect of the housing downturn on the economy.


Shares of Sprint Corp. and Nextel Communications Inc. jumped again on Friday as the telephone companies continued negotiations on a merger that would combine the No.


More than 1,400 Colombian paramilitaries hand over their weapons to the country's government.


U.S. Capitol opens after brief security shutdown

The U.S. Capitol was shut down   briefly on Monday after a man was arrested for racing past   security into the building, Capitol police said.


Starbucks To Add Kiosks Where Customers Can Burn CDs

After Starbucks acquired Hear Music in 1999, it started selling self-produced CDs in its stores, recently launched a satellite radio music channel and in March opened its Hear Music Coffeehouse in Santa Monica, California.


Many Iranians says revolutionary ideals still unmet

In Tehran Monday, tens of thousands celebrated the 29th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.


New bird flu strain 'will be worse than Sars'

International health officials warned yesterday that the world was closer to its next pandemic - a potent mix of avian influenza and a human flu virus - and that Asia was likely to be its epicentre.


Ratings lowest-ever for US Open men's final

Roger Federer's dominant win over Lleyton Hewitt was the lowest-rated US Open men's final ever. Federer's 6-0, 7-6 (3), 6-0 win over Hewitt on Sunday drew a preliminary national rating of 2.5 for CBS.


Defunct "missile launcher" in New Jersey front yard

A New Jersey resident found what was described to her as a "missile launcher" in her Jersey City front yard on Friday, but police said the 20-year-old weapon was no longer a hazard to public safety.


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


Putin clinches key European pipeline deal

Russian President Vladimir Putin clinched a key pipeline deal with Bulgaria on Friday that strengthens Moscow's grip on European gas markets before issuing a stern warning about the future status of Kosovo.


For CC Sabathia, his 5-0 win Monday night over the Mariners proved to be uncharted terrain. No, it had nothing to do with it being a shutout.


We're all celebrities in post-privacy age

Move over, Paris Hilton. We all have celebrity issues in an age when anyone can create an online profile, post confessional videos on YouTube, or make snarky online comments about other people.


U.S. movie director Spike Lee has won control of the Internet domain name www.spikelee.com in a ruling released Friday by a United Nations body.


Global Stocks Rally, Oil Up as Bush Wins

US stocks climbed while bonds fell and the dollar lost ground against the euro on Wednesday as Republican President Bush won re-election in a tight race.


Suicide bomber hits Kabul bus as attacks escalate

A Taliban suicide bomber blew up a police bus in the Afghan capital on Sunday killing around 35 people, police said, in apparently the single deadliest bombing to hit Afghanistan since the Taliban were ousted in 2001.


Sony Ericsson to launch Walkman mobile music phone in March

Giant mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson will launch high-quality digital Walkman mobile phones in March to benefit from the surge in the mobile music business, which it expects to be a major growth area in 2005.


Oil Fades to $47, Awaits U.S. Stock Data

Oil prices fell to seven-week lows below  $47 a barrel on Wednesday as traders braced for another  increase in U.S. oil and natural gas inventories.


Airstrikes kill scores of Afghan civilians: officials

NATO and U.S. airstrikes have killed scores of Afghan civilians this week, residents and officials said on Saturday, deaths likely to deepen discontent with foreign forces and the Western-backed Afghan government.


Time running out for India nuclear deal: U.S. official

Time is running out for a landmark nuclear deal between India and the United States that has been stalled by opposition from four leftist parties in India, a top U.S. State Department official said on Tuesday.


Diamond Planets: Rich Possibilities for Other Worlds

The solid planets in our solar system are made mostly of silicates. Rock, basically. A new study shows that planets around some other stars might be made mostly of carbon instead. Deep inside such worlds, where pressures are intense, the carbon would make layers of diamonds that could be miles thick.


Macedonian Vets Note Reduction in Brucellosis in Southeast

After Skopje's Veterinary Faculty analysed the blood samples of sheep and goats taken during the spring and autumn operations, it revealed 190 cases of infected cattle.


ADV: Health Insurance for the Self-Employed!

Affordable health, dental, and life insurance for you and your family. Ideal for self-employed, small business owners. Fill out our form for a competitive quote.


Key U.S. senator proposes company to buy mortgages

The chairman of the Senate Banking Committee is working on a plan to set up a company to buy distressed home loans at currently discounted values and help fund new mortgages.


France detains two Rwandan genocide suspects

Police said they had arrested two  Rwandans living in exile in France who are wanted by an  international court trying suspects in Rwanda's 1994 genocide.


European stocks were expected to open higher on Wednesday, mirroring gains on Wall Street and in Asia, with further takeover activity likely to enliven the session.


Blog: Now we learn that almost 90 White House officials used RNC email servers.


Five explosions hit Madrid petrol stations as residents streamed out of the city for a holiday weekend, following a warning in the name of the Basque separatist group ETA.


Call Center's Closure Could Put EEOC Claims on Hold

A deeply divided Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will move ahead with plans to close a contractor-operated call center next month, running the risk that the agency may not be able to quickly return calls from the public during a transition of phone service to an in-house team.


France condemns explosion near Indonesian embassy in Paris

French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin on Friday strongly condemned the bomb explosion near the Indonesian embassy in Paris which wounded 10 people.


Consumption Flat, Durable Spending Sinks

U.S. consumer spending was  unexpectedly flat in August, government data showed on  Thursday, as shoppers exercised restraint after splashing out  even more than previously thought during the previous month.


Prodi laconico su relazione presidente Confindustria


Da sabato scorso aumento di 3,6 centesimi


U.S. bans some cell phones in Qualcomm patent case

The U.S. International Trade  Commission ordered a ban on Thursday of some imported cell  phone models containing Qualcomm Inc.  chips that  infringe on a Broadcom Corp.  patent.


Firenze, 18:09 - CALCIO, FIORENTINA; CORVINO: TONI VUOLE RESTARE

Dopo l'appello di Mutu a erstare, per Toni in viola interviene anche il ds della Fiorentina Pantaleo...


Michael Vick declared "I am not the bad person or beast I've been made out to be" and asked for leniency in a letter to the federal judge who sentenced him to 23 months in prison for a dogfighting conspiracy.


Interest rates on U.S. 30- and 15-year mortgages fell this week to their lowest levels since early April as the housing market showed little sign of slowing despite the Federal Reserve's move to raise interest rates, mortgage finance company Freddie Mac said on Thursday.


Upper Midwest Tempts Bush, Worries Kerry

LA CROSSE, Wis. - In 2000, political pundits summed up the race in three words: Florida, Florida, Florida...


The embattled Russian oil group Yukos has filed for bankruptcy in the US and appealed for a temporary injunction preventing the forced sale of its main production unit, it was announced today.


Tim Henman will play Mikhail Youzhny for the first time today on what both men have reason to regard as a court of dreams here at the Palais Omnisports de Bercy.


Cinematographer Sven Nykvist, who often worked alongside director Ingmar Bergman, dies at 83.


Harsha Bhogle: Sehwag cash in on Aussie misfortune

For a major part of the day it seemed like there were two different Test matches going on. Virender Sehwag was playing in one of them, the conditions looked fine for batting and there were enough boundary balls available to keep the scoreboard moving.


Britney Spears Has Visitation Rights Suspended Again

Britney Spears has lost visitation rights for now with sons Preston, 2, and Jayden, 1, according to a court document released Thursday.   "[Spears's] visitation with the minor children is suspended pending [her] compliance with court orders," ...


To Stretch City's Budget for the Arts, Chicago Turns to EBay

Chicago will hold the first charitable eBay auction to be sponsored by an American city, to benefit the city's cultural programs.


InfoWorld - Microsoft has quietly released a patch aimed at improving the performance of Internet Explorer 7's phishing filter ahead of the company's regular patching schedule, which occurs on the second Tuesday of every month.


Americans Spend More to Treat Spine Woes

Although Americans are spending more money than ever to treat spine problems, their backs are not getting any better.


