Imagine how different the tech industry might have been had Gary Kildall accepted IBM's offer, back in 1980, to license his computer operating system for a top-secret project. CP/M would have been the OS that shipped with the original IBM PC, and the world might never have heard the name of Kildall's competitor, who eventually accepted the contract: a Mr. Bill Gates.                                                    For all the amazing advances that the computing industry has brought us over the years, some of its most pivotal moments are memorable for all the wrong reasons. Not every idea can be a winner, and not even Microsoft can avoid every misstep. But as they say, those who forget history are doomed to repeat it -- and then again, others just keep screwing up. In the interest of schadenfreude, then, here is a look back at the last 20 years' worth of blunders, fumbles, also-rans, and downright disasters that you may have forgotten about -- or wish you could.Top tech flops Nos. 21-25: PS/2, VR, compression wars, ... Top tech flops Nos. 16-20: Copland, Gnu Hurd, Oracle Raw Iron, ... Top tech flops Nos. 11-15: Palm OS Cobalt, Netscape 6, search engines, ... Top tech flops Nos. 6-10: Itanium, Mac clones, e-currency, ... Top tech flops Nos. 1-5: DRM, paperless office, iPod imitators, ...Tech's all-time top 25 flops: No. 21 to 25 25. IBM PS/2. The original IBM PC hit the market like lightning in 1981. Unlike earlier IBM computers, it was built with off-the-shelf parts instead of proprietary components, making it the most affordable business machine yet. But by the late 1980s, IBM found itself edged out of the market by Compaq and the other PC clone makers. Its solution? Try again with proprietary components, of course!     The Personal System/2 series, introduced in 1987, was meant to be "software compatible" with the PC, but its Micro Channel Architecture made it incompatible with existing hardware. The clones had no such problem. Like the disastrous PCjr before it and the PS/1 series to follow, the PS/2 convinced customers that lightning would never strike twice in IBM's PC division.24. Virtual reality. In 1982, the movie "Tron" imagined a man traveling the eerie internal landscapes of a computer. Fifteen years later, the technology arrived to make it happen -- sort of.Building a spatial interface for the Internet was all the rage in the late 1990s, owing in part to VRML (Virtual Reality Markup Language). The problem was, it didn't make much sense. The Web put the world of information at your fingertips; leave it to software engineers to find a way to send it back down the street, across a bridge, and up two flights of stairs.The concept lives on today in Second Life, which seems to think the problem is not enough advertising. But the truth is that mainstream users have never warmed to VR. Wake us up when we can ride real lightcycles to work and meet our clients on the Game Grid.23. Compression wars. What do you do when another software company copies your code and releases an improved version of your own product? Sue them into the ground, right? That's what System Enhancement Associates (SEA) thought in the 1980s, when Phil Katz released a clone of SEA's archive compression program, Arc.Katz's hand-optimized assembly language provided better performance than the original Arc, but because Katz had borrowed code from SEA's product, SEA successfully sued for copyright infringement. Customers, however, felt betrayed. They saw SEA as a bully trying to stifle Katz's superior software. When Katz came up with his own high-performance archive format in 1989 -- called Zip -- they ditched Arc in droves, and SEA's business never recovered.22. Apple OpenDoc. Long before the Cocoa and Carbon APIs earned raves from Mac OS X application developers, Apple put its weight behind another innovative programming technology. Called OpenDoc, it was a way for developers to build applications out of lightweight, modular components. After all, what is a word processor but a text editor, a spell checker, a file manager, and a few other modules all thrown together? With OpenDoc, developers could mix and match, building their applications out of all the best bits.Unfortunately, the concept never caught on. As it turned out, most applications weren't really as modular under the hood as they appeared on the surface -- and it didn't help that those so-called lightweight components turned out to be memory hogs that ran like molasses. After five short years, the book on OpenDoc was closed.21. Push technology. In 1992, PointCast had a clever idea: Why not make it possible to view stock quotes, headlines, and other information in real time, without browsing the Web? Instead, the PointCast client would "push" the information direct to the desktop, all day long.The idea spawned a horde of imitators. Unfortunately, no one foresaw the strain that all that pushing would place on the limited Internet connections of the time. Network managers banned the client, and modem-based home users balked at the ads being pushed to them along with their sports scores.News Corp. once offered $450 million for PointCast. Two years later, the push craze had evaporated, and it sold for a paltry $10 million.Top tech flops Nos. 21-25: PS/2, VR, compression wars, ... Top tech flops Nos. 16-20: Copland, Gnu Hurd, Oracle Raw Iron, ... Top tech flops Nos. 11-15: Palm OS Cobalt, Netscape 6, search engines, ... Top tech flops Nos. 6-10: Itanium, Mac clones, e-currency, ... Top tech flops Nos. 1-5: DRM, paperless office, iPod imitators, ...Tech's all-time top 25 flops: No. 16 to 20 20. Copland. Some fumbles can be recovered. And it's true; today, Mac OS X is an impressive operating system. But imagine how much further Apple could have gone if it had delivered its next-gen OS when it originally intended to, back in 1995.     Copland was meant to be the modern successor to the original Mac OS, but years of political infighting had hobbled Apple's development department. For all its superior engineering talent, it became clear that it was impossible for Apple to produce a modernized Mac OS on its own. Instead, it would buy Steve Jobs' NeXT OS and use that as the basis for the Mac OS X that ultimately shipped in 1999 -- ironic, considering that Jobs had left Apple over political infighting a decade earlier.19. Gnu Hurd. When Richard Stallman launched the Gnu project in 1983, his goal was to build the world's first completely free operating system: kernel, tools, utilities, applications, documentation, and all. Good thing he didn't start from the bottom up.Almost 25 years later, there is still no Gnu kernel. The Hurd, as the proposed kernel is known, should have been the Free Software movement's crowning achievement. Instead it's become the poster child for collaborative software development gone wrong, topping the lists of vaporware year after year. And it's a shame -- because wouldn't it be great if there was a free OS kernel for everyone to use?18. Oracle Raw Iron. What's the best OS for your database server? Should you run it on Windows? Linux? AIX? Something else? Back in 1998, Oracle's answer was none of the above! Instead, Larry Ellison promised an "appliance" version of Oracle 8i, called Raw Iron, that ran atop the bare server hardware. No longer would Oracle customers need to worry about a separate support contract with an OS vendor: Oracle would handle the whole show.Behind the scenes, prototype Raw Iron boxes ran a custom version of Sun Solaris, but it didn't matter. Customers had seen through Larry's hand-waving, anyway. When nobody bit, the project was quietly shelved -- just a few years before the market for network appliances took off.17. B-to-b e-commerce. As the dot-com craze waned in the early 2000s, venture capitalists clung to a last-ditch idea: If all those startup e-commerce companies weren't striking gold with the consumer public, maybe they could ply their wares to other, more established companies instead? They called it b-to-b e-commerce, and a generation of would-be digital disintermediators was born.The problem was that few of their potential customers were interested in cutting out the middlemen -- not if it meant trading them for an unproven online startup with a tiny sales force and no real experience in inventory management. In the end, though, the b-to-b players did deliver some excellent deals -- when their assets were offered up at auction.16. Apple Newton. It's no iPhone, but by some measures the Newton still beats the pants off any PDA since. Rabid fans wax nostalgic about the Newton OS, and breathy rumors of a new Apple PDA remain a staple of Macworld Expos. Alas, the Newton never had a chance. Introduced in 1993, the Newton MessagePads were bulky, with lousy battery life. While Palm and Microsoft's PDA partners were building devices that could actually fit in your pocket, Apple answered with a full-sized keyboard and a clunky clamshell for the Newton eMate 300 in 1997, then threw in the towel as its losses mounted.It's a shame. With some software tweaks to suit business users, the iPhone and the iPod Touch could get Apple back in the game. But given the bad taste left by Newton, who'd be brave enough to suggest it to Steve now? (Besides us.)Top tech flops Nos. 21-25: PS/2, VR, compression wars, ... Top tech flops Nos. 16-20: Copland, Gnu Hurd, Oracle Raw Iron, ... Top tech flops Nos. 11-15: Palm OS Cobalt, Netscape 6, search engines, ... Top tech flops Nos. 6-10: Itanium, Mac clones, e-currency, ... Top tech flops Nos. 1-5: DRM, paperless office, iPod imitators, ...Tech's all-time top 25 flops: No. 11 to 15 15. Palm OS Cobalt. The only thing worse than giving up on a viable market is to win it totally, then run it into the ground. What else can be said about Palm? Its devices were revolutionary, its competition from Microsoft laughable. Then came years of mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, and rebranding. All the while, the products stagnated. When Palm finally delivered its Cobalt OS in 2004, the purported successor to the aging Palm OS failed to win any licensees.     Now, Palm is resorting to a Hail Mary: The next Palm OS, we're told, will be based on Linux. But when it might appear is anyone's guess, and by then it won't matter. We'll all be too used to this year's Treos, running Windows Mobile.14. Netscape 6. The turning point of the browser wars came in 1997, with the release of Internet Explorer 4. For the first time, IE was better than Netscape Communicator. Not only was it faster, but it had more features and better standards compliance.Netscape should have struck back immediately, but instead it dragged its feet. As Microsoft pressed ahead with IE5, Netscape's open source Mozilla project foundered, producing nothing but buggy "preview releases." When Netscape 6 finally appeared, years later, it was a bloated, sluggish mess. The war was lost, and now even the Netscape brand is scheduled to pass into oblivion.Ironically, the former Netscape Communicator suite lives on as an open source project, called SeaMonkey -- presumably because it sounded great at first, but the real thing is a disappointment.13. Search portals. Where are they now? At the height of the dot-com boom, Web surfers had a plethora of search engines to choose from: AltaVista, Excite, InfoSeek, Lycos, and many more. Today, the major players of the past are mostly dead. A few have soldiered on, such as Ask.com, but only after repeated redesigns.Chalk it up to old-fashioned hubris. Instead of concentrating on their search offerings, the first-generation search engines fell victim to the portal arms race. They built up dashboards full of sports scores, stock quotes, news headlines, horoscopes, the weather, email, instant messaging, games, and sponsored content -- until finding what you wanted was like playing Where's Waldo. Neither fish nor fowl, they became awkward combinations of search portals and general-interest portals. The world went to Yahoo for the latter. And when an upstart called Google appeared with a clean UI and high-quality search, users told the other engines to get lost.12. IPv6. Few topics spark more debate than IT's equivalent of global warming. According to some experts, the question isn't whether we will run out of IPv4 network addresses, but how soon. And there's no Kyoto controversy here; federal policy already requires that government offices transition to IPv6 by 2008. So why is everyone still dragging their feet?Quite simply, IPv6 is a fix for a problem nobody has yet. Stopgap solutions such as NAT, while infuriating to network engineers, have proven effective. And IPv6 offers no compelling features to offset the headache of implementing it. In other words, until someone offers the equivalent of carbon credits for networking, IPv6 is one truth that's just too inconvenient.11. Microsoft Passport. We all have too many online accounts and too many passwords to go with them. If Microsoft wants to save us some hassle by remembering them all for us, why not, right?But Web users didn't flock to Microsoft's single sign-on service when it went live, and neither did partners. The idea was good, but the implementation was lousy. First came public debate over privacy concerns. The discovery of security holes in the Passport software was just the final straw.To be fair, Microsoft's competitors had no luck with the concept, either. As it turns out, people think handing over their personal security information to a third party as a way to save effort is a bad idea. Who knew?Top tech flops Nos. 21-25: PS/2, VR, compression wars, ... Top tech flops Nos. 16-20: Copland, Gnu Hurd, Oracle Raw Iron, ... Top tech flops Nos. 11-15: Palm OS Cobalt, Netscape 6, search engines, ... Top tech flops Nos. 6-10: Itanium, Mac clones, e-currency, ... Top tech flops Nos. 1-5: DRM, paperless office, iPod imitators, ...Tech's all-time top 25 failures: No. 6 to 10 10. Itanium. For almost as long as its chips have powered PCs, Intel has had to compete with clones. So when Intel offered a high-powered 64-bit chip for server computing, it almost made sense that it should be a completely different design than the classic x86. Almost, that is, except for one thing: The reason Intel's rivals released clones was because people wanted x86s.     Correction: They wanted affordable x86, and Itanium was neither. But although it was a commercial flop, the Good Ship Itanic sails on, though to where we cannot say. It takes a brave captain, indeed, to follow into those waters.9. Mac clones. Nobody dangled a carrot in front of its customers like Apple did in the late 1990s. For years, the Mac faithful had clamored for alternatives to Apple's expensive, proprietary hardware. Apple gave its blessing in 1995, and the market flooded with discount Mac clones from the likes of Power Computing, Motorola, and Umax. Then, just two years later, they were gone.Fans of the clones fumed, but for Apple the only thing more damaging than this bait-and-switch was greenlighting the clones to begin with. Clone makers used generic PC components, an affront to the Mac's carefully cultivated image, but their popularity underscored how mediocre Apple's own offerings had become. As it turned out, what Apple really needed wasn't alternative manufacturers, but alternative management.8. Electronic currency. If you're looking for the perfect complement to e-commerce, what else but e-money? If storefronts can go virtual, then why shouldn't customers' wallets?The dot-com era spawned a cottage industry of alternative currencies and "loyalty programs." Many positioned themselves as solutions for micropayments -- the idea that online content providers could actually collect on the infinitesimally small fees that the market would bear. As it turned out, however, while employees of Internet startups might have been content to be paid in paper stock options, consumers preferred cold, hard cash -- proving once and for all that the only thing worse than a wooden nickel is a digital one.7. The 64-bit desktop PC. We're all used to the major chipmakers wowing us with numbers, but as the gigahertz race slowed, life began imitating "Spinal Tap." How many bits does your processor support? 16? 32? Mine goes all the way up to 64!Apple and IBM may have started the 64-bit craze in 2002, but AMD and Intel quickly followed suit. The elephant in the room, however, was that nobody could think of a serious reason why the average PC user might need to be able to access 16 exabytes of RAM.64-bit OSes still lag behind the 32-bit versions and the applications aren't there, but who cares? After all, it's not how many bits you've got -- it's the cores that matter. Or something.6. Carly Fiorina. Call her the anti-Steve Jobs. During her 1999-2005 tenure as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, Carly Fiorina proved that she could reverse decades of geek goodwill and alienate customers like no one else. She oversaw the spin-off of HP's well-respected instruments and medical equipment business, outsourced its beloved calculator division, then issued 7,000 pink slips. Under Fiorina's tenure, HP brought in more profits from printer ink than PCs. But she'll be remembered most for HP's acquisition of Compaq, among other dubious efforts to give the "stodgy" HP a more consumer-friendly face (does anyone remember the licensed iPods?).HP's stock price sagged under Fiorina, but she still walked away with a $21 million severance bonus. Not bad, considering that HP began in a garage with just $538 in capital.Top tech flops Nos. 21-25: PS/2, VR, compression wars, ... Top tech flops Nos. 16-20: Copland, Gnu Hurd, Oracle Raw Iron, ... Top tech flops Nos. 11-15: Palm OS Cobalt, Netscape 6, search engines, ... Top tech flops Nos. 6-10: Itanium, Mac clones, e-currency, ... Top tech flops Nos. 1-5: DRM, paperless office, iPod imitators, ...Tech's all-time top 25 flops: No. 1 to 5 5. Digital rights management. Has any industry ever invested so heavily in a technology that its customers didn't want? Again and again, media companies keep racing to market with one new twist on digital copy protection after another, then offer up their own failures as "proof" that the market isn't ready for downloadable content.     It's strange, too, when you consider that every DRM scheme yet invented has been quickly compromised. Some experts believe that the whole concept of DRM technology is inherently flawed. Still, as encouraging as Steve Jobs' recent statements have been, it's difficult to speculate on when the media giants will give up on this harebrained idea. Greed is a powerful motivator.4. Paperless office. Who needs paper? For years, office managers have been rubbing their hands at the notion that databases, spreadsheets, e-mail, and digital documents can replace traditional ledgers, forms, and faxes. But while saving the environment is a laudable goal, the truth is that it's actually harder to preserve digital records than the old-fashioned kind.Increased regulatory pressures have helped fuel a cottage industry around information lifecycle management, but the real-life capabilities of these products are a far cry from their lofty ambitions. Meanwhile, digital record-keeping presents security and privacy risks unheard of in the days of locked filing cabinets. The paperless office may finally be here, but it's enough to make you wish for a good, old-fashioned memo pad.3. iPod imitators. Apple has always been the underdog of the PC market. Maybe that explains the electronics industry's chronic habit of underestimating the iPod. Would-be competitors have come and gone, but go they do, swiftly, once customers get a gander at their second-rate hardware and atrocious interfaces. From Microsoft's ugly, feature-hobbled Zune to TrekStor's abortive plan to release a player under the cringe-inducing moniker i.Beat blaxx, it seems nobody can get it right, even with Apple paving the way.Frustrated, SanDisk recently resorted to Swift Boat-style attack ads, referring to the Apple faithful as "iChimps." The question is, is it the iPod they hate? Or the millions of potential customers who refuse to settle for an inferior copy?2. Windows Vista. What if you threw a party for the world's most revolutionary operating system and nobody came? Then again, by the time Windows Vista actually shipped, the "revolution" looked more like a failed coup.Despite repeated delays, much-anticipated features such as WinFS and the Monad command shell never made it into the shipping version of Vista, even as its system requirements grew and grew. When the dust finally cleared, the new OS seemed like little more than a bloated rehash of Windows XP, touched up with fresh coat of 3D-rendered paint. Add sluggish performance, spotty driver support, UI annoyances, and a dubious application security model, and suddenly desktop Linux doesn't sound like such a crazy idea after all. Who knows what could convince risk-averse enterprises to make the leap to Vista now -- but hey, there's always Service Pack 1, right? Or maybe Service Pack 2.1. Security. Computers influence every aspect of our business lives. We trust them implicitly to manage our records, compute our figures, and facilitate our communications. When will we ever learn?Thirty years into the personal computer era, and it seems like security is only getting worse. Computer viruses and worms, though simplistic in comparison to any useful application, have proven as resilient as the common cold. The Web, e-mail, and instant messaging have given criminals unprecedented opportunities for fraud, scams, and electronic spying.In 2007, corporations lost customer data to cyberthieves like never before. And today's vast digital repositories make for very juicy targets that can be copied onto a few DVDs slipped unnoticed in a jacket pocket. If auto manufacturers approached safety the same way that software makers handle security, we'd all be driving Ford Pintos and Yugos. And airline security would resemble the "systems" that buses use to catch fare-dodgers.Now that we've built a digital world on an insecure foundation, the solutions for security are really hard ? maybe too hard. We may just need to live with the fact that computer technology is largely unsecure, so caveat utilisator.Top tech flops Nos. 21-25: PS/2, VR, compression wars, ... Top tech flops Nos. 16-20: Copland, Gnu Hurd, Oracle Raw Iron, ... Top tech flops Nos. 11-15: Palm OS Cobalt, Netscape 6, search engines, ... Top tech flops Nos. 6-10: Itanium, Mac clones, e-currency, ... Top tech flops Nos. 1-5: DRM, paperless office, iPod imitators, ...


