High-level public officials and private analysts suggest that the subprime mortgage mess is contained.


JPMorgan, CSFB to Buy UK Drugmaker Warner Chilcott

A group led by JPMorgan Chase & Co. agreed to buy UK drugmaker Warner Chilcott Plc for 1.62 billion pounds ($3 billion), outbidding two other private equity firms.


However, because it is coming out earlier, Longhorn will be trimmed of some of the more innovative stuff that has been seen in earlier builds.


Facebook bug dishes out notes designated private

Company reps keep the flaw secret Facebook users who type sensitive information into a site feature known as Notes may be interested in knowing that it is currently experiencing a bug that allows documents designated as private to be read anyway.â¦


The general's appearance before Congress only accentuates the partisan conflicts over the war


Company says FDA has approved Cymbalta, OK'd last month as antidepression, to treat diabetic pain. NEW YORK  - Eli Lilly and Co.


Intel vows to strip lead from processors

Intel Corp. says it is stripping out the tiny amount of lead still contained in its chips.


Two killed, 10 hurt in latest Bangladesh blast

Two people were killed and 10 wounded in a bomb blast on Sunday in the town of Sylhet in northeastern Bangladesh, police said. They said the blast occurred outside a cinema hall in


Israel flattens Hamas ministry in Gaza Strip

Israel closed border crossings with the Gaza Strip and destroyed the Hamas-run Interior Ministry on Friday in what witnesses said was an air strike, stepping up what it says is a campaign to halt Palestinian rocket attacks.


The moderate veteran politician Yasuo Fukuda easily won election as president of Japan's struggling ruling party on Sunday, assuring his selection as the new prime minister in a parliamentary vote later this week


Showalter, Cox voted managers of the year

Buck Showalter won his first American League Manager of the Year award 10 years ago after leading the New York Yankees back into contention.


The Caucus Blog: âTis the Season for Endorsements

Hillary Rodham Clinton is endorsed by Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana. Barack Obama gains the support of a former chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, who is a fixture on the Iowa political scene.


Trade Unions and civil rights groups in Nigeria, Africa's largest oil exporter, have called off a national strike over fuel prices.


The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down an archaic and rarely enforced state law prohibiting sex between unmarried people.


Fed boosts interest rate to fend off inflation

The US Federal Reserve decided Tuesday to raise the federal funds rate, which commercial banks charge each other on overnight loans, by a quarter percentage points to 1.75 percent.


Game on as Sony puts Â£100 tag on PSP system

SONY is going head-to-head with Nintendo in the battle for the handheld games console market. The company will price its long-awaited PlayStation Portable (PSP) at about Â£100 for its launch in Japan, when


Transformers, and the Transformation of Popular '80s Toys

If the movie becomes a hit, you can count on Hollywood to raid the '80s toy chest looking for other potential blockbusters. Commentary by Lore Sjöberg.


IAEA team heads for North Korea nuclear complex

U.N. nuclear watchdog officials visiting North Korea traveled on Thursday to a reactor complex that the secretive state has promised to mothball under an aid-for-disarmament deal, Kyodo news agency reported.


Supporters of Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko reconsidered plans to travel to his opponent's eastern stronghold after a tense standoff, and a U.S. congressional delegation arrived in Ukraine ...


By Keri Holt, Destin Log, Fla.  Dec. 9--The elementary-aged children of the Destin Community Center's afterschool program Kidz Klub have had Christmas on the brain since before Halloween.


Examiner talks about fatal wounds to Blake's wife

The jury at the Robert Blake trial in Los Angeles has been hearing from a medical examiner about the gunshot wounds that killed the actor's wife.


The prosthetics of the future are more than physical attachments, they're intertwined with the human mind. They communicate with muscles, nerves and even neurons. And some of them are available today. By Rachel Metz. Part one in a four-part series.


Potential All-Star starter Jake Peavy is outdueled by Florida's Byung-Hyun Kim as the Marlins get a 3-2 win over San Diego.


Nuovo extragettito per risanamento e welfare


Bloomberg says not presidential candidate

Despite yet another round of speculation about his presidential ambitions, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday denied he will run for U.S. president.


Wales Vs Queen of Scots Compete for Whitbread Prize

A "luminous" debut novel about a young girl sent to live in rural Wales is up against a biography of tragic Mary Queen of Scots in the competition for one of Britain's top literary awards.


HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. -- Oh, the outfit was a stunning pink and white combination, but precious little else was bright in Michelle Wie's world.


German airline Lufthansa said Thursday it earned 125 million euros ($155 million) in the third quarter, more than making up losses from a year ago as stronger demand for air travel and freight transport helped it stay ahead of rising oil prices.


By Michael Newsom, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss.  Feb.


Similar deals expected to follow Countrywide sale

Similar deals are expected to follow Bank of America Corp's  agreement on Friday to acquire battered mortgage lender Countrywide Financial Corp  for a knock-down price of $4 billion in stock.


Caregivers of men with prostate cancer suffer too

NEW YORK  - Wives and other caregivers of men with prostate cancer may be at risk of anxiety, fatigue and other symptoms that exact a toll on the quality of their lives, a study suggests.


India launches satellite for educational service

India launched EDUSAT, an exclusive satellite for educational services, from the space center at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh state in southeast India Monday.


Italian Judge Orders 17 Suspects to Trial

A judge on Tuesday ordered trials for 17 suspected members of the Red Brigades for their alleged role in the 1999 slaying of a labor consultant, Italian media reported, as it emerged that the leftist terror group kept files on top figures, including Premier Silvio Berlusconi.


A Navy program to build a new combat ship to patrol coastal waters will face another cost increase, government officials acknowledged yesterday, a hit to the service's attempt to keep expenses under control so it can afford a larger fleet.


Investors observing the seemingly uninterrupted parade of corporate buyout announcements might wonder how much the deals and the attendant rise in stock prices might boost returns in their mutual funds. The answer lies in the type of funds they own.


U.S. forces face bloody start to June in Iraq

Sixteen American troops died in Iraq in the first three days of June, marking a bloody start to the month as the U.S. military presses on with its crackdown on sectarian violence in Baghdad.


Blog: After 18 months of debate--and 16 years following GPL 2's release--the General Public License has finally turned 3.


Apple has responded to a midnight Wednesday deadline in relation to antitrust concerns over the pricing of songs on its iTunes online music store across different European countries. The European Commission has expressed concerns about Apple setting unfair iTunes pricing prohibiting users in one country from downloading music from a website intended to serve another. A European commission spokesperson said: "They answered yesterday and we are studying [the response] carefully at this point."


The United States provided a steady stream of intelligence to Benazir Bhutto about threats against her before the former Pakistani prime minister was assassinated and advised her aides on how to boost security, although key suggestions appear to have gone unheeded, U.S. officials said Monday.


"While Medicare patients will receive little or no benefit in return for the increase in premium payments next year, the prescription drug bill provided an immediate and dramatic increase


US May Require European Visitors to Register Online

Europeans who visit the U.S. will be required to fill out an online questionnaire two days before they enter the country under a proposal being studied by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.


Strong Quake Jolts Manila, No Major Damage Reported

A strong earthquake jolted Manila and  other parts of the northern Philippines on Friday night,  prompting many to rush into the streets, but officials said  there were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage.


Trial Begins for Farmer in Manure Deaths

The deaths of two dairy workers who were asphyxiated by gases rising from a fetid stew of cow manure could have been prevented if the farmer responsible for their safety had given them the proper training and equipment, prosecutors said Monday during opening statements in a case against the farmer.


Some 28 U.S. GIs Face Afghan Abuse Cases

Up to 28 U.S. soldiers face possible criminal charges in connection with the deaths of two prisoners at an American-run prison in Afghanistan two years ago, the Army announced Thursday.


Eric Wedge wasn't too worried about his future. The Cleveland Indians put him at ease anyway. The fifth-year manager, who has yet to make the postseason in the majors, received a three-year contract extension on Monday, an early reward for having his ballclub near the top in the AL Central.


Giants Slip and Vanish in a Torrent of Turnovers

The Giants coughed up three straight second-quarter turnovers and dissolved in a torrent of penalties in a baffling loss at Giants Stadium.


MOSCOW -- President Vladimir Putin agreed yesterday to a parliamentary investigation of the bloody school hostage siege in southern Russia, less than a week after he had reportedly dismissed the idea by saying such an inquiry might turn into "a political show."


European Union leaders said Turkey could join its ranks as soon as 10 years from now, but warned that it must overcome opposition to a Muslim country's entering the European fold.


Federal reports challenge safety of imported drugs

It is impossible to ensure the safety of imported drugs purchased individually by American consumers, and even a federally run program of bulk importation would pose medical and


Italy says no ransom paid for release of hostages

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government on Sunday again denied it had paid a ransom for the release of two Italian women aid workers taken hostage in Iraq.


US-Led Forces Thrust Towards Central Falluja

US-led forces thrust at least one km (half a mile) into rebel-held Falluja on Tuesday and were not far from the Iraqi city's heart, residents and an Iraqi army officer said.


Revoke Bail for Alleged Perv Aide: Another Stays Free

By Michael Hinkelman, Philadelphia Daily News  Feb. 2--Bail was revoked yesterday for a Drexel Hill woman charged with helping alleged child molester John Jackey Worman produce child porn.   Dorothy Prawdzik, 43, had been free on $100,000 bail, but prosecutors convinced U.S.


Tribune faced with tough borrowing terms: WSJ

Tribune Co.  completed a tender  offer for half its shares, but the media company had to agree  to difficult borrowing terms, the Wall Street Journal reported  on its Web site on Friday.


Democrat Bob Casey appears to have doubled his lead over Sen. Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania's Senate race, according to a poll released Tuesday.


Student lending company Sallie Mae  posted a fourth-quarter loss on Wednesday, citing higher  provisions for loan losses due to the weakening credit markets.


AJOFRIN, Spain  - Stalking teddy bears and towels  before retiring to harass the family dog, 12-week-old cheetah  cub Bunjee was blissfully unconcerned by the cameras trailing  him around the Heidenreichs' house.


Stocks rose on Thursday as a rebound in global equity markets helped boost investment banks' shares and some U.S. retailers' robust monthly sales allayed worries about the economy's health.


Kelly Holmes of Great Britain lived and trained with Maria Mutola of Mozambique for two years, hoping to absorb some of the qualities that made Mutola one of the best 800-meter runners in history.


Orders, House Data Shows Economy on Track

U.S. economic growth stayed on track  in September, with stronger durable goods orders and positive  news from the housing sector on Wednesday bolstering views the  Federal Reserve will raise interest rates again.


In Tattered Loan Business, Some See Opportunity

Private equity is swooping in and taking over the subprime mortgage business, seeing opportunity amid the wreckage.


Pressure on the IRA to make the disarmament move that would revive...

