U.S. stocks rose on Friday, with the  Dow and S&P carving out 2005 highs as the mood toward   technology brightened, helped by Apple Computer Inc.'s AAPL.O  announcement of a stock split.


Shares of Nordic and Baltic stock exchange operator OMX AB rose Monday after a report that it was in talks to be purchased by Nasdaq Stock Market Inc.


Tape: Al Qaeda member drops U.S. citizenship

On a videotape released Sunday, American al Qaeda member Adam Yahiye Gadahn renounces his U.S. citizenship, destroys his passport and cites U.S. President Bush's upcoming trip to the Middle East.


November Consumer Prices Rise Moderately

U.S. consumer prices rose modestly  in November as a surge in energy costs a month earlier  moderated, the Labor Department said on Friday.


Australia studies sending 450 more troops to Afghanistan, as US Vice-President Dick Cheney prepares to visit.


When Employees Are Sick, Absenteeism Can Be a Virtue

Employment researchers are increasingly acknowledging that having sick employees work is not just painful for the employees, but can also hurt the company.


Encouraging lone parents back to work would lift 500,000 children out of poverty, says a report.


Si prevedono gli stessi risultati positivi del 2006


Intel Gets New York Subpoena in Antitrust Inquiry

Andrew M. Cuomo issued a wide-ranging subpoena to Intel as part of an investigation into whether the company violated federal or state antitrust laws in the way it priced and sold microprocessors.


The latest advance in heart failure treatment is an elastic mesh sleeve that squeezes enlarged hearts into a more normal shape and could stall progression of the deadly disease, a study reported Sunday.


Sarkozy in first visit to Algeria to promote new union

French President Nicolas Sarkozy began his first visit to Algeria on Tuesday to present a plan for a Mediterranean Union and chart a course for improved ties with the former colony.


French couple cleared of failing to stop drink-driving carnage

A FRENCH couple were cleared yesterday of allowing a drunk friend to drive from their house shortly before he killed himself and four people in a road accident.


US Soldier Pleads Guilty to Abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib Prison

A US Army soldier pleaded guilty to five charges of abusing Iraqis held at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison in a case that sparked international outrage, Army Lieutenant Colonel Steven Boylan


After talking with Bulls operations chief John Paxson on Thursday night, center Eddy Curry and his agents, Darren White and Lamont Carter, have agreed with Paxson that there will be no more requests by Curry to be traded and that the Bulls will not seek


La decisione Ã¨ maturata su consiglio di Stefano Tacconi

VERONA - Cambio di proprietÃ  per il Chievo, secondo indiscrezioni fin'ora non smentite dalla societÃ . La squadra sta per essere ceduta al finanziere bresciano Franco Berardi, titolare della societÃ  Sarfisa, giÃ  nel novero degli sponsor del Brescia.


If the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is right, our planet is heading for some big upheavals. By 2100, they predict, global sea levels will have risen by 9cm to 88cm, and average temperatures will be about 1.5 to 5.5C higher than now.


Geiberger pulls away to win Chrysler Classic

Greensboro, NC (Sports Network) - Brent Geiberger shot a six-under 66 on Sunday to win the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro. Geiberger finished at 18- under-par 270 for his second career victory on the PGA Tour.


Archaeologists believe they have solved the longstanding mystery of how Otzi, the world's most famous iceman, met his end.


Defense lawyer ejected from Saddam trial

The chief judge ejected one of Saddam Hussein's defense lawyers on Wednesday for "insulting the court" in the former Iraqi leader's trial for genocide in a military offensive against Kurds in the 1980s.


Are you eating dinner on a piece of rainforest?

Love your new dining room table ... but did you ask the salesman whether it's made from chopped up rainforest trees?


ZTE says in talks with Sprint on WiMax handsets

Chinese phone maker ZTE Corp   said it is in talks with Sprint Nextel  about  supplying the No. 3 U.S. mobile service with a range of  handsets for a high-speed wireless service it is planning based  on WiMax.


UK colleges and universities get guidelines on plagiarism, stressing deterrence not detection.


As the debate over autism's cause continues, the CDC raises its estimate of how many children are affected.


Angus Eve scored a 90th-minute match-winner yesterday to send Trinidad and Tobago into the final CONCACAF World Cup qualifying round after beating St Vincent and the Grenadines, 2-1.


Lens Fluid Link to Eye Infection Unsolved

Advanced Medical Optics said it had no explanation of why its contact lens care product might be contributing to an outbreak of eye infections.


Ma allarghera' responsabilita' ai figli Edoardo e Giorgia


More Disclosure Urged For Municipal Bonds

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox called for Congress to set new disclosure rules for municipal borrowers, saying there is an "urgent need" to improve the information investors receive.


Microsoft to face challenge over Linux licenses

Supporters of the free PC operating  system Linux are preparing to counter a recent Microsoft Corp.   deal which established for the first time the  principle of paying the software giant to use Linux.


MARIETTA, Ga. - About 800 friends and family members gathered Saturday to remember Jack Hensley, who was executed by terrorists in Iraq after his Sept...


VIJAY SINGH last night broke the PGA Tour record for earnings in a single year when he won the 84th Lumber Classic. His Â£420,000 cheque in Pennsylvania took his winnings for the season to Â£5,237,000 - beating Tiger Woods' high of 2000.


Vietnam vets to vote on Iraq troop surge

Four of the senators who will vote next week on putting more troops in Iraq bear the scars of another war in another time, in a place called Vietnam. Three will vote against sending more troops. One will vote the other way.


Clijsters sidelined until 2005, does not need surgery

Kim Clijsters will be out of action for the rest of the season but does not need more surgery on her wrist after suffering an injury in the Belgian Open.


Baltimore defensive coordinator Mike Nolan accepted the San Francisco 49ers' head coaching position Monday and began to negotiate a contract to take over the team that had the NFL's worst record last season.


Bush, Kerry back on campaign stump after final debate

US President George W. Bush and Democratic rival John Kerry trained their sights on the battleground state of Nevada after clashing on Iraq, terrorism, health and the economy in their third and final head-to-head debate.


Gardner Adds Another Harrowing Tale to List

Survival in extreme circumstances has become a habit for Rulon Gardner, who won a stunning victory in wrestling at the 2000 Olympics.


Election will boost US international relations, says top Democrat

US relations with other countries will get a boost after elections earlier this month put Democrats in charge of Congress, US Democratic Party leader Howard Dean told Canada's Liberal Party.


Tasso base al 3,5%, 4,5% quelli sul rifinanziamento


Australian tennis player Lleyton Hewitt has been knocked out of the Paris Masters by Russian sixth seed Marat Safin. Safin put down the battling challenge of the Australian second seed to reach the semi-finals


Usher was the star of the show at the American Music Awards, winning all four of his categories.


Merck in $700 million schizophrenia deal

Swiss biotech company Addex  Pharmaceuticals SA  could receive more than $700  million from Merck & Co Inc  for a licensing deal on its  ADX63365 drug for schizophrenia, it said on Thursday.


White House Requests $515 Billion for the Pentagon

President Bush yesterday requested $515.4 billion for the fiscal 2009 Pentagon budget, a 7.5 percent increase from last year's spending request that is aimed at expanding the Army and Marine Corps, boosting force readiness and future combat capabilities, and improving the quality of life of service...


=== Lewis grabs two-shot lead with scorching 62 ===

Lake Buena Vista, FL (Sports Network) - JL Lewis fired a 10-under-par 62 Thursday to take a two-shot lead after the opening round of the FUNAI Classic at Walt Disney Resort.


Walgreen Co. WAG.N, one of the  largest U.S. drugstore chain operators, on Monday posted a 30.5  percent jump in quarterly profit, boosted by increased sales of  prescription drugs.


Putin Threatens Preventive Terror Actions

MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin said Friday the Kremlin was preparing to take preventive action against terrorists, even as a Chechen rebel leader purportedly claimed responsibility for a series of attacks that killed hundreds of people and threatened further violence.    Putin's comments were the highest-level warning yet that Russia could take some sort of pre-emptive action against terror groups in the wake of this month's deadly school hostage-taking in Beslan...


The beach volleyball men's pair of John Child and Mark Heese of Toronto dropped a quarter-final match yesterday to a Spanish duo, while Quebeckers Guylaine Dumont and Annie Martin lost in the women's event, eliminating Canada from competition in the sport


Find anything in your office in five seconds or less - guaranteed! Revolutionary new software lets you solve your problems with filing and managing paper. Free 30-day trial.


Pescara, 12:56 - CALCIO, PESCARA: ESONERATO AMMAZZALORSO

Il Pescara ha esonerato il tecnico Aldo Ammazzalorso e affidato la squadra al collaboratore tecnico ...


SpinDrop.us: Cropping Images using DHTML (Prototype) and symfony

From the SpinDrop.us blog, there's a new tutorial on combining the power of dynamic HTML and PHP to create an image cropping script for your website.    Years ago when I was working on a photo gallery for davedash.com I got the art of making tumbnails down fairly well. It was automated and didn't allow for specifying how the thumbnail should be made. With dozens of photos (which was a lot back then), when would I find that kind of time.   Flashback to today, for my company... we want users with avatars... but nothing too large. Maybe a nice 80x80 picture. Well the coolest UI I've seen was Apple's Address Book which let you use this slider mechanism to crop a fixed sized image from a larger image.    They create a pretty slick little app, using symfony to handle the framework for the app, some Javascript in the form of Prototype to make the controls, and plenty of CSS/HTML to make it usable. You can check out the demo here.


Hennes & Mauritz AB, Europe's second-largest clothing retailer, said Wednesday its third-quarter net profit jumped 25 percent, boosted by high summer sales.


By The Associated Press  LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Size doesn't matter.


Greek fashion hopes for boost from Olympics

First success at footballâs Euro 2004, then the centre of planetary attention with the Olympic games, and now Greece is bidding to win a medal for its renascent fashion industry.


Bush Stumps as Friend to Coal and Steel Workers

President Bush portrayed himself as a friend of steel and mining workers in West Virginia on Sunday, on the eve of a Republican National Convention likely to spotlight his domestic policies.


A massive explosion kills at least nine people in a market district in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, police say.


ODORI ELETTRONICI - Che profumo questo sito! Presto questa esclamazione potrebbe diventare di routine. Un informatico d'oltralpe di 33 anni, Yvan RÃ©geard, ha fondato a Saint Malo la prima societÃ  multimediale


City to Intel: Kick the rest of the tech industry into line

What's the point of a (near) monopoly otherwise The UK's citadel of freemarket capitalism delivered a simple message to Intel yesterday â you've got a monopoly, so use it to make it easier for us to make money.â¦


Thailand admits flaws in bird flu measures

BANGKOK - Thailand acknowledged on Wednesday that it had major flaws in its measures to control the bird flu epidemic, a day after reporting its first probable case of one human infecting another with the disease.