Global warming to multiply world's refugee burden

If rising sea levels force the people of the Maldive Islands to seek new homes, who will look after them in a world already turning warier of refugees?


Il comandante Speciale 'si e' prestato a montare vicenda'


Contratto su Dow Jones avanza di 37 punti base


Fidel Castro revealed Thursday that he thought he was dying when he fell seriously ill in July 2006, and he hastily made plans to give up power as doctors fought to save his life.


A man wanted in at least 18 killings in Kenya — including the deaths of a leading AIDS researcher and an American missionary — was shot dead on Tuesday after a police raid on his house.


Sheffield, Yanks Rally for Win Over Twins

The New York Yankees wasted a six-run lead and were about to get swept by the Minnesota Twins until Gary Sheffield saved them - just as he has so often this season. Sheffield homered twice and keyed a four-run rally in the ninth inning Thursday night, sending the Yankees to a seesaw, 13-10 victory in Minnesota...


BANGKOK: Myanmarâs military rulers freed about 500 prisoners from the notorious Insein Prison on Friday, witnesses said, but there was no immediate word on whether political detainees were among them.


Symmonds, U.S. Runners Fueled by Training Groups

Nick Symmonds is at the head of a rising U.S. running class and in the middle of a training renaissance that track officials hope will transform the sport over the next decade.


Space tourist Ansari begins trip back to Earth

A Russian Soyuz capsule with space  tourist Anousheh Ansari on board undocked from the  International Space Station on Thursday and began its return to  Earth.


North Korea replies to President Bush's letter to Kim Jong-il, vowing to honour its pledge on a nuclear deal.


Ramadan's end draws 1,000 for festive day

About 1,000 Louisville-area Muslims gathered at the Clarion Hotel off Hurstbourne Parkway yesterday to celebrate the largest festival of their religious calendar, Eid ul-Fitr.