Pressure on the IRA to make the disarmament move that would revive Northern Ireland - s peace process has been dangerously neglected, a senior Ulster Unionist warned tonight.


The average Internet-enabled PC hosts 26 spyware programs, according to an audit by Internet service provider EarthLink, a sign of increasing bombardment by malicious software.


The Tories have announced plans to reform the system of seeking compensation for medical negligence.


LOS CABOS, Mexico  - Hurricane John lumbered   toward a luxurious Mexican beach resort on Friday, forcing   thousands of tourists and residents into shelters to escape   high winds, angry seas and lashing rain.


Antti Miettinen scores two goals to help the Stars end a four-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over Minnesota on Monday night.


Bank of America Corp. , the second-largest U.S. bank, on Thursday said quarterly profit rose 5 percent as gains from equity investments helped offset soaring credit losses and lower earnings in its main business of retail banking.


Ben Gordon scored a career-high 22 points, including four free throws in the final minute, to lead the Chicago Bulls past the Utah Jazz 101-99 Wednesday night to avoid an 0-10 start that would have been the worst in franchise history.


1. Heelys: These shoes, which have wheels in the heels, can lead to blunt impact, head, and spinal injuries.


Thai chief is beheaded in revenge for Muslim deaths

A VILLAGE chief in southern Thailand was beheaded in retaliation for the death last week of more than 80 Muslims involved in a protest.


JERUSALEM Prime Minister Ariel Sharon lost an important budget vote Wednesday in Parliament that imperils his government but does not quite collapse it.


French rock star Bertrand Cantat could return home from Lithuania to complete his jail term for killing his lover.


Symbian phones targeted as carriers for Windows worm

Old school virus can also infect floppy disks Anti-virus company F-Secure has posted details of a Windows virus which can use a Symbian handset to transport itself between systems. The Mobler worm infects a Windows system, hides the Windows folder and sets about copying itself into different directories and on to any removable media available.â¦


US House cracks down on Internet-age peeping Toms

The House of Representatives, worried by abuse of Internet-age technology, has moved to crack down on video voyeurism by adopting a bill that makes secret production and distribution of pictures of people caught in their "private moments" punishable by fines and up to a year in jail.


Giuliani Says He'd Consider Adding Troops in Iraq for Success

Bloomberg - June 13 (Bloomberg) -- Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said he would consider increasing U.S. troops in Iraq if the head of military operations there, U.S. Army General David Petraeus, requested them.


Shots are fired at the front of two houses in west Belfast, no-one is injured in the attacks.


UPDATE 2-Open-Federer downs Henman in US Open semis

Top seed Roger Federer was at his dismissive best on Saturday, breezing to a 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory over Tim Henman to reach the final of the US Open for the first time.


BANGKOK, 5 November 2004 - Ten people including nine Buddhists have been killed in the past 24 hours in Thailandâs mainly Muslim south in a spate of violence following the death of 87 detained Muslims last week, police said yesterday.


Anxiety, Frenzy, Romance: All Subjects of Amusement

Wonderful choreographic whirlwinds swept through the Duke on 42nd Street last night when Keigwin and Company opened the 11th annual 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Project, a series that will also feature four other troupes.


Last Chance for N.Irish Deal as Fresh Talks Open

Talks billed as the last chance to save Northern Ireland's 1998 Good Friday peace agreement began on Wednesday with the end of the IRA guerrilla group as one of their prime aims.


Kevin Harvick, driving a Chevrolet, won the Daytona 500 after a close, accident-filled finish to the race on Sunday.


China military buildup threatens US forces: CIA chief

China's military buildup could tilt the strategic balance with Taiwan and also threaten US forces in Asia, CIA director Porter Goss warned.


Woman charged after killer Craigslist ad

Craigslist postings sought freelancers, but the assignment was murder of a romantic rival.


Serbia's leader says Kosovo independence will never be accepted, after seeing UN plans for a partial breakaway.


Barack Obama jumps into the lead in New Hampshire

NASHUA, New Hampshire  - Democrat Hillary Clinton battled to keep crucial New Hampshire from swinging to rising rival Barack Obama on Sunday but new polls showed him jumping into the lead.


Roma, 20:49 - CALCIO, ROMA; BRONZETTI: ENTRO MERCOLEDI' SI DECIDE PER CHIVU

Il procuratore Ernesto Bronzetti, intervenuto all'emittente capitolina Radio Radio, ha spiegato come...


Board OKs Snowshoe Sewer Project: ; Despite Comments Against, Plant to Be Built at Elk Headwaters

By Rick Steelhammer  rsteelhammer@wvgazette.com  Plans to relocate the sewage plant serving Pocahontas County's largest development onto the grounds of one of its smallest and oldest tourist stops came a step closer to becoming a reality on Wednesday.


NBC alters how its unveils TV lineup to advertisers

NBC revealed plans on Tuesday to break  with the traditional way TV networks sell commercial time,  saying it will unveil its prime-time schedule in a series of  one-on-one meetings with advertisers in April.


Beijing - Top seed Serena Williams advanced to the China Open quarter-finals on Wednesday, edging past Russia's Dinara Safina for a thrilling 6-4 3-6 6-3 win.


Heavy-Lift Helicopter Inspires NASA's New Mars Lander

If NASA's 2009 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) reaches the red planet's surface in one piece, the agency will owe a debt of gratitude to the Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane heavy-lift helicopter.


Five lorry drivers narrowly escape injury when the windscreens of their lorries are smashed by stones.


Libya Seems Honest About Nuke Program -- UN Report

VIENNA, Austria  - The U.N. nuclear watchdog said  in a confidential report circulated Monday that Libya appears  to have been telling the truth in its declarations on the  covert atomic weapons program that it agreed to abandon last  year.


Turkey stages new air attack on Kurd rebels in Iraq: army

Turkey's military said it attacked Kurdish separatists in northern Iraq Saturday for the third time in less than a week, bombing and shelling positions and warning more will follow.


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


New "wonders of the world" named after online poll

The Great Wall of China, Petra in Jordan and Brazil's statue of Christ the Redeemer are among the modern-day seven wonders of the world chosen in a poll of 100 million online voters, organizers said on Saturday.


A cloak worn by Sir Alec Guinness in Star Wars sells for Â£54,000 at an auction of TV and film costumes in London.


Yahoo's 3rd Quarter Profit Nearly Quadruples

Things are going so well for Internet powerhouse Yahoo Inc. (YHOO) these days that even some of its toughest competition is helping to boost its profits...


Diversified manufacturer 3M Co  reported higher operating earnings Tuesday on strength in its health-care and international businesses.


Condoleezza Rice has been President Bush's foreign policy tutor, sports buddy, national security adviser and his secretary of state.


He would not disclose the cause, although her website listed it as a brain aneurysm. Gloria topped the pop charts for 36 weeks and earned a Grammy nomination, the first of four nominations in her career.


Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Hudson lead the winners at the US BET Awards, taking two prizes each.


Actor Heath Ledger, the gifted leading man acclaimed for his role as a gay cowboy in the film "Brokeback Mountain," was found dead in his Manhattan apartment on Tuesday, possibly of a drug overdose, police said.


U.S. says al Qaeda will "lash out" in Iraq

The U.S. military expects al Qaeda in Iraq to strike back with "spectacular attacks" after major U.S.-led offensives that have disrupted its activities, a military spokesman said on Wednesday.


Il concorso e' europeo, primo premio 200mila euro


Lack of cash seen pushing Sri Lanka to peace talks

hree Tamil civilians were shot dead in the northern town of Vavuniya, police said, as four soldiers died in clashes with Tiger rebels in the embattled north and east.


IBM on Wednesday said it has settled  portions of an ongoing lawsuit related to its pension plan and  said the potential liability for the other claims that remain  on appeal is capped at $1.4 billion.


Quentin Tarantino has been toying with the idea of a prequel to his cult hit, Pulp Fiction, but actor John Travolta says he is unsure whether he would be asked to star in it.


Tiscali coughs to spam blacklisting after a week without email

'Er...try Hotmail?' Tiscali has admitted the reason many of its customers have been unable to send outgoing email for over a week is because it has been blacklisted as a spammer.â¦


Will Tennessee Williams' Obscure 'Masks Outrageous and Austere' Come to Broadway?

Playbill - A little-known, unfinished late-career play by Tennessee Williams is being developed for Broadway, the New York Daily News reported.


Multiplex Group and Russian billionaire brothers David and Simon Reuben joined Westfield Group's Â£585 million ($1.54 billion) bid for Chelsfield after striking a deal to carve up the UK property developer.


Sharon eyes swift evacuation of settlers

JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon wants all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip evacuated at the same time instead of in three stages, officials said yesterday, reflecting a major shift in tactics in his pullout plan.


U.N. Mideast line unbalanced, ineffective: ex-envoy

A former U.N. Middle East envoy quit his job last month with bitter allegations that U.N. policy in the region had failed because it was subservient to U.S. and Israeli interests, a newly leaked document shows.


Airbus Workers in France Protest Planned Job Cuts

Thousands of Airbus employees took to the streets to protest planned job cuts that have drawn fire amid a heated presidential campaign.


WASHINGTON, Nov 19  - The United States on Friday pronounced itself unimpressed by this week's mass release of nearly 4,000 prisoners from jails in military-run Myanmar and demanded immediate freedom for all political detainees, including opposition


Seven Swiss firefighters are feared dead after the ceiling of a car park collapses during a fire.


Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's intended transformation of the Army into a quick, mobile force has started to rub against the daily demands of patching enough tanks and trucks together to keep fighting the war.


Myanmar monks chant "democracy", junta threatens

Chanting "democracy, democracy", 10,000 monks marched through the heart of Myanmar's main city on Tuesday in defiance of a threat by the ruling generals to send in troops to end the biggest anti-junta protests in 20 years.


Presto sara' diramato il calendario della serrata


Veteran political reporter Pat Heffernan dies

SARASOTA, Florida  - Veteran journalist John W. "Pat" Heffernan, the only foreigner to have been president of the prestigious National Press Club in Washington, died on Tuesday after a brief illness, friends said. He was 96.


Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop cosmetics chain, died on Monday evening after suffering a major brain haemorrhage, her family said.


Fini, veramente bizantino chiedere il silenzio della Cei


Music Review | 'Best of Both Worlds': 3 Girls for the Price of One

The concert, starring Miley Cyrus, was terrific: a two-hour sugar rush and one long challenge to fans.


Ghana's government bans a conference for gay men and lesbians, saying it would offend Ghana's culture.


OUR TOWNS A Bolt, But Hardly Out of the Blue

LIKE the rings of Dante's "Inferno," there are circles of gossip as defined, in their wispy way, as smoke rings. So consider the odd way that James E. McGreevey's announcement last week that he was gay and would step down as governor ...


A Romanian woman is thought to have become the oldest mother after giving birth at 67.