Kaine Should Protect Environmental Boards

By Bill Tanger  Gov. Kaine, take a back seat to the State Water Control Board.  Despite the protestations of Kaine spokesman Kevin Hall that the  "governor takes a back seat to no one in his commitment to environmental  stewardship," that is clearly not the case.


EU official calls for 'fresh start' on trade

Europe's top trade official yesterday called for a "fresh start" in trans-Atlantic relations, less than a week before he is to meet his US counterpart to discuss grating commercial disputes.


Stinky? It's not his sweat, it's your nose

When it comes to a man's body odor, the fragrance -- or stench -- is in the nose of the beholder, according to U.S. researchers who suggest a single gene may determine how people perceive body odor.


'Halo 2 Flu' Overtakes The Country As Game Goes On Sale

NEW YORK - If there was an increase in the number of people who took the day off from work or stayed home from school Tuesday, it may not have been the flu that kept them at home and on the couch.


Study points to health effects of air pollution

New research shows that teenagers who grow up in heavy air pollution have reduced lung capacity, putting them at risk for illness and premature death as adults.


Monaco di Baviera, 22:33 - CALCIO, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: BAYERN MONACO-INTER 1-1

Bayern Monaco e Inter hanno pareggiato 1-1 (0-0) in un incontro valido per la sesta e ultima


U.S. may embrace Iraq diplomacy critics long demanded

By opening the door to a high-level dialogue with Iran and Syria, the United States appears to be embracing a diplomatic strategy that its critics have long said was essential to stabilize Iraq.


Secondo alcuni testimoni l'obiettivo era il porto


Woodward can adapt to football - Mourinho

Chelsea head coach Jose Mourinho believes Clive Woodwardâs lack of professional football experience need not stand in the way of the former England rugby boss forging a new career in the game.


E' morto per una coltellata infertagli da tre giovani


Wall Street slips as yields overshadow M&A

Stocks slipped on Thursday as worries about rising bond yields overshadowed strong economic data and news of a $20 billion buyout of Hilton Hotels Corp.


Howard or Latham? It depends on what kind of election it turns out to be, says Alistair Mant. John Howard will probably win an S-type election and Mark Latham an A-type election.


Newspaper Helps Washington Homeless Gain Self Respct

Alvin Dixon became homeless after  suffering a nervous breakdown following the violent death of  his son. He has regained a measure of self esteem by selling  "Street Sense" -- a newspaper for, by and about the homeless in  the nation's capital.


Karzai is formally declared victor in the Afghan elections

KABUL Hamid Karzai was formally announced the winner of the Oct. 9 presidential election by Afghanistan's electoral board Wednesday after an international panel announced that irregularities it had investigated


'Shark Tale' swims in the shallow end of the fantasy pool

DreamWorks' "Shark Tale" truly suffers in comparison with Hollywood's previous computer-animated, undersea fantasy-adventure, "Finding Nemo": It has little of that film's simplicity, charm, exhilarating action or staggering aquatic beauty.


NEW YORK/BOSTON  - Asset manager Nuveen Investments Inc. , the industry's biggest manager of closed-end mutual funds, has agreed to a $5.75 billion buyout by an investor group led by private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners LLC, the companies said on Wednesday.


Blog: After some flase starts unlocking an iPhone now seems to be a reality.


Indian tribes' economic gains go beyond casinos.


Microsoft Corp  lifted its full-year forecasts and posted 23 percent quarterly profit growth on Thursday, topping analysts' estimates on strong sales of "Halo 3" and Vista, and sending its shares up 11 percent.


NEW YORK -- Scientists are testing seasickness patches and other surprising options in a challenging search for new ways to treat the crushing depression and uncontrolled mania of bipolar disorder.


An explosion ripped apart a small bus in a separatist Moldovan region Thursday, killing eight people and injuring 46, state media said.


Lawyer's joy as 'Guantanamo Four' released

The four Britons were released without charge on Thurdsday after spending just over 24 hours under arrest at the high-security Paddington Green police station.


Richard Heyes' Blog: PEAR::DB database class(es) replacement

In a new post Richard Heyes links to a replacement for the popular PEAR::DB package:   PEAR::DB is all well and good if you want to connect to multiple databases (I assume, I've never actually used it with anything other than mysql) but it is somewhat hefty on the bad side of 60k. Not a good thing if you're not using some sort of accelerator and have a high traffic site. Here's a class which replicates the PEAR::DB API (the bits that I use anyhoo) and weighs in at a much nicer ~11k. Sweet.   The class is posted for download here as a simple PHP source file with functions and values named similar to those in the PEAR::DB package.


Barclays, the British bank that left South Africa in 1986 after apartheid protests, may soon resume retail operations in the nation.


There are different types of pressure. In Everett, the pressure is on Matt Nuzzo to keep it going. Having won 33 games and three Super Bowls in a row, the expectation level has been raised to a point of near-absurdity in a town that rallies around its high school football like no other.


Congress Sends Bush Tax Cut Bill, Victory

WASHINGTON Sept. 24, 2004 - Legislation extending three popular middle-class tax cuts for the rest of the decade sailed through Congress by lopsided votes in both the House and Senate, giving President Bush


Anxious babies have more bad dreams as preschoolers

NEW YORK  - Preschoolers' odds of having nightmares may be related to their temperament as infants, which may be noticed as early as 5 months old, new research suggests.


Virginia may be the top-ranked state for the second year in a row, but Washington--and its culture of innovation--is the big story.


Madrid, 14:47 - CALCIO, REAL; MIJATOVIC: CRISTIANO RONALDO ACQUISTO IMPOSSIBILE

Vedere Cristiano Ronaldo con la maglia del Real Madrid è, almeno per il momento, impossibile....


Western Carolina coach Kellie Harper knows something about title teams — and she couldn't understand those who doubted Chattanooga's championship chances this season.


US: Samarra-style raids can stop rebels in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Oct 5  - At least 22 people died in Baghdad and Mosul car bombings, which targeted the fledgling Iraqi army, Westerners and the US military, as US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warned Monday of more offensives like one just ended in


E' ufficiale Google lancia Google Print, il nuovo servizio di ...

Il servizio Ã¨ disponibile in forma di beta test all'indirizzo print.google.com e per i retailers on line di libri Ã¨ giÃ  possibile registrarsi preventivamente. Lo stile di Google rimane lo stesso, nessuna forma di imperialismo o marketing aggressivo.


No sooner does Roger Federer break one record than he seems to set his sights on another.


Ortiz hits 40th HR for 3rd straight year

David Ortiz became the first Boston Red Sox player to hit 40 homers in three consecutive seasons with a fifth-inning shot Sunday at Tampa Bay.


Israeli PM Ariel Sharon defies opponents of his Gaza pullout plan, as he faces a crucial vote of his Likud party.


Operazione non a profilo concorrenziale, non serve notifica


Bail denied for Trinidad terror suspects

A judge denied bail Monday for three men accused of plotting to bomb New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, ordering them to remain in jail until a hearing on a U.S. request for their extradition.


Genzyme wins approval for childhood leukemia drug

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts The drug Clolar has won Food and Drug Administration approval to treat patients ages one to 21 who have exhausted other treatment options for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.


Dalla, Pooh, Nomadi tra i protagonisti dello show a Milano


Iraq Group Says Kills Two Italian Hostages -Web

An Islamist group in Iraq has said it killed two female Italian hostages in a statement posted on an Internet site not often used by Iraqi militants.


Iran Readies Uranium for Enrichment; UN Watching

Iran began processing uranium more than  a week ago to prepare it for enrichment -- a process that can  be used to make nuclear weapons -- in defiance of the United  Nations' nuclear watchdog, a diplomat said Wednesday.


Home Depot says buys China's The Home Way

U.S. home improvement retailer Home  Depot Inc.  said on Wednesday it had signed an agreement  to buy Chinese home improvement retailer The Home Way, marking  its first foray into retailing in China.


(InfoWorld) - Some of the low-cost PCs designed by One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) for kids in the developing world will go to people in North America. That's the result of a program the group plans to launch on Monday that will let U.S. and Canadian residents pay US$400 for one laptop to keep and one to give to a child in a developing nation. Initially, at least, purchasers won't be able to choose where the second laptop will go. "The idea is to help feed programs in the least developed countries and broaden the community of engagement," said Walter Bender, president of software and content for OLPC. By putting the laptops in the hands of people in North America, the group hopes to persuade more people to contribute content or other developments to the project, he said. The offer will start on Nov. 12 and run through Nov. 26. "We don't want to divert too much away from the developing world, so we'll do a short window," Bender said. Mass production of the laptops is scheduled for October, with the first units landing in the hands of kids around the world in early November, he said. The initial run will generate 40,000 units and production will quickly double and triple that capacity to meet demand, he said. The original plan for the OLPC project was to create a laptop that would cost less than $100, but more recentlyÂ the price has been pegged closer to $190. The $400 deal for two laptops includes some padding for the cost of sending one of the laptops to a remote location, Bender said. Â


Test results on fuel which is said to have caused problems for thousands of drivers are due to be released.


Chile Ex-Dictator Pinochet Stripped of Immunity by Chile Court

Augusto Pinochet, the former Chilean dictator, was stripped of presidential immunity by Chile's highest court in a ruling that may lead to charges that he took part in killings during his regime.


KILLED Wednesday November 17, 2004, in a shootout with police, in Karachi, Pakistan. He had been the second most wanted man still at large in connection with the highly publicized beheading of The Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, in 2002.


US State Department vows to implement new anti-Semitism law it opposed

The US State Department pledged to carry out faithfully the requirements of a new law mandating that it monitor global anti-Semitism and rate countries annually on their treatment of Jews despite its initial opposition to the legislation.


A federal judge has ruled that the Bush administration exceeded constitutional authority - and ignored the Geneva Conventions - when it set up military commissions to try terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay.


Milano, 15:54 - CALCIO, MILAN: SQUADRA AL LAVORO, DA VERIFICARE GATTUSO

Dopo il pareggio di ieri sera contro il Parma, il Milan è tornato al lavoro questa mattina pe...


Harry Potter casts spell on location vacations

For tourism chiefs eager to entice "set-jetters" to Britain, Harry Potter offers the ideal location vacation -- and the latest book and film look certain to stoke renewed Pottermania.


Aung San Suu Kyi still under house arrest

The Myanmar government has extended for a third time the house arrest of Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the BBC said Monday. U Lwin, a spokesman for Aung's National League


A Palestinian suicide bomber blows herself up in Jerusalem, killing at least one other person.