Soldiers and armed police patrolled the Bangladeshi capital on Sunday, a day after more than a dozen grenades were thrown at an opposition rally, killing at least 18 people and injuring hundreds.


Televangelist Tammy Fay Bakker Messner dies

Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, the televangelist who helped lead the PTL ministry before its collapse in a sex and corruption scandal, has died at age 65, her Web site reported on Saturday.


Pzifer investigated for internal data breach

Blog: 17,000 of the pharmaceutical company's employees may have had their personal data exposed on a Web site.


Centinaia di immagini d'antan raccolte da tutto il mondoUn museo virtuale del tabacco opera di una ragazza spagnola                                            Come fumavano nel secolo scorso su Flickr i manifesti d'epoca delle sigarette


Another Defeat For Pakistan And Aussies Clinch Series

MELBOURNE, Australia : Dec 29 (PNS) - An unbeaten 116 runs second wicket partnership between skipper Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden led the Australians to easily defeat Pakistan by 9 wickets in the second Test and clinch the Series on the fourth day at


Ostaggio GB, il fratello: ''Ken e' vivo. Blair si dimetta''

Il fratello dell'ostaggio britannico in Iraq Kenneth Bigley, rapito il 16 settembre insieme a due americani gia' giustiziati dai sequestratori, ha affermato oggi che il suo congiunto e' ancora vivo e ha nuovamente attaccato il primo ministro Tony Blair


Before Derrek Lee even had a chance to look at the big, old-fashioned scoreboard at Wrigley Field, a helpful Cubs fan let him know what he needed to do.


Iniziativa per proteggere consumatori piu' deboli


Illness Postpones Jury Selection in Jackson Trial

Jury selection in Michael Jackson's  child molestation trial will be postponed for at least several  days due to the grave illness of his lead attorney's sister, a  court spokesman said on Saturday.


The incoming Democratic chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee promised on Wednesday to combat what he denounced as President George W. Bush's war-time trampling of American rights.


Jaguar workers feel betrayed by the company

Union members at Jaguar today voted overwhelmingly to oppose closure at the Browns Lane plant in Coventry and backed a call for an industrial action ballot.


NY Times publisher mulls taking it private: report

The chairman of New York Times Co. has  been seeking advice from the head of a private equity firm  about arranging a takeover bid for the newspaper publisher,  Business Week reported on its Web site on Thursday.


Google's long-awaited initial stock sale, which appeared imminent today, has been delayed while the company awaits final approval of its paperwork by the S.E.C.


UN paying attention to Arafat's health: spokesman

The United Nations is closely following the situation in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is reportedly ill, a UN spokesman said Thursday.


Smoking not only damages health, it is  bad for the brain too, according to a Scottish study spanning  nearly 60 years.


Il colosso di Mountain View lancia enciclopedia "Knol"


Once Australia's largest and most influential lender, National Australia Bank reported earnings on Wednesday that exposed it as the disappointing exception in an industry thriving on the country's housing boom.


Pakistani president says killing of Al-Qaeda militant is a blow ...

The Pakistani President, Pervez Musharraf, says the killing of an al-Qaeda militant by security forces is a major blow against terrorism.


Newly arrived Duke University freshmen got something considerably snazzier than the usual Blue Devils T-shirts and ball caps: Their goodie bags included a free iPod digital music player engraved with the school's crest and the words "Class of 2008."


Sono nel monastero cistercense di Vittorio Veneto, uno dei pochi femminiliUn permesso unico per gli scatti, poi il ritorno alla vita di lavoro e meditazione                                          Il calendario delle suore di clausura foto "esclusive" per il convento                                                                                di GIUSEPPE CAPORALE


After blowing out Louisville, the Connecticut Huskies didn't stick around to watch the second Big East semifinal. It didn't matter to them who they'd play for their third consecutive conference tournament title.


U.S. probing apparent Guantanamo suicide

The U.S. military is investigating how guards failed to prevent the death last month of a Guantanamo Bay detainee, an apparent suicide in one of the most closely monitored detention camps for suspected al-Qaida and Taliban members, the top commander said Tuesday.


Bush Scraps Trade Embargo on Libya in WMD Reward

President Bush on Monday formally ended the broad U.S. trade embargo on Libya to reward it for giving up weapons of mass destruction but left in place some U.S. terrorism-related sanctions.


Tea Leaves and Dollars: Read 'em and Weep

The dollar's jump against the euro on Friday reflected a possibly misinterpreted signal of higher interest rates and the desire of investors to own dollars.


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

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


New research shows that exercise can help reverse the aging process at the cellular level. Strength training for the senior set.


Users should be wary of pressing the 'click here to remove' link on spam messages because it serves to confirm to spammers that junk mail messages are being read.


Retreat in July set Jiang's exit in motion

THE first seeds of Mr Jiang Zemin's decision to relinquish the powerful post of China's military chief were probably sown during a private retreat at Beidaihe in July.


Music Review | 'Three Lost Chords': There Amid the Madness, Dark Humor Lies in Wait

Depending on how you look at it, âThree Lost Chordsâ is a single work in three loosely related acts, or three short, single-character operas yoked together.


N.Y. State Subpoenas Intel in Antitrust Probe

N.Y. state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is investigating possible violations of state and federal antitrust laws by Intel. The company says it hasn't broken any laws and blames the legal moves on competitor AMD.


Pakistan set to delay election after Bhutto death

Pakistan is expected to set a new date for elections on Wednesday after the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto sparked bloodshed and rage against President Pervez Musharraf's government.


An new maths A-level should be introduced to attract those who are not stretched, says QCA


The State Department promised Blackwater USA bodyguards immunity from prosecution in its investigation of last month's deadly shooting of 17 Iraqi civilians, The Associated Press has learned


Four million fewer viewers watch this year's Super Bowl, despite Sir Paul McCartney's half-time mini-concert.


Pearl Jam has promised to donate $100,000 to several groups that focus on climate change, renewable energy and other environmental causes as part of an effort to offset carbon emissions the band churns out on tour.


Apple updates AirPort Express, Extreme firmware

MacCentral - Apple on Monday updated the firmware used by its AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme base stations. The new firmware is available for download from Apple's Web site, and is available in various forms for Mac OS X and Windows users -- as well as a "raw firmware" version for users trying to update from Mac OS X v10.2.8.


City Room: Cat Roundup at Kennedy Airport

To the alarm of animal rescue groups, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is rounding up feral cats that live in a colony deep in the secured cargo areas.


From afar, the ghostly warships recall a fierce phalanx ready for battle. A closer look, though, shows the rust and rot of ships unfit for duty or even dismantling, a quandary that is costing taxpayers millions of dollars and could cause environmental misery that will cost millions more.


BALTIMORE Sept. 23, 2004 - A twin who survived a surgical separation from her sister last week was in critical but stable condition Thursday after hours of reconstructive surgery on her head and scalp.


Britain suspends license for major supplier of flu vaccine

British health authorities on Tuesday suspended the manufacturing license of flu vaccine maker Chiron Corp., a major supplier to the United States.


Ukraine's election rivals wrap up stormy campaign

Opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko on Friday warned the government that it would be a grave error to allow â-r support â - violence in this weekend's runoff election.


Huckabee counts on pastors for Iowa help

Republican Mike Huckabee, the former Baptist preacher, is depending on more than a leap of faith to win the Iowa caucuses.


Pakistani train crashes with many trapped in wreckage

HYDERABAD, Pakistan  - A Pakistani express train packed with holiday travelers came off the rails on Wednesday and at least three people were killed and about 100 were trapped inside, police said.


Nearly 500 drug addicts, alcoholics, orphans and vagrants kicked off the Homeless World Cup soccer tournament Sunday, opening a weeklong event aimed at helping society's most marginalized make a new start in life.


Trump to Miss USA: You get a second chance

Miss USA 2006 was given a second chance on Tuesday by billionaire Donald Trump who came close to firing her after reported misbehavior.


BNP leader arrested over incitement to racial hatred

The leader of the British National Party was being questioned last night by police investigating racism in the organisation, the party said.


Ministro verso permesso soggiorno a chi denuncia gravi abusi


Mobile forensics turns up heat on suspects

Hunt for deleted data escalates The latest version of the top computer forensics package will be the first to include a mobile phone component. The move signals how vital mobile data has become to many prosecutions.â¦


Bertinotti preoccupato, Di Pietro "operazione taglia e cuci"


Despite this week's violence in Lebanon, both Hizballah and its enemies realize they have nothing to gain from being drawn into civil war


LSI Logic Corp's subsidiary Engenio Information Technologies Inc has got its foot in the door at Dell Inc, which has committed to taking on Engenio as a rival to EMC Corp in the supply of low-end disk arrays, according to sources close to the companies.


Dopo l'uccisione dei 3 figli di Balusha davanti alla scuola


Pistoia, 20:42 - CALCIO, PISTOIESE: PRESENTATO IL NUOVO ALLENATORE D'ARRIGO

Francesco D'Arrigo allenerà la Pistoiese (C1, girone A) per la stagione 2007/2008. Il nuovo t...


Britain Charges Suspects in U.S.-Linked Terror Case

Britain charged eight men on Tuesday  with conspiracy to murder and other terrorism charges, some  relating to plans for U.S. buildings such as the New York Stock  Exchange that were the subject of terrorism alerts this month.


By Ridzwan A. Rahim  MOST of us use plastic bags without considering the danger they pose to the environment and the eco-system.  Plastics are the primary substance in trash found in oceans today.


The trial of a man accused of the murders of 29 people in the Omagh bombing is expected to resume later.


Q&A: Red Hat's CEO on his company's latest acquisition

OCTOBER 01, 2004  - After his company announced that it's acquiring security and authentication tools from Netscape Security Solutions to bolster its software arsenal (see story), Red Hat Inc.


Philippine social welfare office runs out of money for storm victims

The Philippine Social Welfare Department warned it had run out of money to pay for relief services for victims of a series of storms that left more than 1,400 people dead or missing last week.


One is accused of punching an Iraqi prisoner. Another faces allegations that he kicked, choked and humiliated captives.


Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy  Johnson moved a step closer to his dream of joining the New  York Yankees Thursday, agreeing a two-year contract extension  worth a reported $32 million.


Chiefs outlast Titans, 49-38 nfl roundup

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A phantom penalty and a nine-yard touchdown catch by Eddie Kennison on Monday night lifted the Kansas City Chiefs past the Tennessee Titans, 49-38.