Wharf T&T links up with i-Cable on Net phones

Wharf T&T, a telecom arm of conglomerate Wharf (Holdings), has teamed up with its sister company i-Cable Communications, Hong Kong's second-largest broadband provider, to launch an Internet phone service, hoping to widen its market share.


If the news conference that CNN and YouTube held to discuss their presidential debate was any sort of omen, there might be a few kinks to work out.


So Far, No Water Woes for Cabarrus: Officials Say Residents Got into Conservation Habit in Last Drought

By Sharif Durhams, The Charlotte Observer, N.C.  Jun. 3--Residents in nearby Union County face fines now if they water their lawns on the wrong day.   Mecklenburg County officials have asked residents to cut back on water use.


Drogba scores twice as Chelsea beats PSG 3-0 in Champions League

Didier Drogba scored twice Tuesday as Chelsea coasted to a 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League Group H opener.


Indonesian campaign to end with TV talks

Amid tight security, Indonesia Tuesday kicked off three days of televised talks by its two presidential candidates ahead of the Sept.


Valencia defender Curro Torres is expected to miss about 10 weeks after undergoing knee surgery Thursday.


Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was rushed on Wednesday to an intensive care unit in the Paris hospital where he has been receiving treatment for a serious blood disorder, but his life is not in danger, according to his aides.


Microsoft finally bows to EU antitrust measures

Microsoft Corp ended three years of  resistance on Monday, finally agreeing to comply with a  landmark 2004 antitrust decision by the European Commission.


Fears of a deteriorating U.S. economy  and falling DVD industry sales helped drive Warner Bros's  decision to back Sony's Blu-ray next generation DVD format  exclusively, a top executive told Reuters on Monday.


St. Paul Stops a Waterfront Developer From Crossing the Mississippi

St. Paul has blocked a well-known local developer from building an upscale mixed-use community directly across the river from the downtown area.


Crude prices rose Wednesday ahead of US petroleum inventory data and an OPEC meeting this week at which the group could decide on a production cut.


City Hospital in Brooklyn Reviews Care of a Boy, 12

Officials at Kings County Hospital Center said that they were âclosely examiningâ why doctors there failed to detect a drug-resistant staph infection in a boy who died this month.


Palestinian searched through the rubble of their demolished homes Sunday, hours after Israeli troops ended a two-day operation in southern Gaza that killed 11 Palestinians and wounded dozens.


Most advertisers now spending on new media: survey

Nearly 90 percent of all companies  polled in a new study will use part of their marketing budgets  to advertise in video games, virtual communities or other new  media.


TiVo, Cable or Satellite? Choose That Smart TV Wisely

Though technophiles are the one who usually like to brag about their electronic toys, recently, even tech novices have started crowing about their digital video recorders.


Motorola forecasts loss on struggling phone biz

Motorola Inc  said on Wednesday it will post an operating loss in the current quarter as recovery in its cell phone business is taking longer than expected, dashing Wall Street expectations for a profit and sending its shares down as much as 14 percent.


Comment is free: Mark Lawson: By hiring their own Alastair Campbell, the McCanns fuel the doubts they seek to allay.


By Harry Liu  THE demand for Triple Play over Internet protocol (IP) for data, voice and video convergence is now a basic necessity for many customers.


The Miami Dolphins have  struggled to replace Dan Marino since he quit eight years ago  and Trent Green, the latest quarterback charged with the task,  will make his home debut against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.


An investigations starts into a blaze at an East Sussex fireworks depot which killed two fire crewmen.


Falluja, audio di Al Zarqawi "Resistete e vinceremo"

BAGDAD - Sembra ormai questione di ore la caduta di Falluja, ma la cittÃ  resiste. A dispetto delle previsioni dei comandi militari Usa gli insorti continuano a opporre un'accanita resistenza. Al quarto giorno


Battle Over Zeta-Jones's Pictures Returns to Court

The legal battle by Hollywood power  couple Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas over Hello!  magazine's use of unauthorized photographs of their wedding  returns to court on Monday.


Microsoft sees Zune sales topping 1 million by June

Microsoft Corp.  forecast on  Wednesday that sales of its Zune music player will exceed one  million units by the end of June 2007 despite a tepid start for  the device.


InBev, Anheuser-Busch shares rise on merger report

LONDON/BRUSSELS  - Shares in the world's top brewer InBev  hit a record high on Thursday after a Brazilian newspaper reported the Belgium-based company was in merger talks with Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. .


Insulin Resistance May Be Early Sign of Cardiovascular Disease

Teens who have insulin resistance could be more likely to suffer from high blood pressure when they reach adulthood, new research suggests.


By Special to My Life  Schools around the Millington area recently participated in Space Week activities.  Millington Elementary School was filled with spaceships, robots and aliens during space week.


A pulled hamstring or booted grounder might not be the only factor that could help decide baseball's playoff chase. Contenders such as the Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, New York


Mozilla is banking serious cash by generating serious community

Mozilla shows the way to build a successful open-source project, with great results.


The audience at Flavorpillâs One Step Beyond party at the American Museum of Natural History in New York got a huge surprise on Friday night. During a set by the Chicago indie rapper Kid Sister in the Rose Center for Earth and Space, Kanye West, above, rushed onstage to rap along to her single âPro Nails.â Afterward, to deafening cheers from the crowd, Mr. West and his D.J., A-Trak, performed a string of songs from his recent album, âGraduation,â including the radio smashes âStrongerâ and âGood Life.â Mr. West wore a bulky fur coat, leading Kid Sister to quip, âYâall look like my grandma.â.


Yesterday's game between Boston College and Maryland was bittersweet for the Eagles. Their three seniors -- Sarah Marshall, Kindyll Dorsey, and Kathrin Ress -- were honored with flowers from the BC staff, and with hugs from their parents and coach Cathy Inglese. Freshman forward (and "American Idol" finalist) Ayla Brown sang the national anthem, then the crowd of 5,519 remained ...


Russia's Putin Skeptical About Iraq Election

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he cannot imagine how Iraq could hold its elections (planned for next month) as long as the country remains under what he called foreign occupation.


Neither Geeta nor Sayali are coy in 'The Train'

Raksha Mistry and Hasnain Hyderabadwala made their debut as co-directors with ÂThe KillerÂ and in 6


Roma, 17:17 - CALCIO, SERIE C2: RISULTATI E CLASSIFICHE

Risultati e classifiche della 20/a giornata, 3/a di ritorno, del campionato di serie C2.


Thousands of staff at Volkswagen's Hanover plant walked off the job early this morning in a row over pay. The action came as management and workers' representatives readied to resume deadlocked wage and employment talks.


A space capsule set to plunge into Earth's atmosphere with a piece of the Sun this Wednesday has spawned additional projects ranging from spacecraft design to the detection of dangerous asteroids.


'Italian Job' Web Attack Sweeping the 'Net

Tens of thousands of legitimate Web sites now function as weapons for Internet criminals, security vendors said Monday.


Montezemolo conferma quanto detto da Marchionne


Yellow ribbons and American flags cover store windows and car bumpers in this Eastern Shore town, which recently bid farewell to its largest deployment of National Guard members since World War II.


Sogei stima 1,7 mln di dichiarazioni, il doppio sul 2005


Saying he's 'tired of the censorship,' the shock jock announces he's abandoning traditional broadcasting and going over to satellite.


The Detroit Red Wings dominated the first half of the NHL season. Now they're taking over the All-Star game, too. Sidney Crosby is starting to do the same.


Risks of a recession have increased, but the Federal Reserve must be cautious in supporting the economy because global forces that have kept inflation in check are receding, former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Monday.


Dubai, 16 dicembre 2004 - Puntuale, a scadenza bimestrale, arriva lo sceicco. Minacce o complimenti, poche parole ma sempre mirate e collegate all'attualitÃ , come a dimostrare che Ã¨ vivo e vegeto. Su Internet


Mexican teenager hurt in incident at U.S. border

TIJUANA, Mexico  - A teenager was injured when U.S. border patrol agents fired tear gas into Mexico over the weekend, despite a Mexican government complaint that U.S. agents were using excessive force.


Australian state to get anti-terror boat squad

Australia's largest state said it would invest 27 million dollars (21.3 million US) in a specialist marine command capable of conducting high-speed pursuits of terrorists and other criminals.


'Il club iscritto alla C1" Gaucci ritira il reclamo

NAPOLI, 7 SETTEMBRE 2004 - "Il Napoli Ã¨ iscritto in C1'' . Ad annunciarlo il presidente della Lega Adriano Galliani alla fine del consiglio federale della Figc che ha deciso l'inserimento del club partenopeo nel campionato di C1.


Nostalgia for symbols of the former communist East Germany remains a money-spinner in Berlin.


Hyderabad-based Hetero Drugs Ltd has become the second Indian pharmaceutical company after Ranbaxy to withdraw its anti-AIDS drugs from special World Health Organisation certification, saying it is not certain about their bioequivalence with patented


Ciara's 'Goodies' Climbs to No. 1 on Singles Chart

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - R&B chanteuse Ciara's "Goodies"  featuring Petey Pablo jumped two places to take the top spot on  Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, ending the three-week reign  of Terror Squad's "Lean Back," which dropped to No. 2.


Seagate clears 1 terabyte; Iomega goes portable

Blog: Seagate announces two drives with 1 terabyte of capacity, while Iomega expands its portable hard drive line.


Gunmen Kill 22 Iraqi Police, U.S. Hits Falluja

FALLUJA, Iraq  - Gunmen captured 21 Iraqi  policemen and shot them in cold blood on Sunday, a day after  attacks on security forces that killed 34 people, police said.


Juddmonte Repeats as Leading British Breeder

For the third year in succession, Prince Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms has won the Queen's Silver Cup as leading British-based flat breeder for 2004.


Secretary of State Colin Powell bid a nostalgic farewell on Thursday to the NATO Western security alliance he first served as platoon commander facing down the Soviet army 46 years ago.


Magazines Use Online Ads  As Selling Point

Vogue appears to be at the vanguard of a revived effort by publishers to extend the usefulness of their products online.


INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana  - Tyson Gay overcome a slow start and aching back to run 9.98 seconds in the 100 meters preliminaries at the U.S. championships on Thursday.


Parmalat issues proceedings against its ex-auditors over their dealings with the insolvent group before its near collapse


More than one million GPs appointments were missed in Scotland during a year, according to a survey.


Philippines faces tough sell at regional summit

The Philippines' promotion of Southeast Asia as a compassionate community and itself as a reinvigorated developing economy could prove to be a hard sell when it hosts the region's annual summit this month.


Wildlife campaigners promote a test kit to help enforce the ban on the international trade in bear products.


Aperto confronto sindacale sulla fusione dei gruppi bancari


Police: Man wanted in singer's death kills self

A trained sniper, sought in the shooting death of his estranged wife over the weekend, died after he was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday afternoon in a rugged, remote area of the state, Cheyenne police said.