Il metallo prezioso e' scambiato a 666,10 dollari l'oncia


Lo stilista aveva previsto spose tra cumuli di sacchetti


IOC to review heads of state presence at Games votes

The International Olympic Committee will review the presence of heads of state for future votes to decide Olympic Games host cities, its president Jacques Rogge said on Saturday.


Dallas and San Antonio already were playing a memorable series. Then Jason Terry's fist landed below Michael Finley's belt.


Tasso di variazione segna un calo di 1,1 punti


Demoted Pluto Proves 9 is the Loneliest Number

By KHALID MOSS  Although I'd been warned by some bushyhaired astrophysicist on The Today Show, the news late last month hit me like a runaway meteorite. Astronomers say Pluto is no longer a planet.   I guess when it comes to planetoids, size does matter.


Dozens dead in Pakistan blasts as Bhutto returns

Two explosions hit former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto's convoy on Friday killing up to 35 people as she returned to Pakistan from eight years in self-imposed exile.


KHARTOUM, Sudan Sept. 19, 2004 - A US-backed United Nations resolution threatening oil sanctions for the violence in Sudan's Darfur region will only make it harder for the government to calm the insurrection there, a Sudanese official said Sunday.


Alarmed at a recommendation that antidepressants for children carry a strict new warning label, some parents are not letting their kids take the drugs as


Microsoft and Cisco Systems played the role of proud parents on Sept. 6. But with so many questions about when NAC-NAP, as itâs been called, will be available, and how it will work with non-Windows clients and non-Cisco infrastructure, itâs been hard to figure out what the companies created.


Plans for 10,000 low cost homes for first time buyers by freeing up surplus government land are unveiled by John Prescott.


A day of mourning has been declared in Liverpool in memory of the murdered British hostage Ken Bigley.


Toronto festival to offer Oscar clues, dark movies

Red carpets, Oscar hopefuls and a grim bite of political reality make up the agenda of this year's Toronto film festival, where producers strut their stuff and Hollywood stars party into the night.


Sport: Cricket: West Indies surge into their maiden Test success in South Africa


HP criminal charges, Microsoft licensing and Bulgarian airbags

To subscribe to The Register's weekly newsletter - seven days of IT in a single hit - click here


Corrosion Behaviour of TaN Thin PVD Films on Steels

By Flores, J F; Olaya, J J; Cols, R; Rodil, S E; Et al  The corrosion behaviour of tantalum nitride (TaN) thin films deposited on AISI 1018 carbon steel, AISI M2 tool steel and AISI 304 stainless steel has been investigated in an aqueous sodium chloride solution.


Paris celebrates 60th anniversary of liberation from Nazi ...

Parisians celebrated Wednesday in music and dance for the 60th anniversary of Paris' liberation from Nazi occupation. Hundreds of thousands people watched the parades of two French


The party of Benazir Bhutto will meet to discuss her successor and whether to contest Pakistan's election next month.


Veteran DJ Alan "Fluff" Freeman, whose "Not 'arf" catchphrase made him famous, dies aged 79.


Worldwide mobile phone market posts healthy gains

Worldwide mobile phone sales exceeded 156.4 million units in the second quarter of 2004, a 35 percent increase over the second quarter of 2003, according to a report released this week by Gartner Inc.


With Boshâs Big Effort, Raptors Beat Blazers

Chris Bosh had 38 points and 14 rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors beat visiting Portland, 116-109 in double overtime, Sunday to hand the Trail Blazers their second loss in 19 games.


The Woolworths, Foodtown and Countdown supermarkets will be listed on the sharemarket if Australia's Metcash gets its way. Metcash, a liquor and grocery wholesaler, yesterday bid A$846 million


Wimbledon stars have fallen victim to a sneak thief who has made off with thousands of pounds in cash and personal property, it was reported here on Saturday.


Irish Gold Medal-Winning Horse Fails Dope Test

Waterford Crystal, the horse Cian  O'Connor rode to win Ireland's only gold medal at the Athens  Olympics, failed a dope test after the individual show jumping  competition.


Roma, 12:27 - CALCIO, SERIE A: ROMA-LAZIO A ROCCHI

Gli arbitri designati per la decima giornata del campionato di serie A in programma mercoledÃ¬ alle 2...


DENNIS Cooper is too much of a soft-spoken gentleman to publicly express anger, but the professional conflict between him and Peter Macdonald goes back a long way to a day in May 2001.


A Catholic priest was hospitalized Sunday after being stabbed, the Italian Embassy in Turkey said. Police said they detained the suspected attacker.


Doctors Cite Pressure to Keep Silent On Bhutto

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, Dec. 31 -- Pakistani authorities have pressured the medical personnel who tried to save Benazir Bhutto's life to remain silent about what happened in her final hour and have removed records of her treatment from the facility, according to doctors.


One of Moscow's two major stock exchanges delisted Yukos on Friday, the Interfax news agency reported, and the Prosecutor-General's office said a new criminal investigation had been opened against the oil company's jailed former CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky.


Write down the date, Aug. 26, and the time, 2:30 pm in Athens. Itâs the moment that Olympic basketball entered a new era. Itâsa real basketball tournament now, almost a


U.S. opens probe on Iraq civilian's death

The U.S. military has opened a criminal investigation into allegations that U.S. Marines killed an Iraqi civilian west of Baghdad last month, the U.S. command announced Wednesday.


Two men are shot and another man is stabbed after a fight breaks out near a pub.


Microsoft set to ship Virtual Server 2005

Marking its first foray into server virtualization, Microsoft will release its oft-delayed Virtual Server 2005 on Oct. 1. The software allows multiple operating systems to run side by side on a single machine.


Growth of Genetic Tests Concerns Federal Panel

Regulation and oversight has not kept pace with the development of new genetic tests and efforts to sell them directly to consumers.


Giant attrition threatens these blue bloods

It's about 15 degrees out and Gary Romancewicz, 41, is willing to run down the street and knock.


Old-Flame Web Sites Boosting Divorce Rates

Web sites that reunite and reignite old lovers are helping push up England's divorce rates, according to a UK-based counseling service Wednesday.


U.S. stocks were slightly lower on  Wednesday as a number of companies warned over earnings, while  Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan's relatively upbeat  remarks on the economy gave investors no major surprises.


Halliburton leading contender in construction of British aircraft carriers: report

Halliburton, the oil services giant once run by US Vice President Dick Cheney, has emerged as a leading contender to manage the construction of two British aircraft carriers, The Sunday Telegraph said.


Roma, 22:20 - CALCIO, FIGC: PANCALLI FERMA I CAMPIONATI

Ora è ufficiale. Il commissario straordinario della Figc, Luca Pancalli, dopo la morte di un ...


Awkward Encounters in the Hollywood Trenches

During a strike, itâs enemies by day and friends by night.


Amburgo, 12:34 - CICLISMO: ULLRICH, NESSUNA DICHIARAZIONE SU DOPING

''Jan non ha nessun motivo per fare dichiarazioni pubbliche''. Wolfgang Strohband, manager del corri...


By CLIFF BRUNT INDIANAPOLIS - Stephen Jackson of the Indiana Pacers fired a gun in the air, apparently in self-defense, outside a strip club early Friday after he was slugged in the mouth and struck by a car that sent him tumbling onto the hood, police said.


Lo scoppio in societa' outsourcing, ferita un'impiegata


Nations turn their attention to installing tsunami early warning systems, but do they really work?


Overweight people get less out of exercise: study

Overweight and obese people get less  out of resistance training than leaner people do, researchers  said on Friday in a study that suggests the overweight may have  to try harder to get results.


Bhutto's Husband Re-Arrested in Pakistan

Pakistani police re-arrested the  husband of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto Tuesday, less  than a month after his release from jail raised hopes for  reconciliation with military ruler President Pervez Musharraf.


SanDisk CEO says his company has strong growth in international sales, insulating it from any downturn in the U.S. economy.


Pakistani troops say they have cleared foreign militants from large parts of the troubled region of South Waziristan.