Opinion: Whether they realize it or not, many people leave sensitive information out in plain view on Web sites. But sooner or later, a Google search will dig it up.


Big Brother's Jade Goody apologises to Indians and Bollywood's Shilpa Shetty during a visit to India.


The World Series has been over less than 48 hours and already I can't wait for the free-agent signing period to commence, for the Winter Meetings to unfold, for tensions between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees to escalate to unprecedented levels.


Essay: As Diet Ideas Abound, Is Willpower Obsolete?

The importance of willpower in promoting weight loss is becoming an obsolete notion. Is it worth saving?


My Turn: From Jock to Beauty Queen and Back

How the diagnosis of a serious heart condition turned a jock into a beauty queen.


Sprint Nextel is trying to upstage the iPhone. A week before the much-anticipated launch of its rival's flashy music phone, the company is trying to stave off competition by touting a new red version of its UpStage multimedia phone. That's a tough task: Sprint has done little to impress Wall Stre...


The Army says it is on course for a bumper year for recruitment in Wales despite ongoing conflicts overseas.


Pope John Paul II met on Tuesday, September 7, with a group of...

Pope John Paul II ( bio - news ) met on Tuesday, September 7, with a group of pilgrims from Spain, who had traveled to Italy for the beatification of Father Pere Tarres I Claret, a priest of the Barcelona ...


Microsoft will indeed be trimming some things out of the initial release of the Longhorn client, the next version of the Windows desktop operating system.


Gia' annunciato il 25 gennaio, approvato bilancio del 2006


Investment lunches for seniors may serve fraud

More than a third of "free lunch" investment seminars targeting seniors may involve unsuitable recommendations or outright fraud, securities regulators say.


Ford Motor's New Chief: "I Think It's a Tough Situation"

In an interview with TIME, Bill Ford and Alan Mulally talk about the automaker's bold change at the top


Rail minister urged to quit after tragedy

NEW DELHI: Indian legislators called for the railway minister to resign yesterday, a day after two passenger trains hurtled head-on into each other killing at least 38 people and wounding dozens.


TUNCELI, Turkey  - Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan called crisis talks that may authorize a cross-border military offensive after Kurdish rebels killed at least 12 Turkish soldiers in an ambush on Sunday near the Iraqi border.


NY Police Say Two Arrested for Subway Bomb Plot

Police arrested two men on suspicion  of plotting to bomb a New York subway station and other  targets, but the case had no connection with next week's  Republican convention or al Qaeda, police said on Saturday.


October 17 2004 1045CET - There are approximately 1,444 individuals seeking treatment for drug addiction in Malta. On


Fool on Call: Chattem Looks Toward a Record '08

Timely acquisitions and cost savings add up to a big year for this consumer-goods producer.


Hamas made a strong showing in local elections in the West Bank, the first time the Islamic terrorist group competed at the polls, according to preliminary elections results obtained Friday.


The Australian bank which owns the Irish bank targeted this week in the largest cash theft in British history has insured the year ends on a bad note after announcing it was covered by âself-insuranceâ.


Dead spy left trail of radiation, official says

Three people have undergone testing for possible radioactive contamination following the death of a former Russian spy in London, British Home Secretary John Reid said on Monday.


Superblack material made from microscopic carbon nanotubes is produced in a US laboratory.


L'aut-aut del segretario di An al sindaco di RomaL'affermazione durante la registrazione di Tv7                                          Fini: "Se Veltroni diventa segretario Pd il 14 ottobre deve lasciare il Campidoglio"                                                                                "Io primo cittadino? Il centrodestra ha almeno quattro assi da calare""Berlusconi candidato premier perchÃ© ha piÃ¹ voti e ha saputo tenere insieme la Cdl"


French president meets Beijing city leaders

France is willing to further promote friendly ties with China and with the Chinese people, said French President Jacques Chirac in Beijing Sunday evening.


Some iPhone users have activation delays: source

About 2 percent of people who bought  the keenly-awaited iPhone, launched on Friday by Apple Inc.  , have been experiencing delays in activating their  service, a person familiar with the matter said on Sunday.


Argentina Says It Has Given Debt Details

The Argentine government said Monday it had presented US regulators with specifics of a proposed offering intended for restructuring US$103 billion (euro80.


International Media Mission Recommends Reform in Nepal

Text of report by Nepalnews.com website on 7 September  The visiting international media mission has recommended the government of Nepal for extensive amendments of media laws to strengthen the press freedom and democratic values.


Firenze, 14:21 - CALCIO, FIORENTINA; MUTU: TOTTI MERITA IL PALLONE D'ORO

A due giorni da Fiorentina-Roma Adrian Mutu incorona Francesco Totti. ''Merita il Pallone d'Oro - di...


(CBS) "The Polar Express" has delighted children for 20 years, since Chris van Allsburg penned the tale about a train ride to the North Pole.


Microsoft cancels key developer conference

(InfoWorld) - Microsoft has cancelled its fall developer conference, citing inconvenient timing for the show in light of the launch of important new infrastructure and developer-platform products. Microsoft dropped the bombshell about the PDC (Professional Developers Conference), which was to be held in October in Los Angeles, in a posting on its Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) site late Thursday. "As the PDC is the definitive developer event focused on the future of the Microsoft platform, we try to align it to be in front of major platform milestones," the company said in the post. However, Microsoft already will have its key new platform technologies -- including Windows Server 2008; the next major release of SQL Server database; the next release of its Visual Studio toolset, code-named Orcas; and the new Silverlight technology for building RIAs (rich Internet applications) -- available for developers before the show. Microsoft said it wants developers to focus on those in the near term. The PDC is usually held every other year and is timed to give developers an early look at new releases of some of Microsoft's most strategic software products. For example, at the last PDC, held in 2005, developers got an early look at the new Microsoft Expression toolset for building RIAs, which was only released last month. However, Microsoft has cancelled the PDC in the past if it didn't think it had the right products to show developers at the event. One Microsoft partner who often speaks at the company's developer conferences said the move seems to make sense. "Microsoft's reasoning for this, essentially, is that between MIX, TechEd Orlando and Barcelona, and (I suspect) its Business Intelligence Conference held two weeks ago -- and a slew of recent and soon-to-come alpha and beta releases -- developers have enough to chew on for a while," Andrew Brust, chief, new technology for consulting firm Twentysix New York, said in a post on his blog. "If my memory serves me correctly, Microsoft made the same decision two PDCs back, and with hindsight, people appreciated the decision and judged it wise." TechEd Orlando is scheduled for June 4 to 8, while TechEd Developer is planned for November in Barcelona. Microsoft said it would update the MSDN site when it has set a new date for the PDC. In the meantime, the company is highlighting other developer events it plans to hold in the last several months of the year as substitutes for the "deep, technical training" developers get at the PDC. Those events are VSLive! in New York in September, VSLive! in Las Vegas in October; DevConnections in Las Vegas in November; and TechEd Developer. One analyst suspects there may be another reason for the sudden cancellation of the PDC. Greg DeMichillie, with Directions on Microsoft in Kirkland, Washington, thinks Microsoft may have wanted to show developers an as-yet unannounced-technology at the show but realized it would not be ready in time. Claiming the show is not timed for software such as Windows Server 2008, code-named "Longhorn," may just be an excuse, he said. "The explanation they're giving is that it's not really timed right for Longhorn, but you know what -- that was patently obvious six months ago when they scheduled it," DeMichillie said. "The cancellation could be just that they couldn't get their act together on what it is they want to say." DeMichillie acknowledged that the timing of the conference is likely difficult for Microsoft to plan because the company wants developers to have forthcoming technologies available early enough for them to have time to give feedback but in a mature enough form that Microsoft's plans for the products "have a likelihood of succeeding." Microsoft may have also decided to push back the conference in an effort to continue its focus on Vista, which was released in late January and is still in its earliest stages of deployment among business and enterprise customers. "There is a concerted effort there to focus on deploying Vista, and I think they're afraid that a big early platform rollout in the fourth quarter really runs the risk of distracting people," DeMichillie said. Nancy Gohring in Seattle contributed to this story.ADVERTISEMENTIBM Information On Demand 2006Industrial Industry Leaders, please join us at IBM's premier information management global event, IBM Information On Demand 2006, October 15-20, Anaheim, CA. More IBM business and technical solutions content in one place than ever before! Select from  over 800 sessions. Register today!


CORRECTED: China confirms bird flu outbreak

Corrects spelling of village of Sixian in paragraph 7.


Faith in Google Unabated; Stock Tops $700

The sky's the limit for the most powerful online company, apparently, as investors help boost its overall market value by 30 percent in just two months.


VIENNA, Austria -- Giving Iran one last chance to avoid the threat of UN sanctions, Britain, France and Germany will offer undisclosed incentives at a meeting today in return for assurances that the Tehran regime will suspend uranium enrichment, diplomats


The American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout took place yesterday, the third Thursday of November, challenging smokers to smoke less or quit smoking for that day.


Only Arafat Family Can Get Medical Dossier -France

French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said on Tuesday France would release Yasser Arafat's medical dossier only to his family, despite a request for details by Palestinian leaders.


Chris Drury and the New York Rangers made their contribution to what proved to be a memorable Sunday for the Big Apple's pro sports teams.


With changing times, movie promotions too are turning at their innovative best.


Scores of bodies were scattered on streets and among trees in a scene of horror on Tuesday after tidal waves ripped through the Thai tourist resort of Khao Lak.


Portuguese parliament votes to lift ban on abortion

Portugal's parliament approved, as  expected, a law to lift the ban on abortion by a majority vote  late on Thursday.


Bruce Bowen scored a career-high 24 points, including five 3-pointers, and helped limit Kobe Bryant to 17 points in the San Antonio Spurs' 100-83 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.


Explosions wound 13 in southern Thailand

BANGKOK - A pair of bomb blasts in southern Thailand wounded at least 13 people on Friday. The first explosion at a food stall in Yala province hurt four people, including one police officer.


Deputati e senatori dimostrino essere sopra ogni sospetto


Il Rapporto di Confcommercio: "Necessario diminuire spesa pubblica e pressione fiscaleLa perdita di valore degli immobili contribuisce a ridurre la spesa delle famiglie                                          "Nel 2008 consumi ancora fermi Bisogna rilanciare la produttivitÃ "                                                                                A una crescita modesta dell'1,3% nel 2008 dovrebbe perÃ² seguire un +1,9% nel 2009 di ROSARIA AMATO


Lockheed to take $110 million Q4 charge for court ruling

The nation's largest defense contractor will take a $110 million charge against its fourth quarter earnings after losing a court bid to salvage at least some of the money it pumped


Italians Demand Release of Workers in Iraq

Several thousand people marched in a candlelight vigil in Rome Friday, calling for the release of two Italian female aid workers held hostage in Iraq.