Global Warming Poses Threat to Ski Resorts in the Alps

The record warmth in the Alps has brought home the profound threat of climate change to Europeâs ski industry.


A House Divided by Old Magic and New Residents

Instead of the kind of inspired imaginative synergy that distinguished the âLord of the Rings,â âThe Spiderwick Chroniclesâ feels more like a sloppy, secondhand pander.


IRISH investors are buying up huge swathes of British property as money continues to pour over the Irish Sea.


No new arms race despite U.S. missile plan: Russia

Russian Defense Minister Sergei  Ivanov on Friday rejected U.S. arguments for deploying an  anti-missile defense system in eastern Europe and insisted  Russia would not be drawn into a Cold War-style arms race.


At least 28 lawmakers said they will not take part in talks on forming new government started by Lebanon's president on Thursday, a day after the Cabinet of veteran Prime Minister Rafik Hariri resigned.


Weather forecasts raise hopes of some respite from the fires raging across southern California in recent days.


On Sept. 9, as it must frequently do, the US government turned to Wall Street to raise a little cash, and Paul Calvetti bet that demand for $9 billion worth of long-term Treasury bonds would be "huge.


Microsoft settlements won't end EU antitrust probes

Microsoft Corp.'s settlements with long-time opponents Novell Inc. and the Computer & Communications Industry Association won't end the software maker's antitrust woes in Europe.


Ita s been nearly 40 years since Estonia last staged a production of that most spectacular of Italian operas, Giuseppe Verdia s a oeAida.a But, just for the second week of October, the worlda s most famous ...


Provvedimenti anche per Bellocchi, ex cognato di Ricucci


Roma, 14:52 - CALCIO, ROMA; TONETTO: NAZIONALE? SORPRESA, MA NON RIVINCITA

Tra le sorprese dell'ottima stagione della Roma c'è Max Tonetto. Il 32enne esterno sinistro d...


China riots rooted in child policy, financial woes

BOBAI, China  - Guan Yonglin has six children from two marriages, which, no matter how you look at it, violates China's long standing one-child policy. And he knows it.


Roma, 13:41 - CALCIO, CHIUSURA MASSIMINO; MATARRESE: NON COMMENTO

"E' una sentenza. Il presidente della Lega Calcio non commenta le sentenze". Antonio Matarrese ha co...


Update 3: ConAgra Reports Drop in 1Q Earnings

ConAgra Foods Inc. reported a 30 percent drop in first-quarter earnings on Wednesday, citing sales lost from discontinued operations and higher costs for materials.


Alitalia headed for bankruptcy within a month: board

ROME : The Italian airline Alitalia warned that it was headed for bankruptcy within a month, as the government appealed to unions and the company management to strike a deal to save the struggling carrier.


The number of migrants to the UK every year will be 45,000 more than previously predicted, official figures say.


Tropical singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra led the list of artists Wednesday with five Latin Grammy nominations.


When a radio shock jock insulted acting Gov. Richard J. Codey's wife, making fun of her bout with postpartum depression, it catapulted the former kindergarten teacher and mother of two onto a national stage.


PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Curt Schilling's pitching arm was wrapped so that it hugged his body as he answered questions about his rehab start last night with Pawtucket.


Also: Turkish court orders YouTube blocked. Read these stories and more from around the Web on News.com Extra.


Monti Says Santander Abbey Bid Would Boost to Bank Integration

European Union Competition Commissioner Mario Monti said Santander Central Hispano SA's bid for Abbey National Plc would boost the integration of the European banking market if it succeeds


Fighting in Congo Rekindles Ethnic Hatreds

A wave of anti-Tutsi sentiment is sweeping Congo, driven by deep anger over a Tutsi general tied to Rwanda.


US geneticists scoop Nobel Prize for Medicine

Interfering with RNA The 2006 Nobel Prize for Medicine will be shared by MIT's Andrew Fire and Harvard's Craig Mello for their detective work on the phenomenon of RNA interference (RNAi), which has the potential to revolutionise medicine.â¦


The new SNP administration is to set out its approach for tackling NHS waiting times in Scotland.


A permanent shift from Kolkata to Mumbai is turning Konkona Sen Sharma into quite a party animal.


Per negozi nel centro immobiliare di Santa Giulia a Milano


Controversial feminist writer wins Nobel Prize

after an Austrian feminist writer was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Elfriede Jelenik, a 57-year-old recluse


Siviglia, 21:19 - BASKET, EUROPEI: PORTOGALLO-LETTONIA 77-67

Il Portogallo ha battuto la Lettonia 77-67 in un incontro della terza e ultima giornata del gruppo B...


After a tormented existence as a father, a husband, a Coast Guardsman, and a construction worker, a 57-year-old suburban Boston man underwent a sex-change operation. And then she wrote off the $25,000 in medical expenses on her taxes.


Torino, 12:01 - CALCIO, JUVE: MERCOLEDI' LA RIPRESA

La Juve riprenderÃ  gli allenamenti mercoledÃ¬. Dopo la trasferta di Cagliari, Capello ha deciso di da...


Karzai declared winner of Afghan election

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Hamid Karzai was officially declared Afghanistan's first-ever popularly elected president today after a weeks-long fraud probe found no reason to overturn his landslide victory.


Gold Lasso Launches Hassle-Free, E-Mail Marketing Tool

Gold Lasso, LLC, provider of on-demand e-mail marketing technology and services, announced the launch of eLoop(TM) version 4.0 today.


By Brent Hunsberger, The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.  Dec. 6--In an apparent rebuke of for-profit colleges, Oregon's largest  private employer says it will stop reimbursing employees for tuition at some  schools and will set annual caps on executive MBA programs.


Londra, 21:48 - CALCIO, FA CUP: ARSENAL AVANTI, LIVERPOOL BLOCCATO

L'Arsenal si è qualificato per il quarto turno di FA Cup vincendo 2-0 sul campo del Burnley (...


Tech Stocks Tumble After Chip Makers Warn

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday, hit by a  sharp drop in technology shares following a slew of sales  warnings from semiconductor makers, and as oil prices rose  nearly $1 a barrel.


In attesa dato inflazione a novembre, recupera Citigroup


DirectRevenue to Pay $1.5M in Adware Settlement

FTC charges that New York firm infected victims' computers with adware.


The comment came a day after a prosecutor in the court demanded that the judge be removed for showing bias.


Fledgling âFire Isiahâ Movement Takes to the Streets

Outside Madison Square Garden, a small group of Knicks fans voiced their dissatisfaction with the teamâs coach, Isiah Thomas. Inside the arena, that message can get one ejected.


Madrid, 12:45 - CALCIO, REAL MADRID: BWIN SPONSOR PRINCIPALE PROSSIMO ANNO

Il giornale spagnolo El Mundo Deportivo scrive oggi che il Real Madrid è vicino a chiudere un...


Credit-Card Processor Hit by DDoS Attack

Credit-card transaction processing firm Authorize.Net has been hit by a series of distributed denial-of-service attacks that have caused temporary disruptions in service to some of its customers.


Sea creatures to be tracked electronically

In a modern update of "fish and chips," researchers are planning a worldwide effort to track the movement of sea creatures tagged with tiny electronic devices.


FDA Frets Over Illinois Drug Import Plan

WASHINGTON Aug. 24, 2004 - The prescription bottle may say "Made in England," but the Food and Drug Administration worries that Illinois' plan to help residents buy drugs from the United Kingdom may also allow counterfeit drugs from other countries.


Bush Cautiously Backs Pacific Rim Free Trade

SINGAPORE, Nov. 16 -- President Bush reassured Pacific Rim leaders Thursday that the United States stands squarely behind efforts to liberalize trade with the region, and he promised to continue pressuring North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.


A contract is signed that will lead to the building of the first four spacecraft in Europe's multi-billion-euro satellite-navigation network.


Ridotti di mille gli esuberi Alitalia. Â«Ora la palla passa al ...

Un primo, parziale risultato: ridotto di mille il numero degli esuberi dellâAlitalia. Ora sono duemila e cinquecento, e non i tremila e cinquecento che aveva proposto la compagnia allâinizio della vertenza.


Iraq: Nassiriya; arrestato uomo legato a Zarqawi

NASSIRIYA - Alcuni terroristi provenienti da Falluja sono stati arrestati dalla Guardia Nazionale Irachena a Nassiriya, la cittÃ  dove sono schierati i militari italiani. Tra questi ci sarebbe anche un uomo


ChevronTexaco Corp. CVX.N, the No. 2  U.S. oil company, on Friday said quarterly profit nearly  doubled, pushed up by a double boost of record energy prices  and higher refining margins.


LaBranche & Co. LAB.N, the New York  Stock Exchange's largest market-maker, on Friday posted a  fourth-quarter profit, compared with a year-earlier loss, as  commissions and net gains on principal transactions increased.


Timeless England bid farewell to the golden summer of 2004

The gymnasium at the Sonargaon Pan Pacific Hotel in Dhaka may seem a strange place for the renaissance of English cricket, but it was here last October, at the start of England's tour of Bangladesh


China is ready to reduce tariffs and drop barriers for foreign products to enter its market next year, China Radio International reported Tuesday.


Tony Blair will go into hospital today for a two-and-a-half hour procedure to treat a heart condition. Despite the treatment, Mr Blair said he will still seek a third


InfoWorld - Avalon, an Apache project to build a framework for object-oriented, component-based programming, has been shut down, forking off into several separate open source efforts, an official of the Apache Software Foundation confirmed on Wednesday.


Asustek Smartphone Hits Market Ahead of iPhone

Asustek has launched a Windows Mobile 6 smartphone with a touch-sensitive screen.


Sony Wins Bid for Ipix Camera Technology Patents

When President Bush gave his 2003 State of the Union address, Ipix captured the room with a panoramic image for online viewers. Movie star Will Smith relied on similar 360-degree photos to go house-hunting in Philadelphia from his California living room. EBay used Ipix technology to display items...


A Seismic Shift Under the House of Fannie Mae

FROM a compulsively neat desk inside a company that routinely jousts with powerful critics from the White House, Congress, the Federal Reserve and Wall Street, J. Timothy Howard has been the financial architect of one of the world's most formidable and


A tornado leveled Jerrold Hoffman's town of Udall more than 50 years ago, killing 77 people and leaving little behind for the survivors. So after a twister swept through Greensburg this year, wreaking similar destruction, he decided he would at least try to help the town get its scenery back.


Thousands of federal lawsuits claiming the drug Vioxx caused heart attacks and other conditions that killed or injured people cannot be pooled into one national class action, a judge ruled Wednesday.