300km highway plan binned The Spanish authorities have binned a plan to drive a 300km motorway south from Toldeo to Cordoba because the highway would have threatened the endangered Iberian lynx, Reuters reports.â¦


The ruling Islamic-rooted party won a landslide victory Sunday, raising more questions about the future of Turkey's officially secular state.


A deal taking shape Friday in negotiations on Northern Ireland's future would require the outlawed Irish Republican Army to resume disarmament and issue a new statement that, for the first time, would definitively renounce violence.


As part of a state effort to clear the air, Arizona gives three Hybrid models car-pool lane privileges, but revokes them from large bi-fuel vehicles. By the Associated Press.


Average retail gasoline prices rose by  nearly 5 cents and are poised to rise further as those who  make, distribute and sell gasoline see their profit margins  squeezed, according to an industry analyst.


Washington Mayor Says Baseball Deal Nearly Dead

The deal to bring Major League Baseball back to Washington, D.C, was described by Mayor Anthony Williams as close to dead Wednesday after the City Council changed the plan to require private financing.


Israel killed a top Gaza militant with a missile strike on his car Tuesday, prompting threats of more rocket attacks from Gaza on Israeli border towns.


U.S. limits Okinawa troops to bases over rape case

The U.S. military in Okinawa ordered its members and their families on Wednesday to restrict their movements after the arrest last week of a Marine on suspicion of raping a 14-year-old girl.


And slaps $1.3bn on Q2 bottom line Database giant Oracle said yesterday that it saw earnings jump by 35 per cent in its second quarter buoyed by strong sales of software licenses.â¦


That Tune in Your Head Could Be Your Toothbrush

Put a rock band in your mouth, along with a dab of toothpaste, with Tooth Tunes.


BAGHDAD, Iraq Sept. 9, 2004 - US jets pounded the rebel stronghold of Fallujah on Thursday, and American and Iraqi forces entered the central city of Samarra for the first time in months to try to reseat the city council and regain control.


Diana fascinating for her contradictions: biographer

After penning biographies of Lucrezia Borgia and Jacqueline Kennedy, historian Sarah Bradford was reluctant to write about Princess Diana because she thought of her as a "silly, neurotic blonde".


New Hopes for Peace During Christmas in Bethlehem

Hundreds of pilgrims and a new Palestinian leadership came to Bethlehem for Christmas as the town of Jesus's birth celebrated the festival with new hopes for peace following Yasser Arafat's death.


Nanomedicine's Promise Is Anything but Tiny

Big changes are coming from the marriage of medicine and nanotechnology, the new branch of science that deals with things a few millionths of an inch in size.


Foolish Forecast: American Woodmark Drilled

Views you can use to get clues on Woodmark's coming news.


Saudi Arabia May Boost Capacity 30%, Oil Minister Al-Naimi Says

Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, may expand production capacity by 30 percent within two years to prevent shortages, the country's oil minister said.


UK technology agency Becta lodges an official complaint over Microsoft's school licensing agreements.


s collisions go, the one taking place in the vicinity of the constellation Hydra is a doozy. Out there, some 800 million light-years from Earth, two galactic clusters - one with about 1,000


Juggling, Gyllenhaal wow at Oscars Science awards

Technology to  preserve digital movies on black and white film and  environmentally friendly sound tracks got awards at the Oscars  ceremony for scientific achievement on Saturday night, but the  favorite technical accomplishment was a juggler performing to  Beatles music.


President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched anniversary celebrations Thursday for Iran's Islamic Revolution with a defiant promise to push ahead with the country's controversial nuclear program.


Bam Margera is a step closer to opening a theater in his hometown.


U.S. Soldier Marries Woman He Met in Iraq

A Washington state soldier has married the Iraqi woman he met and fell in love with while in Baghdad.


UK Prime Minister Tony Blair says Iraq is seeing a battle between democracy and terror, as he visits Baghdad.


Albuquerque, New Mexico - An American T-shirt company has a solution for its fellow citizens who want to holiday in Europe without having to answer questions about US politics.


Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says he was shocked and his Spanish football friends upset at the racist taunts that black England players suffered during their friendly against Spain in Madrid.


No longer do tennis fans have to sit at home calculating every match win in relation to the number of points their favourite player will earn in the Indesit ATP 2004 Race.


Tropical Storm Gabrielle washed ashore and crawled slowly along the North Carolina's Outer Banks Sunday, but caused few problems and failed even to chase vacationers away from the beach.


Greek police surrounded a bus full of passengers seized by armed hijackers along a highway from an Athens suburb Wednesday, police said.


Put up or push off, City patrician tells 'Bid 'em up Bruce'

Eight months of simmering tension at investment bank Lazard erupted this week as its patrician chairman told the Wall Street legend he hired to run the bank to take it public by next June or quit.


9/11: NY port authority sues Saudi Arabia

The New York port authority has decided to join a lawsuit charging Saudi Arabia with providing financial assistance to the Osama bin Laden-led Al Qaeda.


Catania, 19:39 - CALCIO, CATANIA: CON IL MILAN MODERATO TURN OVER

Il tecnico del Catania Silvio Baldini non pensa al campionato alla alla sfida di coppa Italia con il...


Audit: D.C. overpaid Medicaid firms $97M

The District of Columbia risks losing federal funds because it has overpaid contractors almost $100 million for medical services, an audit found.


WASHINGTON - President Bush plans to re-nominate Bill Pryor to a lifetime seat on the federal judiciary when the Senate returns to session early next year, the White House announced Thursday.


The Bancroft family, which controls media firm Dow Jones, holds "productive" talks on the sale of the business.


SitePoint PHP Blog: WhatÃ¢ÂÂs so bad about the Singleton?

On the SitePoint PHP Blog today Troels Knak-Nielsen asks th3e question "what's so bad about the singleton?" For all of its advantages, is there a darker side of the design pattern when it pertains to global variables.   As I have often taken this stance myself, I found it reasonable that I should be able to argue for it, so I'll try to give an explanation. This is also in part a follow-up on my post from last week, in which I present a way to avoid global symbols, without spending much time on why.   He talks about what they are and how they're commonly used - sometimes with some unpleasant side effects because of their use of globals.


TURKEY:  Historic Visit â And Largely Inconsequential

ANKARA, Feb 1 (IPS) - Constantinos Karamanlis, the first Greek prime  minister to visit Turkey in 49 years, ended an uneventful  three-day official trip to Ankara and Istanbul last week that is  unlikely to have any impact on the erratic relations between the  two East Mediterranean countries.


Vying to be the 'second black president'

If Bill Clinton was the "first black president," his wife and Barack Obama are vying to be the second.


Troubled mutual insurer Equitable Life says it is making "steady and sustained progress" to restore its finances. Publishing its half-yearly results, the society said there had been "no material change" in its capital reserve, now standing at Â£532m.


Republican candidates look to South Carolina

CHARLESTON, South Carolina  - Republican Mitt Romney salvaged his bid to become president with a victory in his native state of Michigan, keeping the race for the White House wide open as the economy took center stage.


A walkoff home run? By the No. 9 batter? A batter who had already struck out twice? A batter who had never hit a home run in his high school career?


Bosnia to Ask U.S. for Release of Guantanamo Six

Bosnia will ask the United States to hand over six men detained for the past three years at the Guantanamo prison in Cuba on suspicion of terrorism, a government spokesman said Monday.


Two Israelis were injured today, one seriously, when a home-made Palestinian missile scored a direct hit on a home in a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip.


Virgin Group to launch US online music service

Richard Branson's Virgin Group said it was jumping into online music, with a "Digital Megastore" for US customers offering song downloads for 99 cents.


Indictments contain few clues to Rowland's fate

Former Gov. John G. Rowland was not among those charged Thursday with operating a corrupt organization from his office, and it was unclear from the indictment whether the


The hurricane, at powerful Category 5 strength, began a potentially deadly march across Honduras today.


The controversy over the inexcusable conditions, says a TIME reporter who recuperated there, shows how the army hospital has to bridge different cultures -- medicine and the military


A billion dollar court case is delayed in Nigeria against a US pharmaceutical giant over a drug trial in which 11 children died.