Judge Demands Comment Cease on Iraqi Abuse Trial

OSNABRUECK, Germany  - The judge in the court  martial of three British soldiers accused of abusing and  sexually humiliating Iraqi detainees urged public figures on  Thursday to avoid commenting on the case.


Pakistani Taliban cut "U.S. spy's" throat

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan  - Suspected pro-Taliban militants cut the throat of an Afghan refugee accused of being a U.S. spy in Pakistan's restive North Waziristan region, and dumped the body in a sewer, witnesses said on Friday.


Deadliest attack on US base in Iraq kills 22, including 19 ...

BAGHDAD  - A powerful explosion sent a fireball through a dining hall at a US base in the city of Mosul, killing 22 people, including 19 Americans, in the deadliest strike on a US military base in war-torn Iraq .


NEW YORKâHewlett-Packard Co. and Microsoft Corp. are taking to the road with a new initiative to bring technology to small and midsize businesses in remote parts of the country.


Unwrapping a Final Round of Musical Holiday Treats

The singers held the spotlight, but if the instrumental works were few, the players had ample opportunity to shine.


If your idea of a good workout is a vigorous code-debugging session, you probably made plenty of snarky comments during the Summer Olympics last month.


Iraq: Barnier, "I giornalisti rapiti stanno bene

PARIGI - Sono buone le condizioni dei due giornalisti francesi rapiti in Iraq. Lo ha detto ieri il ministro degli Esteri francese, Barnier, che ha lasciato Amman per tornare a Parigi per nuove consultazioni con il presidente Chirac.


Gurinder Chadha who debuted with her much-acclaimed film Bhaji on the Beach in 1993 and struck to fame with the super hit Bend it Like Beckham in 2002 is directing the film.


Calcio: Lazio, decisione su Maifredi dopo Natale

ROMA - Dovra' attendere almeno fino a dopo Natale Gigi Maifredi per firmare il contratto che lo legherebbe alla Lazio fino al termine di questa stagione. Ieri il tecnico era a Roma, ma non ha incontrato il presidente Lotito ne' i suoi emissari.


Conoco Invests in Russia Oil Major LUKOIL

ConocoPhillips won a $2 billion stake in  Russia's LUKOIL and said it aimed to raise that to 20 percent  in a sweeping alliance that allows the two oil majors to tap  vast reserves in northern Russia and Iraq.


When things weren't going well for Derek Lowe at the beginning of the season, when people were questioning his mechanics and his confidence while wondering why he wasn't pitching up to some lofty expectations, the Red Sox righthander kept thinking about two certain months of the year.


O'Neal has suspension reduced by arbitrator

(NEW YORK) - One of the NBA players who was suspended for his role in a fight with fans during a November game in Detroit has had his suspension reduced by an arbitrator.


Loreto, 5 settembre 2004 - Trecentomila giovani e adulti dell'Azione Cattolica hanno pregato questa mattina con Giovanni Paolo II nella grande spianata di Montorso per invocare dalla Madonna Nera di Loreto che Â«l'umanitÃ  - come ha chiesto a voce alta l


Opec to cut oil output in defence of price

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed yesterday to cut the supply of oil to world markets and defend higher prices in spite of concern about


A killer whale injured a trainer when he grabbed the man and pinned him to the bottom of an exhibition tank during a show at San Diego's SeaWorld Adventure Park.


ATHENS, Greece -- If you recall, my concerns involved car bombings, kidnappings, beheadings and Al Qaeda. So when the scariest moment of the Olympics involves a defrocked, kilt-wearing Irish priest who tackles


Dutch parliament defuses political crisis over immigration

Dutch politics had faced chaos Wednesday after the newly elected parliament censured Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk - nicknamed "Iron Rita" for her tough anti-immigration measures - after she refused to halt ...Comment


Cisco tightens security on voice products

On Monday, the company announced that it has added new privacy features to its CallManager product, which maps phone numbers to IP addresses and keeps track of phone calls that are made.


OutKast and Jay-Z Win at TV Video Music Award

OutKast have picked up four 'moon men' at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, held in Miami on last night (Sunday). The duo won Best Video and Best Hip-Hop Video for Hey Ya!


Russian president signs ratification of Kyoto Protocol on global ...

Russia gave final approval to the Kyoto Protocol on global warming as President Vladimir Putin signed legislation ratifying the landmark environmental pact that seeks to slow global warming by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, the Kremlin said Friday.


Vivendi Universal sees better days ahead in 2004

PARIS : French media giant Vivendi Universal reported a surge in its net loss so far this year but forecast a sharp turnaround in its finances for all of 2004.


Kerkorian Sells Another 14 Million G.M. Shares

For the second time in about a week the investor sold shares, this time at a loss, cutting his stake in half.


U.S. gasoline under $3 first time in 5 weeks

The U.S. retail price for gasoline fell below $3 a gallon for the first time in five weeks and is at the lowest level in three months, thanks mostly to cheaper crude oil, the government said on Monday.


Searchers locate 19 hikers stranded in Sierras

SHAVER LAKE, Calif. -- Seizing on a break in the weather Thursday, rescuers managed to locate 19 hikers reported missing in a blizzard that also killed two climbers stranded on the face of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.


The chief of Delta Air Lines plans to ask the companyâs board for permission to enter into formal merger talks with both Northwest Airlines and United Airlines, a person close to Delta said.


MORE than 1.2 million people in metropolitan New Orleans have been warned to get out as 225km/h Hurricane Ivan churned toward the Gulf Coast of the US.


Woolworths says sales over the Christmas period were "disappointing" with sales of toys and DVDs worse than expected.


Colorado Prisoner Gets Access to Sensitive Data

A Colorado prisoner obtained sensitive  information on a county sheriff and nearly 1,000 other  local-government employees after he got a password into the  county's computer system, authorities said on Friday.


A Proposed Rule Change Could Affect You Ozone Worries

By Dion Lefler, The Wichita Eagle, Kan.  Jun. 27--You can't see it and you might not even smell it in the air, but ozone could be about to change your life and cost the community as much as $100 million.


Oct 4, 09:57 Iraq asks Ukraine not to downsize its military contingent

Baghdad has requested Ukraine not to reduce its military presence in Iraq, the Ukrainian president's press service reports, citing a letter to Pres.


Silver and artistry sparkle on Oscar's red carpet

Gold may be the color of the coveted Oscar award but silver gowns dazzled on the red carpet at the world's leading film awards, while those featuring intricate bodices, beading and master detail earned many a second look from admiring crowds.


Pakistan police clash with protesters as the Supreme Court resumes a hearing on President Pervez Musharraf.


Ukraine in Turmoil as Agreement Crumbles

KIEV, Ukraine  - Ukraine's outgoing leader denied  on Tuesday he had agreed on concessions with his opponents to  end a crisis that has plunged the country into turmoil and  driven a wedge between Russia and the West.


Yung Joc says he wants to clear his name

Rapper Yung Joc, accused of taking a loaded gun to an airport, issued a statement Thursday saying he respects the law and is looking forward to resolving the charge against him.


Lamar Odom scored 21 points, Kobe Bryant added 19 points and a season-high 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Jersey Nets 99-93 on Sunday night. Kwame Brown had 13 points and nine rebounds and Smush Parker also scored 13 for the Lakers, winners of five of their last six games.


ello âello âello, save some money In an interesting twist in the battle against software piracy, Microsoft UK is promoting the benefits of Software Asset Management (SAM) under a scheme which rewards honesty - richly. It says the voluntary self-start SAM programme it introduced last November can save businesses a significant sum on licensing fees - in addition to giving them peace of mind.â¦


Freed Colombia rebel pushes demand for hostage deal

A Colombian guerrilla leader freed to broker the release of rebel-held hostages said on Tuesday an accord was essential, but insisted President Alvaro Uribe agree to a demilitarized zone as a condition for talks.


Logitech shares surge on talk of Microsoft bid

Shares in Swiss-based computer peripherals maker Logitech International SA  rose over 12 percent on Thursday amid speculation Microsoft Corp  would launch a takeover bid, traders said.


Storm cripples Florida, keeps pounding away

By SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLER, CHRIS TISCH, DAVID BALLINGRUD and STEVE BOUSQUET. Hurricane Frances staggered into the Gulf of Mexico this morning as a tropical storm, leaving millions of Floridians drenched, disgusted and without electricity.


FDA to review Vytorin cholesterol drug study

U.S. regulators said on Friday they would review a study showing a Merck and Schering-Plough cholesterol drug worked no better than a generic in preventing the build-up of arterial plaque.


The dollar hit a record low against  the euro Thursday as traders bet officials would not act to  stop its slide, sending gold to a fresh 16-year peak and  hurting Japanese stocks as a stronger yen weighed on exporters.


Istituto spagnolo, nostra quota restera' immutata


Helicopter filming movie crashes in Iowa

A helicopter being used to film scenes for a movie crashed in eastern Iowa on Friday, killing one person and critically injuring two others, authorities said.


Bertie Ahern looks set to secure a third term as taoiseach after a  strong general election performance.


Allowing commercial firms to run law practices could encourage more trivial cases, a leading QC warns.


Reynolds American Issues Profit Forecast

Reynolds American Inc., parent of the  No. 2 U.S. cigarette company, on Wednesday forecast 2004 profit  of $5.75 to $6.05 a share -- its first forecast since the  company was formed at the end of July.


Marijuana top US cash crop, analyst says

U.S. growers produce nearly $35 billion worth of marijuana annually, making the illegal drug the country's largest cash crop, bigger than corn and wheat combined, an advocate of medical marijuana use said in a study released on Monday.


Shetland Council's plans to close rural primary schools in a cost cutting drive face local opposition.


Republicans, Democrats Swap Senate Seats

Democrats and Republicans swapped a pair of US Senate seats in Tuesday's elections as they battled for control of a sharply divided US Congress, according to television network projections.


Israel is to free 170 Palestinian prisoners within days after the move wins ministerial committee backing.


Huckabee jams on Leno show ahead of Iowa caucuses

BURBANK, California  - Republican Mike Huckabee played some electric bass guitar with TV host Jay Leno's band on Wednesday, grabbing a shot of national media exposure on the eve of Iowa political caucuses that launch the U.S. presidential selection process.


Meet Your Neighbors, but Just Not in Person

A new company, LifeAt.com, is putting a local spin on social networking, creating password-protected Web sites for apartment buildings and housing developments.


Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf arrives in London to hold talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.


Peres: Israeli Extremists May Try to Kill Sharon

Opposition leader Shimon Peres said  Tuesday he feared Israeli extremists might try to assassinate  Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the target of growing far-right  fury over a planned withdrawal from Gaza next year.