Beckham Could Quit England After World Cup

England captain David Beckham has revealed that he is considering retiring from international football after the 2006 World Cup. The 29-year-old Real Madrid midfielder is keen to preserve his club career for


World's richest Harvard alum tells grads to take on issue of human inequity and not be deterred by complexity.


COLUMBUS, Ohio (Sports Network) - Ohio State athletic  director Anthony Geiger retired at an afternoon press  conference Wednesday.


Ronaldinho crowned FIFA World Footballer of the Year

Get INQ7 breaking news on your Smart mobile phone in the Philippines. Send INQ7 BREAKING to 386. ZURICH, Switzerland -- Brazil's newly crowned FIFA World Footballer of the Year Ronaldinho said he was committed in the fight against racism in the sport.


President Bush retains confidence in Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki despite the failure of the Shiite politician's signature effort to improve security in Iraq's bloody capital, the White House said as Bush prepared to host the new leader.


Microsoft scraps PDC developer confab this year

Blog: Microsoft PDC 2007 will not be as is major development platforms will getting into developers hands this fall, when the event was originally scheduled.


Premier ha incontrato patriarca caldeo di Baghdad


Nato says two of its soldiers have been killed in separate clashes with militants in southern Afghanistan.


Region 'ill-prepared to handle flu pandemic'

SHANGHAI - When the next flu pandemic hits - and it will, say experts - Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan fears the worst. Speaking at the World Health Organisation's Ministerial Roundtable in Shanghai yesterday


Portuguese police hunting for Madeleine McCann issue a description of a man seen near her flat.


Brad Lester was once Auburn's starting tailback.


Roma, 11:35 - CALCIO, ARBITRI; LOTITO: SERVE SPIRITO COSTRUTTIVO

"Noi dobbiamo rispettare le istituzioni ed il ruolo di terzietà degli arbitri". Lo ha dichira...


British actress Kate Winslet, an outspoken critic of what she sees as Hollywood's obsession with being skinny, has won a public apology and undisclosed libel damages from a magazine that reported she visited a diet doctor.


Pier 1 Imports Inc. , a home  furnishings retailer, on Thursday said its quarterly net loss  nearly doubled as same-store sales fell 6.6 percent.


Nuclear talks with Iran may start without U.S.

France, Britain and Germany would be   willing to begin talks with Iran even if it has not suspended   its nuclear enrichment program first, but Washington would not   take part, a German magazine reported on Saturday.


Mexican police covered up the rape and abuse of demonstrators at protest in May, Amnesty International reports.


Intelligence Changes Stymied by Turf Wars

Congress is giving itself a month to come up with legislation restructuring the nation's intelligence apparatus, but Republican leaders acknowledge the goal may fall victim to turf disputes and lawmakers' focus on getting themselves re-elected Nov. 2.


9/11 stress increased risk of heart problems

Stress brought on by the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington in 2001 led to heart problems for some Americans, even if they had no personal connection to the events, a study released on Monday found.


Roma, 17:44 - CALCIO, SERIE C2/B: CISCO ROMA-SANSOVINO 3-2 NELL'ANTICIPO

La Cisco Roma ha battuto 3-2 la Sansovino nell'anticipo della sesta giornata del campionato di serie...


Report Says That the Rich Are Getting Richer Faster, Much Faster

From 2003 to 2005, the increase in incomes of the top 1 percent of Americans exceeded the total income of the poorest 20 percent of Americans.


Nigeria's ruling party on Sunday chose a Muslim from the north as its candidate for presidential elections that will mark the first transfer of power between elected governments since Nigeria's independence in 1960.


A man appears before magistrates on charges of murdering a woman and her two children at a block of flats in north-west London.


Movie Review | 'Hairspray': Teenagers in Love and a Mom in Drag in the â60s

That âHairsprayâ is good-hearted is no surprise. The surprise may be that this âHairspray,â stuffed with shiny showstoppers, is actually good.


PEOPLESOFT $9.2B BID IS 'BEST, FINAL': ORACLE

Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison raised his company's offer for rival PeopleSoft Inc. to $24 a share, or $9.2 billion, calling the fifth bid over a 17-month takeover battle the "best and final" offer.


UN nuclear inspectors set to leave for North Korea

UN nuclear inspectors left for North Korea on Thursday to monitor Pyongyang's first steps in shutting down its nuclear weapons programme, officials said.


PITTSBURG, Calif. - An alleged drunken motorist who brandished a pool cue while driving at a group of motorcyclists was hit by his own car after he stopped and attempted to approach the bikers on foot, the California Highway Patrol said.


HP unveils "Blackbird" high-end gaming PC

Hewlett-Packard Co  on  Wednesday launched a line of powerful new computers aimed  squarely at gamers, in the company's latest step to court a  small-but-influential audience.


On hearing the verdict there was a broad smile from Morgan Tsvangirai, applause from his supporters and tears of relief from his veteran attorney.


A film by artist Tracey Emin is to premiere in her home town in Kent where it was set.


North Carolina's previous game was against No. 3 Maryland. Its next game is against No. 1 Duke. In between, the second-ranked Tar Heels had a chance for a breather against Boston College.


Japan revised its economic growth numbers for the April-June quarter downward Friday, but analysts shrugged off the report and said recovery was on solid footing for the world's second largest economy.


Iran Says It Will Halt Uranium Enrichment

Iran pledged Sunday to meet its deadline and suspend its uranium enrichment activities on Monday, in a sign of cooperation even as the United States has been stepping up pressure over the country's nuclear program.


Annan again urges Israel to lift Lebanon blockade

DEAD SEA, Jordan  - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi   Annan on Thursday renewed his calls on Israel to lift a   blockade on Lebanon swiftly and to withdraw fully from the   country as soon as 5,000 U.N. peacekeepers are in the south.


German labour minister says minimum wage for all: report

"The minimum wage is on its way, for everybody. I am sure of this"  German Labour Minister Olaf Scholz has pledged that the country will implement a minimum wage in all sectors, an issue that has been dividing the ruling coalition, a newspaper reported on Sunday. via Raw Story


Former President Bush was supposed to board a jet that crashed Monday morning outside Houston. A spokesman says the Gulfstream was supposed to take Bush to South America.


Il presidente dell'Authority CatricalÃ  ha ribadito che per l'interessedei consumatori sarebbe necessaria "una centrale di acquisto europea del gas"                                            Antitrust: "L'accordo Gazprom-Eni rischia di non favorire la concorrenza"                                                                                Nell'accordo tra i due colossi scambi di favori sui rispettivi mercati?Rigassificatori: "Concentrare impianti al Sud nuoce ai consumatori"


Si accorcia la pausa estiva, crescono i ponti. 200 giorni di lezioneL'obiettivo Ã¨ rilanciare il turismo "destagionalizzandolo"                                            Scuola, cosÃ¬ cambiano le vacanze Accordo tra Rutelli e Fioroni                                                                                di SALVO INTRAVAIA


Health insurers WellPoint Inc.  and Humana Inc.  both posted lower quarter net profit on Monday, though results slightly topped Wall Street expectations.


Casalinghe nude per il calendario Pittaro Brut

Apparire sulle pagine di un calendario non Ã¨ un diritto riservato alle star dello spettacolo, questo devono aver pensato le casalinghe scelte come modelle del calendario Pittaro Brut edizione 2005. Fra i


Japan forces through a bill allowing a naval support mission for US-led forces in Afghanistan to resume.


Nyon, 15:14 - CALCIO, COPPA UEFA: ARBITRO GRECO PER KAZAN-PARMA

Rubin Kazan-Parma, andata del primo turno di Coppa Uefa in programma giovedÃ¬ 14 settembre alle ore 1...


DirecTV faces setback in dubious anti-piracy campaign. Good.

In a victory for programmers and security researchers, DirecTV faces a setback in lawsuit against alleged signal thieves who dared to order smart-card programmers.


The announcement came days after Apple chief executive Steve Jobs visited Britain and Germany to unveil similar deals with mobile operator O2 and Deutsche Telekom AG.


Teacher-Astronaut Marks NASA Anniversary with Shuttle Launch Drill

Teacher-turned-spaceflyer Barbara Morgan strapped into the space shuttle Endeavour with her six crewmates Thursday for a launch dress rehearsal, 22 years to the day that she first joined NASA's astronaut corps.


Vision: New Scanner May Improve Exams for Multiple Sclerosis

A machine that assesses nerve fibers in the retina may offer a better way to measure the progression of multiple sclerosis, researchers said.


Fear of high winds at California Tahoe wildfire

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, California  - High winds expected at California's Lake Tahoe threaten to fan a raging wildfire that jumped a containment line after destroying hundreds of buildings and forcing thousands of people to evacuate the resort area, firefighters said on Wednesday.


Gelsenkirchen, 15:49 - CALCIO, GERMANIA: SE ROBERTO II ALLO SCHALKE 04

Lo Schalke 04 ha ingaggiato il 26enne centrocampista brasiliano Zè Roberto II, il cui nome co...


European Central Bank Leaves Rates Alone

The European Central Bank left its key refinancing rate unchanged at 2 percent Thursday amid signs that the recovery in the 12-nation euro zone may be sputtering.


p2pnet.net News:- UK civil servants have been fired and "disciplined" in a crackdown on Net porn at work, says Britain's The Sun newspaper here.


A federal advisory panel voted unanimously yesterday that the first drug to enhance the sex drive of women should not be approved because of a lack of information about its long-term safety.


Marsh May Pay Over $500 Million to Settle Civil Case

October 29, 2004 - With stock prices falling and a new chief executive at the helm, Marsh & McLennan Cos. may quickly settle a civil suit filed by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, but it may cost $500 million or more.


Michael Jackson's accuser told a grand jury that the pop star closed his eyes tightly while molesting him on a bed, according to an ABC News report that quotes from transcripts of the testimony.


Sudan Lifts State of Emergency in North Darfur

Sudan said it had lifted all restrictions on aid workers and revoked a state of emergency in the troubled North Darfur state on Saturday, after rebels pulled out from a town they occupied last week.


Detroit Pistons Team Report - November 3

(Sports Network) - Rasheed Wallace poured in 24 points, including 18 in the second half, leading the defending champion Detroit Pistons to an 87-79 victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday in the season-opener for both teams.


At least 6 dead in Australia train crash

At least six people died and dozens more were seriously injured after a train crashed into a semitrailer at a level crossing in southern Australia, police and local media said Tuesday.


When Congress decided to appropriate $2 million in fall 2001 to help D.C. kindergartners and first-graders learn to read, city school officials were told that the money could be spent only on the Voyager Expanded Learning literacy program, a new product with virtually no track record. They had ju...


Travel brings home to the average cosseted Westerner a truth well understood by the great proportion of the world's population: that life is a tenuous proposition, a fragile entity.


People with spinal-cord injuries can't urinate on command, but implants promise to reconnect their bladders to their brains. In Bodyhack.