Cuban Doctor Returns Home From Argentina

A prominent Cuban doctor returned home Thursday after an overnight stay at the Argentine Embassy that raised tensions between the two nations amid reports she was seeking political asylum.


Slovak Town Hopes to Become 'Warhol City'

An eastern Slovak town that houses the Warhol Family Museum of Modern Art plans to use a European Union grant to help change its image and become Warhol city.


Electronics giant Sony is again accused of selling products that leave PCs vulnerable to attack by hackers.


He was the catch for the Celtics last summer. When Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers reeled in free agent Mark Blount, against all odds, it looked like a win-win. Blount finally got his big contract and security. The Celtics kept their center and a defensive presence in the middle for this year and several more to come.


San Paolo, 17:07 - CALCIO, SAN PAOLO: PRIMO ALLENAMENTO IN GRUPPO PER ADRIANO

Primo allenamento per Adriano con il San Paolo. Il giocatore si è allenato per la prima volta...


LOS ANGELES  - "In America" star Samantha Morton has her next film in sight. The 27-year-old Brit is in talks to star as photographer Diane Arbus in the indie film "Fur," according to The Hollywood Reporter.


United Online Cuts Full-Year Subscriber Goals

United Online Inc. , a low-cost Internet service provider, on Monday reported disappointing growth in quarterly revenue and subscribers, and cut its full-year subscriber target for the second time in three months, sending shares as much as 7 percent lower.


'Tucson's Beach' is Booming: Puerto Pe?Asco Keeps Growing By the Day; Here Are Some of the Latest Developments

By Joseph Barrios, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson  Feb. 11--PUERTO PEnASCO, Sonora -- In days past, RVs and tents were about the only forms of lodging dotting the long stretch of Sandy Beach, west of downtown Rocky Point.


In a classic case of role reversal, it was the Police who topped this year's most-wanted list.


Stocks Fall As Oil Surpasses $51 a Barrel

Uneasy investors sold stocks mostly lower Tuesday as oil prices climbed above $51 per barrel, creating new worries that rising energy costs would curb consumer spending and corporate profits.


Perde l'1,3% terminando contrattazioni a 97,91 dollari


Monday's strike on the US Consulate in Jeddah shows that militants have regrouped despite state efforts to disrupt them. By Faiza Saleh Ambah and Dan Murphy.


By Lisa Baertlein SAN FRANCISCO  - EBay Inc., the world's largest online marketplace, on Wednesday posted a 77 percent increase in quarterly profit, fueled by strong back-to-school shopping and growth in its international and PayPal businesses.


Pakistan strike ends lean time in al Qaeda hunt

A missile strike that killed senior al Qaeda leader Abu Laith al-Libi in Pakistan this week marked the first big success the United States has notched in the region against Osama bin Laden's group for over two years.


Canada's Prophets of Pessimism (Is It the Weather?)

For some thinkers, Canada is in decline, or at the very least, has fallen short of their aspirations.


Australia, India should jointly patrol Indian Ocean: think tank

A respected defense think tank has called for Australia and India to hold joint naval patrols to combat piracy, people-smuggling and terrorism in the Indian Ocean.


Piling up seven goals and two assists in three games is an incredible feat. Doing it while playing on a severely sprained ankle is all the more impressive. Weymouth's Catie Whelan has done exactly that this postseason.


No big names in six-strong Booker short-list

London, Sept. 22 (PTI): No big names found their way in the Booker shortlist announced last night, with the judges for the 50,000 pounds prize damning some entries as "rubbish" and "drivel".


V.KLITSCKO V D.WILLIAMS FIXED ODDS BETTING PREVIEW

Following his upset of Mike Tyson in July, British heavyweight Danny Williams has the chance on Saturday to become the WBC World Heavyweight Champion when he takes on Vitali Klitscko at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas.


The ruling that his suspension by Gen. Pervez Musharraf was âillegalâ dealt a major blow to the Pakistani president.


Will Ferrell, as Jackie Moon, is selling Bud Light and Old Spice in TV commercials promoting âSemi-Proâs,â the story of a fictional A.B.A. basketball team, the Flint Tropics.


EU welcomes autonomy plan for Internet governance

The European Commission welcomed on   Monday U.S. government moves to make the company that manages   Internet domain names independent by 2009, but said it would   monitor the process carefully.


Death toll rises in Chinese coal mine explosion

The death toll in a gas explosion in a Chinese coal mine rose to 64 on Friday and chances that 84 missing miners might still be alive were "quite slim,'' the government said.


Panel weighs risk of drug-coated heart stents

GAITHERSBURG, Maryland  - A U.S. advisory panel heard evidence on Thursday about risks of drug-coated stents, the tiny mesh tubes used to prop open arteries in millions of heart patients.


Euro zone economic growth slumped to its slowest pace for more than a year in the third quarter, prompting economists to warn the European Central Bank (ECB) against any monetary tightening in the near term.


Tour de France champion Floyd Landis, whose initial doping tests turned up positive, gets another chance to clear his name when a second set is expected to be released on Saturday.


JP Morgan KOs $5 Bln IBM Outsourcing Deal

J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. JPM.N, said  on Wednesday it was scrapping a $5 billion outsourcing deal  with IBM Corp.IBM.N, amid an overall plan to manage more of  its own technology services.


Bank of England keeps interest rates steady, as expected

The Bank of England surprised precisely no one by leaving interest rates unchanged at 4.75 percent for a fourth successive month, a decision widely anticipated amid continued signs of a cooling British economy.


NEW YORK - Lindsay Davenport is two victories from a second U.S. Open title and the No...


Talent, cap room have team in good shape

Happy Holidays, Philly fans. Since these past few days haven't been the happiest of times for you, maybe this gift will offer you a bit of consolation and perhaps provide some perspective, as well.


Pedophile case prompts outrage in Portugal

Portugal's highest court cut the jail  sentence on a convicted pedophile, causing outrage on Tuesday  in a country sensitive to the plight of children after the  abduction of a 4-year-old British girl.


Who's Left From Bush's First-Term Cabinet

A look at the six people in President Bush's 15-member Cabinet who will remain in the administration in the second term:


Calderoli, governo venga in Parlamento o mozione di sfiducia


U.S. outlines Baghdad security handover plan

U.S. forces hope to hand over half of Baghdad to Iraqi security control by the end of 2008, after violence in Iraq dropped to its lowest level since January 2006, the No. 2 U.S. general in Iraq said on Wednesday.


Is Joe Francis, the multimillionaire creator of âGirls Gone Wild,â his own worst enemy?


War in Darfur: the who's and why's of the world's worst ...

War in western Sudan's Darfur province often is called a clash between Arab herders and African farmers, but it's not that


FDA on Monday announced that it will revise the "black box" warning for Danco Laboratories' Mifeprex, a drug taken to induce a medical abortion, in response to numerous reports of infection, bleeding and death among women who have taken the drug, the San


Shiite militiamen loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr agreed Saturday to begin handing in weapons, a significant step toward restoring order in Baghdad's sprawling Sadr


Amanda Tyrell thought she wouldn't see her husband for a year and a half when he left in July for training and then military service in Iraq. But she'll get to see him one more time Sunday before he eventually departs to Iraq. She and other wives raised money to pay to fly some 74 Vermont National Guard members home for a visit.


EBay has big plans to provide more programming tools to its large community of third-party developers.


Cyber threats, chiefly viruses like NetSky and Sasser, make security an ongoing concern as it holds steady over software infrastructure as the third top priority.


Dollar Down on Record Current Account Gap

The dollar slipped against the euro  and the yen early in New York on Tuesday immediately after the  release of data showing the U.S. current account deficit  ballooned to a new record of $166.18 billion in the second  quarter.


Seagate to build third hard-drive factory in Singapore

Seagate will build a third hard-disk media plant in Singapore to meet growing demand for hard drives.


Google, Others Strive to Enrich Web with Books

Google Inc. wants to save you a trip  to the library. The search engine that revolutionized how  people use the Internet has teamed up with some of the world's  greatest libraries to put their books in your living room.