For Kansas Farmers, Water Is a Vanishing Commodity

Soaring energy costs and one of the worst droughts to grip Kansas in a century have led farmers to work hard to conserve water.


Israel Expands Raid with Air Strike Near Gaza City

An Israeli air strike on a northern Gaza  refugee camp killed at least four Palestinian militants on  Monday, the fifth day of one of Israel's bloodiest offensives  in Gaza in four years of conflict.


Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on the second day of his visit to the state today addressed a rally in Jammu. Asserting that there would be no compromise with terrorism, he asked the misguided youths to shun


Guatemala's president on Tuesday ordered the national police to clean out corrupt officers and upgrade training after six members of the force were accused of killing three Central American Parliament members.


In Iowa, Coveted Newspaper Endorsements for Clinton and McCain Campaigns

The Des Moines Registerâs editorial board called Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain the candidates who were the most competent and ready to lead.


Airlines, Pilots Say Safety Plan in Jeopardy

Airlines and pilot groups say they may be forced to curtail a critical federal safety program after a federal judge's order requiring a regional carrier to disclose pilot incident reports to families suing the airline over a fatal 2006 crash.


Sony's PSP Launch Greeted by Long Lines of Buyers

Sony's first hand-held game machine is vying to give Nintendo a run for its money in Japan this holiday season. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata is taking the news with a grain of salt.


The Rolling Stones cancel a second concert in Spain because singer Sir Mick Jagger has laryngitis.


Symantec offers mixed grades for Vista security

(InfoWorld) - Symantec published a series of four research reports on Feb 28 that critique various security elements of Microsoft's new Windows Vista operating system, including the software's ability to ward off existing malware threats. Unsurprisingly, the security software maker, which still derives the bulk of its revenues from the estimated $3.6 billion market for technologies used to defend Windows computers, found a fair number of shortcomings in the latest iteration of Microsoft's dominant OS. One of the biggest problems is that Vista remains vulnerable to existing malware attacks designed to take advantage of flaws in earlier versions of the OS, according to the reports. However, the Cupertino, Calif.-based antivirus market leader also highlighted a number of features built into the product that it said will advance end-user security. An area where Symantec researchers said Microsoft has greatly improved security is related to the mitigation of virus attacks aimed at code-level vulnerabilities. Previous versions of Windows have been shipped with scads of coding errors that allowed hackers to deliver malware threats, but work on the part of Microsoft -- such as through its Security Development Lifecycle program -- has helped lower the volume of available vulnerabilities, according to the reports. The immediate benefit to Vista users will be the reduction of threats that use common infection techniques like buffer overflows and heap manipulations to deliver their payloads, Symantec predicted. Another area where Symantec recognizes security improvement on the part of Microsoft is in the use of its reduced user privilege model in Vista, which is aimed at preventing virus attacks from upping the administrative status of infected PCs to boost malware proliferation and related damage. While arguing that there may be the ability for hackers to disable Vista's new User Access Control, which is designed to keep users abreast of any changes attempted on their PCs by unknown software programs, Symantec concedes that the security tool should help fight malware attacks, including worm viruses. Despite the praise and its submission that Vista thus far appears to be the safest operating system ever produced by Microsoft, the Symantec reports levels a great deal of criticism at many other aspects of the OS. Vista is a more secure product than previous versions of Windows, but there is still plenty of need for users to buy the layered security defense products the security company markets, said Ollie Whitehouse, a researcher with Symantec's Security Response team. "Vista is a security evolution, but not a revolution," Whitehouse said. "Microsoft did invest a lot of time and resources into the development of Windows XP SP2, and Vista is a continuation of that, and they addressed a number of core issues, such as buffer overflows, but it is still only an OS, not a security solution itself." Vista may help stop some traditional types of attacks, such as worms, but Symantec maintains that newly emerging threats, integration problems with third-party Windows applications, and a range of other issues will keep users in the market for additional security tools. One area that remains a sore spot from Symantec's perspective is Microsoft's use of new features to protect the Vista kernel against root kits and other attacks. In 2006, a major controversy broke out between the two firms and other security technology providers based on the fact that Vista's PatchGuard system, available only in 64-bit versions of the OS, prevents any programs -- including Symantec's security applications -- from patching the software's kernel memory. Symantec and rival McAfee, among others, argued at that time that not being allowed to access the kernel as they have in prior iterations of Windows would prevent their advanced behavior-based technologies from working properly. But Microsoft and the security firms claim to have solved the problem using a set of APIs. In the research reports, Symantec repeats its contention that PatchGuard may also be easily bypassed, defeating its very purpose and allowing kernel-altering attacks, including root kits, to live on. Labeling the combination of PatchGuard and two other Vista kernel protection technologies, known as Driver Signing and Code Integrity, as a mere "bump in the road" for attackers, Symantec said that a single researcher bypassed all three features in one week's time, further proving their vulnerability. "Microsoft has made good strides with kernel protection, but again, it's not perfect," Whitehouse said. "PatchGuard has and will be broken, and while it is obviously better than nothing, people who have an interest will find ways to get around these features." Another area where Symantec leveled criticism at Microsoft is in relation to Vista's ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) feature, which is designed to help obscure programs stored in the operating system's memory to make it harder for attackers to isolate vulnerabilities. Symantec said the feature has a flaw that prevents it from working properly. Here again, Symantec mixed praise and calls for concern in outlining its observations of ASLR. "When implemented correctly, this technology is extremely effective in mitigating the exploitation of memory corruption and memory manipulation vulnerabilities," reads the Symantec report. However, the research contends that Symantec has already found that one element of ASLR that means to randomize and hide software components does not work consistently, therein making it easier for attackers to guess where vulnerabilities may lie. Symantec said further that Microsoft has confirmed the issue and pledged to fix it when it issues a Windows Vista SP1 update. Both the PatchGuard and ASLR issues feed into another Vista problem cited in the Symantec research: integration with third-party products. In addition to the potential problems introduced by PatchGuard to its own products, Symantec said that the third-party drivers provided by Microsoft may be targeted as a means of gaining kernel-level access on compromised machines. ASLR has been highlighted by at least one other security company as a potential weak point in Vista. Just as Symantec maintains that many of Vista's security features won't help protect end-users unless third-party software makers can effectively integrate with the tools, penetration testing specialists Core Security, based in Boston, published a report on Feb. 6 that highlighted a well-known vulnerability existing in CA's BrightStor backup software that it said could still be exploited on machines running Vista. Because the CA software had not been updated to integrate with ASLR and other Vista security features -- although CA said it would soon have a new version of the product to market and Microsoft officials disputed the issue -- the operating systems' onboard defense features won't help protect such legacy systems, Core said. Symantec's report repeatedly highlights the third-party integration issue as a major weak point for Vista's security goals. Microsoft officials stuck to their long-standing defense that Vista goes a long way toward mitigating many common PC security issues and that the company will continue to bring new security features to bear on the OS and future products. Microsoft said it is further investigating several specific product flaws cited in the Symantec report, including the ASLR problem. "It is important to note that none of the security features in Windows Vista, either individually or collectively, are intended as a 'Silver Bullet' solution to the problem of computer security," said Russ Humphries, senior product manager, Windows Vista Security. "We believe Microsoft has developed the right balance and made the right decisions when evaluating the tradeoffs between usability and security," Humphries said. "[Symantec's] report does not properly address the fact that many of the Window Vista security technologies have numerous options that allow for a user to make their own judgments as to their need for security balanced against usability."


Blockbuster is raising prices for its Total Access service, which lets people rent DVDs by mail and in stores. It is also raising prices for some existing customers who use the service a lot.


S&P 500 and Dow Jones industrial  futures slipped on Friday as worries about the impact of the  credit squeeze on financial services companies tempered  optimism about Google Inc's  solid profit.


Severe weather and heavy storms batter much of the UK, causing disruption and delay for travellers.


Special Report: The World's Richest People

It has been a busy year for Forbes' team of fortune hunters.


La stilista supervisionera' anche la linea maschile


Ivan Ljubicic, seeded first and ranked No. 3, lost in the China Open quarterfinals Friday, beaten by South Korea's Lee Hyung-taik 6-3, 7-6 (3).


Calcio, Inter; Stankovic: Adriano al Real solo in sogno

''Adriano al Real Madrid? Possono solo sognare, per dieci anni Adriano resta con noi...'' Il centrocampista dell'Inter, Dejan Stankovic, si Ã¨ espresso chiaramente su un possibile futuro del compagno di squadra Adriano al Real Madrid.


A British Medical Device Maker Is Poised to Bid for a U.S. Rival

The European medical products manufacturer Smith & Nephew is expected to place a bid for the medical device maker Biomet sometime this week.


Lo prevede la Bundesbank nel suo rapporto economico


Pay phones have become an old-fashioned hang-up

There are 1.1 million fossils in the collection of Harvard's Museum of Natural History: invertebrate, vertebrate, and one of more recent origin. Insert 50 cents, and it lets you make a phone call.


U.S. gives blessing to food from cloned animals

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


The Team America: World Police wooden puppets' sex scenes have been chipped down to an R rating. After what has been, reportedly, lengthy dickering and bickering Matt Stone and Trey Parker


Bulgarian president refuses pardon for jailed Liverpool fan

Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov has refused to pardon a Liverpool football fan sentenced to 10 years in prison in Bulgaria for attempted murder, Parvanov's office said Thursday.


Here we go again. Yet another earth-shattering report that Saddam Hussein, after all, did not possess stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) immediately prior to the American invasion of Iraq.


Garante Privacy apre procedura, insorge anche l'Unicef


New Zealand coach John Bracewell is sceptical about the preparation of the pitch for the Chappell-Hadlee Series decider, suggesting the Australians want to neutralise Black Caps spinner, Daniel Vettori.


European stock markets make patchy gains

European stock markets were broadly higher on on Wednesday, but London shares fell as investors digested a weak showing in Tokyo and Hong Kong despite a rebound in New York overnight.


Al-Qaida No. 2 mentions al-Zarqawi's death

A new video broadcast Friday showed al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri's first public acknowledgment of the death of al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.


Sudanese Police Kill Up to 20 Protesters

Sudanese police killed up to 20 people and injured 40 on Saturday when they opened fire on a crowd of easterners demonstrating in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, a local political leader said.


Camp Dogwood is the less than exotic name for the Black Watch battlegroup's new home, south west of Baghdad. It is a sprawling old Iraqi factory complex, with a 26 mile perimeter.


Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes and the New York Giants were within 15 minutes of ending the New England Patriots' run at perfection Saturday night, taking a 28-23 lead after three quarters.