Officials in Californian announce tough new regulations to stem the emission of greenhouse gases from cars.


Renault, GM talks off, focus shifts to Ford

General Motors Corp. , Renault SA  and Nissan Motor Co.  on Wednesday broke off talks over a proposed alliance between the three automakers that had been urged by GM's largest individual shareholder.


The private investment bank Lazard said yesterday that its two top executives had ended a public transatlantic dispute by extending a deadline by which to seek a flotation until the end of next year.


Stocks add to losses; financials sell off

Stocks extended losses on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 index falling 1 percent, as financial shares declined further on housing market concerns.


Police deploy as Zambian poll challenger cries foul

Zambia deployed armed police in the capital Lusaka on Sunday as incumbent Levy Mwanawasa widened his lead in the presidential election count, prompting charges of ballot rigging from challenger Michael Sata.


Aperta inchiesta dalla Procura della Repubblica di Catanzaro


Tupac Shakur's mother is seeking to prevent his former label, Death Row Records Inc., from selling the late rapper's unreleased recordings as part of a bankruptcy settlement.


A national survey in Australia shows worrying levels of alcohol consumption among the country's teenagers.


Yanks Beat Twins 8-4 to Take Playoff Lead

MINNEAPOLIS Oct. 9, 2004 - Backed by Derek Jeter's three RBIs and a relentless offense, Kevin Brown threw six strong innings to lead the New York Yankees past the frustrated Minnesota Twins 8-4 on Friday


MARYVILLE, Mo. - A baby who was cut from her mother's womb during a slaying was found in good health yesterday, bringing relief to authorities who had spent the last day frantically searching for the little girl.


Germany Unveils 'Biedermeier'-Style Chocolate Room

German artists have unveiled a "Biedermeier"-style room made entirely of chocolate and marzipan, complete with panelling, vases, cutlery and pictures all fashioned from the confectionery.


La prima puntata della fiction ottiene 6.418.000 spettatori


Comcast Corp. Monday said it has received letters of inquiry from the Federal Communications Commission regarding complaints that the company actively interferes with its subscribers' Internet traffic.


Bomb explodes at Baghdad market, kills 5: police

A car bomb exploded at the entrance to a wholesale vegetable market in southern Baghdad on Monday, killing five people and wounding 19, police said.


JERUSALEM, March 11 -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas met here Sunday for the second time in less than a month, but made little progress on reviving peace talks, exchanging prisoners or resolving differences over the nascent Palestinian power-sharing government....


Lawyers for a northern Nigeria state seeking $2 billion in damages from Pfizer Inc. over allegations of wrongdoing in a decades-old drug study failed to show up for the first court proceedings Monday and the case was postponed.


Iran has secretly revived a program to enrich uranium using laser technology, reportedly with favorable results, an Iranian opposition figure said Thursday citing information from members of the resistance inside the country.


Somali president warns of violence in Horn of Africa

Violence in Somalia could spill over into the greater Horn of Africa region if the government does not receive urgent help in bringing about peace and stability, President Abdullahi Yusuf said on Monday.


Dell makes server software simple, simple, simple for slow admins

Ser - ver While rivals keep banging on about their inventions, acquisitions and flashy gear, Dell insists that it's keeping server management simple - so simple that even the simplest simpleton could simply administer a server in a simple fashion.â¦


New Nuggets coach utilizing aggressive, straight-to-the-point ...

In his first full day as Nuggets head coach, Michael Cooper did what he did as a player: He got in guys' faces. Before leading his first practice Wednesday, Cooper met privately with each Nuggets player.


Text of report by Radio France Internationale on 11 February  The RFI in Conakry has been off air since yesterday midday. You can still listen to us on our shortwave transmitters between 1900 and 2200 gmt on 49 over 6175 kHz.  (c) 2007 BBC Monitoring Africa.


Relatives 'not surprised' by GMC failings

Relatives of Harold Shipman's victims said today they were not surprised that the General Medical Council had been criticised for looking after doctors' interests rather than protecting patients.


Indiana Pacers players will be charged for fighting with fans during the Nov. 19 brawl at the end of a game against the Detroit Pistons, Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca told The Detroit News.


When Sebastien Boucher stopped at the U.S.-Canadian border, agents who inspected his laptop said they found files containing child pornography.


Bookmakers have begun taking bets on a new version of Band Aid being Christmas number one even before an official announcement it is being re-recorded.


Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad boldly declared Tuesday that U.S. political influence in Iraq is "collapsing rapidly" and said his government is ready to help fill any power vacuum.


Colorado Springs, 16:42 - CICLISMO, DOPING: ANCHE HAMILTON NELL'OPERAZIONE 'PUERTO'

Anche l'ameriacano Tyler Hamilton coinvolto nell' 'Operacion Puerto', il caso doping che sta sconvol...


U.S. aims to support UN on climate change: Rice

A U.S.-sponsored meeting of the world's biggest greenhouse gas polluters aims to support the U.N. process on climate change, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday, but some participants and environmentalists were skeptical.


Samuel Alito liked being on this bench, too. Dressed in a green Devil Rays jersey instead of a black robe, the Supreme Court justice stood in the dugout Saturday, getting ready to throw out the first ball before Tampa Bay played his favorite team, the Philadelphia Phillies. Asked what he would throw, Alito said, "A gyroball."


Heavy metal: Trying to sort out who goes where in the chart

ATHENS The American women's water polo team was wandering round central Athens in the early Saturday morning. "What color are they?


After a campaign marred by scandal and alleged intimidation, the people of Hong Kong voted Sunday under gray skies in legislative elections that could give pro-democracy figures more clout than they have held since China reclaimed Hong Kong in July 1997.


INDIANAPOLIS -- All Peyton Manning wanted was a victory. The single-season record for touchdown passes was a bonus. Manning broke former Miami Dolphins star Dan Marino's record of 48 scoring passes in a season


WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- CBS News on Wednesday defended a "60 Minutes" report regarding President Bush's Vietnam-era National Guard service, but said it would "redouble" efforts to answer charges that the report relied on fake documents.


Angry Putin rejects public Beslan inquiry

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, refused on Monday to order a public inquiry into last week's siege and massacre at a middle school in the southern town of Beslan


Blogging from inside the world's largest maize maze is fun, even though the prospect of being lost amidst 40 acres of corn is a little scary.


Two males are arrested by police investigating the rape of a woman in Woodvale Park in north Belfast.


The release of Mohammed Abbou gives human rights advocates hope, and perhaps a formula for more political freedoms in the North African nation.


Sen. John Kerry, in some of his most pointed public comments yet about the presidential election, invoked Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy on Monday as he criticized President Bush and decried reports of voter disenfranchisement.


A missing newborn girl who was abducted from her mother was found alive Tuesday, and appeared to be well at a hospital, a hospital official said.


The voice and data plans offered by AT&T and Apple for the iPhone compare favorably with competing products. And that will help the iPhone win over customers frustrated by complicated smartphone plans, analysts say.


Barack Obama sealed the deal Saturday with Hal Geren.


Cuban President Fidel Castro for the second time this month alludes publicly to the possibility of leaving office.


Sevilla lead the Primera Liga after a dramatic 2-1 win over Barcelona.


Stocks & Bonds: A Big Early Climb Turns Into a Loss

Stocks fell after bomb scares swept London and concern grew that banks face more losses from subprime loans.


McAfee will announce an add-on for its enterprise anti-virus products to offer increased protection against spyware. Users of McAfee VirusScan Enterprise Edition versions 7.1 or 8.0i next month will be able


A car bomb exploded in a busy Mosul market Thursday and mortar rounds struck near the Italian Embassy and an Iraqi National Guard base in Baghdad, killing three civilians and wounding at least seven.


Investors on Alert for Earnings Warnings

Investors are expected to focus on oil  prices and corporate earnings outlooks this week, and the  slightest warning about company revenues could weigh on stocks.


Rebel groups walked away from peace talks with the Sudanese government in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on Saturday in protest of alleged attacks by the government-supported Janjaweed militia in the embattled Darfur region, a


ATHENS - These were the Olympics protected by Nato and never a shot was fired. Yet on the last day, the last event, one sick individual, a lapsed Irish priest, molested an athlete and broke the sacrosanct


The Agriculture Department sent $1.1 billion in farm payments to more than 170,000 dead people over a seven-year period


Nordstrom Inc.  on Tuesday posted a 34 percent rise in its quarterly profit, helped by a better-than-expected increase in same-store sales as the upscale department store chain focused on keeping a lid on expenses.


Europe May Ban Imports of Some Biofuel Crops

If approved, the law would prohibit the importation of fuels derived from crops grown on certain kinds of land â including forests, wetlands or grasslands.


Immersion filed a lawsuit against Sony Computer and Sony Computer Entertainment of America, claiming that the Japanese company used its game technology in the PlayStation game consoles without the company's approval.


J. Crew turns to profit in second quarter

Apparel retailer J. Crew Group Inc  on Wednesday posted a second-quarter net profit, helped by robust sales and higher gross margins.


Potrebbero essere fuggite da casa di accoglienza di Siena


programmes as Seoul stepped up security along its border with North Korea due to a suspected infiltration. pressure to give more concessions to entice the reclusive state back to nuclear arms talks.


Four Palestinians dead in Gaza clan clash

Four Palestinians were killed in clashes between rival clans in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, hospital officials said, in the most intense violence since a coalition deal was reached this month between Fatah and Hamas.


The American singer Frankie Laine, who sang the theme to the TV show Rawhide, dies, aged 93.


Richard Thomas' Blog: Improving PHP Sessions

Richard Thomas has shared some suggestions on improving the performance and use of PHP's built-in sessions in your site:    If your developing a new website and want to ensure its scalable sessions can be a sticking point. [...] There are a couple problems you may run into with this approach and most database driven examples you may use to base your session code off.   These problems can pretty much be summarized into a single sentence: Every single page load your database is going to be hit at least 2 times, first to read the session data and then session to rewrite all that data.    He includes three suggestions:   Hash your data when pulled from the DB, if your data hasn't changed don't bother updating Figure out what your margin of error is for how long a session has been inactive (don't update if you don't need to) Use memcache in conjunction with your database, Check memcache first if its there, if it is use memcache, if its not pull from DB and shove into memcache when you DO update your data update memcache at the same time.


Warrantless wiretap opponents lose brace of court cases

Noise on the wire Opponents of the Bush administration's controversial warrantless wiretapping program have suffered a pair of defeats in their efforts to rein in the scheme.â¦


More than 122m Europeans aged 15 and above use the internet each day, says a report.


Maker of Oxycontin Reaches Settlement With West Virginia

Purdue Pharma reached a settlement with regulators in West Virginia yesterday over claims that it had inappropriately marketed Oxycontin, its controversial painkiller, to state residents.