Thousands of Congo refugees flee to Uganda

Some 8,000 Congolese refugees have fled  to neighboring Uganda following clashes between Congo's army  and dissident general Laurent Nkunda, the United Nations  Refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Monday.


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


U.S. Concern Over Economy Is Highest in Years

Public views of the national economy are now more negative than at any point in nearly 15 years, and few people believe that the kind of stimulus plan being devised by President Bush and Congress is enough to stave off or soften a recession, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.


LOS ANGELES - Politicians and celebrities are planning a major protest today in support of the trauma unit at King-Drew Medical Center in South Los Angeles.


A new commission should be established to help balance the need for scientific openness and security concerns in a world facing terrorism, the National Research Council urged Thursday.


Israel Expands Gaza Strike, Kills 9 Palestinians

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


L'altra manovra. La Lega vuole vendere il Colosseo

Questa volta Ã¨ toccato allâex ministro leghista Giancarlo Pagliarini gettare benzina sul fuoco delle polemiche attorno alla Finanziaria. Perentoria la sua affermazione (intervista di ieri alla Padania): Â«Dopo


Safin Suffers While Henin-Hardenne Survives

A 15-year-old newcomer had defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne on the run at the US Open Tuesday and an experienced campaigner put paid to former winner Marat Safin.


Brad Renfro, Who Portrayed Witness in âThe Client,â Dies at 25

Brad Renfro was a former child star who played a witness to a mob lawyerâs suicide in the 1994 legal thriller âThe Clientâ and a suburban youth tutored in evil by an elderly Nazi war criminal in the 1998 film âApt Pupilâ.


Player Urges Random Drug Testing in Golf

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland -- Gary Player said Wednesday he knows of at least one golfer who has used steroids, and he urged golf organizations to move quickly toward a random drug-testing plan.


Agende, penne e e cravatte i regali piu' odiati


Sightseers in major cities no longer need a tour guide or travel book to point out local landmarks. Several startup companies now offer tours delivered by cell phones. By Rachel Metz.


Wealthy countries need to do much more to fight global poverty, the international aid agency Oxfam says.


Case study: the ups and downs of revamping IT architecture

A New York government agency determined it was time to move off its old Wang system to an IT foundation that would integrate data from all eight departments within the agency. Here's how they did it.


Childhood Obesity a National Crisis, Panel Says

America's children are getting  fatter and need help from parents, schools, the government,  advertisers and the food industry to get back in shape, a panel  of experts said Thursday.


Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said Saturday he has to do more to get Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., in line with other Republicans and the White House on how terrorist suspects should be prosecuted.


A man and his lover "repeatedly tortured" a 17-month-old boy, resulting in his death, a court hears.


Wanted Taliban leader said killed in raid

A wanted Taliban insurgent leader in Afghanistan, Mullah Brother, was killed on Thursday in a U.S.-led raid in the southern province of Helmand, the Afghan Defence Ministry said, citing ground commanders.


ASIA/INDIA - ERRATA CORRIGE - Dopo il rinvio del governatore, non entra in vigore nello stato del Chhattisgarh unÂaspra legge anti-conversione Raipur (Agenzia Fides) - [In merito allÂarticolo ASIA/INDIA apparso sullÂAgenzia Fides il 14/9/2007 si precisa che la versione corretta del testo Ã¨ la seguente] Il governatore dello stato del Chhattisgarh (India centro-orientale), E.S.L. Narasimhan,...


Roma, 11:11 - CALCIO, ARBITRATO: SCONTO DI 4 PUNTI PER LA REGGINA

E' stata emessa la sentenza dell'Arbitrato del Coni per quanto riguarda Reggina e Arezzo. Per i cala...


Plagiarism case against Clooney rejected

A French court dismissed a lawsuit against George Clooney and Warner Bros. filed by a screenwriter who alleged "Syriana" was plagiarized from her script, court officials said Monday.


SIMI VALLEY, California  - Republican Rudy Giuliani and Democrat John Edwards abandoned their failing U.S. presidential bids on Wednesday, narrowing the race in both parties to two main candidates ahead of next week's multi-state round of voting.


GMA Responds to Passage of Senate Measure H.R. 6, The CLEAN Energy Act of 2007

WASHINGTON, June 22  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) issued the following statement today from GMA President and CEO Cal Dooley regarding Senate passage of H.R.


Following are the top 20 prime-time  programs on broadcast TV for the week ended December 17, as  measured in average total audience, according to Nielsen Media  Research.


Italian designer Valentino says he will retire in 2008 after celebrating 45 years in fashion.


US shares ended mostly lower today as oil prices kept moving higher despite news that US strategic reserves may be tapped to ease supply concerns.


Italian center-left leader Romano Prodi was reconfirmed as prime minister on Friday when he won a second and final confidence vote in parliament, ending a political crisis and ensuring there will be no snap ...Comment


Il recluso di Ramallah se ne va, si invola per Parigi, sia pure in una sedia a rotelle, o addirittura in barella, el'intero Medio Oriente esita a leggere l'avvenimento. E' un segno di distensione ol'epilogo della lunga vita di un celebre rais?


Taliban says targets Cheney in Afghan suicide blast

A Taliban suicide bomber killed up to 12 people at the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan on Tuesday in an attack the rebels said was aimed at Dick Cheney, but the visiting U.S. vice president was not hurt.


Richard Hamilton got the Pistons into overtime, and Rasheed Wallace finished the Nets off Monday night. Hamilton had 37 points, and Wallace scored four of his six in overtime, helping the Pistons to a 100-90 victory at the Palace.


Gaming on the move is one of the fastest-growing activities amongst the tech-savvy in India, says a report.


Sears Holdings says CEO to leave, appoints interim CEO

Retailer Sears Holdings Corp  said its  Chief Executive Aylwin Lewis will leave the company, effective  Feb 2.


Bomb targets minivans in Baghdad, toll disputed

A bomb exploded near minivans in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Wednesday, and officials gave sharply differing accounts of casualties.


Watchdog group flunks Google on privacy practices

Blog: Watchdog group ranks Google among the worst top Internet sites for privacy, but Google says report is based on inaccuracies.


People close to Robert B. Zoellick, President Bushâs pick to head the World Bank, say he is likely to bring a demanding approach that could disturb the status quo.


CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Ron Zook took over Illinois' struggling football program Tuesday, returning to his roots and promising to turn around a team that has sunk to the bottom of the Big Ten since winning a league title in 2001.


Aumentano le seconde case e i mutui per chi acquista


Space shuttle launch postponed at least to Friday

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida  - NASA on Wednesday   postponed the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis at least   until Friday because of a problem with a power system aboard   the ship, officials with the U.S. space agency said.


Fox's "American Idol" returned as the nation's most popular TV series, but with 4 million fewer viewers than the 2007 season premiere.


U.S. Steel Profit Drops on Acquisitions and Job Cuts

Fourth-quarter profit plunged on costs from acquisitions and job cuts in Europe, sending shares down.


The President heads for the world's largest Muslim nation amid rising hostility  to U.S. policies


General Mills Profit Up on Higher Prices

General Mills Inc. GIS.N on Tuesday  reported a 19 percent rise in quarterly earnings as price  increases and stronger sales of Pillsbury products helped  offset higher ingredient and energy costs.


Mets Turn to Schneider to Take Charge Behind Home Plate

Brian Schneider, the Metsâ new starting catcher, has left the Washington Nationals, the only franchise he has ever known, for the privilege of catching Johan Santana and Pedro MartÃnez.


The U.S. Securities and Exchange  Commission said on Tuesday it brought civil fraud and insider  trading charges against former top executives of bankrupt  credit card issuer NextCard Inc. NXCD.OB


NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon  - The United States sent more ammunition on Saturday to Lebanon, whose army is struggling to defeat a group of heavily armed Islamist militants holed up inside a Palestinian refugee camp.


Dell chief unperturbed by iPod, Mac Mini

Rollins sees little to worry about in Apple's music player and newly downsized desktop. Also: A Mini for the road.