Drink called "Cocaine" infuriates New York mayor

A canned energy drink called "Cocaine" being sold in New York grocery stores has infuriated the city's mayor who says its brand name celebrates the use of a dangerous drug.


Manchester United fans have promised Malcolm Glazer a continued campaign of hostility after the American business tycoon increased his take in the Old Trafford club.


LOS ANGELES  - Actress Aisha Tyler, a   recent guest film critic on "Ebert and Roeper," will star   opposite Kevin Bacon in the vigilante drama "Death Sentence."


A Northern Ireland contact centre says that it will recruit another 500 people over the next two months.


Magnitude 7.3 quake jolts area of Aleutians

An earthquake of magnitude 7.3 jolted areas of Alaska's Aleutian Islands in the northern Pacific on Wednesday, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.


An irate Italian family beat up a  principal because they were unhappy with the grades a young  relative had received and a ban on cell phones at school.


Security Council Heads to Africa to Pressure Warring Factions in ...

UN Security Council ambassadors are en route to Africa, hoping to pressure Sudan's warring factions to end two separate conflicts.


NASA knows Columbia sustained damage on liftoff. But engineers' concerns get swept aside by mission control, at the cost of seven lives. Compiled by Tony Long.


Hurricane Frances sends commodity prices soaring and threatens sales as it heads for the coast of Florida.


John Gotti's older brother was convicted Wednesday of trying to have Mafia turncoat Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano killed as payback for his testimony against the Dapper Don.


A total of four children have died after a  Land Rover crashed into a river in Lincolnshire, it is confirmed.


LinkedIn looks to premium services for profit

Social-networking site will launch premium services next year. Among possibilities: helping recruiters do "back door" reference checks. Photo: Staffing executive uses LinkedIn.


A little more Conversation, to get in on the action

Symbian handsets get threaded messaging Nokia Beta Labs has launched Conversation, a free application for S60 third edition handsets that provides an additional tab to your contacts application, showing conversations you're having and with whom.â¦


Australian Green shoots 65 to win New Zealand Open

Australian Nathan Green birdied fired a stunning closing round of 65 to win the New Zealand Open by two shots on Sunday, his first European PGA Tour title.


Morta una ragazza di 23 anni, ferito il fidanzato


Matthew Thomas is the proud new owner of an apartment on Manhattanâs Upper East Side. He paid $14,000.


Sharp puts Internet, sort of, on its TVs

An Ethernet jack on the TV will let Sharp customers get some Web sites on their TV for free. But will they go for it?


Restaurant chain customers' credit card data stolen

Not Your Average Joe's, a Massachusetts restaurant chain, said yesterday that thieves have stolen credit card data belonging to its customers.


Nine children are among 17 people killed in a bomb attack on a bus in Sri Lanka, the Catholic church says.


Tony Blair says the Iraqi general election has struck a blow to the heart of global terrorism .


Report: Yahoo Board Strategizes on Microsoft Bid

Yahoo Inc's (YHOO.O) board met by telephone on Friday and discussed strategy for getting Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) to raise its $42 billion offer for the company and the possibility of hiring Google Inc to run Yahoo's search, the Wall Street Journal said.


Pentagon planners were beginning meetings Friday to determine which units will be leaving Iraq in the next 10 months.


Mass web infection leaves researcher scratching her head

'I'm stumped' Security maven Mary Landesman is in the midst of piecing together a who-done-it involving the infection of hundreds of websites that are generating an enormous amount of traffic. Or maybe it's a how-done-it. Either way, she's mostly drawing blanks.â¦


Medellin, 13:05 - CALCIO, A 41 ANNI TORNA IN CAMPO HIGUITA

Il famoso e stravagante portiere colombiano Renè Higuita torna in campo. A 41 anni ha raggiun...


Two Taliban fighters were killed in a multinational operation in the south of Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has revealed.


Bimba bielorussa e' nascosta da 8 giorni dalla coppia


"No Country For Old Men" positioned for Oscar

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


Xstrata yesterday threatened to withdraw its hostile Â£2.9 billion takeover offer for WMC if the Australian miner indicated it would dilute value by paying out up to A$1 billion in cash to shareholders.


Stuart Appleby shares lead at Nedbank Challenge

On a day of wildly fluctuating fortunes four players, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Lee Westwood and Stuart Appleby, ended up on top of the leaderboard after the first day of the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City on Thursday.


IN HIS seventh appearance against the United States, Colin Montgomerie will join Padraig Harrington on the first tee at 8.10am to take on the American dream team of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the opening fourballs of the 35th Ryder Cup.


Ty Pennington, host of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," pleaded no contest Friday in a misdemeanor drunken driving case.


The commander in charge of operations on the day Jean Charles de Menezes was shot denies the control room was "chaotic".


The War has died - the dream of peace in music from Argentina,...

German contralto Wiebke Hoogklimmer announces an unusual programme - 'Der Krieg ist gestorben' ('The War has died') deals with the dream of peace in the imaginations of composers from Argentina, Mexico, ...


South Korea and Singapore concluded a free trade agreement during a regional summit in Laos, the South Korean government announced today, according to newswires.


A gunman who attacked a US Amish school said he molested two young members of his family 20 years ago.


India's Satyam looks to Malaysia for extra staff

Indian outsourcer Satyam Computer Services is setting up a 2,000-seat software development facility in Malaysia that will service its customers worldwide.


Verona, 16:54 - CALCIO, CHIEVO: OGGI DOPPIA SEDUTA, MIGLIORANO SCURTO E D'ANNA

Il Chievo ha oggi sostenuto una doppia seduta di allenamento nel centro sportivo di Veronello. Al ma...


China launched its first lunar probe Wednesday, an initial step in an ambitious 10-year plan to send a rover to the moon and return it to Earth.


A Lumber Spat With the U.S. Might Trigger an Election in Canada

The impression up north is that Canada caved to the U.S. in settling a decades-long dispute, and that could hurt Stephen Harper's precarious minority government


Thomson Gets E.U. Approval for Reuters Bid

But the European Commission said Thomson must sell off financial research units to eliminate antitrust concerns raised by the 8.1 billion pound ($15.8 billion) deal.


Neutral Force and New Government Needed to Pacify Darfur, Says ...

To stop the killing in the western region of Sudan known as Darfur, a neutral force of 30,000 soldiers is urgently needed, the leader of the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement and Army (SPLM/A), John Garang, said during an address to the Congressional


If your resolutions usually fail, it's time to make better resolutions.


John Lucas and JamesOn Curry had a successful debut as Oklahoma State's starting backcourt.


Woody Allen "seduced" by Los Angeles Opera

NEW YORK  - Woody Allen is having his night at the opera. The director will make his operatic stage debut in the fall with the Los Angeles Opera's production of Giacomo Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi."


Higher gas prices may be the best way to slow global warming.


Presidente del Senato esprime partecipazione ad ambasciatore


Roma, 19:30 - CALCIO, PALERMO; ZAMPARINI: MEGLIO AI TEMPI DI GIRAUDO-MOGGI

"Era molto meglio quando c'erano Giraudo e Moggi, perchè almeno sapevo chi era il nemico e da...


Del Ponte says Serbs not doing enough on Mladic

U.N. war crimes prosecutor Carla del   Ponte said on Friday she was "not satisfied" that Serbia was   carrying out its own action plan to arrest and extradite   Bosnian Serb war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic.


Opposition celebrates as Ukrainians vote

This is a transcript from AM. The program is broadcast around Australia at 08:00 on ABC Local Radio.


Sun Micro Posts Profit, But Shares Slide

Sun Microsystems Inc. SUNW.O on  Thursday reported a small quarterly net profit, after a  year-earlier loss, but a new range of products has so far  failed to ignite sales at the maker of computer servers and  storage equipment.


The US State Department Friday reiterated the need for free and fair elections in Ukraine and urged Russia to support such a process.


Rolling Stone has named Bob Dylan's 'Like a Rolling Stone' the Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Song of All Time in a new special edition of the magazine.


NHL Players Offer to Cut Pay in First Meeting

NHL players yesterday offered to cut existing player contracts by 24 percent, a collective pay reduction of approximately a half-billion dollars over three years, in an attempt to break the deadlock with owners that has resulted in the cancellation of the


Grandmaster Flash and U2 are among the nominees for the 2005 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.


Father Orders UK's Harry to Visit Auschwitz-Report

Britain's Prince Charles has ordered his son Harry to visit Auschwitz after he caused outrage around the world by wearing a Nazi uniform to a party, the Sun newspaper reported on Friday.


Going to Court Over Fiction by a Fictitious Writer

The company that bought the film rights to the novel âSarahâ says it was cheated because the person it believed had written the book does not exist.


The long stretch of atolls and coral reefs northwest of the main Hawaiian islands is so precious humans generally aren't allowed to venture there.


City health officials took steps Thursday toward opening the nation's first legal safe-injection room, where addicts could shoot up heroin, cocaine and other drugs under the supervision of nurses.


Scott Kazmir's first major league complete game was yet another win over Boston. The 22-year-old left-hander threw a two-hitter Monday night and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays beat the Red Sox 3-0. Kazmir (10-5) is 3-1 against Boston this season, and 5-2 in 11 career starts.


EADS gives green light for launch of Airbus A350 jet

European plane maker Airbus is to develop its A350 passenger jet, parent company EADS announced, ending months of speculation and handing a boost to the European aerospace industry.


The United States is pushing Japan to suspend its hunt of humpback whales, and the American ambassador to Tokyo said Wednesday an agreement to stop it may have already been reached.


Arsenal set the new English soccer standard Wednesday with a 3-0 win over the Blackburn Rovers at Highbury, eclipsing the old mark of 42 (21 wins, 21 ties) held by Nottingham Forest since 1978.


Wall Street is hammering this nut processor, but, at today's prices, it looks interesting.


ALBANY, Ore. - Pvt. Duncan Schneider has more reason to behave himself in uniform than most other members of the military - his platoon sergeant is also his mother-in-law.


Saudi Police Kill 1 Militant, Arrest 2 in Shootouts

Saudi police killed a suspected militant  in a shootout in Riyadh and captured two wanted militants after  a gun battle in the Red Sea city of Jeddah on Wednesday, state  television and security sources said.


Two brothers who won a last- minute reprieve from deportation will learn within two weeks if they can stay.


SKorea's ruling party hit by wave of defections

South Korea's ruling Uri Party is teetering toward possible collapse as 23 lawmakers quit to create a new political outfit, thrusting President Roh Moo-Hyun's group into a minority ahead of elections in December.


Blair faces major revolt over nuclear weapons

British Prime Minister Tony Blair could  face one of the biggest rebellions by his Labour Party in a  decade in power on Wednesday when parliament votes whether to  renew Britain's nuclear arsenal.