Human rights report faults Latin America

Corruption, detainee abuse and deplorable prison conditions were a problem throughout much of Latin America last year, the U.S. State Department said Tuesday, singling out Venezuela and Cuba for having the worst human rights records in the region.


Aboriginal groups in Canada block roads as part of protests to raise awareness of poverty in their communities.


Japan's Fukuda faces fresh parliament battle

Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, warning that his party faces its worst ever crisis, prepared for a fresh showdown with the opposition Friday as a fractured parliament opened for a new session.


Even in MySpace, a Friend Has to Qualify

One result of all the publicity from Doris Lessingâs Nobel Prize in Literature was that more than 100 people signed up to be the writerâs friend on MySpace.


Indice Dj Stoxx 600 perde l'1,07%, -4,7% in cinque giorni


Rebels loyal to Moqtada Sadr leave Najaf's Imam Ali shrine after making a deal with Iraq's top Shia cleric, reports say.


The four players at the top of the leaderboard Saturday after three rounds of the NEC Invitational -- Stewart Cink, Chris DiMarco, David Toms and Tiger Woods -- are all members of that team.


Size of Florida citrus crop expected to fall significantly

Florida will have the smallest orange crop in a decade after a series of hurricanes blew fruit off trees and flooded groves in the state that produces 75 percent of the nation's citrus, a federal forecast released Tuesday shows.


Soft Cell singer Marc Almond is in intensive care in hospital after a motorcycle crash in central London.


UPDATE 4-Circuit City same-store growth misses estimates

Circuit City Stores Inc. onTuesday reported a 2.9 percent gain in quarterly same-store sales, but its growth lagged estimates due to a calendar shift and reduced spending through August.


Mosca, 15:34 - CALCIO, CHELSEA; ABRAMOVICH: CONTINUERO' A INVESTIRE

Nei giorni scorsi erano circolate voci relative a un passo indietro da parte di Roman Abramovich per...


Vote Set in D.C. on Mandating Paid Sick Leave

The District could become the second U.S. city to require employers to provide paid sick leave to all workers, a move advocates say could protect employees from having to choose between keeping themselves healthy and keeping their job. Opponents say such a law could prompt businesses to reduce...


Chops away at VMware's feature list Virtual Iron has put out a new release of its server virtualization software, chipping away at the gap between VMware Virtual Infrastructure 3 â at a price palatable to the low end of the market.â¦


Red Hat, Ubuntu top vendor's usage study

Ubuntu and Red Hat are the most used Linux distributions among the 35,000 members of content-management vendor Alfresco's community, the company found in its second survey of trends in enterprise open-source software usage.The surveys help inform Alfresco's technology strategy, according to Ian Howells, Alfresco's chief marketing officer. "It's important for us to know which platforms to test against first," he said, adding, "It's in users' interest to give us good data."Among Linux operating systems, usage of Ubuntu and Red Hat stood at 35 percent and 23 percent, respectively, according to the survey. Suse, OpenSuse, and Suse Enterprise collectively garnered 13 percent; Debian, 15 percent; and "other" distributions usage of 14 percent.Users also reported using a variety of proprietary enterprise software.Among Windows users, Vista adoption was just 2 percent, compared to 63 percent for Windows XP and 28 percent for Windows Server 2003.Microsoft's Office suite remained strong, however, with 66 percent usage. Twenty-four percent of the respondents reported they used OpenOffice. However, German and French users were twice as likely to use the latter compared to those in the U.S. or U.K., Alfresco said.Tomcat held a dominant position in the application server category, logging 72 percent. JBoss' entry stood at 18 percent. Entries from Sun, BEA, and IBM rounded out the field.In the virtualization category, VMware perhaps predictably ranked highest, at 61 percent. Microsoft's Virtual Server took 16 percent, followed by Xen, Parallels, Virtual Iron and "other" offerings, according to the study.MySQL took home the database prize, with a 60 percent tally, followed by Oracle with 14 percent and Microsoft SQL Server with 13 percent."It kind of validates that people want to have a mixed stack," Howells said of the overall results.Alfresco collected data between July and December of last year, with survey participants coming from 260 countries, according to the company. Fifty percent were from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, while 24 percent were in the U.S., and 26 percent from other nations, Alfresco said.


Thomas Morgan, a Journalist and Activist, Dies at 56

Mr. Morgan was a former reporter and editor at The New York Times who was a president of the National Association of Black Journalists.


U.S. Warns of Attacks on Indonesian Nightspots

Americans in Indonesia should take  precautions against possible attacks on nightspots during the  holy month of Ramadan, the U.S. embassy said in a statement.


Recchi Signs Conditional Deal to Play in Finland

PITTSBURGH (Sports Network) - Pittsburgh Penguins forward  Mark Recchi has signed a contract to play with TPS Turku of the  Finnish Elite League if the NHL season is canceled.


The family of an Iraqi beaten to death while in British custody are suing the Ministry of Defence.


IBM Agrees to Share Blade Server Know-How

The IBM announcement is being made in collaboration with Intel. Under an agreement reached two years ago, the companies have worked together to design and manufacture blade servers.


Commission May Cancel Montana Bison Hunt

Montana's first hunt in more than a decade of bison that leave Yellowstone National Park was effectively put on hold Thursday by appointees of a new governor who says he fears a "public relations nightmare" if the hunt proceeds.


Inquiries at Investor-Owned Nursing Homes

Congress said it would investigate business practices at nursing homes owned by private investment groups, after staffing at many of the homes was shown to have been cut severely.


Jakarta Bombing Bears JI, Al Qaeda Hallmarks

Indonesian police chief General Da'i  Bachtiar was reporting to a parliamentary commission in Jakarta  on Thursday on the threat posed by wanted Jemaah Islamiah  bomber Azahari Husin. Even as he spoke, the room shook.


Making the morning line is a difficult job, and Lone Star Park oddsmaker Rick Lee did not escape the wrath of trainer D. Wayne Lukas


Obama, McCain Say They Would Agree to Public Campaign Financing

Bloomberg - March 1 (Bloomberg) -- Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain said they'll accept public funds -- and spending limits -- for the 2008 presidential election if they win their party nominations and their opponents agree to do the same.


Busting tired political myths By David Howell

Opinion polls continue to put the British Labour Party well ahead of other parties, and the general expectation of the political pundits is that Prime Minister Tony Blair will win yet again when the general ...


Rain was pelting down on the steps of the White Sox dugout at US Cellular Field, and there was Kenny Williams, the affable general manager, sitting on the bench nattily attired in a gray suit and black shirt, sipping black coffee and holding a handful of Ritz crackers.


Chirac hits out at international community's inaction in Middle East

French President Jacques Chirac sharply criticized the international community's failure to help put an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying the world should "impose" peace talks.


Protesters of Shark Hunt Have New Strategy: They Get a Bigger Group

A Montauk shark fishing tournament is accused of glorifying the killing of endangered species.


Han birdies first playoff hole to win Safeway Classic

Hee-Won Han made a 4-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to beat Lorie Kane and win the Safeway Classic on Sunday. Han birdied the par-4 18th in regulation to


Presidente conferma impegno istituzioni per la sua citta'


Lufthansa interested in buying Spanair: report

German airline Lufthansa is interested in buying the second-biggest Spanish airline Spanair, which has been put up for sale by Scandinavian travel group SAS, the Spanish daily Cinco Dias reported on Monday.


ROCHELLE RILEY: Whining is worst call at the Olympics

You know the line. If you saw "A League of Their Own," the film about the first women's baseball league, you can still hear Tom Hanks saying it.


Two activists found to have libeled the U.S. fast food chain McDonald's after the longest court case in English legal history did not have a fair trial, the European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday.


Humanity's reliance on fossil fuels, the spread of cities, the destruction of natural habitats for farmland and over-exploitation of the oceans are destroying Earth's ability to sustain life, the environmental group WWF warned in a new report Thursday.


Messina, 11:22 - Calcio, Messina: rinnovato il contratto di Di Napoli

Il Messina ha rinnovato per altri tre anni il contratto di Arturo Di Napoli, 5 reti in questa stagio...


W.House defends Bush use of Iraqi body counts

The White House on Thursday defended President George W. Bush's rare use of a body count to describe Iraqi insurgent deaths as a way to show Americans that U.S. troops are fighting hard in Iraq.


Reggie White Tribute on Monday Night Football

Fans in St. Louis stood during a video tribute before the game between the Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles. There was also a moment of silence.


David Ortiz walked back to the dugout, head down, the roaring crowd suddenly silent. He removed his helmet a few feet from the dugout and walked down the steps. The game was over.


Berlino, 13:34 - CALCIO, GERMANIA: ARBITRO DONNA ALL'ESORDIO

Bibiana Steinhaus, 28 anni, è la prima donna designata ad arbitrare in Germania il campionato...


(InfoWorld) - Sun Microsystems has been quiet about its JavaFX technology for building graphical applications since introducing it in May, but on Friday the company added a compiler to the platform. Also on tap is an updated plug-in to outfit the open source NetBeans platform for building JavaFX applications. New online demonstrations also are being made available. Based on the Swing GUI toolkit for Java, JavaFX is intended to bolster development of graphical user experiences for systems ranging from desktops to mobile clients and even TVs. "JavaFX makes the power that existed within Swing more accessible to developers so they can create exciting applications," featuring visual interaction, said Jean Elliott, Sun's senior director of Java software product marketing. At the JavaOne conference in May, Sun unveiled two critical components planned for the platform: JavaFX Script, which is a scripting language for content creation, and JavaFX Mobile, which provides a software system for mobile devices. JavaFX technologies are only in a very early stage of development. Applications will run with a Java Virtual Machine. A beta release of JavaFX technology is intended for release at the JavaOne conference next May, but early access code -- described as "sub-alpha" code by Sun -- has been made available. Source code for the OpenJavaFX Compiler is available here. The compiler enables JavaFX Script code to be compiled into Java code. "What you really want to do is compile an entire program, get it all into Java to begin with and it compiles much faster," said Chet Haase, Sun Java chief client architect. The NetBeans plug-in, meanwhile, will provide for developing JavaFX Script programs in the IDE. JavaFX programs can be built easier, Haase said. JavaFX programs will be available as NetBeans projects. The plug-in will work with NetBeans 5.5 and is due to be incorporated this fall into NetBeans 6.0, the upcoming version of the IDE. The NetBeans 6.0 version of the plug-in features a preview of JavaFXPad integration. JavaFXPad is a lightweight tool for building graphical elements using JavaFX Script. The NetBeans 5.5 plug-in can be accessed here, while the NetBeans 6.0 variant is available here. Two demonstrations are available showing an instant messaging client and SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) integration. Users must first have the Java development kit installed to view the demonstrations. The demonstrations can be found here.Â  With JavaFX Sun seeks to enable more lightweight, easier development of consumer-oriented applications, Haase said. These could include Web sites with rich animation and user interfaces that are more dynamic than a typical forms-based application, he said. JavaFX joins what is becoming a crowded market for technologies to create graphical interfaces. "The market is only recently crowded," said analyst Joe Niski, of Burton Group. Adobe's Flash and Flex technologies have been around for a while but have not generated a lot of excitement lately, Niski said.Â  But Sun's JavaFX and Microsoft's new Silverlight platform have been added to the mix, he noted. Sun is off to a good start with JavaFX, said Niski. "They have a really compelling story, at least with the platform penetration, because JavaFX will run on any JVM," Niski said. "The one thing that it lacks is good graphical tooling targeting Web designers," he said. "It's good to see Sun putting attention into the user experience," said Niski. JavaFX extends beyond AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML). "AJAX makes it easier to build more dynamic Web pages but itâs still about static Web pages," Haase said. "It's not as rich an interface for the user," as JavaFX, he said. JavaFX Script was built with developers of graphical and GUI applications in mind, Elliott said. JavaFX Script code was downloaded 3,000 times from May 13 to June 10. Microsoft is set to soon ship a release candidate for Silverlight. A release candidate is considered a precursor to the general release of the technology.