Rafa Benitez finally got some good news as Steven Gerrard's hat-trick helped Liverpool cruise into the FA Cup fourth round with a 5-0 win against crisis ridden League One outfit Luton on Tuesday.


Nearly two-thirds of Japanese support the country's much-criticized whaling program, a poll showed Friday, reflecting growing sentiment in the country that the international anti-whaling campaign is fueled by Western cultural bias.


Americans born after Dec. 1, 1964, will have to get more secure driver's licenses in the next six years under ambitious post-9/11 security rules


Poco variati dopo dato ordini nettamente superiore attese


it does not go on for ever. The Blues have stormed to the top of the Premiership while Arsenal are battling to hang on to their coat-tails.


Results of Election Could Lead to Conflict in Kirkuk

A Kurdish-backed list of candidates won a majority of seats on the regional council that governs this diverse northern city, a major political step in reversing the bloody course set by former president Saddam Hussein to make Kirkuk an Arab-dominated city.


Randy Johnson pitched seven strong innings and reached another milestone, and Alex Rodriguez hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly that sent the New York Yankees to a 7-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night.


U.S. says N.Korea nuclear talks at fork in the road

The United States and Japan said there must be real progress when talks on scrapping North Korea's nuclear arms resume this week, warning Pyongyang that only sanctions and isolation lie down the other "fork in the road".


Oct. 26, 2004 - The US-European spacecraft Cassini-Huygens on Tuesday made a historic flyby of Titan, Saturn's largest moon, passing so low as to almost touch the fringes of its atmosphere.


WASHINGTON Sept. 23, 2004 - Of the Americans who most need a flu shot, fewer than half actually get one, federal health officials warned Thursday as they called for special attention to babies, toddlers and the elderly as vaccinations begin next month.


Hizbollah Attacks Israel Patrol, Says Kills Officer

Lebanon's Hizbollah guerrillas attacked an Israeli army patrol in a border attack on Sunday, killing an Israeli officer, the group's television station said.


Race does not affect heart surgery death risk

NEW YORK  - Based on certain factors, one would expect Hispanics, Asians, and African Americans to be at greater risk for death following heart bypass surgery than Caucasians, but new research suggests this is not the case.


Allowed in, Winehouse Chooses to Stay Home

Amy Winehouse, right, the British soul singer, will perform via satellite for the 50th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday despite an unexpected reversal of the State Departmentâs rejection of her visa, her spokesman said Friday. Officials at the Department of Homeland Security issued a waiver that in effect overturned a decision by the United States Embassy in London to deny her visa request, according to an administration official. But the shift came too late for Ms. Winehouse, who recently entered a rehabilitation clinic after a video purporting to show her using drugs surfaced online, to prepare for a live performance in Los Angeles. Her spokesman, Chris Goodman, said, âUnfortunately, due to the logistics involved and timing complications, Amy will not be traveling to the U.S. to perform at the Grammys in person.â Ms. Winehouse, who is nominated in six categories, including album of the year for âBack to Black,â will join a long list of performers on the broadcast, which grew longer on Friday with the announcement that Kanye West, whose eight nominations are the most for anyone, will take the stage at the ceremony. John Mayer and Bebe Winans will also perform on the live CBS broadcast. Organizers previously announced a lineup including BeyoncÃ©, Rihanna, Kid Rock and the Foo Fighters.


Worms and viruses that pollute the Internet aren't new. What's new is the incredible magnitude of the problem and how it's growing.


Paducah to Enforce Rules for Park Use: Feeding of Noble Park Waterfowl Will Be Discouraged.

By Brian Peach, The Paducah Sun, Ky.  Feb. 14-- -- Feeding the ducks at Noble Park will soon violate a city ordinance, and visitors who break that or other rules might risk a ban from all city parks.


Conservative leader David Cameron has Tuesday withdrawn the whip from Derek Conway after the disgraced Tory MP was reprimanded over the misuse of his parliamentary allowances.


Space Station Crew Gives Students Holiday Cheer

Students from across the country received an extra dose of holiday cheer this past weekend with the successful delivery of their experiment samples to the International Space Station.


Comcast to face lawsuits over BitTorrent filtering

Comcast may have shot themselves in the foot. Lawyers are already circling in the water, and the company could be looking at a world of pain for its sneaky BitTorrent filtering.


Villagers home alone as Romania speeds up

BOZIENI, Romania  - In the picturesque hilltop village of Bozieni in southern Romania, once home to 100 families, Ecaterina Serban is the last remaining resident.


Conservatives plans to test immigrants for tuberculosis, HIV

The Conservative party promised to test immigrants from outside the European Union (EU) for HIV, tuberculosis and other diseases if it wins elections expected in May.


Microsoft registers trademark--19 years late

Does Microsoft's official trademark application for Excel signal an infringement crackdown?


Dodgy phone chat entertains pilots An Ulster used car dealer has had his dodgy cordless phone confiscated after airline pilots were entertained by "Arthur Daley-style banter about makes and prices of used cars", The Daily Mirror reports.â¦


NEW YORK It is tempting to believe that the threat of international crisis is suspended in the months preceding the US presidential election.


The Countess of Wessex is expecting a baby in December, Buckingham Palace announces.


Security researchers poke holes in Safari

Hot Fuzz Security hunters have discovered numerous bugs in a Windows version of Safari, hours after Apple released a beta version of the browser into the wild.â¦


The TV Watch: Stewart (Angsty) and Colbert (Not) Return, Gazing at Navels and News

Jon Stewartâs return on âThe Daily Showâ was a jarring display of solipsism from a performer famous for expertly tweaking the vanity and self-importance of others.


Leno Faces Writers Guild Action Over Monologues

A spokeswoman said Friday that the Writers Guild of America would definitely take some action against Jay Leno, who is a member.


CBS Guilty of 'Myopic Zeal' Over Bush Story -- Report

CBS News fired four employees on  Monday after an independent report critical of legendary anchor  Dan Rather found a "myopic zeal" led the network to disregard  basic journalism principles when it aired a faulty story on  President Bush's military service record.


Turkey has launched fresh air strikes against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, the Turkish military says.


BRUSSELS -- The European Commission proposed yesterday binding rules to require carmakers to cut carbon dioxide emissions for new cars, provoking criticism from the European automobile industry as well as from environmentalists who said the regulations did not go far enough.


Is "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" for cure or for show?


HONDURAN police are investigating a massacre of 28 passengers on a bus strafed by gunmen who left a chilling message to President Ricardo Maduro and crime-busting politicians.


Fight Over Homes Ends in Eviction: Dallas: City Got 154 Code Complaints; Residents Call Move Unfair

By Allen Houston, The Dallas Morning News  Dec. 16--Amid the holiday cards and junk mail, residents of Ash Creek Mobile Home Park got one letter they never wanted to receive.


U.S. missile shield turns Europe into powder keg: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin on  Tuesday warned that deploying a U.S. missile shield in Europe  would turn the continent into "a powder keg," Itar-Tass news  agency reported.


With Leopard's arrival later today, Apple's delivered five major upgrades to Mac OS X in six years, showing that small morsels can be more satisfying than biting off more than you can chew.


by Harry Bortman    In part 1 of this interview with Astrobiology Magazine editor Henry Bortman, planetary scientist David Grinspoon explained how Venus evolved from a wet planet similar to Earth to the scorching hot, dried-out furnace of today. In part 2, Grinspoon discusses the possibility of life on Venus...


Mutant Mice Help Shed Light on Tobacco Addiction

Genetically altered mice that are  unusually sensitive to nicotine may help scientists nail down  exactly how people become addicted to smoking, U.S. researchers  said on Thursday.


She was an equestrian, a disco princess and a black-clad rocker &#151; plus she crucified herself on a mirrored cross &#151; all in less than two hours.


BOSTON - An appetite-curbing hormone that failed to live up to its early buzz as a possible key to slowing obesity is now being probed as a potential aid for women who suffer from infertility and eating disorders.   "This represents essentially a new era for leptin," said Dr...


Procter & Gamble Co.  posted a 36  percent jump in fiscal fourth quarter profit on Wednesday, as  sales of Tide laundry detergent and other products overshadowed  inventory concerns at Gillette.


Finance Board Sues 'Seinfeld' Inspiration

It sounds like a "Seinfeld" episode: Kramer runs for mayor, then runs afoul of campaign finance laws and winds up in court as his own lawyer. But this mix of law and laughs is no Larry David script. Instead, David's one-time neighbor Kenny Kramer — the real-life inspiration for the quirky "Seinfeld" character — has a Jan. 5 court date with the city Campaign Finance Board.


Lebanon war report could rock Israeli government

An Israeli panel investigating the conduct of the 2006 war against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon publishes a final report on Wednesday that could rock Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government.


NASA Notes Some Progress in Making Shuttles Safer

A year after investigators concluded that the space shuttle Columbia was lost because of a damaged wing and a flawed approach to safety at NASA, agency officials said


Svelati i progetti del dipartimento per le armi non convenzionaliNemici sbaragliati stimolando alitosi e flatulenze nelle truppe                                                  La guerra chimica del Pentagono tra bombe dell'amore e puzze                                                                                Nel 1994 la Us Air Force chiese un finanziamento di 7,5 milionidi CRISTINA NADOTTI


A group of Iraqis in brown-and-tan camouflage uniforms huddled around an American officer yesterday as he gave them orders for setting up a checkpoint along a dangerous stretch of highway on the outskirts of Mosul.


Newt Gingrich described the Bush administration as dysfunctional and its unpopularity as hazardous to those in the Republican Party.


The portable gaming device is finally available, and looks to be worth the wait.


An Arctic expedition proves that a vast underwater mountain range is a part of Russia, officials say.


Ghostzapper dominates field in $4 million Classic

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas -- Ghostzapper made the rest of the field in North America's richest horse race disappear. In resounding fashion, front-running Ghostzapper romped to a three-length victory in Saturday's


The Motley Fool - For timeshare operator Sunterra (OTCBB: SNRR.PK - News), it's only a matter of time. The "For Sale" sign has been hung out, and it has plenty of advisors telling it what its next moves should be.


Blogosphere buzzes about 'death of the page view'

Bloggers offered mixed reviews of Nielsen/NetRatings decision to shift its key metric for measuring Web sites from page view numbers to the time spent by visitors.