In Romania, Show Turns the E.U. Into A Laughing Matter

Romanian television has an unlikely hit on its hands, a sitcom with a cast of racy characters who sit in a country pub and get laughs discussing the fine points of the bureaucracy and regulations of the ...


Up to half a million HIV-positive Africans die each year because health chiefs have failed to coordinate the fight against HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, the U.N. said Tuesday.


Wengen, 15:11 - SCI, CDM; ROCCA: A WENGEN UN ALTRO PICCOLO PASSO AVANTI

Ottavo nello slalom di Wengen, è il miglior risultato stagionale di Giorgio Rocca sulla strad...


New Indonesian presdient faces tough tasks

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was declared Indonesia's next president today and now faces the tough task of rebuilding a country plagued by attacks from al-Qaida-linked terrorists, separatist conflicts and an economy still reeling from


Ministers are told Scotland's publicans will fight "tooth and nail" to stop plans for an outright ban on smoking.


Federal authorities have indicted 11 people in Georgia, North Carolina, South Dakota and the Central American nation of Belize on charges of selling counterfeit prescription drugs over the Internet.


Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa has reportedly been fined $87,400, equal to his salary for one game, by the team for his decision to leave Sunday's season finale early.


Rumsfeld: Pullout Not Likely Before Vote

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq - The United States may be able to reduce its troop levels in Iraq after the January elections if security improves and Iraqi government forces continue to expand and improve, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Sunday...


Blu-ray and HD DVD movies: Buy one, get one free

Choose two Blu-ray or HD DVD movies from Best Buy's small but decent selection and you'll pay for only one of them.


Tyler Perry's brood dominated the early going Thursday night at the 39th NAACP Image Awards. Janet Jackson won for supporting actress in a motion picture for her turn as psychiatrist in Perry's adaptation of his own stage play, "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?"


MSPs back a new law for Scotland, allowing unmarried couples, including gay couples, to adopt.


US highlights need for Middle East envoy

Middle East power brokers should appoint a special envoy to lay the groundwork for a Palestinian state, Washington said Wednesday, amid speculation outgoing Prime Minister Tony Blair would take up the job after he retires this month.


Barak in runoff to lead Israel's Labour Party

Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak won on Tuesday the first round of the Israeli Labour Party's leadership election and will face an ex-security chief in a runoff vote next month, official results showed.


Six killed in Christmas Eve shooting near Seattle

Authorities arrested a man and a woman on Wednesday after discovering six people, including two children, slain on Christmas Eve in a small town near Seattle.


HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka  - U.N. Secretary-General  Kofi Annan saw the scars on Saturday that the tsunami left in  Sri Lanka, where lives are in ruins but where hard work and  outside help have started to make a difference.


The designer of the Mercury space capsules that took the first Americans into orbit has died at age 83, NASA announced Sunday. Maxime Faget led the space agency's engineering and development branch


A Species in a Second: Promise of DNA 'Bar Codes'

If it works as promised, DNA bar coding will assist in the urgent task of cataloging unknown species before their ranks are decimated by extinction.


LONDON - Just like the Caped Crusader himself, a Batman impersonator has climbed a wall at London's Buckingham Palace. He remains perched there this noon, embarrassing guards and raising questions once again


The EU reform treaty is much the same as the rejected constitution, an architect of the constitution says.


Row erupts as Cuba refuses entry to Spanish, Dutch lawmakers

MADRID : A political row erupted after Spain and the Netherlands vehemently protested Cuba's refusal to grant entry to three parliamentary deputies who had arrived in Havana to meet Cuban dissidents.


Houllier pulls out as Welsh name manager

WALES are expected to announce their new manager today, with John Toshack favoured to get the job for a second time. The Football Association of Wales has called a news conference for today after interviewing


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


Wright delights hometown crowd with win over Quartey

Ronald 'Winky' Wright outpointed Ghanaian  veteran Ike Quartey over 12 rounds on Saturday to move a step  closer to a possible rematch with undisputed middleweight  champion Jermain Taylor.


Once again, the Bears are a sickly 1-5, so confused by the state of affairs they don't know which quarterback to try next or are afraid to say.


The government will examine claims 100,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed since the US-led invasion, Jack Straw says.


Town bans illegal immigrants from renting

The City Council in Farmers Branch, Texas, approved an ordinance Tuesday night that bans illegal immigrants from renting homes and apartments in the Dallas suburb.


U.S. Alarmed Over Suspected Iran Nuke Site

VIENNA, Austria - A U.S. official expressed alarm Thursday about a possible nuclear-weapons-related test site in Iran and accused the U.N...


ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.  - Miss Alabama Deidre Downs,  an aspiring medical student, won the Miss America contest on  Saturday and said she would work to regain public respect for  the event.


Colombia Extradites Marxist Rebel Leader to U.S.

The most important commander of Colombia's largest rebel army ever captured was handed to U.S. authorities at a Bogota airport to be extradited to the United States Friday to face cocaine smuggling and kidnapping charges.


Mobile RFID active tag reader helps track assets from handhelds

RF Code has unveiled a device for tracking assets with active RFID tags that can be worn on the belt, transferring the data wirelessly to a BlackBerry or Windows Mobile device.


Napoli, 16:08 - CALCIO, NAPOLI: IEZZO KO, PARA GIANELLO, REJA IN SILENZIO

Il silenzio stampa in casa Napoli continua. Non c'è stata infatti questa mattina la consueta ...


SAN FRANCISCO Advanced Micro Devices has brought forward a demonstration of its version of a new approach to processor design, with a chip that is expected to offer faster computing and relatively less power consumption.


A knee-trembling three-foot putt brought the curtain down on an extraordinary, topsy-turvy week for England Ryder Cup star Paul Casey.


Cut the apron strings? Some mothers and daughters wonât hear of it.


Coast Guard recovers headless body of diver killed by shark

The Coast Guard has recovered the headless body of a diver killed Sunday off the Mendocino County coast in Northern California.


Group Challenges Banknorth-TD Bank Merger

A consumer advocacy group in New York is objecting to Banknorth Group Inc.'s proposed $3.8 billion merger with Toronto-based TD Bank Financial Group because it says Banknorth underserves minority and low-income consumers.


Kapfenberg, 23:11 - CALCIO, LAZIO: 4 RETI NELLA PRIMA AMICHEVOLE

Quattro reti per la Lazio nella prima uscita stagionale contro i dilettanti austriaci del Thal. In g...


At Least 50 Militants Killed in Pakistan Raids

At least 50 Islamic militants, most of them foreigners, were killed by Pakistani forces on Thursday in the South Waziristan tribal region near the Afghan border, a military spokesman said.


Farmers in Bolivia end their occupation of oil fields after the government promises more land redistribution.


Moore hits snag on Wall Street promoting "SiCKO"

Filmmaker Michael Moore said he was barred from the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday for an interview on his documentary on the U.S. health-care system, a day after he was bumped from a national TV interview to make way for Paris Hilton.


Microsoft Releases Windows Security Fixes

Microsoft Corp. released two security fixes Tuesday that carry its most severe threat rating, including one that applies even to computers that have downloaded the company's massive security update for the Windows XP operating system.


Public-private contracts could lose all secrecy after Scottish decision

NHS Lothian and Consort ordered to disclose deal details The Scottish Information Commissioner has ordered a health board to disclose the details of a private finance initiative (PFI) hospital deal worth â¤1.2bn. The decision could have far-reaching consequences, says a freedom of information law expert.â¦


Nel niente sotto il soleecco il viaggio di Capossela

Vinicio Capossela svela alcune pagine del suo "diario di bordo" in dvd e, con il Natale che si avvicina, recita in esclusiva I cerini di Santo Nicola. La videointervista


Hewitt flies to Paris amid reports he's devastated by split with ...

Former No. 1 tennis player Lleyton Hewitt has been left "angry, embarrassed and devastated" after his split with fiancee Kim Clijsters of Belgium, the Sydney-based Sunday Telegraph has reported.


Senate Democrats agreed Thursday to only add checks for seniors and disabled veterans to an economy rescue package of rebates for most taxpayers and business tax cuts.


The Black Sea resort of Sochi, boosted by the personal intervention of Russian president Vladimir Putin, won the right to stage the 2014 Winter Olympic Games on Wednesday.


Exploding-battery problem hits cell market as Japanese mobile operator recalls lithium ion batteries used in some handsets.


Commissione firma contratto con Equat-Hewlett Packard


Iran yielded to western pressure yesterday to freeze its uranium enrichment programme, but only after several days of confrontation with the EU and after Britain, Germany, and France came up with a verbal formula much more generous to Tehran than


Lo riferisce agenzia Efe: decisione presa all'unanimita'


Actress Michelle Pfeiffer has topped a list of women who get more beautiful with age.


Packers' Robinson gets 90 days in prison

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Koren Robinson was sentenced Wednesday to 90 days for violating probation in a drunken driving case. The sentence allows Robinson to finish this season before having to serve the time.


Police: 'Bounty Hunter' Associate Turns Self In

A sidekick of TV bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman turned himself in to authorities Friday after a shopping center security guard reported seeing him naked in his pickup truck, performing a lewd act, police said.  But Tim Chapman's lawyer insists his...


The Fifth Down Blog: The Fifth Down: (Playoff) Destiny Takes a Hand

Ciphering out the playoffs can test any man's (or woman's) patience. To wit: I still can't believe that the Redskins are in if they win. The same Redskins who skidded through the end of November on a four-game losing streak. If they should lose to the no-doubt-resting-their-starters Cowboys, the Vikings and the Saints are standing [...].


A strong earthquake damages a nuclear power plant in Japan, reportedly causing a leak of radioactive material.


Firm may be facing greater difficulties than previously thought in getting hold of chips to power its high-end PCs.


Congress Fails to Pass Net Neutrality Bill

Hopes dim as less-interested Democratic Congress arrives next month.


A body found in Iraq first thought to be that of 24-year-old Japanese hostage Shosei Koda is now likely to be someone else, according to Japanese officials.


Roman Catholic officials opened a tomb said to contain the remains of Christopher Columbus as part of an annual ceremony Tuesday, a day after the Dominican government denied a Spanish request to conduct DNA tests to determine which country has the navigator's true remains.


com. Fox has survived one lawsuit over its boxing reality series "The Next Great Champ." Now the show's producers are being hauled back into court.


Dave Matthews Band "offsetting" its tour pollution

American rockers the Dave Matthews  Band and its fans have been bad for the environment since 1991,  and now the group is making amends.