A new implantable device can extract stem cells for therapeutic transplant or program cancer cells to die.


A sheriff accused of having state prisoners work at a stolen car "chop shop" and using them as his race-car pit crew resigned and pleaded guilty, becoming the third St. Helena Parish sheriff in a row convicted of federal charges.


It was Jason vs. Harry  on DVD last week, and the showdown between "The Bourne  Ultimatum" and Warner Home Video's "Harry Potter and the Order  of the Phoenix" ended in a split decision.


The company responsible for introducing millions of people to the Internet is poised to undergo a transformation that would likely accelerate its decline as a gatekeeper of access to the information superhighway.


8 G.I.’s Die in Baghdad, Most in a Day Since ’05

Four of the soldiers died in a roadside bomb attack; the four others were killed by small-arms fire in separate incidents.


Rob Carlton & Alex Weinress: Favorite Son

You may find the child-rearing message offered in Rob Carlton and Alex Weinressâs award-winning âCARMICHAEL & shaneâ questionable. But the Mac-based workflow they employed to finish the short in three days is a model of technological efficiency and wisdom.


Report: Japanese court dismisses request to halt deportation of chess legend Bobby Fischer

TOKYO Japan's main news agency reports a Tokyo court has dismissed a request to stop the deportation proceedings against fugitive chess master Bobby Fischer.


Crude oil futures in New York rose to a record-high settlement overnight for the fifth straight session, closing just below $US54 a barrel, reflecting real and perceived threats to global oil supply.


Blurry Image Might Be First Picture of Exoplanet

The image of a blurry red ball near a failed star just might be the first picture ever snapped of a planet outside our solar system, an astronomer who helped find the object said on Monday.


Fox Picks Up Bowl Football After ABC Declines

NEW YORK  - Three days after ABC took a  pass on renewal of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), Fox took  the ball and signed a four-year agreement to televise the BCS  and a new college football championship game.


Health Insurance Costs to Rise 2.1% Next Year

For the second consecutive year, federal employees are getting a big break on their health insurance premiums.


C7Y: Late Static Binding: a practical example

Sean Coates has posted a new article today about one of the features that will be included in the next major release of PHP (5.3) - late static bindings.   Late Static Binding (LSB) is a topic that's been brought up numerous times in the past three years in various PHP development discussion circles (and we're finally getting it in PHP 5.3)Ã¢Â"but what does it really do, and why should you care? Here's a simple practical example of how it can greatly simplify your code's design.   He shows its usefulness in an example of how it works, letting classes/objects access static methods, constants and properties of inherited classes (besides their own). His example (using beer, of course) shows how an extended class (Ale) can reference the constant (NAME) in the parent class (Beer). Thanks to a new keyword in PHP 5.3 - "static::" - helps define the difference even clearer.   Check out the rest of the article for a more practical usage too.


Reggio Calabria, 19:34 - CALCIO, REGGINA: NEL TEST CON NORVEGESI SI RIVEDE TOGNOZZI

Amichevole contro i norvegesi del Lyn di Oslo per la Reggina. 1-1 il finale. In campo anche il neo-a...


The bloodbath in the residential mortgage market is attracting some creatures of a darker disposition.


The brewer said fourth-quarter profit jumped 75 percent to $173.2 million, helped by a tax benefit and the weak dollar.


Sir Magdi Yacoub on transplant medicine, Nobel Prize winners and Mozart.


Justin Timberlake's second album enters the top of the UK charts at number one.


Giants 13, Dolphins 10: On a Slippery Day in London, Giants Hold On

The Giants won their sixth game in a row at a muddy Wembley Stadium. But for the N.F.L., the game will be remembered for the moment it represented, not the final score.


Japan PM may order new WW2 sex slaves study: MP

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may order a new study of the government's role in forcing women to act as sex slaves for soldiers during World War Two, the head of a group of ruling party lawmakers seeking such a step said on Thursday.


U.S. Forces Set for Imminent Assault on Falluja

The U.S. military sealed off Falluja on  Friday and launched a night of air strikes on the rebel city  ahead of an assault seen as critical to the interim  government's attempt to pacify Iraq before January elections.


This is not how Pittsburgh wanted to stay undefeated. Levance Fields made a 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds left in overtime to give the 11th-ranked Panthers a 65-64 win over No. 6 Duke on Thursday night, minutes after his best friend on the team was taken off the court with what looked like a severe knee injury.


Brain-Damaged Woman Talks After 20 Years

For 20 years, Sarah Scantlin has been mostly oblivious to the world around her — the victim of a drunken driver who struck her down as she walked to her car. Today, after a remarkable recovery, she can talk again.


Newly promoted Messina upset defending champion AC Milan 2-1 at San Siro, while Juventus continued its perfect start to the season and remained alone atop the standings after a full slate of Serie A matches Wednesday.


Hilary Benn, the International Development Secretary, gave a firm commitment yesterday to increase Britain's contribution to Asian tsunami disaster relief.


Londra, 12:45 - F1, ECCLESTONE: DAL 2010 GP SILVERSTONE A RISCHIO

Il GP d'Inghilterra a Silverstone a partire dal 2010 rischierebbe di scomparire dal calendario del M...


Idaho ties toddler's death to E. Coli in spinach

Idaho health officials confirmed on Thursday a toddler who died last month from kidney failure had been infected by the E. coli strain responsible for a nationwide wave of food poisoning linked to tainted spinach.


Israel marks Blair visit with pledge to renew talks

Tony Blair began his first visit to the Middle East as international envoy on Monday, meeting Israeli leaders who promised to try to revive the long-stalled peace process with the Palestinians.


Quakes Spark Panic; Japanese Warships Arrive

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia  - Fresh earthquakes in Asia  Monday rattled traumatized survivors of last month's killer  tsunami, while Indonesia and rebels in Aceh agreed to hold  talks, seeking to turn the calamity into a chance for peace.


Eurid invites comments on registrar code of conduct

(InfoWorld) - The European Registry of Internet Domain Names (Eurid), manager of the ".eu" top-level domain, is accepting public comments on a draft code of conduct for domain registrars. The code of conduct is a series of best practices that addresses issues such as filing complaints against registrars, Eurid said. Eurid has legal agreements with domain registrars, but the code of conduct goes beyond that, refining procedures to ensure a high quality of service for users, the registry said. Some of the public comments may be incorporated into the final text, which will come into effect March 29, said Patrik LindÃ©n, Eurid communications manager. The deadline for comments is March 16. The code of conduct has been published online and comments can be sent to conduct@eurid.eu. It's up to registrars whether they want to adopt the code. If they do, they can display an official "subscriber logo" on their Web site to show users they conform, Eurid said. A draft version was released to registrars in December. Eurid will also elect a "Council of Conduct," composed of .eu registrars, to govern the code. About 2.5 million Web sites now use the .eu top-level domain.


Lavish was the "L" word at Wednesday night's second season premiere of "The L Word."


LOS ANGELES  - Catherine Zeta-Jones and  her "Ocean's Twelve" producer Jerry Weintraub are reteaming on  "The Ivy Chronicles," a comedy-drama based on an upcoming novel  by Karen Quinn.


NEW YORK - Bill O'Reilly, whose Fox News Channel show is the highest-rated cable news program, has been accused of sexual harassment by one of his producers. O'Reilly says the complaint is a politically motivated extortion attempt...


Officials expect no flu vaccine shortage in U.S.

Up to 132 million doses of influenza vaccine, a record, should be available in the United States for the flu season, health officials said on Wednesday as they encouraged Americans to get their shots.


Incorrectly Installed Switches Caused Space Crash Earlier This ...

The US space agency NASA says incorrectly installed switches are the likely cause of the crash earlier this year of the Genesis space capsule.


Nel posticipo vittoria in rimonta con due rigori di Totti


The German government says surging oil prices are on track to trim economic growth by 0.25% this year.


Argentina launches the world's biggest debt swap yet, hoping to convince investors to accept about half the money they are owed.


I just came home after working five hours overtime without pay. I'll likely do the same tomorrow, and the next day, which is often my routine. Why? Because with 240 students in my English classes, overtime is unavoidable to grade all the papers and tests.


Detroit Pistons Team Report - November 27

(Sports Network) - The defending NBA champion Detroit Pistons will try to post back-to-back victories for just the second time this season, as they travel to Milwaukee to battle the Bucks at the Bradley Center.


Gemayel Murder Portends New Bloodshed in Lebanon

Even before the killing of a key Christian politician, Beirut was primed for trouble. Now, it may be hard to avoid confrontation


Jacksonville's dominant defense spoiled   Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's return to action,   blanking the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers 9-0 on   Monday.


Several factors to blame for hoops decline

US basketball once stood in the same Olympic pantheon as Cuban boxing and Chinese table tennis. From basketball's inclusion in the Games in 1936 until this summer, the United States


A bill to expand the use of DNA testing to protect the innocent and detect the guilty easily passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, but the outlook remained uncertain in the Senate.


Following the lead of President Bush's political team, John Kerry's presidential campaign will launch a new television ad Saturday that broadly refers to his party's agenda and gives him access to as much Democratic National Committee money as he wants.


Seeking a More Flattering Light on, and From, Bulbs

Dr. Robert Pai is optimistic about the fluorescent industryâs chances of developing light bulbs that please everyone and meet the efficiency standards that Congress has mandated for 2012.


LONDON - Eight suspects, including a man the United States calls a senior al-Qaida figure, appeared in court under heavy guard yesterday as police investigated their alleged terrorism plots.


VILLAVICENCIO, Colombia  - A Venezuelan helicopter mission to rescue three hostages held for years by Colombian rebels in jungle camps was delayed again on Saturday because guerrilla leaders have not given the final go-ahead.