Pakistan arrests one of top three Taliban: sources

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


Hospitals Look to Nuclear Tool to Fight Cancer

A push by medical centers to turn nuclear particle accelerators into weapons against cancer reflects the best and worst of Americaâs health system, experts say.


Sony apologises to Church of England over computer game

Entertainment giant Sony has apologised to the Church of England for featuring the Manchester cathedral in a violent video game, a spokesman for the church said Friday.


Presidente consiglio regionale Campania e' ai domiciliari


Coroner, citing workload, drops Diana case

The coroner in charge of a British inquest into the 1997 death of Princess Diana in Paris has pulled out of the case, citing a "heavy and constant" workload.


Saddam's jailed top aides hold food protest

Eight of 11 detainees briefly refuse food over prisoner rights including family visits, access to media. BAGHDAD - The US army said eight of toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's jailed lieutenants had briefly


Prime minister vows elections on track for January

WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Iraqi interim prime minister Ayad Allawi, addressing a joint session of Congress, thanked America for toppling Saddam Hussein and vowed Thursday that elections planned for January would take place despite terrorist efforts to derail


Sarebbe una prostituta nota come 'La zingara'


Higher level political involvement,  including regular summits, is needed to inject dynamism and  efficiency into the World Trade Organization (WTO), a body once  dubbed "medieval," according to a report on Monday.


Officials hear of a previous near-capsize incident involving the ill-fated oil vessel Bourbon Dolphin.


SBC Earns Up on Long Distance, Broadband

SBC Communications SBC.N on  Thursday reported a higher third-quarter operating profit as  growth in sales of long distance and high-speed Internet  service outweighed declines in local phone customers.


Afghan Opium Cultivation Reaches Record High-UN

Afghanistan's opium cultivation jumped  64 percent to a record 324,000 acres this year and drug exports  now account for more than 60 percent of the economy, the United  Nations drugs office said Thursday.


AFRICA/SUDAN - Aperta a Parigi la Conferenza internazionale sulla crisi del Darfur Parigi (Agenzia Fides)- Si apre oggi, 25 giugno, a Parigi la Conferenza internazionale sulla crisi del Darfur, indetta su iniziativa del Ministro degli Esteri francese, Bernard Kouchner. Al Vertice, che si tiene a livello di Ministri degli Esteri, pa...


Norsk Hydro (NYSE:NHY)'s announcement that it is to merge its oil and gas business with that of fellow Norwegian group Statoil (NYSE:STO) helped send European equity markets higher on Monday, in spite of downside pressure from bank and technology stocks.


If you don't own these stocks, you should.


SpaceShipOne to Try for $10 Million Ansari X-Prize

The U.S. team that took the first privately funded, manned ship into space makes a bid to capture a $10 million prize this week -- signaling that commercial space travel has nearly arrived.


A helicopter ferrying passengers to Freetown airport in Sierra Leone crashes, killing at least 20 people.


SANTIAGO, Chile  - Hundreds of Chileans were expected to file past the body of Augusto Pinochet on Monday, a day after the former dictator, whose 17-year rule polarized his South American homeland, died at the age of 91.


+0,3% su mese, +3,3% su anno.Ore di sciopero in calo del 36%


Vijay Mallya, the chief executive of Indiaâs fast-growing Kingfisher Airlines, has purchased a 50-percent stake in Epic Aircraft, a maker of small planes based in Oregon.


Bush to unveil budget dominated by military, Iraq

President George W. Bush is expected on Monday to estimate the costs for the Iraq war at nearly $300 billion over the next 2 1/2 years and propose limiting domestic spending for fiscal year 2008.


Haitians mob food trucks as frustration grows with slow storm ...

GONAIVES, Haiti (CP) - Left with almost nothing after tropical storm Jeanne devastated this city, residents buried unclaimed corpses in mud-clogged backyards while mobs attacked aid trucks and even neighbours bringing them food.


All flash and no features? Review With its pulsing lights and back-to-nature themes, Sony Ericssonâs S500i is aimed at the supposed style-savvy consumer. But does this sliderphone have the functionality and appeal to really grab fashion-phone followers?â¦


Sony said that it was dropping its money-losing rear-projection TV business worldwide to focus on flat-panel technologies.


Lebanon's army is put on high alert after a massive explosion in Beirut kills former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.


The announcement came as Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer opened the group's new Indian headquarters in the city of Hyderabad.


Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insisted Thursday that Tehran's nuclear program is peaceful and said he is "at a loss" about what more he can do to provide guarantees. "The bottom line is we do not need a bomb," he said at a news conference on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. "The time for nuclear bombs has ended," he added.


New 'Check 21' law sinks check-floating practice

The practice of "floating" a check until payday will become a thing of the past Oct. 28, when the new federal Check Clearing for the 21st Century


Il 2,3% detenuto a titolo di prestatore senza diritto voto


La polizia irachena occupa il mausoleo di AlÃ¬

L'accordo di pace per Najaf, ottenuto grazie al decisivo appoggio del grande ayatollah AlÃ¬ al-Sistani comincia a dare i suoi primi frutti. La polizia irachena ha assunto infatti il controllo dell'area nel


Russia to Stop Giving Free Trips to US Astronauts

Russian Space Agency said on Tuesday it will stop giving free space trips to US astronauts. The agency chief Anatoly Perminov quoted by Reiters said they âwill put US astronauts into orbit only on a commercial basisâ from 2006.


A US Army tank patrols the center of Sadr City, Baghdad, along with Iraqi police and Iraqi National Guards, Sunday, Oct. 24, 2004 to find weapons in Sadr City.


Democrats Say Hall Is Ã¢ÂÂthe OneÃ¢ÂÂ to Take on Kelly in N.Y. 19

Thirty years ago Ã¢ÂÂ long before he set his sights on a seat in Congress Ã¢ÂÂ John Joseph Hall was a member of the popular soft rock band Orleans, and he co-wrote the pop music standard, Ã¢ÂÂStill the One.Ã¢ÂÂ


Notebook: Daly still smarting from Tiger's exit

A day after Tiger Woods inexplicably withdrew from this week's 84 Lumber Classic of Pennsylvania, Maggie Hardy Magerko, president of 84 Lumber Classic and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, admitted a great deal of disappointment.


Ahold has agreed to sell its Bruno's  and BI-LO shop units in the United States to Lone Star Funds  for $660 million, the Dutch retailer said on Thursday.


Fannie Mae board meets Sunday on execs' fate

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Fannie Mae's directors are scheduled to meet Sunday to discuss the future of Chief Executive Franklin Raines and Chief Financial Officer J. Timothy Howard, according to published reports.


Dell Looks to Sell Virtualisation Services

Dell has announced the availability of virtualisation services.


The drug company posts a wider Q3 loss than a year ago.


Mibtel +0,9%, SP Mib +1,09%, All Stars +0,54%


Car bomb attacks were launched at the gates of the main US-Iraqi headquarters in Baghdad and major hotels today, killing at least 21 people and wounding 96.


Messina, 19:02 - Calcio, Messina: l'Inter su Parisi

E' Alessandro Parisi del Messina il fluidificante sinistro nel mirino dell'Inter. Il giocatore appar...


Congress Leaves Product Safety Overhaul in Limbo

After a year in which American parents discovered Elmo was tainted with lead, Polly had dangerous magnets in her pockets, and one of this season's most sought-after toys was laced with a coma-inducing chemical, Congress is going home this week without reforming the nation's consumer product safety...


California wildfires force 250,000 to evacuate

Fast-moving wildfires raged across Southern California on Monday, forcing at least 250,000 people to flee their homes and destroying hundreds of buildings as desperate fire officials called for help from other states.


The good news is that JPMorgan Chase & Co. said Wednesday that second-quarter profit jumped 20 percent, as the nation's third-largest bank collected more investment banking fees than ever.