In the opening days of the week-old assault on Fallujah, the Hadra Mohamadiya mosque was a major battleground. The rocket


US mortgage applications fell 6.3 percent last week, the biggest decline in more than a month, as fewer people filed to buy a home or refinance.


Bush, Kerry Differ Sharply on Iraq, Taxes

ST. LOUIS  - President Bush and Democratic  challenger John Kerry differed sharply on Iraq, jobs and taxes  in their second debate on Friday, with Kerry questioning Bush's  judgment and the president accusing Kerry of crumbling under  political pressure.


'Lemony Snicket' proves fortunate for Paramount

The whole film industry bemoans the lack of a "Lord of the Rings" episode to do for the current week what the trilogy did for the week leading into Christmas the past three years.


The most controversial provisions of the new anti-social behaviour act are coming into force.


Report Cites 'Hate' Writings in U.S. Mosques

The libraries of a number of American mosques feature Arabic-language writings published by the Saudi government or top clerics in the desert kingdom that virulently denounce Muslims from different traditions as well as Christians and Jews, and say devout Muslims should think of America as enemy territory, a new study said.


Sharapova Heeds Encouraging Words of a Former Champion

MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 26 -- When Maria Sharapova walked on court for the Australian Open final, she kept thinking about the sage advice of another champion.


Favorita la coalizione di Djukanovic per nuovo parlamento


Mixed response to strike â AIMTC rebuts Govt claims

Trucks parked at Yashwanthpur in Bangalore on Saturday following the indefinite strike called by the All-India Motor Transport Congress.


Economic Growth Revised Up in 3rd Quarter

The US economy grew at a slightly stronger rate than thought in the third quarter because imports were not as hefty as first estimated, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday, though corporate profits weakened.


Le vendite sono cresciute del 4% a 20,3 miliardi di dlr


L'annuncio in una nota della stessa cordata. "Non abbiamo i requisiti"Restano in gara Ap Holding  e Aeroflot-Unicredit                                            Alitalia, si ritira Tpg-Mediobanca Solo due in corsa per la compagnia


Mal d'ufficio: colpisce sette impiegati su dieci

Mal di testa e mal di schiena, stanchezza cronica, senso di claustrofobia: ecco i sintomi di chi soffre di mal d'ufficio, una sindrome che colpisce 7 impiegati su 10. Un malessere che, secondo uno studio della


Companies rapidly cutting health benefits for future retirees

Many companies are dropping their promise of health benefits for future retirees, who now might have to stay on the job longer and rely on government health care in their old age.


In Mira Nair's sumptuous, witty new version of "Vanity Fair," Sharp is no longer so sharp-elbowed. And rightly so.


Banca CR Firenze prende quota BNP Paribas e ora detiene 87%


Russia Probes Cause of Twin Plane Crashes

BUCHALKI, Russia - Russian investigators labored Wednesday to determine whether terrorism caused the near-simultaneous crashes of two jetliners, killing all 89 people aboard and spreading anxieties about a possible bloody escalation of the Chechen conflict.    Officials stressed that no evidence of a terrorist attack had yet been found among charred wreckage and said they were looking at other possibilities like bad fuel, equipment malfunction and human error...


Congress delivers 146-billion-dollar tax cut

Congress overwhelmingly approved a 146-billion-dollar tax cut endorsed by both President George W. Bush and his rival John Kerry but criticized by some economists.


Christina Norman, who rose from a freelance production manager to become president of MTV, is quitting at the end of the month.


Texas Instruments, the largest maker of chips for mobile phones, said its fourth-quarter profit rose 13 percent and that sales reversed a yearlong decline.


SAN FRANCISCO -- The former federal prosecutor who oversaw the government's investigation into alleged performance-enhancing drug use by Barry Bonds and other professional athletes said Monday the nearly five-year probe could come to an end "in the not-too-distant future."


Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson defended his striker Wayne Rooney, as a response to the slams from Bolton Wanderers boss Sam Allardyce after last night's 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford.


Japan's Nikkei stock average fell to a  one-week low by midsession on Thursday after some tech issues  were hit by a bearish outlook from U.S. chip maker Xilinx Inc.


BAGHDAD, Iraq Sept. 13, 2004 - US warplanes struck an alleged hideout where operatives from an al-Qaida-linked group had gathered Monday, flattening homes and hitting an ambulance ferrying the wounded in


With 'Cassandra's Dream' Woody Allen once again gets away with murder

'Cassandra's Dream,' starring Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell, explores the seamy underside of upper-class British culture. But what we're left with is more ordinary than horrifying.


JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming  - The weak housing market could topple the country into a full-blown recession and the Federal Reserve should slash interest rates aggressively, one of the country's most prominent economists warned on Saturday.


House Vote Stops Appropriation for New Generation of Nuclear Weapons

The House yesterday approved plans to halt funding for the development of a new generation of nuclear warheads as House leaders called on the Bush administration to provide a post-Cold War nuclear strategy that would detail the future size of the U.S. nuclear stockpile.


White House disagrees with Guantanamo trial ruling

The White House on Tuesday said it disagreed with rulings by U.S. military judges to drop all war crimes charges against two Guantanamo prisoners facing trial, and that the Defense Department was considering whether to appeal.


The approval after a year-long investigation clears the path for more software industry mergers.


India's largest state goes to polls in April

Crucial polls in India's largest state will be held in April, the election commission said Wednesday as the ruling party withdrew support to the national government to gain an early advantage.


Striking health workers aim for Labour support in their bid to block the sell-off of the NHS supply agency.


Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who doctors say may have leukaemia, was conscious and in "good shape" at a French hospital on Friday after leaving the West Bank for the first time in more than two-and-a-half years.


On a hazy day, you can see China from here

"This is probably because of an increase in forest fires due to climate change. There are more fires in Siberia and North America and these bring more soot into the atmosphere."  FROM a remote, snow-capped mountain in the European Arctic, you can detect China in the haze In the apparently pure Arctic air, a research station on a Norwegian island mountain ridge finds chemical traces from ... via Scotsman.com News


GM, Ford to offer month-end showroom discounts

General Motors Corp.  and Ford Motor Co.  plan to introduce discount programs intended to boost sales during the last weekend of June, people familiar with the sales plans said on Friday.


ELEVEN people-smugglers were handed heavy jail terms by an Albanian court today for the murder of at least 19 would-be immigrants, who froze to death when their boat sank in the Adriatic as they headed to ...


Cassazione, pericolosita' imputato di Cosa nostra implicita


Boudreau named Capitals coach on permanent basis

Bruce Boudreau was rewarded for engineering the Washington Capitals' success over the last month by being named coach on a permanent basis, the team said on Wednesday.


Lawsuit charges open-source license violation

(InfoWorld) - In what may be the first action of its kind in the U.S., the Software Freedom Law Center has filed a lawsuit to enforce an open-source license. The SFLC filed the suit on Wednesday in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Monsoon Multimedia on behalf of the developers of BusyBox, Erik Andersen and Rob Landley. The suit charges Monsoon with using BusyBox under the GNU General Public License version 2 but failing to publish its source code. Under the terms of the license, distributors of software that uses the licensed software must make their source code available. Failing to do so is considered copyright infringement. BusyBox, members of the public and the SFLC legal team notified Monsoon of its responsibilities, but Monsoon has not yet published the code, said Dan Ravicher, legal director at SFLC. While it's relatively common for licensees to neglect to share their code, parties typically work through the issue without having to go to court, he said. This case is a last resort after Monsoon failed to rectify the situation, he said. The suit is necessary because from a legal perspective, copyright owners can start to lose rights if they don't act to protect them, he said. BusyBox is a lightweight set of Unix utilities used in embedded systems. Monsoon develops digital video products, including a Slingbox-like device that enables remote TV viewing. If BusyBox ultimately prevails in the case, under copyright law the company is entitled to damages, an injunction prohibiting continued infringement and court costs, Ravicher said. He believes this is the first case filed in the U.S. in order to enforce an open-source license. The GPL Violations Project is a group that actively pursues license violators and has brought at least one case to court in Germany. Earlier this year, one of the project's team members publicly revealed violations that CiscoÂ made in its phone previously called the iPhone. Cisco subsequently corrected the problem. Monsoon did not reply to a request for comment.


George Steinbrenner wants TV viewers to admire his cuddly side — and his good hair days.


Money manager Legg Mason Inc  on Monday said it promoted Mark Fetting, a senior vice president, to chief executive, effective immediately, replacing Raymond Mason, who is retiring.


Storace: 'Intollerabile, il governo poteva andare sotto'


Ridurra' anche il costo dei prestiti, fermo da 9 anni


Iraqi Troops Raid Baghdad Mosque, 17 Detained

Hundreds of Iraqi troops backed by US forces stormed a Sunni Muslim mosque in Baghdad after Friday prayers, killing four people and wounding at least nine, witnesses and an influential group of Sunni clerics said.


Mass. bill would make retailers pay for data leaks

Massachusetts lawmakers are about to consider a bill that would require retailers to pay for losses when hackers and thieves breach their security systems to steal consumers' credit card and other financial information, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.


Pope, in Turkey, stresses Europe's 'Christian roots, values'

Pope Benedict XVI has stressed Europe's "Christian roots... and values," two days after backing Muslim majority Turkey's bid for membership in the European Union.


US president to call for international peace conference including Israeli and Arab representatives.


Agenti sarebbero intervenuti prima della marcia anti-islam


According to the Boeing-Northrup Grumman announcement, the two companies plan to alternate as prime contractor should they win the bid to build the CEV.


Footage thought to show US planes firing on British troops may be shown to an inquest into the death of a soldier.


David Unsworth has revealed Portsmouth's players are "devastated and massively disappointed" by Harry Redknapp's exit from Fratton Park.


Downing Street denies connection with an internal memo that seems to admit the  government is seen as a "shambles".


MIDEAST:  The Leader Who Offered Nationhood to Refugees/CORRECTION*/

PARIS, Nov 11 (IPS) - Nelson Mandela spoke for much of the world when he   praised Yasser Arafat in the preface of a biography as a leader  who  âtransformed the Palestinians' status from that of  refugees to that of a  nation in the most complete sense of the  term.â


Senate committee approves wireless spectrum bill

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved a bill that sets a 2008 deadline for clearing broadcasters from wireless spectrum promised to public safety agencies.


By Greg Autry  China recently shot down an aging Chinese weather satellite  --  a signal that China will not abide by the doctrine of U.S. space superiority outlined in the new National Space Policy released in October by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.