Si tratta di Toutatis, la sua orbita attorno al Sole dura circa quattro anni. Previsto per mercoledi' il passaggio. L'asteroide Toutatis passera' vicino alla Terra nella giornata di mercoledi'. Sara' una vicinanza


New generation of displays to take on LCDs

A new generation of OLED displays, which are thinner and more energy efficient than LCDs, is working its way to market. But it could be years before they're cheap enough to displace LCD screens.


After Atlanta raid tragedy, new scrutiny of police tactics

Police are reviewing their use of 'no-knock' warrants after an octogenarian was killed after officers burst into her home.


SHANE Warne moved another step closer to Muttiah Muralitharan's world record by taking a much-needed wicket for Australia on the third morning of the first Test against India at Chinnaswami Stadium.


A multinational project to build two nuclear power plants for North Korea in exchange for U.N. inspections of the communist country's atomic sites was formally killed off Wednesday by the United States, Japan, South Korea and European Union.


Bush, Georgian President Discuss Ukraine

President Bush and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili agreed Thursday that democracies in the former Soviet republics need to be bolstered.


L'astensione dal lavoro dalle 12 alle 16 a livello nazionale decisaper il "fallimento del dialogo sociale con l'attuale management"                                          Sciopero dei controllori Enav Disagi limitati per i passeggeri                                                                                Secondo l'Enav l'adesione Ã¨ stata del 28 per cento


Britain honors Mandela struggle against apartheid

Britain honored Nelson Mandela on Wednesday by unveiling a bronze statue of South Africa's first black president alongside those of statesmen such as Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln.


Dopo i lavori di ristrutturazione la celebre galleria moderna ...

NEW YORK (USA, 19 nov. 2004) - Il Moma, Museum of modern art, uno dei simboli della modernitÃ  della cittÃ  di New York, riapre il 20 novembre nella sua sede storica sulla 53esima strada a Manhattan. Durante


Israel has killed Hamas's top bomb and rocket-maker in Gaza ahead of a Knesset vote on a pull-out from the area. Adnan al-Ghoul died when an Israeli missile hit his car, witnesses said.


CHICAGO - Oprah Winfrey was picked to serve on a jury at Cook County Criminal Court. Winfrey walked into the courthouse Monday through an alternate entrance to avoid crowds...


Crocodiles Scare Tiger Poachers in India

By DILIP GANGULY  CALCUTTA, India - Poachers seeking to bag a Royal Bengal tiger in the Sunderbans reserve are encountering a unique new security measure to keep them away: hundreds of crocodiles that have been released in the mangrove forest.


Chatroom users who watched a man apparently commit suicide over the internet will not face charges.


The State Department on Friday praised U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan amid a widening scandal over corruption and flawed management in the $60 billion U.N. oil-for-food program.


Gunmen ambushed a bus carrying unarmed Iraqis to work at a US ammunition dump near Tikrit yesterday, killing 17 and raising the toll from three days of intensified and bloody terrorist


Blogs put real-time spin on debate coverage

Besides the usual fare of major media commentary, bloggers across the political spectrum will be busy posting their views during Thursday night's debate between President Bush and challenger John Kerry.


By the end of an often absurd hearing, the only thing clear was that either the pitcher or his steroids accuser was lying


Kirstie Allsopp becomes new Tory housing tsar

'Queen of property TV shows' is latest celebrity hired by politicians to enliven their policies.


Even though the band is without a record deal, the B-52's will be front and center during the live telecast of the Emmy Awards, Sunday (Sept. 19) on ABC.


Stress grinds down Swiss bank employees: survey

Despite the economic upturn and booming profits, one quarter of Swiss bank employees are reportedly on anti-depressant drugs or tranquillisers and barely 16 percent of them are happy with their work.


Departing World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz  blamed an overheated atmosphere at the bank and in the media for forcing him to resign.


Schools admit E-rate slip-ups, defends actions

Atlanta Public Schools officials Friday admitted a few missteps but denied major failings in their spending of $60 million of federal technology subsidies.


Indonesia launches campaign against deadly measles

Indonesia has launched a campaign to inoculate 14 million children against measles which kills an Indonesian child every 20 minutes, or 30,000 a year.


Seeking to quell the perception he's the man-in-waiting to replace Lenny Wilkens as coach of the New York Knicks, team president Isiah Thomas took himself out of the running Tuesday.


RAM use rises thanks to Vista, falling prices

Falling DRAM prices combined with the need for more RAM to run Windows Vista are pushing users to buy more memory for their computers, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.


The Ambassador Hotel, where Hollywood stars once mingled and Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated, may soon be partly razed to make way for a new school under a plan that would save some of the hotel's more notable features.


Seagate Ups Laptop Storage Ante to 250GB

The drive uses Seagate's "SoftSonic" fluid-dynamic bearing motors and "QuietStep" ramp loading technology.


La maison in cerca di un socio per quotazione in borsa


Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world's largest retailer, on Thursday said sales at stores open at least a year rose 2.4 percent in September, slightly higher


President Bush has observed the swearing in of Porter Goss as the new head of the Central Intelligence Agency. In a White House ceremony Friday, the former CIA officer took over leadership of the intelligence


Meteo, nuvole in viaggio per tre giorni di maltempo

Settembre ha spazzato via l'afa ma da domani è previsto un peggioramento con piogge e rovesci da Nord. Variabile fino a mercoledÃ¬


SEC Backs Temporary Adviser Exemption for Brokers

The U.S. Securities and Exchange  Commission voted 5-0 on Wednesday to adopt a temporary rule  letting Wall Street brokers continue to promote themselves as  investment advisers without registering with the commission  under adviser regulations.


Supermodel clings on to tree, escapes tsunami

New York: Czech supermodel Petra Nemcova narrowly escaped death in the Asian tsunami disaster, clinging to a palm tree for eight hours until she could be rescued, her publicist said Tuesday.


Klitschko wanted Tyson, settles for Williams

Vitali Klitschko's dream was always to fight Mike Tyson. For now, he'll have to settle for fighting the man who last beat Tyson.


Jeanne Plows North, Drenches Ga. and S.C.

MELBOURNE, Fla. - Hurricane Jeanne tore a fresh path of destruction as it marched up storm-ravaged Florida and moved into Georgia and South Carolina Monday, losing strength along the way...


Ajeet Sinha's Adaa - Will Kill You is yet another addition to the ever-increasing lineup of sex laden flicks.


Striking writers hamper Oscar preparations

LOS ANGELES  - A day after the writers strike pulled the rug out from under the Golden Globes, Oscar organizers said Tuesday that preparations for the biggest night on Hollywood's calendar are already behind schedule.


Barnsley boss Simon Davey is jubilant after Brian Howard's last-gasp winner gave his side a famous FA Cup fifth-round victory over Liverpool.


STORM-BASHED FLORIDIANS COULD BLOW AGAINST BUSH

President Bush may face a political hurricane in November if frustrated Floridians turn disaster into votes, experts say. The Sunshine State will be paying a lot


Counting Calories, but Not to Shed Pounds

My daughter's illness and recovery have taught me that there is no such thing as good and bad foods.


Badgers jump past California for No. 4 in AP poll

NEW YORK -- California's narrow victory over Oregon was not enough to hold off charging Wisconsin for the fourth spot in the latest Associated Press college football poll released Sunday.


Svimez: per trovare impiego costretti a spostarsi


Gunbattles raged between Hamas loyalists and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's forces in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, killing at least three people and wounding a dozen others, medical officials said.


The nation's labor market softened a bit in the new year, with the unemployment rate edging up to 4.6 percent in January as job growth slowed, the Labor Department said today.


Over 125,000 people are now believed to have been killed in the Asian tsunamis, with millions left without the resources for daily life.


US warns North Korea against talks 'bluff'

The United States warned North Korea against thinking it could use worries over a possible long-range missile to force the United States into direct talks.


Struggling clothing retailer Wet Seal Inc.  on Wednesday posted a wider quarterly loss as lackluster demand for its teen-oriented fashions forced the company to make bigger markdowns.


Third US presidential debate could be decider

Washington - Democratic nominee John Kerry is holding ground gained against President George Bush as the two prepare for the final debate in the presidential campaign, according to a USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll published on Monday.


You can't survive in a down market doing business as usual.


Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee is to begin talks with Indian diplomats aimed  improving ties with Africa.


Web site: Militant group abducts 11 Iraqi soldiers

An Iraqi militant group said it had abducted 11 members of the Iraqi National Guard and posted their pictures on its Web site on Tuesday, three days after 49 unarmed army recruits were found dead.


Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. pledged on Tuesday to work with regulators to close their proposed $4.9 billion merger by year's end, seeking to calm concerns that U.S. antitrust authorities would block the deal.


Retailer Woolworths raised its bid Thursday for Australian Leisure & Hospitality Group (ALH) by 15 percent to Aust. $1.11 billion ($795 million), topping an offer by private equity firm Newbridge Capital.


Rod Pampling charged clear of the field at the end of the second round of the Australian Open in Sydney. Pampling fired a four-under-par 67 for a halfway total of 138.


Bush Ups Pressure on Congress to Pass Intel Reform

President Bush stepped up pressure on Congress on Saturday to approve an overhaul of the nation's intelligence operations, just two days before lawmakers return to try again to approve the reforms.


Kosovo pushes independence after West fails at UN

The United States and Europeans  discarded a U.N. resolution on the future status of Kosovo on  Friday, because of Russian opposition, prompting Pristina to  propose declaring independence from Serbia on November 28.


New Jersey Devils coach Pat Burns says he's making good progress in his fight against colon cancer after finishing chemotherapy treatments this week.


For a Change, Heat (Not Knicks) Is Reeling

The Knicks beat a recent N.B.A. champion and the worst team in the Eastern Conference on Saturday night. The Miami Heat own each of those identities, so the Knicks can choose what to make of the outcome.


Erano su un bus insieme con altri connazionali,tutti turisti


The Florida Democratic Party accused Secretary of State Glenda Hood of violating federal law when she told elections supervisors across the state that they should reject incomplete voter-registration forms.


Birth control credited with drop in teen pregnancy

NEW YORK  - The dramatic declines in teenage pregnancy rates noted in the United States between 1995 and 2002 were largely due to improved contraceptive use, not to abstinence, a new study shows.


US stocks fly, Dow at record close; Starbucks up

U.S. stocks rallied on Wednesday, driving the Dow Jones industrial average to a second straight record close, on optimism the Federal Reserve won't raise interest rates any time soon.


Troubled Spanish property group denies cash crisis

Spanish property developer Inmobiliaria Colonial insisted Wednesday its business was progressing normally after the stock market regulator suspended trading in its shares following sharp losses last week.


The Independent Monitoring Commission says the IRA is continuing to dismantle its structures.


Genetics pioneer Craig Venter has news from the frontiers of biology.