Dodgers Sink the Three-Way Trade for Johnson

The Yankees' quest to acquire Randy Johnson has returned to the point where it began more than six months ago. A three-team trade between the Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers


Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced Monday that he has prostate cancer but that the disease is not life threatening and he will continue to perform his duties


Mend, i tre italiani e il libanese saranno trattati bene


Dopo fusione Lse-Piazza Affari, catena con 50 ristoranti


Blair questioned by police in cash-for-honours probe

Prime Minister Tony Blair has been questioned by police probing allegations that his ruling Labour Party gave honours to financial backers.


US president urges Palestinian people to choose peaceful co-existence with Israel and reject violence.


Billy Joel Says âI Doâ For the Third Time

Six-time Grammy Award winner Billy Joel weds Kate Lee this weekend at a private ceremony in Long Island. Billy Joel, the renowned âPiano Manâ of rock and roll, tied the knot with his 23-year-old fiancÃ©e


Potentially contaminated body parts stolen in the US may have been used on British patients, experts admit.


'Il successo dell'opa e' un successo di tutti'


Winehouse could miss Grammy gig if she doesn't clean up

Troubled singer Amy Winehouse who is battling drug addiction might miss the Grammy awards if she doesn't clean up her act.


Survivors Face Hunger as Muslim Festival Nears

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia  - Hunger stalks survivors  of the tsunami in outlying villages of Indonesia, the United  Nations said, as the death toll from the Indian Ocean disaster  soared above 226,000.


Hungary's Matav to cut a quarter of its workforce

Matav, Hungary's biggest telecommunications company, will eliminate 3,750 jobs or 25 percent of its workforce within two years in a cost-cutting measure aimed at confronting fierce industry competition, the firm said in a statement posted on its website.


Gates dismisses Putin remarks as blunt spy talk

MUNICH, Germany  - Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Sunday dismissed an attack on U.S. foreign policy by Russian President Vladimir Putin as the blunt talk of an old spy and said it was vital to keep working with Moscow.


(InfoWorld) - As its incumbent rivals get bigger, Internet service provider Covad Communications Group is getting smaller with layoffs of about 8 percent of its employees this quarter. The cuts at Covad, which had 925 employees at the end of March, are intended to make growth businesses such as small-business DSL and wireless broadband more efficient, said company spokesman Michael Doherty. Half of the layoffs are involuntary and half took place through attrition, he said. They will be completed by the end of the second quarter on June 30, at which point the company will have about 850 employees. The cuts, announced Thursday, are across several departments, and most are taking place at Covad's San Jose headquarters, he said. Covad's legacy business of selling wholesale broadband to EarthLink and other competitive ISPs, primarily for consumers, has suffered under price competition from incumbent carriers. Those established players, namely AT&T and Verizon, have grown through industry consolidation over the past few years. However, Covad's own retail offerings for small businesses are growing rapidly, according to Doherty. Last month, the company upgraded its network in 11 markets to offer fat DSL pipes at 8Mbps to 15Mbps downstream and 1Mbps upstream. The company will take a restructuring charge of about $1.5 million in the quarter but expects to save approximately $4 million in the second half of the year as a result of the cutbacks. In the first quarter ended March 31, Covad lost about $14.5 million, or $0.05 per share, while its revenue increased about 2 percent to about $120 million. The company's stock, which has fallen more than 40 percent over the past year, was down $0.05 at $0.86 in Thursday afternoon trading on the American Stock Exchange.


CONCORD, NC -- Memorials poured into the headquarters of Hendrick Motorsports on Monday, as NASCAR fans pulled together to mourn the 10 people killed Sunday when a plane owned by racing team owner Rick Hendrick crashed en route to Martinsville Speedway in


The timing and location of President Bush's announcement were suspect -- during a campaign appearance before an audience of vets while trying to answer John Kerry's details-free promise that he would bring troops home from Iraq sooner than Bush.


Technical Problems Scrub Delta Four Launch

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The launch of Boeing's new Delta Four heavy-lift rocket was scrubbed for a second time Sunday because of technical problems.


Rimini, il Cavaliere al Meeting di Cl accolto da una folla in delirio"Condannato alla politica. Per Don Giussani ero l'uomo della Provvidenza"                                          Berlusconi all'attacco dopo il silenzio estivo "L'Italia cattolica deve essere degli italiani"                                                                                Monito all'Unione: "Nessun aiuto arriverÃ  dalle forze della Cdl"E sulla missione in Libano: "Incredibile l'impegno di 3000 uomini"


D.O.J. says Microsoft to modify Vista over complaint

U.S. antitrust authorities confirmed on  Tuesday they reached an accord with Microsoft Corp. requiring  the company to modify its Vista operating system in response to  complaints its desktop search function puts Google Inc.   and other potential competitors at a disadvantage.


Cisco focuses on video, innovation teams

(InfoWorld) - Cisco Systems Inc. executives looked to video, the developing world, and still-emerging technologies as they kicked off the company's C-Scape analyst conference Tuesday. Many of the killer applications of the next few years will involve video, said President and Chief Executive Officer John Chambers, who demonstrated the Cisco Digital Media Player and Digital Media Manager, a system for easily publishing images, text and video to flat-panel displays via Ethernet. He also highlighted the company's recently unveiled Telepresence Meeting system and infrastructure for service providers to deliver video to TVs, PCs and handheld devices. Chambers also sees a bright spot in developing countries, especially India, where Cisco last week opened a manufacturing facility and said it would set up a globalization center and invest in research and development. One high-level executive has already moved his family to India and ten more will go in the next six months, he said. India is a country that knows how to partner, and Cisco hopes to work with government, service providers and enterprises there as well as seeking partnerships in China and other emerging countries, Chambers said. Cisco can still innovate, said Chief Development Officer Charles Giancarlo, taking the stage after Chambers. It is diving into areas that had been considered boring and unchanging, such as enterprise phone systems, and transforming them through IP (Internet Protocol) technology, Giancarlo said. Video surveillance is another of those markets. Combining many types of video that have been on specific networks and putting them over IP creates many new possibilities, he said. "We may actually get to be known as a video company." Trying to get a head start on new technologies, Cisco is now forming internal entrepreneurial teams to capture the innovation potential within the company. The teams, which include sales, marketing and manufacturing personnel as well as experts in research and development, are meant to harness innovation within the massive networking company that has gotten many of its technologies by buying startups, Giancarlo said. These teams are going out ahead of what Cisco calls its Advanced Technologies, existing categories such as storage networking and security. Looking farther out, Cisco sees itself at the core of fully virtual computing systems. Network switches are becoming faster than the interfaces inside computers, so virtualized processing, storage and other components can all be spread out and linked together on the fly through the network in the next 10 years, Giancarlo said. That vision is probably accurate, but in trying to form the core of those systems, Cisco faces a new challenge, said Zeus Kerravala, an analyst at Yankee Group Research Inc. It will be going head-to-head against giants such as Microsoft Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and IBM Corp., a much tougher lot than its current networking rivals, most of which have been mismanaged, he said. The problem will be multiplied as Cisco expands into many more technology areas, Kerravala added.


Landslide Buries 15 in Taiwan After Typhoon

At least 15 people were buried when a landslide triggered by a fierce typhoon struck a mountain village in Taiwan, a government official said on Thursday.


Thick black smoke billowed from windows of the Executive Office Building on the White House compound on Wednesday


Twelve titles will be decided on the opening day of the  XII Paralympic Games in Athens.


Slovenia is to honour two Pakistani pilots who carried out the daring rescue of a mountaineer.


When each company in a food chain has an inventory glut, look out below.


Dissident Shareholders Send Message to Yahoo

About a third of stockholders voted against the re-election of one or more company directors, heeding the advice of advisory firms.


Torino, 15:20 - CALCIO, JUVE: BUFFON MIGLIORA MA SALTA LIVORNO

Gigi Buffon salterà Livorno-Juve di domani. Il portiere bianconero accusa ancora problemi all...


Sindacati di base riducono anche durata da 24 a 4 ore


Chief Constable Hugh Orde makes his decision on the future of the full-time police reserve.


Retail sales, housing woes boost rate cut talk

Retail sales rose just 0.1 percent in February and a growing number of Americans fell behind on their mortgages late last year, according to data on Tuesday that raised concerns about the economy.