US carmaker Ford has sold Formula One team Jaguar and engine supplier Cosworth, it announced Monday. Cosworth was bought by Champ Car co-owners Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerald Forsythe, while Milton Keynes-based


PARIS The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development raised its 2004 growth outlook Tuesday for the world economy, forecasting further expansion in Europe and a robust upturn in Japan that would outpace the United States for the first time in


ADV: Health Insurance for the Self-Employed!

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


London equities lost ground after the release of worse-than-expected US employment data.


Hamptons film fest fetes Burstyn, Altman

The Hamptons International  Film Festival will bestow a career achievement award on Ellen  Burstyn, who reunites with her "Requiem for a Dream" director  Darren Aronofsky in the upcoming release "The Fountain."


Britain battles H5N1 bird flu outbreak in poultry

Britain scrambled to contain its first outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu in domestic poultry on Saturday after the virus was found at a farm run by Europe's biggest turkey producer.


The money-transfer company isn't taking a breather.


Disney in the dock over 140 million dollar payout to executive

GEORGETOWN, United States : A law suit against the Walt Disney Co. over 140 million dollars paid to former president Michael Ovitz started, seven years after shareholders brought the action.


couldn't help laughing when he learnt he would be released on Sept. 1. On July 21, three Kenyans, three Indians and an Egyptian working for the Kuwait and Gulf Link company were kidnapped


Not a single German blue-chip stock made gains on Wednesday as European equity markets fell for a second consecutive session.


Il titolo registra un rialzo in Borsa dello 0,78%


A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake strikes near Indonesia's western province of Aceh.


Fresh plans which would allow more shops on the site planned for Cardiff City's new ground are being discussed.


Mike Huckabee and Fred Thompson have begun casting Republican rival Mitt Romney as a scion of the upper class, contrasting him with their more humble roots in hopes of undermining the richest candidate in a well-off group.


AN AGRICULTURAL chemical company has started up a website it says will help farmers and other people in rural communities connect online.


Mozambique's Catholic Church leader says that some European-made condoms are deliberately infected with HIV.


The New York Knicks appeared to be far out of contention midway through the third quarter against the Celtics last night.


Si allungano i tempi di vendita e aumenta lo sconto


Taking a trip to the library may take little more than a computer's Web browser. Working with major libraries, Google is hoping to scan millions of books and periodicals into its popular


Francia al secondo posto, la Germania segue ma a distanza


Greenspan puts recession odds just above 1-in-3

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the probability of a U.S. recession was now slightly more than a third, after he earlier in the year put the chances at one-third, The Wall Street Journal reported in its online edition on Monday.


Oral bisphosphonates may lower jaw necrosis risk

NEW YORK  - A report in the Journal of the American Dental Association clarifies the risk of jaw osteonecrosis associated with bisphosphonates, which are used to prevent or slow the progression of osteoporosis.


Vinatieri stays upright when offense stumbles

FOXBOROUGH -- Adam Vinatieri increased his consecutive field goal streak to 16 last night and his first extra point made him the only player besides Gino Cappelletti to score 1,000 points in his Patriots career.


US seeks Israeli cooperation in Palestinian election

The United States on Sunday began a new round of Mideast diplomacy after the death of Yasser Arafat, asking Israel to help with the upcoming Palestinian election for his successor.


Toshiba wants to play on everyone's team


Delta Air Lines Inc. said Wednesday that it revised its 2003 annual report to disclose the possibility that the company will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the near term.


Greek authorities try to contain growing hysteria over a supposed miracle cure for cancer based on olive leaves.


Stocks Fall on J.P. Morgan Chase and Oil

U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday as  weaker-than-expected earnings from J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.  JPM.N, the second largest U.S. bank, dampened Wall Street's  mood.


Iraq truck bomb death toll may be 150: officials

The death toll from Saturday's truck bomb attack in a market in the northern Iraqi town of Tuz Khurmato may be as high as 150, local officials said on Sunday.


Two US and one Afghan soldier die in fight with "enemy extremists" in Afghanistan, officials say.


Hole in pyjamas reveals Internet plagiarism

Candidates for British universities have  been caught red-handed copying their applications from the  Internet after hundreds mentioned "burning a hole in pyjamas at  age eight" on their online entrance forms.


The sluggish pace of job growth in November hasn't changed the odds for a quarter point interest rate hike later this month, but maybe it should.


Two iPhone wireless vulnerabilities exploited

Researchers at Independent Security Evaluators have announced at least two vulnerabilities in the way the Apple iPhone opens a specially crafted Web page in Safari. From Crave, CNET's gadgets blog.


Naked Pamela Anderson May Grace Billboards

A naked Pamela Anderson will beckon from Chinese billboards in a new anti-fur campaign - if the former "Baywatch" star can get past the censors.


Guidry Hopes Heâs Wearing Pinstripes in the Spring

Ron Guidry, dismissed as the Yankeesâ pitching coach after two seasons, is still hoping to be invited to spring training, a role heâs had every year since 1988.


Airport Screening System Touted as Improvement

For months, homeland security officials have privately debated how to blunt criticism of their planned aviation screening system that passengers and airlines complained was overly intrusive.


Latvia's government resigned Thursday after lawmakers refused to pass the 2005 budget that had been proposed by Prime Minister Indulis Emsis.


Japan fails in 'back door' whaling move at wildlife trade forum

Japan lost a bid on Wednesday to require the world body that regulates global wildlife trade to review the status of whales, a step that could have led to the resumption of commercial whaling.


For the first time in more years than I care to think about, I have been playing around with PCs that have no hard drives.


Apple Inc's  chief Steve Jobs said on Tuesday the company had sold 4 million iPhones.


'Boots' Takes Gold at the Ferret Olympics

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - While world-class athletes were grunting and groaning on the other side of the Atlantic Sunday, "Boots" went for the gold here in his own way...


Engineers Use Hurricanes to Study Houses

GULF BREEZE, Fla. - When a hurricane makes landfall in the continental United States, Dave Prevatt and his colleagues in the Florida Coastal Monitoring Program are out evaluating which construction methods best protect homes from the tremendous wind forces the storms deliver...


Van Nistelrooy gets a ban; Wenger denies allegations

Manchester United and Arsenal does not seems to play well together. Last year saw a fight between the players after the match ended.


Greek Judoka Dies In Hospital After Balcony Suicide Leap

ATHENS, Aug 24  - A member of Greece's Olympic judo squad who leapt from a third-storey apartment after an argument with her boyfriend just days before the Athens Games has died, a hospital source said Tuesday.


MIAMI (Ticker) -- In its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 11 Virginia Tech is headed to the BCS. Bryan Randall threw two touchdown passes and the Virginia Tech defense came up big all day as the Hokies knocked off No.


Police talk to model about dogs' conduct

Police have spoken with Claudia Schiffer about controlling her two large dogs near her mansion in the countryside, authorities said Wednesday.


Dutch brewing company Heineken NV reported a 26 percent rise in first-half profit Wednesday, with strong sales in the Americas and a surge in beer drinking in Europe during the soccer World Cup. It also raised its earnings growth foreecast for the full year.


Guadagna 1,75% in attesa incontro Wagoner-Marchionne


Athletes from the former East Germany  who were victims of the state-doping scheme win compensation, officials say.


These red-hot investments won't burn your portfolio.


Summary: Sri Lanka tsunami train victims

QUEEN OF THE SEA: Sri Lanka officials say 1,000 tickets were sold for an excursion Sunday from the capital, Colombo, to beach resorts on the train known as "Samudradevi," or "Queen of the Sea.


Former NFL All-Star Reggie White Dies of Heart Attack at Age 43

Reggie White, one of the top defensive ends in National Football League history, died this morning of a heart attack. He was 43. White, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green


Sales of new homes fell in June for the first time in four months, and the government also lowered figures for May, providing further evidence the high-flying housing market is losing altitude.


Rocky Road: Planet hunting gets closer to Earth

Astronomers have discovered the three lightest planets known outside the solar system, moving researchers closer to the goal of finding extrasolar planets that resemble Earth.


Carnegie Hall and the New York Philharmonic are collaborating on an upcoming festival celebrating the late composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein.


For almost three years, the major automakers have shipped voluminous data to U.S. traffic-safety regulators: Eight million consumer complaints, 138 million warranty claims and 5 million field reports on product malfunctions. It's part of an "early warning reporting'' program Congress set up to...


A 45-year-old man lost part of his left arm when an alligator attacked him Wednesday, but he was alive after four sheriff's deputies jumped into muddy water and pulled him from the reptile's jaws.


The inventor of the world wide web receives one of Britain's most prestigious honours, the Order of Merit.


RIP DRM: Last Major Label Will Ditch Restrictions

The final major-label holdout plans to make unrestricted songs available in the near future.


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


SymbianOne.com: Your S60 Web server gets a boost

Michael Kimsal points out an article posted recently concerning a new feature of the Symbain OS for mobile phones - a web server that could support PHP and MySQL.  From the article:  Jukka on the S60 Blogs is reporting that PHP and mySQL are going to be available for S60 devices in early 2008. [...] I (Johan Wikman) can now reveal that we at the CCNC conference in Las Vegas in January, 2008 will demonstrate and release what we call the PAMP stack.   The PAMP stack stands for "Personal Apache, MySQL, PHP" and will be included in the S60 smartphones and makes it possible to install most PHP applications (that use MySQL) right off the shelf. Developers of several GTD-type applications are reported to already be in testing on the new platform.


Nikki Blue had 22 points and Noelle Quinn added 21 as No. 18 UCLA defeated Fresno State 92-76 on Saturday night.


Stava per essere operata al naso, inchiesta Procura Palermo


Bomber kills 13 as violence marks anniversary of Saddam's capture

The anniversary of Saddam Hussein's capture was marked with a day of violence when a suicide car bomber struck in Baghdad yesterday killing at least 13 people.


U.S. kills Taliban in strike at rebel commander

Several Taliban fighters were killed on Monday in an attack targeting a senior guerrilla leader closely linked to the Islamist movement's fugitive leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, the U.S.-led coalition said in a statement.


Call him cuckoo -- Chavez changes time in Venezuela

President Hugo Chavez wants Venezuelan clocks turned back half an hour and he wants it done in record time -- next Monday.


Syracuse, Georgia Tech Meet in Champs Bowl

Syracuse ended the season with a rush, winning three of four behind a surging running game.


SAO PAULO -- President Bush announced a new energy partnership with Brazil yesterday to promote wider production of ethanol throughout the region as an alternative to oil, the first step in an effort to strengthen economic and political alliances in Latin America.