Wesley Snipes trial stays in Ocala, Fla.

Wesley Snipes' federal tax-evasion trial will go forward next month in this central Florida city, despite arguments by the actor's lawyers.


Roma, 13:52 - MORTO POLIZIOTTO, PANCALLI: OGNI DECISIONE DOPO FUNERALI

''La sospensione dei campionati è una decisione da cui non mi sposterÃ² fino a quando domani c...


Study examines terror risks on waterways

Fire from a terrorism attack against a tanker ship carrying liquefied natural gas could ignite so fiercely it would burn people one mile away, according to a congressional study.


Dead and dying trees essential for many other forms of forest life are in short supply, conservationists say.


Israel lifted its eight-week sea   blockade of Lebanon on Friday, handing control of the Lebanese   coastline to an international naval task force.


Boston beats Colorado to take 3-0 Series lead

The Boston Red Sox beat the Colorado Rockies 10-5 on Saturday to move within one victory of winning the World Series.


Excitement is building with less than three hours to go until the first Ashes Test between Australia and England.


Two employees of Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch take the stand in the singer's pretrial hearing in Santa Maria, testifying that sheriff's deputies searched areas unauthorized by a search warrant.


George Bush defended his embattled Pentagon chief, Donald Rumsfeld, yesterday by praising his conduct during the war in Iraq and his compassion for US troops.


Carrefour close to signing deal to enter India's vast retail market

French retailer Carrefour said Tuesday it was in talks with as many as six potential partners to open retail stores in India and could sign a deal soon.


Social Equality Comes With a Beat, Again

âStep Up 2 the Streetsâ posits a universe where racial and class differences are minor obstacles to fun and pretends its clichÃ©s arenât clichÃ©s.


Judge scolds O.J. Simpson and doubles bail

A Las Vegas judge doubled the bail on Wednesday for former football star O.J. Simpson, who spent the weekend back behind bars for trying to contact a defendant in his armed robbery case.


Sharper Image Files for Bankruptcy Protection

The San Francisco-based retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, saying declining sales and three straight years of losses led to a shortage of liquidity.


Petraeus and Bush put a sunny face on progress in Iraq. But two new assessments provide a morning-after jolt of reality


Nokia, others back mobile memory standard

A new type of flash memory that will speed access to data stored on memory cards and mobile devices has received the support of several major phone and memory vendors.


Sloppiness Is Costly For Mystics  On Road

Swin Cash scores 20 points to help the Detroit Shock improve to 3-0 with a 94-79 victory over the Washington Mystics on Wednesday night.


Ilia Alshanetsky's Blog: 5.2.5RC1 Released for Testing

Ilia Alshanetsky has noted that the latest release canidate for the PHP 5.2.x series, PHP 5.2.5RC1, is now available for download.   This RC includes a fair number of fixes since our last release and predominantly works on improving the stability of the 5.2 tree as well as including a small number of minor security fixes. I'd like to ask everyone to test this release against your code and setups, we are aiming for a quick release cycle and user feedback is critical for a successful release.   You can download this new edition directly from here (no Windows builds yet).


Pakistani Forces Kill Key al-Qaida Suspect

Pakistan says security forces have killed a top al-Qaida militant who was allegedly involved in two assassination attempts on President Pervez Musharraf, a close US ally in the war on terrorism.


Former star bowler Lillee ends coaching role at Australian academy

Fast bowling great Dennis Lillee has cut ties with Australia's Cricket Academy after failing to come to terms on a new coaching contract.


German Far-Right Profits from Anger Over Reforms

German far-right parties surged in eastern state elections Sunday, riding public anger against government welfare cuts and fanning fears among mainstream parties that the country's image could suffer.


Sulle piazze europee guadagnano i tecnologici, bene Apple


Army admits cocaine is becoming the 'drug of choice' for British service personnel


Iraq Invasion Was Illegal, Contravened UN Charter, Annan Says

The US-led invasion of Iraq was illegal because a decision to go to war should have been made by the United Nations Security Council, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said in an interview shown by the British Broadcasting Corp.


England coach Steve McClaren refuses to play down growing speculation David Beckham will win an international recall.


Japan PM tries damage control over WW2 sex slaves

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sought on  Sunday to contain fallout from his remarks about women forced  to act as wartime sex slaves for Japanese soldiers as the furor  threatened to cloud summits with Chinese and U.S. leaders.


Che cosa c'Ã¨ dietro l'altolÃ  sul tetto del 2%

Lâasse con il premier e quel gioco dâanticipo sul centrosinistra. Il colloquio riservato con il Ragioniere dello Stato Vittorio Grilli. ROMA - Che a definire Casini Â«uno statistaÂ» sia il leghista Giorgetti


Wal-Mart September Sales Up 10.8 Percent

Retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Thursday that its net sales grew 10.8 percent in September, helped by a boost from its international division and strong sales at Wal-Mart locations.


Small brain bleeds tied to blood pressure

NEW YORK  - Brain "microbleeds," small bleeding sites in the brain detected with MRI that usually cause no immediate symptoms, are associated with an increase in blood pressure in patients who already have high blood pressure or "hypertension," new research suggests.


CHICAGO, Nov. 30  Â Cardinal Health said Thursday that it planned to divest itself of its ailing drug manufacturing business, sending its shares up more than 5 percent.


Yanukovych camp plans to challenge election results in Ukraine Supreme Court

KYIV, Ukraine  - The loser of Ukraine's presidential election will challenge the results in the Supreme Court, his representatives said Thursday, in an apparent attempt to delay winner Viktor Yushchenko from taking office.


The discount brokerage posted a larger-than-expected quarterly loss after a $2.2 billion charge related to the sale of its asset-backed securities portfolio.


Man Linked to N.J. Gov. Says He's Straight

JERUSALEM - The Israeli man at the center of New Jersey Gov. James E...


Last gasps of defiance before the smoking ban

Pubs' prospects appear uncertain as new era begins with an empty bar.


Egyptian guards fire into the air and use water cannon to disperse Palestinians at the Gaza border.


RBI dy governor Mohan to be finance secy

The government named Reserve Bank of India deputy governor Rakesh Mohan as the country's new finance secretary, an official statement said on Tuesday.


IBM Selected to Build New DOE Supercomputer

IBM (NYSE: IBM) has been selected to build a next-generation supercomputer at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), officials with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today.


At Tyson and Kraft, Grain Costs Limit Profit

The two food giants said Wednesday that soaring commodity prices would hurt the companiesâ profits this year.


Scientist says FDA called journal to block Vioxx article

Just days before a medical journal was to publish a Food and Drug Administration-sponsored study that raised concerns about the safety of the arthritis drug Vioxx, an FDA official


Private equity firm Carlyle mulls IPO: report

Carlyle Group , a U.S.  private equity firm, is considering a stock market listing  similar to last week's initial public offering by rival  Blackstone , Dow Jones Newswires reported on Wednesday.


WASHINGTON - The Defense Department spent $70,500 to produce a Humphrey Bogart-themed video called "The People's Right to Know" to teach employees to respond to citizen requests for information. But when it came to showing the tape to the public, the Pentagon censored some of the footage...


Incremento del 6% rispetto allo scorso anno


Red Sox sign Japanese relief pitcher Okajima

The Boston Red Sox have signed left-handed Japanese relief pitcher Hideki Okajima.


Citigroup Inc. , under pressure to cut costs and boost a lackluster share price, promoted corporate and investment banking head Robert Druskin to chief operating officer on Monday.


Peres: Sharon Risks Assassination for Gaza Plan

Opposition leader Shimon Peres said  on Tuesday he feared Israeli extremists might try to  assassinate Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the target of growing  far-right fury over a planned withdrawal from Gaza next year.


Da Vinci Workshop Discovered in Italy -Researchers

A forgotten workshop of Leonardo da Vinci,  complete with 500-year-old frescos and a secret room to dissect  human cadavers, has been discovered in Florence, Italy,  researchers said on Tuesday.


Bodyguard Battles Back with $100 Million Lawsuit

Liza Minnelli's bodyguard claims that she forced him to have sex with her in order to keep his job. M'Hammed Soumayah said that Liza Minnelli withheld his pay and coerced him into having intercourse.


Home Depot Inc. <HD.N, the world's  largest home improvement retailer, on Tuesday said quarterly  profit rose, boosted by its services and professional supply  businesses.


Physician and entrepreneur Vikram Kumar founded a company that makes software to help patients and doctors manage chronic disease.


Mantova, 17:31 - CALCIO, MANTOVA: VISITA SPECIALISTICA PER FIORE

Allenamento pomeridiano per il Mantova, con il tecnico Tesser che ha fatto lavorare sulla tattica pr...


The Supreme Court considered Tuesday whether shadowy spy deals should ever end up in federal court, hearing the case of former Soviet-bloc spies who claim the CIA stiffed them on a pledge of lifetime support.


Il presidente Usa giunto in Tanzania, seconda tappa africana


Archivists have place of their own to save past

The blast doors  that were to shield members of the Federal Reserve board from  nuclear annihilation are gone.


KIEL, Wis. - Robbing a store apparently caused this suspect to work up a thirst. A 46-year-old man accused of robbing a Dollar General store at knifepoint Saturday was arrested about 15 minutes later at a bar less than a mile away. Police said he was taken into custody without incident.


Dal controllo societario, all'andamento del titolo


Cragg Hines welcomes the departure of NASA's chief but worries about the list of potential successors, especially Gen. Missileman.


Podcast: Reznor: Why do I end up stealing music?

A car that costs $2,500; CES 2008 wraps up; and geotagging photo Web sites.


Barghouthi Pulls Out of Palestinian Election

Jailed Palestinian uprising leader Marwan Barghouthi has pulled out of a Jan. 9 presidential election to succeed Yasser Arafat, a close aide said on Sunday.


Cuban Classical Pianist Heading to Paris

For years, Cuban classical pianist Gabriel Urgell Reyes played chords on an old upright piano in his native Havana.


Update 2: Time Warner Profit Dips, Sets Aside Reserve

Time Warner Inc., the world's largest media company, said Wednesday that its third quarter earnings slid 8 percent as it set aside a $500 million reserve because of pending government investigations.


Former Chelsea Football Club star will return to football

Adrian Mutu has vowed to rebuild his career after being sacked by Chelsea Football Club and banned for seven months. Mutu received the worldwide ban from football after failing a routine drugs test.


Japanese electronics maker Hitachi said Friday that it would recall 16,000 Sony-produced laptop batteries, becoming the seventh company do so over the past month. The batteries are found in laptops sold to businesses mainly in Japan.


President George Bush is to honour those who have "dedicated their lives" to rebuilding New Orleans.