UN Court Cuts Sentence for Serb Camp Commander

The Hague war crimes tribunal cut the jail sentence for a Bosnian Serb prison camp commander who murdered and beat Muslim prisoners with axe handles and metal pipes by three years to 20 years Friday.


Arizona makes 38 of 40 free throws to down No. 10 Washington, 91-82, on Thursday night, and the 11th-ranked Wildcats take over first place in the Pac-10 in the process.


Russian ex-spy may have ingested radioactive poison

A former Russian spy fighting for his life in a British hospital may have been given poison in a radioactive form to render it more lethal, the toxicologist treating him said on Tuesday.


England fall to the first defeat under new coach Andy Robinson after Australia run out narrow winners at Twickenham.


Police see breakthrough in Jakarta bombing

The October 2002 blasts at a Bali nightclub killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. Leads based on the vehicle involved led to a. He said police were conducting DNA


Australian Aborigines reject calls for military to restore order

Australian Aborigines have rejected calls for military peacekeepers to protect indigenous women and children from violence, as a new report Saturday revealed high levels of sexual abuse of young indigenous males.


By Nick Perry, The Seattle Times  Sep. 17--Seattle could become the new Detroit.   A once-proud hub of innovation left to languish as brilliant people, new  ideas and dazzling products bubble up elsewhere.


French employers' group chief hails 'revolutionary' deal

A deal struck last week on labour market reform between French employers and trade unions was "revolutionary", the head of the country's MEDEF employers' group said in an interview published Tuesday.


Relief may be on the way for all those youngsters trembling at the thought of another needle jab. One day the flu vaccine may simply be placed under the tongue.


Milano, 19:30 - CALCIO, DONADONI: DISGUSTATO DA POLEMICHE SU ME E TOTTI

Al commissario tecnico della Nazionale Roberto Donadoni non vanno giÃ¹ le polemiche nate da un suo in...


Spears tells fans to go watch other 'overexposed blondes'

Newlywed pop star Britney Spears told her fans Monday that she is taking a few months off "to enjoy life," including her honeymoon and reruns of her favorite TV shows.


A leading Chinese academic has been appointed the World Bank's first Chief Economist from a developing country.


Vienna, 16:54 - CALCIO, EUROPEI 2008: PRESENTATA LA MASCOTTE

E' stata presentata oggi a Vienna la mascotte di Euro 2008. Il nome verrà scelto dai tifosi s...


Vittima, ragazza di 29 anni, ricoverata all'ospedale Moscati


Lohan: 'It's like, what was I thinking?'

Hindsight is 20-20 for Lindsay Lohan. "When I look back on this last year, it's like, what was I thinking?" the 21-year-old actress says in the March issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine, on newsstands Feb. 19.


Dutch officials say a man held on suspicion of killing film maker Theo van Gogh is a radical Islamist.


U.S. and China to hold product safety talks

Chinese officials will visit  Washington next week for product safety talks with their U.S.  counterparts, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said  on Wednesday as Americans faced another recall of Chinese-made  toys.


U.S. official to visit Pyongyang this week

A U.S. diplomat will visit Pyongyang this week to try to advance a multilateral deal under which North Korea agreed to disclose its nuclear programs and ultimately to abandon them, a U.S. official said on Monday.


Try double-overtime in the Washington Wizardsâ 126-125 victory over the expansion Charlotte Bobcats Thursday night in a game that had fans cheering, dancing and reveling in the sportâs return to their city for the first time in two years.


Company suing OLPC asked for $20 million

A company claims that the OLPC Association infringued a patent on a keyboard and is asking for $20 to settle the case.


Out of Warholâs Inner Circle Into the Void

âA Walk Into the Seaâ is Esther B. Robinsonâs documentary about Danny Williams, a former Harvard student who was a part of Andy Warholâs Factory scene.


Liverpool to launch EU culture capital celebrations

Liverpool launches its year as European Capital of Culture this weekend with events including a musical about its past and future starring ex-Beatle Ringo Starr.


Sean John's new store on Fifth Avenue at 41st Street takes hip-hop style to an upscale setting.


German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder made an important

Schroeder, speaking on the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Nazi death camps in Europe, said this: The evil of Nazi ideology did not occur without preconditions.


Computerized babies cry, burp at Mexican teens

High school students in the Mexican  state of Chihuahua are being made to care for screaming,  hiccuping baby dolls that run on computer chips to try to bring  down the state's soaring teenage pregnancy rate.


Iran Says Talks Only Way to Resolve Nuke Standoff

Iran said Thursday dialogue was the only  way to resolve an international standoff over the Islamic  republic's nuclear program which Washington says is a cover for  building atomic weapons.


Shirley Chisholm, the first black US congresswoman and also the first woman to seek presidency, dies aged 80.


U.S. stocks rose on Thursday, sending the Dow up 1 percent to a record after retailers posted upbeat monthly sales figures and outlooks, boosting optimism about consumer spending.


Archbishop of Canterbury hits out at attempts by church leaders to undermine support for gay rights


Tony Blair is to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss aid and climate change ahead of the G8 summit.


Manchester United will present a dossier to the Football Association over the tunnel fracas that followed Sunday's 2-0 win over Arsenal.


Ford Motor Company has announced that Chief Operating Officer Jim Padilla has been named president of the Company and elected a director of the Board, both effective February 1, 2005.


Sventato un attentato all'ambasciata italiana a Beirut

ROMA - Un attentato all'ambasciata italiana a Beirut Ã¨ stato sventato dal Sismi quando la preparazione dell'azione, da parte di una cellula salafita libanese, era ormai giunta in fase "avanzata". I terroristi


Malaysian carmaker Proton is in talks with Volkswagen about a potential partnership, which could boost the German auto giant's presence in the Southeast Asian market.


Sono due romeni, uno era inquilino della vittima


Bernard Kerik, who withdrew his nomination for homeland security secretary after disclosing that he had not paid all required taxes for a nanny, did not fill out a background form when he was appointed police commissioner in 2000, city officials said.


Consiglio si e' espresso sui piani editoriale e industriale


Londra, 22:29 - CALCIO, FA CUP: WATFORD IN SEMIFINALE

Il Watford si è qualificato per le semifinali di FA Cup inglese superando 1-0 il Plymouth gra...


Nella cittÃ  pugliese l'aggressione nel cortile di una scuola, l'allarme lanciato da due romeni In Lombardia vittima e aggressore lavorano nello stesso locale                                          Da Foggia a Milano, ancora stupri violentate tre donne immigrate


A small Dutch mosque in the south of the country has largely burnt down but no one was injured in what police suspect may have been the latest in a spate of arson attacks against religious targets.


Equality chief causes stink with royal gaffe

The head of the equality watchdog said sorry Monday after causing a stink with an off-colour joke about the late Queen Mother during an after-dinner speech.


German prosecutors accused one of the countryâs most prominent business executives of tax evasion on Thursday after conducting on his home and office.


Tiger Woods will be looking for his first victory in Japan when he tees off Thursday in the Dunlop Phoenix tournament.


Amelie Mauresmo from France touches her taped leg in the final against Lindsay Davenport of the US at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix at Filderstadt near Stuttgart, southwestern Germany, Sunday, Oct. 10, 2004.


Schlumberger Reports 3rd-Quarter Profit of $318.2 Mln

Schlumberger Ltd., the world's second- largest oilfield-services company, had third-quarter net income of $318.2 million after a year-earlier loss of $55.


''Dirty dozen'' spam list became the best easy-money business

"Many home users' computers are sending out spam because they have had their broadband Internet connections exploited by remote hackers.


A group of companies led by Sony Corp. of America put a lock on its acquisition of film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. for about $2.85 billion plus debt, giving it MGM's film library to exploit in DVD and newer digital media markets.


As Fatah and Hamas leaders seek a last-ditch agreement in Mecca, on the ground their supporters are bracing for war


'Transformers' provoke unexpected variety of rapture

Blog: Blogospheric commentators do formal cinematic criticism and just let fly with off-the-chain gushing normally seen in 12-year-old boys.