Tagliati del 5% prezzi rimborsati dal Servizio Sanitario


Hewlett-Packard said Friday that it would start selling its version of the iPod digital music player next month and would unveil flat-panel televisions, media-enhanced computers and photo printers.


Solo artiglieria pesante ieri sera, operazione anti ribelli


US President George W Bush and his challenger John Kerry prepare for what is set to be a critical second TV debate.


Treasuries Up on Last Day of Static Year

U.S. Treasury debt yields closed out  2004 on Friday barely an inch away from their starting levels  for the year despite the Federal Reserve's campaign to push  official interest higher.


Karzai wins Afghan election, official says

Counting in Afghanistan's presidential election has concluded, indicating the US-backed interim leader Hamid Karzai is the clear winner.


Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev, who ordered the Beslan school siege, warns he is planning further attacks.


SAP to unveil Web-delivered business software

SAP AG will unveil on  Wednesday a line of business management programs to be  delivered over the Web, becoming the first major software  company to make a big bet on software as a service.


Garciaparra went to work and impressed Dodger GM

Nomar Garciaparra , the Los Angeles version? Let Ned Colletti , the first-year general manager of the Dodgers, tell you about that Nomar.


Ndereba And Company Out to Salvage Dented Kenyan Pride

The onus is on Catherine Ndereba, Margaret Okayo and Alice Chelangat to shore up team confidence when they lead Kenya's challenge in the women's marathon today.


It took thieves just three minutes to steal paintings by Pablo Picasso and Candido Portinari, worth millions of dollars, from the Sao Paulo Museum of Art


Reggae star Sizzla, whose 'anti-gay' lyrics sparked protest, is jailed in Jamaica for swearing on stage.


Showdown Coming on Which Trail Route to Take Near Rose Hill Cemetery

By Travis Fain, The Macon Telegraph, Ga.  Sep. 5--Macon City Council is moving toward a decision on how -- or whether -- to connect the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail to Rose Hill Cemetery, but an in-depth discussion on the issue has been delayed.


By Rob Schneider, The Indianapolis Star  May 24--Angela Huizer, 16, had to look longer and harder than she  expected before landing her first job at a fast-food restaurant.    Teenagers just starting to look for summer jobs likely face an even more  difficult search.


Wavering Voters Anti-Iraq, Wary of Kerry

In an election where most voters have already chosen sides, the presidency could be decided by a small slice of America in the mushy middle — wavering voters who are more likely than others to question President Bush's honesty and think the war in Iraq was a mistake.


Struggling ABC May Have Found a Hit in 'Lost'

After strong ratings in its first two weeks, ABC's new castaway thriller "Lost" appears to have given the network something it has struggled for years to find -- a hit drama.


This photo provided the University of Chicago shows Ian Desai on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2004, at the school in Chicago. Desai, of Brooklyn, NY, a graduate of the University of Chicago, was one of 32 American students chosen as Rhodes Scholars for 2005.


Incombe ombra secessione Kosovo albanese, Europa e' in gioco


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.


Allarme, con ondata nazionalista ritornano gli Ali Agca


A high school gym teacher was charged with sending nude pictures of herself and sexually suggestive cell phone text messages to a 14-year-old freshman at the school.


Gruppo cede partecipazione in Hvb, plusvalenza da 2,5 mln


Target-date funds make an old idea new again.


U.S. budget boosts coal and nuclear power

Bush's budget request Monday cut funding for renewable energy, but increased spending for science.


Russian gas company Gazprom rallied again Wednesday as investors said the upcoming easing of share ownership rules would make it a must-have stock in emerging markets portfolios.


Turkish women gain voice in fight to stay secular

Turkish women are on the street protesting as never before as the fight to preserve Turkey's secular status gives them a louder political voice that could translate into parliamentary seats in this summer's elections.


Review: 'Aviator' Ultimately Superficial

Nearly three hours later, I still don't understand Howard Hughes any better than when I sat down to watch "The Aviator."


Sept. 11 commission members are unhappy with the way House Republicans are handling legislation needed to implement some of the commission's terror-fighting recommendations.


The federal judge who will sentence former Olympic champion Marion Jones is considering punishing her twice Â once for lying about her steroid use and once for lying about her role in a check-fraud scheme.


Kodakâs Profit Leaps, Helped by Digital Sales

ROCHESTER  â The Eastman Kodak Company, the maker of photography products, reported on Wednesday a fourth-quarter profit of $215 million, a big increase from a year earlier.


Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Michael Clayton said Wednesday he wasn't surprised by the news that LSU coach Nick Saban is considering the Miami Dolphins head coaching position.


Per l'ex ministro dell'Interno Scajola, il governo Ã¨ stato "dilettantesco e irresponsabile"Ronconi (Udc): "Il centrodestra dichiari indisponibilitÃ  a verificare nomi alternativi"                                            De Gennaro indagato, la Cdl insorge Berlusconi: "Vogliono impadronirsi di tutto"


Top-Ranked USC Beats UCLA to Finished Season Undefeated

LOS ANGELES (Sports Network) - Reggie Bush ran for 204  yards and a pair of long touchdowns as No. 1 Southern  California edged UCLA, 29-24, in a regular season-ending Pac-10  showdown between cross-town rivals at the Rose Bowl.


Spending: Catching the Bouquet, in a Dress You Bought Online

The Internet is helping to drive the shift to fashionable bridal attendant wear, as Web sites offer a broad choice of styles and fabrics and ease of purchase.


Philippines' Poe, Actor, Ex-Presidential Candidate, Dies

Fernando Poe Jr., the Philippine actor who challenged President Gloria Arroyo in elections earlier this year, died after suffering a stroke on Dec. 11, Susan Tagle, a spokeswoman, said in a statement read out on GMA network radio.


Ivan Hlinka, a former Pittsburgh Penguins coach who led the Czech Republic to a gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, died Monday after being injured in a car crash.


Bush rally continues, with Dow soaring 177

The Bush rally roared into a second day yesterday, with a big assist from oil that pushed blue-chips to their biggest gain in 13 months.


Chicken Genome Should Boost DNA Research

A red jungle fowl is seen in this undated handout photo. Researchers have assembled the genome sequence of the Red Jungle Fowl, the ancestor of all domestic chickens.


Entertainment: 'Hero' tops weekend box office

LOS ANGELES Jet Li's martial-arts epic "Hero" fought off the competition to top the weekend box office. "Hero," which was nominated for the foreign-language Academy Award for 2002, took in 17-point-eight (m) million dollars.


Snyder-Park Service Deal On Trees Not So Clear-Cut

Logs and tree limbs litter the steep slope behind the limestone and stucco Potomac mansion of Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder. In the otherwise unbroken ribbon of forest separating his and other handsome estates from the old C&O Canal, there is suddenly a yawning gap.


Roma, 17:04 - CALCIO, CONI: DEPOSITATI LODI FOTI E TRIESTINA ALL'ARBITRATO

Presso la Camera di conciliazione e arbitrato per lo sport, il collegio arbitrale del Coni ha deposi...


Drea de Matteo, formerly of The Sopranos, picks up where she left off


Olmert, Abbas agree to accelerate talks: Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed on Tuesday to accelerate peace talks, despite differences over how quickly to tackle the thorny issue of Jerusalem, Israeli officials said.


West McLaren Mercedes driver Kimi Raikkonen will start tomorrow's Italian Grand Prix at Monza from seventh position whilst team mate David Coulthard is in tenth place for the last European race of the 2004 season.


E-Trade Financial Corp.'s third-quarter profit rose 29 percent, despite a sharp drop in investor trading at its online brokerage and signs of weakness in its banking business. The company also raised its fourth quarter outlook a bit.


Enron Corp. will pay $321 million from  the proceeds of its sale of its pipeline arm to fund pension  plans for thousands of former employees, a government pension  agency said on Monday.


Disney ramping up push into games market: CFO

Walt Disney Co. will triple the amount  of money it spends developing video games to benefit from  strong growth prospects in the global market, the entertainment  company's chief financial officer said on Friday.


Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed captain Dave Andreychuk to a one-year deal. In accordance with team policy, financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.


Roma, 15:35 - MORTO POLIZIOTTO: DA CONI BORSA STUDIO A FIGLI RACITI

La giunta del Coni ha oggi ufficializzato la decisione di assegnare una borsa di studio ai due figli...


Pascal Vasselon: âTwo different approachesâ

According to Michelinâs F1 chief, the two tyre manufacturers have gone for very different approaches at Shanghai. It could make the race interesting.


Spears says umbrella attack was acting, not anger

When all else fails in Hollywood, blame it on "method acting." Pop star Britney Spears on Thursday explained why she furiously attacked a car with an umbrella -- she was rehearsing for a movie role.


Aikman fights migraines, not concussions

Troy Aikman says he has no symptoms from his 10 concussions during his Hall of Fame career with the Dallas Cowboys. Defensive players, he thinks, are more at risk than quarterbacks.


"The 40-Year-Old-Virgin"  co-star Jane Lynch and comedy writer Bruce Vilanch have joined  the ensemble cast of the gay-themed coming-of-age independent  feature "Tru Loved."


Mortgage Crisis Forces Sale of German Bank

The eastern German state of Saxony sold a troubled state-run bank as the global liquidity crisis claimed its first major European victim.


'You're Fired!' Leads List of Popular TV Phrases

You can forget about  "Fahgeddaboutit!" as far as television catch phrases are  concerned.


Readers opine on the twits in tights and taking a bite out of Apple's iPod. Plus: Links to our most commented-upon blog posts.


Palermo, 19:22 - CALCIO, PALERMO; TEDESCO: GOL A CATANIA IL PIU' IMPORTANTE

Giovanni Tedesco non dimenticherà facilmente il derby vinto dal Palermo sul Catania in cui il...


Williams raises white flag, wants more offshore energy revenue talks

TORONTO (CP) - Effectively raising a white flag in the place of the banished Maple Leaf, Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams says he's now willing to meet with federal officials to resolve its dramatic dispute over offshore oil revenues.


World's Fastest Men Take Center Stage at Games

For 10 pulsating seconds, the fastest  men on earth take center stage on Sunday at the Olympics to run  for the ultimate prize -- the 100 meters gold medal.


Terror tape shakes up Bush/Kerry campaign

The sudden reappearance of Osama bin Laden on a videotape has sent both US President Bush and Democrat John Kerry into a final round of arguments in the election campaign over which candidate can better defeat terrorism.


Globalization is a tough sell, GE's Immelt says

SANTA CLARA, California  - If globalization were put to a popular vote in the United States in the current political climate, it would lose, General Electric Co..  Chairman and Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt warned on Friday.